Friday Finds

Here are just a few of the finds we got this morning.

Mr got a whole lot more that I didn't take any pictures of - like wood shelving, a buffet cabinet (free!) an old metal bed spring (you take the springs out and sell them separately - I have no clue what they do with those!) a metal cabinet with a Formica top that will get a new wood top. Just some basic starter supplies to make some fantastic items with. When you get the supplies for little or nothing, that just makes it greater.

I got this:

Among the items are two colored pottery bowls that I am thrilled with (I have this weakness for bowls and pitchers, if you haven't noticed) some cobalt blue glassware (a tidbit server and a pedestal dish) a covered casserole in a metal server, some ironstone, carnival glass, a unique nutmeg grater (front center) and a number of pieces of mottled grey enamelware. There is also a jar of old marbles a metal box, a strainer and a tin that says "Lipton Tea".

Most of this came from one barn sale and it was so dirty it needed a bath before I set it anywhere in the house. Not a bad haul. Now the hard part - pricing, I don't like to price, it takes time and thought.

******************

Elsewhere

I came out of the house the other morning and found this

It is all that is left of "Pretty Bird"

True to form, I thought. We never seem to have a pet very long before they either run away (from boredom I wonder) or they get killed.

You can read about him here

Since it has been such nice weather, and he is cooped up inside of the house most of the time, I put his cage outside on a table where he can see us working, here the other birds, etc. Since it was also warm inside without the swamp cooler going, I left him outside overnight (I've done this before...)

Well, something (perhaps a raccoon) had scoped out this convenient place to have dinner and decided that this was the evening to go out to eat. The cage had obviously been pushed off of the table (and it was a large cage, so it must have been a big raccoon). There were a few more feathers here and there, but I am sure that Pretty Bird is now singing with the angles.

Who knows what animal we will next torture... Stay tuned.

Oh, did I tell you that we now have a cat?

Sobering News

While I was out doing my yard sale routine this morning, I got a call from child #5 and she asked me if I had any more news on a friend.

My response was, huh? She then told me that he had been river rafting with two others and had died. So sad, he had worn all the protective gear that normally goes along with the sport, but had hit his head and his friends found him.

This is so sobering because we just had a camp with a lot of river rafting in the mix, young and old alike. I don't know about the conditions where our friend had been, but it is always a consideration about danger that has to be taken into account.

The next sobering thing is that we have just a short time here to live and how do we live it? We don't know if we will make it to the end of the day. Our friend was a high school english professor, had just completed his masters degree and was probably ready to look for Miss Special and start his family. He is now with our Lord in Glory, but that doesn't lighten the heartache of his family and friends

The most important part of all this sobering news is that our friend was a Christian. He had accepted the free gift of salvation and was eternally bound to live with Christ in Glory. It is a most important decision and he made it early and was living his life to reflect that decision.

Our hearts are with his immediate family and those that were very close with him. We pray that this accident will bring glory to our Lord in whatever way it can. May we grown closer together because of it.

Ironstone Heaven

Recently, we hit a jackpot at a yard sale

The first day we went I was selective and got most of these:

some of these large and I mean 15 inches high, were to a bowl and pitcher set at one time. The other large one is an unusual vase, thing $$ when you see these and they are not quite as ugly... I mean, how many of you want these to docorate with?

Most of these dishes were from my first visit to this yard sale. I cleaned them up, they were rather dirty, fly speckled and real dusty, dirty. The set of square bowls I thought were kinda unusual. My daughter (the vintage bricoleur) drooled over many of these. And, another bricoleur, when she saw the pictues, said "I want to buy that one" (she collects ironstone)

Well, since I had such a great review, I decided to go back the next day and here is what I got

I'm sorry, you just have to put up with my photographic skills or lack there of. There are multiple shots of the same dishes here.

I took some of the dishes and arranged them in one of Mr's creations, a hutch

I would say that most of these are transferware, brown. The large brown pitcher is held together at the pouring spout with scotch tape, but it still looks good on a shelf. I passed up the covered casseroles the first day, but snatched them up the second day. I don't know why any other dealer didn't find these before me...

