Antique Memories - I Remember When

My website was hacked

2011-02-26T16:44:00.002-06:00

Why do people do this mess. You will notice that some photos and links are not working because a jerk hacked into my newly created website... so basically 2 yrs. of work have just gone down the drain with all the work on the new site.

I hope to have it all working again next week. Thanks for visiting.

Life in a "Dog Trot" House ; I love this special memory

2009-08-20T15:43:00.003-06:00

I love this "memory" sent in by a visitor to my antique shop website. Being a Texan myself I recall the days of getting the "switch" to the old buttocks area. It was really bad if you were asked to go cut your own switch, the child mind thinks smaller is better but in actuality it was like a little whip. When you are getting a whoopin' the bigger the better when it came to switches.

No, we were not abused children. Simply everyday kids who were disciplined when we broke the rules and yes we knew what the rules were. We got in trouble and got a spanking when we misbehaved. I can't speak for everyone but I don't have any traumatic emotional scars from getting a butt whipping I grew up to be a pretty decent adult who raised amazing children and used discipline appropriate to the incident including "the switch."

I also remember seeing many dog trot homes and wanting to live in one. The little breezeway between the buildings was a welcome respite from the Texas heat.

To this very day I call the refrigerator the icebox

Please read this special memory and try to visualize it if you can. Thank you for sharing and bringing memories back for me.

year_born: 1952
memory: A "dog trot" style house. There was no running water or electricity. Water came from the well on the backporch (leaning over the well and spitting into it got one an instant whipping with a switch).

There was a BIG black woodburning cookstove that never went out, and was in
a kitchen WAY at the back of the house, near the well. You went "out the
back"and up a trail, past the chicken coops, to an outhouse that had two holes,
but only in the daytime, because a chamber pot at night that neatly tucked under
the bed or the wooden "throne" with the chamber pot hidden in a cabinet
underneath was used at night.

In really cold weather, one slept between two featherbeds for warmth.
Kerosene lamps were used for lighting and candles were a terrible fire hazard
and rarely used at all. The "icebox" was just that, a wooden box on the
outside, metal inside, with a big chunk of ice inside. There was a "drip
pan" underneath that HAD to be emptied regularly, or there would be a stream of
icy water running across the kitchen floor. Fire extinguishers were sealed glass
containers, with water (or some clear liquid)inside mounted in heavy metal
brackets above doorways. They theoretically would explode in case of a
fire, and allow the water to make a wet spot where one could escape.

location: Country
state_lived_in: Texas

Please feel free to share your memories by emailing them to me or posting them as a comment and I will post them for you.

To read more about Dog Trot houses please visit this website http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/2002/Space/Evans%20Dogtrot%20Page.htm

Grandma's Special Platter Memories

2009-04-13T12:04:00.004-06:00

year_born: 1948

memory: I have a white platter with with sprays of yellow flowers at N. S. E. and West. There is a faint gold border around the edge of the oval slightly scalloped edge. I have dated it from your site as Feb of 1938.

My dear grandmother was a simple woman who took extraordinary pains as a supurb homemaker. As a small child, I remember her pouring hot syrup that we had carefully boiled to almost the "hardball" stage into this special platter. Then we would wait until it had cooled enough to start pulling for taffy.

I also remember that this was her Fried Chicken platter. The chickens came from her yard and were small and not like the monster birds in the grocery today. The entire chicken fit perfectly on the platter...she fried the back, gizzards and liver also.

Nothing was wasted. Feathers were saved for feather beds and pillows. I have only this one small platter but I treasure it. It is worth more than gold to me.

location: Arkansas

The Laughing Place

2009-04-13T11:54:00.004-06:00

year_born: 1957

memory: Auctions with my grandpa; I always got to bid on the trays because gram, served everyone off of them.

They had what we called the shelter house; on the southend was the kitchen, the water pump was on the west side and the wood burning stove on the east. There were 7 picnic tables, end to end and at the far end was a huge chandelier; acquired from the Palace theatre. Gram served all the people before she ever sat down. so I would make sure to buy the box of trays, ( and there was one at almost every auction).

