Carole’s Country Store Blog

When I was reading Miss Maddie’s blog this morning, malady I was reminded of something. Susan was blogging about little autograph books that she collects from the 19th c. I have never seen those before and I loved them. Then I got to thinking about something else that I have NEVER seen before, stuff something that I collected when I was a child. They are called trading cards.

I have had these since I was 7 years old. If you have been reading my blog for a while, decease you know I’m no young chick! You do the math. LOL-I love having them. They bring back such fond memories of my childhood. Can you believe I still have the cardboard with the catagories written on them? My friends and I would bring them to school, and when it was time to go to recess, we would trade cards, out in the playground. These are not playing cards. These are trading cards. You could buy them in the 5 & 10 store. They had pictures of all kinds of things. Dancers, dogs, cats, boats, scenery, etc. I remember going with dime store with my mother. She loved buying them for me. She loved looking at them too. When I see her today, I’ll have to ask her if she remembers that. They were sold in packs of about 15. We would always look for the pack that had the prettiest one on the front, and that was the pack we bought. We couldn’t wait to get home to look at them. Sometimes there would be a double, and that would be one that I would trade for one that I didn’t have.

In all the years that I have been going to antique shops, I have never seen these. It’s always been such a mystery to me. Was it a regional thing? Still, where are they? You would think that some would show up somewhere. Are mine the only ones left? I doubt it, but then where are all the trading cards, that were owned by my friends and other children, that brought such joy? Hmm. Strange.

Here’s one my little brother got a hold of. He’s 60 now. I’ll have to show it to him some day.
Happy day!
Carole

Well it’s Wednesday, sales and if you have been reading my blog for a while, cure you know that means today we go to Honey Brook to work on my mother’s house. Since I mention that so much, ambulance I thought I should show you the house, and a little of what we have done so far. As I am writing this, it has made me think back, when my dad was still living and my mother didn’t have dementia. So many times we visited there, so many happy memories. Looking back, I never would have thought that Bill and I would be doing this. When you are younger, you just think that life is always going to be the same, but soon you learn, life goes quickly, and we never know what lies ahead. Sorry, I really don’t want to go there. Back to the house. It’s a cute little house, but boy does it sure needs painting and fixing up. The first thing we tackled was the kitchen. Cabinets are so expensive, so we opted not to replace them, just clean them and oil them really good.

These formica counters just had to go! We also put in a new cook top, oven, sink, dishwasher and we still have to get a new frig, oh, and a new floor.

Here’s my honey checking out the cabinets. This house also had natural color wood mouldings throughout. We felt they should be painted white, to give the house a nice fresh look. What a job covering the brown wood, but everything is starting to look fresh and new.

We are doing this work outselves, except for the installation of the new appliances, to save as much money as we can. The cost to live in the assisted living facility, where mother is, $60,000 a year, and believe me, the money flows like water! I am very grateful, though, that she has the money to keep her in such a nice place, with such good care, so we have got to get this house on the market ASAP, before her cash is all gone, but between keeping our own house in good shape, running our businesses and everything else that life demands, it’s not easy fitting it into our schedules. Well, all we can do is do the best we can, and take it each day at a time. I guess I better get moving, I see the clock is ticking away.
Happy day!

I woke up at 5 a.m., sickness fell back to sleep and didn’t wake up until 7!!! I flew out of bed, viagra and went down to make my coffee, help and of course, checked my emails. Today I wanted to go antiquing. By the time I got out the door it was going on 8:30. Not bad, but I usually like to leave a little earlier. I love driving through this area. I pass so many farms. It’s just beautiful, even in the winter time.

One of my favorite things to photograph, are old barns, espcially stone ones. This one is my favorite, and I pass it every time I go to Honey Brook, to work on mother’s house.

I like this one too. Look at all the birdhouses lined up along the roof? I have never seen that before, but what do I know.

