Day 284. I Remember

My paternal grandmother was an art and antique dealer.  Although as I recall, much of her collecting was done for herself and us, of course.  Her family.  She did do some business, but every time she went out on behalf of a client she would end up adding to her own collections.  Or my parents.  Or mine.  She started putting stuff away for me when I was just a child.

She took me to my first auction when I was about thirteen or fourteen years old.  She taught me how to bid.  And when to back off.  I still have a small painting I got at that auction.  It was a long time ago, but I still remember how excited I was.

It turned out she passed her love of beautiful things on to my father.  And he, in turn, passed it on to me.  In fact, a lot of the time he and I spent together revolved around shopping and collecting and decorating my apartments.