Gradpa had cast iron cream separator, actually a couple. The old grinding wheels, of every size imaginable. The cobalt decorated crocks lined the driveway, (with Gramsflowers in them) and ever so many feet there'd be a buck board to sit on. There were so many cool things at their place (aka 'the Laughing Place'); people would stop and ask, 'are you open?' and Grandpa always said, 'we're always open, what can I do yafor?', whatever it was that caught their eye, they'd ask about and Grandpa would 'give' it to them. It happened so much, Gram was sick of antiques!

The Laughing Place is still there. My Uncle Gene wrote a song about the 'LaughingPlace', it goes something like this (in part);

Ol' briar rabbit has a laughing place in the middle of the ol'briar patch,
he can sit right there, look the farmer in the eye and never be his catch...
We'll I got me a laughin' place in the middle of the clear creek hills, I can
sit right here and watch the world drive by and never feel it's chills...

ty for letting me share. by Ginny Bell (aka Little Ginny)
location: Small townstate_lived_in: Ohio

Beautiful Memory of Granny and Special Occasions

2009-04-13T11:40:00.006-06:00

year_born: 1962

memory: My Granny was given for her wedding a complete table ware setting of J&G Meakin Persian Garden design in 1932 apx. Only on special occasions like Chrismas was it every used. I can remember from a young age carefully setting the dinning table with irish white linen and serviettes. Silver cutlery for 8 adults.

When xmas pudding was served I was allowed to hide six penses (coin money, silver about 5 centsback then) in the plum pud before serving them to the guest. My granny died 4 years ago and she left me the table set and my sister the tea cups pots and cake plate set. Unfortunatly family pilfered pieces for the memories. So now I am trying to collect the odds missing.

I now lay my table with white irish linen and on herbirthday, set the china out for my mother( her only daughter) in her late 60's. To eat and remember the happy times when granny was alive. Now she always is alive in our hearts.

location: South Australia Gawler outside of Adelaide

Original Number One Barbie... Dreams Do Come True

2009-04-13T11:30:00.002-06:00

year_born: 1962

memory: I had just traveled to Oregon for the Portland show. I said to a friend "I will never be able to add to my Vintage Barbie collection, the prices are so high.

"When I got back, I was on my way to visit the Cleminsons and stopped at a rundown Antique mall. There were many repro. #1 anniversary Barbies. I got all the way through the mall and looked in a dirty jewelry counter 50 ft from the cashier.There was a naked Barbie doll in the bottom. I looked at the tag it said old Barbie $5000. I looked closer at the dolls face. Something was strange about it. I thought it was a repro, then I suspiciously looked at the bottom of the feet. There were holes with copper tubes!! This was the REAL #1 doll! I looked closer at the price, it said $50.00. I almost died!!

I got the cashier to bring it out and went right to the checkstand. A lady next to me was very curious, I played it down. I put an extra $250.00 in an envelope for the dealer with a note thanking her for the opportunity to add to my collection.

Who said God doesnt care about the small stuff? He is a good Father who knows what touches our hearts. I was truly blessed and my faith has increased. My lesson is "never say never", all things are possible with God!

Purple Ceramic Cow Creamer

2008-07-17T18:57:00.004-06:00

year_born: 1968

memory: When I was a child my mother had a purple ceramic cow creamer. She would put it on the table and put milk or cream in it for coffee use, or, if we were having cereal, she would put milk in it for pouring on our bowl of cereal; that kept the jug of milk in the refrigerator, still cold. I LOVED that cow!

My sister, on the other hand, hated it; she said that when the milk came out of the cow's mouth, it looked like it was throwing up! I told her SHE was sick!

Needless to say, the cow now sits in my china cabinet. Think I'll get it out and use it a little more often.

location: Small town

state_lived_in: Alabama

Mom was everything a Mom should be

2008-07-17T18:57:00.002-06:00

year_born: 1943

memory: I have my mother's china from Edwin Knowles Co. that I am trying to find missing pieces for. It has the pottery bowl on the back that says semi vitreous, and the numbers underneath are 41-3 or 41-8. We were a blue collar family, mom was a stay-at-home mom, and this was her "good china". The only ones that I remember her using were the salad plates and they were used daily for eggs and lunch. At Christmas we would get out the "good china" and the table would look so pretty. She must have used the coffee cups because all I have are the saucers and no cups. I have searched many places for replacement pieces and your site is the best one I have found for information. I would love to find the few pieces that I don't have to finish the collection.

