Gifts,

I began thinking of gifts today as my sister brought a cross to me that was made by a resident where she lives in Ohio. It is a cross which is formed by three spikes and held together with fine wire. She had a chain made for me to attach the cross to in order to wear it around my neck.

Some years ago I saw a similar cross in the gift shop at the Hambidge Center on Betty's Road near Dillard Georgia. I was told that the spikes came from a church which had been bombed in Germany during W.W. II. After the fire had subsided and the debris was being carried out the spikes were found all over the floor of the church. Someone saved them and if the story is true some of them made their way to this Artist Colony in north Georgia. I was intrigued with the story and the cross so I purchased one for my neighbor on her 80th birthday.

When I was around the age of 12 my father gave me a Christmas gift of a gold necklace which had an anchor, a cross and a heart hanging from it. When he gave it to me he said the significance of the emblems told a story. My heart is anchored to the cross. My father was a devout Christian man and this had great meaning for him and thus for me also. I kept that necklace for years and eventually the parts were lost except for the cross. I still have it in a box in my bedroom. It is solid gold and about 1/2 inch long.

At a much later time my second husband gave me a golden cross which has double lines around it forming its shape. In the center is a small diamond. It is very pretty. When he gave it to me I had been elected to the position of elder in my church. He said "an elder should have a cross". I must not have had a cross at that time, so he thought it important I have one and perhaps he was right. In researching the design I believe it is a Coptic cross as the ends of the length and breadth has a tiny circular shape. Though this one has space inside of the outline rather than being solid gold.

Over the years my children and others have given me jewelry. My son brought me silver on many occasions, on a trip to Bermuda he bought a silver sea gull and earrings to match. Another time a pin with a grape design in reference to my vineyard. He has very good taste in jewelry.

At this time I have a jeweler in my daughter. She has an eye for color and design as well .At this writing I am wearing a necklace which just seems to be appropriate for any occasion. It is colorful. She said she made it wild, like me. I love being thought of as "wild" at this advanced age. Of course I do not feel that I am advanced in age, nor do I feel it - most of the time. It is more like I am 16, even though I will admit to not being as active outdoors as I once was. This is especially true in the hotter months. I may still get out my pick ax if the job calls for it and no one is around to do it for me.

I have many beautiful pieces of jewelry which my daughter has made for me. One necklace and earrings set opened up a whole new idea for me. When I wear them with green, my eyes look very green. I found that to be incredible. I always thought I had brown eyes. My family says that they are hazel. Well, they are now green on some occasions and I love that too.

When I think about unusual pieces I have in my boxes, they include a bracelet made from a caribou antler given to me by my oldest sister. Also a huge fossilized shark's tooth made into a necklace and bracelet to match of small black teeth. These I found at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when on family vacations. I have mates to earrings in one drawer. I hate to discard them as ONE day I may find the mate. Well, it has happened!! Years ago my husband brought a pendant to me and another similar one to my daughter. His boss had been on a trip to Arabia and brought them to us. They had horses painted on them which were painted with the hairs of Arab women. That I thought was amazing.

It is fun to receive jewelry and gifts in general. It adds spice to life. One thing I no longer wear are rings. I still have two wedding rings in a drawer. Neither of which I can now force on my finger. I do not know if other women gardners have given up wearing rings, but they just do not seem right on me. Other types of jewelry however remind me of the giver, or incident which brought them to me. That gives me pleasure and that is the object of the gift and of the giving.