Fruit Salad

Sunday morning was a day for cleaning in the crevices. A good opportunity to do an extra scrub here and there. My parents were coming into town for my son's band concert that afternoon and the fog in the air hung longer than usual. I worried about the glaze of ice it might leave behind. 

Though it was a slower trip for them than usual, they made it to the concert and we listened and bopped to all the bands' holiday sounds. 

Following the concert, we all drove back to our house to visit. 

Whenever my parents visit, my mom always has something for me, my kids, or my husband. It could be something she saw at the store, a book, or an item she's been holding onto that's been in the family.

When we settled in at the house, she pulled out a bag saying, "Now, I just have a couple things to give you," and began taking out items wrapped in brown tissue with red stars. 

• Two snowflake tea light candle holders. 
• One is now in the kitchen, and one is in the living room. 
• A snowman decorative teapot with matching cup base. The base has a sweater-like texture.
• My daughter has already unwrapped it from the safety of its box and used it!
• A Christmas table runner.
• It now rests happily on one end of my dining room table. 
• One Christmas gift bag.
• My daughter is using it to take gifts to school for her friends. 
• Cherry-O-poly, the board game. 
• Both of my kids have already taken this out and looked over all the pieces. 
• And last, a green glass bowl. 

The green glass bowl was actually the first item I opened up but it is last in the list because it was most certainly the best. When I opened it my reaction told me mom I remembered it. 

I think my first audible response was a half gasp and half "OOOOooooh."

"You remember?" she said with a smile. 

"Yes! I love it." 

I love the green bowl. At that moment I could see it at every Thanksgiving and Christmas on the tables of my childhood. It may have held many things in its lifetime but I remember it holding the fruit salad. Now, I get to hold the bowl and fill it with new memories.