I love this Hoosier cabinet. It’s just a piece of furniture, scratched and scarred, broken in places, but that’s part of why I love it. It has stories to tell. My mom and dad got it when they opened A Different Drummer Gift Shop in Earlham. Christmas Open House was always the best part of the year at the shop, and the cabinet was kind of the queen. She was filled with evergreen and pinecones, and decorations my folks had made to sell. And of course, a big pot of yummy cider and homemade cookies and candy sat on it. It was such a warm and cozy time, and so much fun. I got to see people I only saw that time of year, since I didn’t live in Earlham anymore.
After my dad died and my mom sold the property, I got to bring the cabinet home. Before Covid, Laura Lynch and I used to have open houses here at my house, and just as it had years before, the cabinet held the evergreen, the decorations for sale, the cider to drink and the good things to eat.
There have been no open houses for a long time though, so last weekend, I put the cabinet to work as the backdrop for my Pops of Purple Collection photo shoot. The cabinet was very well behaved. The Pops of Purple bunch, not so much. This is kind of how it went.
Me: Okay guys, we’re gonna get one group picture, then individual pics of each of you, then we’re done and you can all go on about your day, ‘kay?
Random Purple Pop: Ummm, I’m not really in the mood for pictures. How about tomorrow instead?
Me: Ummmm, no.
I start arranging, and rearranging, trying to get them all to fit.
Know-it-all Random Purple Pop: We’re not all going to fit on this level. You’re going to have to move some of us onto the shelves.
Me, muttering under my breath: You don’t know everything. This will work.
Random Purple Pop: I don’t want to sit by him. I want to sit over there.
Me: Listen, if you all just cooperate and don’t complain, we’ll go for ice cream after.
Lots of Random Purple Pops: Yay! Ice cream!!
One Random Purple Pop: I don’t want ice cream. I want pizza.
Me: There’s one in every crowd.
I accidentally knock one of them onto the floor.
Wounded Random Purple Pop: Hey, that wasn’t my fault. I was cooperating! I still get ice cream!
Me: Yeah, yeah, you still get ice cream.
Finally they’re all in place. I get my phone ready, adjust the distance, adjust it again, back up a little. And I’ll be darned if the Know-it-all Random Purple Pop didn’t know what he (or she, who knows, really) was talking about.
So I started the whole process over. I refused to tell him (or her) he was right.
Just when I had it ready again, one of the Pops on the shelf above crept too close to the edge and fell onto the Pops below. Before I got the blame, I went on the defense!
Me: Hey, I told you to stay where you were! We were soooooo close!
Fallen Purple Pop: Really? You REALLY think I “crept” to the edge on my own?
Now it’s Purple Pop Pandemonium below.
Me: STOP IT! RIGHT NOW! Or there will! be! no! ice! cream!
All the Purple Pops: We’re sorry, we’ll stop, we love you, we love ice cream!
In case you’re concerned by now that I’ve totally lost it, I do know that they absolutely did not carry on a conversation with me. At least not out loud. Probably. And we absolutely did NOT go for ice cream. Or pizza. Maybe.
Do you see that Welcome sign on the shelf? There are two reasons that sign got to stay: One, it behaved itself during the photo shoot, and two, I think that this cabinet’s story has always been one of welcome. Many years ago in someone’s kitchen, a pie crust was rolled out for Sunday dinner dessert with company coming. Thirty years ago it was all decked out for Christmas in my mom and dad’s shop. These days, it’s welcomed people for my open houses, and now it holds some of my memories and favorite things, and all of them make me feel warm and cozy.
So yes, the cabinet is just a piece of old, scratched up furniture, but to me, it’s the voices from those long ago Sunday dinner guests, the laughter of people at A Different Drummer, and my own experiences, both real and imaginary!
I know a lot of you have pieces of furniture that have stories to tell! I want to hear them!!
Also, you can check out this sign in the Pops of Purple Collection. And if you’d like it in a different color, that can be done!