I remember when I was 16 I went to work for the dime store and was so proud when I bought Mom a new set of dishes--Melmac! Little did I know that I was replacing a loved and cherished memory.

Mom was a beautiful seamstress and made all of my clothes. And yes, I remember having "flour sack" clothes, especially when I was young. She was raised on a small farm in Mo. and we visited there every summer for a few weeks. My dream was always to buy the farm and live there but unfortunately, that wasn't to be. A cousin lost it in a failed restaurant venture and we can't even go look at it anymore. But oh, the memories.

Mom was everything a Mom should be--a soft shoulder to cry on, a loving and caring real LADY, but we also knew when she meant business! I lost her when she was only 63and that has been the hardest thing I have ever lived through but she taught me that faith can move mountains.

She was also a talented poet and writer. Her dream was always to have her writings published but it was too costly. So several years after she passed away, my husband and I sat down at the "new-fangled typewriter" (our first computer) and made her book of poems and writings. We put a graphic with each one and then printed them, one for each child and grandchild. It is one of my most cherished possessions. Unfortunately, I didn't inherit her ability for poetry but I can write a little bit and I inherited her ability to sew.

Thank you for allowing me to share my wonderful memories!

location: Small town

state_lived_in: Illinois

Working at Wagner Cast Iron - Wagner Ware

2008-06-05T16:48:00.003-06:00

My dad worked at Wagner's for over 40 years and we had about every piece of ware they had from the kettle to some larger pieces that never made it to market .

I remember when the cubaloads blew and there was black dust every where wow what a mess seeing as we lived right across from the factory and parking lot .

My mom cooked in nothing but Wagner ware she loved and it and as a matter of fact that's what I use also handed down pieces from my grandmother .

My father is gone now for 5 years but I can still see him coming home from the shop hot, black and wore out from a hard days work.

Location: Sidney, Ohio

What Are Your Memories of Summer Time?

2008-04-25T18:17:00.002-06:00

Spring and Summer are my favorite times of year... and while I have quite a few memories to add to my blog, I would love to hear your memories of these wonderful seasons.

If you have photos that you can scan and email me that would really add to the memory post.

So get to digging through your old photographs and send me your memories and copies of your pictures.

Chatty Cathy Doll

2007-02-19T12:27:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1959

memory_description: It is a doll her name is Chatty Cathy. She has blond hair and a pink dress, lord only knows what happened to her underwear and socks and shoes. I still have her .
Wish I could find someone to make her talk again.

location: Small town
state_lived_in: Georgia

Granny Comment:

How many of us had Chatty Cathy dolls? How about Thumbelina, Tubsey, Cheerful Tearful, Baby First Step.... the dolls of the late 1950s and early 1960s were the best. I have seen reproduction or new issues of these dolls but nothing beats the originals.

Coppercraft Guild Party Memories

2007-02-19T11:20:00.001-06:00

year_born: 1938

memory: Coppercraft Guild. My mother fell in love with this...so did I. I even kept the original catalog and in my handwriting, I had written the original prices of each item in the catalog as they didn't print it. Long before Tupperware, the party plan was alive and well and that is how Mom got tons of Cooppercraft.

location: City
state_lived_in: Minnesota

Memories of a Constance Bannister Doll

2007-02-19T11:20:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1947

memory: I was five years old. My father came home from work with a big, heavy box-for me! It opened in three pieces on the livingroom floor. My eyes widened in amazement-it was a beautiful baby doll-I had never seen one like her before. She was made of heavy rubber-with features so sweet and pure-hands just like a baby's-little tiny fingers and littler toes! I bit of hair-all rubber- sat atop her little head. I remember seeing babies faces all over the open box. My mother told me that a lady photographer took pictures of real live babies and then had dolls fashioned from these pictures-how babies smile, move, etc. I was so thrilled and excited to own this, what I later came to be none as, my CONSTANCE BANNISTER DOLL. Her name became Candy--all those years ago.

