In search of the Fire King

    On Saturday my two favorite guys took a ride with me to the Putnam Antique Center here in Connecticut to do some treasure hunting.  Four floors of  all kinds of “stuff”  can be found here in this old building in the center of an old mill town.  A previous post on this area can be found HERE and HERE.   My mission on Saturday was to find more Fire King Jadeite for Stella, our little cottage on the cove. 

   This is not my collection or photo.  After having done some research, this collection is most likely a mix of vintage and new.  An example of what’s obviously new – on the middle shelf, the large bowl with handle/spout in the center on the bottom has a swirl pattern. With vintage pieces, the swirl is much softer, the swirl edges not so rigid.  I bet if that were turned over, it would be discovered as a new piece.  Fire King originals had a very smooth simple quality.



      More info: Fire King Jadeite, made by Anchor Hocking, was popular in the 1940’s and manufactured up until the 1970’s.  It’s  a type of glass tableware made of jade green opaque milk glass. It was very durable, so much so that some restaurants/diners used the plain but pretty dishware and cups, etc. to serve their customers.   So popular was it,  that the company still produces a reproduction line with minor variations so that collectors can tell the difference between original pieces and the new line.  China has also come out with a line of it’s own, and some knockoffs can be found in Target and Cracker Barrel. 


    So.. we cruised around the antique mall and I did find several groupings of Jadeite – all original, but some very pricey and some in scratchy chippy condition. 

 Then I spied a creamer and sugar bowl in perfect condition with a price tag that was reasonable. 




 I turned them over and indeed, they are authentic.  Not that it matters to me so much that they are authentic, but I’m not paying $20 for a $2. target item.  Some people have gotten caught in that trap on ebay, etc. 



 Score! 


I also found this depression era juicer and loved the vibrant spring green hue. Their simple design and sturdy thick glass work  really well when making lemon-orange aid, one of our favorite thirst quenchers ’round here in summer.   


 According to Wikipedia – Depression glass is clear or colored translucent machine made glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States and Canada around the time of the Great Depression. Much depression glass is uranium glass. The Quaker Oats Company and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to purchase. Movie theaters and businesses would hand out a piece simply for coming in the door.
Most of this glassware was made in the Ohio River Valley of the United States, where access to raw materials and power made manufacturing inexpensive in the first half of the twentieth century. More than twenty manufacturers made more than 100 patterns, and entire dinner sets were made in some patterns. Common colors are clear (crystal), pink, pale blue, green, and amber. Less common colors include yellow (canary), ultramarine, jadeite (opaque pale green), delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red (ruby & royal ruby), black, amethyst, monax, and white (milk glass).
Although of marginal quality, Depression glass has been highly collectible since the 1960s. Due to its popularity as a collectible.  Depression glass is becoming more scarce on the open market. Rare pieces may sell for several hundred dollars. Some manufacturers continued to make popular patterns after World War II, or introduced similar patterns, which are also collectible. Popular and expensive patterns and pieces have been reproduced, and reproductions are still being made.

 Below is a photo I found online of someone’s pink depression glass collection – 


    There was so much to look at and prices were fair.  We are tempted several times over but the truth is we don’t need more “stuff”…  and the looking is half the fun. 
 An old coal stove, ornamental now due to a crack in the back
 “No trouble to show goods”



Beautifully crafted leather purses

   


💖 This stove! 



   After I made my purchases, we stopped in Victoria’s Station Bakery and ooh,  if I could only share the heavenly smell of good coffee and pastry with you here…  Notice all the cozy seating areas with newspapers, magazines, a nice way to relax on a chilly afternoon.  




… a lovelier cupcake cannot be found in all the land.


