Old Stuff – Page 2 – This Old House 2

Chairs and Chicks and Checks and Balances

I must confess I did not have a personal caning experience with the Western Union Operator stools we picked up recently. Nope. I chickened out. When we took a closer look, it was possible I could really screw up the wood when trying to get the old embedded caning out of the seat . We found a furniture doctor in a nearby town that does caning and he did a great job. I just need to use some sort of treatment oil to keep the caning supple – tung oil is recommended or a furniture polish with high oil content.

Have you ever marveled at how birds develop so quickly from egg to flyaway? The typical wild bird takes about 21 days from the time the egg is laid in the nest till they are feathered enough to fly away from the nest. That time period does vary among species, but it’s an insane growth rate, don’t you think?

That’s K discussing Domestic Policy with Emmeline.

As for chickens – they are considered mature between the ages of 16 and 20 weeks. If you’ve experienced raising chicks, you know that their growth rate is amazing. The changes are witnessed daily. When they were day old chicks they had no wing feathers – if you look closely, just five days later, look at their wings –

I’m happy to report that Nora, Florence, Emmeline, Elizabeth, Rosa and Coco are doing well. I give them one mashed egg yolk daily with a little grit mixed in, plus they get medicated chick feed and plenty of clean water. A Heat lamp is necessary at this stage but as they mature the heat source is slowly raised and then removed before they move out to the coop.

I’m safely guessing that whether you are a supporter of the current administration or as offended as I am by them, you’re as disgusted with all the turmoil in the news regardless. When Washington is in total chaos, we all look like fools and I really, really hate that. We as a nation are collectively so much more than that circus. It does not represent We The People and yet we all will be held accountable.

Here’s a thought – All this Russia-gate crap, the denials, the accusations, all of it from both sides of the proverbial isle….. I don’t know if it holds any water. But…. why initially omit or lie about meetings, why deny Russian interference in our election process which was proven and even Agent Orange admits occurred now… Why not just release your damned tax returns so that all those who are using that as a reason they don’t trust you and believe you have Russian ties can be set to rights by your proven innocence? Isn’t that what Obama did for the Orange Scream when he accused him of not being born in America? When you are accused, you provide proof of innocence. When you refuse… who wouldn’t draw the conclusion you’re hiding something?..only natural, and so easy to set the record straight.

As for accusing the previous POTUS for illegally wiretapping your private residence before your election ON YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT, and without providing any evidence, well.. that kind of behavior is dangerous, reckless. This man is everyone’s President – at the very least he owes the larger half that did not vote for him behavior and actions that will give us some sort of ability to be able to trust him. So far, he’s done nothing, has not provided a thread we can swing from in an effort to weave a fabric we can all respect regardless of policy views. Any man in the Presidential position owes that to all the people of this country. Ain’t happen’n from what I can see.

I have friends who voted for Agent Orange and for varying reasons. I still respect them, regardless because I understand and commiserate with their gripes about our government. The ones I don’t respect are those who will defend absolutely every single action of this new administration, no matter how intolerable it would be if it were anyone else. First, lets kill all the hypocrisy.

Cookie Love and another great find

I love cupcakes and cookies. My friend Raven shared these on her blog and I have stolen them to share here and on FB too. Terrible thing, but she tolerates me anyway 🙂 We’ve got more snow falling today so I plan to bake these for my people as a Happy Valentine. I do need to go out and find some culinary Lavender.

We checked on Stella yesterday, oh, how I look forward to showing you the progress. We’re at the stage where all that’s left is to refinish the floors – and then I get to furnish and decorate! We found a beautiful bedroom set at a local junk hunting treasure pot, same place I found Edith’s Chair… this time, an Ethan Allen Maple Queen bed and dresser for the second bedroom. An elderly woman had moved out of her large home and wanted to sell much of her furniture. It had been kept beautifully, we got a screaming deal.

My boy built this Clamming Rack for his new hobby – last year he discovered his love for clamming and now has the perfect spot in a great little clamming cove to keep all his “stuff”. Seeing this in place yesterday kinda made my day. Bigly.

If you haven’t caught Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicy yet, oh, please do. Easy to find on google. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages.

Till soon, Friends….

