Repurposed and Remembered

It is almost a year since Mike's beloved Nana passed away. One of the things I loved about this wonderful lady was her stories about her life, including her Catholic faith. She and I shared many stories about the churches we visited and the priests we loved. We enjoyed many an afternoon talking about the beauty of the church, including the history of the stained glass, the pews that "belonged" to the family and how a rosary was passed from one family member to the next.
This summer we were cleaning out her house so it could be sold. One day while cleaning out drawers in the basement I came across an old rumpled paper bag. Much to my delight, it contained old broken rosaries and religious medals. She hadn't thrown anything away....how could she? They were sacred.
So, I packed them away and thought about how to save their beauty and history. Over time a few ideas formed. Yesterday was Mike's cousin Julie's 40th birthday. So, for her day, I gave her a piece of her grandmother. I hope to make each person in the family something to cherish and remember and to give new life to these beloved and much handled pieces of her life and her faith.