Next step: paint. I hope tomorrow is a nice enough day to do that. Joy advised that all shelving be the same color so I bought paint on the way home. I also have things that need to be cleaned up so I can use them–you know how it is when you store things in outbuildings. So tomorrow will be a busy work day.

I’ve been sorting through the things I want to sell, trying to envision how I want to lay them out. I expect this first time will take a bit of time; I’ll probably be over there every day for three or four days as I get things situated. And labeled. And entered into a spreadsheet. I also picked up some things to help make the booth more attractive–a few candles, some chocolates to give away the first few days, etc.

It occurred to me that this booth gives me several opportunities I had not considered. Like selling my CDs–it’s a good outlet for them. And displaying my storytelling brochures. And selling my West Virginia/Appalachian books–they don’t sell very quickly on Amazon and many I don’t even have listed there because there is no record to attach them to, but I know there is a market based on my experience with the library book sale. So the booth is a real plus on that score.

Oh, and today’s trip to town yielded a lot of great finds! I’d just been to Goodwill yesterday but today I came out with a whole shopping cart full of cool stuff. And it was Senior discount day too More for the booth and a few keepers for me.

In between working on the booth will be a recording studio session, an open mic night, and a performance for an arts fundraiser, reading my poetry. Busy days ahead!

Last year, I went to our seed stash before placing my orders, taking inventory of saved-over heirlooms seeds, and filling in the gaps or supporting certain varieties. This year, I didn’t do that either. I pretty much know what’s there — nothing from last year, and only remnants from the year before. So, I figured I’d just stick to the basics, and basically start from scratch. Other than pumpkin seed, we pretty much needed all the basics.

The list started with a pound on Gray Mammoth Sunflower seed, which I grow and harvest for our hens and feathered friend feeders. They have huge blooms that make harvesting a little easier, but I have a second use for these towering stalks — fence reinforcement and bean poles.

Two years ago, I happened to just pick up a pack of this seed somewhere while shopping. The garden was already started, and so I just stuck some seed in around the new fence line at the end where we’d just expanded. The fence there was shorter than the 8 foot fencing we have around the original garden plot, so I figured the sunflowers might help.

They were helpful — to a point. A row of 12 foot tall sunflowers each a foot apart from the others, just inside the fence did deter some deer from just leaping over the short fence into the garden. When dealing with deer, any deterrence is a good thing. The problem is, I can only plant the sunflowers along the fence on the north side of the garden. Planted on the southern side, they’d cover three rows of carrots and onions with shade.

I also have been known to use the sunflower stalks (that get up to 3 inches thick) as support poles in the green bean rows. Instead of bean poles, we run fencing down the rows of beans, so they can just climb the fence. But we’ve always had a problem with the fence sagging as time passed, the more the beans grew, the more the fencing sagged. So last year, about 2 weeks before we even planted the beans, I laid out the rows and planted a sunflower seed about every eight to ten feet. Two, and then four weeks later, we planted the beans, and put the fence down the row. By then, the sunflowers had a good head start, and looked as though they would offer the additional support needed later in the season — but then the big wind storm came and flattened them, fence, flowers, beans and all.

I’m going to try that again this year.

Some may think it odd that we grow these huge sunflowers to harvest and we really don’t eat the seed ourselves. The hens and birds get the seed, the fence and beans get support from their stalks and we — well, we get to enjoy the beauty of foot-wide blossoms towering high above our heads all summer. That’s good enough for me.

I am so excited! I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, and even looked into it 4 or 5 years ago, but at that time, well, there just wasn’t time to pursue the idea. But now that I am retired and have all this stuff I’ve bought to see on eBay, I realized that I’ve bought way more than I’ll ever get listed. I had heard on the radio that a new flea market was opening in a town about 50 miles away so we went to check it out.

That one, not so much. All downstairs space was rented, there seemed to be no heat in the building, and there was no elevator to the second floor. On top of that, the second floor has to be accessed through a separate entry that’s not too visible to the first-floor flea market, so it would be pretty simple for anyone to walk out with anything. I do wish the new owner luck, though, and perhaps all the issues I noted will be resolved somehow. The location was good, and as we all know that’s important. But carrying everything up a very long flight of stairs? Not for me. And I wondered about customers too; many who are into collecting are over 40 and those stairs were pretty intimidating.

