The End of the Week

27°f, about -3°C. Light drizzle, overcast and Foggy.

Today was pretty much a yuck day---off and on drizzle,  the snow melting, fog rising, just damp and chilly even though we reached a high of 41°. 

We made a trip to town to get eye drops for the dogs as somehow they seem to have pinkeye.  Daisy started it, and now the other two show signs of having it too. I ordered medication from Amazon a week.or so ago but none of our packages have arrived so we drove to tractor supply to see what they had. All dogs are now treated, and they sure didn't like it. It should be fun to repeat the treatment tomorrow, because if they see us coming with that bottle, they are very likely going to play hard to get.

Larry tried to start the tractor to grade the driveway again, as it is a slushy mess. But instead of starting, the wires from battery to alternator caught fire! I missed all that action but I bet it was frantic times. So now we have no tractor until he can get it repaired, and more snow is predicted tomorrow. Only 1-3", so hopefully we will get the lower amount. Then temperatures will drop to -4°f bt Monday night so we will be all froze up again. I like snow better than slush, but I am not a big fan of those temperatures!

Somewhere near Lowell, Ohio

Let's see, other than weather,  what have we been up to? Yesterday was a surprisingly nice day, a blessing as we had to drive over to Lowell, Ohio to pick up the (whole lot of) things we won in an online auction. It was a nice drive, and felt good to get out a bit.

Downtown Lowell, a much smaller town than our Ripley.

The beautifully blue Ohio...

and the frozen Muskingum River.

We stopped in Marietta, Ohio for a treat: lunch at the Lafayette Hotel's bar and grille. They make delicious fish and chips, and it has been years since we had them.  Large servings, too! I had to ask for a box.

The restaurant has a wonderful view of the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio.

The bar is a stunner too; the city prides itself on its long history, and one big part of that history is the sternwheeler era, which is honored in the bar with a large model and several large prints of the boats of that bygone era.

The hotel is named after the Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, who once visited Marietta and other communities along the Ohio. All the rooms are furnished with antiques. Just a lovely place to stay, as we found a few years ago when we spent a night there.

It was a pretty sunset as we made our way home along our road. My quick snapshot came out blurry, but I kinda like it.

The new van is getting broke in well; we came home with a large cedar chest, teadle sewing machine, big crosscut saw, 3 sleds, a wood ladder, a wash tub, a couple kraut cutters, glass washboard, old ice skates, about 6 quilts (only 2 nice ones, the rest are cutters), a LOT of yellow Depression glass, and a bunch of other stuff. We are slowly unloading it all, and I have been working on pricing, a time-consuming process that requires sorting, cleaning and researching before the tags can be written out and put on. Given the upcoming weather, I will have plenty of time to get it all done.

Speaking of that auction,  take a look at the price these Beanie Babies brought! 

Do you have any beanies stashed away? You might want to see if you have any that might command prices like this!

I had a nice long conversation with granddaughter Haley this morning. She had her 29th birthday yesterday, but couldn't really celebrate because she is laid up from able surgery that she had on Monday. She broke her ankle in basic training about 10 years ago, but she didn't want to have to drop out so she just taped it up and kept on going. Over the years it has caused her a lot of pain as it did not heal properly,  so the surgery was to correct all that. It isn't easy for her as she is an active type, but she is off on leave from her fulltime Army National Guard job for a few weeks. We commiserate with each other as there are similarities between my knee surgery after-effects and what she is experiencing now. 

It was nice enough Thursday for me to get out to the cellar and straighten things up to make room for all the jars I canned in the last couple weeks. We still have some to move out, including the spiced pear jam I made the other day. It looks good out there though. We will keep the small heater going during this cold snap to make sure nothing freezes.

I actually got some ebay listing done too, something I have just not felt motivated to do. And I had a few sales immediately---a couple of West Virginia history books and a copper wall plate. I listed more books today, including two fairly rare old West Virginia books. I need to keep working on downsizing my West Virginia collection, which I amassed for research when I was a storyteller. 

A 1937 historical markers book, not in great shape but full of fascinating history tidbits.

Surprisingly,  I could find no copies of this children's book anywhere online, either sold or for sale so pricing it was pure guesswork. To read about the two brothers who lived in the tree and some surprising connections to my county, check out this post from a few years ago.

