Still Kickin': Projects and More

I've been quiet on this blog for a week! So many things going on that my mind can't focus long enough to write. Seems like I need some quiet and some space before I can settle to write anything these days.

So what have we been doing? Well, gardens of course. We've put down a lot of mulch, got cucumbers and squash planted, also corn and beans, and all of the tomatoes are in. All we have left to do are pumpkins, peppers and melons.

I had some work to do just unpacking and putting away things from last weekend's Appalachian Festival in Cincinnati, and (blush) the stuff from the nature stories session the week before. I also had a presentation in Jackson, Ohio, presenting an Appalachian Ballads workshop. Then there was pickup from a few pickers, taking some things to our booths in one antique mall and going to pick up our April check and tidy up at Marietta. Speaking of which, here are photos of the last restock we did at the end of April--I left my camera at the mall and just got it back when I picked up our check.

First, we added this gorgeous china cabinet:

Also added this nice oak church pew--which has too much stuff on it to really see it. I'll fix that next trip!

Brought in an old Eisenhower jacked, vintage Coleman stove, and picnic basket.

I added a few small painted mirrors. These sell really well.

Also added the silver service, which took me a little bit to clean up.

I loved this plate, was tempted to keep it!

A friend sold me a half dozen old quilts in beautiful condition so I brought a few of those in too.

I am back into painting furniture these days, because this weekend is the big local flea market on the courthouse lawn. We're organizing things to take and I've got a lot of painted projects just about ready to go. Here's a few:

I just love the little bamboo-trim stand. It was fun to paint it and see it come alive.

This little guy was given to us. It was falling apart, literally. A lot of gluing and clamping, sanding, painting, new pulls, and some added decor elements and it has a new life.

That's basically been my life for the last week--running from one thing to the next and falling into bed at night to sleep hard. But I do take time to watch an episode or two of an old Sherlock Holmes series produced in 1954. It's in black and white, and I have to admit that while the story lines are okay, it's the costumes, the scenery and the decor in the series that fascinates me. I find it a nice way to relax after these busy days. Larry prefers just going to bed! The man sleeps 10-12 hours a day, no lie. I can't imagine sleeping that much.

Over the weekend my oldest son notified me that his grandmother on his father's side had died. She was 93 and had been in poor health for years. About 10 years ago my son brought her up from Florida and put her into a care home near where he lives as my ex-husband (her only son) did not do anything for his mother. My son, bless him, visited Grandma every day, and took her clothes home to his wife who laundered them to be sure they didn't get contaminated in the general wash at the home (she also shopped for new clothes and personal care items for Grandma, taking care to choose things Grandma would like). Even when Grandma didn't know who he was any more, he still went daily to see her and manage her care.

I am sad that she is gone, but glad she is finally at rest. She was my mother-in-law for 16 years and while we weren't close, she always spoke well of me and was proud of my sons, her only grandchildren. I hope my son can now relax a bit, with the worry of her care off his shoulders. Of course, he now has her estate to deal with, and that's never easy. He's one good man.

So that's all the news that isn't from this hill. I've got to get back to my painting, and hopefully finish up a few more things this evening.

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