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Lynne Calkins's avatar

I loved your story of the “5 gold rings. 8 made me very teary. Probably because it’s partly my story too. Thank you, Leslie.

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Michela Griffith's avatar

Beautiful rings, all of them. How wonderful that Lucile kept hers; I’m sure there would have been times when she needed money.

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Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Thank you, Michela. I'm grateful the ring and its story survived.

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Cathy Joseph's avatar

What beautiful stories to go with each of these rings, Leslie - I love that! The one that speaks to me most is the final one. Not only was this handmade for the recipient, he mined the gold for it! So many touches of love and caring that made its way to you. What a wonderful post!

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Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

That is my favorite story too, it reaches far into the past and yet I knew two of the people very well. I never met my grandfather. The stories I remember about Bernie and me are a different kind of remembrance.

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Maria Haka Flokos's avatar

What a lovely story, about the rings! The Twelve days of Christmas is very dear to my heart, as all the chapters in my Christmas mystery The Hesitant Architect are headed by one such day. Thank you for sharing, wishes for a peaceful and joyful Christmas.🌲🌲🌲

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Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

An unexpected connection! I have your book "The Hesitant Architect on my lap, I bought it to be my Christmas read this year and starting it today is my reward for finishing my post. I had no idea your chapters would connect to the holiday song. Isn't it wonderfully strange! I'm looking forward to the read, Maria. Warm wishes for your Christmas too.

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Maria Haka Flokos's avatar

Oh, that's wonderful, Leslie! You made me smile, so kind of you... I hope you will enjoy the novel, the coincidence is truly serendipitous! 🌲🌲🌲

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Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Serendipity! That was the word that wouldn't come to mind.

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James Lee's avatar

I love the idea of recounting a family's history through heirlooms. It reminds me of Edmund de Waal's book The Hare with The Amber Eyes - where he chronicles the extraordinary lives of his ancestors, in part, through a set of Japanese netsukes (miniature sculptures).

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Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

This sounds like a wonderful read, James. Certain objects do seem to be talisman, to have a capacity to carry a story through generations. I feel that way about the ring my grandfather made for my Aunt Lucile. I knew her well and wish I had known about the ring and could have asked her about it and heard her story. When his skilled craft as a mining blacksmith disappeared almost overnight with the wide availability of machine made tools and parts, he didn't adjust well and wasn't much a provider for his six children. He would go up into the hills and work his own gold claims for months at a time, a bit of a dreamer. His story has made me more aware of the impact that fast changes in technology have on so many careers and ways of life, it takes a flexible person to make the adjustments successfully. Thanks again for reading and commenting.

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James Lee's avatar

Thanks, Leslie. It's fascinating how every treasured artefact has its story...

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Holly Starley's avatar

Lovely, Leslie.

Gosh isn’t the fragility of the human mind endlessly fascinating?

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