More Memorabilia

The top pic shows the contents of a shelf in my guest bathroom, which you have seen before, but not these details. The old jars and tins were my mom's, and some date from the 1920's. Hair pomade, Musterole, a tin Tums cannister, a tin dental floss container, Mexana powder and Carter's Little Liver Pills, were all popular back in the 30's and 40's. Don't ask me why my mom didn't toss them out. They were stuck in a cabinet in her bathroom.


The second pic takes us back to the kitchen. The old tin coffee pot was painted by my aunt, and you have seen her painted Toleware before - in the bathroom pics. On the lower shelf sits one of my frogs and a small teapot which was also my mom's. It looks like a valuable Beleek porcelain from Ireland, but it is a cheap copy from Japan.


The third pick shows a tin meat container. I cannot imagine how old it is; I have never seen meats packaged in tin, have you? It is a little fuzzy. I guess I jiggled the camera on that one. It reads "Kanawha Brand Holz's Meats, P.E. Holz and Sons Co. Charleston, W. Va. "

This is the last post in the series from yesterday.

My Kitchen Wall Memorabilia

My kitchen wall is full, as you can see, of collected memorabilia and *junque*. On the upper left is a wooden cut-out hat rack of Jiggs, a cartoon character from the 30's (and maybe earlier). I bought him at an antique show, since I am drawn to whimsical things. The various shelves and curios are full of my carved wooden people, some of which you may be able to see better in a later photo. A few of these things have been shown before, I think, such as the Christmas story my granddaughter wrote about coming to Grandma's House. The sun glasses were my grandmother's, and I wore them for a while, since they fit over my regular glasses well. I can tell you that they are far stronger than the clip on sunglasses made today! I have collected a few old rulers and yard sticks, which I hung on the wall. They have advertising slogans on them. The towel hanging on the rack sports an embroidered frog, a present from a friend.

Some of the boxes and shelves hold very old spice tins, which I found in my mom's house after she died. She never threw anything away (as some of you have learned already) and I am finding out that I am my mother's daughter in that respect. The two wooden men shown on the right in the top photo and on the left in the bottom one, were used for scraping the foam off a draft beer in pubs, long ago. When I bought them, I thought they were letter-openers, but the antique dealer set me straight. I am going to post some close-ups down below, so scroll down for those.

Comments for this series can be left at the bottom post.

Felix the Cat was a cartoon character from the 30's, like Jiggs.

Can you believe that ice cream was ever packaged in metal cans?

The art work in the middle caught my eye at an antique show, and it fits my idea of whimsical, so I had to have it!

The little wooden man in the bottle sits on a cork, and functioned years ago as a bottle stopper. I have about 6-7 of those, but they are not all on display now. The monk has, on his neck, a bottle opener. You lift his head out of the body and there it is. The taller carving on the right has a bottle opener too.

 

The shelf in the top photo has a Masonic Emblem carved into it. My dad was a Mason, so it interested me. The two carvings are my favorites. The mandolin player is so joyous looking and the other guy wields an umbrella, but looks cheerful too. The round silver thing in the middle is my collapsible cup, from summer camp the first year I went, which was 1946, I think.

On the top of the next photo (though you cannot see all of them) is a ceramic frog pitcher, an old tea tin, and two more carvings. The barrel one with legs actually has a man's head on top of it. The top lifts off and I kept toothpicks in it for a while. Inside that shelf are some of the spice tins (and other kinds) that my mom had. I would swear that Sudan mustard seed tin is from the 20's!

In the third photo, the wooden box is actually a drawer from an old Singer Sewing Machine. It makes a good display shelf.
The small oval mirror was sold as a Christmas tree ornament several years ago. The other oval is a very old image of Jesus that belonged to my grandmother. The shelf on the right holds a carving that could be part of my husband's pipe paraphernalia collection as well, since he is lighting a pipe.

Judy at Four

Jennifer, who writes a wonderful blog at:

http://chapternext.typepad.com/open_book has a notice in her sidebar about a group of people who are posting a new photo of themselves everyday for 365 days. Like Jennifer, I don't think I want to do that; but I could post an old photo of myself for nearly that many days (don't worry, I won't). Here's the first one, at age four. Jennifer's photo of herself at four reminded me so much of this one that I decided to post it. She is much younger than I am, but the photos are similar, even to the gingham dresses we wore.

After I posted the Google complaint today, no one bothered to read the post below it, which I thought was at least mildly amusing. You might want to backtrack and read it, if only for the two quotes at the bottom of the post.

 

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON, GOOGLE?

Google

Error

Server ErrorThe server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request.
Please try again in 30 seconds.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Nearly everytime I try to visit a blog today - this is the page I get. And I can tell you, a wait of 30 seconds makes NO difference either.

I'm miffed! Can you get it together soon?

Odds and Ends ~ 13

O x y m o r o ns:

1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?

2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?

