Collections

Many people have something they like to collect, from stamps to stickers, from pens to bottlecaps. I collect salt and pepper shakers, by accident. My mother once gave me several boxes that had lots of old china and glassware that she'd been carting around for years. So in her desire to get rid of clutter extreme generosity, she gave these boxes to me. In an effort to downsize, I went through and unwrapped everything, got rid of the few broken pieces, and found among the plates and teacups several pairs of salt and pepper shakers. After several more years of collecting and many new additions, here's what I've got to show.

These, like all of the others, have never been used. The Santa and chimney are still in the original wrapping! And I've got another pair of the snowmen ... In the same winter I got a pair from my dad while he was on vacation from Florida, and a second pair a few weeks later from my mom as a gift. Neither knew about the other pair!

Then I've got these, and they are definitely in my top five favorites. I got them just a few years ago, but they remind me of the first time I saw real snow when I was sixteen.

Cute kittens and puppies that would be so fun to snuggle up and play with ... if only they weren't glass.

And BIG SCARY BEARS you should totally be glad are glass. Otherwise you'd have to run from them while screaming your head off and that can be tiring.

When my cousin bought me these, we were standing in a thrift store (we love them!) and debating whether or not they were peppermint circles or life-rings. In the end we figured all they needed to do to qualify for my collection is to be salt/pepper shakers ... and they are, so you can decide for yourself what you think of them.

I've got this little set that was gifted to me a few days ago. I love them because they are unique, even if they do boldly remind me of something I hate doing.

Though I don't eat eggplant, I do love pears, and I also love pumpkins ... but only in my pie. I am a total fiend for pumpkin pie!

I like the flowers on the two larger green shakers, and I got the others as a gift fom my cousin. I love them because of the little dragonflies!

These just remind me of being out in the country where my grandmother lives now. They just seem so "down home".

Even a couple of sets that are straight out of Green Acres (yes, the show ...)

And last but not least, these two sets that are very old. These were in fact the beginning of my little collection way back before my parents wanted a second child, and LONG LONG LONG before salt and pepper shakers caught my eye. These two pairs were originally stored in the china cabinet that my mother had her china collection in ... in the house I went home to from the hospital when I was born.