Today: Charmed, I’m sure.

[tweetmeme source=”elizabethev” only_single=false] Charm bracelets have been around in some form or fashion (according to Wikipedia, obviously) for 75,000 years.  That means they’re almost as old as the jar of mustard I found in the back of my refrigerator this morning.  My parents bought me my charm bracelet when I was in eight grade, I think.  I (that is to say, the bracelet) had just two charms at the time: a tennis racquet and a soccer ball.  Totally ballin’.

Next came the music staff.  Inspired by President William Jefferson Clinton, I played the saxophone, but had the wherewithal to quit before we were required to play in the marching band.  Polyester does not agree with my sensitive skin.  Nor does social ostracism.  Just kidding.  I also sang in the Chamber and Jazz Choirs.  Judge freely.

Charms make brilliant souvenirs.  They don’t take up any room in your suitcase, and they’re always right on your wrist when you’re in the mood for a mental vacation or a trip down memory lane.  From our summers on the Cape, I have a lobster trap (complete with a trapped lobster), a Nantucket basket (Nick thought this one was an NFL helmet… he might have concussion), a whale’s tail, a lighthouse and a scallop shell.  From my parents’ adventures, I have a buffalo (I think this is from Arizona, but I’m not sure if they have buffalos there, so I could be wrong), and sandals from Sanibel and Captiva.

Nick bought me this miniature Vista House.  He was in Portland, Oregon for work a few summers ago, so I went out to visit for a weekend.  We drove out to the Columbia Gorge, climbed a bunch of waterfalls, and enjoyed breathtaking views at Vista House.  Then I deleted all of the pictures on my camera… so we retraced our footsteps and did it everything over again.  Everything, except for the deleting part.

Let’s see, what else is on here?  I have a thistle–the emblem of Scotland– for my grandfather, who wasn’t prickly, but he was Scottish.  Similarly, I have a pineapple, which reminds me of my parents’ house and is the symbol of hospitality and welcoming (and fruity beverages).  I also have a vintage charm that I found on Etsy, a tiny silver key with the Virgin Mary on one side and Our Lady of Guadeloupe on the other.  It’s really cute, in a holy way.

When my younger brother and I visited our older brother at the UVA Law, we visited Montecello.  I wasn’t feeling well and nearly fainted in Thomas Jefferson’s bed (where he, coincidentally, had died many years earlier).  To commemorate the trip, and my survival, I picked up a quill pen and ink charm, with TJ’s signature on the inkwell, in the gift shop.  Next to that is a ferocious looking eagle, which soared onto my bracelet after I graduated from BC.  And by soared, I mean it was attached by one of those melting tool things the jeweler uses.

My newest charm has extra special meaning.  It arrived in the mail a few days ago from my friend Kristine, and is in the shape of Cinderella’s castle to celebrate completing my first marathon.  It’s a great reminder not only of what I can accomplish through hard work, but how blessed I am to have such incredible friends and family.

If I ever forget for a second how lucky I am, all I have to do is look down at my charms.  They’re magically delicious. You saw that coming.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Look at the bright side of all this snow, from Jimmy Tingle
• Zumba!
• Random bit of info: how to soften hard bread

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?