Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Working By Candle Light

It might be cold outside,
but it warms my heart 
with all of the sweet comments
you share with me.
You are the best friends one can have!
The majority of you 
liked my hooked house straight up.
It must be the artsy fartsy in me,
because I liked it on the angle.
Bob liked it straight up too.
I am the weird one. LOL


Today's story was one my dad often told me.


His parents...my gramma & grampa H
had a fine farmhouse.
They worked hard as dairy farmers.
When my dad was growing up though,
the farmhouse did not have electricity.


Dad and his siblings would have to do their
morning chores before school.
They actually did have to walk 
a mile each way to school and back.
The one room schoolhouse still stands today.
It was turned into a home now.

Any way, after nightly chores and dinner,
it was time for homework.


The kitchen was the heart of the farmhouse.


Dad and his siblings would gather around the table,
either by candlelight or lantern.


Dad blamed his bad eyes on doing
his homework at night.


I love my lit candle at night.
I do take for granted the convenience
of being able to have lights on.


Candle light is pure enjoyment,
not a necessity as it was for my dad.


Since my post on my shoes pertained to my mom,
so this story pertains to my dad.


This display is all that is school,
and doing homework,with a bit of Winter pulled in.


Now you might ask...
Janice what does this blue sock have to do
with your story.

Well it was another story my dad told me.
Gramma H always made a homemade
 cake for everyone on their birthday.
One year, one of my dad's brother's
wanted to bring the cake out to the table.
He had taken his shoes off but left
 his socks on.
Dad said he was being a showoff.
Uncle Ken came came out of the kitchen
rather ran out of the kitchen....
Do you know where this story is going?
Anyway Uncle Ken ran out of the kitchen
holding the birthday cake...
his birthday cake I have to add.
Holding it up in the air with one hand.
Of course he slipped and the cake 
ended up on him and the floor.
It seems funny now thinking about it...
but I know dad and the rest of the family
were not happy one bit.
Uncle Ken did not have a birthday cake that year.

It was one story my uncle could never live down.



For those new to my blog,
this portrait is of my dad's grandparents.
My paternal great grandparents 
Effie and Robert Wagner. 
Parents of my Gramma H.



Since today's stories were about my dad,
it was fitting to have this display
under my great grandparents portrait.

Oh yeah...the flowers you see I added
because gramma H was very fond of her flowers.

The jingle bells were just there because it reminded
me of the sleigh bells grampa H had in the barn.

In other news:
Today I took a personal day from work.
Bob and I are headed out on a pick.
A gentlemen called us to go through his mom's home.
We were told she was a hoarder.
The van is empty.
Hope to purchase some goodies for our store.

Candle Light Blessings To All!
Janice






18 comments:

  1. good luck on your pick and I hope they were not a true horder.
    I have a picture of my mother's grandmother but it has always scared me not sure why.
    cathy

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    Replies
    1. The pick was very overwhelming. A true hoarder. Sometimes the older pictures, the photographer told folks not to smile, so some of them do look scary. Janice

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  2. Love your stories! It's nice to have them - even the cake one..tee hee. Oh, have fun! Good luck and I hope you find some treasures!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jacky! A true hoarder. We found lots of goodies and plan on going back next week. Janice

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  3. Oh God bless the hoarder! How fun! And your story and photos are sweet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kimm! The grandson let us into his grandmothers home. He even said she was a hoarder. We spent hours there and came home with a van full..and going back again. Janice

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  4. Happy Tuesday Janice....and have great fun on the pick! How I wish I could be going with! Your vignettes and photos are particularly beautiful to me today...so warm and inviting...but then candlelight has that effect, doesn’t it? It is sometimes difficult to imagine what it truly was like “back then.” When I started hooking (ummm RUG hooking that is), I was be-moaning some of my wonky loops...and a much older, and wiser, hooker reminded me that many of the original rugs were done by candlelight or lamplight...and perfection was not expected. I think of that so often. Anyways...can’t wait to see your new treasures! Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin (PS....you wouldn’t want to sell that little faux boxwood candle ring, would you??? I decorate my dining room light with those at Christmas, and I am one short.....and have been for years LOL... Can’t seem to find them anymore....)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my Robin, I bought 4 of the boxwood wreaths at a prim shop in Findlay Ohio...but cannot part with them. We will go back in the Fall, and if they are there again, I can surely purchase one for you. Yep our foremothers were not perfectionist when hooking. Heck they did not even steam them when finished. Janice

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    2. Thanks so very much Janice.... I would truly appreciate your checking.

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  5. What a great story... love your display !
    Rose

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Rose. More Winter displays and stories to come. Janice

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  6. I so enjoy your family stories. put together they would make a sweet little book, especially illustrated with your photos. Always love your ideas. Hope you had success in your acquisition of goods for your store. Stay safe and warm

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  7. Thanks Sandy! I have more to share. The house was owned by a hoarder. Second worse house we have encountered. The only prims we found were a white whiskey jug and an early rug that folks add to a table. I have one of these myself. Will be taking it to the Holly show. Janice

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Thank you friends for reading my blog! I especially enjoy reading your comments.