Hit by a Train and Survived

Growing up I was told this amazing story more than once. My Great Grandmother was born in 1900. She had several siblings. Her mother out lived not one but three husbands and would later die of a family genetic issue, gall bladder disease. My Great Grandmother definitely came from a family who lived through many unusual happenings. A stark contrast from the very religious family she would marry into through my Great Grandfather.
I'm not kidding when I say a very captivating television show could be made about these intertwined lives. The many stories I have been told are quite colorful and some almost unbelievable.
This leads me to the story of my Great Aunt Lizzy. My Great Grandmother and her siblings at this time lived in a beautiful two story home across from a park in downtown. Their Stepfather owned an ice cream factory in town. The basement of the home had an ice cream shop. My Aunt Lizzy worked the shop.
My Aunt Lizzy went to town with her girlfriend. I am guessing this was around the year 1915. They were still in high school. It was late in the afternoon when they started to walk back home. It was a short walk and shorter if you cut across the railroad tracks. This was not uncommon back then. Trains in those days were dirty and spewed black smoke from their coal fired engines. This area was coal country too. Coal was mined and coke ovens dotted the country side. Pittsburgh steel mills were an hour train ride away. The sides of the tracks were heavily built up with loose coal and dirt. So the girls shoes had to get dirty and would be a lumpy walk. I guess they were walking along the tracks, something unheard of now. A train was approaching like they often did in those days. My Aunt Lizzy was talking to her friend and suddenly her friend yanked her and pulled them both in front of the train bearing down full speed on the tracks! In a flash they were both hit. The engineer had no chance to stop. Her friend apparently was immediately found and was obviously dead. However Aunt Lizzy was no where to be found! Soon men in town created a search team. They worked the area all around the tracks. They could not find her. Dusk was falling. The search party was told to go home until daylight. One of the men was walking down the rail on the way home. He still was looking around. He started to scream for help. An arm was  sticking out of a coal heap. By the grace of God my Aunt Lizzy was flung away from the train and the force buried her in the coal and left unconscious and for dead. They got her out and transported to the hospital. I was told she always kept her arm wrapped and it could not be used. She went on to live her life. The accident was left to family history and not talked about. My Great Grandmother and Great Aunt Lizzy had a younger sister who did not fair so well after another strange accident. Their Mother heard the child's screams in the sitting room. She got too close to the fire and her nightgown became engulfed in flames. My Great, Great Grandmother threw her down on the Persian rug and rolled her up to extinguish the flames. This sibling was very traumatized and I was told never the same. She lived at home until she passed away. Ironically my Great Grandmother went on to meet a young man who would become a successful employee on the railroad retiring as a conductor.

Solitude in the Country

Driving out of the bright lights, noise, never ending pavement and strip malls and into the country always starts out with a sigh of relief. Once I hit the mountainous terrain I start to smile. My body's senses immediately open up in a wash of freedom.

The tall trees lining the bendy road with their explosive shades of green this time of year makes me smile. My eyes dart to open expansive corn fields rigidly rowed against golden baled fields. The contrast is striking and makes my mind wander off into a Van Gogh painting. In the background my thoughts are lulled into relaxation with the sounds of classical and the occasional soft voice of the announcer explaining a movement or composer. I slow when passing lazy cows flicking their tails by a split rail fence. I am like a wide eyed tourist absorbing their life in the country. I hold a smile as I pass and around the bend is the familiar lake glittering from the cloudless, sunny sky. I look for boats and the water level and continue on. As I get closer to camp an Amish buggy is being pulled by a horse making a steady, slow trot in the heat. The man tips his hat and I wave. Oh, do I love the simple pleasures of the country!
I pull into the dusty, clay road off the paved mountain road and head up the hill to my camping spot. My travel trailer sits amongst trees waiting for me to extend the awning and open the windows. The fire pit is ready with wood. I can't wait to light it and set the grate with tin foil on it. The smoky wood makes the best hamburgers, steaks and hot dogs.
When I finally take a seat on my lounge chair I kick up my legs with a book in hand, a drink in the cup holder and lay back and close my eyes. I listen to the birds chirping, the squirrels zipping by and the chippies rustling the leaves in front of me. The cool air under the canopy of trees feels fresh and I am so glad to be turning the world off in the country.