3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?

4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?

5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

6. Why do "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?

7. Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

8. Why do tug boats push their barges?

9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?

10. Why are they called stands when they are made for sitting?

11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?

12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposite?

14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?

15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?

16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?

17. If the entire world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?

20. Why is bra singular and panties plural?

21. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?

22. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?

23. How come abbreviated is such a long word?

24. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?

25. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

26. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. It it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.

E.B. White, writer (1899-1985)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Antoine deSaint-Exupery, author and aviator (1900-1945)

In Case You Were Wondering.....

what would happen to all the flowers from the Jimmy V gala? Here's the story about it. I can't make it large enough for you to read, but all the flowers were collected by a group called The Flower Shuttle. They gather flowers left over from funerals, parties and grocery stores and re-arrange them for delivery to hospitals, nursing homes, shut-ins or hospice patients.

The volunteers met us at the RBC Center when the gala was over, and they loaded the 85 arrangements into a large truck, donated by Cleveland Plant and Flower Co. The flowers were taken back to the wholesaler for storage in the cooler, and they will be re-arranged Monday and Tuesday.

Prior to the start of The Flower Shuttle, all of the arrangements would have been tossed out - or scavenged by the waitstaff and gala patrons. The shuttle has turned that ignominious end into a wonderful solution for everyone involved, as well as the eventual recipients.

At the end of the loooooong night of clean-up and retrieval of our containers and other decor items, I drove home, exhausted and fairly worn to a frazzle (as my mom would have said), at 2:15 am. But though tired, I was once again delighted and gratified at participating.

Don't tell my boss, but seeing just 30 minutes of Cirque du Soleil acrobats and dancers made all the hard work worthwhile (although the check helped too!) Their costumes, the music and lighting were exciting to see, and the acrobatic and balancing arts they practice are thrilling and awe-inspiring. Someday I hope to be able to see an entire production in Las Vegas. I will be like a kid at her first circus!

Mr. kenju says I ought to tell you who Jim Valvano (Jimmy V) was. He was the National Championship winning basketball coach at North Carolina State University, who died of cancer about 14-15 years ago. You can read all about him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Valvano

The Jim Valvano Classic Reception ~ 2006

For the last 13-14 years, there has been a golf classic and reception dinner and gala for the Jim Valvano Foundation, to raise money for cancer research.This year's event was held at the RBC Center in Raleigh, the home of the Cup-winning Hurricanes and of NCSU Basketball.They have a silent auction and a live auction, of donated items from such notables as Tiger Woods, Dean Smith and other national sports figures, as well as artists, jewelers, auto makers and vacation travel providers.

The theme was Moulin Rouge, and my boss and his company of floral designers brought that theme to life, through flowers and decor. Because the event was held in a sports arena, and the building is not exactly what you might choose for the setting of an elegant dinner, our work was cut out for us. All the pipe and drape available is not enough to screen out the background sea of seats and a ceiling full of pipes, wires, scaffolding, banners and retired jerseys. Everyone involved rose to the occasion, and while my photos only tell a part of the story, I hope you will enjoy them. Top: one of the many posters we used to set the scene down a long, curving hallway. Middle and Bottom: two examples of the floral arrangements. There were 85 tables; six of them had the arrangements in the bottom photo and the rest were like the ones in the middle photo. I will show the rest of that table arrangement in the next set of photos. Be sure to scroll down for those.

 

Part Two

This is the top of the photo in part one.























The sea of tables, and the stage to the left. This was taken during set-up, not the night's performance, which was provided by a company from Cirque du Soleil. We were lucky enough to see a part of their performance when we went back to remove our decor items. It was splendiferous! I hope someday that I will be able to see a full production by Cirque. I expect to be blown away by it ~ last night was wonderful and it was on a very small scale, compared to their shows in Las Vegas and elsewhere.

The bottom photo is an arrangement I did.

 

Part three

A close-up of the flowers.

This photo shows the main buffet centepiece, in two parts. The colors are off because I had to lighten it up quite a bit in Picasa.



















The bottom photo is the base of the buffet arrangement; "can-can" legs in a sea of tulle, meant to evoke the under-skirts of a dancer. The boss had fish-net stockings, but no panties or shoes for the legs, so one of the women who works for him brought a great pair of lacy tap panties and some very high-heeled shoes, to complete the theme.

 

I found this on the Astronomy Picture of the Day:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060822.html

It is called a "smoke angel". Go and read about it.

A Gem ~ About Aging

I didn't write this; I got it by email.


Aging, I decided, is a gift.
I am now,
probably for the first time in my life,
the person I have always wanted to be.


Oh, not my body!
I sometimes despair over my body ...
the wrinkles,
the baggy eyes,
and the sagging butt.


And often I am taken aback by that old person
that lives in my mirror,
but I don't agonize over those things for long.


I would never trade my amazing friends,
my wonderful life,
my loving family,
for less gray hair or a flatter belly.


