Projects, Cooking, Fire, and an Old Photo

69°f/20.5°C, showers,  then cloudy, then rainy, then clouds...a steamy day but not too hot, only reached 81°.

Since it has been too hot to work, or even sit, outside, I have been busy with inside projects. These needed to be done, for sure, as they were clogging up my kitchen terribly.

I intended to sell this little table, but decided to keep it and eventually use it as a coffee table, as soon as I can figure out where to put the old chest

I am currently using for that purpose.

For now it's in place under the window. I like the drop leaves, which will be handy at holidays or other times we have visitors, as poeople will have a good space for plates and cups. 

This big 'ol boy is about done, just needs another coat of poly, then waxed and new pulls put on.

This wardrobe took forever! The reason? The door hinges. The mirrored door came off in my hands when I was cleaning it up to paint. Apparently the seller just tacked it on to hold for a little while. Ugh. Then we realized the hinges were bent, had the wrong screws in them in the screw holes were wallowed out. Getting all that straightened out, and then getting the doors to close properly again, was more work than you would think. In the end, I decided to keep this one too, for Larry to use in the bedroom. The d$%^&d doors still don't close properly,  and I didn’t want to sell it like that. Aggravating thing.

I have been doing some cooking too, since we gave been home for the past 4 days. And that wardrobe is out of my kitchen! Yesterday I made more banana raspberry bread. Today I focused on using up the plethora of zucchini and peppers from the garden. I chopped up a lot of the zucchini in the food processor and Larry gave that to the chickens and rabbits. Then I ground some and drained it well, to make zucchini bread tomorrow. The rest went into a stir fry with chicken, onions, and the peppers, making a big enough batch for several meals. I used up the green beans in a huge batch of beans and new potatoes cooked with a ham bone. So delicious. I put some of that in the freezer, as it was far more than we could eat. I also cooked up some beets, and sliced a bowl full of cucumbers for snacking. So now I am caught up with the garden, for the moment anyway, and haven't had to can anything yet!

In other news, my friend Billy-Jo posted this little happening at her place (used with her permission):

Amazon driver: Knock knock.

Me: Hello

Driver: can I please use your phone or your wifi to call someone? My van is stuck in the mud up the road.

(There’s zero cell service out here)

Me: Sure but you want me to just pull you out with that Bronco?

Driver: That would be awesome but I don’t know if it will be able to and I don’t want you to get yourself or your vehicle muddy.

Me: 🤔😎 Ah……it’ll be a walk in the park compared to what I’m used to!  😂😂😂

I get to where he is stuck and I start to pull winch line.

Driver: Ma’am I’ve never used one of these.

Me: No worries. I got you! 

After I get him pulled out backwards and then yank the van  back around to head back down the road. 

Driver: Ma’am you’re my hero! 

The ol Bronco never even had to come out of 2wd.  Good job Bronco! Good job!

Billy-Jo is a wild child! She loves to go muddin', as they call it around here, and has some pretty cumbersome antique cars too. Her story, though, reminded me of the early days here, where we sometimes had to use a winch to get our vehicles unstuck. Happy to never have to do that again though!

The big news story around here right now is this huge fire in Parkersburg, about 40 miles north of us. A friend posted this photo on Facebook:

As I write, this fire is still burning, and there is considerable concern over what chemicals are in the smoke and ash. The governor declared a state of emergency for the area, and there is a shelter in place order as well. The smoke and ash are not drifting our way, but are affecting a very large area to the east of the city. I have not heard of any casualties,  thank goodness,  and the community has poured out generous support for the many, many firefighters on the scene. 

As I was sorting out a drawer today, I found this old photo of one of my English great-grandmothers, on the Wilson side. How it came to be in that drawer I have no idea, but it may have been in an old book from my parents' home. Pretty sure I have bever seen it before. I wonder what she was carrying in the bucket?

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

Sepia Saturday

69°f/20.5°C, clouds off and on, then afternoon thunderstorms. Still humid, but only reached about 87° today.

Our photo from the Folk Festival 2 weeks ago arrived this week. Do I look like I am ready to shoot him? 

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

Onward

77°f/24.5°C, so humid, partly cloudy this morning. Reached 90°, and now storms are beginning to move through. Thank goodness.

These two old folks have stayed inside today. Our county seat and closest town is having the annual big July 4th bash, with a 2k run, parade, stage acts and activities all day, and of course culminating with fireworks later tonight. The heat index is well over 100°, and I am amazed that so many people actually turn out anyway.  Down in Charleston,  sternwheelers line the Kanawha riverbank for the annual regatta, and at the Capitol there is what is supposedly the world's largest ferris wheel, and stage acts, including Alabama,  all weekend. Lots of fun things, but not for us. Larry's face is as red as a poppy from the skin cancer treatments and he cannot be in the sun, and I have no desire to celebrate anyway. 

Interviewers online and on the radio asked citizens of the US how they felt about this country. Almost every single one said they were proud to be American. I wonder, why? How is it something to be proud of, when in truth citizenship for most of us is an accident of birth, not a choice. What are these people proud of, exactly? Certainly not our dubious history! We have had moments of shining greatness, but many more of unfairness, greed, and cruelty. Most of the interviewees spoke in generalities, usually citing freedom and democracy. And yet, are not those two things under threat right now? I wish they had been asked for specific examples of things that exemplify that freedom and democracy. As a woman, there are still ways my freedom is curtailed, and that is even more true for those who are "other". But perhaps my mind is jaundice by the current state of affairs in this country. Something to ponder on this day.

Meanwhile, here in the backwoods of West Virginia, life goes on as normal. Here are more pictures from this past week.

This resin dragon was made by a friend I had not seen on years. She was selling some of her work in a yard sale, and I snapped this up. Here he is hanging in my window. So awesome!

Conefloers and lemon balm have made themselves at home along the crack between the stone wall and the sidewalk.

This guy is so little, only about 2" long! I found him in a box of auction finds, and was surprised that he sells for around $25 online.

A thrift store find this week, a primitive bucket shelf. Best thing about it? It was move-in ready, no work required! I have it in my booth already, filled with crocks and baskets.

More thrift finds from the past couple weeks:

I was a bit disappointed by the Staffordshire pitcher when I got it home and discovered that a bit at the top of the handle had been chipped off. I suppose that considering it is almost 200 years old, that's not too bad, but i doubt I will be able to sell it.

The little Hofbauer Byrdes glass box in front of it is really sweet, anyway.

Arcopal dishes from France, green Georgian pattern glasses, a Wexford decanter, and marigold carnival glass tumblers in this photo.

And here, a green marble apple, nice ceramic planter, and a crock made into a lamp. The lamp part was messed up so we just removed it. I front, two brass seagull wall plaques probably from the 60s.

Nice vintage handbag from the 50s, I think, and a vintage canteen made of metal and covered in wool, made by Coleman.

Pretty little pink Depression Glass jam jar in the Windsor pattern, made by Federal Glass.

And last, a Fenton amethyst carnival glass bowl. I can't remember the pattern name right off.

I don't think i posted these photos yet either. On the way home last week I stopped at the West Virginia Museum of American Glass in Weston. "Blenko Man" was in the window to greet visitors.

So. Much. Beautiful.  Glass! 

The Museum is incredible, with constantly changing displays done by a crew of dedicated staff and volunteers. I have visited here several times, and it never disappoints. This time the display of antique oil lamps was just stunning.

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