Sneak Preview! Vintage Jewelry Redux!

          Many good things have been happening recently that I'll be able to share soon...but for now, I'd like to show you something I'm calling "Vintage Redux."  Those of you who know me know that I'm pretty dotty about vintage jewelry of all kinds...but primarily anything with rhinestones, especially the grace and elegance of the older pieces!!

          I was very fortunate recently to acquire a stash of estate rhinestones that had been purchased in Europe, coming primarily from postwar Germany, Austria, and Italy.  There were enough "toys" in this collection to keep the most dedicated of us up to our proverbial ears with new projects for months!

          To start with however, I decided to do some repair work on a lot of vintage pieces whose rhinestones were yellowed, or repaired with yellowed glue, or just poorly repaired.  I have a stash of mountings that I've cleaned out and have been (let's face it!) hoarding, hoping that something would come along to restore these graceful designs.

           I displayed some of the repaired pieces recently at a local craft show and I was surprised at how many younger women fell in love with these vintage designs...I think that that alone shows the artistry of those long ago designers!!  Here is a sampling of a few of the pieces...if you like them, I'll be more than happy to share more (this is much like having your kids' pictures with you...always happy to share!!)

           This is more than likely a 20's-30's era piece.  It's the only one that got to retain some of its original parts, basically because I couldn't find anything else that fit those large "flowers" of the mounting at all the way they were made.  The blue "stones" are plastic, rhinestones are new, and the 4" piece is rhodium plated.

         

       This graceful 2-1/2" "leaf" style brooch is so elegant.  Can't you see this on the lapel of a suit or along the scoop neckline of a black dinner dress?  

 

The swirl of the leaves or petals and the graceful circle at the top (almost like a crown effect) gives this piece such a classy look.

          This next one is quite a large brooch, measuring 3-3/4" x 2-1/2", and is quite heavy for its size.

           I hadn't planned to do two brooches with blue, but it so happened that the only marquise or navette stones that were the right size on this one were that deep blue. 

          The effect with all the rhinestones made it an incredible re-do!  Pot metal casting, probably 20's-30's also.

          This sweet smaller brooch is, I think, probably 50's or a bit later.  It is rhodium plated, about 2-1/4" tall, and signed Coro. 

            Poor little thing had had a really rough life and since it has been redone, I don't think it qualifies to stand on its name alone, but its beautiful design makes it a worthwhile "save." 

          It took awhile to find enough baguettes alike to make this little one shine again!

         Hope these few tidbits will whet your "vintage" appetite...there are lots more on the work table...dress and fur clips, as well as brooches large and small. 

          Maybe I'll share some more of them soon!

The Ides of February!

          Most years, it's March!  This year is was February for sure!
          Starting with an insane glitch in my health insurance policy that took weeks to straighten out (turned out to be an internal glitch in their computers), a trip to the hospital for my computer (totally unrelated), and ending with what I thought was a sniffling, sneezing bug (turned out to be a form of rhinitis that is affecting scads of people due to our crazy warm winter weather), I readily embraced March with open arms!
         The health insurance is supposed to be straightened out, the computer is fixed, and my medication is taking hold (I had coughed so much I was in danger of losing my voice....and we certainly can't let THAT happen!!)  
         So....let's celebrate the fact that spring is trying its best to be early (which we know better than to believe in Oklahoma) by visiting the Ledger Ladies for some more of their recipes...I marked some interesting ones whilst trying to be quiet.

        Tucked away in the back of the second ledger were those clipped out recipes from the Cleveland Press plus a torn-in-half offering envelope from the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Ohio.  A quick look at the atlas shows us that Lakewood is just outside Cleveland,  so perhaps we can give our long ago ladies a sense of identity and refer to them as the Lakewood Ladies...and perhaps we might not be too far off.
         I've sorted through a lot of the recipes and discarded the ones where the faded handwriting was too difficult to read, or the directions left much to be desired (amazing how many things they "knew" from experience that we would have to have explained today!)    I decided against the recipe that called for "a piece of suet" (aren't you glad!) as well as the one for holiday fruit cake whose ingredients would make your eyes water!
         So...while I'm looking for the arrival of new insurance cards and waiting for the day that my sneezing and coughing will come to a welcome end, let's see if there's something that will interest you from those great gals...the Lakewood Ladies!
 