I look for ironstone marks on the dishes like these

One of the bricoleurs says she will help me with the pricing. That is the hardest part for me. I want to sell them and not have them as museum pieces in my store.

One last piece was this bowl -- it is Metlox and the Rooster is a trademark to look for.

All, in all I spent around $100 for all of these. That is more than I would normally spend, but I know that the value is here.

Well, keep your eyes peeled, you may run acorss a find like this sometime.

My Prize Necklace and a Quilt Project

Did you get to see my new necklace that I WON! ?

Looking this over, it seems pretty obvious that I don't win things very often...

Anyway, back to the necklace. Rachel from:

http://vanhookandco.blogspot.com/

made this wonderful creation for just me!

It has two circular disks which have "Honey", "Papa" and our anniversary date stamped onto them.

I totally love it. I had my grand daughter take a picture of it while I was wearing it and instructed her to not take it of my chest...

Honey and Papa are what the grandchildren call us and other "adopted" grandchildren also.

You should check out Rachel's blog for yourself and perhaps purchase a necklace for yourself, after all, you may be like me and not win one very often.

And, I won it by commenting at http://allthingsvintage88.blogspot.com/  And, no, she isn't having a giveaway there at this time, but you should haunt, oops! I mean visit her blog often because she has lots of wonderful ideas.

Recently, I have noticed that it is very hard to comment on other people's blogs, is this only for me? One of my fellow bloggers thought the world had ended and she was the only one left and was all alone...

*************

I am happy to say that I have finished another quilt project, this time for a wedding gift.

The young lady that this one goes to likes "modern" and purple and black. I hope that she can find a place in her new home for this lap size one. The colors don't look true to me here, they almost look blue...

Does anyone want to tell me how to "imbed" a link to another site when you are blogging? I know I can write it out, some have this neat linky thing -- you know, press here (on a word) and it takes you to the site you want - like if I wanted to share another blogger or such.... Any help is appreciated.

Here Come Those Hazy, Lazy Days of Summer

I distinctly remember hearing about those days

I can't find them...

We have been so busy, good busy, tho

First, we went on a camping trip up the river, where there were many that braved the rafting trip down the river -- about 5 miles.

Mr in his sturdy craft coming down the river

Some of us waiting for the "rafters" to arrive and those that have already come in telling stories of their narrow escapes from the "terrors" of river rafting, like running aground in the shallows, hitting rocks on their backsides, or gettin splashed from a fellow rafter as they floated by.

Special guests from far away even braved the rafting trips

One of my daughters and granddaughters

Many young people sitting around and playing games and getting to know each other better

Unusual rock formations...

Campfires enjoyed by young and older alike

Tri Tip prepared by our own chefs over an outdoor grill with:

Salad, hot buttered bread,

Pinto beans with a delicious BBQ sauce to go over either the beans or the meat or BOTH!

And, not to forget the delicious deserts - about 9 different cakes to chose from. Definetely NOT a diet camping trip.

One morning found some of the grandsons visiting with Mr (Papa) at breakfast time.

(along with some "adopted" grandchildren)

We are preparing to go to a wedding this coming weekend down near the central coast. We secured the campground at the first of January, so we were commited to this camping trip and did not go to our usual show on the second weekend. This has been a one show month for us - we did the northern California one at the first of the month (that seems like a year ago by now)

Hot weather has finally hit us and today we had near 100 if not hitting it. We were blessed with so much rain earlier in the year, that it has made a lot of the vegetation grow more and that will make for more of a fire hazzard as we get warmer.



We have many items ready for the next coming show, at the first of the month in Alameda, Lord willing. Some items we save for just this show each month.  We look forward to getting back in the saddle and selling soon.

River Rafting

A long awaited camping trip starts today.

