Tuesday's Treasures & Things - The Mirror

Some of you noticed this mirror a few weeks ago when I wrote about how I recycled the use of the chest of drawers that sits below it. And you are not alone; it is the first thing people who come here for the first time notice too. The mirror was made by our friend, the artist Frances Fischer, and I'm as much intrigued by the idea behind this mirror as I am by the mirror itself.

I'm thinking if I were an artist and wanted to give someone a gift, I probably would just paint a picture. Fran's creative spirit stretches much farther and wider than that, so she decided to make mirrors for her friends. Mirrors that depict their lives, things they enjoy and care about. So the mirror we have in our home is a picture of our lives and what is important to us. And the vibrant colors fit perfectly with the crazy color of our living room walls.

Fran actually made mirrors for several of her friends and asked my husband to make the frames, which he did. She then asked us to let her know what we most liked to do and what we valued in life. I submitted a list to her and, based on that, she made this mirror for us.

The first square is about people: Aren't people interesting? My husband is a people person. I don't like crowds, but I do find people interesting. The second: Have a long, happy marriage. Something we both wish for, of course. Yeah, to 24 years! The next: Love animals. And that we both do.

Go sailing. Something we loved to do at the time. Still would, but we're desert dwellers now and the boat has been sold.

The blue square: Yeah, team! Some of our most fun memories are from Dodger Stadium, when the Cubs, my team, came to town. We also enjoyed Pop Warner Football when our nephews were little. Next: Visit antique stores. That would be me. I noticed that two small chairs have come off, something I had forgotten, but can now fix. And below: Read a good book. Me again, I have loved reading my whole life.

Something you may not know about me is that I love miniatures. There was a dollhouse museum in Los Angeles, close by where I lived, and each time I went there I was in miniature heaven. So you can imagine how much I love these miniatures. An old-fashioned juke box: Listen to music. Something we both like to do. After that, a pretty flower in a frame: Go to the museum. I think we both like that, but it is definitely one of my most favorite things to do. And, finally, the cutest claw foot bathtub: Soak in a bubble bath, with a ducky, a plaid towel, and a brush to scrub your back. Now how great is that?

Now to the top of the right side panel.

Where you find an acknowledgement of my husband's true love, cooking: Cook yummy food. It says on the little box that it contains Italia Mostaccioli, the very best from Italy. Underneath the cooking square, a butterfly rests: Isn't nature wonderful? Love of nature, dogs and cats was what brought us together. I knew my husband, who was my neighbor in Los Angeles, as a friend for many years, before…..

Then another couple of fabulous miniatures. A toolbox with actual miniature tools: Enjoy your work. My husband does fabulous work and he can do practically everything in the construction field. Personally, I like how he can design a space and make it work and his work with wood the best. Then a pair of sneakers: Take a walk. We both love to walk and hike.

The first of the final two squares gives good advice: Celebrate life. Since this mirror was made sometime in the 90s, the computer below is old-fashioned by now, but I remember them well, these early ones with their floppy disks and simple screens: Keep up with the times. I took a minute to look at it through my magnifying glass necklace.  The sidebar offers the following functions: My Computer, Network Neighborhood, Inbox, and Recycle Bin. The screen says: e-mail and You Have Mail. The keyboard is accurate and on the top are a bunch of floppy disks and a cup of coffee. It doesn't get much better than that.

Thank you Frances Fischer. This is a very thoughtful gift, as well as a unique and beautiful work of original art and a true treasure of ours.