Monday, September 8, 2008

Marbles are Fun


I still like my marbles! OK, many years ago they were probably Jay's marbles, but I have claimed them now. Some of the marbles were leftovers from well worn board games. Others were Jay's playthings. The red ones are from one of Ashley's architecture projects at ISU. They are truly a collection that has grown over the decades. I have even added to the collection. The photo above shows my newest additions. I bought these at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. In April I bought a few in West Virginia also. I love the colors, the way that they catch the light and the sparkle they bring to my coffee table. I am also a fan of inexpensive souvenirs and the marbles offered by the craftsman at these local shops certainly fit that requirement.

The marble jar does have a history in the family. I purchased the first marble jar in the mid-eighties. We had a basket of marbles, but the jar was used as an incentive and reward system. Jay and Ashley would often go to bed like yo-yos. They would keep coming back out after being tucked in for the night. They would go back to bed then come out again. We agreed that when they stayed in bed after being tucked in (for the first time) they could add a marble to the marble jar in the morning. One by one the marbles would be transferred from the basket to the pretty marble jar with the promise of a fun outing when the jar was full. It worked! Bedtime went much more smoothly and we got to go to the ball game or amusement park. Of course we had planned to go anyway, but it still worked as a great reward. At some point, the original marble jar was knocked off a shelf and broken by a cat. I am certain that it was Calico Elizabeth, but there were no witnesses. The marbles went back to the basket until years later when I missed the sparkle, color and whimsy of the marble jar. Fortunately I bought a larger jar and have room for more souvenirs!

2 comments:

Jill said...

I am glad you never lost your marbles! lol. I like them too.

Jill

Ashley Schrage said...

i like this post. it's kind of fun to hear the stories of my youth (not the ones i've heard hundreds of times) but the new ones :)