Junking with my Grannys in the Garage
I think blogging is a way to share some of my family treasures, my own JUNKING illness, and what to do with it all.
Thought I would be honest here, and show you just part of this month's unearthing of our families' hoards. Just as many Baby-Boomers are having to do, we sadly had to deal with my parents' passing and their leavings. I fondly look at it as an archaeological dig at times, as my mother never dealt with her parents items, nor my grandmother with hers or my grandfather's, plus both being collectors of many, many SOMETHINGS: OLD or unusual.
As an only child, in the end there was no quibbling over any of it, other than my husband shaking his head as we filled a huge dumpster with real garbage, while driving truck after truck to Goodwill and Salvation Army, and then packing tote after tote into our truck and car from my parent's garage, basement, and packed wall-to-wall, post-war house.
NOW, all I have to do is walk to our packed garage or basement and pick a tote, box, bag, or stack and unearth--who knows what? I have promised myself not to leave it all---for MY KIDS to deal with. So come and go junking with me in my garage.
Antique French enameled Fish Poacher
I was so happy to find this, Mom picked this up in the 1980s in an antique shop in N. Illinois. It is a medium-sized fish poacher with some chipped enamel, but complete with the lifting tray and a snug fitting lid. It has lovely dark blue mottling in the thick white enamel. A French kitchen necessity, the poacher goes across two burners on a standard stove. I will keep this to use, as we eat fish 2-3 times a week, and next time I have a whole fish for poaching, I will share the experience, and the recipe.
SMALL CEDAR CHEST circa 1930s
This was my mom's OLD cedar chest from her teens in the 1930's.
I commandeered this as a child for my Sweet Sue doll
and the doll's antique homemade clothing, (circa 1840's to 1870's-I did a school project on this).
Sweet Sue had many small antique accessories and items packed in here.
I plan to repack the trunk with those antique doll items later for my granddaughter to play with.
The chest is hand built, with brass hardware and brass stripping with hammered nails to hold the pieces of cedar together. It is scribbled inside and on the bottom, $3.89--a bargain for a fine, handcrafted trunk.
Australian Souvenir Punched Pillow cover WWII. 1943-5
This is from my Grandpa and Grandma's items. My dad was a Technical Sargent in a Surgical Hospital unit stationed in the South Pacific and eventually in Australia during WWII. This was sent home to MOM and says, "To Dear Mother from Australia".
The Koalas are skiing and very three-dimensional in punched wool. This was stored in another cedar chest for 65 years before I found them, apparently never used.
CAMP SHELBY souvenir pillow, acetate and pink fringe 1941
This is a real step back in time also. A Mother and Dad silky pillow from Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
My dad's unit did their maneuvers training there in 1941, before the war broke out.
Inscription reads
MOTHER and DAD
In all the years I've known
you both
You planned and strived
for me
Thru sacrifice of everything
That could a pleasure be
This token of love I'm sending
to you
Just as a thought from me.
What to do with these pillow covers, I'm not sure, as my one son is taking my Dad's war items. Now, can a PINK SATIN pillow with long silky PINK FRINGE fall into the WAR category,
I'm not sure, LOL.
Tin Ash bucket and two Railroad Lanterns
I think these are from my paternal grandfather.
I vaguely remember the OLD ash can full of sand and oil in his shed for keeping his garden and workbench tools clean and polished. His tools were never rusted,
because of the dipping in the oily sand. The can still smells like oil 54 years later.
He was a nightwatchman in his later years (pre-1960s) for J.I.Case Mfg. These lanterns were found buried in the back corner of Dad's garage-where no one had been for 40 years. I will do more research on the lanterns, after I clean and bring up the colors and impressions, and also clean the glass.
One can always use another oil lantern for power outages, maybe even a red one.
Orange coffeepot circa 1960s
Porcelain Pumpkin cup and saucer 1940-50s?
Nice enameled orange teapot probably a 4-cup size, I know this is from the 1960s. This will land in my Etsy shop, BarberryLane https://www.etsy.com/shop/BarberryLane soon.
The porcelain enameled tea cup and saucer are unmarked, and a bit sloppy in execution, so not Bavarian. Probably from China or Japan, circa pre-1960, because I found it wrapped in 1964 newspaper. One of my mom's treasures stashed and forgotten. This will end up in the shop, or in a vintage collage for Halloween. We will see, REDO?
WOOL Carding PADDLES circa 1890s or older
These are 19th century farm equipment, from my husband's side, and used by his great-grandmother for carding wool to smooth, clean, and align the fibers. This made the wool ready for quilts or spinning in the 19th century and date before 1898. The black ink imprinting on the back of the wooden paddles:
The Only Genuine
Old Whittemore Patent
improved
No.8
WOOL
L.S. Watson & Co.
Leicester, Mass.
The Watson company was founded in 1842 and when the owner died the company was passed to the son and the name changed to the L.S. Watson Manufacturing Company in 1898.
These are keepers because we have very few items from my husband's side, Bohemian farmers in
NE Wisconsin since the 1850's.
Blue Enameled Drip CoffeePot
This was my grandmother's from Denmark (circa 1930-40s) A Scandinavian blue, enameled three-piece, drip-coffee pot. (cover is currently missing on this one). A cotton fabric grounds bag was tied around the ring section, then you poured boiling water (patiently) into it and the rich, strong coffee dripped into the pot. Then, the grounds bag and ring were removed, and the lid placed on the pot for serving.
My grandmother was notorious for leaving her gas stove burners on, and burning,
yes, literally melting holes in the bottoms of her teapots and coffeepots. I have several I use for planters.
She flamed many a towel, potholder and an occasional apron, too.
So, I have two of these pots. This one, with melt holes has a simple mason jar inside for use as a REDO vase. Hopefully maybe the cover will show up in another tote. I will keep this, just because, I can smell her delicious coffee and cardamon baking, just by looking at it.
Walnut Pillar for Table? or REDO?
I can't blame my ancestors for this one, I bought this or dug it out of the trash---honestly I don't remember---in the 1970's or 80's near my parent's cottage in the middle of Wisconsin. It's pieced, but all walnut and machine turned. A chunk of the base is AWOL after all these years, but that doesn't mean it will not surface in the future. Either way---it's a fantastic hunk of wood, and I'm seriously going to do something with it now, I promise, Hubby!
REDO!
I'm really tired of my grandmother's lamp in the living room,
maybe this could be a huge HUGE REDO lamp?
UH-OH! I'm not doing very well with this batch of goodies, as most are falling into the keep pile. But honestly, so many of the smaller items found with this stash, have already landed
in my Etsy shop, BarberryLane, https://www.etsy.com/shop/BarberryLane
Hope you enjoyed this trip into my garage, and as always, Thanks for stopping by!
Sandi