       

 Till soon, friends – 








   


We’re all in this together

          Opinions – I certainly express mine here,  everyone’s got them and they’re nothing new.  Back in the day, it was prudent to express them with some level of respect for whomever might be in earshot and might think differently, because more likely than not, you were in their presence or you felt responsible for your words and their impact.  What we have now with facebook and other forms of social media is a free for all of opinion, attitude, respect or disrespect  within the relative safety of being behind the screen and even anonymous if we so choose.  Much easier to bully and degrade from that vantage point.  The things I see posted on some of those feeds are just horrible communication between people who would never dream of talking that way to each other in person.  Also much easier to spread false information and have folks buy it hook, line and sinker.  
      While I have been riveted to the news surrounding this last election of the 45th President of the United States because of the very nature of it,  I’m finding it’s no longer accomplishing anything good.  I’ve done what little I can to support what I feel is just and decent.  Following the circus now just feels futile.  Not my circus, not my monkeys.   That’s what I want to say, anyway…. and yet it’s not completely true.   What discourages me most is  that it feels like we are all being dragged down the rabbit hole in this ever worsening political climate as we feed off the various sources of spin, the biased news sources (all of them at this point, and if you’ve found an unbiased news source, please share it here in the comments)  the back biting, the name calling, the lies and deceit, the arrogance…among ourselves.   And it is being promoted by all the moving parts of our government, not just one party, either. 
    It’s no secret I  am appalled by Tr*mp for a myriad of reasons, although I don’t disagree with him on certain key points, like the need to fix our health care system, our infrastructure, immigration policy and practice, tax overhaul, fair trade.  Those are big ticket items and he is right, they’re broken.  For that reason I understand to an extent why people stood behind him, those issues and our lack of ability to fix them were real.   What’s a crying shame is this man, after pulling off a truly remarkable election win,  had a huge opportunity.    If it were his intention, he could have used it to bring a divided nation back together, he could have attempted to heal the gaping rifts, uniting the parties on some  basic level, at the very least, so that they can work together and apart for the GOOD of the country.  He could have used language in his rallies, his speeches, his demeanor, that encouraged unity despite differences, because any intelligent being knows there will always always be differences.  He repeatedly does the opposite.    He cried Drain The Swamp…. and many rallied to the call –  they’re still rallying while  the swamp bubbles over with more lies and deceit and rifts that grow ever wider on all fronts.  It’s amazing and disheartening and even horrifying to see… he can’t get out of his own way with his arrogant Twitter feed and bold lies and egotistical speeches and slamming of anyone and everyone who doesn’t see things exactly as he does.  The FIRED and LEAVING POSITION list goes on and on and on partly  because those with integrity that find themselves under his thumb can’t stand the wrongness of it all and they finally break from it, whether by choice or the President’s ax for non-compliance.  The simple fact that hate groups feel emboldened in recent months is very telling.  They are being given permission by the powers that be.  Sad deal for all of us. 
   So many things I have typed and untyped here… but it really comes down to this –  I hope, I pray and I wish on every star in the universe that something good comes of all of this….  That we find our way through this discord and the weaknesses of these people in power and  realize that we’re all in this together and unity is the only way we are going to come out of it alive. Most of us with a thread of decency running through our souls want the same things – freedom, peace, prosperity, good health, good will toward all.   I’m gonna hold on to that, and try like hell to let go of the rest.
  Thank you for lending an eye and your time to my opinion expressed here today.   Onward… 

  

     
     

Love Lived Here

   We recently purchased a piece of commercial property that has a house on it.  The nicest couple from  Ukraine have been living there for over 10 years – without heat, without insulated walls, and with primitive plumbing.   They did their best to live comfortably, without any assistance from a very absent Landlord.  The house is in such disrepair, though, it’s a tear-down.  Located in a commercial zone, it’s also no longer appealing to a homeowner.  If you have been reading here for very long you know we love old houses and This Old House is a “save” of an 1835 farm house.  We thought we might renovate the little house, but once we acquired the land and inspected the house, it was clear there was far too much rot and not enough quality construction to keep it intact.  So.. we’ll remove and re-use what we can – like some of the windows, that beautiful old tub, door knobs, etc. 
   The traces left behind are evidence that Love lived in this house too, regardless of the neglect. 

Claw foot tub and beautiful glass lamps, diamond checked floor
… love lived here. 

  Santa on a window trim ledge – love lived here.

