Antique Books, Minnesota, and Kittens

 Young Folks' Library

1902

I'm pulling some photos from my February file (except for the last one) because I've been so remiss in taking photos of anything but kittens and cat for the past few weeks. I know that many of you, like me, love old books. The spines pictured above are from a beautiful set of antique books I bought at a used book store more than 20 years ago. It is a complete set, including the index.

 One of the color plates from

Young Folks' Library

1902

And a few photos from Minnesota:

These photos were taken north of Rochester, MN, and I don't know why it's always so interesting to me when we drive through one of these large cuts that were made so the road could go through. But it is. And when the light is better, that sandstone looks golden. This is just before entering Zumbro Falls.

 I think I put this barn photo on Instagram - maybe.

 Huge grain bins and a cattle trailer.

Look how dark that soil is!

We live on sandy loam, so this soil looks beautiful to us.

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Oh! And guess what. Surprise, a little kitten collage!

I took these photos after little Smokey returned home from the vet. I had thought that I would have to keep them separated for a week or so, but the vet said no. The two kittens were eager to see one another, and you can see that Smokey got her spa treatment from Tommy (l), and after they posed for the middle photo, he decided to use her as a pillow. I did watch her belly to make sure that I could see the rise and fall (to make sure she could breathe), but she seemed to be perfectly content. I think they're happy to be back together. And they will not be making kitty babies. 

I hope you all had a nice weekend. I was hoping that Masterpiece would be on PBS, but it's another pledge drive. I think I'll read. 

 amazon

Linking to Maggie's Mosaic Monday

Maggie has such a pretty springtime header on her blog. But she lives in Normandy. Springtime doesn't actually arrive in NW Wisconsin until mid April -  if we're lucky. I've finally learned to stop thinking that it's supposed to arrive on March 21. It helps to avoid disappointment. 

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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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Not an Antique Rooster

My favorite not-an-antique ROOSTER

Isn't he beautiful!

Although I found this fella at an antique store, even I knew that he wasn't an antique. It would probably be a stretch as well, to say that he's vintage. Nevertheless, how could I pass him up. Just look at those gorgeous iridescent blue-green tail feathers! Since I don't have chickens in my pen at the time, and we don't have a porch on our house (yet), where I'm planning to sit in a wicker rocker with my lap chicken (Can't you see Ma and Pa Kettle?), then I'll be satisfied to gaze upon my sweet rooster who stands atop the cook stove.

And in case you're wondering, no, those aren't eggs in the foliage behind the rooster. They're flowers.  But very egg-looking flowers, if you ask me.

For a closer look

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

The photo above reminds me of my favorite greeting card from Studio206WI, Carla's Etsy shop. Check it out! :-)

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 This post may be linked to some of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes  and Overflowing With Creativity and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and  Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and  A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

Encyclopaedia Britannica

This stack of encyclopedias is what's remaining from a set of the New Americanized Encyclopaedia Britannica, published by A.F. Sheldon & Co., Chicago, in 1896. I know that this set was in our home when I was growing up, but am not sure where they came from. It's possible that they were given to us by my great aunts. I remember an odd volume they gave my parents, entitled The Horse and Buggy Doctor. I always thought buggy was an adjective.

What I remember most about the set of encyclopedias is that I was allowed to cut one of them up to use for illustrations for a paper I had to write for my English class - probably in grade 7 or 8. I think the paper was about President Lincoln, so I wanted pictures of Lincoln. Shocking behavior, wasn't that!! I can hardly believe I ever did that. Now I have a hard time throwing out even totally useless books that only litter our shelves and add nothing of literary, monetary, or any other sort of value. Still, it's difficult to throw a book away. CUT IT UP???!!! Shudder!

Here are the encyclopedias in the slightly-greater context of our bedroom, on the headboard of our bed. That lovely jug belonged to Kevin's mother. I love the rather muted colors. On the shelf below are a few of my Civil War books and of course the ubiquitous German Shepherd Dog, given to me by...who else? BOBBY, of course. She knows I love shepherds and is my generous shepherd supplier. :-)

I realize that this was a very disjointed post, starting with the encyclopedias and ending with German Shepherds, but blame that on my operating system. It's affected by coffee.