Hello Operator

So.. you know those bar stools I was searching for to go with Stella’s new raised counter? Anything I found that was “new” was either cheaply made and didn’t feel like it would stand the test of time or the price was ridiculous. ($400 each).

Yesterday the Mr. and I took a ride to a local favorite vintage finds place, the same place I found the rocking horse I revived. More on the rocking horse HERE . It’s called the Trove, and for good reason. It’s full of old treasures and I always find something to love. Not only did I score a few pieces of vintage corning ware in excellent condition in the perfect shade for Stella…

.. but as soon as I walked into the second building in the rear, these two lovelies were standing at attention, just waiting for me.

I could not contain my excitement – I’m sure the gasp was audible across the entire warehouse when I spied No 12 and No 16 right there inside the door. These are genuine Western Union Industrial Switchboard Operator Chairs that had been in use up until the 1940’s when they were replaced with a more modern design. They’ve got obvious wear and will need some caning work and brushing up of their metal. Now, because of that audible gasp, I don’t know for sure how much of a deal we got. The price tag said $475 for the pair – ugh. And the guy already knew I was smitten. (This is where the husband rolls his eyes and wishes I had stayed outside). He did what he always does to counter balance my obvious love for the object of my affection.

Way too much for it, look at the work needed. Nope, lets move on.

And with an audible sigh from me, we do.

After scrounging around for a while longer in the rest of the warehouse, we have to pass No 12 and No 16 on the way out. M walks right past them and I lean over the counter to the owner and say – Is that really the best you can do? Ikea is the next stop. He laughs and says – I can knock off $100. I reel the Mr. back in and ~~beg~~ ask if he’ll reconsider for a lesser price. No 12 and No 16 are now in the garage waiting for a little restoration work by me and hopefully a reasonable caning refurbisher.

Western Union is a financial services and communications company. Until 2006, It was the best known US company in the business of exchanging telegrams. According to Wikipedia, Western Union dominated the telegraph industry in the late 19th century, was the first communcations empire and set a pattern for American style communications businesses as they are known today.

Imagine the history the women seated in these chairs have witnessed.

As we drove home with our new treasures in the back of the truck, M said – “Always feels good to me, using something made long ago, something that stood the test of time, that can serve further purpose.”

They really don’t make things like they used to.

Let there be Light – and the third day revelation

While furniture hunting for Stella in a thrift store last week I spied a pair of matching hurricane lamps on sale for $45. I didn’t buy them at the time but I kept thinking about them after. Yesterday the pull was too great and I found myself back at the store gazing at the pair. Not far from them was yet another. We need about five lamps for the entire cottage and there are no light switches, all lighting is of the plug in variety. I want a vintage look where I can manage it, so these would be perfect… if they work.

I had the manager pull the lamps down off the high shelf they rested on and asked him to confirm that they are in working condition… two of the three work fine, all in good condition including the cords, but the third has a broken twist switch thing. When we saw this I told him I would take the two that work. When we got up to the counter with my finds, he also wrapped the broken one and said I could have it for free, and it’s an easy fix for an electrician.

I know just the guy, he’s currently working on Stellas Electrical stuff. Here are my finds… Let there be Light!

The lamp below is the one with a twin.

Regarding the revelation – we started the Nutrisystem plan three days ago. I can tell you this – the entrees we’ve eaten so far aren’t bad. The portions are very small but if you follow the plan, it’s all do-able. Adding fresh veggies and fruit in moderation plus drinking plenty of water is the key. My husband will remain on the diet for at least several months, he really likes it and is finding he does not feel deprived for the most part. For me?… too much gluten content and therefore a bloated belly. I am not a celiac, but there’s no question gluten doesn’t like me. Having it occasionally is OK, but a daily intake of food with gluten in it bloats me out, and that’s what happened within three days of this diet. I chatted online with one of their counselors, he was very helpful. He said most of the nutrisystem entries do have gluten in them, including things that don’t have WHEAT in them, so if you are a gluten sensitive person they don’t recommend the plan. I did know going in that there was much that contained gluten. I had hoped with the very small portions it wouldn’t bother me so much.