 A pink vase in a sunlit window – love lived here. 
   American flags, their adopted country – love lived here. 
    Shells on the front steps, with a little piece of pink yarn.  Love lived here…  
 Out back, an old shed… 

  with an old garden plot lying dormant out back,  tools standing in wait for the coming season.  While this little homestead’s season has come to  an end, before she goes.. you should know… love lived here. 

The VIP Room

    
    We are lucky to live right up the road from a very good restaurant.   Our town used to be labeled as “out in the sticks”, but that’s not really true anymore.  We still don’t have a grocery store or an official post office, but we are fairly close to those things in the next town over and we do have local restaurants, a Dunkin, A Subway, a good bakery, a big hardware store, a few gas stations and packages stores (of course!)  and a bunch of other small businesses, with the bustling CT shoreline and outlet centers just three miles down the road. 
   Last night we gathered at that very good restaurant to celebrate a family member’s birthday, and because Wednesdays are a slow night and the owner appreciates our friendship and occasional business, we were given the VIP room, normally reserved for Very Important People.
   

   
      Being hearing impaired,  I tend to observe people more than participate in conversations in a situation like this.  What I saw last night where cousins and brothers and sisters and moms and dads an restaurant workers, patrons  and business owners relaxed and happy, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.  It didn’t matter what was being said… the mood was evident, refreshing, downright inspiring.  Remember that coke commercial back in the day?   “I’d like to teach the world to sing.. in perfect harmony”….   that.  
   I’m still riding that wave we all caught last night, and I plan to encourage it wherever I can. 
    We celebrate several birthdays at this time of year and I have cake in my thoughts and prayers, lol.  This one… oooh dear.  I think I’m gonna try it, gluten free if that’s possible.  Click link for recipe. 





   I’m in love with that jadite cake stand.

   Current situation at This Old House…  the storm two days ago brought about 10 more inches of snow, and there’s talk of another on the horizon next week.   Uncle. 
   
Till soon, friends – 

Mystic Magic

   We needed a little change of scenery after days of storm clean-up here on the farm, so we headed to Mystic yesterday where we had some delicious Mystic Pizza. If you are fairly local, they have great gluten-free pizza – the best I’ve tasted, anyway. 
     After that delicious lunch, we took a stroll around town, stepping in and out of  the shops and galleries that line the main drag. 

 The Mystic River Drawbridge with it’s massive counter-weights…

 Now THIS.. is Easter candy… the fresh made variety.

     Some of  this came home with us…

  One of my favorite shops is the Company of Craftsmen… I have one of these jellyfish glass sculptures by Satava Art glass – more info HERE…

      My guy treated me to these two treasures below as an early birthday gift –

  That beautiful sign below has what looks like abalone in the crystal ball, it shimmers!…  I’m told the woman is very good –

 There wasn’t as much snow up in Mystic, approximately 40 minutes up the coast,  as there is here –  we’ve had a few beautiful days and some snow melt.. only to be hit with yet another winter storm this coming Tuesday/Wednesday.  Some folks are just getting power back this morning…not fun when it’s cold outside. 
 

  
  Till soon, friends – 

Heart Attack Snow, and some things you just can’t know

 

   You’ve heard of the term “heart attack snow”, right?  That’s what we got about a foot of during Wednesday night’s storm…..that wet heavy stuff  that soaks through your jacket five minutes out and feels like each shovelfull weighs a ton.
     Power, cable and internet was just restored a few hours ago on our road, and some folks are still waiting for it. Days without power is a scary thing when it’s cold outside and there are trees and wires down on roads, bad enough that some folks are still trapped in their driveway or at the end of their street, not able to get out, heaven forbid there were an emergency.  
      We lost about 7 or eight trees on the property, mostly in the cedar and pine groves on either side of the house.  I hate when that happens – they are like old friends, these trees.    The “giving tree”.. my beloved ancient half hollow pear that lives in the mini horses paddock has lost a large limb.  I don’t know how much more insult that poor tree can take.  With every storm I look up toward that tree on the hill and hope it’s still intact. 

 

 The Egg Plant below, covered in blasted snow.  You can see some of the trees bent over behind it.. four down on that side. 

 The girls looked bewildered yesterday when I let them out  and their coop yard was a muddy mess.

