FAVORITE DISH PATTERN(S)

Alison at The Polohouse has challenged us to post about our favorite china pattern for her "Favorites on First" party this month.  Does transferware count as one pattern?  I hope so, as I couldn't decide among several patterns of transferware as my favorite.

I consider my red "Old Britain Castles" by Johnson Bros. as my 'good' dishes.  I always use them for the holidays shown here with the Christmas dessert plate that has the same border pattern.  

Charger-Mikasa "Italian Countryside"; Champagne glass-Grandmother's green depression; Ice tea glass-Mother's Fostoria "American"; Silverware-Oneida "Damask Rose" stainless

  The "Old Britain Castles" is shown below with Johnson Bros. "His Majesty" dessert plate that I always use for Thanksgiving. 

Silverware-Mother's 1847 Roger's silverplate; Goblet-Dollar Store

I love the intricate borders on transferware.  I have service for 16 of these Johnson Bros. dishes.  Actually, I have more place settings than I have room to seat people in our small house; unless it is warm and we can overflow to the screened-in porch!

 Then there are my Johnson Bros. "Friendly Village" dishes that I bought at an estate sale.  There is service for 12, but I have both the buffet plates plus the dinner plates -- 24 people for dinner -- probably not!

Glassware-Fostoria "Argus"; Silverware-Great grandmother's monogrammed sterling

 I bought my "Blue Willow" by Churchill everyday dishes at the grocery store about 15 years ago.  I figured I had to buy groceries, so I might as well get some cheap dishes with them.  I have servings for 12 plus lots of serving pieces in this pattern of transferware.  

Glassware-Dollar Store; Silverware-"Damask Rose" stainless and sterling

  Sixty-seven years ago, my parents had me pick out this sterling silver pattern, Damask Rose; and they gave me pieces along for my birthday and Christmas so that by the time I married I had my 'good' sterling.  Then, several years ago, Oneida came out with the same pattern in stainless, so I bought a service of 12 to use for everyday.  Can you tell the difference between the sterling and the stainless?  The soup spoon is the stainless and the rest is sterling.

 And, finally, I couldn't leave out the 19th century brown transferware.  I have picked up pieces along for twenty years, so I don't have a 'set'; but I have lots of soup bowls and bread plates in different patterns for a mix and match place setting.

Glassware-Mother's Fostoria "American"; Silverware-"Damask Rose" stainless; White dishware-Mikasa "Italian Countryside"

I do believe I'm ready in the dish department if I ever have to serve an army!
In addition to The Polohouse on September 1, I'm linking to the following:
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Sunday View for Vintage View Sunday
Creatively Living for Monday Funday
Better with Age for Give Me The Goods Monday
The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday Treasures
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things Thursday
Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

I NEED A HARD COPY - ENTER BLURB.COM

I admit the computer and the internet mystify me, and I don't quite trust it!  Being both old and old-fashioned, I've always been a fan of a hard copy -- just can't entrust what is important in my life to something so nebulous as the internet.  As a matter of fact, just last week; I lost my entire Pinterest account -- boards, pictures, and all.  It was probably through my own ineptitude -- but where did it all go?  

  I started this blog five years ago to document our lifestyle and some of the people and things that inhabit our home.  I wanted to leave something behind in words and pictures that might possibly be of interest to our descendants. I know I would love to have more documentation about my ancestors' lifestyles.  So, about 2 1/2 years ago, I got to thinking - will those grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc. be able to find out there in space all that I have labored over?  Thus, enter the hard copy and blurb.com.  Blurb is a company that prints books (one copy or more) from info that you have written through their software called Booksmart (it's free).  

BLOG BOOK ONE

In 2010, I did my first blog book that covered all of my blog posts from 7/22/08 to 9/23/l0, a total of 370 pages.  It is a fairly easy process as you are able to slurp your blog directly to the software.  You can print it just as is, or change it to more of a book format as opposed to a blog format by changing page and picture layouts.  This can become a bit tedious especially if you have hundreds of pages; but, to me, I enjoy this type of detail work.  The blurburati (tech support) is handy and prompt through email to help with any problems you may encounter, and stay with you until problems are solved.

BLOG BOOK TWO

This summer it was time to do another blog book that covers my posts from 10/2/10 to 6/18/13, that ended up being 292 pages.  The two blog books together contain about 2000 pictures. It took me several weeks of evening work editing; but once I finished, my hard copy showed up in the mail in five days.

DEDICATION PAGE -- BLOG BOOK TWO

I've done a total of seven blurb books now.  My 99 year-old mother-in-law especially enjoys the books I have put together as gifts for her of old-time pictures.  There are all kinds of possibilities -- recipe books, photo books, travel books; the cost is resonable.

The two blog books have already produced the intended results.  My grandkids don't always read my blog, but they have sat down and perused the books more than once.  