We took the longer way home, winding along the Ohio River through small communities, a very relaxing drive. As we passed through Ravenswood, we noticed that the Riverbend Antique Mall was open and stopped to check it out. We’ve been in before, and I know the mall has suffered through some hard times. The aluminum plant, the biggest employer in this county, had shut down a major portion of the plant a few years ago, laying off 650 workers. That and the generally bad economy hit Ravenswood hard. Now it seems the community is making a comeback. There is word going round that the plant will be re-opening in some areas very soon, and a few other job opportunities have come to the area recently, most notably a large Army Reserve Center just south of town.

The antique mall has a new owner and she just happened to have a booth available. It’s in a good location in the store, on the left side (which is the direction I always start out in such places) and fairly close to the front. It’s only 8×10, which is big enough for me right now. The mall is attractively arranged and on a late Sunday afternoon still had customers. There are several other antique shops on the street, the main drag through town. And I liked the hours too–Tuesday-Saturday 10-6 and Sundays 12-5. Some places are closed on Sunday, or close at 5 on weekdays, effectively cutting out anyone who has to work 9-5. 

Now I have some work to do, deciding what to put in the booth and how to arrange it. I’ll be taking notes from my friend Joy at A Vintage Green, who runs several booths in Canada and has a great blog about it. I’ve got a lot to learn, and Larry thinks I’m nuts for taking on yet another project. Once it is set up, though, I think it will be a lot of fun. I’ll post pictures as soon as it’s done.

And of course, should you ever happen through Ravenswood, please stop by!

I have her old SPARTUS camera with the flash attachment.
You held this camera in both hands and looked down into the opening. You did not hold it up to your eye to look into it.

It has been sitting on my shelf in the living room for the longest time. I thought it looked like a face with two eyes and a nose looking back at me.

I have a collection of craft books, called From Trash to Treasure, that I picked up at a yard sale a while back. They have some of the neatest ideas in them. I got this idea from one of those books.

Gather together wire (I used 22 ga. but you could use 18 ga.), wire cutters, pictures and an old camera.

 

 

 

I met my sister Judy in Weston, WV this past week, to finally exchange Christmas gifts (a little late!) and just visit.

Where did we do our visiting? At the West Virginia Museum of American Glass! This beautiful and fairly new museum is located in the heart of Weston and is thriving. They have paid off their building and have started a campaign to expand. New donations come in regularly; donors of collections also donate the cases to house the collection. Recently a woman from Washington state donated her entire, large collection of sherbet dishes. She drove the collection across the country, paid for the case and stayed to help with the arrangement of the collection! Hers is one of many stories the museum represents. While we were there a gentleman came in to donate scale models of a plate glass making operation.

There is a lot to see in the museum from the large mural donated by another museum to the marble collection, glass making equipment, and aisles and aisles of beautiful glass. If you have a piece and wondered when it was made and by what company, this is the place to find that information. If the piece isn’t on display, the friendly, knowledgeable staff might be able to identify it. And if they can’t there is a reference library lined with books.

We browsed slowly along the aisles. I was thrilled to finally identify a butter dish I had as being made by the Cooperative Flint Company in the 1880′s. My dish had no lid but I loved it for its design. Judy saw a plate like one she had at home and was astonished to find it was also made in the 1880′s.

We spent a lot of time in the museum’s store. Not only do they have many books for sale, they also sell glass! Dean Six, a museum staff member and author of several books on antique and vintage glass, told us that the museum sells duplicate pieces or pieces that were not made in America as a way to raise funds. We were lucky enough to be there on a sale day, and bought several pieces for only $1 each.

In the sales area is also a collection of mis-matched lids. The collection included older and newer, some vaseline glass and colored glass, tops to sugar bowls, casseroles, butter dishes, etc. And would you believe, my sister found a lid that matched my dish! What are the odds on that happening? Very slim, I would say.

