Another Woman's Recipe Box

I bought this box  full of recipes at an estate sale. I couldn't wait to get home and look thru it  and see what old recipes I would find. The box wasn't in the greatest shape, paint had been spilled on it, it had a few dings and several rusty spots, but it had to hold true treasures. Reading cookbooks and looking thru recipes is a hobby of mine.  I wanted to make myself a cup of hot chocolate, settle on my comfy couch and see what treasures my little box held. Once I started going thru the box, I started to feel like I was invading someone's privacy. I started thinking about the woman who had owned it before me. Inside I found clippings from newspapers, some as old as 1963 and 1972, hand written recipes and recipes taken from the backs of boxes. There were recipes held together with straight pins, some were written on recipe cards and some on scratch paper. I started thinking about the woman who saw a recipe in a newspaper and thought to herself,  "ooh! that sounds good" or my husband, son or daughter would like that. How much time had she taken to collect them all. I can imagine she swapped recipes with a friend. What stories could my little box tell if it could. I wondered about the recipes that were flops and the ones that turned out great. I did find several recipes I would like to make. But I didn't only find a treasure of recipes but  a respect for someone I never met and never will. I first thought that I would take all the recipes out and give it a good scrubbing but on second thought I didn't. The box represents that woman's life, the recipes she collected thru the years,  the dents and dings everyone gets thru life, how could I try to make it look new. I now wonder what my recipe collection will tell about me, hopefully that I love my family, my home and God.

This will be posted to Gold Star Wednesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,  Foodie Friday and Tasty Tuesday