Treasure Pudding

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. honey
2 beaten eggs
1 c. chopped fruit  (it doesn't specify)
1 T lemon rind
1 c. grated carrots
1/2c walnut meats
2-1/2 c sifted flour
1 t. salt
2 t baking powder
1/2 t. soda
1/2 t. nutmeg
3/4 c. sweet milk

Cream shortening.  Add honey and blend.  Add beaten eggs.  Add fruit, rind, carrots and nuts.
Sift dry ingredients.  Add alternately with milk.
Bake in tube pan 1 hr. and 15 minutes at 325 degrees.  If baked in pan bake one hour.

Orange Sauce

3 T. flour  mix together with 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. orange juice
1 c. hot water, cook until thick.
 Add:
1 T grated orange rind and
3 T butter.

Serve hot.

Beulah's Frozen Grape Salad  

 (Note in margin says: Good!!)

2 3 oz. pkgs cream cheese
2 T mayonnaise
2 T. pineapple syrup
24 marshmallows quartered
1 #2 can (2-1/2 cups) pineapple tidbits drained
1 c. cream whipped
2 c Tokay grapes, halved and seeded.

Soften cream cheese, blend with mayonnaise.  Beat in the pineapple syrup.  Add marshmallows and drained pieapple tidbits..
Fold in whipped cream and grapes.  Pour into a 1 qt. refrigerator tray.  Freeze until firm.
Cut into squares.  Makes 8 servings.

Nippy Salad   ( Blanche's) 

(This was hard to decipher...thought it might be "nifty"...but read the ingredients.....)

1 pkg. lime jello
1-1/4 c boiling water
1 c. well-drained crushed pineapple
2 pkgs. of Philadelphia cream cheese 3 oz size
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T horseradish  (it says tablespoons...use your own discretion!)

When jello is partially set, add pineapple, cheese and mayonnaise and horseradish. 
 (I  put mayonnaise, pineapple and 2T horseradish in cream cheese and stir well until smooth and put in jello when partially set...we will assume "I" is Blanche).

          This one particularly intrigued me...I've never eaten an oatmeal cake, but love oatmeal cookies.

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake 

 9" square pan

1-1/4 c boiling water
1 c. quick rolled oats
1/2 c softened shortning
1 c. gran. sugar
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 c. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg

Frosting

1/4 c. melted butter/margarine
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
3 T cream or half and half
1/3 c. nuts, chopped
3/4 c. coconut

Pour water over oats and cover. Let stand 20 minutes.
Beat butter until creamy.  Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy.
Blend in vanilla and eggs.  Add oats mixture.  Mix well.
Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. 
Add to creamed mixture.  Mix well.
Pour batter into well greased and floured pan. 
Bake 350 degrees 50-55 mins.  Do not remove from pan.
Mix frosting all together; spread on cake.
Put under broiler for just a couple of seconds until bubbly.

           In the next few weeks I'll be gleaning recipes from some other very vintage sources: cookbooks I've found from the family of an Oklahoma beauty queen...and some down right home cooking from the past from good Oklahoma farm cooks!

           In the meantime, enjoy!

Every Book Tells a Story -- Even an Old Ledger!

         I've always been a pushover for old books...never met one I didn't like.  When you see them at estate sales and auctions, it's a little sad...you can't help but wonder if the person who owned them must have loved to curl up with them and get lost in the pages, for either a fascinating story, a wealth of information, even pictures of places and things they might never see.  At least there are usually other people like me who are always looking something special...something new to them...or maybe just something that piques their interest!
        That's what happened to me at an estate sale some months ago...two worn old ledgers with ragged pages all askew, the front cover completely off of one, pages looking to escape from another.  Couldn''t resist it...I had to see inside!

