Tuesday, January 31, 2017

WINTER FARMHOUSE: Pewter Finds and Courting Candles




A bit more formal than galvanized tin. . .but fitting right in with it. . .PEWTER has become my newest junkin' interest for our WINTER FARMHOUSE. . . and believe me, here in the Delta it is rather difficult to find old or new pewter. . .Silver-YES. . .Tinware-YES. . .Aluminum-YES. . .but PEWTER pieces are less available. . .I suppose that's because unlike the east coast states that have been inhabited since the early 1600s. . .our little part of the WORLD was only cleared and farming began around 1916. . .well after the eras where pewter was used in households for everyday meals.




Yet. . .Pewter works well with FARMHOUSE DECOR. . .as well as PRIMITIVE. . . AMERICAN COUNTRY. . .PLAIN AND SIMPLE. . . RUSTIC MODERN. . .FARMHOUSE PRIMITIVE. . .any number of styles. . .




My collection began with this tall, slim pitcher I spied one day at a local Goodwill. . .Price?  1.99. . .I loved it and found out later that it was a Colonial Williamsburg reproduction from many years ago. . .I was hooked. . .




Just happened that we were soon traveling to VIRGINIA for Christmas. . .great timing to pick up a few pieces. . .I wanted to accent our other collections of  POTTERY and TIN. . .I was on a mission that turned out quite well. . .Most of the pieces I found were ENGLISH. . .another plus. . .




Along the way, I also found the COURTING CANDLES. . .something that was new to me when I first began work at Colonial Williamsburg years ago. . .I had not run into those in the Delta either. . .Since I had never bought one of my own. . .I found two. . .both at thrift stores. . .

There are those who say this is just a "ROMANTIC LEGEND". . .that they were not used for COURTING. . .but I rather like the STORY. . .



"A father in colonial times used the Courting Candle to set the time his daughter's suitor could visit. When the candle burned down to the metal, courting time was over. . .Candle placement is adjustable. A personable, well-placed young man? Set the candle high, to burn a long time. Someone not quite so eligible? Set the candle low so he wouldn't overstay his welcome." 




I'm ready to get started adding some of the pieces around the FARMHOUSE. . .and incorporating them into my own STYLE. . .It's pretty probable that my PEWTER shopping will be limited to online purchases from now on. . .There are many good buys at Ebay and Etsy. . .It won't be as much fun as stopping along the road, though. . .

I tried to convince John I could save postage by returning to Virginia and Kentucky for my JUNKIN' SPREES . . .Makes sense, doesn't it? . .WELL. . .

He didn't BUY it. . .(pun intended). . .
Don't know WHY? (big grin)

For now, I'll be HAPPY with the pieces I have. . .It's a good start. . .






Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Feeling Blessed




It was a normal morning. . .Coffee was brewing at 5:30. . .
By the second cup, the SUN was beginning to raise it's sleepy head 
and SHINE some LIGHT into the kitchen. . .
Light that landed on the single word "BLESSED". . .
bringing to mind that this was my special day. . .




I smiled and thought. . .
"Getting older isn't a bad thing. . .I am so BLESSED that I'm here for another birthday."
To tell the truth, I embrace the fact that I continue to have them. . .
HUMMMMM. . .I've heard those words before. . .




My DAD said those very words. . .so many times. . .
Each birthday he reflected. . .sometimes silently. . .often with stories. . .always with hugs. . .
on the BLESSINGS that had come his way.  . .
RECENT BLESSINGS. . .LIFETIME BLESSINGS. . .BLESSINGS TO COME. . .
And somehow he always made us feel that his FAMILY was the GREATEST BLESSING of all. . .




So in the DAWN of another day. . .I stood and counted my BLESSINGS. . .
one by one. . .until the SUN was high in the sky. . .Remembering the lesson Daddy taught me. . .
and Thanking GOD for feeling so BLESSED in every way. . .
and
Thinking that maybe that's what Birthdays are all about. . .
at least for this FARMER'S DAUGHTER.




