A Special Gift and A Special Find

 I am just going to say it right out the gate:

I dun got spoiled 😊

As some of you know, 

we have a metal fabrication shop.

I am the only one without a Y chromosome

that I work with.

One of our contractors we work with

is a craftsman with wood as we are with metal.

I was out of the office last Friday.

Hubby was off on a job site so only one of our guys was there.

When Hubby got back to the shop,

he called me to tell me I had a surprise.

I had no clue what he meant.

He said someone really likes me.

I told him I'm mean that nobody likes me 😉 

Well, the fella who does amazing cabinetry

had stopped in with this.

Before your imagination gets going,

he is married and has a family and is a good family guy.

We had invited them to our annual cidering gathering.

You can see our process here.

It's grown to a little event for several families to gather

at our place for some wholesome autumnal fun.

I have yet to use the board, but I will.

I've had to simply admire it for a while before using it.

I love when quality meets up with beauty.

And as if that weren't enough to feel special.

This weekend, Hubby saw that there was an estate sale

and asked if I'd like to go check it out.

Sure!  I need nothing, but sure (heehee).

So we went.

We didn't get much, because like I said,

we don't really need anything, but. . . 

We came home with this little darling.

(Please excuse the mess - garage is a disaster right now)

Isn't she a gem?

Made in 1923 so it's currently a centennial.

It's a 3 burner kerosene cook stove.

I am so excited to use it, I can hardly contain myself.

We are working on getting it cleaned up first.

I will primarily use it for canning out in the summer kitchen

or if the power goes out.

We no longer have a wood stove so I've missed having a back up to electric other than the BBQ.

I'm also excited to use it for canning, because

often electric isn't a consistent heat.

I will have to "play" with it of course,

but once I get it worked out, it should be great.

I'm not usually a materialistic sorta gal,

but I'm feeling pretty spoiled at the moment.

Maybe a new handbag or diamonds do that 

for some ladies, 

but I'll take a cutting board and old cook stove any day!

Just got to thinking.

Do you think maybe food is a priority for me?

Go ahead and roll your eyes or laugh.

It's all good.

I know I'm not normal 😜

 

On the docket for this weekend is dipping candles.

I showed that here.

I am either using my last one or have one more pair.

Either way, I'm due.

October is the perfect month for dipping candles

as the wax hardens quickly (without freezing)

after being dipped.

It's a slow methodic process that brings me peace.

And with all that,

I welcome autumn, the dance of golden leaves,

and the crisp nights that remind us

a new calendar will soon be called for.

I hope you enjoy today for the blessings it bestows.

Have a beautiful week dear friends. 

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~Remnants of a Bygone Era~

 Hello dear friends~

I recognize there has been a pause here.

It has been wild and crazy as of late.

It is harvest season if you weren't aware :-)

Here that means kitchen work after work,

piles of produce staring at me from every direction,

hissing canners, humming dehydrators, and endless dishes.

I evidently went a little overboard this year planting

so now we have a bounty 

of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and beans.

Actually, I only planted 1 (that's singular) cucumber plant

and have received over 100 cucumbers, and it's still producing!

Needless to say by the time I sit in the evening,

I am whooped.

Last weekend, I had to go pick up something from my folks

who live about 1/2 hour away.

I decided to take a back road 

and ended up stopping at an estate sale.

I found treasures.

William & Cassie 

There were a few shelves of books 

which always draw me to flip through the pages.

Well, I found a few gems from the later part of the 1800's.

They have seen better days, but were family books.

It makes me sad that such things are sold out of the family 

to which they belonged for the past 100-150 years.

Cassie shown above was the grandmother

of the woman who's estate was being sold.

Here, let me share~

Some of the books belonged to this baby's younger brother

who was the father of the woman who passed.

Cassie's book from when she was 10 years old.

This book was from Cassie's father, the great grandfather of the woman who passed.  I can't believe her children didn't want it!

I love that this one has a coarsely handmade fabric cover.

Through the address and the correlating obituary,

I was able to find a short lineage of the family

which I have printed off and will keep with the books.

At least if they are sold off at my estate,

there will be some account of where they came from.

Also among the wares for sale

were these beautiful whites.

(I have not washed or pressed them yet 

as I want to take my time and be careful with them.)

It probably sounds silly to some of you,

but I love the tattered apron.

I imagine it began as the "good" apron

then got demoted with age but perhaps

had sentimental value since it was kept and handed down.

I don't mean for this to be a sorrowful post,

but if you have family mementos,

I would like to suggest that perhaps you go through them now

while you have options.

Talk with family members and find out who might be interested

in protecting the family heirlooms.

Also valuable would be to add a little hand written note

as to the memory of it and its origin.

I sure do appreciate the quality of olden items

and the stories of the hands that held them,

but I can't be a museum for them all.

This might seem a little odd for a blog,

but I would love to hear (read) if you have a special

family item and the memory that accompanies it.

I think those who ponder through this post

might also enjoy reading it.

~Blessings~

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