     You see those bewildered looks above?   They were making little half hearted and sometimes raised pitch clucks.   If it’s in the chicken dictionary, WTF is what they were probably saying. 
  This morning, my favorite girl child came over bright and early. We ate blueberry pancakes and headed out into the barnyard –  K mucked out the stalls while I cleaned up the coop and chicken yard.

     With grapes and spinach leaves to pick on and the sun shining bright upon melting snow, the girls quickly concluded all was right with their world once again. 
     The boys are out in the groves today clearing up all the broken trees.  Temps are supposed to drop tonight, say a little prayer for all those still without power.  
   Once farm chores were done for me and the girlchild, I called Dad at the nursing home to let him know I hadn’t forgot him and asked if he needed anything at the store… 

Two Things! he said…  Milkbones for the dog  and candy for the girls!   So I did our shopping and his. 
   When I arrived, he was playing cards in the rec room with one of his buddies. They looked very serious about the game in hand, coffee and danish at the ready.    I love seeing that.  While some (including me) cringe at the idea of living in a nursing home, for my father it  has been a blessing.  They take better care of him now than he ever did for himself.   While he was alone most of the time before moving there, he is in the constant presence of people, both friends and staff who are very, very kind to him now.  
     The milkbones are for a  therapy dog golden retriever who visits three times a week with his owner.  The dog knows Dad will have a treat for him, so as soon as he walks in the front entrance, he first checks Dad’s usual hang out at the front lobby, and if he’s not there he tugs toward his room just down the hall about 30 feet.  He knows where the  man-of-the-treats “lives”… and it thrills Dad to no end.  Since this has become a regular thing, I thought…    I’ll see your box of milkbones  and raise you a bag of Bacon strips.    So I brought both.  You’d have thought it was Christmas morning. 
     The candy bowl on his dresser  is kept stocked with tootsie rolls , T’s favorite! (my dad’s favorte! nurse) , smarties and wrapped chocolates that reflect the nearest holiday – today we filled it with Russell Stover foil covered eggs, you know the ones).  Dad loves attention, so he also loves to wear Tee shirts that say something funny.   The last one I brought him said Politically Incorrect.   Because Dad.   Today I stopped at the Bong Shop on route 1 just across the street from him.. yep, it’s a bong shop and holy hell does it smell like one… and picked up this tee for  him to wear in this month of St. Patty’s day. 
      He’s now in his second year of living at the home.  I can’t express exactly how emotionally draining that time was for all of us – his third heart attack, his further decline – the continued struggle with what was or wasn’t our relationship –  that ugly decision to sell his home and move him to that place.  It turned out to be a blessing, anything but the curse it felt like at the time.    His new life is a classic example of  this simple truth –  it’s all what you make of it.  While I didn’t think he had it in him, I sold him short in this way.  He’s doing just fine.   
Till soon, friends –

    
     
      

Here we go again –

      And that’s the most accurate forecast I’ve heard all morning.   
So… I’ve mucked the barn  and coop, all critters snug for the day and into the evening….  This was the face that mirrored mine as he stepped out into the crapitude…  Yep I know it, Opie… 
      Once chores were done I took a shower and brushed my teeth and my temporary crown fell out pronto.  So I  hauled ass to the Dentist before the storm hit, got that squared away, hit the grocery store with two hundred thousand seventy eight people, got the ingredients for a decent paleo dinner I want to try because I’m on that never ending quest to lose weight and I want to fool myself once again for the two hundred thousand seventy eighth time that I CAN DO THIS!!!!   Jesus, it’s just 25 lbs but you’d think it was 300.   I cannot believe how hard this shit is once you hit your fifties.  Holy cow.  
  Anyway… my dogs aren’t loving the weather either… they’re huddled together wherever I am… If I’m cleaning the bathroom or folding laundry or away on errands… they’re here…   Side note:  Who needs a throw at the bottom of your bed when you’ve got three dogs that fit perfectly, provide warmth and match the decor, I ask you?   Extra side note: I’m as horrified as you are at the totally uncentered position of the print on the wall.  It’s a heavy print.. really big nail that makes a really big hole… hating the other hole making, so I haven’t… yet.  
   