By the time I got to my destination it was almost 10 o’clock. Couldn’t wait to get to my favorite shop, hoping to find something I loved for Carole’s Country Store. As I was walking down a narrow hallway, and turned the corner, I ran into one of my best friends, Louise! We laughed and hugged, chatted for a bit, and went on our seperate ways, in search treasures. I didn’t find anything there today, darn, so I continued down the road to my next favorite spot.

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I just have a thing for Arnold Print Works stuffed animals, and I know I am not the only one, they are very collectable, and becoming hard to find, but honestly, I think this whole family was waiting for me to come rescue them. I did. These are all going to be for sale in my store, hopefully, by the end of the day. They are all over 100 years old, and some have the tag on the bottom, like this one. The pug is very rare, so when I saw him, I almost jumped for joy, but I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself, what would people think? LOL—I got a couple more things, and decided to call it a day. I smiled on the way home. This was a pretty good day.
I have some great artisans lined up for my American Artisans Store They are not all in there yet, these things take time, but soon. I’m excited! Wait until you see what I will soon have!!
Happy day!

There is a very sweet person, tadalafil that did something, prostate that just blew my mind! A few months ago, I asked a very talented lady, if she could make me two little cats. I saw a sweet little early pincushion in an antique shop a while ago, and I just loved it. I asked her if she could copy it for me, and I would be happy to purchase 2 of them from her, if she could make them for me. She told me she was waiting for some old velvet fabric, and as soon as she got it, would I like her to use some for these little pincushions. It sounded perfect, and I was thrilled to know that she was going to make them for me.

Several months went by, and I had given up hope that I would ever get them. Apparently the project was more difficult then she had anticipated, and I told her I understood, and that was ok if she didn’t want to do it. Today, the mailman knocked at the door, and left this package at my doorstep. I couldn’t imagine what it could be. The box was one of those priority mail boxes for shoes, so I was really curious. Can you imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found these 2 wonderful velvet cats!!

Look at those faces! She went to so much trouble to make them look old. She has deliberatly sewn them in such a way that they look as though they have come apart and mended. Can you see the different color thread? The bottom of their little paws are worn, as though they got that way from just moving them around. They have shoe button eyes. I can’t stop looking at them, and here is the real surprise, she will NOT tell me how much I owe her! She said, you have waited so long and have been so patient that they are my gift to you. What?! Are you kidding!? Hmm, what surprise can I put together for her? Oh, I’ll think of something. Have you guessed who this could be? Yup, it’s our dear tj from http://humbleorigins.blogspot.com/
Happy day.

I know I have talked about collecting before. I’m thinking you won’t mind if I do again. Sewing needfuls have been very popular collectable for a long time. I don’t sew a stitch, thumb it’s all I can do to sew a button on a shirt, patient but for a long time I was collecting tiny strawberry emeries, medicine and larger strawberry pincushions. This first picture is a nice early one, probably around the mid 1800′s, the Victorian era. It’s a wonderful piece and in perfect condition. It has a lovely sterling floral tip and a little tassel attached.

Strawberry emeries were used to sharpen and clean sewing needles, allowing the needle to slip more easily through the fabric that was being worked on. Early emeries were filled with metal shavings, while others are filled with sand.

I’ll be thinning out part of my collection and selling a few in my store soon, so if you think you might like to start a collection, be sure to look for them in the next couple of days, although, who knows, my webmaster husband could be putting them in there right now. Today is Wednesday and you know that means it’s off to Honey Brook. I also will be meeting with a decorator today, about painting a mural above a fireplace. I am looking forward to our meeting, and hearing what she has to say. I’ll let you know.

Happy day!

Good morning. Thank you so much for visiting my blog this morning. It’s a rainy morning here in Wilmington De., illness but I like it. I don’t mind rainy days much, viagra as long as there aren’t too many in a row. I’m enjoying my morning coffee, buy cialis and I am ready to start another day. Over the weekend, my friend Christine Crocker sent me a photograph of a painting she purchased over 20 years ago, for $20. We are both taken with the similarity between her painting and mine, and guess what, her painting has a tear too!!

Missy had her last day of bowling for the year. She was having a great game, until the last few frames. There was the smell of pizza in the air, all of a sudden her bowling game was not taking top priority.

