Best Hamburgers in America - and Vintage Treasures

 In the Driftless area of SW Wisconsin, in the heart of the Kickapoo River Valley, is the little Norwegian village of Westby. In the little village of Westby is a little cafe. And in the little cafe is a chef who makes the BEST hamburgers in America. You can argue with me, but I have a First Amendment Right to say that, and besides, I suspect it's true. Just as I stated that The Cricketers Pub in Canterbury has the best fish & chips in England. Prove me wrong. I accept airfare.

ANYway, Borgen's is an institution. It's been there as long as I can remember, although sadly, it did close for a while. But now it has opened under new management and offers the most amazing hamburgers. They're delicious, tender, crispy on the outside (I'm a huge fan of crispy, and if I keep eating those hamburgers each time I'm down there, I'll probably be a huge fan, full stop!)  I think they make the hamburger buns in house, they always serve it with lettuce, tomato, and a dill pickle. I recommend it highly. Worth the trip to Wisconsin. I would tell you about their other food too, but the hamburger is so good that I order it every single time. I do order the 3 oz. Senior Burger and  I do give most of my crispy French fries to Mr. C., so that helps, I think. Doesn't it?

In the photo above is a stack of antique Bibles, two in Norwegian and one in Danish. All were found by Mr. C. on job sites where buildings were being demolished. It's also why we have about 36 slate blackboards. I can't bear to see actual slate blackboards destroyed.

The encyclopedias are from the late 1800's, and I shouldn't tell you that when I was a kid, (and yes, they were already old then!) I cut a picture of Abraham Lincoln out of one of them for a school report. I don't think I've ever cut another picture from a book again - ever. In fact, I have only recently been able to bring myself to throw away any hardcover books. Some go to my children, some books go to Goodwill, and some books are worthy only of the dumpster (a tiny category).

The little black onyx (or maybe just black glass, but I've always thought he was onyx) dog once belonged to my older brother, but he didn't care about it, or at least didn't notice that it went missing back when I was about 12. Poor little Scottie has a broken foot and one broken ear that he suffered when he fell onto the cast iron Home Comfort cookstove in our kitchen. 

Lastly, is an antique telephone. It doesn't have settings or apps or a gallery. I think that use of the phone pictured, other than as an intercom between the barn and house on the farm when I was growing up, predates even my youth, buried in the sands of time though that may be. But until I was seven years old, we did have a wall phone that you had to crank like that, so... Anyway, our ring was 3 longs and 1 short, I think. It was on a party line, which meant everyone on the line (all the neighbors) heard everyone else's phone ringing, and everyone always knew everyone else's business - a lot like Facebook, actually.

 ***

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Linking to  Kathe's You're Gonna Love It
Tom's Tuesday's Treasures

Evelyn's Freedom Friday

Amy's Five on Friday (unless I can find five other things by then)

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Vintage Treasures and a Downton Abbey Moment

 The smiling dog was thrown in for extra credit.

I hope you all had a nice weekend surrounded by some hints of spring. For all the Downton Abbey fans out there, I'd love to hear what you thought of Sunday night's episode. Feel free to share your thoughts in a comment. I think this was the next-to-last episode of the entire six season phenomenon. I'm hoping that Mr. Fellowes rounds up the cast for an anniversary show in a couple years. (More on Downton at the end of the post)

Today I thought I'd post a mosaic of some backyard photos. We have lots of vintage stuff around here, and I'm pretty sure our kids are hoping we'll get rid of it soon (except for the daughter who won't let me forget that I didn't ask her if she wanted the total piece of junk red metal shelf before pitching it.) I'm a little more careful now.

 Ye Olde Grain Bin

When I was a kid, there was a TV cartoon called 'Tom Terrific.' The old galvanized steel grain bin just beyond our [frozen] garden pond always reminds me of Tom Terrific. The lights are some I strung on the basswood tree a couple years ago. They're handy in late summer evenings if anyone wants to sit out beside the little garden pond and watch mosquitoes hatch.

 Someone was enjoying the pond.