I think that's all the news from here. I hope all of you are keeping well and warm. I enjoy reading those of you who blog and keeping up with all your doings. It's armchair travel at its best!

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

Washing Up Day

20 this morning, sunny but no frost. Still very cold, not above freezing, as I write this, around noon. Yesterday it snowed off and on all day never getting much above freezing. And Saturday we had some heavy snow, but it only stayed on the ground briefly.

March is certainly going out like a lion, at least in our area. It's hard to believe that last week we were working in the gardens. 

Yesterday I unpacked auction stuff. And there was a LOT of it. Our last auction pickup was on Saturday, and this one was mostly glass, although there were several other great things too. Right now Larry is taking a large load to the thrift, because when you buy lots, you get a lot of things mixed in that you don't really want. One boxload went straight to the trash--chipped or cracked pottery and glass, mainly. It's kind of heartbreaking to see some old piece that survived so long be in such bad shape, but there's no sense in keeping it. I did, however, keep one badly chipped old pitcher--I can just see it planted with ivy--and some lidless teapots and sugar bowls for planters.

So. Much. Glass. Only about half of in the photos above. I'm washing it up and identifying today, and then comes the hard part: what to keep and what to sell. I have a lot of Early American Pattern Glass already, which is what most of this is. So if I keep anything, something has to go. This glass doesn't sell easily, unless it's colored glass, but there are collectors out there that love it as I do, so what I sell will be listed on eBay which is where I am most likely to find these collectors.

Last week was a wild one, for sure. We worked in the gardens at the beginning of the week, planting peas, cabbage, and onions, and getting the ground ready for more planting. And then of course, this cold snap. We covered the cabbage plants with plastic jugs with the bottoms cut off. Now I just hope the onion sets and pea seeds will be okay. I think they will, but who knows.

Wednesday we had an auction pickup in Philippi, WV, a three-hour drive from here. It was nice to get out and see part of the state we hadn't seen in a long time. We came home with some good finds, including a mounted deer head, mounted antelope antlers, and a few other things. Taxidermy items sell pretty well, although this is the first time we've had any ourselves.

Thursday we unloaded the van and then went off to pick up our wins from another auction, this one not far from home at all. It took several loads, as we bought a bedroom set, some outdoor chairs and some other chairs, a china cabinet, and a lot of smalls. We were heading home with the last load when the auction clerk called to see if we wanted the mantle I had bid on but lost, because the winner could not pick it up after all. I said sure, but we had to work out how to haul it, since it would not fit in our van. My next call was to the owner of one of the antique malls we have booths in, to see if we could borrow her truck. She said sure--but we'd have to help unload it as the truck was full of furniture. 

So early Friday morning found us at the mall, unloading. She was right--the box truck was packed full. We got it unloaded in about an hour, then picked up the mantle, and brought it back to the mall. It needed a lot of cleaning up, as apparently it had been stored in a barn. So there we were, out on the main street of Ravenswood, cleaning it up. It looks pretty good; we were able to get it set up inside, but we will do more cleaning when we go back in, and then wax it up. 

We also moved in the bedroom set-you can see the dressing table and the chest of drawers here; the bed is hidden behind them. Making space is like shoehorning a semi into a pickup sometimes. The mirror to the dressing table is also hidden behind it. 

Saturday morning we were off again, to the last auction pickup, this one in Fairmont, about 2 hours away, through some driving snow.

It took a long time to pack this auction, as I had bought an entire closet full of odds and ends, mainly to get the few things in there we wanted, like these lovely crewel embroidery pieces.

Then there was all that glass. And a few chairs. Our reward afterward though was lunch with two grandchildren and their mother. Our son was called out to work so wasn't there, which was disappointing, but we still had a great time visiting. We ate at the Poky Dot, an iconic local restaurant famous for their ice cream creations. 

Grandson James and his girlfriend McKenna, and behind them the ice cream artists.

Who would not want giant sparklers in their birthday ice cream treat?

I didn't get a picture of granddaughter Michaela, who is a freshman at WVU, majoring in biology. She's such a smart girl, and managing to survive in the wild world of campus life, a big change from her small high school.

Here is one of my favorite finds from Saturday: a toy electric stove that actually works.

Yesterday was unloading day again, and then sorting and sorting. Larry got some rest, as he was really worn out, while I unpacked and sorted. First, though, I did this:

Four cups of good strong tea later, I felt charged up enough to get to work, and got a lot done. Nothing like tea for an energizer.