        The first page came off with the cover...there in the beautiful penmanship of a century ago were the words "Cash Account, April 1st, 1909"!!  Looking down the page there were entries very sporadically...by the bottom of that page it had moved into 1913!  That was enough for me!  I looked all over for a price that wasn't there and finally asked one of the ladies in chargewhat they wanted for it. 
        At first she looked rather stunned that anyone would be interested (!) then very apologetically asked if $5 would be too much!  Oh, little did she know!!!  I could hardly wait to get home and see what all was there!



         I showed them to my husband while I was taking care of some other things...after a few pages, he was beginning to wonder if these might have been the books for a long ago restaurant or bakery.   After the first few pages of rather mundane expenses, there were pages upon pages of recipes, mainly for desserts and occasionally salads, etc.  Then came lists of income from sales:  starting in June 1932 there were dates with the number of items sold and the price received....sometimes with the ingredients' costs in another column.  As it turned out, it really was a bakery of sorts...after reading page after page of the ledger, I came to the conclusion that this must have been a church women's group...and bake sales were a big part of their fund-raising efforts over the years!

        The second book yielded a large number of yellow legal pad pages where someone had tried to organize the wealth of recipes that had been accumulated.   Some of them note whose recipe it was...with the notation (sometimes) that it was "good" or "very good"!   It has been great fun reading through these...and from time to time I'll probably share some of the "very goods" with you. 



        These long ago ladies (a good many of them I would suspect since the ledger covers a number of years) seemed to be dedicated...and in that era good cooking and baking was an expected skill, an art form at times, and a matter of pride for the homemaker.  They would have marveled at the culinary assets we take for granted!   All this baking was done on ranges and in ovens we only see pictures of today.  Obviously none of these treats came out of a box either!
        Old cookbooks are a trip through the past in themselves...these tattered old ledgers give us an entirely different picture as well!

        For instance, at a June 1932 sale, 3 dozen cookies sold for $.60, 2 dozen cupcakes for $.50.  Their total revenue was $43.94...the cost of their groceries $18.97.    At the end of the day 117 dozen cookies, cupcakes, and coffee cakes (cinnamon rolls? maybe) and a one-layer cake were sold to bring in the $43.94!  

        There are references to dues paid to the Epworth League (varying amounts from $.50 up) and from time to time a rather substantial amount to the Fillmore Music House: $11.45.  Since I was a florist for many years, I was really interested in the amounts for flowers (usually at the same time invitations were sent out) that started at $2.50 and went up in the later years to $5.00 (for a centerpiece perhaps?)  
        The most I've been able to find about Fillmore was that it was in Cincinnati, Ohio as well as New York City.  
        The Epworth League was formed in 1889 at Cleveland, Ohio as a Methodist young adult association (18-35).  Today it has many branches and quite a few members, but at the time these ladies were baking it was still a young growing organization. 
        Some of the yellowed newspaper clippings in the second ledger are from a newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio, so perhaps our weary ledgers have not only survived a lot of years but had traveled from Ohio to Tulsa, Oklahoma sometime along the way!

         I'm sure that none of those long ago ladies ever thought that "their" recipes would still find the light of day almost a century later.  If they had known that this would come to pass, I'm sure that a few at least would have said, "Of course, you'll have to try Mrs. X's recipe...it's very good!" 
         And so we will!
 

 Grandma's Apple Nut Squares  (Doris)  Good!

 1 beaten egg
 3/4 c. granulated sugar
 1/2 tsp. vanilla
 1/2 c. sifted flour
 1/4 tsp salt
 2 tsps. baking powder
 1 cup chopped unpared tart apples
 1/2 cup walnuts

 Combine egg, sugar and vanilla. 
 Sift together dry ingredients, add to egg mixture and blend well.
 Stir in apples and nuts.
 Spread in 8x8x2" pan.  (greased, I suspect?)
 Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.
 Cut in squares.  Serve warm with ice cream or cream. 
 Makes 6 servings.