Should I Use my Antiques and Collectibles?

First, do you know the original purpose for the vessel or furniture? I ask this because I think of a lady who showed me her "old soup tureen," she just loves! She knew I collected English Ironstone. She couldn't wait to show me her garage sale jackpot!
I had to delicately tell her the ribbed bowl with lid was a chamber pot! Again, do you know? What is a chamber pot? It was used for going to the bathroom. Generally slid under the bed if wealthier and emptied by a chamber maid. A chamber maid took care of your bedroom area. I thought this lady was going to faint after my reveal!

I have a family member who inherited a bureau desk from the 1700's. It's luster was carefully restored by a professional who understood true antique restoration. It is still being used for its original purpose and that is office papers and correspondents. This desk is easily worth over 20,000. Adults live in the house. Perhaps if there were children it would go in a spare bedroom until they got older.
Since I grew up in the business most things were always around me like an exotic menagerie. However very expensive glassware was kept in glass cases. My Grandfather really didn't care if I touched the other things. At one time he had a collection of iron toys and banks. They were so unique, you wanted to touch them. One of my favorites was a dentist you cocked back and it pulled out the patient's tooth in a chair! These banks range in price from $100-$1,000. There are many reproductions. In the 90's a perfume company gave away thousands of an Uncle Sam they reproduced.
I think antiques are meant to enjoy. If you have upholstered furniture you love with original fabric then maybe it's meant for a sitting room that is rarely used. Silk can be very delicate. I would seek a professional restoration company for advice. Sometimes covering fabric is tricky too because it needs to breath.
I would not fret over using collectibles like Pyrex, Smith, Westmoreland, Fiesta and Hull. My glass freezer containers are some of my favorite storage containers I take to parties. These are mass produced and hold value because people do like to use them. Still the best! I have a ceramic Hull mixing bowl I use weekly. If it's mass produced I would use it for sure.
What about Grandma's China? Is it hiding in a curio cabinet? I take my own China out for special occasions. If you don't use it, who will? If you're not fancy just treat yourself to a romantic candlelight dinner once in awhile.
Furthermore, unless it is truly an antique (around 1850 or before) or the materials extremely valuable, an important part of a genre's history then have fun and use it! Have you watched the, Then and Now episodes lately from Antiques Roadshow? Collecting is fast becoming a thing of the past for techy generations. So many prices have dipped to half from only 10-15 years ago.

Should I Fix or Refinish an Old Piece or Antique?

I was recently at a community garage sale and was peppered with questions about some "old" pieces. I put old into quotations because many times people think Grandma's old rocker or trinkets are antiques or collectibles. Most items you come across are mass produced and not worth much. Also the collecting market has declined from 15-20 years ago because thirty somethings and younger have little interest. We are living in a throw away, dollar store society. I grew up with the notion of buy the best and buy it once. Things have changed a lot. 

