The weather has been so cold. I know it’s winter, online but I want to stay inside where it cozy and warm. Brrrr. It had been a while since I went antiquing, no rx and I needed to buy new items for my store.

This past Sunday I went.  I grabbed a banana, my purse and keys. Oops, no gas. First stop, the gas station. I had to fill up. Yikes, $60! What’s up with that! It’s a half hour’s drive to the Pennsylvania turnpike but I was enjoying the ride and getting out of the house. I put the radio on. I love Gayle King’s radio show. You know her, she’s Oprah’s friend. Don’t you just love her! Another half hour and I’ll be there. I hate paying the tolls too. Four of them! I was there, finally. On my first stop my eyes nearly popped out of my head! Oh my gosh, there right in front of me was the most wonderful early carrier with original blue paint. Had to get it!

Then I found some wonderful early, and rare, LINEN string balls. I love the way they look in an old rye basket. Such soft beautiful colors.

The Lancaster County farms are so beautiful no matter what time of the year you go, but seeing them covered in white snow for as far as the eye could see, was too irresistible, I had to have a photo. The roads were narrow and I couldn’t stop for fear a car would come around the bend. Keeping my eye on the road,  I grabbed my camera, held it up to the driver’s side window, and just pushed the button. I was surprised when I got home and down loaded it, that it turned out so good.

I made a few more stops and then headed on home. It was getting late and I was happy with what I found. Some items are in the store now, but  I have a few more to do. I’m tired, and it’s going on 5 o’clock. It’ll have to wait until tomorrow.

HAPPY DAY

Carole

I found a new antique co-op in Narvon, Pennsylvania. I remembered they have some very nice things, so before heading home and wanted to be sure and stop there. You never know what you might find. I couldn’t wait to get there. It’s an old building that was used for drying tobacco in the 19th century. I took photos of it last year and planned on writing about it but never did. I think I deleted them. Wish I kept them.

I also found an early brass hanging lantern from an old church pew, early glasses and a Lancaster County 1823 deed with the best calligraphy handwriting, old lye soap, and more.

It has been a couple of weeks since I visited my mother. Time goes by so quickly. There’s always so much to do. Yesterday I hopped into the car and drove over to visit her at the nursing home where she lives. Her face always lights up when she sees me coming down the hall. It’s such a blessing, try although she has had dementia for several years now, ask she still knows that I’m Carole, cialis her daughter, and she still recognizes her family. During one of my last visits I asked her if she remembered going to the 5 & 10 cent store and buying trading cards. I was probably about 8 or 9 years old. It’s funny but in all the years that I have been antiquing, I have never seen trading cards anywhere. It’s always been a mystery to me why I haven’t. In the 1950′s, trading cards were very popular, at least in the area where I lived, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I would keep them in a cigar box and I can remember taking them to school and during recess. My friends had them too, we would trade one card for another. It was so much fun and I treasured my collection. I am so glad I still have them to this day. Does anyone remember them? I separated them in different categories, dogs, flowers, people, etc. I made cards out of cardboard with the catagory’s name, and put rubber bands around them.

I took them with me yesterday to show my mother. She was delighted to see them. “Where did you find them?”, she said. We talked about how we collected them together and how we always loved the ones with the pretty ballet dancers and the horses and flowers. It was a good opportunity to play a game with her, something to test her memory, to get her thinking. I showed her different flowers and wondered if she would remember the names. She did. She knew almost all of them. She’s so cute. I gave her a candy bar, and as I watched her eat it, tears filled my eyes. She was enjoying it so much. When it was time to go she was tired, and said she was going to lay down for a while. I tucked her into her bed and kissed her goodbye. “You smell so good”, she said. “When are you coming back?”  ”Soon, mother, in a few days. I love you.” “I love you too, Carole.”  At age 93, she is still making me wonderful memories.

Carole

I know what you’re thinking. Apples? So what. These are called Honey Crisp. My friend Carole told me about them. I have never been a big apple eater, viagra but these are the best apples ever. Crispy and juicy. Gorgeous too. I’m addicted. I almost hate to eat them they’re so beautiful. I am going to the store to get more right now.

That’s it. That’s all I have to say today. Love those apples!

Happy day

Carole

I love homemade soaps, physician and I got to thinking how much I would love to find a soap maker who would be interested in being an artisan in my American Artisan Store. I found a wonderful family. Let me tell you a little about them. Their names are Kevin and Maureen Anderson. Since 2004, capsule Kevin & Maureen Anderson have been making soap on their self-sustained family farm with milk from their own herd of dairy goats in Virginia Beach, VA.

Maureen is a talented sewer and makes wonderful reproduction children’s and doll’s English Smocked and period clothing.Their first goat, Tasha, was named for Maureen’s inspiration, Tasha Tudor, from whom she gained her first goatkeeping experiences. They have a  Gorgi,  named Meriweather, seen here with her new pups born December 1 of this year.

The Andersons also raise sheep and run a large community-supported agriculture program. Their unique family and close-to-the-earth lifestyle has been featured in Mary Jane’s Farm Magazine and several other publications, and was very appealing to me. Their rustic, earthy soaps smell wonderful and they are made in their log cabin home from quality oils, farm-raised and wildcrafted herbs, natural clays and herbal essences.

It’s hard to know how to sell these soaps, since there are so many kinds to choose from. For now they will be sold in a bag of 2. Please be sure to look for them, they are wonderful and will be made available soon in our American Artisan Store.

HAPPY DAY EVERYONE

Carole

It’s good to be back to work again. I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a happy and healthy new 2011.

There has been a lot of interest in the early ledger papers I have sold in my store, hospital many wondering if I would be able to get more of them. I wasn’t sure, tadalafil but this past weekend I did. I am not sure if any more will be available to me. The man I have been purchasing these from told me about an article he had. I asked if he would send a copy to me. He did and this is what it said.

This is what it said.
Brick Walk Fine Art, unhealthy 322 Park Road, West Hartford, will offer a Holiday exhibition called “A Peaceable Kingdom” featuring anonymous Depression-Era Mennonite watercolors on antique ledger paper. These singular images of animals and birds were found amongst the property of a Mennonite estate in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and are exceptional examples of the purity of American folk art. Sophisticated in their design and joyful in their color, these works present the animal kingdom in an imaginative way, and as is the case with much folk art, the works are honest and simply stated. The exhibit will be open from Dec. 4 through Jan. 8.

After reading it, I decided to do a little more research on the internet, and found these  small articles.

For those of you that have purchased these ledger pages from me, and for those that have not, I thought you would find this interesting. I did.

Happy day

Carole