An Antique for Anja

In a couple weeks I will be traveling to Maine to celebrate Anja and Ronan's first birthday!  Here are today's pictures of the little guys.  If you look just above Anja's curly hair (wishful thinking!) you will see Ronan peeking around the side of the green chair.  But I've included another picture of him with a somewhat pensive expression.

I have been putting aside a few things to bring to them, since we will be traveling by car and that provides the luxury of carrying larger parcels with us.

So, as the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter, I will be bringing Anja my grandmother's childhood rocking chair!

I was delighted to find this photo of my grandmother, Margaret Falkner, sitting in this very same rocking chair.  She was born in 1898, so I am going to date this photo as 1899.

And here is a little closer up.  The photo is not in good condition and quite dark, but she was a sweet baby and I love the very lifelike toy rabbit she is holding.

In this same collection of photos, I had a second photo that shows Grandma Margaret with her sister Clara, who was born in 1899.  This photo is really in nasty shape, but it is a little lighter and you can see more detail of the bottom of the rocker.  Clara's chair is similar but has a different back.

I don't know for certain, but I think that my grandmother was also the oldest daughter in the family.  She had an even younger sister named Louise and a younger brother named Joseph.  I remember Great Aunts Clara and Louse and Great Uncle Joe.  I believe there was also an Aunt Mathilda on that side of the family, but I'm not sure where she is in the birth order.  Perhaps I will find another old family photo that will clarify that!  

I'll finish with one more picture of the rocker... this time with a stuffed bear sitting in it.

I hope Anja enjoys her rocker!  Maybe I will get a photo of her sitting in it... or maybe not.  She's pretty active!