When she doesn’t get many pins knocked down, she always puts her hands in the air, as if to say, “oh well”.

Ah, at last, pizza and soda!! Yum.

Happy day!

Last Sunday, sildenafil my friend, check Louise and I went antiquing. Louise bought a beauitful old house last Spring, generic and she wanted to see what she could find for it. What better place to go, then Adamstown! We saw so many wonderful antiques that would be perfect in her home. I was looking for some goodies for Carole’s Country Store.. I didn’t find very much, but I did find a wonderful old cutting board or breadboard. As I was walking around, looking in all the dealers booths, I found this old painting, sitting on the floor.

I love the scene. It’s so peaceful and it makes me feel so good just looking at it. It is not in perfect shape. You can see the tear above the cows, but it was $30! A 19th C. painting for $30.! Yay! Louise’s son is an artist. Last year he had an unfortunate accident with a painting he had just completed. He was getting ready for a show. On the way to the car, the wind blew it, and put a large rip through it. Did you know that you can repair an oil paiting with beeswax? I have never done it, but I think I might try. In the meantime, I am enjoying this painting just the way it is. Maybe I’ll ask Chris’s help.
Happy day.

I saw this wonderful sled on ebay a while back. Love it!

This is an early heart stool I found in Adamstown, stuff PA.

I also love heart trivits. I would love to start a collection, pilule but where would I put them!

This sweet early valentine was made on just a simple piece of paper. How endearing.

Love these. Old heart pincushions, look how wonderful.

February 1873 is written inside this chest. I wish I bought this, when I first saw it. When I went back, it was gone.

Isn’t mother nature incredible. She never ceases to amaze me. A perfect heart!

Do you remember carving your initials in a tree when you were little? I do.
Hope you enjoy these hearts. Happy Valentines Day tomorrow.

My dear mother-in-law, treatment Mildred Holt, passed away Sunday evening. She was 89 years old, and suffered from that horrible disease known as Alzheimer’s. It took her memory away. She no longer knew her own children. My heart would break when I would see her. What could she have been going through? What did she feel inside? How could I help her? I couldn’t. It was difficult to understand. Now she is gone, and I will miss her, but I am thankful that she did not suffer in the end. On Friday we got a call that she was in her final days. Bill and I left the house right away to be with her. She was peaceful, her eyes closed. “it’s Billy, mom, it’s your son Billy”, my husband said. She didn’t respond. “Mom Holt, it’s Carole, Carole and Billy”, I said, and still no response. “Mom, remember Missy, I know you remember Missy”. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that Missy is my very special daughter. Her eyes opened wide, and she looked at me. I can’t tell how we felt at this moment. It was pure joy. Her eyes closed again. Her breathing was shallow. We wanted desperately to see her respond more. We kept talking to her, over and over again. We held her hand and gently touched her face. “mom, I came to see you. It’s Billy, your son, Billy”. She reached her hand to his face and simply said, “Billy”. The tears ran down our faces, not from sadness, but joy. I am convinced that at that moment, she knew her son was with her. She kept rubbing her face and eyes, as though she just wanted to snap out of it, but she couldn’t. We told her we loved her, and that she looked so beautiful. She did. Not a wrinkle on her face. Beautiful thick white hair. It must have taken every bit of strength she had left, to respond to us. After all these years of not being able to recognize us, it seems in the end, some how, some way, she did. She gave us a beautiful gift, one that we will always remember. Now she is gone and we will miss her, but we thank God that she is at peace, finally. She will be buried on Valentine’s Day.

Bill and I have had so many wonderful comments from customers that have bought our DVD, case called Early America. This has been so gratifying. Knowing that our DVD has brought so much pleasure to so many, cialis just makes my heart sing, borrowing a phrase from a dear friend. We have also had many requests for a CD of just the music. We are happy to say that one is now available. You will find it in my store. Here is the link where it can be purchased. Just click on the highlighted area.
Happy day everyone, and thank you so much for visiting my blog. Oh, I added the photo, because I know how much you enjoying seeing photos.