This pattern is called Budded Ivy, or Ivy in Snow, I suppose because of the stippled effect on the glass. I am learning a lot about Early American Pattern Glass and learning to recognize it when I see it. The glass looks different–I’m not sure how to describe the difference, but it stands out to me now. It’s surprising that there is so much out there still in thrift shops; I suppose unless you happen to know its age, glass just looks like glass?

The Museum identified the lid as a “honey dish lid” and it could be that what I have is not a butter dish but a honey dish. I don’t know the difference in the two, so I still have more to learn about this piece. And a whole, whole lot to learn about glass in general. It’s a fascinating study. When I got home, I went online and ordered several more glass books, adding to my very slim library. I expect I’ll be back at the museum soon, with pictures of all the pieces I can’t identify.

I met my sister Judy in Weston, WV this past week, to finally exchange Christmas gifts (a little late!) and just visit.

Where did we do our visiting? At the West Virginia Museum of American Glass! This beautiful and fairly new museum is located in the heart of Weston and is thriving. They have paid off their building and have started a campaign to expand. New donations come in regularly; donors of collections also donate the cases to house the collection. Recently a woman from Washington state donated her entire, large collection of sherbet dishes. She drove the collection across the country, paid for the case and stayed to help with the arrangement of the collection! Hers is one of many stories the museum represents. While we were there a gentleman came in to donate scale models of a plate glass making operation.

There is a lot to see in the museum from the large mural donated by another museum to the marble collection, glass making equipment, and aisles and aisles of beautiful glass. If you have a piece and wondered when it was made and by what company, this is the place to find that information. If the piece isn’t on display, the friendly, knowledgeable staff might be able to identify it. And if they can’t there is a reference library lined with books.

We browsed slowly along the aisles. I was thrilled to finally identify a butter dish I had as being made by the Cooperative Flint Company in the 1880′s. My dish had no lid but I loved it for its design. Judy saw a plate like one she had at home and was astonished to find it was also made in the 1880′s.

We spent a lot of time in the museum’s store. Not only do they have many books for sale, they also sell glass! Dean Six, a museum staff member and author of several books on antique and vintage glass, told us that the museum sells duplicate pieces or pieces that were not made in America as a way to raise funds. We were lucky enough to be there on a sale day, and bought several pieces for only $1 each.

In the sales area is also a collection of mis-matched lids. The collection included older and newer, some vaseline glass and colored glass, tops to sugar bowls, casseroles, butter dishes, etc. And would you believe, my sister found a lid that matched my dish! What are the odds on that happening? Very slim, I would say.

This pattern is called Budded Ivy, or Ivy in Snow, I suppose because of the stippled effect on the glass. I am learning a lot about Early American Pattern Glass and learning to recognize it when I see it. The glass looks different–I’m not sure how to describe the difference, but it stands out to me now. It’s surprising that there is so much out there still in thrift shops; I suppose unless you happen to know its age, glass just looks like glass?

The Museum identified the lid as a “honey dish lid” and it could be that what I have is not a butter dish but a honey dish. I don’t know the difference in the two, so I still have more to learn about this piece. And a whole, whole lot to learn about glass in general. It’s a fascinating study. When I got home, I went online and ordered several more glass books, adding to my very slim library. I expect I’ll be back at the museum soon, with pictures of all the pieces I can’t identify.

So here’s the new bed:

No my bedroom isn’t THAT crooked–it was just difficult to get a good angle with the camera! But don’t you love this old bed? I think it’s from the 1930′s; that’s what the lady I got it from said. I bought it at a yard sale and I’m just in love with it. Best point? It doesn’t squeak and squonk every time we move! (Now, go wash your mind out with soap–that is NOT the kind of moving I’m talking about!)

We talked for more than an hour. She’s a beekeeper, a honey and wax product producer who wants to share her knowledge. As new beekeepers ourselves, were we interested in her column? Of course we were. Hers is the only quarterly column we publish.

