I’m going to make an attempt to write a post every day, as has been the norm around here for several years. I may fail at times. You all know what’s been going on and that I feel emotionally and physically drained by (most recently) my father’s death and Scout’s death. That continues. Crying is the norm these days, for both Don and me. Exhaustion and erratic sleep are also a constant.
Don’t worry, we’re taking care of ourselves. Nevertheless, we are struggling.
Yesterday, we took a drive, thinking we’d look at a favorite antique shop. We did, but my goodness, it was disappointing. There’s a difference between vintage/antique and junk. Unfortunately, the vast majority of items being sold by individual dealers were what I would call junk. Of course, that might be another man’s treasure, and I certainly don’t go for high-end antiques, but somewhere there is a middle ground and it wasn’t in evidence yesterday. Lots and lots of ‘stuff.’
Ah well. We did split some fries, and they were yummy. There is that.
While I was in Hartford, I succumbed to some more pieces of Roseville pottery. One was waiting on our porch steps when we came home on Saturday. Another is on its way.
This is a 7 inch bud vase in the Clematis pattern. It was a steal at $17.50. (I think I’m the only one who placed a bid.) You’ll notice I only share the price of a piece of pottery with you when I get a really great deal. Otherwise, I’m mum on the subject. $17.50 for any piece of Roseville would have been unheard of a few years back…maybe for a badly damaged piece. Maybe.
The other side.
I’ve cleared a shelf in the pink cabinet in my office and I’m going to display some of my Roseville there. The pink vase I bought last month is there. This piece will be there. My Zephyr Lily console bowl is already there and the piece that’s coming later this week might live there as well. We’ll see.
This one is flawless – no chips or cracks. It matches the flower frog that Barbara gave me…
Remember?
Clearly, Roseville is my current passion. I love all my McCoy and I have a lot of it, so I am less apt to purchase anything new, simply because I have most of the pieces I want. I saw some McCoy yesterday; some of it I already had, some of it wasn’t my style. The same thing happens when I search on eBay.
But Roseville is another story.
What else? I’m currently reading the most recent Simon Serrailler mystery by Susan Hill. After that, I will be all caught up. Sob. I’m doing laundry and some minor cleaning. I have a lot of sorting and organizing and dumping to do around here, but though I think about it a lot, I’m just not motivated at the moment. In time.
Happy Monday.
Currently reading the lastest Simon Serrallier book right along with you. Thanks to your glowing recommendation, I started the series and have loved it. I hope there will be another coming soonish :-)
Me too, Vicki. It’s an excellent series!
Good Morning, Claudia, we are glad to see you start blogging (hopefully) every day again, and trust it will help.
Thank you, Patricia. I have to make myself do it but I’m hoping the structure and routine will help.
Nice to have you back, Claudia. I’ve been in a dumping and sorting mode of late. It must be the spring fever kicking in. I enjoy seeing the pieces of pottery that you collect. I’m an eclectic style of collector, just picking up pieces of whatever grabs my fancy. It would be fun to have a certain theme, make it into a treasure hunt of sorts.
It is fun to do it that way. I have a lot of things that I’ve amassed over the years, but I do like having a certain category, like Roseville or McCoy, that I collect.
I love looking at your Roseville and McCoy pottery. I had never noticed it until you started showing yours. I even spotted some in one of the PBS Poirot episodes. They were sitting in his living room talking, and there in the background……
Oh, how neat! Good for you, Tana – you have an eagle eye!
I thought of you yesterday while I was finishing up the series Poldark Season 1….I got it from the library. Very good I thought…a PBS series. You and Don would enjoy it I think and maybe would help take your mind off your sorrow for a few hours….
I saw the original Poldark and I really liked it.
Glad you and Don made it back safely Claudia — sounds like you had a great opening night. And what a treat waiting for you on your steps when you arrived home – that bud vase is beautiful.
Thank you, Vera. It was a nice ‘welcome home’ present!
Good morning Claudia. I’m glad you’re back home. I, too, like to go look at antique stores. But I have found much the same thing as you mentioned. Lots of junk. Although, as you say, it could be another man’s treasure! I love your new pottery pieces. They’re very pretty. I’ve been busy sorting through things this winter when I have felt up to it and, in fact, just took four big boxes to the Goodwill last week. There’s much more where it came from unfortunately.
Blessings, Betsy
Same here, Betsy. I have to clean out closets and decide what to pitch, what to donate, and what to put in storage.
Pretty piece! I haven’t bought any pottery for at least 6 months…I’m on a self imposed restriction, until I do some more purging. With my son temporarily living here, it’s a little more difficult to make a mess, before you can organize. You know how it is! I do need to check out my special stores though…just to motivate me to get going again! Enjoy your day! ;)
You too, Donnamae. I, unfortunately, am not on a self-imposed restriction!
Nor should you be! ;)
xo
What a pretty vase. You can hardly buy a brand new vase (in a display of 17 of the same vases) for $17.50!! I love the color.
Sounds like many of us have a touch of Spring fever. Let the purging begin and/or continue!! I think mid-Feb through March is the hardest time of the year for me. Spring, on the calendar at least, is so close…. but in reality we know it is still so far away. However, we had flocks of Robins in the yard yesterday. It made my heart flutter a bit!! This is quite early for us. Maybe they heard what the Groundhog had to say?
We had a flock of robins in our yard today, Chris! I was excited! Oh, please, Spring, come soon!