    Or under the plant table in the kitchen if I’m working at the island or sink or stove.  Sally’s toy basket is on the right..  I pick up all the toys on the floor and she proceeds to take them back out one by one, feigning interest for a few seconds with each. 

    I’m tempted to talk about all the political crapitude we are seeing on the news, on our FB feeds, on the web… but I am so damned disgusted and weary of it all it seems better to just… drop the mic. 
    Speaking of TV –  Have you watched Grace and Frankie at all on Netflix?   I am loving it.. binge watched it for a few evenings, now all caught up.  Also just caught up with how the last season of the Bachelor finished off… I hate reality TV,  dumbs down america if you ask me.   Only watched one season of the Bachelor many years ago when it first came out and was horrified at how those women and men put themselves in such an awkward and humiliating situation.  I know.. they knew what they were signing up for… and Money.  … but this last one in particular.. brutal if you ask me.  What a player the bachelor is.. and after “falling in love” with two accomplished beautiful women and leading them both on with the I Love You So Much crap, he dumps one (as they all do).. then proposes to the other, then in the follow up he dumps the fiance ON TV and goes back to the original dumpee.   All this after he was a dumpee on the Bachelorette.   What is enjoyable about this show, is this really entertainment? 
  I’ll leave you with some funnies as I go attempt that paleo recipe  while glaring at the falling snow, which is coming down heavy now  – 
    
Till soon, friends – 

Wicked High Tide

 Wow… between the full moon and the Nor’easter that blew in,  we’ve got some serious flooding down on the shoreline, a wicked high tide.  We went down to check on Stella, and because she’s at least 15 feet up from the waterline, we’re good, no wind damage either.  The “Island” did see some flooding and the water is eerily calm and crystal clear. 
Under normal conditions there are a few more steps to a concrete “deck” and then a few more steps into the water – 

Below you can see our concrete “deck” under water… and in the distance..
the rock Jetty and marsh beyond it? .. also  completely under water. 

On the other side of the island, the water is so high, it’s above the road level. 
The sea is pushing it’s way through the stone seawall and beach gate, 
flooding the road and kidscape. 
The beach is completely submerged. 

     The seawater is about 12 inches up the baracade, see the dark wood at the very bottom? .. and seeping in… quite a sight… 
  Below is the communal dock and boat launch…. parking lot.  Now underwater. 

The rock jetty submerged.. with the tide changing… so each side of it is fighting against the other.. it was quite a sight to behold…  and the marshlands on the left are invisible underwater.

    We were in awe of the power of nature, the way water can take over a landscape with such ease given the right circumstances.   We thought this was something… until a neighbor on island sent me these photos this afternoon to compare…. 
Hurricane Irene, 2011….  Residents were stuck on island with no electricity for 10 days.  TEN DAYS.     The little guard shack/library/video rental/mail hub we all pass as we enter our little community…. 
The one road to “home”…. hence, stuck. 
   We are newcomers, so we did not experience that storm with Stella on the island, although we were told she weathered it just fine.  
  Amazing, powerful, frighteningly beautiful – mother nature. 
   Till soon – 

From a distance

     I took some shots of the moon at 5:30 a.m. this morning, almost full, incredible orangey peach hues.. all three of these shots taken in the same 60 second window, just different settings on the camera.  
    As I stood out in the cool morning air gazing at this gorgeous moon, I thought of all the other people around the world who look up and admire the very same.  We live in such a beautiful, miraculous place in a myriad of ways. Why we can’t all get along at least in the most basic sense of the word so that we each live in comfort and harmony is heartbreaking.  It’s absolutely possible, totally obtainable.. we just can’t get out of our own way to get there.   
    
    I love this song, performed by Bette Midler…  In these turbulent times it’s more fitting than ever… 
     From a Distance 
From a distance the world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white
From a distance the ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It’s the voice of hope
It’s the voice of peace
It’s the voice of every man
From a distance we all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns, no bombs and no disease
No hungry mouths to feed
From a distance we are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man
God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us from a distance
From a distance you look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
What all this fightings for
                                                                        Till soon, friends… 

It’s in the air!