The Bee Lady does not have a computer. We don’t communicate by email, I don’t “see” her on facebook, she doesn’t tweet. And to be honest, I think we’ve only spoken on the phone once since she started writing for us. I’m not even sure where Tallmansville is. We’ve never met in person, and I don’t even have a photo of her to post with this entry. In my mind, I picture her about my age, with long hair and mud boots in a bee suit.

Since she’s not online, and not nearby, and quarterly — she has a tendency to fade in my mind. We run her column, then one, and another months pass by. And then, there she is, a manilla envelope in the mailbox.

Her columns come as copied pages, paper-clipped on the upper left hand corner, the original handwritten in all capital letters on wide-ruled paper. I try my best not to insert typing errors in her column as I enter it into the computer. Sometimes I do, and then don’t catch them in editing. I admit now that any typographical errors or spelling errors in her column are my mistakes, not hers.

Brenda is the first in our “Meet the Columnist” series, because that manilla envelope arrived in the mail today. The next installment from The Bee Lady will appear in our March issue. If you’ve been enjoying our quarterly column on bees, feel free to send her a letter or card (by snail mail of course) to: B. Koch, HC 36, Box 184, Tallmansville, WV 26237.

The West Fork of Greenbrier and the Little River of West Fork were stocked with trout this week. This is the first year that I ever remember when these two streams were able to be stocked in January.

Will we suffer for this weather later on? I wonder. I just read a book called the Great Blizzard, by Jim Murphy. In it he notes that the winter of 1887-1888 was extremely mild, with little or no frost or snow in New York City. And then on March 10, the blizzard struck with a fury unknown before or since, dumping snow and blowing so hard that there were 50-foot drifts in places. I hope that this history does not repeat itself. What a disaster that would be today. Or perhaps we’re better prepared for it? One point he makes in the book is that country people were better equipped to manage since they always kept a good store of food, whereas those in the cities expected to get their supplies daily. Would our country people be as ready now for such a storm?Some will, but many have left the old ways behind and are as reliant on the grocery store and power companies as those poor people in 1888.

But enough of that. What comes will come and we will get through it one way or another. I have been busy but I did take time to notice a beautiful sunset this week, and to walk down to see Larry’s progress on his poutin’ house. He’s building a rough little cabin in the woods from a small log building given to us by a neighbor. He took the building down earlier this month, and now he’s putting it back up. It’s small, all right, about 14×16, and it will not be fancy, but he’s having a blast and I think he is looking forward to having this little getaway place.

And today was a real treat: great-grand-daughter Cadyn came to stay for a few hours! We had a wonderful time. I was still piecing together the last grant but she jabbered along and talked to the dogs and took pictures with my camera and was just a very good girl. When I finished we went to town to drop off the grant at the library and had dinner with my friend Suzette. I asked Cadyn if she wanted to eat, and she responded immediately, “Yes, Chinese.” She’s not even 3 years old! I am sure I didn’t know about Chinese food at that age. And this photo? I took one and she looked at it and she said, “Granny! I had my binky in my mouth!” We had to do a re-shoot. Geesh.

What else has been going on? Lots of eBay, a little junking, and a new-to-me bed! I’ll post pics later, but I am so happy with it. I’d bought it at a yard sale in the summer–it went with the new dresser we just put in the bedroom. I have had the same bed since I married my first husband when I was 17 and I am so so tired of it. I honestly never really liked it in the first place, not being a lover of maple furniture, but it was free and it was really a good spool bed and it has lasted wonderfully. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have this lovely new bed, though.

A flat tire, writer’s group, a big house-cleaning on Sunday (because a friend was coming over and boy was this place dusty), work on the couch project, sending out contracts for storytelling, another 2000 words on my novel–that and grant-writing about sums up the past week. Tomorrow I get to see my sister Judy, a reward for this past week of nose-to-the-grindstone. Then it’s on to send out publicity for summer and fall programs and working on upcoming performances and workshops, and finishing the new CD. And maybe, somewhere in the next few weeks, we’ll put out the lettuce bed if the weather stays good.