Bottom line, the Mr. will continue, and it’s a do-able program for those not looking to be rid of gluten for the most part in their diet. All is not lost, however – I now see what my portions need to be and have learned through their instructions how to incorporate fresh fruits, veggies and water in the right portions – with smart snacks inbetween. The downside to Nutrisystem is, you do receive a month supply of food with each delivery and it costs $90 to cancel. Yep, that’s a big cancellation fee. I also have a month’s worth of food I’m not going to use – but the Mr. will make use of it so it will not go to waste.

On a political note – how’bout them power-drunk GOP’ers trying to eliminate the Ethics committee in a shady-deal evening un-publicized meeting. This is a committee that is designed to make sure congress remains… you know… ETHICAL. Now, I am not coming to the dark side with the following statement, as a FB friend suggested, but I like to think I’m open minded enough to give credit where credit is due, unlike many of the Obama hating crew. I give the Trump Tweet regarding this issue that accompanied all the cries of outrage on both sides of the isle a high five, the public outrage forcing the GOP to flip flop on the decision. The whole thing reminds me of cockroaches in an apartment – like when the light in the kitchen is turned on and they all scurry down the drain. Granted.. it’s just a tiny little vernal pool on the side of that huge swamp he promised to drain, but we’ll take it. Indeed… Let There Be Light.

Edith’s Chair

We’ve gone over budget on Stellas exterior.. kinda like going in for a little botox in the frown lines and coming out with an entire facelift, a new hair color and style and a chemical peel for good measure.

AND..we still have the interior. M and the guys have begun the work but it will be minimal because of the exterior splurge. Then we need the furnishings to make this house a home and that’s going to be even more minimal because

DON’TBuyANYTHINGforChriseSakeWe’reWAYoverBUDGET! @#!*

A few things will have to be bought new – mattresses (the previous tenant left his mattresses, but I just can’t….. ) a new small range, a small stackable washer/dryer. The rest I’m going to look around for in thrift stores, etc. There is a consignment thrift store in Branford called Consign & Design. They’ve got some great deals and a 20 % off sale this week, 50% off all vintage christmas decor too. I could have gone crazy with the old fashioned Santas, sleighs, books and such….. (my grandmother had a few of these)

but I held back, remembering Stella’s immediate needs and the husbands sanity, hence my own.

I found two things that I was pretty excited about, though. A good once-over and a glance at the price and there was no question they were coming to live with Stella. What a find – a beautiful provincial chair which appears to have been reupholstered recently because there is no wear whatsoever on the fabric…. for $117. minus 20%. It’s super sturdy and comfortable, the fabric sturdy and capable of heavy use…..the champagne color is perfect for the earthy soft neutrals vibe I want in the cottage. The style might be a bit fancy but the price makes that perfectly OK. This will do the trick.

The chair reminds me of Edith Bunker from the long-ago series All In the Family. If you’re as old as I am you probably grew up with it…Do you remember that show? Amazing what they were able to get away with, great actors covering real issues of the times in a clever way that we all could relate to and have a good laugh over. I have fond memories of my softspoken grandparents chuckles and out-loud laughter every time Archie let out another obnoxious statement as Edith softened the blow. Edith’s actual chair wasn’t as nice as this one. After all the crap she put up with from that horrible lovable man, she deserved a chair like this, don’t ya think?

Not far from the chair were a pair of Rayo Hurricane Lamps, once oil, now reworked electric.

$30. each, minus 20%. I loved the table underneath with marble top, but I’m not sure I’ll have a need for it yet so I let that go because

DON’TBuyANYTHINGforChriseSakeWe’reWAYoverBUDGET! @#!*

The milk glass shade on this one is tarnished (smoker? Nicotine stain it looks like) and I couldn’t get it to come clean so I will look for a replacement shade. The other is still a beautiful milk glass white.

While I was collecting these treasures my son met with the stone master who built the fireplaces and stone walls here at This Old House and farmstead. His Christmas gift to us this year was a fire pit he and Steve will incorporate into the waterfront patio. The stones will come from our farm and there will be a little bit of custom work that involves quartz Steve has collected over the years – stay tuned..

