On July 13, 2012, my two daughters surprised me with a big box of wrapped gifts, informing me it was exactly 80 days until my 80th birthday and I would be able to unwrap one gift a day. The gift items would commemorate a year in my life in some way. This is what I received this week.
1982 – A 1982 tin featuring the cartoon character Cathy. This was one of my favorite newspaper cartoons in the 1980s. I related to her in several ways – certainly in her love for chocolate.
1983 – My youngest daughter knitted two beautiful place mats from a pattern in the July, 1983 issue of The Workbasket – in my favorite color.
1984 – A darling little maple syrup tin produced by the New England Container Co., Swanton, Vermont in 1984.
1985 – My oldest daughter used a 1985 Dale Burdett cross-stitch kit to make a Christmas ornament and added “1985” to it.
On the back is a picture she clipped from a home movie of my husband and me decorating the tree in 1985. She scanned it onto fabric and it became the backing for the ornament.
1986 – Two of the famous California Raisin figures. Who could forget their great commercials?
1987 – A September, 1987, edition of MAD magazine featuring articles on The Andy Griffith Show, Crocodile Dundee, Pee-Wee Herman and much more.
1988 – A 1988 Cincinnati Reds Media Guide with every fact about every Reds player and Reds team in history in a compact guide book. An added bonus – a postcard showing the Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial quilt – Cincinnati 1788-1988.
All of my posts on this wonderful celebration are listed in Family – My 80th Birthday in my index on the right hand side of the page.
LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD 
This is like a trip down memory lane. Surprisingly, the “80’s don’t seem like that long ago. Your daughter does some beautiful knitting, she must knit very fast,, all her things are just lovely.
More special items. Wow! Your daughters are amazing!
Oh my goodness, what wonderful women you raised, to do such a thoughtful thing for their mother. I have to say this is the best idea ever! I can’t believe how much time and energy and thought they put into this! What a blast to have a gift every day until your 80th birthday, and from each year of your life! I remember Cathy-I loved her too but I don’t think she’s around any more. What ever happened to her? And I still have a California Raisins t-shirt in my closet from when I was a little kid–my arm probably wouldn’t fit in it now but I can’t get rid of it. It just reminds me of all the good things about my 80s childhood. 🙂
I have that California Raisin character on the left as a key ring. I never knew what it was but always thought it was very ‘cool’ when I was little. That maple syrup tin is incredibly cute. As always, these posts touch me with the thought, effort and time that has gone into producing the gifts. You must be very loved! 🙂
p.s. I like the autumnal/fall look with the background and pears.
They were right on, once again. Your husband was certainly a tall drink o’ water, wasn’t he? I learned a very important diet lesson from Cathy. When you are hungry for chocolate, just eat it. Otherwise, you eat half the kitchen and then eat the chocolate anyway!