Posted on by Christi

Found Artifacts

You know how meal time conversations go. The other day, we sat at the lunch table with my father-in-law. One minute we were talking olives, are you partial to green or black. The next minute, the topic switched to “Kansas City.” Then, “Hey. Who sang that song?” And, suddenly we were on a kick about one-hit wonders from the 1950’s.

In the discussion with my father-in-law about “Kansas City” being a Chuck Berry song or a Wilbert Harrison hit (Harrison, by the way. My father-in-law knows best), I said I had a whole box of 45’s somewhere in the house, would he like to hear a few? His eyes lit up, so I set off on a mad hunt, searching in almost every closet and both attic spaces (twice), and digging through two small trunks that my kids like to call “treasure chests.” Everything in those trunks is old (though the word itself is relative…I’m “old” to my kids). I couldn’t find the records that day, but in my obsessive rummaging, I uncovered some other interesting artifacts of note.

Evidence of rumor.

I’ve mentioned before that I was a Lions Club member, a experience worthy of a story in itself. I wasn’t a Lioness, crocheting doilies with the wives in the back room. Oh no. I sat at the table up front, with the graybeards who eyed me up and wondered, like me, how the heck this skinny girl got a plate?

My first collection of short stories.

Stories: About Love, Life, and Luscious Red Hair, Copyright 1986.

With riveting titles such as “Secrecy — Unknown” and “Brought together by Bon-Bons,” plus prose like “he dreams of the day when her braces are de-banded,” I can’t imagine why this collection never made it to the presses.

The first Valentine from the man who would become my husband.

A seven word flash narrative revealing conflict and plot, from the simple opening of “Hey” to the final line: I Love you!”

The 45’s that brought on this whole search and find experience.

Now, I’ve got a date with my father-in-law.

What have you got hiding in your attic or your secret treasure chest?

20 Replies to “Found Artifacts”

    1. Cathryn, Yes! Though I had written it inside the back cover of the notebook…I guess to ensure I had plenty of space for more stories of intrigue and adventure. Oh, the fun of being fifteen 🙂

  2. You make me want to go a’hunting. This is wonderful, Christi, and what perfect finds just before Valentine’s Day. So what is that Lion’s Club story?

    1. Victoria,
      I especially love that valentine. And the Lions Club?…it was one of those times, being in the weird place at the right time and having no real good reason to say no. More details to follow during our Chicago road trip 🙂

    1. Oh Mieke, I hope you find them! I’m always amazed at the thoughts and ideas that were rolling around in that head of mine back then, good, bad, and sappy 🙂

  4. Christi, I never had a great collections of 45’s. That was my ex. I have a great collection of 33 LP’s that I cherish, will convert on a Crosley and keep for the album art or nostaglia. Love to rumage in old boxes and find treasures. Found a card my daughter did in first grade, their “hands” done in the Y summer camp when she was seven and he was nine and my best treasure … old black and white photographs of my parents, grandparents and all of us “in the day.” Enjoy your sound session and remember, you can preserve those records these days by creating CD’s 🙂

    1. Florence,
      Those are all great finds. Putting my records on CD’s sounds good too, especially when I think about the ease in letting song after song play, versus getting up and switching out the record every two to three minutes. Funny how technology makes me lazy!

  5. I love “he dreams of the day when her braces are de-banded.” You have to write something with that, Christi, even if it’s only to honor the FIL-inspired hunt.

    So sweet about your hubby, too.

    We don’t have attics where I live, and no treasure chest, but I have scrapbooks filled with letters and concert stubs, and “nostalgia” files with cards, and a reindeered wooden spoon from when Molly was in kingergarten. I love that spoon.

    1. Jan,
      You’re right, that sentence can’t be forgotten 🙂

      That wooden spoon sounds pretty cool, too. I think that’s what makes artifacts so special — the stories that surround them.

  6. I’m so glad I still have all the old journals I used to keep as a kid and teenager. Sometimes it’s embarrassing to read them, but I also get a kick out of it (oh, the earnestness!). The items that seemed so commonplace when they were in regular use quickly become valuable icons, representative of a different time and identity…that’s why it’s so great to hang onto them. Fun post!

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Sarah. I have most of my old journals, too, and I spent some time one summer reading back through them…fun, and painful, but definitely an eye into my past self!

  7. Christi,
    I love the title of your first collection of short stories! I laughed out loud when I read the line about the braces being de-banded. That is just perfect. I can picture those kids. Really enjoyed this post.

  8. Great post!

    My attic? I have a huge big attic. We own an older home and when we moved in we found some wonderful little treasures in the attic, nothing big as it was cleaned out pretty well. Every now and again we find something like little metal cars, and other small toys. There is always something hiding in the attics of older homes. What I like best are the old calendars, one from 1951 which I’m told is the same year that the area received electricty. I love the history behind it all.

    1. Laura,
      Your space sounds amazing. I wish my attic space were bigger, though I’d likely just stuff it with more artifacts of my own. There’s one small area in the way-back of my attic that I can’t reach, but if I could, I imagine I’d find some secret remnant of families past. Thanks for stopping by!

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