One of the items I was asked to look at was a basic dark wooden rocker with upholstered seat from around 1920-1940. This guy thought it was a gold mine cause it belonged to his Grandmother. Twenty years ago he may have gotten $100 because the market was hot on wood furniture.
Dealers would clean up the wood and reupholster the seat or tac it back up. Housewives wanted wood furniture, boxes, tools and more for country decor. Country and later called Prim decor was hot for about 10-15 years.
This chair had no carving, paint details, ball feet, scrolling or sharp mission style. The upholstery was not the original and the original tacs were long gone. It was just a mass produced chair for regular folk. With the market down and upholstery work expensive, he would be lucky to get $25. A person who does this work themselves could wax it up, fix the seat and be lucky to get $75-$100. I actually just spoke to a dealer today who quit fixing furniture. He said he is not getting his time and money back. 
Now you noticed I said regular folk. Folkarts still carry value. Folk art refers to utilitarian items. Generally these items were handmade out of necessity and used by middle and lower class citizens in the early 1900's or before. I have seen farm implements and wooden household items likely from around the 50's still have value because of their worn nature and beauty. Hand embroidery work telling a family history still holds value for prim and textile collectors too. Folkarts should not be "cleaned up." You are literally cleaning away history. Make thoughtful decisions. Should you just dust it with a rag? Should you use a mild soap and lightly clean? If things start to get sticky then you are in trouble because that sticky is the finish coming off! There is no turning back on that one. Replacing pieces is tricky too. I have a slaw board someone thought they restored. They ruined it. They took the original screws out and cleaned it so good it shows no wear. Now it is just another decor piece. If the piece is important to you or you want to resell then do research. Maybe even get a professional to work on it. Make sure they understand your goals and they understand furniture history. This is an old article but, still has great information. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tips/woodfinish.html
Folkart is about American history for collectors. It's someones hands who toiled away with a masher, broom, rake, wooden box, mallet, hog scraper, shoe box, tools and more. It is about Americans taking scrap wood or scrap from the foundry and making it into useful items. It was people able to take something from nothing and making it work. Really, isn't that the American dream?

Mother Nature is so Beautiful

In the middle of the night our apple tree creaked and groaned and with a thunderous crack it finally split in half. We heard the noise and wondered what could it be?
I opened the back door in the morning to let the pups out and looked out into the yard. I thought something does not seem right back there and then I realized, tree down! Now someone, and I am thinking my husband's Aunt Eve was watching over us from above. Because my husband loves to water ski and it is his relaxation time. Well, the tree literally came down between the boat and truck. It did not touch either one!
We got to enjoy that gnarly apple tree for 10 years. It fed the deer and in the beginning made some apple pies. It was here when we bought the house but, it made it's finale in the most glorious and perfect way. It bowed out before we had to cut it's rotting trunk down.
In one final gesture she has given us firewood, loose apple's for the deer and a beautiful picture of her woody inside. If I can salvage some of this piece, it might be varnished

for a piece of furniture or a wall hanging.

A Girl and her Dog from Pennsylvania

Meet the King of the house and my sweet boy, Larkin. He is a beautiful Sheltie born on Valentine's Day. I know of all days! He loves to swim in the pool and paws the side if you go in without him. He has quite the personality. He is compulsive so don't interrupt his routine!
If I give him too many kisses on his nose he growls at me while wagging his tail. If I sssh him it makes him growl harder as he hates to be ssshed. Although at this point it seems more like a game. You will surely hear more about Larkin in the future.

Everyday American Lass Meets You!

Hello.

I chose everyday because I wanted to incorporate happenings along my curvy path called life and not just all about my hobbies and products I sell at my Etsy store. That could be pretty boring.
I live in a medium size town in PA. Pittsburgher's drive out my way and further to get away from the city. I grew up learning the hustle of the antique business. There were of course other things but, the talent of learning to sell and go for the clincher has always stuck with me. The many interesting people I met at antique shows as a kid really taught me a lot about people and reading people's body language. The study of it was fascinating and proved productive later in life in sales. My now deceased,  beloved Grandfather taught me the old school way of caring for antiques and telling their story to people.
The stories  I could tell about twisty sales and old timers may prove a good throw back tale for some of you. Some of the characters like Bob in his cuffed jeans, black jack boots, slicked pompadour hair and tan hardened face remind me of the people Richard Pryor so eloquently described and acted out.
How did my Grandfather, Dick Casteel go from being a barber to a successful, top Chevy car salesman and antique dealer? Well a friend got him off the corner hanging with friends to barber school. Prior to that he dabbled in another friends funeral business but, proved not to fit his personality. However I was told in the sixties kids were coming back from war and things were radically changing from the close cut and coiffed styles like Bob. Kids were letting their hair down and barber's were loosing business fast. So my Grandfather started his new journey from there. And that makes me think of the very big, red leather barber chair that set in the corner of the game room for years. One of the many things that created a menagerie I was freely allowed to wander around and touch.