OLD GLORY FAIR

On Father's Day weekend, we made our usual trip to Denver to attend the Old Glory Antiques Fair.  We try to go every year and are never disappointed.  

 Sorry, no pictures from the fair this year as my camera was still on its way home from Japan; but I've included a couple of pictures from previous years to give you the flavor of the event.

We enjoy seeing the trends; what's hot and what's not; and what people are buying.  This year it seemed that if it was galvanized, it was selling - lots of farm-style, prairie-style items.

Colorado is a hot bed for this style, as there is a wealth of items to be discovered -- so many farms on the prairies with sheds full of galvanization and rust!!!

We also saw lots of ironstone; plus quilts from the 1920s and 1930s.  That was encouraging to me as I love quilts for the color they bring to the sea of neutral colors currently out there.  Also, very expensive European grain sacks were available in addition to less expensive local feed and flour sacks.  There were not so many pieces of milk or chalk painted furniture this year.  The painted furniture that I noticed being purchased was with original paint and patina.  What I did not see was much transferware -- and absolutely no brown transferware.  Is it on its way out?  Or as I say -- I have it all; and there is no more out there to buy!!

  The featured guest this year at the fair was FiFi O'Neill.  I caught a glimpse of her chatting graciously with customers.  I wish I had had my camera as her personal style is enchanting.

We didn't buy much, as everything I wanted to bring home was HUGE in size and in the four figure range ($$$$).

I did pick up this swinging frame cheap.  I've been needing another vintage frame for this recently acquired photo of Bob as a young pretend-cowboy.

 I'm a sucker for ephemera, so purchased this small store display price card for plaid outing (flannel).

The rest of the weekend was spent touring our favorite Denver VATS (Vintage, Antique, Thrift Stores).  Plus, our dutiful, jet-lagged son drove back into Denver (with my camera) for a Father's Day lunch.  

Next post I will show you what I found at the VATS -- let's just say that it's the elusive transferware from the day before; and it's BROWN; and there's more than one piece!  Guess I don't have it all -- yet.

I'm sharing my treasures at the following:
The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday
Boogie Board Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday Treasures
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Knick of Time Interiors for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesdays
Imparting Grace for Grace at Home Thursday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
Nancherrow for Fridays Unfolded
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Be Different Act Normal for Show and Tell Saturdays

OH, THE PLACES YOU WILL GO!

"Oh, The Places You Will Go", by Dr. Seuss (published 1990), turned out to be my favorite book by this wonderful children's author.  It was published at the time my own kids were making us empty-nesters, and they were choosing all kinds of places to go with their lives.

I've thought about this book a lot the past two weeks; as, once again, our son was off traveling.  This was his fourth trip traveling internationally with teenagers from the school where he teaches sharing his enthusiasm for life-long learning and travel.  

I cannot deny that I feel a sense of relief when they all return safely.  Even though I know he is a competent, seasoned traveler; it is still a huge responsibility on his part to take other peoples' teenagers to foreign places.

Here are a few more photos from Japan to close out this travelogue.  See my three previous posts for more.

Oh, the sights they have seen ----

Making new friends and sharing the international language of teenagers - Facebook!

And, the memories they have made traveling with their high school classmates.

For now, goodbye to Japan.  Hopefully, it is just the beginning of many traveling experiences for these teenagers.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of the whole trip -- my kid, the fearless leader of this group, reading the map finding his way around the world.  From the time he was three years old, he sat in the front seat of the car with a map navigating the way!  The kids look like they are getting a little impatient with Dr. Saulmon; but trust me, he won't get them lost.

To read a more in depth and much more entertaining description of this trip (including his ongoing search for the perfect Starbucks), check out his blog, "Michael M. Saulmon Travel".  


I'm joining the following:
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TOURING JAPAN WITH TEENAGERS - PART TWO

You may view previous posts about this trip to Japan here and here.    

 Before the kids and their fearless leader head out to Hiroshima, I wanted to show a couple more pictures from Kyoto at the Manga Museum.  If you have teenagers you know about the art form called Manga.  

For you plaid connoisseurs, here is a picture from the museum showing Japanese plaid.

Now on to Hiroshima.

The report was that the memorial and museum was very well done -- no blame on either side -- just the horrible consequences of war.

Some cultural exchange going on between school kids.  Do you suppose the Japanese girls are thinking that we grow them tall in the U.S.A.?

There's certainly been a learning curve when it comes to the food.  Here they are cooking their own meat and veggies.

There's always junk food.  But, I've only heard of one McDonald's visit!

They were in Fukuoka for a couple of days staying in a ryokan, a more primitive Japanese inn that included tatami-mat floors, no beds - just futon mattresses on floors, and no showers or bath tubs in the rooms.  The onsen (hot springs) are expected to be used for bathing.  All this along with limited Wi-Fi access was quite the adjustment for the teen-agers!

But there were more sights to be seen, and a trip to the beach.  At this point, they were only an hour by boat away from South Korea; but not on this trip!

