The Fabrics of Our Life

 Well, we got another snow storm up here.You know the kind of  storm that sort of sneaks up on you. It doesn't seem to be snowing much, but it goes on for hours, and the next thing you know, one of us has to go out and move that snow around. One guess as to which one of us does that.

 So I start to think of ways to add warmth to our life and for me that is with quilts, old and new.

 Quilts are a lot like families. Some are bright and colorful,some are crazy, some are gussied up and some are old and faded. The latter can sometimes be the best.

Over time, both quilts and families may come apart at the seams and begin to unravel. Both can be repaired and are made stronger because of the repair

Families and quilts can keep you warm and give you comfort and both can become more special over time.

 If you are ever given a quilt, love it, enjoy it, use it and treat it gently just as you would your family.

 This picture is of a quilt that was made by my Grandma Rose, the pair of shoes in the upper right corner are hers and the picture is one of her and my Grandfather. I really didn't know him all that well, but my mom would tell us about him so I feel like I did know him.

 Another quilt top made by my Grandma Rose....Love it.

                                                        Crib Quilt.

                                             Doll bed mattress, comforter and pillow. Lucky little girl.

 This blue quilt came from Ohio...I got it for $7.00, really. It is pieced on both sides, front and back. How neat is that?

 Stack of crib quilts, the red and black one is 70 years old and it is heavy, not only did it keep baby warm it kept him in place.

I hope you enjoy your quilts if you have any, if not, start a collection, they are still quite affordable and they add  a feeling of history to your life.





Well, that's all for this week, so......




From my Porch to Yours...


Have a blessed week

The Heart of the Home

 They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home and I truly do believe that. I don't think that you have to be a fabulous cook, although that wouldn't hurt, to make your kitchen the "heart" of your home.

 I love to collect and have done so for years. My philosophy for buying antiques is "If you love it and you can afford it, buy it." I don't adhere to the rule that you need to know where you are going  to use a particular item, you can figure that out later.

 I have little electric candle holders all over the place, sometimes I turn them off, usually I just leave them on. They use very little electricity so that is not a problem.

 I think my kitchen is quite small, at least the part where the cooking takes place is. But it is an "Eat In" kitchen so it looks large, also we don't have top cupboards because we have a pantry to hold all the stuff that would be stored there. That is about to change, We are going to redo the kitchen,soon.

 One of the many "little lights" around my kitchen.

 I love this crock of dried flowers however the sign doesn't really reflect my lifestyle, I just like the thought.

 I constantly change the arrangement that is on my table, with just the two of us I have plenty of space to play with.

I just thought I would share a few pictures of the "Before" kitchen with you...hopefully I will be able to document the redoing of  the kitchen, and share that with you at a later, much later, date.



That's all for this week, so.....



From my porch to yours,


Have a blessed week.

All Things Wooden

It's a blustery day, as Winnie would say. Chili sounds good,so I've got the chili pot going and I can now turn my thoughts to other things. Looking around I spy my growing collection of wooden bowls and decide that today would be a good "spa" day, for the bowls, not me,sadly.

Half way through the first pile I got an idea,(slap self on head) I should be taking pictures of this for my blog this week.

 Munising is a brand of bowl that is very desirable to have,I'm just finding this out. I've enjoyed collecting them because they were made in Michigan's upper peninsular ,but collectors from other states are interested in them,too.

 I just love how the oil brings out the grain in the wood. By the way I use mineral oil with the essential oil of cinnamon added. The oil does two things,it imparts a wonderful scent and it has natural anti bacterial qualities, both of which are good things. The bowl in the bottom picture is one of the largest and oldest in my collection. It came from a flea market in the apple orchard of the cider mill in St. Johns, Mi. My son is responsible for this purchase, he has a good eye for antiques, even as a youngster.

The light spots on this bowl are remnants of  the blue buttermilk paint that was used on the outside of the bowl, put there by the housewife who owned it, to add a bit of color to their everyday life.

 The picture above is of all the ones that have had their "spa" treatment,see how they glow. Below are the ones waiting on deck to have their turn.

 Some of the bowls in my collection have served their owners well and were in need of some repair. I have a special love for these. I'm sure that the husband did the repairs, probably with a scrap of leather he had left over after making the family shoes.

 I love the "Do and make do" quality of life they had back then. Nothing was just tossed away.

In case you are wondering, what does she do with all those bowls, I've got a few pictures of that to show you . One provides a fitting resting place for this huge gourd.

 While others hold some of my smaller collections. Remember,I love old doors, so door knobs are a given.

Well, that's all for this week, so....



From my porch to yours,


Have a blessed week...don't forget to go to church.

BITS AND PIECES

I just love these little hang tags...I'm not sure I'll ever be able to use them, well, maybe if I actually get around to making them myself, who knows. You see, I found these on the Internet and they were so cheap I just had to buy them...really!

This cute little message stand is really a cook book holder, It was given to me by my friend and neighbor,Mary, she is always leaving something on my porch that she thinks "is me". And usually she is right on. She is a "Good Neighbor" and I love her to pieces' You know, she is the kind of person who does more good things by accident then most people do on purpose

I just had to post this picture, this in in my sisters downstairs washroom, it is so pretty I had to share it with you.

This is not my idea of decorating, this is a gathering of prims that I've found in various antique stores in the surrounding towns, you see, there is no antique stores in my little town of Grayling, Hummmm...maybe I should look into that.

I love this game board, it's a game called Fox and Geese. When I was a little girl my mom would draw this diagram out on a piece of cardboard and give us 15 white buttons and one red button and we would spend many hours playing. I use it to display part of my collection of clay marbles. It brings back many fond memories.

I have a fondness for scales, not the bathroom scale, but the type that were used in kitchens. Can you imagine cooking and baking using this to measure. I guess that's where the pound cake got its' name.

Wooden ware is another of my passions, the two pieces in the front are different than any I've got in my collection, they aren't spoons and they aren't spatulas, they appear to be some sort of tool used just to move things around in the pot. If and when I find out I will let you know just what they are used for.

This metal scoop, used in the barn, is now used to hold my oil lamp. We loose power up here a lot and these come in handy. I love the ambiance they provide but to be honest I'm truly thankful to live in the era of electricity and running water, both of which we lose when we lose power.

More metal, this was used in factories to sort out small pieces,  like nuts and bolts, according to Hubby. He's so smart.


Well, that's all for this week,so.....


From my porch to yours,



Blessings on your week