           Thank you, ladies!

Cabin Creek's Silver Saber - A Most Happy Fella'

        It's taken a long time to get to the point where I could write about our Saber...his leaving us was so sudden, so unexpected, and so heartbreaking that the words wouldn't come together.  But then I think that it's that way any time you lose one of your precious friends.  He was getting older...but he certainly didn't know it.  He lived every day with joyous unconcern, full of love, doting on the two of us and Belle, his soulmate.  He was the puppy we kept out of our beloved Shaena's last litter; his daddy our first Cabin Creek namesake:  Rebel Yell.

        (We live just on the edge of Cabin Creek, the site of two Civil War battles in Indian Territory.  Indian Territory was primarily Confederate in thinking...a lot of the Native Americans who were relocated on the Trail of Tears, especially the Cherokees, had been plantation and slave owners in the deep South. 
       There wasn't a lot of fighting in our area, but the second battle at Cabin Creek was a runaway victory for the Confederates who were desperate for clothing, shoes, medicines...any kind of supplies.  They even made off with a large amount of gold that was destined for Fort Gibson.  Today the stories still abound about where it was hidden.  There is still supposed to be a Yankee cannon in the creek just a few hundred feet from us, knocked off the bluff during the battle.  As far as we know it hasn't been "rescued"...but then....I'm not sure the "rescuer" would share that good news!)

          So...we decided that if our shepherds are already "dressed" in silver, it would be a natural name for them...dressed in the same colors as two of our great-grandparents!  

 

          Before Saber was full grown there came a time that we had to start making trips again and again to the University of Washington, some of them involving long stays.  My husband Les is a cancer survivor and the good doctors at UW were successful in killing the cancer in the base of his tongue, but afterwards we were faced trip after trip for reconstructive work.  Before we started this long saga, my husband built large pens for each of the dogs, with plenty of exercise room and shade.  Since we live in the country it wouldn't be a good idea to leave them loose.  With good neighbors who fed them each day and checked on our surroundings, we made our trips with peace of mind (and thankfulness for good friends!)

          The trips were necessary for a number of years and our boys seemed to be content with their situation...well, that is...unless there was a thunderstorm.  Rebel didn't like storms but would retire to his house; Saber on the other hand would do everything in his power to destroy the cyclone fence that stood between him and what he considered a safe haven...the side porch of our house.  The fence was repaired, re-enforced, and redone time after time; Saber would methodically reduce it to a tangled mess at the first sounds of thunder.  Once he got to the porch, he became his happy self...he just wanted to be with his humans!  Over the years of perfecting his escape method he developed a massive broad chest, probably the largest of any male we had ever had.  I think he probably could have pulled a one horse carriage by himself if his legs had been long enough!

          When Belle came into our lives, Saber was of course destined to be the father of puppies when Belle "came of age."  Belle was allowed to be the house dog and, being the diva she was, took her sweet time about deciding to become a mother.  But the wait was worth it!  It was a beautiful litter!



  

          A few years ago Rebel came to his path across the Rainbow Bridge; after that, Saber was decidedly lonely.  Les decided to remove the pens and let Saber stay in the yard (he was excellent at defining his boundries).  It wasn't very long though before Les decided that Saber should be able to join Belle as a house dog.  He acclimated as if he had known the rules all his life.  To say he was thrilled to be able to be with his "people" full time was an understatement.  We were sorry we hadn't made the decision sooner! 

