Your story reminds me of my Mammaw (my grandmother on my father's side) who had all kinds of knick-knacks and such which she kept around her in her assisted-living places and finally in the nursing home; and she could tell the stories behind each one-- who gave it to her, when, and for what occasion. Then she'd tell about the person who gave it to her and things they had done together. If it was something she had bought for herself, she could tell all about that too-- where she was and why she wanted it. It was her way of keeping memories of important people, places, and events in her life close at hand.

Since you asked, yes, it should be "tales."

Thanks for the comment. I thought about taking baths with my foot hanging over the edge, but since we bought a transfer seat for Suzanne's mom when she came to visit last year, we thought it best to use that. I tape a small trash bag over my leg just below the knee, and then I can sit on the seat to take my shower. It's much easier and safer than getting in and out of a tub. That's probably more information than you wanted to know.

Photographs, of course, are another way of preserving memories (my Mammaw must have had thousands of them.) My main profile pic is a detail from a larger picture taken from Song of the Mountains, my favorite of all the plays I have been in. I chose it because it looks like a gesture of greeting, although the character is actually pronouncing a formal blessing as part of what we would call a wedding ceremony. Click here to see the whole picture. The picture next to my previous comment is me as detective Jack Elliott in the 2005 production of Late One Night, which is the hardest play I've ever done. Because it is so authoritative-looking, I use it as a kind of joke when I do something like correct someone's spelling or grammar. The picture next to this comment is the same character from a more recent production of the same play.