Carole’s Country Store Blog

Today is the day Bill and I go to Honey Brook to work on my mother’s house. Hopefully we will have it ready to sell in the Spring, prostate but we have lots to do, hospital and we are doing all ourselves. My mother moved out of her house and into a assisted living facility almost 2 years ago. We need to sell her house for her, sale but it really needs to be updated and painted before we do. We are doing all of the work ourselves, and believe me, it’s a lot of work!, but it’s very satifying when we look at what we have accomplished. I need to get as much money for her house as I can, living where she is costs around $60,000 a year! Sadly my mother has dementia. She does however still remember her family members and almost all of her past. It is her short term memory that is mostly affected, and there are other problems that go along with it. It is so sad, because she is in excellent health. I would love to have her live with me, but because of the related problems associated with dementia, I can’t do that. Thankfully, she now lives five minutes away from me, so I can visit her often.

Before I leave for the day, I wanted to show you a couple of pictures I took when I went to Abbottstown, PA. Remember, I was telling you about all the wonderful antique shops I visited? That was the same day that we stopped in East Berlin, to see Hoffman and Woodward. Here are just a few of the things we saw that day.

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!

Every day is a pretty good day, levitra but today was really nice. Every year I know I say the same thing, “this year I am not going to decorate as much as I did last year”. Well, this year was no exception. I told Bill that I wasn’t going to put the big tree up this year, just the big feather tree, and the smaller one. Ok, I did that. A couple of days went by, and I knew that I couldn’t let this year go by, without having the main tree in the living room, with white lights and my glass ornaments. So today, I put it up.

Several years ago, I found a wonderful old homemade tree stand. It was made out of an old wooden butter box. The center of it has an iron piece, where you slip the trunk of the tree inside. I love it because it is a one of a kind. I wish I had taken a picture of it before I put the tree in it, but I didn’t think of it at the time. Anyway, I put on my DVD on, Early America, I love the music. It’s beautiful to listen to, and it seemed perfect for what I was doing. I also play my Paul Potts CD. Oh, his voice is so lovely.
Are you like me, do you just love looking at your ornaments, year after year, so many memories.

When I was much younger then I am now, I used to by new ones every year. For sure you would call me a collector. I also have a collection of tiny German ornaments, and those are real treasures. I remember when I got them. I was in an antique shop, and over in the corner was a paper bag filled with old Christmas decorations. I asked how much, and the owner said, “oh, my wife will really be mad at me for this, but take the whole bad for a dollar”. That’s right, he said a dollar. When I got home, I started taking each piece out one at a time. I was like a kid in a candy store. To my surprise, there were lots of old, very old, German ornaments. Tiny ones too. Little strawberries, tiny little balls. They were just wonderful, but they looked dirty. Yup, you guessed it, I thought it would be a good idea to wash them off. To my horror, the paint just began to wash off! Immediatly, I stopped. The beautiful strawberry, that was so perfectly painted, was now all silver color!! The rest are fine, but I learned my lesson-you can’t wash old ornaments, because if you do, you will wash all the paint off. Just wipe them with a clean cloth.
I have so many ornaments now, that the thought has crossed my mind, to start selling some of my collection. I also have lots of Christopher Radko ornaments. Really unusual ones, many of which are retired now. I don’t think I’ll have much trouble parting with them, but the ones that I could never let go are the ones that my children and I made when they were small. I am sure many of you have them. If you do, take good care of them. Don’t let anything happen to them, because when your children are grown, you will treasure them even more, and you will want to pass them along to them, when they are married, and have their own children.

Time for pj’s. It’s been a long day. Good night.

I really would like to know something. When you leave a comment on my blog, for sale do you check back to see if I left a response? I am never really sure if anyone does do that, treatment I don’t, but maybe you do. I always want to let anyone that leaves one know, that I am grateful for the time you take to read my blog, and then take more time to leave a comment.
So many of you send me emails telling me how much you enjoy reading my blog. I just can’t tell you enough, how much that means to me, so thank you all! You know me, any chance I get, I’ll show you a photo of my special girl, Melissa. Here we are again. This one was taken on Thanksgiving.
Happy day!

Yay, recipe it’s snowing and I’m decorating for Christmas, and making a beef stew for dinner tonight! I am getting in the holiday spirit. How about you?
I have a pretty large collection of Santas. I have been collecting them for years. This is the first year that I haven’t put them all out. My cupboard in the living room is filled with my Schooner redware, and I love it. I hate to take it out, but some years I do, and replace it with my Santa collection. This year I decided not to. Instead I put them in my cupboard in the dining room. I like them there too.

I found this little linen stocking in an antique shop many years ago, and embroidered our last name on it. This hanging tiger maple cupboard is filled with my small collection, really small. I also have a few Halloween collectable in there, and a few Easter ones. I display them all year long.

I still have two of my dolls from when I was little. The bigger one was from Santa. I think she was my favorite doll of all. She still has the same smell that I remember. Her legs swing when you walk her. I guess she was one of the first dolls made, that were supposed to walk. She has little teeth and a tongue made of felt. I still love her today, and bring her out every Christmas. The little oriental doll was given to my by my dad. I love her too. I also have a set of blue willow china dishes, with “made in Japan” on the back. They are upstairs in a little cupboard. I always bring them down to put under the tree too.

Who knows, maybe in another week, I’ll feel like taking out the larger Santas. If I do, I might take a picture.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Carole

I know I promised more photos of H & W, capsule so here are a couple. Actually when I looked at my photos, viagra I realized that I didn’t really take that many. We were so busy talking and touring her house, and I didn’t want to be snapping photos the whole time I was there. Anyway, here are just a few more. I love this first one.

I love this makedo chair. One of these days, when I can find the time, I’m going to make one.

I don’t know if there is a correct name for these, but they are pincushions that clamp onto a table. Aren’t they wonderful!!

These chairs are gorgeous. I love the scalloping on the top. I know what you are thinking, why didn’t I get a better picture of them. I wonder that too. Next time I will. Promise, that is if they are still there.

I love pewter!

So that’s it, for Hoffman & Woodward, but I have lots more pictures taken that day. Wonderful things, so be sure to come back.
Happy day!

Here is a beautiful idea for holiday decorating. Buy some marzipan. Arrange it in a lovely bowl. Let it stay there all year long, nurse while it dries out and becomes so beautiful and fades a bit. You can keep it indefinetly and enjoy all year long.

HAPPY DAY!!!!!

On Thursday I went antiquing with a couple of my friends, sale Louise and Denise. We went to East Berlin, ampoule PA., ask and a town called Abbottstown, PA. It was a long drive, up near Gettysburg, but we had so much fun and it was great to see all the wonderful antique shops, filled with fabulous early things. I took lots of photos for you. This shop was closed!! Oh, we wanted to get inside so badly!! Instead we had to peek in the windows.

This is just the cutest town, I’m talking about East Berlin now. It is just full of wonderful little houses lining the street. Love this old log house.

Down the street is Hoffman & Woodward. It’s a fabulous place to visit. Jan, the owner, is just so nice. She and her husband make just about everything in her shop. It is meticulously made, and very wonderful. Everything in her shop is very early looking. She has the most wonderful makedo chair that I can’t wait to show you. I have been in her house before, but she took us through again. Really I cannot begin to describe it to you. You would think that you were living in the 18th century. I didn’t want to ask to take photos, but oh boy, did I want to.

I want to take you inside the shop, but I have a busy morning, so that will have to wait for a couple of day. Oh, please do come back soon. I have so much to show you, and you will LOVE what you see, promise!
Happy day!