As I've aged,
I've become more kind to myself,
and less critical of myself.
I've become my own friend.
I don't hate myself for eating that extra cookie,
or for not making my bed,
or for buying that silly bobble head turtle that I didn't need,
but looks so perfect on our patio.


I am entitled to overeat,
to be messy,
to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends
leave this world too soon;
before they understood the great freedom
that comes with aging.


Whose business is it
if I choose to read
or play on the computer until 4 a.m.,
and sleep until noon?
I will dance with myself
to those wonderful tunes of the 60's,
and if I,
at the same time,
wish to weep over a lost love...
I will.


I will walk the beach in a swim suit
that is stretched over a bulging body,
and will dive into the waves
with abandon if I choose to,
despite the pitying glances
from the bikini set.
They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again,
some of life is just as well forgotten ...
and I eventually remember
the important things.

Sure,
over the years,
my heart has been broken.
How can your heart not break
when you lose a loved one,
or when a child suffers,
or even when a beloved pet dies?

But broken hearts are what give us
strength
and understanding
and compassion.
A heart never broken is
pristine
and sterile
and will never know the joy
of being imperfect.


I am so blessed
to have lived long enough
to have my hair turn gray,
and to have my youthful laughs
be forever etched
into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed,
and so many have died
before their hair could turn silver.
I can say "no", and mean it.
I can say "yes", and mean it.

As you get older,
it is easier to be positive.
You care less about what other people think.


I don't question myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So,
to answer your question,
I like being old.
It has set me free.
I like the person I have become.
I am not going to live forever,
but while I am still here,
I will not waste time
lamenting what could have been,
or worrying about what will be.
And I shall eat dessert every single day if I choose.

Odds and Ends ~ 12

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.

Milton Friedman, economist, Novel laureate (1912- )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots.

Frank A. Clark, writer (1911- )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And this may be the best saying yet: A child, like your stomach, doesn't need all you can afford to give it.

Frank A. Clark, writer (1911- )

Out of the Mouths of Babes......

Wisdom.


Note: I won't be able to visit many of you for the next several days. We are working to provide decor for the Jimmy Valvano Golf Tourney Gala, and that will keep me busy all day for the next two. Catch you later!

Note: According to Blogger, this is post #730 for me. I can't believe I've said that much since the middle of January last year, but apparently I've lived up to my nicknames: talks too much and know-it-all.

I Love New York ~ The Final Posts ~ Part 1

Miscellaneous New York photos:

1. Brooklyn Bridge

2. View from the top of the apt. building. The Statue of Liberty is behind the brown building on the left.

3. Another view from the top. Almost every building in NYC is beautifully ornamented. If you love architecture and applied ornament, this is the place to be! 4. Another view from the top. The spire
is the one on Trinity Church. The building behind it has four human figures on it, and I was trying to capture them, but I was too far from it to get much detail. Those figures are at about the 18th floor level above ground, so the only people who ever see them are ones who live and work nearby. It is interesting to me that such amazing detail was important to the builders, since it would be seen by so few people. Be sure to scroll down to the other 2 photo posts, just below.

I Love New York ~ The Final Posts ~ Part 2

Top: Just off the entrance to "Strawberry Fields" in Central Park, you see this John Lennon Memorial. I'm told it has flowers and petals every day, and benches lining the circular area are full of Lennon devotees. Next: An apartment building front.

As you may know, parking fees in NYC are so high as to discourage the ownership of an automobile. Can you imagine paying $4 for 15 minutes of parking? This sign was in a parking deck, but the cost at outside lots is almost as bad.

Another view of Time's Square - looking in the opposite direction from the first photo (a few posts back).

Bottom: the ceiling of Grand Central Station. I couldn't get a very good photo because bright sunlight was coming in the top windows and causing glare. This place is really beautiful. I heard that the city wanted to tear it down, but Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis stopped it - and we should all be glad of that. Be sure to scroll down for the last NY post.

I Love New York ~ Central Park

Would you believe these were taken in Central Park, in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world? Most of us don't think of New York as having large expanses of green, but it does, if you know where to look. The photo on the left, my favorite of the trip, was taken just inside the park in Strawberry Fields.
It was even more verdant than usual, due to the large area of algae floating atop the water. The algae didn't seem to bother the many boaters on the water that day.

The bride and groom, and their photographer were headed into the park for wedding photos. I raised my camera to get them before they passed by, but my daughter thought that would be tacky - so I held off until they had passed. Later, we saw them on a bridge near the water, posing for pictures. I'll bet that will be a beautiful album.

The other water photo is the same lake from a different angle. People at the water's edge were feeding insistent ducks who waddled and swam around trying to look pretty so they'd get fed more. I think if I lived in NYC, I have to visit Central Park everyday to get my nature fix. It isn't the country, but it surely has beautiful vistas. The End!!