Once A Doll Was My Only Companion

Mildred grunted as she shoved on the old camel backed trunk in the hall. It had been months since she had last pushed it to one side and vacuumed behind the damned thing. 

"Really!" She cursed as her back complained.

"I should just send it home with Sarah when she comes next!" (Sarah was her daughter who lived in Toronto.)

She stood straight, attempting to relax the developing kink from her spine and noticed that there was something sticking out from under the lid.

"Crap! What ta hell's that now!"

She bent over again, much to her spine's disgust and gripped the old metal latches, reefed on the lid, effectively plunking it back against the papered wall.

"Shit!" She checked the wall to see if the trunk had marked the faded roses of the upper halls' wallpaper. "That's all I need is to have to re-wallpaper this old barn!" She muttered.

Satisfying herself that there was no damage, she turned back to the open trunk to see what had poked out and...

"Oh!" Her fingers reached towards the object with certainly a will of their own.

"Miranda!"

Her mind raced back.

Back to the Christmas when she was just six years old and just plain Millie. She had been a big girl at six. No, not because of height or weight, but because of her responsibilities and chores.

"Oh Miranda! I've forgotten you were in there!" She snuggled the old, worn doll to her face, drawing in the musty trunk smell, perhaps hoping the essence of her youth could still be found in there somewhere. 

A tear found it's way down her wrinkled cheek, her faded blue eyes awash. 

"Do you remember when I discovered you under the pine branches?" Her father had only cut a few scotch pine branches, stuffing them into a coffee can for a Christmas tree. 
No extravagances there.

The minister's wife had taken pity on the little girl who was forced to be so grown up.
A parcel had been dropped off on Christmas eve.

"You were a dream come true. Do you remember I never left you alone after that?" She had in fact fashioned a sort of knapsack for the doll from a sugar bag and had carried Miranda with her everywhere. 

"I was afraid someone would steal you away from me!" 
Mildred touched the dolls nose with a worn finger of her own, then brushing the frizzy hair from the dolls eyes as any mother would for her beloved child.

"You look the worst for wear... Kinda like me!" She chortled! 
The smile left and Mildred's face took on a serious look.
"I named you Miranda 'cause it was sort of like my name, only glamorous! Did you know that dollie?" 
Spoken more like an announcement than a secret.

She cradled the doll for a moment, humming softly an ancient half forgotten lullaby and then gently placed the doll back into the trunk, just on top of the magazines and the other odd, worthless bits that she had saved over her life. She pulled a scrunched up tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her tears.

"No... I'll not send you to Sarah's house. Not yet my sweet." She closed the lid, violently shoved the vacuums' nozzle behind, sucked up all the offending dust and pushed the trunk back up against the wall. 
A little more gently this time.

She patted the lid before she walked away.

"Rest well my baby. You were my only friend once. I'll never abandon you!"

...And Mildred trailed away, vacuum screeching and searching the corners, her mind caught up by the tedious job at hand.

 

Each and every item we see in a thrift shop or antique market was once loved by a real person.

 

Whose small lips kissed this worn cracked face vowing to always be there?

 

Whose loving arms once held her baby swearing she'd be the only one?

 

I see things on a shelf or in a box and wonder....

 

Why did they have to end up here?

Can someone take them home for me?

All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

How can something so bad be so good?

King George's is British.

Cigarettes and tobacco. 

I've already told you I used to smoke years ago. 

This tin says Quebec, (Canada) right on the label.


But what is it that the tins are still so beautiful? How did they know back when these were produced that colors and patterns and illustrations made a difference in who bought what?

I don't know if these are Canadian or American. Some of these are pipe tobacco tins and some for home rollies. Hmmm... Did the Red Rose go well with Red Rose Tea? (Says Quebec on the label too!)

 

Leave it to the Brit's to not succumb to gaudy colors!

 

It wasn't only Players that used Baby Blue either! 

A collection of tins for you!

Small, colorful and easy to store.

Something like if you can't do... teach?

All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

My Hero

I close my eyes and draw in a deep breath and I remember what it felt like!
Sweet, cloying smoke that just made the world seem right.

A lungfull of the thick, vibrant stuff that comes from a cigarette. From my Players cigarette in fact.


Beautiful sky blue package and the sleeve that slipped in and out, revealing those tubes of joy. (Canadian Package remember, not a box. ) Nothing marred with a filter here, just whiteness and the feel so fine in my nervous fingers.

I would hold it and flick the tube, sending an amber ball shooting off with the ash.

The cigarettes were my hero. Didn't you know?

See? It says so on his cap!

 

  

Of course I quit smoking many years ago and these tins were used by my Dad's generation, but they are more glamorous than the boxes that still exist. I used to point out the hero thing on the caps to people who also smoked Players and they had never noticed! The story is that this brand of cigarettes were brought out to sort of target the sailors. Subliminal marketing even then!

Winner of my 100th post contest is Richard at the Bewildered Brit

http://thebewilderedbrit.blogspot.com/


Congratulations and thanks to everyone who left a comment and entered. Hmmm... What'll I give away for the 200th?



All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

Antiquing

The Barbershop

A meeting place. A center for local social news and current events. A hub of each community.


