Do you Collect Anything?

As much as I would like to downsize, I do admit to collecting a few things.  Why do we collect things? Is it for hobby? Financial gain? Here are some things I collect and the reasons I do so.

Collection: the act or process of getting things from different places and bringing them together 

Snow Globes and Ornaments

I have always been drawn to snow globes. My earliest memory of a snow globe is one my mother put out every Christmas. Shaking it, I would be mesmerized as the snow fell slowly to a magical scenic village.

For each of my children, during the holidays, I will purchase them a new Christmas tree ornament and snow globe until age 21. Once they have their own apartments or home, then those collections will be sent to them. Hoping of course, that they still want them!

In the ornament box I tuck a note with a few words about their lifestage, what they are interested in and how we celebrate that holiday.  I hope they will enjoy those messages and their holiday collections as they grow older.

Beach Sand and Seashells

One of my personal collections is beach sand. Yes, sand. As you know, I love the ocean. Not having an ocean close by is a downside to living here in Phoenix. Each time I visit a different beach, I collect a small amount of sand. The sand is from: Mexico, Hawaii, Jamaica, Maine, California, Texas, Rhode Island, France, Russia, Greece, St. Kitts and St. Thomas.

Any shells or seagrass I find during my beach walks, is added to the sand collection.

I am amazed how different sand is ~~ from the color to texture to size of particles.  The whitest and finest sand is from Mexico. On her trip to Greece, my daughter brought me red sand from Red Sand Beach, Santorini, Greece and black sand from Perissa Black Beach in Santorini, Greece.  The sand most similar to each other is from opposite sides of the country~Newport Beach, California and Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

I have mixed feelings about the sand I gathered from Omaha and Utah Beach during a tour of Normandy in France.  I consider this to be sacred ground and keep it with the upmost respect.

The Maine and Jamaica sand have similar shades of what I would consider “sand” color. I display the sand jars in the family room on shelves.  They do deserve better labels vs. ones from my label machine, but I’ll get to that project someday!

Rosary Beads

My next collection is rosary beads.  When the World’s Fair came to New York City in 1964, I remember being in awe of seeing Michelangelo’s Pieta, which was on loan from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy.  It was sculpted in 1499 when Michelangelo was 24. My mother purchased The Pieta rosary and I was so fortunate to get it after her death.

Another favorite rosary of mine is from the Vatican during our family Italy trip in 2014. What I love about rosary beads is that each and every rosary is different~~the crucifix, centerpiece and beads. To me, they are individual works of art.

I have my Aunt Gail and Aunt Jerry’s (my father’s sisters, now deceased) rosary beads and others I have collected from various parts of the world.  The one with the large crystal crucifix is from Waterford Crystal in Waterford, Ireland and the red and blue rosaries were purchased from a street market in Puebla, Mexico.

New, handcrafted heirloom rosaries

I recently received a payment for some work I was subpoenaed to do for a law firm who is suing our City. It is a long story, with lots of nastiness. Since the check feels like dirty money to me, I spend it on a new set of rosary beads.

Seraphym Designs, based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico makes the most gorgeous original heirloom rosary beads. Each design is carefully handcrafted in the United States and contains replicated devotional metals that date between the 14th and 19th centuries. In 2015, Seraphym Designs was commissioned to make an original St. Serra rosary for Pope Francis during his visit to the US.

Not only does the founder, Arasely Rios create rosaries but she also makes beautiful jewelry. If you are looking for a unique one of a kind gift (they have a wedding rosary), I suggest you visit their website. And now I feel like I took bad money and spent it on something good. 

I am a bit surprised but even Amazon sells a wide variety of styles and price points for rosary beads.

Today is a glimpse into a few of my collections. Do you collect anything? If so, please share.  I hope you had a blessed Memorial Day and enjoy the last day of May.