More butter, please !

These two stoneware butter churn crocks came from Gr. G'ma Lottie, also. They would originally have had a wood or stoneware lid and a wooden paddle. Their history can be read on the site noted in yesterday's post. I do not know any family history about them and did not even know they existed until your Dad came home from Iowa with them when G'ma Ruth was moving into the Eastern Star home. Apparently, G'ma and G'pa J. had them stored away. I had always thought G'ma Ruth didn't keep mementos - I have been happily proven wrong several times through the years !! These churns sit in my entry hall, making a great home for umbrellas and canes.

REAL Butter

This "modern" Dazey brand butter churn belonged to your Great G'ma Lottie. They were widely used by the farm families in the early and mid 1900's. An interesting site to read about the history of the churns made by this company and how to make butter, is http://www.dairyantiques.com/ . One didn't go to the grocery store for butter, you made your own with that cream that was separated from the milk coming from those cows out in the barn. A "cream separator" was kind of an amazing hand pumped machine that always amazed me. The fresh milk was poured into a tub at the top, you turned the pump handle and cream would come from one spout and the "skim milk" from another. You can read about those on the dairy antique site, also. If you let that quart of fresh milk set in the refrigerator overnight, cream would have risen to the top because of all the light fluffy fat particles in it. We had one of these butter churns when I was growing up and I helped "churn" a few pounds of real butter, myself !

"Sew" Special

This 7" tall, hand operated sewing machine, Mom's very first sewing machine, was a Christmas gift to her when she was about 10 years old in the early 1920's. It has a clamp on the underside which allows you attach it to a table. The hand turned wheel originally had a wooden knob on it to ease in the rotation. When I asked Mom what kind of store would sell something like this, she said she thought it was probably ordered from a catalog. Mom was an absolute perfectionist with her sewing and needlework - it HAD to look as good on the inside as it did on the outside ! I'm sure she created some lovely things with this "machine". This was another "Can I have that, Mom?" when I was helping her with some cleaning and organizing on one of my visits. I have since had it displayed on an end table in my living room. About a year ago, as I was "dusting", I am in shock ! The little sewing machine is NOT on the end table ! "What on earth ? Where is it ? I don't remember moving it to another spot !! Someone has taken it ! Why would anyone want to steal that from me ?" I am in a frenzy, looking around for where I might have moved it. "Am I going nuts, or what?" I am going over in my mind, all of the people that have been in and out of my house and can't imagine why any one of them would take it. Then it hits me !! About 4 years ago, an upstairs water leak wreaked havoc in that room and everything was moved or packed up and away while renovation was being done. Lots of different people were in and out at that time. Surely, it had to be one of them that took it !! Mystery solved - I am depressed - there is no way to ever replace this memento !! This spring, as I was organizing for a garage sale, I open a box of stuff I have placed on a garage shelf AND there, right on top, is that little sewing machine !! OMG, I can hardly believe it ! I am ecstatic !! I am also, humbled !! Hopefully, I learned a lesson here - Don't be too quick to blame others when it is only your own forgetfulness !! I am also wondering "why did I not miss this before now?" Got to get some of those supplements that are good for the memory !! What are they called ??

Flapper Fun

This little beaded purse was found in my G'pa's wicker trunk along with the clothes that date from the early 1900's. It looks to be handmade, to me. I failed to get any information about it from Mom, but, I think it was probably hers or her older sister's when they were teenagers. Maybe they even shared it ! I doubt that these girls went "dancing", being raised in a strict religion, but, I can picture them dressed for an afternoon social event at church or school. Those were the days -- a person didn't go away from home in jeans and a t-shirt !!

Coca-Cola Girls

Illustrations of beautiful girls attired in the latest of fashions, were shown in Coca-Cola ads starting back in the late 1800's, according to http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ , a site with some history of the artists who created these images and more. I found this tray at an antique store in Tulsa in the 70's for $12 and we gifted it to G'pa P.M. that same Christmas. He was collecting things to display on shelves behind his bar in their basement family room and it was the perfect addition. An original sales tag on the back says "rare-40's". The tray came back to us when G'ma Ruth moved to the Eastern Star home. I have always loved these "girls", but didn't need yet another collection. Besides, I have yet to see another tray comparable to the condition this one is in. I do, however, have a Coca-Cola doll that I just "couldn't live without" purchased 8 or 9 years ago from The Franklin Mint.

By the Light of the Oil Lamp

There was only a short time in my life that I lived in a home without electricity, but, for Mom and Dad, there were many more years as kids and as a young married couple. Dad worked as a hired hand for an older farm family for a number of years. That farmer was an influence and help to my parents in getting started with their own business of farming in the state of Iowa. They at first rented land with buildings which included a house for the family, barn for the cows and pigs, chicken coop for the chickens, and corn crib to store crops in that fed those animals. The pigs were fattened for market and some of the harvested crops were sold for income. My memory of that first farm home, we had electricity. At the age of 4, we moved to a larger rented farm of 160 acres with a larger house and buildings, AND NO electricity. The landlord agreed to have electricity wired into the buildings, but, we were there for a few months before it happened. In the meantime, these oil lamps were our source of light when the sun went down. The base of this lamp is an original one used during that time - the chimney is a replacement. This lamp comes in handy in my home today if there is an electrical failure !! It was during these early years of my life that Dad and Mom began to acquire their own land, building their empire, starting with a purchase of 40 acres.

Pass the sugar, please

This pink depression glass sugar bowl and creamer were among some items found in a high kitchen cabinet when I was helping Mom do some cleaning on one of my visits about 30 years ago. I didn't remember ever seeing them or that they were ever used and when I mentioned this to Mom, she said that she just never liked them, so they were always just stored away. They were a wedding gift and of course, Mom could never just get rid of things, even if she didn't like them !! Well, me, in all my shyness, said " Can I have them?" Mom would never say "no" to her favorite daughter ! I have never used them, either, and like my Mom, can't bear to just get rid of them ! My china cabinet shelves are full because of this "inherited trait" -- each and every item having its own story.