         Even though he was older than Belle by a lot of years, he instinctively knew that Belle was the diva...and he chose to ignore the fact that she THOUGHT she was the dog in charge.  The only "rule" he accepted was that it was Belle's sofa (mainly because he really didn't care!)  His calling, as he saw it, was to take care of Les.  If Les was mowing the yard, Saber would patiently follow him back and forth (it's over 2 acres) until the mowing was done.  If Les was working on a fence (or anything else) Saber would choose a spot (in the shade if possible) where he could keep an eye on him.  Les was his hero in every way.  
         Saber was perpetually happy...he always had what amounted to a great big doggie smile on his face whenever you came into sight.  If he had been outside (even for five minutes) you would hear his thundering trot (we have hardwood floors) as he made a beeline to come greet you as if he had been gone for days.  Coming through a doorway with that big smile could happen dozens of times in one day!
         At night he considered himself guardian of the upstairs, never moving from his post until one of us was up in the morning.  Then there were the sounds of that massive tail making great thumping whacks hitting both sides of the walls in the hall....absolute joy that his people were about to embark another great day.  Each and every day was a new adventure that he enjoyed so much you couldn't help but enjoy it with him!

         Last winter northeast Oklahoma had an incredible blizzard; our corner of the state averaged 28-30" of snow.  We were totally immobile.  Les cleared the porch steps and a short path, but it was impossible to move either car.  At least we had electricity and water which was more than we had had in the two ice storms a couple of years before that...so we could stay put until it had melted somewhat.  One afternoon I could hear Saber barking wildly...Les came inside and told me I needed to come out and see what was happening.  

        Saber, his head held high so he could see over the snow, was literally plowing a path down the driveway!  That massive chest was as good as a plow!  He would hold his head up in joyous abandon, give a few happy barks, lower his head and "plow" several feet through the show, raise his head and repeat the process!  He "plowed" a path from our porch to the road which is about 300'!!!

        His path coming back to the house wasn't quiet as straight but he was just as happy about it!  Since that was the route to the mail box, he may have thought he was simply fixing things so we could go after the mail!!!  It was immaterial that the mail couldn't get there for days...he was totally happy with himself!

        He had almost another whole year with us.  My husband's nightly "ritual" is to go outside one last time before bedtime.  Both dogs go with him; it's their last bathroom break plus a patrol for "critters".  When Les came running back in that night I knew something was wrong...Saber had simply fallen over and  didn't get up.  My precious husband had been trying to give him CPR hoping to save him.  We both tried...not wanting to believe that it had happened so quickly.  
        He told me then that Belle and Saber had taken their run around the orchard as usual, had come back up on the porch and lay down by Les' chair...but when Les got up to come inside, Saber stood up part way and...just...didn't.   It happened so quickly that we simply couldn't believe it...it was one of the only two times in our lives I've seen my husband cry.
 
        Our only consolation is that he was doing the things he loved most.  We decided to put him in one of his favorite spots in the flower bed just off the patio...under a redbud tree.  It just seemed right.  I feel sure that when he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, God knew what Saber would want...Saber has picked a spot where he has a perfect view.  He will be waiting, quite contentedly watching, with that happy smile on his face...because...one of these days...he knows he'll see us again....

         Until then, sweet fellow....

Advent Again: and the Time of Waiting is Over!

           Not many of us are good at waiting (especially in this age of drive-thrus and fast food), no more today than in Bible times.  For years the prophets had reiterated God’s promises of a Messiah; for years the people had asked “When?” over and over again.

          Just as the eager child has his own visions of what might be in that brightly wrapped package, the people had their own visions of what the “conqueror,” the “mighty,” the “savior” would be.  That’s easy to understand after so many years of oppression, of disappointment, of waiting……someone would come and “even up the score”, “make things right,” and “life would be good again!”

          There had been signs of hope and joyful anticipation through the years as well...much like the gaily wrapped big package that looks like it might hold a wanted toy.   None had proved to be the Promised One…the disappointment was great, the waiting began again, and the anticipation would slowly grow…again and again.

          Unlike the happy child who knows from the calendar when Christmas has come, the people were caught unawares when the gift finally arrived.  With no fancy wrappings, with no fanfare, it was difficult to believe the waiting was over.  Sometimes the very best gifts are simple…and what you are least expecting…..