So we've kind of caught up with ourselves for the moment, although on my end there is still the ID and listing work to do. I've at least got sorted and packed up what will go to the booths, so I'm getting there.

Actually, I think right now? I need a cup of tea.

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

Covid Journal, Day 290: Unpacked, and a Book Recommendation

Raining and 43 this morning. Rain showers off and on all day, with little spots of sunshine. This evening it's turning colder, but I believe more rain is expected tomorrow. Soggy weather.

We unloaded the van today and I've been sorting things out, deciding what to keep and what to take to the thrift. In most auctions, smaller things are sold in lots, and there always seem to be some items that I just have no use for. This time was no different.

I don't think there were any fabulous finds this time. No "paid a dollar and it's worth hundreds" kind of things, just some good booth fillers that will return a modest profit over time. 

As I said yesterday, this is different than what I usually buy. The real antiques went sky high, but there were a few reasonable lots. I have found that busts are a good seller in my booths, so I bought several of the ones available.

The dog plaque in the above photo is cast iron, as is the gofer doorstop. And the vase in the center is by Hull.

There's a McCoy cookie jar buried up in this photo, and on the right corner a wicker hand mirror and little wicker holder for something--maybe toothbrushes? 

I got several small white wicker items. Not pictured here are a wicker frog wastebasket and a couple other small things.

There were two of these plaster pedestals too. I suppose there were plants on them? or maybe the busts?

The hall tree was the only piece of furniture that was reasonable, so it came home with us.

There was quite a lot of other things I didn't photograph--Christmas items that Larry packed away with our stuff, a lot of nice, new bath towels and rugs I'll list on ebay, some braided rugs and chair pads, and more. Plenty to keep me busy listing for a few days.

One of the most interesting items I bought were these two compotes, both labeled Emch Glass. 

I'd never heard of this glass company, but apparently Emch Glass operated in Huntington, WV, in the 40's and 50's. According to what I read in the online article West Virginia Glass Towns: Huntington, the company was known as Bruce and Emch Glass and was located in Huntington, WV; but the labels on these pieces say only Emch Glass. I need to research further to clarify what little I have found so far about this manufacturer.

The job now is to get everything priced, wrapped and packed in totes for the booths. And to load the boxes of unwanted things into the van for drop-off. Stuff in, stuff out. The story of our lives sometimes.

There was a nice bright spot in the day: a call from granddaughter Allison, who is working on her masters in social work in Florida. It has been a while since I talked to her, and it was such a pleasure to catch up. I was delighted to hear that she is interested in permaculture and is planning on starting a permaculture garden with her boyfriend this year. She is also interested in canning and preserving--I always wondered if the grandchildren would pick up on this tradition, which as we know is slowly dying out. I am so happy that she wants to learn how to put up her own food, and hope we'll have a chance to get together this year, Covid permitting.

Isn't it odd how the virus is really dictating much of our lives these days? It used to be "weather permitting" or "job permitting" but now it's Covid that is the barrier to so many get-togethers and activities. One of my brothters is now sick with it, and possibly his wife as well; a nephew and his family are also ill with Covid now. The toll goes on, and we seem powerless to stop it. Right now there is yet another surge, probably brought on by holiday gatherings, shopping and related activities. Our governor plans to open schools no matter what come January 19th; is it a good idea, or a rash decision we will regret? My heart goes out to the teachers struggling to teach, and the children who don't have online access, or who live in crowded homes where it's almost impossible to hear, much less learn. The difficulties are deeper than most people realized when online school was implemented and so many children are being left behind. There doesn't seem to be any solution that is 100% acceptable.

Last night I finished one of the most intriguing books I've read in the past year, Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman. The story revolves around an old house and all the different people who have lived in it, and there are elements of magic and superstition woeven throughout. It's a strange read, cozy at times, and at others eerie, sad, funny, and touching. And totally memorable. I'm really considering re-reading it cover to cover because I feel that I've missed things in the first reading--it's like there are pages hidden within the pages, if that makes sense. If you have read it, I'd be interested in your opinion. 

