‘Things’ that just make you smile

[Jonboy_t]

My grandma has recently moved to a care home, almost certainly the place she’ll see out her 94 (and counting) years, and so her house is being tidied out by my dad and uncle. Dad popped round to mine other day and brought round her old Kenwood Chef she bought from her sister in 1982. Apparently she wanted me to have it as she knows I like cooking. It’s 70’s orange and brown, has needed 2 replacement capacitors (so far..) to stop it smoking, at least 3 of the casings have had to be glued back together and there’s got to be 40 years worth of flour and egg caked in to every nether region of every plastic part. I can’t recall her ever using it whilst I was there, it holds no sentimental value to me (other than I know it was hers) and I could replace it with something arguably better after a 10 minute trip to Curry’s, but it’s just bloody lovely and makes me smile like a stoned teenager every time I spy it in its new home next to our toaster.

I might be being overly sentimental, but it got me thinking - is there something that might be meaningless to anyone else but gives you a huge smile when you see it? I like happy things like this

[PopsandBangs]

I have my long long gone grandfathers tatty, moth eaten Burberry cashmere scarf.... full beige check chav spec (he of course had it long before the concept of chav was invented )

I drag it out every winter and wrap it over my shoulders.

Magic.

[hidetheelephants]

Kitchen appliances in actual colour instead of boring white = approved.

[cobra kid]

My late father's watch that he got for his 21st in 1966. makes me smile because it was present at all the good stuff.

[Riley Blue]

I have loads of family stuff that bring back happy (mostly) family memories:

every day I look at my Dad's and his Dad's medals framed on the wall.
my Grandmother's biscuit barrel that used to sit on her sideboard.
my other Grandmother's locket containing a photo of her and one of my Grandad in his army uniform from WW1.
a plastic Jacob's cream cracker box that my parents kept biscuits in, we now do the same.
my Grandad's woodworking tools in three wooden tool boxes made by him.

They mean a lot to me, or rather the memories they evoke do, but they won't to future generations who won't have known their previous owners. What do I do with it all when I cark it?

[Sporky]

My mum had exactly that Kenwood Chef, in exactly that colour, so yours brought back some happy memories, thanks. She made a lot of cakes.

[Mr Squarekins]

My mum's biscuit tin. Hasn't changed in 55 years.

It'll be a big responsibility one day when she's gone.

[Nola25]

My mums teddy bear

She had it given to her by her dad in 1952, was always present in our homes growing up

My mum died in 1997 and this was one of things I managed to rescue from the vultures

Now been given to my 1yr old (although not to play with as it probably contains some substances not safe for babies)

Makes me smile everyday

[Randy Winkman]

I have this card on my fridge that was sent to me by Sightsavers:



Inside it says "This Christmas card was made for you by 2-year old Baraka from Tanzania. It is the first drawing he has ever done, just after his miracle sight restoring cataract surgery."

Though it also makes me cry a bit.

[vixen1700]

The five fox cubs which jump, play and run about in the garden each evening.

[P-Jay]

Randy Winkman said:

I have this card on my fridge that was sent to me by Sightsavers:



Inside it says "This Christmas card was made for you by 2-year old Baraka from Tanzania. It is the first drawing he has ever done, just after his miracle sight restoring cataract surgery."

Though it also makes me cry a bit.

That's brilliant.

[P-Jay]

My Daughter is a Goof, I have about 3 pictures of her smiling, and several hundred of her pulling silly faces, growling or generally being a goof, I love it when they pop up on my desktop in work.

The Muppets cover of Bohemian Rhapsody on YouTube is both very silly and I'll argue with anyone, very very good. They manage to convey more emotion than any other version of it, and I would say is nearly as good as the original.

https://youtu.be/tgbNymZ7vqY

I've got a box/bin of 'stuff' at home that's more tangible and utterly worthless, lift passes and tickets from family holidays, birthday cards from the kids, pens that don't work from somewhere I've been, a single glove, because the other one is lost forever somewhere memorable, Order of service cards from Grandparents funerals, bit of plastic crap from half a lifetime ago when I was barely in my 20s and on my adventures. It's all great stuff.

[lufbramatt]

My Grandad was a carpenter and joiner, sadly he died when my dad was 8 so I never knew him. But I've got his old home-made workbench in my garage. It's made from random offcuts of wood, whatever he could get his hands on after a job, has been added to and strengthened over the years (it probably was originally made in the late 40s) but it's nice to know that at least 4 generations of my family have stood in front of it to make and mend things.

[J4CKO]

Boobies

[generationx]

We've got a completely Council toy pretend stuffed moose head hanging up in our apartment hallway. I call him "Moosey" and every time I walk past I give him a pat on the nose or a tickle on the chin. He gets different decoration in his antlers depending on the time of year and I've even taken drunken selfies with him. I'm 52.

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Moose-Trophy-Head-Reali...

[A Winner Is You]

I still use my grandparent's old lawnmower, complete with their postcode painted on it to deter would be thieves. It still makes grass shorter, so I see no reason to replace it. He did have a large model car collection that I inherited, but just didn't have room for. I did keep one of them though, a Corgi Escort van in the livery of the Powergen plant where he used to work.

[P5BNij]

Tucked away in a safe place are the Naval records of both of my parents, every now and then I get them out and have a read of them which always raises a smile. Hand written in ink on linen type paper they’re a nice little window into the world they lived in before I came along. I also have the ribbon from Dad’s cap with the name of the last ship he served on, HMS Leander, plus the hand made wooden box containing his boot polishing kit with his name engraved on the lid.

Another family related one is the box of unused record labels with my maternal Grandad’s name on it from when he ran his own recording business at home.

I also have the maroon paisley scarf that my paternal Grandad always wore when he was a guard on the railway, He died just after I was born so I never knew him, but I always wear it in the Winter when I’m driving trains on the same routes he worked on.

Edited by P5BNij on Friday 16th July 12:46

Edited by P5BNij on Friday 16th July 12:47

[louiebaby]

Watching a dog launch itself into the river chasing a ball.

[Riley Blue]

P5BNij said:

Tucked away in a safe place are the Naval records of both of my parents...

I have those of my parents too. My Mum turned down a commission in the WRNS to marry my Dad,

[SCEtoAUX]

Randy Winkman said:

I have this card on my fridge that was sent to me by Sightsavers:



Inside it says "This Christmas card was made for you by 2-year old Baraka from Tanzania. It is the first drawing he has ever done, just after his miracle sight restoring cataract surgery."

Though it also makes me cry a bit.

Oh please let Baraka's surname be "Barmer".