Just Ducky

Two of these little fellows live in my home. This one, filled with vintage marbles, likes sitting atop my kitchen cabinets. The other one alit in the upstairs bathroom ! The "bathroom duck" became home for your Dad's loose change when he would empty his pockets at the end of the day. When the duck would get a belly full, Dad would cash the change out and start filling him up again. What did he do with that cash ? I would say one of two things -- bought rolls of quarters to play poker machines or bought rolls of quarters to play poker machines !! ( His favorite retirement pastime ! ) G'pa P.M. crafted these wooden ducks with plexiglass "wings" about 20 years ago. Where his idea came from, I haven't a clue. There is a pattern for the duck hanging on the wall over your Dad's workbench in the garage. I am guessing Dad thought he might craft a couple of ducks, too.

Pickle Dish

This pretty little 8" long piece was once my G'ma Hanle's. My Mom called it a pickle dish ! There are so many beautiful vintage glassware pieces that defy explanation. Your imagination is unlimited as to what they could have been used for. For me, this would have been something I saw in the store and that particular day, I just couldn't live without it ! Mom brought it home from Ohio when she and her sister were sorting through G'ma's things. I spent a lot of time with Mom and Dad in the early 80's when your Dad was traveling a lot with his job. During one of my "stays", Mom had me help her hang this little dish on a kitchen wall, along with a couple of other pretty plates. It remained there until I brought it to my home when my brother, sister and I were sorting through Mom's things. Mom had labeled it on the back with adhesive tape as "G'ma and G'pa Hanle's". It is now at home in my china cabinet.

Wedding Cake

While on the subject of my wedding day, I remembered I had our wedding cake topper stored away on a bottom shelf of the china cabinet. It is plastic, the ribbons and flowers very discolored after more than 50 years of being stored away, not really special in looks, but still, a memento that I can't bear to throw away !! Mom placed a couple of slices of our wedding cake in the deep freezer - somewhere, she had read or heard that the wedding couple should share a slice of their cake a year after the marriage. We did eat that piece of cake, although, it was more than a year later. With your Dad being in the U.S. Navy, our early years together involved many moves. The timing of one year for "cake eating" was an impossibility, but, on one of our trips home to Iowa, Mom thawed it out and it was shared.

Red Roses

My wedding corsage, sat and dried in it's original box for many, MANY years. Too soon, May of 1976, bicentennial year, rolled around and you were graduating from high school. Someone sent you red, white and blue flowers in this glass "liberty bell" container. Those flowers withered and were thrown away, but the bell was put up on a shelf, saved, and mainly forgotten. Some years ago, I don't remember exactly when, the dried flower corsage found the "bell" to be a perfect home. Keeping a flower from a bouquet as a memento of weddings, funerals and other special occasions was something my Mom always did. We have all done it at some time or other, I suppose. Mom would place her flower between waxpaper and lay it between the pages of a heavy book to dry. Eventually, it would be put into an envelope and labeled. I suppose this corsage may disintegrate, given another 50 years, but today, it is mainly intact, with memories of my wedding day coming to mind each time I look at it. Its home is the curio end table in the guest bedroom. I wonder what became of Mom's mementos ??

Sweets for the Sweet

My sister-in-law to be, invited all of my high school girlfriends along with relatives and family friends, to the wedding shower she hosted for me over 50 years ago. Most of the gifts received were useful household items; sheets, towels, appliances, that sort of thing and all very much appreciated, but, most of which have long since worn out ! This little aluminum candy "dish" is one of the few "pretties" that remains "unworn", given to me by my friend, Jolane. I have used it very few times through the years and have sometimes wondered why I have kept it around. Maybe, because I like the thoughts that come to mind when I look at it. Young love ? A new family ? Lasting friendships ? Changing times ? How fast the years go by ? Well, I don't like that thought so much !!

Carnival Times

This 8 1/2" tall "Carnival glass" vase belonged to my G'ma Hanle. It came to me by way of my Mom. The actual origin is unknown to me - I can only surmise ! These vases were produced by Fenton Glass Co. in the early 1900's, their popularity, somewhat limited at that time. They became prizes at carnival games, thus, getting the name. Our family made a road trip to Ohio in the summer of 1948 in my Dad's brand new Ford pick-up truck. A "stock rack" had been built for the truck bed and a canvas tarp was placed as a protective roof. Then a mattress was placed in the bed of the truck to make it comfortable for my sis and me. My little brother rode in the cab with Mom and Dad. I shudder to think about this in today's world of high speed traffic !! There was a carnival in Canton that summer and the whole family went out for rides and games one day. I remember Dad winning some cobalt blue glassware and maybe G'pa H. won this piece. The blue glass was "safely" packed in our suitcases for the trip back to Iowa - one vase I distinctly remember, was broken when the suitcase was opened. Other pieces have long since disappeared. This "marigold" iridescent vase has a special spot in my china cabinet.

A "Butter" Job

Yet another step in making butter ! When the butterfat clumped up in the churn, it was removed, leaving a thin liquid behind. Butter was then placed into this wooden bowl and stamped down with the wooden paddle, getting the last little bits of liquid out. There were fancy wooden and glass forms to eventually make nice squares, rectangles and circles of butter to put on a butter dish to set on the table. I have seen them, but, don't have one, so I won't be posting anymore about butter making !! This 12" wooden bowl and paddle belonged to my G'ma Schultz and probably had many other uses in her kitchen. When we would go there to visit, it seemed like she spent most of her time in the kitchen cooking for G'pa and my Dad's bachelor brothers. Dad married fairly young compared to my uncles as most of them were in their mid and late 30's before taking a wife. Remembering stories my Dad told and looking back on those days, I think G'ma was somewhat of a domineering mother, plus, liked keeping her boys close to her. One of Dad's stories was about how his Mother thought the money he made picking corn in Iowa should all go into her pocket. Of course, he would give G'ma some money, but, never told her exactly how much he made. He was a very frugal man throughout his lifetime and had his goals set, even then. I purchased this bowl and paddle at my Uncle Lehman's farm sale in So. Dakota at the same time I purchased the copper boiler.