Blue Valentine

After Christmas I love the look of crisp white and cool blue together.

Although I do not have too much blue...or do I?

I was waiting for you to join me to look at my Blue Valentine Treasures

Last year this was my Blue's for January. A little vignette in the

Dining Room

This year I decided to do something in the kitchen on the Hoosier

cabinet. Knowing I need to be frugal, I have decided to try

and rediscover all the treasures I have....instead of buying new ones.

As I go through drawers etc. I find some cool things I have not

seen in  years.

My Hoosier Cabinet

What did I find around the house to put on it?

For starters

A flower sack towel made by my Great Grandmother

She made these pretty blue birds as an embellishment.

I decided to use it as a runner

Love the rick rack

It has been folded in a drawer of my Hoosier for a long time.

I am not sure I could find something so sweet on my hunting trips?

One of my vintage Valentines stuck in a flower frog I found in the Hoosier

Saturday was Grandma's birthday, I wish I could have a cup a tea with her.

We use to sit in her blue kitchen and she would brew a pot.

So how about a cup in one of her everyday tea cups?

I love this pattern.

When my Grandfather died my Mom tried to get me to leave these dishes

behind. I could not do it...so glad I listened to my heart.

The pattern is Bluebrook, English Ironstone.

I have a set for 8, with the creamer and sugar.

This was her tooth pick holder. I never noticed that it says
"Take ye a cup o kindness for auld lang syne"

Now how fun is that.

I have had it since 1995 and I never noticed it said that...what a pity!

This is my Mom's blue crock.

I had taken my Paternal Grandmother's to 1515, where it

came from. When I went to put Mom's out, I could not find it?

Yep, I found it in a Rubbermaid container in the basement!

I had never unpacked it.

Some old molds I found in the Hoosier. Ok where is the one I have that

says "jello" on it? hhhmm?

The pitchers were above my cabinets in the kitchen where I keep

all my Mom's, Grandmother's and my pitchers.

This was my Paternal Grandmother's, should I take it back to 1515?

My Mom always had it in her kitchen on a shelf. My Dad had brought it

home from 1515 at sometime.

An old Cookbook.

This pitcher was my Maternal Grandmother's. I can remember she always

took the milk out of the carton and put in the pitcher.

I picked up the little one last year.

Do you like this little milk glass jar?

I found it in my Grandparents garage.

Love the hammered aluminum top.

I am so happy with "shopping" in my own kitchen!

I think I need to do more of that this year.

It makes me appreciate my pieces so much more too.

I hope you do not mind me always showing family pieces.

I think my parents, grandparents and great grandparents were

VERY thrifty. They never discarded very much it seems.

They are a thing of beauty for me and I cherish each piece.

Now I need to move on with my pink Valentine vignettes.

Have a wonderful day.

Ann

Happy Birthday Grandma

                                                    Today is my Grandma's Birthday

I am reposting this from last year.

I love her so much I want to honor her every year.

      

She was born January 21, 1904, the year of the St Louis Worlds Fair. She was such a little princess all her life.
She was the only daughter raised on a farm by two loving parents. She was born Ruth Forest but changed her name legally to Ruth Virgina.

She married young and moved to Detroit Michigan and lived there during the depression. Her only child was my mother.

                             I love this picture of my Grandparents outside their apartment house in Detroit



She was the only Grandmother I ever knew, my paternal Grandmother (who lived at 1515) died before I was born. She was active in Eastern Star and I think I got all my interest in flowers, decorating, entertaining and love of dishes from her. She always decorated for every holiday. I use to love to dress up in her gowns. 

She never hardly sat down during a meal, her little 4' 9" frame stood over you wanting to know if someone needed something...she would have her apron on and had a habit of running her hands over the front of her apron.

The apron she has on hangs in my other Grandmother's kitchen at 1515.

In her kitchen of her little pink house.

We were great friends, she never drove so when I got my drivers license I would go get her to go shopping on the square in Charleston and we would sit and watch everyone walk by.

She was thrilled to get her one and only Granddaughter...I was so lucky!

The best gifts she gave me were family heirlooms, she was so excited when I got married and my new initial was the same as her Grandparents and she gave me their initial tablecloth and napkins. Of course I kept all her china, silver and glassware. She wrote notes and tucked them in things or wrote on the back of things of who the things belonged to thank goodness!

How many times when I went to visit she would go out and pick roses, daffodils, tulips, or marigolds and wrap them up with a wet paper towel and a rubber band to keep for my 2 hr drive home so I would have fresh flowers when I got home.

I still make her Swiss steak for my birthday and I have the musical plate stand that plays happy birthday she had.

I have all the letters and cards and letter we ever wrote each other and until the other day when I read one I forgot how she always wrote and the end "love you a bushel and a peck".

