After the Storm: Cooking, Cleaning, Sorting

 The big storm came and went, and to tell the truth I was a little disappointed that we didn't get more snow. We ended up with about 14 inches, and because there was no wind and the snow was of the light, dry kind, the electricity stayed on and it was pretty easy to clear the roads in our are. I know a lot of places did not have it as good as we did, so I am grateful even though I'd have been happy to be snowed in for a few more days.

Why is it that when a storm hits, everyone feels the urge to cook? We were certainly no exception and Facebook was full of pictures of good cookin'. I made cookies and soup, muffins and noodles,

snow ice cream and cobbler, and Larry made biscuits and his first meatloaf.

It was awesome! He actually followed the recipe and it came out great. I had the urge to bake more but held off because I've picked up five pounds already this winter and don't need to add to that.

What's funny is that we were so prepared for the power to go out, which is probably why it stayed on. We had probably 50 gallons of water stowed in jugs, pots, pans and buckets, plenty of kerosene and the the generator ready, and all the laundry caught up. So of course it was all for naught and I will bet you that when we are least prepared, there will be a surprise storm and there we'll be. Such is life, isn't it? But it was good to know we were ready and we could just enjoy watching the snow pile up.

The other thing I did while the snow fell was to get back to work on eBay. I've let that go pretty much since last June and I have tons of stuff that has just been sitting here waiting to be listed--piles of it! So I've been working on getting it all as organized as possible and swearing that I will not buy another thing to list for another two years. I have plenty, believe me, to last that long.

I was sorting out as I worked, things that I didn't want to fool with, things that I never should have bought in the first place, things with chips or cracks that I missed, etc. A good load is ready to take to the thrift shop tomorrow. I have learned to be more careful about what I buy, at least. It's a learning curve and I know I've certainly paid some dues as I learn what not to buy. I have weaknesses too--any old early American pattern glass (eapg) is almost impossible for me to pass up although lately I have left it if it is chipped or otherwise damaged. I'm learning.

While I was doing this big sort, I decided to find a place to display the many eapg goblets and spooners I've picked up. Most of them have been stored on a shelf in my eBay room because I bought them to sell, but now I just really don't want to. It still amazes me that this old glass, some of it 140 years old, is still around, and often in very good condition. Most of what I have isn't really valuable, and I've only paid a dollar or less for the goblets and spooners I have, but it's beautiful to me. So I got it all out, washed it up, and put labels on the ones I've been able to identify i.e. maker, pattern name and year. Then I had to make space for them on the bookshelf.

Now my books aren't pretty. They're "working books," books I've bought at used book stores and library book sales and many are out-of-print and hard to find. They are for the most part my storytelling collection and cover a wide range of topics from folk medicine to ancient myths to storytelling techniques. Most deal with Appalachian history, culture and folklore, so getting rid of any of them is pretty tough. But there are some that aren't as valuable to me: newer fiction goes first, then things we used to do or be interested in, then the storytelling books that I am probably not going to use again. I used to do a lot of crafts with kids, for example, but no longer do that and doubt very much if I ever get into it again. In the end I was able to weed out 45 books, enough to free up a shelf for this new old glass passion.

I think it looks great, even if the juxtaposition of the modern-looking, sleek Blenko with this century-old glass is kind of odd. I guess that's really a reflection of our life here, old mixing comfortably with new. I like to think my mind is the same way, adapting to new ideas while still retaining the best of the old ways. It's a goal anyway.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.