Their next destination will be Nagasaki, then Tokyo.

To answer some questions that I've received, here is some back story.  Our son, Mike, teaches at a public high school in a small 
farming community on the plains of Colorado.  Every 2-3 years, international trips are planned through the auspices of EF Educational Tours (click here) and the extra-curricular International Club at the school, which Mike is the sponsor.  This is his 4th trip through EF Tours; he has traveled with kids to Japan 7 years ago, then to Greece and Italy, then Germany and France, and now back to Japan.  The kids, their parents, Mike and Jodi (another teacher who has been on three of the trips) spend innumerable hours fund-raising by holding dinners before school plays, running concession stands at school sports activities and other community events.  And, still additional parental financial support is needed.  By the time the trip rolls around, these kids are really invested and committed.   Mike is a no-nonsense type of math and science teacher in the classroom -- he says that the only way to really learn math is by doing math, lots and lots of math!  But he really values travel as an extension of the total learning experience including art, music, philosophy, history,  and culture; and thus, his dedication to this program.  The only compensation he receives outside of his math and science teaching salary are his travel expenses that are paid for by the tour company for being the liaison and group leader.
As soon as they return from Japan, the work and planning begins for Mike and Jodi -- there are already kids signed up for the next trip scheduled for 2016 to the British Isles.  Fund raising begins next month at their community Fourth of July celebration. 
 And, I always thought that teachers had the summer off!

I know I'm stretching it a bit, but I'm joining the following:
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Dedicated House for Anything Blue Friday
Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday

TOURING JAPAN

To read why my camera is traveling in Japan without me, check out my previous post.

My son and his students have been in Kyoto, Japan now for three super-busy days!  The pictures are starting to roll in!!

They have seen silk worms eating leaves.

Then spun into thread.

Woven into silk fabric.

And, viewed a kimono fashion show!

Seen numerous shrines.

And visited gardens.

Had some fun being tourists.

Been to Kyoto Station to see the light show on the steps and to eat real Ramen.

Shown on the steps are some of the kids and their fearless leader, our son.

Personally, I don't think they pay public school teachers near enough for what they do.  In addition to his normal schedule of teaching math and science, he sponsors the International Club. I can't fathom the number of extra hours spent the past three years on fund raising and get-togethers to learn about international travel, culture, and customs.  THEN, to get on a plane with teenagers to travel to and traipse around Japan for two weeks.  
The next time you see a teacher tell them thank you for going above and beyond.

Next stop for this group is to Hiroshima on the bullet train. 

I'm joining the following:
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Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
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TRAVELING CAMERA

What is a blog post without pictures?  Not much as evidenced by this posting.  

My camera has gone traveling!  It is the perfect size for travel and takes great pictures of shrines, churches, and buildings.  Our son likes to borrow it for his trips; so it is off to Japan for two weeks. It's been to Paris and Germany on previous trips, and may soon require a passport of its own!  

You would think I would have a back supply of drafts that I could pull up, but I don't blog that seriously and use inspiration of the moment only.  So, my posting will be spotty, at best, until after at least Father's Day.  In the meantime, I'll be here on a vacation of my own looking for some new inspiration.

Wishing safe travels to Mike and his students.  I'm sure they will have a great time -- this is Mike's third trip to Japan including a summer spent there living and working on an orchard. He is quite knowledgeable about the country; so I'm sure his high school students are in for a wonderful glimpse into another culture.
(Yes, Mike, I'm concerned about your and the kids' safety and not just that my camera is returned in tact!!)

A BUNCH OF BBQ BEEF

I've fixed this BBQ Beef for more celebrations than I wish to count over the last 40-plus years.  The last time was this past weekend for my mother-in-law's 100th birthday family get together.

OVEN BBQ BEEF

1 beef rump roast (4 lbs.)

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Garlic salt, onion salt, and celery salt to taste

1 cup BBQ sauce of your choice

Place meat on heavy-duty foil in 9"x12" pan.  Pierce meat.  Sprinkle with liquid smoke, Worcestershire, and salts.  Bring up foil and seal.  Refrigerate and marinate 24 hours.  Place in 300 degree oven for 5 hours.  Pour BBQ sauce on.  Close foil and bake another 2 hours.  Slice meat thin against the grain.  Put liquid in a separate container and refrigerate all over night.  Skim solidified fat from liquid.  Pour sauce as needed over meat to keep it moist as it heats up either in the oven or the crock pot.  Serve on a bun with extra of your favorite BBQ sauce.

(Allow 1/3 pound for a generous serving.  For this occasion I fixed 20 pounds of meat adjusting the other ingredients accordingly.  Twenty pounds fills two large crock pots.)

We had a great celebration of Bob's mother's birthday. First a dinner and reunion in my sister-in-law and her husband's beautiful yard.  It was nice for the three remaining siblings to reunite.

Lots of nieces and nephews, grand kids, other family members and more food than we all needed!