 *   *   *

     
     Much is said about the “silence” of that holy night.  I find it hard to believe that with that many people who had come to Bethlehem that there wasn’t noise somewhere!  If human nature was true to form, there might have been comings and goings from the inn, or soldiers patrolling the streets; I’m sure there were sounds of passing hoof beats, passing voices.  There was much going on with that many people “in town.”  The stable was probably quieter than a lot of other places.

         The hillside where the shepherds were was probably quiet except for animal noises, a quiet murmur from a ewe to soothe a wayward lamb, the rustling of a sheep or two finding a more comfortable spot.   When the angels appeared it must have been spectacular!  What an announcement!  What glorious music for that small audience.  What a surprise factor!
        
         Did all the shepherds go?  Did they have to decide who would stay with the flock?  Whatever they did, I doubt that they went to Bethlehem in total silence.  They must have been stunned by what they had witnessed; you would think they discussed this excitedly as they hurried down from the hills!  It would have been easy to hear them coming….

         The quiet came in God’s presentation of His gift.  The quiet would have come when the shepherds arrived.  The total awesomeness of that “surprise” factor…the gift presented in such a simple way…from God’s heart…offered to mankind in that moment, must have surrounded the shepherds in stunning awesome silence as they became the first witnesses to the perfect gift.  

           No mighty general with conquering armies…but with a power far greater than the world has ever known; no avenging one to “teach the others a lesson”…but one who taught profound lessons of love that would be farther reaching than they could ever know; no mighty hand to smite…but a tiny hand curled in his mother’s, which would bear the pain that would touch the world…a simple picture…and in this moment…came the silence.

          It is the simple gift that touches our hearts; it is quite often the most impressive.  The thoughtfulness and understanding that goes into it is so simple, so quiet, that we can often miss it…if we’re not looking within.  It’s when it enters our hearts that the silence is profound, awesome; it’s when our hearts are touched that we realize how much we are loved. 

         When we realize that….the waiting is over…and for all of us Christmas is, indeed, not the rest of the story, but the beginning of the rest of our lives.

         Thank you, God, for that simply perfect gift!         

Advent: A Time of Waiting

          On the first Sunday of Advent the reader was giving an explanation of its meaning…a time of preparation, of waiting, of anticipation.  For some reason my memory picked up on the words “waiting” and “anticipation” and took me back to the years when my brother and I shared the excitement of waiting…not in the liturgical sense, but in the ways that children have gladly embraced the adventure of Christmas with such glee.

           By the time my younger brother was old enough to be both a companion and a bit of an ornery sibling (six years’ difference), my parents had finally been able to buy a home…the first time they could call one theirs, a half acre of fertile bottom land close to the Arkansas River in between Tulsa and Sand Springs.  It had a wonderful yard and trees, but one of the attractions for us as children was the basement.  In bad weather it was a playroom; its concrete floor allowed roller skating (in tight circles).  It was Daddy’s workshop and Mother’s laundry area and storage for canning.

            Immediately after Thanksgiving, however, we were banned unceremoniously from the basement…Daddy went to work on secret projects and no one was allowed downstairs thereafter (although we would volunteer enthusiastically day after day to tote laundry down, retrieve canned goods for supper, etc.)  Daddy would retire to the basement after supper and we would listen for sounds that might give us a clue as to what he might be up to.  

           One of our looked-forward-to times was when the Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog arrived.  None of the endless supplements that fill the Sunday newspapers or the mindless jingles on TV today can hold a candle to the joy of the festive cover and exciting pages of those catalogs.  Since each of us wanted to peruse it first a truce had to be declared and we would ensconce ourselves flat in the middle of the floor, each armed with a different colored pencil, to make our marks on each and every delightful toy that we felt we could not possibly live without!

            Once through the catalog was not enough of course; something this important required several trips in case we had missed something.  We would then deliver our carefully notated “wish lists” to our parents in the utter faith that all those wonderful things would materialize under our tree.
              
