The items most dear to me are related to Aubree. They include a blanket that I made for her for Christmas in 2012. She loved to snuggle up on or in it, especially during the very cold Wisconsin winter months.
Another precious keepsake for me, is Aubree’s last plush toy. It is a dog, that she didn’t really play with anymore in the last year of her life. But she loved to use him as a pillow, and brought him everywhere. Now, a year and a half later, he is a great comfort to me and sits on my couch, always ready to catch my tears when I miss my little angel.
I also made two picture books with precious memories of our 13 years together. And even though I carry them in my heart, it is still nice to look at the photos of her.
Another item of great value is my heavily used, quite beaten and scratched up iPod. Because right along with dogs, music is the greatest source of happiness and comfort in my life.
My rather short list of personal belongings, that I hold most dear may not seem significant or valuable, but they mean the world to me.
Tag: Memories
A-Z Challenge: Upbeat
A few of the topics I have addressed this month, with my own version of the A-Z Challenge, awakened some unpleasant memories. Clearly, it was my choice to write about my past, and I don’t regret having done so. It is a form of therapy, even after all this time. And let’s be honest about one thing, you are here and reading my posts because you choose to, not because I am twisting your arm. Am I wrong? Today it’s drab and cold outside, quite fitting to how I feel. The best way to tackle that negativity is with some upbeat music…
A-Z Challenge: Picture
The picture above my couch has a very special meaning. Every time I look at it, I remember my best friend Jamie and her husband Allen. They loved to go antiquing on the weekends, and quite often I was invited to join them. One of those Saturdays, we ended up at the Water Street Vintage Store in New London, Wisconsin, where I found this picture. Do you know the feeling when you see something and are drawn to it immediately? Spotting this picture, among all the other beautiful items being displayed at the store, was such a moment for me. It is precious, because it will always remind me of the quality time with two of the best friends I was ever blessed with in my life.
A-Z Challenge: Milwaukee
It was my home, sweet home for nearly 20 years: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
You’ve been so welcoming. I learned so much, met a lot of truly lovely people. The country roads and highways have been frequented by me quite a bit, especially during the warm months….moonroof open, music loud. Lots of long nights and tired mornings. Countless walks by Lake Michigan. And the Starbucks on HWY 100 was my second home. When they saw my car in the drive-up, my coffee was ready when I got to the window, without having to order. It’s a bit scary in hindsight, how much money I left there. Just like Barnes & Noble. I think at the Mayfair Mall location, which was my favorite, they silently cheered when they saw me coming, because they knew, that I’d leave quite a bit of money there. The same goes for Best Buy, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Pier 1 Imports, or JC Penny Outlet Store, to name a few. And I really miss Chili’s restaurant. Every Sunday night I’d get a take-away Southwestern Cobb Salad, with extra Cilantro Dressing….yumm-tumm-tumm, that was so very good. I loved that salad. Another highly frequented place was the observation area at Milwaukee Int’l Airport. How many afternoons and evenings I did I sit in the grass or the car with my puppy girls and watched the planes take off or land? Gosh, I don’t know. And the very cool thing was, that you could tune your radio to the frequency at which the pilots were communicating with the tower!
A great thank you goes out to my last employer Dental Associates, headquarters on Burleigh Street. They’ve been like a family to me for almost 13 years. They saw my potential and gave me a chance. Hopefully they never regretted hiring me.
Milwaukee, it wasn’t always a cakewalk, because there have been some difficult and dark years, that I gladly could have done without. But overall it’s been an amazing experience, that I will always treasure, and be thankful for. I would never be, who I’ve become, if it weren’t for these 20 years in the beautiful Midwest of America, in which I had to fight my way through life alone. Thanks so much for having me! Love, always 💓
A-Z Challenge: Jewelry
During my time in the USA I fell in love with Native American jewelry and acquired a few truly lovely pieces over the years. Most of them came from a shop, called The Silver Eagle, located in the next town from where I lived for the last nine years. I was there quite often to browse new items, or to purchase gifts for friends and co-workers.
Unfortunately I don’t have any of my Native American and Black Hills Gold jewelry anymore. Back in Germany it was “taken away” by a mean-spirited and manipulative man, as a punishment for not loving, and later leaving him. That was seven years ago, and I still get upset about it. This jewelry had so much meaning, as a memory of my time in the USA. One of the vacations we took, when my parents came to visit, was to South Dakota, which is known for Black Hills Gold. My dad bought a necklace for me, as a souvenir. No one and nothing can replace it.
These cherished jewelry pieces were a part of few truly American items I brought back to Germany with me. And now they’re gone.
Trivialities & Intricacies 
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