Candy is still with me-and my grand-daughter loves her, too. My hope is that Candy will be passed on down the line from generation to generation along with that person's own story about my Candy Girl-as I call her. She is a bit the worse for the wear and tear of all these years-I want to have her fingers repaired-if someone knows of a place catering to doll repairs in the Brooklyn NY area? I would be very grateful.

The only regret I have about Candy is that I did not keep the original box she came in! How wonderful that would have been. Yet, the memory of that night over fifty two years ago is as clear as if it happened last night. I would not trade Candy for all the sweets in the world! One last thought-she still cries when you squeeze her little tummy-real hard, now-after all-she isn't that young anymore.....

location: City
state_lived_in: NEW YORK

Childhood Items Become Treasured Memories

2007-02-19T10:09:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1961

memory_description: My mom died about 13 years ago. I miss her much.

I have to admit, that long ago, I cared nothing for collectibles, vintage or antiques. Now I have the 1920's IRONS that were thrown in the fireplace to iron clothes, the crocks they used for so many things (including making saurkraut), the cast iron pot belly stove once used to heat a house (I use propane), and some REAL wood furniture (mahogony and early american maple), the depression glass I took for granted all my childhood.

I feel blessed to know all this history and I am honored to have it all in my home.

I have a 17 yr old daughter who doesn't care for any of it...I have to laugh, at her age, I thought all this stuff was goofy too. I hope someday, she will realize all the history and all the workmanship and all the worn beauty these things hold.

I have the Early American Maple table that helped me learn how to walk (I held on to that to pull up). I got to see my own daughter do the same thing years ago....She just had a son, I'm hoping he'll do the same in a few months.

Thank you for letting me share.

location: Small town
state_lived_in: Virginia

A Tragic Story With a Message

2007-02-19T09:27:00.005-06:00

This is a story of a rather recent event that involved an antique family bible from 1850.

Tragically, I lost my son in the war in Iraq, and my chaplain spent hours on writing a sermon for the service. Having never been confronted with such a young loss, he chose the story of David and Goliath to describe my son's efforts and bravery.

Weeks later, during a visit, i showed him these two antique family bibles that I had picked up at an estate sale in 1992. Big thick books that they are, he handled them with the utmost care, using a touch as soft as a feather to open the fragile pages.

These bibles had not been opened for ten years, but sat on a shelf.

In his hands, the book opened to a page, and he gasped. I thought it was in appreciation of the book, but instead he speechlessly pointed to the page, and so I looked. It was the story of David and Goliath.

~ tricia langley Proud Marine Mom of LCpl Sean Michael Langley kia 11-07-2004

location: City
state_lived_in: KY

Granny Comment:
When I first received this email, I wept like I have not in years. I felt as if the life had been sucked out of me but later when I went back and re-read it I saw that Tricia's son was reaching out to his mom to let her know that he is okay. Not that this lessens the pain of her loss. The relationship between a mother and her son is very special and he needed her to know that he is safe and unhurt in his new place.

I want to thank Tricia for sharing this with me, with all of us.

Vintage Seaplane Toy

2007-02-19T09:27:00.004-06:00

year_born: 1946

memory_description: I remember as a child, my Father was an Electrician and worked for TVA all over the SouthEast. He would bring presents to my Brother and I and one of the presents was a Sea-Plane with pontoons that you wound with a key and it would move as a Sea-Plane trying to takeoff. My parents had a hard time trying to get me out of the bathtub.

I saw one listed on eBay that was close to the design but not just right. Who know's, if I find one my wife may have a hard time getting me out of the bath.

At 60 I'm still a child at heart and I don't plan on ever growing up.

location: Farm
state_lived_in: MI

Family Thanksgiving and Family Cookbook Memories

2007-02-19T09:27:00.003-06:00

year_born: 1960

memory_description: Our Thanksgiving family reunions at the Baptist Encampment in Brownwood, Texas in the 1960's. My maternal grandmother was from a Texas pioneer farming family and had 12 brothers and sisters. Each Thanksgiving the great aunts and great uncles and their children and grandchildren would gather from all over Texas and the nation to celebrate, give thanks, and reconnect with each other. We always made the trip from Denver, Colorado.