            As soon as that was done we would start asking when we could put the tree up.  Nebulous answers were never good enough (I think Mother got wiser as time went on and hid the catalog when it arrived just to keep the clamoring down).  Finally a target date would be agreed upon…usually a weekend…and the excitement began.  From then on we offered to stop at every Christmas tree lot, or to go through every tree at grocery stores…our services were dutifully noted….and ignored.

          All would come together of course, we would pick out a tree, gather the decorations and spend hours deciding where each thing should go…I think our parents just closed their ears and let us do it…all but the lights of course…that was Daddy’s job.  (Oh, the wonder of the year we finally got bubble lights!)  At long last the tree would be finished, we would sigh in total admiration for a moment, then begin asking when the presents would appear. 

           We could hardly wait until after school to “attack” the setting, armed with our trusty pencils, shake, smell, and weigh each package (trying to figure out if it matched something on our lists), then number them in the order we planned to open them Christmas morning.
It must have been such fun for our parents to watch the seriousness with which we went through this drill…knowing full well that we would do it all over again the next day when another one or two appeared!

          Some of our packages had their numbers marked out so many times as they lost favor to a newer more exciting one that it became difficult to keep track of!  Finally we would begin the clamor of “could we open just ONE on Christmas Eve?”  That became a tradition along with hanging our stockings.

               The worst part about that morning was that we HAD to eat breakfast first; we viewed that as totally unnecessary.  When we finally managed to get a few required bites down, we were allowed our unbridled attack on Christmas.   We would see everything complete…first of all what Daddy had been making for us in the basement, and then a few last minute presents that would throw all our carefully orchestrated numbering out the proverbial window.  

           I don’t think we ever got very many of the things we had so faithfully marked in the catalog…I don’t think we were ever disappointed about it.  It was years before I realized how carefully our parents had to budget in order to have Christmas for us; that’s one reason the basement became the Santa’s workshop at Bruner Station. 

          One year they built me a doll house complete with electric lights (Christmas tree lights);

my brother got a wooden adaptation of the metal service station that was so popular for boys.   Another year my brother got his train set mounted on a frame that could slide under his bed without taking the train apart.  When I became a teenager Daddy built me a desk, wide enough to work on, study on, and pile endless treasures on.   What thought and planning went along with their budgeting.  

          We might have been quite taken by a new “this” or “that” in the catalog, or in the store windows downtown, but a carefully chosen jigsaw puzzle with the admonishment that they hoped we MIGHT be old enough to work it would send us to the kitchen table to prove we could.

         The magic of Christmas so often seems to get lost in the latest electronic frenzy or the hope of designer labels, of overloading the credit cards to make sure everything on the want list is provided.  I wish somehow that my parents had thought to write a “how-to” book on giving children a memorable Christmas, from time lines to the right gifts…and how to do it without losing sleep!

         I realize now how hard they worked to do what they did; I realize now that they had just as much fun “playing” us along by doling out simple gifts to whet our anticipation.  We never did figure out where they hid the presents…oh, we tried, we looked, we connived!  To this day I have no idea where they kept them!

         I realize now how they must have gone over our lists and discussed what they COULD do to make those childish wishes come true (as much as possible).   I realize now how much I didn’t realize how lucky we were!

         It was the anticipation…it was the waiting…it was the exuberance of our youth…it was a lot of cleverness on their part…it was a time of joy always (well…except for maybe the year my brother got an Erector set, left a lot of the little screws on the floor and Daddy walked through his room in the dark barefooted!).

        Most of all though, it was a time of love!  What more could we ask! 
        

Made in America - It's Not Just for Christmas!

     I've loved looking forward to each installment of the "Made in America" series on the ABC Evening News.  It's been a bit shocking, if not entirely unexpected, to find that most of us are surrounded by "Made Everywhere Else" items in our homes, even to our clothing and grocery items.  The challenge to Americans to buy at least some of their Christmas gifts with an American label has spurred lots of "guess what I've found' ideas.  It's wonderful!