A pair of ancient skis leans against the barn door. Mr. C. found these at a demolition site. I've mentioned before that I'm often the recipient of interesting 'finds.' Some wonderful, some not quite so much. As hard as I try, I'll never forget the ancient chartreuse, ceramic bedpan he once brought home. Really.

Do you remember when skis looked like this?

 No longer storing milk in a concrete cooling tank

In years past, on dairy farms across Wisconsin, milk houses would contain concrete water tanks in which several milk cans (like the can above) would be placed, each as it was filled with milk, and cold water was pumped into the tank to keep them cool until the milk hauler arrived to take them to the creamery. That was before the advent of the bulk tank with its electric agitator and cooling unit.

 Vintage Fuel Tank
in the West Wood

 February Sunset
glowing through the string of lights

Have a great week, everyone!

P.S. And about that Downton Abbey episode, we sure weren't at a loss for excitement. The last couple episodes have given us a shot of real drama. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the subject.  Last week,  my favorite line was uttered by Lady Rosamund to her brother, Lord Grantham, 'The English language never lets you down.'  That was perfect! I won't set the scene, in case some have not yet watched that episode. But in context, it was a great line.

The more recent episode, Season Six, Episode 8, contained one of my favorite scenes, and a subject that I've written about before in a blog post about the importance of shared history.

From a scene with Lady Mary and Lady Edith:
 
“In the end, you’re my sister,” Edith says with a shrug. “And one day, only we will remember Sybil. Or Mama or Papa. Or Matthew or Michael. Or Granny or Carson. Or any of the others who have peopled our youth. Until at last our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike.”

The importance of shared history - something to think about.

Linking to Judith's Mosaic Monday
and Kathe's You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
and Tom's Tuesday Treasures
and Angie's Talk of the Town
and Evelyn's Freedom Fridays

***

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From your vintage blogger pal,

The Sandbox

After gathering some supplies at Menard's, Mr. C. (aka Grandpa) and I drove to our daughter's home where the ambitious Grandpa built a much-needed sandbox and filled it with sand for these two sweet grandkids (above). Why?

Because the last time we were there, this is what we saw.

A kid's gotta dig, right?

Grandpa and I are firm believers that every kid needs a sand pile - or at least a sandbox.When our kids were little, we had a dump truck load of sand brought to our home (in the country) and the kids had a blast with that huge mountain of sand. You'd be amazed at how quickly they got that thing flattened out. Our daughter was recalling how they would play in that sand pile for hours on end.

 Okay, it wasn't quite that big.
But close.

We still have a sand pile, though much smaller these days.

This was from the 2014 reunion.

Backyard photos

Lower left includes the ever-present nettle

Upper right is wood violets and silver leaf.

Silver leaf spreads like crazy. I started with 11 leaves.

Now it's everywhere!

More backyard photos,

including my poor old McIntosh apple tree

which froze out in the winter of 2013

There are only a few blossoms on it this year.

 This is what happened to my
baby McIntosh apple tree, the one we had planted as a replacement
because our other one was getting old.
And just when it was doing so well. :-((

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!


This post is linked the following linky parties:


Mosaic Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and Amaze Me Monday and  Roses of Inspiration and  Treasure Box Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Tuesday with a Twist  and  Tweak it Tuesday and Home & Garden Thursday  and Freedom Fridays  and Vintage Inspiration Friday

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Living in a Schoolhouse

Probably about 40 years ago, it wouldn't have cost much to purchase an old schoolhouse. Some people remodel them so that they're nearly unrecognizable as a schoolhouse. Others don't.  I think many of them had windows mostly along one side, with the north (cold) side being windowless.

Mr. Cranberry disagrees with me on this. He thinks the windows were usually on the north or east side so that there wouldn't be light glare on students' texts or papers. On the other hand, I would have thought they would be on the south side of the building to help heat up the room in the wintertime.

So if anyone out there remembers the old country schoolhouse, do you want to weigh in with your guess or opinion about where the windows were located? Feel free, especially if you agree with me. ;-)

I took this photo from a distance last week. I love the reddish orange steel roof on the old red brick schoolhouse.