Years ago, (wow, I sound like I'm around 100...) anyway, we had a passel of young-uns...(6) and every year we would take our family vacation in the mountains and go camping for 10 days. Now, some of you would cringe at the thought of "roughing it" for 10 days, but took so much stuff that it was not really roughing it. It seems like months in advance I would take a poll at a dinner and each child was to offer up a suggestion for a dinner meal (that helped with the menu ideas) We had everything from split pea soup to enchiladas, hamburgers to breakfast for dinner. I could take the budget I had for groceries and little by little buy ahead for the long awaited camp-out.

We only went about 2 hours from home, but it was in the mountains, near a lake. We loaded everything from the picnic table, fishing poles, bikes, tents, potty chairs (ooops!), sleeping bags, etc. And, it would take two vehicles to get everything there. I would drive the station wagon loaded to the gills and Mr would drive the little truck and somewhere in it all we divided up the kids (no car seats at that time) Oh, the adventures we had!

Now, we have a small travel trailer (with a bathroom!) it is just the two of us and we eat like old people... oatmeal for breakfast, soup for lunch... you know - old people

BUT... this year we have one of our daughters from Texas and her two children to add to the mix. My daughter (the Bricoleur) lives nearby and we will share meals, tents and kids. It has been a dream to have them join us in our mountain camping trip.

We (and I use that term loosely) have run the river many times. (I personally have never been down the river in a raft, tube or kayak... I am the grandma and I get to watch and cheer). But the young people, old and young have and they really love it. I drive the truck back from the drop-off point, about a mile or more up the river and then go back to wait their arrival, it takes about an hour.

Here, in California, the water is clear and cold and fast. You will see some panning for gold on the shores, and you have to run the gamut of berry bushes, rocks and other rafters. All exciting.

Look for pictures next time as I have probably lost the ones I had from previous trips, as I can't find them...

A Roses and Rust Show

Yesterday I dreamed I was in "Charlotte's Web" book.

You remember the story of the pig that was on the farm and how the animals talked to each other and the spider who name was Charlotte?  You don't? Well, it was a good children's book that I read to the kids long ago.
We went to a show held in the outskirts of Anderson, CA. On a ranch/farm. Beautiful acreage with draft horses that must have been six feet at the shoulders and rump... It was hosted by a group called:
Ladies of Lulafaye Home & Garden & Antique Cottage & Garden

They call their semi-annual show

ROSES & RUST Vintage Home and Garden Market

http://rosesandrustvintagemarket.blogspot.com  (I still don't know how to make an underlined word go where I want it... anyone that wants to help me... go right ahead, I am trying to figure this out...)

We had a lovely time in spite of weird rainy weather for June!  Out here in central California, it rains off and on in the spring and by the end of May we don't see rain again until September or October. Well, this year has been really strange (talk about global warming, I'm still waiting to see it)

Our good friends/and daughter and son-in-law sold next to us.

This is looking through our space/tunnel area into our neighbor's (D & M), They started at the windows so cutely hung on the overhead frame of the shelter (we were so, so thankful for the shelter)

It rained off and on the whole day, but that didn't discourage the local shoppers from attending. I have never had as many people in my space at one time as yesterday. Not complaining, just amazed. We had our usual assortment of small hutches, nightstands, farm style tables, patio furniture and vintage jewelry. We were on the outskirts of the show and were the first booth to visit as you came in the gate. They not only got to see us when they came in, but were happy to visit again on their way out.  We backed up to the sheep's pen and this

Occasionally, they would neigh and it kinda sounded like they were giggling... (I know, strange imagination) Their friends of the esquestrian nature did this

Pulled a stage coach for rides. It was interesting to see the personalities of the horses. The one on the front left (I know there is a technical term the the place -- off or far -- near or something) anyway, that horse pranced... no other way to say it, with its head held high and almost danced down the road, the one on the right front pulled right along, but you could tell that it just wasn't having as much fun. Now, the ones in the back (you can see more of them here) did their job, but they were kinda tired of this whole thing, uninterested in putting on a show. It made me think of ourselves and our attitudes at times...we make it a good day - depending on our attitude.

*****

Well, we have had a good study/sharing this morning, a fantastic lunch and now is the time for a little putting up our feet until a later gathering. Hope you are having a good day.