Stone isn’t the only thing we’re incorporating from the farm – Because we changed the topography some with the patio, the railings on the sea wall needed redoing. We mulled over the options – Each cottage seems to do their own thing along the waterfront – there isn’t a lot of continuity. We wanted a look that wouldn’t be too intrusive to the view or too contemporary. There are plenty of cedar trees in the woods behind our farm, so we brought some down to the cottage and M drew up a simple pattern. This is what we ended up with…

The Electrician has re-installed the outdoor lighting now that the siding is complete…..

and the railing to the water has been replaced. We didn’t use cedar here, pressure treated wood is necessary as the water comes up to the steps at high tide.

This picture taken during extreme low tide, when so many little treasures can be found at waters edge. The difference between low and high tide amazes me still… the water comes up to the steps at high tide, in a matter of hours.

Thanks for stopping by – Till soon, friends….

Rocking

Meet Galadriel (I wonder if any of my readers will know where that name comes from)… The Horse was originally sold in a Whitney Reed catalog in the 1890’s through 1915. I’ve never heard of a Whitney Reed Catalog, have you? Sound like a Sears and Roebuck. This particular horse could have been made anywhere in that time frame. I contacted two experts in the field of antique rocking horse restoration, and they both agreed it was a great find, but definitely the antique value degraded because it had been painted over and most of the tack was not original. SO, that meant I had free license to do what I pleased with it as it would only increase in value with restoration work.

I decided to leave the base as is, it is original, and I used only the medallions from the tack that he was found with, as they are also original. His eyes are what he was “born” with too. The rest was acetoned and painted over with Amitha Verma chalk paint, several shades of grey, with a wax finish also sold by that company. Painters tape was used to help me create the dapples. I ordered horse tail hair on line for the mane and tail and leather swatches from Amazon to make the new “tack”. Some upholstery tacks were used for attaching the new leather.

This is how I found him… oh, the joy of the find….

Before….

How to make those spots….

Restoration ( my version of it anyway) complete!

A potholder, a place matt and the thumbs of a grey suede pair of

work gloves are all part of this picture.

Mom asked for Snow, and other “stuff”

So my mom asked why I haven’t posted snow pictures here on the blog of our farm, etc…. I told her they’re all on Facebook and if she’d only just come around to the thought of a simple facebook page commitment, she’d get to enjoy all those pictures like everyone else… not to mention pics of her family and friends (some older than she!)… who embraced Facebook for that very reason. I tried setting her up, and it lasted for fifteen seconds. That’s no exaggeration, maybe 20 seconds to be safely accurate. A minor hissy fit ensued and the page was taken down. About 25 of her friends/family even friended her in that 20 seconds, welcoming her to the 21st century!… and yet.

So, mom, these snow pictures are for you, and then on to some other “stuff” to share, like recipes and a sneak peek at my rocking horse restoration project. Oh, how I have loved this project.

So… SNOW….

Frasier for good measure….

A great lemon bar recipe for those of you who like to bake, and love lemon like we do.. These are delicious. However, I attempted them with a gluten free flour to use in the crust.. the Crust.. was Dust. So, don’t do that. Follow the recipe given in the link HERE .

One of my family’s favorite soups will be served for dinner tonight – a perfect winter eve’s comfort food… although, it does involve Velveeta (is that even a real food? I don’t dare read the ingredients list). Because I only serve this a few times a winter season, we’ll look the other way, OK? Recipe HERE *not my photo

A sneak peek at the rocking horse restoration – before and after to come soon… almost done!

I’m too lazy this morning to figure out how to rotate the image.. but you get the picture… stay tuned!

Palin? … or Progress.. …

If you dared to click on the post after reading that title, no, you won’t be subjected to another lengthy political rant because frankly, I’m too disgusted… her return to the arena produced it’s own sort of shock and awe around here, forgive me for resurrecting that phrase too…..

Maybe just a brief one – So.. If you’re still a Palin supporter after all this time… I have to ask you… WHY WHY WHY?… see transcript of her pathetic endorsement of Trump here. If he’s not regretting that action by now, there is no hope… at all.

And.. it gets better – if you really haven’t had enough… if you’re still standing strong in Palin territory – (can you see Russia?… just wonder’n) .. then take a gander at this… she flicks responsibility of her son’s assault of his girlfriend off on someone else…. The President of the United States…. shock and awe again. Read HERE

That being said.. I’m just gonna shut up and move on.. to progress… of the rocking horse variety.