I bet no one else out there has Civil War books, old encyclopedias, an antique piece of pottery, and a German Shepherd Dog on their headboard!! :-)

Vintage Custard Cup

This little brown pottery custard cup is the first of only two things for which I ever asked my mom. The other is a picture that hangs in our bathroom (later post).

The sweet little custard cup had been in our kitchen for as long as I can remember. At the top it is about 3 3/8 inches in diameter, and is a solid creme color on the inside. I think what I loved about it as a kid is that the glaze is amazingly smooth. It was also so sturdy and plain.

When I was a kid, my mom often gave us treat cups. 'Treats' usually consisted of walnuts, chocolate chips, and raisins. Sometimes they were in this custard cup, and sometimes they were in egg cups or even in stainless steel egg poaching cups! I still like treat cups, unsurprisingly. But today's treats are usually contained by laundry soap bottle lids or measuring cups.

Now, unless I have it sitting out full of almonds or craisins, my favorite little custard cup lives in the hutch next to my grandma's cookie jar.

Do you have a favorite piece of pottery or glassware that came from someone special?

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This post is linked to

Knick of Time Tuesday

 

Ahhhh, That Morning Coffee!

How I love to awaken to the sound of the coffee grinder! That means that my dear husband has awakened before me and that coffee will be ready when I go downstairs if I lie in bed just a few minutes longer. What a bum I am! Actually, we're both hopelessly early risers, and I am often the one who makes the coffee in the mornings. Still, it's a real treat to hear the grind, grind, grind, as Kevin turns the handle exactly 54 times to get just the right amount for our coffee pot.

The coffee grinder pictured above is one we had on the farm when I was a kid. I don't remember that my mother used it, so maybe it was just an antique we had lying about - like the stereoscope and all those 3-D cards my mom threw out, or the old crank telephone which I was happy to take off their hands and which now resides in our living room.

It's Saturday morning. My husband had a long drive home from Madison last night, so I was the first one up today. It's quiet in here. The dogs have been out, fed, out again, and have now settled into their favorite spots for their morning naps. And I've got my coffee. 

Here's my coffee with Half 'n'Half. What would my morning coffee be without it. That rich color, that mellow taste, aahhhh. In fact, it's the only coffee I dare drink during the day, if I plan to get any sleep at night. No matter how much I would enjoy drinking coffee with friends in the afternoon, lying awake totally wired at 3 A.M. is extremely annoying. So for me, caffeine is only for mornings.

As you can see from the size coffee mug I use, I don't have to worry about getting my fair share.

So are you a coffee drinker? Tea drinker? or maybe you drink Diet Coke in the morning. Shudder.

Needle and Thread

Purchased in the mid 1970's, my trusty Kenmore sewing machine should soon qualify for antique status. Although I can't sew MaryJane shoe straps back on or mend a canvas tent as I could with my even older Singer, made, as I was, in the late 1940's, nevertheless my Kenmore has been a good sewing machine. Although it doesn't have all the abilities of the newer machines, I'm certainly not about to throw it out on the dung heap just because of its age. Let this be a lesson to my children. :-)

So now I have the old black Singer and an even older treadle sewing machine that we inherited from Kevin's mom which she, in turn, inherited from her mother. I was going to photograph it as well, but unfortunately it is currently buried under other items too numerous to move. I actually used it once, and remember that it has a really interesting bobbin/shuttle setup.

Although I managed to crank out several items of clothing for my children on both of my sewing machines, I really do very little sewing these days. Yesterday I located my much-neglected Kenmore (and no, my stack of life-organizing notebooks was not with it), dragged out an old jumper pattern, and began sewing as part of a church project.

I think the lovely fabrics available now are quite inspirational. What I purchased was a cotton plisse'. I still have no idea what plisse' means, but the fabric was lightweight, mostly cotton but enough of a synthetic to make it wash well, and the prints were gorgeous (see photo). A definition I found online for plisse' is: 'A puckered finish given to fabric by treating it with a caustic soda...' That sounds like it started out as an accident, but because I've been spending so much time lately making lovely, moisturizing soaps using caustic lye, I remain undaunted.

Yes, one can buy clothes pretty cheaply these days, but there's something really special about a little sun dress or jumper that's handmade, that has nice, wide seams, is well finished, and won't fall apart in the washer. I'm hoping to remain inspired until spring, when I'd like to make a few Regency-period dresses. How fun would that be!