Tiny Tuesday - A Favorite

My Grandma died at the age of 69 in 1978.  Less than two years later, my Grandpa was gone. I was especially close to him.  He was a High School Wood Shop teacher (it's been a long time since it was called that) and was once named Buffalo City Teacher of the Year. In his basement, he installed a large chalkboard. My brothers, cousins and I loved to play school.  We used the ping-pong table as desks.  Grandpa brought  old textbooks and other school supplies from school.  I loved the chalkboard pointer and the giant compass and protractor.  Maybe that's why I ended up loving geometry.

When he passed away, each one of his five children (including my Mom) could lay claim on things in their house.  Then it was the grandchildren's turn - nine of us at the time.  I really didn't want anything, just something by which to remember him.  I took his signature stamp, the kind we used with ink pads and this doodad.  I wasn't sure what the heck it was but  it looked different, something no one else would want.

Turns out that it is an antique cigarette holder called a pincherette.  The idea was to pinch the cigarette into the creature's open jaw (bill, beak?).
It's never too far away from me and it instantly brings wonderful memories and a picture of him to my mind.  There are some people who pass through your life for whom you have mixed memories, my dad for instance.  But my memories of my Grandpa are as clear and fresh as the day is long.

So this pincherette is not exactly raindrops on flowers or whiskers on kittens but it is one of my favorite things.