You’re relieved, aren’t ya.

After discovering my rocking horse is indeed about 110 or so years old, but the paint was bastardized and the tack not original (actually vinyl and deteriorating quickly)… I decided to strip him of all the crud and give him a makeover. I used acetone to get all the debris off his frame, and my son and I pulled about 2,479 brads (tiny nails) out of his tack and stripped him bare.

Then I went to the hardware store for advice on the best paint to use – Amitha Verma chalk paint, clear wax and grey antique finish… I used painters tape to cut out circles and create the dappled grey effect with two shades of chalk paint –

… and this is where we’re at… Notice his new ears – courtesy of a grey pair of suede work glove thumbs. I’m waiting for a real horse hair bundle to arrive in the mail for his mane and tail, not the kind with hyde attached – no horses were injured in the acquisition of such hair – they regrow what is cut off, and yes I tell myself that regularly because I gotta believe it.

I’ve also ordered some leather. I’m not a saddle manufacturer, this is gonna be interesting. As for the base – I think I like it original, scuffs and chips and paint splatters and all. What say you?…

I found a Treasure at the Trove

Before I reveal my awesome find, a shout out to one of my readers who sells pieces at The Trove in Old Saybrook (you know who you are – don’t want to reveal your name if you prefer privacy) Is that your toy stuffed horse on wheels I almost bought? (black, very worn and much loved)… would love more info on it if so.

So the Mr. and I took a ride yesterday to browse The Trove, and as soon as I stepped inside the back warehouse/shop… there he was. I had been looking for him for years… and immediately I said out loud…OMG! There he is!!…. to which the shop owner was a witness and The Mr. knew immediately this wasn’t a good sign as far as he was concerned…

He’s not subtle.

I love the antique toy horses in all their forms and as a child, wanted anyone I could get my hands on. One friend had the bouncy horse and another had poncho, the ride along… I asked for a ride on those ponies any chance I got. I had my own collection of Breyer horses, and they sit in a barn in my basement today.

So.. most antique rocking horses, if you can find them, are expensive. I was thrilled to see the sticker price for this fella and they gave me 20 percent off. I wasn’t sure if this was an authentic older rocking horse, but it sure looked like it had all the right qualities. When I got home I found out it’s the real deal, and I got it for a fantastic price. I had planned on restoring it.. as in stripping it down and repainting, etc…. but when I found out it is actually an 1890’s horse, I just know I really shouldn’t strip it. The real horse hair tail will need replacing because it fell out in my hands this morning, (rot) and his ears are missing so I will find grey leather and give him new ones, but that might be the extend of my restoration plans other than soap and water before I bring him in the house. On the fence about just what I should mess with – replace the tack, leave it? add a mane, leave it bare? Any suggestions appreciated…. any antique rocking horse experts out there?

I found this one below for sale here in Connecticut, believe it or not… and it’s in far worse condition for five times the price. Same maker for sure… yet that information isn’t available, there are no stamps or identifying labels on these horses.

http://www.rubylane.com/item/707339-RL1116/Antique-Carved-Rocking-Horse-c-1890

The one where she can’t come up with a post title….

.. because I’ve taken back an old editorial job where I’m constantly trying to come up with better, easier, more creative ways to say something. Not that I’m particularly good at it!

We’ve got more snow on the horizon… feels like we’re living in a perpetual snow globe. There is a very small deck outside my kitchen sliders that has three steps down to the backyard and gardens. Sometimes on a cold winter day if the sun is shining bright, I can lay out on that little deck comfortably in a t shirt and jeans and soak up the warmth and light. The wood decking absorbs the heat from the sun and it feels glorious against my sore back muscles.

Currently…the snow is inches ABOVE the lip of the deck… that just ain’t right.

Despite the snow and cold temps, we’ve also had some glorious sunsets. This came straight from my iPhone… the sky was that amazing.

We had some fun with good friends on Sunday.. took a ride to the far corners of the State to see a very old house that needs restoration. What a glorious place.. I can’t share pictures with you at this point but I will when it’s OK to do so. You’ll fall in love, just as we have.