I have one more person to thank for making my day so special. . .
Cindy of Old Time Farmhouse. . .
She knows me so well. . .gifting me with the BLESSING plaque 
 and the absolutely perfect FARMER'S DAUGHTER pillow. . .
but most of all. . .with giving me her Sisterly LOVE. . .(We adopted each other. . .GRIN)


. . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .




Friday, January 13, 2017

The Roots of an Old Soul



"We are the chosen. My feelings are, in each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know, and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe (family).
All tribes (families) have one. We have been called as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: TELL OUR STORY.  So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find oursleves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do? It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and the indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in and giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation.
It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That, is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones."  THE STORY TELLERS, Author Unknown

I didn't write the above. . .Wish I had. . .It's the best explanation of myself that I have read. . .ever. . .




I AM an OLD SOUL. . .That's the first truth. . .I am also the family KEEPER OF STORIES. . .You have witnessed that yourself in my last six years of posts! . . .Put these two together and you have the makings of an amazing CHRISTMAS JOURNEY into the world of MY ANCESTORS.




I only learned about six months ago that I am descended from several of the FIRST FAMILIES OF VIRGINIA. . .the earliest arriving around 1629. . .They came to establish tobacco PLANTATIONS throughout Virginia. . .some with land grants from the CROWN. . .They rubbed elbows with GOVERNORS Berkeley, Spotswood, Dunmore. . .WASHINGTON. . .JEFFERSON. . .and all the FOUNDING FATHERS. . .They were on the cutting edge of the new BRITISH COLONY and then of the new NATION called this UNITED STATES. . .




I knew nothing of this last year. . .Surely you can imagine what this means to an OLD SOUL. . .and the family KEEPER OF STORIES. . .and how thrilled I was when John offered to take me back to COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG for two amazing weeks to visit with my 389 year old relatives. . .In fact, the week of Christmas we actually stayed at my 7th Great Uncle's POWHATAN PLANTATION. . .










We worshiped in the CHURCH of several ancestors. . .










and visited with friends and family from the PAST. . .and from the PRESENT. . .






















By the time we traveled across Virginia for an additional week, I was simply bursting with EMOTIONS. . .and I gathered enough STORIES to keep me busy for a while. . .It was a trip that I will never forget. . .a trip that put flesh on the bones of all those Virginia ANCESTORS. . .and made them come ALIVE again. . .

By HEARING THEIR STORIES. . .I found the ROOTS of this OLD SOUL. . .




. . .from my Past to your Present. . .




Thursday, January 5, 2017

Back to Normal--Almost




Whee. . .What a Holiday Season we had! 
I'm still glowing inside and out. . .I, for one, would like to continue the Holidays though the entire WINTER. . .but there comes a time when the decorations need to come down and be packed up with an eye for our next Christmas. . .which is exactly what I've been doing these last few days. . .Putting the EVERYDAY SIMPLE touches back into our FARMHOUSE. . .




I do hope you had an extraordinary Holiday. . .For my Christmas, John took me back to Virginia. . .by way of Kentucky. . .so that I could visit with my fellow blogger and dear friend CINDY of  the OLD TIME FARMHOUSE. . .We hadn't seen each other for a couple of years. . .You can imagine how we talked non-stop. . .Poor John didn't have a chance. . .


Then it was on to Virginia, where we stayed for almost three weeks. . .We spent time with our families--John's daughter and her family. . .and my 300+ year old family. . .(I'll tell you more about that later). . .It was the best Christmas we've had in years. . .
When I asked John what we were doing for my up-coming birthday. . .his reply was. . .
"Whatever it is, I can't top this!" 





I'm anxious to apply some of the Virginia inspiration to our WINTER FARMHOUSE DECOR. . .
I've already begun. . .as you see. . .but I have many more JUNKIN' FINDS to incorporate. . .I'd forgotten how motivated a person can get just by visiting another part of our country. . .





Now. . .I'm INSPIRED. . .I'm MOTIVATED. . .and. . .most of all. . .
I'M BACK!!!!
 and ready to get this NEW YEAR started. . .


 . . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .
 

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