I remember lots of hugs and kisses, and cousins to play with. Dinner was cooked by the great aunts and my grandmother. Their cooking was so loved by all of the family that they were talked into making a family cookbook to share with current and future generations. To this day, I have an original copy (given to me by my mother)and I have made copies to pass on to my sister and her daughter. I will also have copies ready for my sons' wives when that time comes. It is my most tresured cookbook!

location: City
state_lived_in: Colorado

Granny Comment:
I love the cookbook idea, a friend of ours did the same thing. They collected recipes from everyone in the family, had them bound into book form and gave them away.
I am doing the same for my family and hubby's family There is nothing that expresses love quite like food.

Collectible Presidential Spoons

2007-02-19T09:27:00.001-06:00

year_born: 1958

memory_description: My Grandparents gave me the whole set of presidential spoons, just like the one on your site, as a child. I still have them George Washington - John Kennedy

location: Country
state_lived_in: IN

Copper Mug Fountain Drink, Old Time Fountain Drink

2007-02-19T09:27:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1938

memory_description: When i was in junior high school grades 7-9 we use to stop at a drug store that had a fountain and they served a drink called a copper mug. It was a copper mug chilled and filled with I believe root beer. Not really sure but it tasted teriffic.

location: City
state_lived_in: wisconsin

Mama's Singer Sewing Machine and Hoosier Cabinet

2006-11-01T13:45:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1942

memory_description: I learned to sew on my Mama's Singer Sewing Machine. The first item I made was a half slip.

Also, in our kitchen was a Hoosier Cabinet --I learned to mix up cake batter and fudge and made my coconut cake from scratch--I have the old Hoosie Cabinet now in my country kitchen and I still can remember when I did all the things with them.

location memory occured: Small town

state_lived_in: Danville, Va.

Laundry Soap Silver Leaf Glass Giveaways

2006-11-01T13:22:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1945

memory_description: I was married in the early 60's and my sister in-law and I used to collect the silver leaf glasses out of laundry soap. These were given as a premium. I still have them to this day. Amazed at what they sell for today.

state_lived_in: Washington

Polyester Memories - Caftans and Bell Bottoms

2006-11-01T12:52:00.000-06:00

year_born: 1957

memory_description: Hi Gran,

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the caftan and bell-bottom patterns while looking at your site! My Mom made about a dozen of those caftans in all the LOUD polyester fabric(if you want to call it), when I was in highschool. She even made some for the other ladies in the family. Christmas was like an acid trip! Way too much color early Christmas morning!!Thanks so much for the memory, and making me feel really old, knowing I made bell-bottoms for myself. But I NEVER wore one of those crazy caftans! Well, never say never, I guess it could happen. But please God, NO!

state_lived_in: Fort Worth, Texas

Plush Space Mouse When I Had Mumps

2006-10-14T09:58:00.000-06:00

I purchased a little plush Space Mouse from your online antique shop.

When I was about 7 years-old in the 1940s I got the mumps. My mom bought me this very plush space mouse for me while I was sick. He was my constant companion throughout my childhood.

As the years went by I eventually lost my dear friend the Space Mouse. One day when looking on the Internet there was my dear friend.

Thank you for providing my Space Mouse friend. I will not let him go this time.

What is your favorite heirloom?

2006-09-23T22:31:00.000-06:00

PLEASE... participate and let us know what your favorite memories of childhood are.

Do you have a family heirloom that you treasure?

Talk to your grandparent's or aunts and uncles and ask them for some memories.

Antique Memories - I Remember When

2006-07-24T22:13:00.000-06:00

Tell us your memories... please share.

With our mobile, minimalist society our memories of the past are not getting passed along through the written word, pictures or voice.

Family photos get sold in garage sales or simply thrown away because no one wants to mess with them or knows who the people are. Grandparent's, aunts and uncles live across the country from their families and grandchildren and do not communicate and when they do... the younger generation really doesn't want to hear about "The Good Old Days."

WELL I DO, I WANT TO KNOW, I AM INTERESTED !!!

So please, if you don't want to use the computer, my mailing address is on the left side of the page, you can mail me your memories or photos. A tape recording would be great too. I will then post the information here on this web log for others to read and learn from.

No personal information will be given, I promise.

If you need something to jog your memory you can look at my antique shop site and see if there is something on there that brings back a memory.

Thank you for helping with this project.