Collecting in Maryland

I've been away from the blog for quite a while, but I still have some things that never made it out of the vault in a prompt fashion. Last summer, my mother and I went camping up at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland, visiting Oakland and the surrounding areas. Braving cool nights and a wild thunderstorm, we still had a great time scouring antique shops and visiting a thriving art community in Grantsville. Of course, I came home with a few choice goodies to further feather the nest. It's safe to admit that I am a bower bird at heart.

1. The two British tea tins I unearthed in a church thrift sale in Oakland for a few cents each. I wouldn't want a lot of these, but I can think of numerous storage uses in a pantry. Considering I purchase my tea bags in bulk, these will work well to keep them dry and fresh.
2. This part of Maryland and West Virginia are chock full of Depression glass. A little research led me to find that many of the producers of this glass were located just a little north in Pennsylvania. With so many item and color options, it was exciting to compare the many different varieties. I settled on a sturdy salt and pepper pair in a pretty cornflower blue which will match other kitchen items I own. Should be useful when seasoning those Christmas roasts!
3. Another glass item from the same period, the green flower frog was a real steal. Many folks no longer would even know the use of such an item, but those that do tend to sell them at unreasonable prices. I got this one for a song, and the color is such a lovely delicate green. For those who don't know, you place one of these at the bottom of a vase or dish, and you can easily arrange flowers upright. Seems simple, but they do wonders.
4. We heard about Spruce Forest Artisan Village and decided to investigate. Boy, were we glad we did! Besides a gorgeous stone bridge across the river and several original Amish and Mennonite buildings, a group of talented artists keep shop in a collection of quaint cabins next to a lodge serving a fantastic lunch buffet. We were quite impressed with Gary Yoder's bird sculptures and Gene Gillespie's wood turnings. In the lodge shop, I instantly fell in love with the lively tiger maple in that rolling pin. Not having a rolling pin, but intending to bake a lot when I have my own kitchen, I took the opportunity. I am a total sucker for pretty wood. The shop happened to also have a miniature version of the rolling pin, so Mom got it for my little nephew to use. At Christmas, he loved the idea that his implements matched those of his aunt.
5. Also at the Artisan Village, we met a talented young lady who weaves baskets. It is rare to find high quality baskets in the age of plastic and metal. I picked out a large, oval piece with sturdy wooden feet in which to store my wool throws and reading material next to a couch.

Hankies and Switching to Cloth

I’ve gathered several hankies to combat my almost year round sniffles. I don’t always remember to use them, but when I do, I give myself a little pat on the back for saving yet another tissue. I must have killed tons of trees over the years. It’s actually got me thinking how much I could save (trees and money-wise) if I could use only cloth “paper towels.” I guess then I’d do tons of laundry instead… But maybe not. It’s an experiment I’d like to try someday. I’d have to categorize the towels: ones for yucky things like car oil, dust, and bugs, ones for bodily fluids, ones for food spills, etc. Maybe it all sounds crazy, but with the way trash is taking over the world, perhaps a little crazy is just what we need.