Claudia, I love the vase! So pretty and what a wonderful surprise waiting for you when you arrived home. I’m having trouble sleeping again, just when I think I’m getting ‘better’ something hits me and I’m on the roller coaster going down again. I’ve got 4 boxes of items I’m selling to a friend who has a vintage booth and I’m so happy my treasures won’t be junk in a thrift store. It’s raining today so I’m feeling really droopy. My love to you and Don.
Linda
Both Don and I slept very little last night – maybe 4 hours? One night we’ll sleep really well and the next, not so well. It’s frustrating and I feel exhausted today. I can barely function! I hope your sleep gets better, Linda. xoxo
I have finished all the Simon Serrailler books. I enjoyed all of them. I had read she wasn’t writing any more books about Simon. That was up settling for me especially when I read the last page of the last book. I didn’t care for the ending. I just had to know for sure if there was another book that would finish telling me about Simon and his family. I wrote Susan to find out. Thi is what she wrote me.
Thank you. I’m pleased you enjoyed them, but no, that was the last. There may be one or two short stories but that’s all. I only intended to write 3 and I don’t want to go on writing crime, I have so many other books to do.
Best wishes
Susan Hill
I am truly disappointed that there won’t be anymore books about Simon and his family. Her other books do not appeal to me. Time to move on to other authors and other books. More than I can ever hope to read in my life time.
Oh, how disappointing! I love those books and if a series is going to end, the author should at least resolve things, don’t you think?
I have several friends back in Idaho who are antique dealers. I have watched them as they selected what to buy and what to pass on for their shops. For both the dealer and the picker, it’s a combination of knowledge and a “good eye”. Some dealers and pickers are so selective and then there are others who seem to think that just because something is old, it has value. As much as I love vintage and antiques, sometimes things are just junk. I do believe that you and Don need to plan a little trip. Go to some sweet little town in New England (there are so many to choose from) and just play for a couple of days. A couple of months after my Mom died, David and I stayed for an extended weekend in a hotel on the San Antonio Riverwalk. It really helped me to get away from home for a couple of days and just spend some quality time with David. It jump started the healing process for me. Think about doing something you two would enjoy.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
We are already planning a trip to Florida to see my sister and her family. Sun, walks along the beach, my sister, and my little nephew Z, who needs to meet Don. We’ll probably leave in a couple of weeks.
Hi Claudia, I’m enjoying Roseville through your collection, and it is really cool pottery. Thanks for sharing it all with us. Hope you can get some projects underway at your new crafting area, and I’m with Susan (above) … a little getaway somewhere with Don might be just the thing to help you along emotionally. It’s hard but thank goodness you have each other, a lovely cozy home, and the possibility of something new. I don’t trust those robins!!
See my answer to Susan, Dana. We are planning a little trip.
Hi Claudia,
So glad to see your spirits are trying to overcome. I truly know how hard it is.
My question is this – I want to read the Susan Hill series – as money will allow. How do I know
which is the first , 2nd etc??
Thanks
Just google ‘Simon Serrailler series in order’ and you’ll get a couple of sites that list them in order. The first is The Various Haunts of Men.
So glad you are back! One day at a time.
Yes. Thank you, Mamey.
So glad you’re both home together. The moments of sadness are tough, the memories sweet and the grief work exhausting. Take good care of each other.
I have found in my community that going to the Antique Mall is so much fun to search for treasures but the real finds lately have been at our local charity shop. So we do both but usually come out of the charity shop with true treasures for a fraction of the cost. I think our shop doesn’t do much checking on items, they just seem to unpack them, dust them off and put a tag on! Bonus for us!!
I don’t think we have the equivalent in my neck of the woods – our Salvation Army is always disappointing. I’ll have to check and see if there’s someplace I’ve missed.
I see it’s no use waiting any longer to add my words to a smaller flood. You have been in my heart, Claudia, along with a nephew who just lost his wife and our former pastor who just lost his wife ( both to cancer.) The words are few, but deeply felt. I am with you in heart. I know One holds you, even when you feel alone. Love and blessings
I’m so sorry to hear of the losses in your life, Lou. Thank you for your kind words.
I do think trying to do a post everyday again might be good for Claudia…the Roseville vase is just gorgeous…I’m anxious to see the other piece..I am happy to read that you and Don will be taking a trip to Florida…Don will finally get to meet Little Buddy!!..If you have time please take a picture of them together for us to see…I’m betting they will become best buds before the trip is over…lol..Take care…
I will. They will definitely be best buds, Nancy.
You’re amassing an amazing collection of Roseville. Lovely stuff; love it.
Okay, what did you mean by this? “You’ll notice I only share the price of a piece of pottery with you when I get a really great deal. Otherwise, I’m mum on the subject.” If it wasn’t such a good deal but you still bought it anyway, and you love it, that’s what counts. I’m frugal in some ways but wildly extravagant in others (not that I’m so proud of that, because certainly if I’d been overall thrifty in my life, I wouldn’t be going into retirement with a mortgage payment!).
Absolutely! I’m not apologizing for the prices I paid, it’s just not so interesting when it’s not a steal.
We are a lot alike – I am very frugal in many ways, but in others….extravagant.
How exciting to have a few more pieces to add to your beloved collection. You need to be good to yourself at this time. Gentle hugs to you, Claudia!
Thank you, Wendy. The pieces were treats to myself.
Your vase is lovely, Claudia, and such a great price. My husband and I visited a few antique stores this weekend and we were amazed at the stuff we saw. You are right…lots of junk, and not in a good way.
I know right now you are just trying to get through the days, but it sounds like you are taking good care of each other. Praying for comfort…xo
I know! A lot of junk out there, masquerading as antiques. It makes me shake my head, that’s for sure!