Things I Love... and Things I Don't

It's been a brutal winter around here. Record breaking cold; steady snow and ice. And our own Pennsylvania weather prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil, just forecast another 6 weeks of this nonsense.

We had another brief thaw yesterday, and Dear David headed south to the big model train show near Baltimore, so I decided to start at the flea market and then make the rounds of some antique shops I hadn't visited in a while.

There were still patches of snow on the ground at the flea market, and not many vendors had turned out, but I still made some discoveries. "Guy Who Will Not Bargain" was there and I filled a box with linens, smiled sweetly, and paid up without a quibble (his prices are still good, despite the non-haggling part). 

A great Farm and Chickens Theme Tablecloth

Beautiful Salmon Pink with Flowers in Medallions

But the real discovery of the day was at another vendor.

A big ol' stack of vintage greeting cards, including 30 1960s Valentines.

The kind we used to give in school to all our classmates.

As a re-seller, they would be much more valuable had they been unused, but these had been collected and saved by young Patty Ann Mowrey (or maybe it's Patti Ann--both spellings are represented), who was clearly in elementary school when she received these. 

They brought back so many memories!

Remember? 

Sometime before Valentine's Day, class time spent decorating an old Kleenex box with pink and red construction paper hearts, and writing your name on it? 

Lining up all the boxes on a back table, ready to receive classmates' Valentine cards?

Picking out just the right Valentine for each classmate, making careful distinctions among the messages so your friends got the "good" ones, and the cute boy in the next row got one that was just romantic enough to express your secret feelings--but not TOO mushy.

The bad Valentine puns?

Using your newly learned cursive handwriting?

And no matter how hard the teacher tried to keep anyone's feelings from being hurt, there were the kids whose families could afford to buy the more expensive, impressive Valentines.

Oh, but the joy of receiving a Valentine from that special boy in the class, and imagining that he meant every word!

Fast Forward to today, and I am still in the classroom, but on the other side of the desk, as a teacher.

And today this incessant snow and cold has brought us another snow day. A day that will have to be made up by sacrificing another school holiday. At this rate, we may be in school until July!

Things to be Thankful For

I have much to be thankful for.

A wonderful husband who not only tolerates my junkin' obsession, but who encourages it.

Please? Can I keep him?

Just a man and his 10 foot chicken

Talented and loving children who are self-sufficient adults, leaving me with a little disposable income with which I fund that junkin' obsession.

The fact that there is a big wonderful world out there, full of boxes that are just begging to be explored!

This is a REAL place: Trader Jack's outside Pittsburgh

A PAIR of anorexic Art Deco floor lamps: Yes!

And finally, I am thankful there is a place in the world where you can find a Bison wearing TWO sombreros.

Flea Market Freeze Out

This morning, the weather app on my smart phone gave me the bad news: "A Wintery Mix" is expected across Central Pennsylvania.

And that can mean only one thing. Time for holiday shopping? Time for warm sweaters? Time to put out the electric blanket?

Surely you jest! It means that outdoor flea market season is ending!

Dear David (the "Grampa" in "Gramma's Linen Closet") and I made one more trip out to Western Pennsylvania for the Fleatique at Tour-Ed Mine. Lest the name confuse you, the Fleatique takes place on the grounds of an old coal mine that has been restored and is open to the public for tours.

The morning dawned cold, and there was mud from the previous day's rain, but we were undeterred! And rewarded!

LOTS of vintage Christmas!

As we headed home, we spied some "Antiques and Artisans" signs by the side of the road, and set off in hot pursuit. We discovered the Whispering Pines Antique and Art show after a long winding drive through the near barren corn fields. It was worth the drive. Although the vendors were all high-end dealers, and we didn't buy anything, the grounds of the Whispering Pines farm are just gorgeous.

And, taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we drove home via old Route 30, the Lincoln Highway. Once the primary East-West thoroughfare through Pennsylvania (before the Pennsylvania Turnpike), there are vestiges of another way of life: small, cottage-style roadside motels, abandoned gas stations, Mom and Pop diners, and...

An 18-foot Pied Piper! Once an early children's theme park, Storyland near Bedford, PA is now abandoned. The original owner's daughter maintains a charming gift shop just past the original entrance, but the park itself is off limits to the public. (The photos were all taken from the gift shop parking lot with the owner's permission.)

So what did we buy at the Fleatique?

Startex Tablecloth with Pink and Yellow Roses

A Canada Souvenir Tablecloth

A Carrie Wilson signed Bridge Cloth

A trio of unused Mid Century Tea Towels

A Leacock Tea Towel featuring a Butcher and a Shopping List

I DO have one Ace-in-the-hole: Our local flea market at Williams Grove is open ALL WINTER LONG! We'll bundle up and brave the colder weather in the name of vintage.