Then we had a public reception at her assisted care facility with cake and punch.

"A good time was had by all!"

Joining the following:
Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday
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Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
The Comforts of Home for Tasty Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesdays
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

PHOTO BOARD FOR A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

If you are a photo junkie like me, you enjoy seeing photo boards at different events such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, reunions, and, yes, even funerals.  Photo boards have been replaced recently by power-point presentations; but I still enjoy seeing the pictures up close and personal on a display board.

My favorites are the wedding ones where the bride's growing-up pictures are on one side and the groom's on the other side with pictures of their life together since meeting shown down the middle.  I also enjoy graduation photo boards showing their school pictures K-12 and college.  How fun to see how they have changed and matured over the years.  Funeral photo boards are often in celebration of a life well-lived - a great tribute!

This weekend we are celebrating Bob's Mother's 100th birthday with a family reunion/dinner and a public community reception.  

One of my responsibilities was to do a photo board of her life.  I had previously done several books of photos for her as gifts, so accumulating the pictures for this project was fairly easy this time around.  

The hard part was picking just a few of the pictures.  My scrap booking skills are fundamental; I don't do a lot of embellishments (mainly because of the expense involved) -- just letting the pictures and celebrant be the star of the show.

I tried to pick a variety of pictures of her 

 with her kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and other family members.

She was one of eight children; extended family has always been important in her life.

Her two younger brothers, along with other family members and friends, will be attending the celebration.

Happy 100th (and counting) birthday to my favorite Mother-in-law!

I'm joining in the following blog parties:
Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Nancherrow for Fridays Unfolded
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Green Willow Pond for What We Accomplished Wednesday
Imparting Grace for Grace at Home Thursday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

PRAIRIE STYLE - FARM STYLE

I sometimes have conflicting thoughts about prairie/farm style.  I have trouble reconciling what I remember growing up on the prairies of Colorado in a farmhouse with what we see classified as prairie and/or farm style in our homes today.

This is my family's farm.  My parents lived in the tiny 3-room house in the center of the photo when I was born in 1938; and moved to the slightly bigger house across the road when I was 3.  (Click on the photo for a bigger view.) Grandma and Grandpa built the large Craftsman Bungalow in the 1910s shown center left in the photo.  When Grandma moved to town in the 1960s, my parents lived in the big house for a few years until the farm was sold.

So, because of my background, I devour magazines, blogs, anything on the web that goes by the title, Prairie Style or Farm Style.  I love it!  But, I don't remember our homes ever looking like so many of today's images.  

Our homes were nicely furnished, but not expensively.  We had wool carpets on the floors, well-made oak dressers and dining room chairs in a natural finish from the early 1900s, lovely walnut beds and end tables from the 1930s, comfortable overstuffed upholstery.  There was no chippy/distressed-painted furniture.  Grandma had a couple of painted small chests that had been damaged in a fire; but they were repainted every year for a clean look.  

There were no pillows made from feed sacks or burlap, no chipped dishes, no bead board, no utilitarian items in sight - nothing tattered and torn.

Some of what I see today in the style are items that came from the barns, workshops, and sheds of the farm.  

I don't love the style any less.  After all, our family farm had lots of out buildings with treasures to be discovered.  

As young-married kids, we loved scrounging around for those treasures for our new home - especially in what was known as the onion house with its dirt floor and the scale house, plus my Dad's workshop.  

I realize that this was my personal experience growing up in a prairie farmhouse - not all were the same.

This past week, I have thoroughly enjoyed perusing this new magazine.  It combines the feeling of the farmhouses of my youth with the style prevalent today.

Get out your magnifying glass and check it out to find those items that have moved today into the house from the outbuildings to combine with the nicer things of the era.

I'm joining the following:
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Knick of Time Interiors for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesdays
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

BALLOT BOX

At the silent auction of a neighboring town's museum recently, we put in a bid for a ballot box and won!  Apparently at one time, it was the law in Colorado that ballot boxes were to be glass so that the ballots could be seen at all times.  This ballot box was used here in Fremont County, Colorado until the 1970s for local elections.  BUT, this isn't what the ballot box and its carrying case looked like when we won the bid!

This is what we got for our $10 bid - a ballot box and its carrying case IN PIECES.  It was amazing to us that the glass parts were unbroken and, thus, the project was worth restoring.

Bob worked his magic - he loves projects like this!

Incised on the top piece of glass is "National Ballot Box - Pat. June 17, 1884"

"Mfg. by Amos Pettibone, Chicago"

You can see here the brass rings that hold the two glass pieces together to allow the ballots to be retrieved for counting.

This beauty will join our small collection of ballot boxes.  You can read about our Otero County, Colorado box here and our fraternal organization ballot box here.  

We keep thinking this has to stop as we are running out of room; but it's hard to resist a historical item like this for just $10.

I'm joining the following:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesdays
Green Willow Pond for What We Accomplished Wednesday
From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday