Antique Store Treasures

When we travel, I like to stop at antique stores, and my family indulges me. Actually, I think Man of the House enjoys it and Girl of the House enjoys it for about fifteen minutes. I'm usually hunting for blue transferware china, but other things often present themselves and ask me to buy them. Such was the case when we visited Girl Out of the House and That Boy down South over Labor Day weekend and when we went to my niece's wedding in the Midwest this past weekend.

We stopped in Sonora, TN (or was it KY?), a tiny farming town that appeared to be dying a slow death but looked like it was once a charming place to live. There were two ramshackle antique shops across the street from each other manned by friendly proprietors. We didn't find anything in the first shop, but the second yielded . . . a math book. Now, I don't usually get excited about math books (okay, I've never gotten excited about a math book!), and I almost missed seeing this one entirely. It was tucked away in a dark corner, the top book in a stack of old books, and my eye just caught the title: Mathematics: A Human Endeavor by Harold Jacobs. I gasped. This is a book I had thought about using with Girl Out of the House but never figured out how to fit it in and was still pondering for Girl of the House. When I've checked on Amazon the price was sky-high. There was no price, so I calmly and nonchalantly asked the man at the desk how much he wanted for it. "Oooooh, a dollar." I got the feeling he thought he was charging too much. "I'll take it," I said and coughed up my dollar. The book was a little moldy and a lot musty, but it's nothing that an Office Depot rebinding job and some airing in the sun won't fix.

My find from this past weekend has a more immediate use. I'd heard about Romertopf clay cookers and liked the concept. I like old-fashioned ways, and cooking in a clay cooker appealed to me. So when I spotted one tucked away on a bottom shelf at an antique shop in IL (or was it IN?) with a price tag of $22.50, it didn't take much pondering to decide to buy it. Man of the House is usually pretty indulgent when it comes to my buying cooking utensils. He likes food and he likes my cooking. :-) I roasted chicken and sweet potatoes last night (with a regular potato for Girl 2), and it was delicious! It was easy to prepare and easy to clean (so Man of the House tells me~he's a great dishwasher!) I can see using this frequently, especially as the weather cools down. As you can see, it isn't in perfect condition, but I didn't mind as long as it cooked well, and boy, did it! I'm thinking roasts, more chicken, baked beans, pork loin, even meatloaf . . .



I love the chickens, pigs, and other animals in relief over the sides and top!

Simple Woman's Daybook--Sept. 15, 2010

FOR TODAY Sept. 15, 2010...

Outside my window... It is positively gorgeous! The sun is sparkling and the sky is blue, blue, blue . . .

I am thinking... about our trip to my niece’s wedding this weekend

I am thankful for... cooler weather, the start of a new schoolyear, my son-in-law’s new job

From the learning rooms...Girl of the House starts her online classes this week~German and physical science. She’s excited!

From the kitchen... I’m not sure what’s for dinner yet. I’m making a menu plan for the next two weeks this morning and hitting the shops this afternoon.

I am wearing... a denim skirt and a brown ¾-sleeve t-shirt

I am creating... a cross stitch project for a wedding gift for my niece and her fiance

I am going... grocery shopping

I am reading... To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I’ve never read the book, though I’ve seen the movie. I’m very much liking Lee’s prose.

I am hoping... Girl of the House feels better today. She’s caught some sort of bug.

On my mind… I am feeling sorry that I had to cancel a class, but enrollment was too low to go on with it.

Noticing that… there is a lot of discontent with the government in our country right now.

Pondering these words… "The best method of instructing youth, therefore, is to accustom them to what is good. The right understanding of it follows in time, and can then still further confirm their attachment to none but genuine works of art."~~J.S. Bach (a favorite quote from a favorite composer)

I am hearing... the silence of a quiet house

Around the house... folding laundry today

One of my favorite things... sweater weather!

A few plans for the rest of the week: class prep and getting ready to go out-of-town this weekend

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... I made this quilt this summer! It was easier than I thought it would be. Using Anna’s instructions (mostly) made it doable, even for someone who had never quilted before. I used as many scraps of leftover fabric that I could, but I did have to buy some material in order to have enough. I just sewed the squares in random order and used cotton batting and white muslin for the backing. I'm really pleased with how it turned out!








You can read more daybooks at Peggy's!

Labor Day Travels

Girl of the House, Girl Out of the House, and That Boy


We made a trip to the South Labor Day weekend to check up on . . . er . . . I mean. . . visit Girl Out of the House (aka Girl 1) and That Boy, who have been married a little over a year. That Boy graduated from college in May and has been diligently looking for a job ever since. The economy being what it is right now, that's been no easy task, but he landed one just this week. Hurray! Now I'll sleep better. ;-)

I'm new to being a parent of grown offspring, and what I've discovered is there is at least as much to worry about when they've grown and flown the nest than when they are still your direct responsibility. But it was reasurring to vist Girl 1 and That Boy. Their care for each other was evident. They are a well-matched pair, and I am confident that with the Lord's help they will do well.

I very much enjoyed seeing how they have put their apartment together. It's not a large place, but they've used every space well. There is beauty too, from the Fiestaware dishes on the table to the flowers on the patio to the photos in pretty frames on the walls. Oh, and the cat adds an element of homeliness (in the Tolkien sense) that only cats can.

The food was excellent and the fellowship delightful. I am confident that they are building on the only Firm Foundation. My mother's heart is content.