Antiques, Traditions & Friends

The Holidays.       Those two words invoke so many memories.  Like cherished antiques often hold memories too.  The extra dining table leafs that are only placed when family gathers around the table for the holiday meal.  And isn't unwrapping the delicate ornaments from days long past such a special a memory maker - the handmade grade-school ones; those that survived the move across country.  The special occasion ones. YES, these are antiques too.

Often in the restoring of antique furniture we can remind ourselves that the piece we are reviving will be placed in a home or office and it will most likely display something or be used for a special purpose. With this in mind, I look around our own home and rekindle the memories of furniture pieces and the collectibles we display.

This year our Christmas wish for you our antiquing friends and associates is that you will also take a moment amid the hurried holiday happenings and think about the history and tradition all around you in your own home.  And so....................., a wonderful early surprise Christmas present arrived this year from a dear friend, and it has stirred quite the lively conversation that naturally brings forth the re-telling of  a German Christmas tradition  - some of you may know of it                                         
 

THE LEGEND of the CHRISTMAS PICKLE.

Long ago in Germany the pickle legend began. The where's and why's are unknown  - perhaps it represented the three Wisemen's search for the baby Jesus -  for now, it is a tradition passed down generation to generation and enjoyed by the entire family. The last ornament placed on the tree is a small green pickle ornament and is done after the children are tucked in bed. It is hung with care and is hidden amongst the other ornaments tucked within the tree.  The search begins on Christmas morning as anxious eyes search through all ornaments gazing again on ones handmade, as gifts given, those marking anniversaries or travels and the ones lovingly handed down by parents and grandparents in the search for the lone pickle.

 The lucky person to find the pickle ornament can get a special treat. Perhaps they can be first to open a present or get the place of honor at the Christmas table.

- thank you Suzan, Merry Christmas

So what was this gift that sparked such lively conversation (?) 
An antique Pickle Castor from a dear, dear friend.


And as noted earlier - among our prized and cherished gifts ; memories, traditions, family and friends. And as with all Christmas's past, the most precious gift -  a selfless act of LOVE from ABOVE.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you !

November's Disappearance

Daylight savings time is now the first Sunday in November - should be no big deal since it only advanced one week from when it used to be the last Sunday in October. But it seemed that overnight the morning was still in darkness, and I was taking the dogs out using my flashlight. It also seemed that the evenings were growing shorter - in just a day's time - and thus it was then that the Barn winterization began a little earlier, and the projects that lay waiting the "next step" began to get stored up for the cold that was encroaching on the horizon.  And  then the c-c-c-o-o-l-d descended upon us.

In one brisk gust of wind, Halloween night blew in with temperatures dropping into the 20's; hammering rains, and impending SNOW.  Yes, snow for Halloween !  

So you ask, I assume, what does this all have to do with November !   Well, my apologies to you dear faithful antiquated reader - because for the first time in several years, we were unprepared for the rapid change of weather. The Barn was in a disarray for what seemed like the whole month of November.  We scurried to move the paint and varnishes to warmer locations. Soiled rags were sent to the bonfire because they had frozen stiff and were beyond cleaning.  The whole scene looked like a morgue of dismembered wooden legs (table legs that is) and droplets of cherry stain could have easily been mistaken for a  late October  All Hallows Eve Vampiric visit.

Thus, November disappeared between two turns of the calendar page - October and December.  Thank goodness the harvest decorations that adorned the walkway leading up to the Barn sufficed through the month, that is, until the deer started nibbling on our pumpkins - yep - right up to the Barn doors they came, apparently also caught off guard by the rapid temperature drops and approaching hunting season.

As I write this post, the antiques are all covered. Disassembled pieces have been numbered and stored. Tools have been oiled and shuttered. Supplies shelved and wood shavings swept into the burn bin. All is quiet and still.

And yet, I still wonder - where did November disappear to?  Perhaps it knew before we did to hunker down and ready itself for a long winters nap.