About that Tin….

 I meet some wonderful people now and again through this little blog, and one of you actually brought me to tears yesterday.  It’s the gestures that come out of the blue..acts of kindness or extending of a hand…. that bring gladness to my heart and tears to my eyes, because I am that much of an emotional twit, yes I am. You people show me again and again in the ways that you think of others .. that humanity thrives, good prevails..and Virginia, whether there is a Santa Claus or not, there are many truly lovely people in this world.

 When I mentioned our Trove visit in yesterdays post, I lamented over a Tin I had admired but walked away from, and you all encouraged me to -go back and get it-.  No sooner had your comments started coming in, than Arlene, who had originally tipped me off to the Trove and it’s treasures… left me this message…

Karen,
Thank you so much for featuring the Trove here. That is
actually my little stove in your pictures! Please drop by again when you
are able as there will be a surprise waiting for you.

Stay warm!
Arlene 

First of all, you have no idea how I adore that little stove!  It’s so well made and in great condition, and it’s just the kind I adored when I was a little girl.  There was one like it in my kindergarten class where we would make pizzas out of poker chips.    It floored me that the stove is actually Arlene’s treasure!  I hadn’t even known she had a section of antiques there!   Of the 100 items I photographed, only a few made it to the blog post and her piece was one of them.

Anyway… you can guess where I went this morning…. can you spot my new treasure?  Here.. in the dining room…  (the flash makes this room look stark, truly the light is more natural in person)

On top of the wall cabinet with my grandmothers Hummels and
100 year old Kewpie Tea Set…
is that Huntley & Palmers Superior Reading Biscuit Tin. 
Arlene, you shouldn’t have.. but I thank you so very much.

 

 
This tea set was given to my grandmother when she was a little girl.
I remember serving apple juice in the little cups with real sugar
in the sugar bowl.  She gave it to me a few years before she died,
knowing how much I had loved it.

Back to the Trove trip today… you know I couldn’t drop in without taking another look around.  I love children’s books.. and found an original 1933 edition of The ABC Bunny by an author I bet you are familiar with from many years ago… Wanda Gag. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe one of her best loved books will.    

“Best known for her Newbery Honor winner Millions of Cats, Wanda Gág
(1893-1946) was a pioneer in children’s book writing, integrating text
and illustration. Born in New Ulm, Minnesota, she rose to international
acclaim. In recognition of her artistry, she was posthumously awarded
the 1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Millions of Cats and the 1977
Kerlan Award for her body of work.”

So tired of all the winter weather, I have begun bringing SPRING out
around This Old House.  The book is a nice addition to the spring-things
in the  dining room.

 
Because this book was part of the Westbrook Library,
it has been handled by many little hands over a long stretch of time.
I love the taped pages, the smudges, the worn edges…
it has been loved. 

So am I pushing Spring, you think? 

I’ve added some vintage blue in the form of pillows…

The pillows being a feable attempt to keep Frazier off those chairs..
because he just flops on top of them when no one is looking.

I’ve got a bunny and birds nest on the mantle…
and cadbury eggs and a beach scented candle on the island.

Hey.. SPRING?!!.. I know you’re just around the corner..
I’m throwing out the Welcome mats… the door is always open, you can join us any time!
And I want to thank the lovely people of the Trove once again… so nice to
meet some of you today, and such a wonderful surprise left by Arlene. 
It’s a beautiful thing.