This year our September Boxes were going to be exchanged in the Cotswolds’s in England, over tea and scones and shopping bags at our feet. I found two small cigar boxes for us to fill and exchange, but life threw us a curve ball.

Mom fell and broke her hip and had to have hip replacement and getting over this hurdle has taken just a tad longer than any of us wished. She is on the path to better days but unfortunately my parents are not able to join us on our trip to England. We’ve been planning it for a year! Bummer. We are going ahead as planned, spending the first week with Kevin’s parents and then the second week just me and Kevin.

BUT we still have our September Boxes to exchange. Mom wanted to swap before we head off to England. I’m good with that!

I went to mom’s house bringing home-made potato soup since it’s got healing powers! We sat at the dining room table and mom opened her’s first.

My theme was Englandish.  I covered mom’s cigar box with lots of old papers and painted a tad and such and wrote Psalms 23 all over the box. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade, mom taught my bible class at church and we memorized Psalms 23. I have never forgot it.

I included a lead shepherd holding a staff with his companion and some sheep, a sweet eBay purchase, a terribly sweet red-work found on the WLYS of two birds, a thimble necklace I made with silver sewing charms and several other choice things.

Sometime ago I came across the pattern for a thatched house sewing kit on Pinterest. I had thoughts of making it as a craft project when my friend Kana and Janine came for a weekend of crafting with me and mom. I showed it to mom and we decided It seemed a little labor intensive for our crafting time. But I held on to the idea and decided to make it for mom for her September Box. I mean its perfect right?

Let’s just say it’s labor intensive and leave it at that! Adorable really and if I ever made another it would be so much easier! (but THAT’s not going to happen) Funny thing is mom had the same idea and did about half and gave up and stuffed it into her bottom drawer! I wanted to do that many times too! Mom said if we had picked that for our crafting weekend Janine and Kana still wouldn’t be talking to us!!

Mom was quite happy with her box and didn’t complain one bit that all the stuff wouldn’t fit into it.

My box was sweetly wrapped in blue hemp with hand painted buttons that I recognized right away from a little English Cottage I had bought for mom at Christmas. Cynthia Crane Pottery. Also a little needle keep which is adorable with a cottage on it. 

Also tucked in my box was a huge gold and pearl pin that was my great-grandmothers. I recognized it as always being in my mom’s Jewelry box. I loved going through her box growing up looking at charms and rings and costume jewelry from her past.. many pieces gifts from my dad.

An odd package taking up the majority of the tiny box held this sweet little girl ready for her trip to England. She was made by Jenn from Noodle and Lou. Mom and I met Jenn when we went to Texas. A spunky and funny artist! Thrilled to have this doll made for me. Thanks Jenn and Mom!

It was a bitter-sweet exchange this year. Conditions not as we had planned but I am thankful, so very thankful, mom is better! AND mom’s attitude is just as you would think… happy we are going to England, even if it’s without her. She deserves two September boxes!!

Another chapter added to our September Box story.

Katey

PS If you would like to see our first exchange and the history behind it click here.