"I love you a bushel and a peck Grandma"

Pink Valentine

Happy Pink Saturday

Valentines Day will be here soon!



This is one of my Grandmother's Valentines

I am sending this to all my friends here who have been so kind to show support.

You are a wonderful bunch of extraordinary women.

The words are very relevant for today.

I finally hit 200 followers!

Joining

What is Ahead....................?

Many of us seem to be wondering that right now.

As some of you know, my husband has been struggling with his business.

It is a 3rd generation company. He use to employ 4 people, paid

good wages, and 100% health insurance for his employees.

He even hired his brother when he lost his job and most of

my nephews have worked their during the summer.

It is now just him in a 16,000 foot building...oh he has shadow

I am so glad Shadow is there to protect him and give him kisses.

I have been so blessed to meet fellow bloggers who I consider friends.

Two of my friends Claudia from Mockingingbird Hill Cottage and Elaine from Sunny Simple Life

have joined with 3 other bloggers to talk

about Thrifty Living for 2012.

I so appreciate how candid and open they are right now. It helps to know that

we are not in it alone. It is not about who has the prettiest table,

the nicest living room or the most fabulous kitchen sometimes.

Their words have brought me to tears and comfort today.

I am scared.............

I know I am not alone. My heart aches for my dear husband. He saw a vision

and created a wonderful business. We have been praying since he laid

off his last employee in December 2009.

So I have spent the last 2 days on the phone call services and changing things here.

Cut that phone bill, cut that cable bill. I have come up with about $300 in savings for the month.
I still do not know how much the water line break at 1515 is going to cost.

Every penny is going to count since right now I am the only one bringing home the bacon.

So speaking of that lets us lighten up a little.

I am going to be frugal!

No more, pick up supper on the way home.

This weekend we bought a ham for $10.

We had 2 meals out of and then here is what else I did.

Got out my Cuisinart food processor. This can be a

vintage post too.....my Cuisinart I bought in 1983 and

it still works great!

A little egg, pickle relish and mayo

Ham salad

Mix in my spring blossom Pyrex

finished product

cubed up some ham for omelets or for scalloped potato's

ham bone for some pea soup, Mr. favorite

some larger pieces to throw in some green beans

and of course, slices for sandwiches.

It is all going in the freezer.

That is a total of about 10 meals or more.

 

To perk me up a little I decided to get out and eat on one of

my pretty plates

a handkerchief plate, see it in the design.

My sweet cousin Mary bought it off my

dear friend Lee Ann whom I lost this past year to cancer.

So 2 very special people were near me for lunch.

 

a sandwich, some cheese nips, and a clementine

a good lunch.

the remainder into my Fire King jadeite refrigerator dish

I have had forever.

 

It did perk me up a little.

Looking at my things and the people, places and times

of my life have a way of doing that.

 

I know this time in life will pass.

I have been here before, when my Dad died when I was 18 and

my poor Mother's income was cut in more than half and most

people froze all her credit.

She made it through and had a great retirement, even being able

to have a new car, travel to Europe and keep her home updated.

I have been there when I was 30 and my husband at the time

drained us to the point, I worried about where the next meal was coming.

I made it.

 

I did not think I would be in this place now...

but as my dear Uncle Don told me once

"everything happens for a reason, we don't know why at the time"

 

Saturday evening we did go out for dinner and as we pulled in the

driveway Mr. turned to me and said, "I am so glad I have a warm

home to sleep in".

It is a simple as that.

 

This my words for 2012 I am going to live by.

 

 

Vintage Autograph Books

Earlier this week some of you saw my Great Great Aunt Emma's autograph book.

I am so lucky not only to have hers, but my Great Grandmother's and

My Grandmother's.

Let me introduce you.

My Paternal Great Grandmother

Catherine Fitzhue Wilson Galbreath

She was born in 1866, and this is a tin type of her and the

youngest picture I have of her.

Another tin type. She looks so sad her, this was taken

around the time her Mother died when she was 7.

Here is her autograph book.

So many entries from her family members with sweet sayings

and poems of the day.

Her married name is what is written in it.

And it was given to her by her sister Effie

Here Aunt Effie and Mama our riding donkeys in Colorado

Uncle Robert on left with Aunt Effie and Papa holding Mama

on the right.

Circa 1917

She was married on

Christmas Day 1883

Mama and Papa look so very young

They were married

53 years

They lost their farm in the country and their home in town during

the great depression. They moved in and lived with my

Grandparents for a while at 1515.

6 generations have laid their heads down to sleep at 1515.

Here is my Grandmother's

My Grandmother got her autograph book from her sister and brother.

Grandmother, Walter and Bessie

1907

And here is Great Great Aunt Emma's

she was Papa's sister

To read about Aunt Emma

This year I hope you travel along with me as I show you where and from

whom many of my treasures came from and their story.