Most often, this time of year, I tend to dread the trips outside to check on the chickens, collecting eggs, feeding and putting the hens up at night.  Mud, cold wind, grey skies — not on my list of favorite things. Imagine my surprise today when I opened the door to sunshine and a warm breeze.

Our honey bees were already active, raiding the chicken feeders and buzzing around the porch. I’ve long-since learned the bees have little interest in me, as long as I’m not doused in perfume and cosmetics.

Even in mid-winter, our garden needs attention after the way we abandoned it in the fall of last year. So, I tossed my coat and hat on the roof of the chicken pen, and wandered out that way, with Daisy Dewdrop on my heels. Both the chickens and the bees seemed interested in what I was doing, clearing weeds and moving dirt. Both likely hoping I would uncover something for them to eat.

It didn’t take Daisy long to find the rabbit hiding among the high grasses, and if you know beagles, you know the chase was on. Since she can run up to 24 miles and hour (we’ve chased her in a car before) I tied on her leash and did my best to keep up. It frustrated her, me holding her back, but didn’t keep her from following the trail through the prickly Autumn Olive bushes, which scratched my arms. When she lost the trail (at the same spot she always does), I led her back to the house. Along the way, she stopped at the edge of the lake to get something to drink, and I took time to lift my face to the sun.

I don’t claim to have all the answers. I only claim to be constantly in search of them, and I’m often eager to share any I’ve discovered. One of the main truths I’ve found is if you can find joy in sunshine and warm breezes, it’s easier to survive the mean and nasties of the world.

Sure, I may seem crazy, offering buzzing honey bees warm greetings. Even more crazy still to think they’ve come to know me, know the sound of my voice, my scent. Crazier still to think they are my friends — but I have yet to be stung by any of our honey bees.

I know the wild ducks on our lake better than I know most people. I know who has mated who, which side of the lake they prefer to eat breakfast, and lunch, and dinner. I can sing to my chickens and they’ll sing back to me.

It’s difficult, among these friends, to be haunted by the pettiness of a few people. To bees, beagles, ducks and chickens, the words of men and women are meaningless. Tell a chicken someone hurt your feelings, and they’ll squat, poop and move on. Frankly, I think that’s good advice.

If animals and insects have food, shelter and water — they’re happy. Humans are the only beings who believe — for some reason — they need (or deserve) more. We’re the only ones who torture ourselves (and others) to achieve far beyond what we truly need.  We spend lifetimes making ourselves (and others) miserable simply because we want.

Part of simplifying our lives has taught me though — we make ourselves (and others) miserable only if we want to. And while there are those who obviously want to share their misery with us, I have to remember, that is not what we want. People don’t believe it. Because they want that misery and to share it, they assume we want the same.

But the bees know better, the hens know better, the ducks, the beagle and the sunshine knows better.

In many ways, we wanted to find the simple joys in life, like the blessings of an unseasonably warm day.

Brandywine (Lycopersicon esculentum)

As far as I’m concerned, Brandywine are some of the most beautiful tomatoes grown. More pink than red, they are considered to be “the benchmark” for real tomato flavor.

Brandywine have leaves that look more like a potato plant’s than a tomato. Once, I gave six plants to a neighbor, who pulled them up from her tomato bed and tossed them, thinking I had given her the wrong thing…. (Alas!)

We love them sliced, with salt (or sugar) and they make an awesome tomato sandwich. Two years ago, we had such an abundance, that they were used to make our pizza sauce — which turned out especially sweet and tangy.

Dating back to Amish Country near Philadelphia in 1889, the fruit grows deep pink and plump, up to one pound.

Twice I have tried the Amana Orange tomato seed, referred to as the “Yellow Brandywine.” They germinated well, but I had a more challenging time getting them to survive the transition from seed tray to garden bed. In all, I had one plant survive, which produced about 8 tomatoes — but they were really, really good as well.

Black Krim (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)

I just wasn’t sure about “purple” tomatoes until I tasted one. They are amazing, with an earthy, almost smoky flavor. The Black Krim is a Russian heirloom that originated in Krim, a Crimean town on the Black Sea. The baseball sized fruits are dark, purple/black.