One thing that delighted me in the book was the mention of a belief that witches wear red shoes. Now, when I was in England summer of 2019, I had to leave my red shoes behind to make room in my suitcase for the things I'd bought to bring home. I missed those shoes terribly, even though they really were worn out. So this summer I bought another pair onlne. I'm no witch, but I had to laugh when I read about the red shoes in the book and remembered my longing for another pair. Maybe my husband had better look out!

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

Something Old, Something New--To Us

We gave ourselves an early Christmas present this year.

We found it at an auction, and bought it to re-sell. But once it was home, it just looked like it was, well...home.

 So today we did a major rearranging to make a place for it. We are so happy with our new old secretary.

It's not perfect--the finish is old and worn, there's a hole in the little drawer inside. We don't care.

If I re-sold it as planned, I was going to paint it, and that was really bothering me. Because I don't like to paint old wood, but to refinish this one would take a LOT of time that we don't have.

Funny, though, because for us, the old, worn finish is just fine.

She holds a lot of books, thank goodness, because we had to get rid of one of our bookshelves. Fortunately, only a few books had to be weeded to have enough space for the ones we really wanted to keep.

Getting it in here meant moving shelves of books, lamps, chairs, you name it. In the process we got a lot of cleaning done, so that was good in itself.

Now it's all done. Not something that was on my to-do list, but something that sure has made us happy. Some of my feather collection found a new place,

the globe and some lamps got shifted around,

and the little hobo art corner shelf got some new glass.

Done and done!

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

Auction Time

It's been a long time since we attended an auction, but this weekend we decided it was time to get back into the bidding.

We started the weekend with a quick trip to a flea market that happens only once a month, one we've never managed to get to because it seems like every weekend that it's open, we've been busy. Only a few vendors were set up but I found some great deals on vintage glass.

Probably the most intriguing finds were these two paperweights. They are clearly tagged with old Blenko labels but I'd never seen any like them attributed to Blenko. I posted a photo of them to a Blenko group online, and those serious collectors had never seen any like them either--a nice score. I was also happy to find the MacBeth-Evans Monax cups and plates. And of course, I had to get the little coal carved owl.

Lots of great things for the booth, and a few to keep, like the old pitcher in front which will be added to my collection of Early American Pattern Glass pitchers.

The Friday night auction was at a place new to us, a nice drive out in the country. We took a route that took us across our county's only covered bridge, just because, you know, it's so cool to drive across it. When I was a substitute mail carrier, one of the routes I did included this road and I often stopped to eat my lunch beside the bridge, and walked across it, watching the water flow beneath and thinking about all the people, wagons, horses and so on that had been across those boards.

I saw a good reason to be at this auction on AuctionZip: amberina glass! Also known as tangerine if made by Blenko, this is probably my favorite color, and the online photos of items in the auction included some that just about stopped my heart. And I came home with most of it.

These, I think, are the most likely Blenko items with the exception of the. Don't you love the way this glass looks like fire in the light? I have identified two for sure as Blenko, but am still working on the others.

Both auctions yielded goodness:

A lovely old oak secretary that needs a little love to make it shine,

four split bottom chairs,

two old Eastlake style chairs that will be off to the upholsterers soon,

 A lovely little oak chest that needs only a couple knobs replaced,

an old treadle machine that will become a table, and the drawers sold separately,

a neat old vintage bike in almost pristine condition and a newer model box stove,

an oak Mission-style shelf that needs some cleaning to bring it back to life,

and all kinds of other amazing things. The tea cart in the photo below was a find from my trip to Buffalo, NY, and the coat tree and the tall lamp were purchases from a thrift shop but the rest was all from the auctions--

 like these McCoy planters, old crock, the cider jug and the chick feeder,

and these two awesome oak kitchen clocks complete with their keys and pendulums. There were also three Griswold skillets and lots of other assorted goodies--two Amish buggy lights, cast iron stirrups, etc.

Here's the base of the lamp. It's actually a jade green slag glass, darker than the photo appears. Larry put a new plug on it today and it works great.

Don't you love the stopper in this jug? These two crocks were also from one of the auctions.

It was fun to get back into bidding again. We got lots of nice things for our booths and even a few things to keep for our home, and we saw friends, met interesting people and had a great time.

Today I am back into the painting projects, and it feels good to be back to that work too. I'll post pics of the two pieces I'm working on now as soon as I get them done. Meantime, we're loading the van for some booth restocking later this week.

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