There have been comments from them about how they have changed and grown in five years.  I heard comments about remembering when they did the Halloween cupcakes; when they went to the go-cart track; wondering about where the antique child's rocker came from, etc. etc.

THE POST ON THE ROCKING CHAIR

I have not been compensated by blurb.com for anything -- I just enjoy their product -- a hard copy, in my hands!

THE END FLAP ON THE DUST JACKET OF BLOG BOOK TWO

I'm joining the following parties:
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Creative Home Expressions for The Creative Home and Garden Hop Sunday
Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday
Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Thanks to these bloggers for hosting these events!

KIND OF UGLY AROUND HERE

This week things are pretty ugly around here -- we are having a yard sale on Saturday.  It is time to get rid of some stuff and junk, so the kids don't have to at some later time.

We have things marked and piled in the house and garage before hauling it out to the driveway early Saturday morning.

But, I hated to start off this post with a messy picture, so instead here is one of a day's harvest from the vegetable and flower garden.

And now, the mess.  My sewing room -- time to get rid of linens I no longer use -- what am I saving them for????

Lots of nice vintage linens (cheap), plus a great wooden box and a vintage wire basket!

I know some bloggers that would enjoy some of this stuff.  Wish you could be here -- wooden boxes, tool totes, etc.

 Lots of crust and rust!  See that blob of red in the middle picture below - that's a nice metal tote.  Come Saturday a.m., I'm not sure I can give that up!

How about another pretty picture or two for this post -- our first batch of blackberries right off the vine and into a Blackberry Crisp.

Hoping for good weather on Saturday!

I'm linking to the following parties this week.  Check them out!

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday

Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks

Creative Home Expressions for The Creative Home and Garden Hop Sunday

Creatively Living for Monday Funday

Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday

The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home

Hickory Trail for Efforts and Assets Tuesday

Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday

No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House

Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

Thanks to these ladies for always hosting each week.

END OF SUMMER BREAK

It is almost the end of summer -- school will be starting soon.  Time for end of the summer excursions.  Our son, Mike, was home for a few days before he begins his 13th year as a high school science and math teacher.  Papa Bob, Wyatt, and Mike had been planning all summer to go to the top of Pike's Peak on the cog railroad -- time to get it done!

Waiting to board the railroad car.  A teacher is always a student -- he never goes anywhere without a math book and a notebook.  I sent our camera with them, but no one took a picture of Bob (just Wyatt holding Bob's cane!).

Getting close to the top of the mountain.

14,110 feet -- In their younger days, Bob and Mike climbed several four-teeners in Colorado.

A view of Colorado Springs from the summit.  Katharine Lee Bates penned the words of the song, "America the Beautiful", after visiting the top of Pike's Peak.  It was first published by her as a poem in 1895.

Caitlin and I left the high altitudes to the boys.  We planned a  shopping trip instead.  You mothers and grandmothers of teenage girls know how it goes.  Multiply the collage below by 50 and you know the drill -- cute top, but too short for this long, tall body to be school appropriate -- cute sleeveless denim vest (on sale for $10 - score!) will work to cover tanks and camis for school -- the vest even makes this dress church appropriate.  Yea!  We even managed to also find three pairs of jeans long enough, plus a couple of cute tops.

Success -- time to text friends to report about the loot and head for home.

All of us are ready for school to start!

I'm joining the following link parties:
A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

GARDEN ABUNDANCE - A RECIPE FROM THE PAST

 The first of August is upon us, and that means an abundance of produce from the garden - at the moment it is green bell peppers.  This is a recipe from the 1950s that I use every year when the green peppers start to take over my refrigerator!  It also uses up extra homegrown tomatoes, onions, and corn.

STUFFED PEPPERS

4 large (or 5-6 small) green bell peppers

1/2 onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

3/4 cup corn, cut from cob (or use frozen or canned)

salt and pepper

fresh bread crumbs and butter

Remove tops and seeds from green peppers.  Brown meat and onions; add tomatoes, corn, and seasonings.  Stuff peppers; stand upright in greased dish and spoon remaining meat mixture around the peppers.  Top with crumbs dotted with butter.  Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

We had ours with a lettuce salad, a toasted bagel thin, and a slice of world-famous Rocky Ford cantaloupe.

 This cantaloupe was purchased at the farm stand where it was grown in Rocky Ford, our childhood hometown.  It doesn't get any fresher than that.  Just had a reminder from a blogging friend -- always wash your cantaloupe before cutting into it.
The last few days I've been searching autumnal decor ideas on Pinterest -- I'm excited.  Not too long now until Fall!

I'm joining the following link parties this week.  Please check these blogs out for a myriad of inspiration.
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday
Townsend House for What I Am Eating Friday
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Creative Home Expressions for The Creative Home and Garden Hop Sunday
Creatively Living for Monday Funday
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
A Stroll Thru Live for Inspire Me Tuesday
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House