We would always ask: "Daddy! Daddy! Where are you going? Can we come too?" 

And he would smile and say: "No, not this time. I'm going to get my ears lowered!"


We would giggle as little girls will do and would always yearn to go too....

This is an antique photograph taken by an unknown photographer. I don't know where this was either for sure, but could guess it was in Norfolk county, Ontario. Perhaps Simcoe or Delhi.

Re-Created for our eyes only and not for sale.

The prices just make me shake my head! 

Was anything EVER that cheap?

(I remember!)

The canister of the shaving baby is so cute! 

Is it old? Is it new? Who knows!

A simple collection of shaving brushes.

Look at the razors!

Of course Mustache cups were so in vogue.

My dad would have never worn a mustache!

Photographs taken with my digital camera: A Nikon P90

Display can be viewed at the Courtland, Ontario Antique Mall.

What's Inside? Courtland Warehouse

The Courtland Antique and Collectible Warehouse!


One of the many delights this little village has and well worth the drive or day trip! If you're coming from 'someplace far'... accommodation is only a half hour drive away in Simcoe or Tillsonburg.


This vintage Grist Mill holds a treasure trove of delights for a collector of anything! 

Come inside and see what we've got! 

 

This is a multi dealer mall featuring affordable quality antiques, gifts and collectibles. There's also a small cafe in back offering light refreshments.

One of the first thing to catch my eye was this set of Wedgewood dishes in soft, glossy blue. 

I find the powder blue irresistible!

Notice the old two by sixteens the roof is made of?

Any green glass collectors out there?

I personally love Flo Blue and have several plates of various patterns myself. 

The Fiesta ware pitchers are hard to find around here too!

Anybody building a rec room?

 

These wooden bobbins came from one of the local textile factories that used to be in the area.

They make great candle holders!

Books Galore! Wait! 

Is that a cook book for pies and tarts? I have to buy that!

I hope you've enjoyed tagging along with me and my sister today. 

We both enjoy junking and plan on many more trips.

Don't worry, you can pack on the back anytime!

What's Inside?

The Hilltop Old Tyme Market


Along a different east / west highway in Ontario; number two, is an old building that used to be a clay tile manufacturer.  (And also, a relative of mine was the owner when they made tile.)


Several years ago, someone tore down the brick kilns and cleaned the place up and created this enterprise. Now it is owned by Bob and Lynn Duval and it is chocked full of wonders and oddities!

 

I love how they managed to retain the rolled rooftop of the old buildings. Oh well, so they covered everything with aluminum siding... It hides a world of mess, doesn't it?

This is a market made up of consignors and they each rent a stall which results in the need to scour each booth with an apparent theme of chaos. I'm not sure why the picnic cooler is there in the forefront? (I didn't look inside!)

 

Some of the vendors do specialize in something and this 10 by 10 was stuffed full of vintage tools! 

I always got  a kick out of themed ashtrays!

 

I'm a sucker for a lovely cup and saucer. This one has quite a lot of gold leaf on it for a Royal Albert!  What do you think of the price?

There seemed to be dozens of vintage plaster plaques. For some reason, I adore them! 

Something for everyone's tastes and these fishing lures were in nice condition.

 

These china floral baskets are so hard to find without being covered with chips. I can picture my aunt's front room with these on her side tables!

More babies in a basket! The little sign was for the children, ordering them to keep the dollies in the basket!

(Well! That's just no fun!)

And to wrap it up, another basket of small servers! I think I'd keep my china in a more secure spot?

I have to let you know that I did buy something this trip, but it was a more modern hard cover titled: "John Kennedy in Vietnam" for Dick. He reads anything and everything on the man! I wanted a Long oval celery dish made by Avonware, England, but they wanted way too much for it!

So! Down the road I go again....
www.hilltopmarket.ca

All of these photos were again shot and loaded directly from my Nikon P90 and then posted without alteration of any kind.

What's Inside?

Chapter Two: The Courtland Antique Emporium.

If you haven't read yesterday's post, start there first! I promise, you'll smile and be happy! 
Antiques, nostalgic items galore and vintage things! A collector's dream!


We just had so much fun in this tiny Ontario village!
I didn't know what to photograph and what not to, so I just snapped away!

Come fly with me! This baby airplane was about six feet from head to tail!

Of course, I gravitated to the Fenton glass. All this blue just makes me dizzy with want.

 Anything familiar here? 

Go have a look at:

http://thebewilderedbrit.blogspot.com/

He has recently featured Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Remember when taking a picture meant two weeks to see the results? Did you have a Browne like I did?

Ah yes! The Ancient Order of Foresters. 

Google them sometime. An Insurance company actually. 

When I was little, I thought they were woodsmen!

(My uncle was you see...?)

 

The work and detail in this sash is exceptional though.

I couldn't resist this enamel kettle. I should have bought it just for my deck!

The Arrow shirt factory was not too far away in this area. 

This was an entire box of collars!

And every now and then we'd see some Americans!

Roseville pottery! Maybe this isn't as pretty as some of their pieces, but remarkable all the same.

And I walked out with nothing! WaH!

All pictures taken with my digital camera: My Nikon P90