Objects From The Past

Our little farm house in France has lots of reminders of my mother in it. Long ago, she had an affinity for old objects and she started collecting them to fill this house with period objects. Mind you, the original farmers who lived here were land-rich, but dirt poor otherwise. The house would have had few furniture such as a big farm table, long benches to sit around the table, a few beds and lots of tools. No kitchen ( all the meals were prepared in the fire place) and no bathroom. In fact, this house did not have running water in it until the late 70's. The only water came out of a faucet in front of the house. It was supplied by a water source which ran all along our little hill.
My mother loved to go to the Brocantes or flea markets around here and bought up many, many objects that seemed silly to me when I was young. They are all standing here and there in the house. The picture above is of a wash basin and water can which has been standing on a window sill of the house for more than 35 years. Sometimes, when I move it, one of my mother's grandchildren moves it back to its original place with a scolding look on their face. You see, I have been put in charge of this house, but it is more a museum, a place where the entire family feels close to my mother. She put so much of herself into this place. And now that I am an adult and she is gone, I am glad for all the objects she put in it. So the pitcher above stays were it is, though I dared add the lace curtain to the window this year.