Black Krim is known to be one of the most reliable of the “black” tomatoes, and our seeds have always germinated and sprouted well.

I like them sliced, but the Black Krim have become the “secret ingredient” in our home-made ketchup, which is more like a tangy barbecue sauce than ketchup. They darken as they cook, so my ketchup actually looks like tar in a jar.

Sure, I have other favorite tomatoes — Money Maker, Mortgage Lifter, Red Oxheart to name a few. But the Brandywine and Black Krim will always be mainstays in our garden.

Is it the neighborhood, valley, town or ridge where your house is located?

Or is it the house itself, the way it is designed, the way you can live within the space?

Is it the furnishings, the comfort of the couches, beds, and chairs?

Or is it windows that look out on a favorite view, or look into a special space?

 
Is it the little things you’ve added, the pictures and knicknacks and curtains that define what home is to you?

Or is it, as my friend Donna said yesterday, just a place that makes us feel happy?

I think I like Donna’s definition best. Home is the place we can be happy, surrounded by those who love us and the things we’ve grown attached to, a place that provides comfort for the heart and soul as well as the body. I think that is what home means to me.

What makes your place home for you?

Feather Your Nest, by Charlotte Spears

Sweet February comes with reminders that spring can’t be far behind. I love that stores are filled with pretty pink and red hearts as well as some spring inspired items! This month I will be getting pretty springtime catalogs and magazines in my mailbox too and that will make the colder days more tolerable.

I have long been a HUGE fan of home decorating magazines and catalogs; they are always a great source of inspiration for me. I enjoy leafing through the pages filled with pretty photos, motivating articles, ideas for do-it-yourself projects and tantalizing recipes. I tend to take an hour or two when they arrive to sit down with a cup of tea and pour over each page.

When I was a young homemaker, I kept my magazine stash in large boot boxes under my sofa and could not think of parting with even one issue. They were my home-keeping lifeline, per se. I did finally give them to a friend when we moved, we just couldn’t take everything and it was time to pass them along. I do still tend to hold on to favorite issues for the  inspiration and I now receive magazines which offer a bit more stylized forms of décor than those early favorites, but I still can’t resist picking up a copy of the latter at my favorite grocery store every now and again.

I have often given advice to clients about creating their own “Home Journals” as we set about to create their ideal home environments. Many times people become mystified by the sheer magnitude of colors, styles and materials available in the market today.

Sometimes it is best to take a step back with a trusty notebook, pen, paper and much-loved magazines to find direction. Putting together a personal home journal in order to define the desired tone of your home is a great way to get started. It can also be a fun way to retain and gather memories and moments in order to pass along the legacy and story of your family home. It would make a wonderful gift to share with children, friends and family. Think about your favorite magazine, blog or journal as an inspiration point to get started.

The first item you might consider purchasing would be an attractive binder, notebook or scrapbook. Include some pretty papers in the most used or favorite colors of your home and family along with this purchase. These will be used as decorative backgrounds as you create your pages. Divide your home journal into sections for favorite recipes, favorite musical selections, special occasions celebrated, authors and poets you enjoy, places you have visited and so on. Include plenty of family photos of special events as well as some of average, ordinary daily life. Don’t forget to include a section for future plans, pretty rooms you dream of creating, recipes you want to try, books you hope to read and places you are dreaming of traveling to. Think of all the special elements which make your home an extra special place for your family and friends.

The items you include in your journal will begin to paint the picture of what your family holds dear so you can go forward in creating your perfect home. Remember, home is a wonderful blend of sights, sounds, tastes, aromas and textures that all come together to stir the emotions of all who dwell within. Make it a family project and make your personal home journal reflect the unique beauty and character of your home sweet home.

You may even want to convert your work into a bound book for gifting by submitting the pages you create to a personal publishing site such as http://www.snapfish.com. Have fun and focus on what is most important to your family. Wishing you a beautiful February, stay cozy!

Visit Charlotte at cozyhomecottage.blogspot.com or email  charlottespears5@aol.com.