      Anyone who knows me knows I have had a long standing love affair with things from the past, from vintage clothing and jewelry to collectibles, and that is what is primarily carried in all the Galleria stores.  Without doing an inventory, I think I could safely say that the vast majority of the items there will proudly carry labels that are definitely made in America.  The quality and workmanship of our couturiers' designs of the past are evident in the fact that so many of these dresses are still quite wearable today.   There was, as Americans designers came into their own, the same standards of quality that had long been associated with those in Europe.

      Actually, a great many of the early jewelry designers fled to America at the threat of war and were responsible for creating some of the masterpieces, as well as the design standards, that make so many names in vintage jewelry highly collectible today.

      The American dream walked hand in hand with American built products and ingenuity for a good many years.  It's a shame that things changed as they did.   What's been eye-opening has been finding out how many companies, both large and small, are still operating....and are thrilled to find this new spotlight.  Some have been around for years (did you know Crayolas and the venerable Slinky are still manufactured here?)  Others are companies with new and innovative ideas that are quietly (until now) letting us know that they believe in America. 

       The Facebook page for the Evening News was filled with requests for lists of American-made goods and the answers have been plentiful.  One that I spent a good while last evening pouring over is http://www.madeinusa.org/.  You'll be surprised how many familiar names you'll see...and how many you'll want to bookmark to visit!  (I was delighted to see some familiar Oklahoma names there!)  Try also http://www.madeinusaforever.com/.  

       Most of us are familiar with food specialty companies: fruit and cheese, candies, jams and jellies that have beautiful color catalogs to shop from...but I was surprised to see a lot of unique creations too from syrups and honey, to salsas and sauces...even a Montana company that uses their native huckleberries in a variety of products!  (My husband has assured me that there is nothing quite like the Montana huckleberry...we'll be ordering!)     

        I really loved the Green Toys website although I'm not in the toy buying stage.  They make their colorful children's playthings from recycled plastic (bravo!) that is promised to be BPA/PVC free.   Another company makes a clever item called the "bobble"....dedicated to giving you a"carry with you" permanent water bottle with the reusable filter that lets you purify your own tap water.  (Think of the landfill space that can be saved!!) 

       I've already ordered a couple of things...including our very first pairs of socks from Creekwater, a company in Georgia, made from organic alpaca fleece.   They are said to be comfortable, 3 times warmer than wool (after our Oklahoma ice storms and the 30" deep snow we had last year, that part sounds divine!), and keep your feet dry.   I won't know until we try them how marvelous they are...but I'm willing to simply because I think alpacas are adorable!

      Some of the viewers' ideas are even more thoughtful...supporting your local businesses by giving a local gift.  A gift certificate for a haircut or beauty salon visit...think even a dinner out...an oil change..or a bit of lawn care would be so appreciated by someone who is really stretching a budget!  I was a local business in a small town for a number of years; that type of thinking would have been welcomed by merchants and neighbors alike!

     I was actually getting ready to write an entry reminiscing about some Christmas' past...and started reading about bubble lights.  Although they actually began in Europe, they have been manufactured in the USA ever since the 1940's...there's a track record!  I also read all the printing on some boxes of vintage Shiny Brite and other round glass ornaments that I've been trying to find time to list.  Each and every one of the four boxes was manufactured in America!  Love it!   Maybe I'll get to the bubble lights story after the first of the week....



      Americans are going through some difficult times...a lot of the news stories are enough to break your heart, others that show our innate kindness to others give us hope.  I have a lot of faith in "us"...we're made of "the right stuff" to borrow that phrase.  Tough times will usually bring us together, bring out the best in us...maybe that's just exactly what the "Made in America" message is all about...reminding us to care and help...and we'll survive!

      It's also one of the profound messages of Christmas...touching others with caring and kindness.  After all...the most overwhelming Gift of all times came to us at Christmas.  It's the perfect time of the year!