   Spring! That glorious thing!…. seriously… yesterday?  68 degrees.  I mucked stalls in a long sleeve Tee, no jacket required… and mud boots. The horse pastures are soggy, the paddocks muddy, the dirt roads around this little farm have little rivers running through.   The horses were blanketless and rolled in the mud because it felt so good to be naked.   I let the chickens loose out into the yard so they could stretch their legs and wings and forage for worms and bugs.. because the bugs were indeed out and about…. How does that happen with just a two day stretch of warm? 
   I looked up as I was walking out to feed horses in the evening and the moon was so beautiful and bright I ran back inside to grab the tripod and long lens, sharing that sight here with you.  
      I’ve been browsing the seed catalogs, looking forward to digging into the dirt in our two raised beds in the backyard again…. we learned something from one of you readers, can’t remember which one, I apologize.  Our tomatoes didn’t do so great last year, kinda wishy washy, despite our best efforts.  We have always used the same raised bed for the tomatoes, did not know you should rotate their home year to year.  We’re aware of crop rotation, makes perfect sense.  We will fortify the soil with aged horse and rabbit manure again this year, too…and indeed.. ROTATE.   
    I love these particular seed catalogs, the photography is beautiful and they sell some interesting exotics and heirloom varieties.  
Look at this beautiful  glass gem corn….. 
The description..
 Amazing color! Indescribably beautiful flint or popcorn comes in an endless range of colors. Translucent kernels really do shine brilliantly like glass—on the cob they resemble strands of glass beads! The 3-8” ears are consummately decorative, but edible and delicious as well.

     I usually pick one or two new things to try – sometimes it’s a success, sometimes not so much.    Melons have never been happy in our garden patch, we’re assuming the soil isn’t sandy enough and we have tried the tips and tricks, including added sand to the soil, placing the plants on mounds well spaced, etc.  Same for carrots, and that’s a bummer as we have people, horses and a rabbit who would love the home grown variety.  Last year I tried growing two rows of purple carrots – we had a stunted lot, but even those were a delicious sweet carrot taste.  I believe I planted them too close together and the soil wasn’t soft far enough down in the beds for them to reach and grow.   Strawberries are always eaten by rabbits and birds before we get to enjoy many of them so we gave that up.  Corn has been a learning experience, to say the least. 
   The  Mr. loves his beans and peas – the standard  variety.  I’d like to give these a try this year – tender and superbly delicious sounds good to me! .. and they’re beautiful. 
 And look at this “Violet Sparkle” Pepper…. 
I’m giving this a go as well. 
      Staples in our little garden are peppers, tomatoes, parsley,  onions, basil, peas, cucumbers, eggplant, yellow squash and  a few rows of corn out beyond the fence that are always iffy because we have yet to master happy corn growing.  When we drive by fields and fields and fields full of healthy, happy corn, we say.. surely we can get this right for our little patch.  Jeez!  The secret is somewhere  in the amount of corn you grow – they love proper pollination and mass production.  They are clearly not happy planted in little patches without the proper space between and plenty of friends for cross pollination.  The corn we’ve managed to grow looks stunted more often than not.  We might try again, hopefully with better results this year and a better game plan. 
  Looking out the kitchen porch sliders, here’s the current view of our garden… 32 degrees, back to the norms for late February, rain-snow-rain in the forecast.    We live about 4 miles in from the coast, a slow rise that reaches our hill at about 400 feet above sea level.  The scent of the sea is in the air this morning. T find it refreshing, invigorates the soul.  My husband teases me often about this – he says “You have a differently look in your eyes when we’re down by the water or  the seamist reaches the farm. ”    
    I know it’s origin…. It’s called Peace.  
  If you haven’t tried gardening in the past and have a bit of the winter blues, start planning for your little patch of garden space, give it a go.  Apartment or condo dweller?  Not a problem – roof tops, window sills, little terraces, decks  and even fire escapes can hold a few pots of something to grow.  It feels good to nurture something that will in turn nurture you. 
 My gardening friends – any tips you want to share?  I’m all ears –  not of corn, though.. apparently.