Of course, if I were to buy an old schoolhouse to live in, I wouldn't want to remodel it much, except maybe to put in a loft because the ceilings are so high you'd have room to do that. And just think of all the blackboards I would have! Oh, that's right. I do have lots of blackboards. Mr. Cranberry does asbestos removal before demolition, and he's brought home many black slate boards over the years. I can't bear to see them thrown out. That's why we're taking another bunch of them to Cashton for the Amish schools next spring.

Oh look! There's a blackboard in my kitchen!

Have you ever wanted to live in an old schoolhouse? I do realize it's possible that I'm the only person in blogland who has always dreamed about doing that. That's okay. I have a library table, chalkboards, and lots of vintage books. I guess that's good enough. Besides, I'm getting too lazy to move.

Below are a couple pics of the old country school I attended in grades 1-2. It looked better back then. :-)  It was torn down just last week. Glad I took these photos last year.

 Woodside School, Barron County, WI

***

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Every Room in the House Friday Noon and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

When the Frost is on the Punkin, Vintage Books

For you literalists (you know who you are), yes, I know there's no frost on these pumpkins.

James Whitcomb Riley

1849-1916 

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock, And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens, And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best, With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.  They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here— Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees, And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees; But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.  The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn, And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn; The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill; The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!— O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!  Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps; And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ... I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me— I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!

Childcraft 1949 Vol. 2 This is the Childcraft edition that was in our home when I was a kid. I loved those books (and still do.) The artwork was warm and beautiful and realistic. The poems and stories were comforting and/or exciting. This set was given to me at the baby shower given for one of our daughters, thirty years ago. Someone had found it in their attic and had heard that I had been looking for this particular set. Needless to say, I was beyond thrilled, much to the (likely) dismay of people who had given gifts of baby clothes. lol Question: Are there any books from your childhood that bring back fond memories?  Have you ever tried to track down a book you loved as a child? Did you find it? I'd love to hear about it.  'John Deere Drive' *** Check out my handcrafted, vegan soaps! Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE

'Frosted Apple Spice'

'Pumpkin Spice'

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and Barn Collective and  Artsy Corner Thursday and Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday Critters

Vintage Dog

 'Don't just stand there, open the door, let me in, and give me a treat!'
Just look at those begging eyes, poor dog!

Poor dog my foot.  She's outdoors whenever she wants and indoors whenever she wants. She hops up onto the sofa and lies with her head on a pillow. She gets a wee dog cookie every time she comes into the house, spends her early mornings on the window seat where she can watch for deer in the yard, and afternoons lying outdoors on the porch or deck or indoors next to the all-glass storm door. She's got it made. This happy grandpuppy is going to be 10 years old the end of the month.

Ever Vigilant

It's a Wonderful Life

So does your daily schedule also consist of 'Let the dog out; Let the dog in; Let the dog out; Let the dog in...' ??

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Wisconsin Barns, Westby Fences, Vintage Caboose

The first two photos were taken in the Westby, Wisconsin area. I always love the look of the black Amish buggies. I was going to say that it takes one back to a simpler time but really, there's nothing simple about the Amish way of living. It's got to be tough doing the field work by hand, hot and sweaty, taking forever, and watching your neighbor farmers sitting in their air-conditioned tractor cabs, harvesting a field in about 20 minutes (Okay, I'm exaggerating here, but not a lot).  On the other hand, if we ever have a huge solar flare that takes out the grid, we know who will not be affected.

 Westby Caboose

Now used just for fun.

Next weekend we're going to be hauling some slate blackboards to a few Amish families in the Westby area. I love that unglaciated part of the state. It is so gorgeous. I'm hoping to get many more photos. It's the perfect time of year to visit Westby.

Want to learn more about Westby? Check out Westby Remembered. 

One last fence:

At Pier Natural Bridge Park

Rockbridge, Wisconsin

Tomorrow's entire Cranberry Morning post is on Pier Natural Bridge Park. It is a gorgeous place to spend an afternoon. There are stairsteps so you can climb up to the top of that rock that is covered with trees and trails.

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 LINKING TO GOOD FENCES

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Also linking to:  Rubbish Tuesday and Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday