Mod Lodge Alphabet: D for Deer, T for Thermos

Brass Deer Candle Holders $6

Well, once again, I have not made Monday for Thrift Share Monday but I am getting closer to it! It is a big week here at the ranch... our new 9' x 12' greenhouse arrived yesterday and today, as I am typing this, a new bamboo wood floor is being put down on our sun porch. I am thrilled. The only bad thing about it is when emptying the sun porch in preparation for the floor, I realized I have a LOT of stuff. It has invaded nearly every room of the house. I probably should pare down when we put the stuff back in but I don't see that happening. Which leads me to my purchases this weekend...

I am in estate sale and garage sale envy of all of you out there who have been hitting those the past couple of weeks. We hardly ever have an estate sale around here and it seems like garage sale season doesn't start until Aprilish. We do have quite a few thrift stores, antique stores, and flea markets so those happily work. Friday, I visited Valley Flea Market and Antiques in Warsaw (Missouri - not Poland) and found a few things to add to my collections including the brass deer candle holders pictured above. I can't find a makers mark on them but I think they are just fab - nice detailing. I especially like the doe who looks like she is drinking from a pond or possibly eating the corn I leave out for the deer we have on our property.

I scooped up another deer for my collection. This one is a wood-like carving and is marked Red Mill Mfg Handcrafted USA. After doing some internet research, I found out this about Red Mill Manufacturing: A unique blend of crushed pecan shells provided the look and feel of real wood, and each sculpture translated into an exact replica of its original carving. After being carefully removed from its mold, craftsmen highlighted and hand lacquered each collectible for added depth and color. Okay, so that's very cool. I have two more deer from this manufacturer already so I am excited to add a third! She cost me $4 but so worth it.

I almost couldn't get to this booth fast enough when I saw the Thermos' on the shelf. I have a small obsession with these, especially the red ones. These all happen to be Thermos brand -I wonder if Thermos is like Kleenex is to tissues except for the life of me, I can't think of what else to call these containers other than Thermos (oh, I see "insulated food and beverage containers" - whatever). Anywhoser, I quickly added them to my basket as I don't have any just like them. I love the small one because it has great color and the definition of the sun and snowflake symbolizing hot and cold. The Winchester plaid  is fun because of the cool graphics of the geese, bear, moose, rabbit, squirrel, and eagle incorparated into the design. And the other, well let's just say I had a "revelation" to buy it.  I purchased all three for $9.

So, how is your spring thrifting going? Found any treasures you can't live without? What's in your alphabet of collecting? I bet whatever it is, it's fantastic!

Into the Mystic... Farewell, Roger

Roger Kirschbaum at Hunter's Ranch - photo by Eric Keith



 It has been nearly a month since I found out about the passing of my middle school and high school classmate and friend K. Roger Kirschbaum and it is still surreal. I had not seen or talked to Roger, I would guess, since we graduated from high school nearly 30 years ago. I read about his passing on facebook from a posting of another classmate... it saddened me deeply. How could this be? We are only 48 years old. So much of life is still ahead. I haven't got to meet the man Roger had become. I really would like to know him again after all these years and now I can't. I feel a sense of real loss and I feel guilty about it because there are so many people out there that are his family of friends that are mourning, truly mourning, the departure of Roger - I don't deserve to mourn him but I do. I can't even recall one specific memory of him - but I do know that when I read or hear his name, I smile. I liked Roger Kirschbaum.

I have come to know Roger again through a facebook group "Remembering Roger" - his friends have shared so much and it has been a true inspiration for me to be allowed to connect with them. Thank you so much for letting me into Roger's life. It is amazing, you all are amazing. I don't know why but when I think of Roger now, this song comes to my mind.

Roger was a father, a husband and mate, a friend, a poet, and a teacher. He lived his life with passion and soul. He was happy, sad, tormented, reverent, and irreverent. He was ordinary and extraordinary. He was Roger. He will be missed, so missed. Rest in peace, Roger Kirschbaum, rest in peace.

"Irish I had a Schlitz" and Other St. Patty's Goodness

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Yeah, I know, you're thinking it's supposed to be Christmas but for me, today is the holiest of holidays... St. Patrick's Day! And although I am not Irish in the least, I love to celebrate this day with cheers and beers! This year is even sweeter because March Madness officially kicks off today, too (yes, I realize we had 4 play in games but seriously, those don't count). So, as I am preparing for the best day ever, I took a gander at what I might have around that can Irish things up. I don't have a huge collection of St. Patrick's day memorabilia but here's some of my stuff.

One of my favorite finds is my vintage bowling shirt. It's polyester double knit fabulousness is only out shined by the shamrock patch over the pocket (I guess to put my cigs in because don't all bowlers smoke) and the words "Kelley Datsun Volvo" embroidered on the back. And just so you know, it is a real bowling shirt with original King Louie tag inside - not this wannabe stuff Charlie Sheen dons on Two and a Half Men (I mean used to don) or Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on Friends (still one of my very favorite shows of all time, btw). I would guess this is from the 70's but definitely before 1986 when the Datsun brand was phased out.

This button is one of my prized St. Patrick's Day possessions. I used to have a bigger one but I gave it to a friend a few years back and am kicking myself now that I did. Anyway, I found  two smaller pin backs a year or so ago for 50 cents each and grabbed them up. I think this is the most clever advertising Schlitz has done. It makes me want to drink a Schlitz - oh, I think I will have one tonight! This button was made in 1981. It reminds me of college and brings back many good memories of forgotten times (yes, that is a drinking reference).

Other goodies pictured include vintage German scrap (or should it be Irish scrap) and Dennison shamrock seals, antique postcards, a Lucky Letter game card, another Schlitz pin back (not as cool because it is just round) and plaid hat pin (not to be confused with a hat pin), some beads (show me your... Irish), and three Pyrex pieces with green motifs. Are you feelin' green yet?  Happy St. Patty's everyone!

Thrift Share Monday, Ummm... I Mean Wednesday

Is it Wednesday already? I had good intentions of getting my thrift and junking finds ready for Thrift Share Monday but alas, good intentions were pushed off the cliff and we landed on Wednesday. Oh well. I had a tremendous week of treasure hunting last week. It actually started on Monday when I went into the town of Warsaw, Missouri to go to Wal-Mart. I try to plan all of my shopping trips around thrift stores, antique shops, and flea markets - especially with the price of gas right now, we must be strategic shoppers!

I stopped at the Warsaw Antique Mall and here's what I walked out with: a 1988 Fisher Price Illuminated Globe for $10 (I have a thing for globes - you'll see), two vintage photo albums - one tooled leather unused and the other leather with a handpainted Indian with old photos and postcards inside ($5 and $10), a Texas Ware sugar bowl, and a 1982 linen calendar towel (both going to my eBay store) plus some Avon because for whatever reason, all the antique stores around here have at least one booth with Avon. On a whim, I decided to stop at the W.A.R.M. House Thrift Store on my way to Wally World and bonus, everything in the store that day was 10 cents. I got 10 plates - 8 souvenir, 8 plate stands (only because the lady told me that if I was going to take the plates for 10 cents I had to take the stands for 10 cents, too), a vintage hankie, and two vintage mugs.  It was a good day.

On Tuesday, I went to Columbia, Missouri to have my Honda Ridgeline serviced - I am pretty sure they put those maintenance reminders on there so you will spend more at the Honda dealer! The best part is the dealer is across the street from Itchy's Flea Market (no joke but clever) so you know where I am headed while they change the oil. I spent $25 there and here's what I got: an Ohio Art metal globe for $5 (I told you about the globes), 5 souvenir plates (I'm keeping Montana and Kansas City), 2 vintage calendars from 1966 and 1968, 4 postcards from 1909-1913, a photo postcard of Greta Almroth (love it), a Maryland crab bell, a Silver Dollar City spoon rest, a Haegar flower pot (another one of my collections), and a Pyrex bowl in the Terra pattern (first I had seen of this pattern but I will see more... you'll see more too).

With Friday being the first Friday of the month, I headed into Kansas City. I stopped first at Urban Mining where I bought too much and probably spent too much but it was oh so fun. They boxed up for me 4 orange wooden 70's candles, a mod flower cassette case, a metal rolling pin, a 1970 Springbok Heidi Doll Craft Kit (hmmmm... do I know someone named Heidi?), a Las Vegas metal tray, a 1968 Prague book with fold-out map (love the graphics), a vintage Montana fruit label, an "our pet" flash card, a blue fish dresser scarf or runner, 3 Pyrex bowls in the Terra pattern (twice in a week - could it get any better?), and my favorite find there, a vintage, chippy black concrete bear - perfect mod lodge vintage.

Next, I drove over to the West Bottoms where several places have first Friday sales. I started at Liberty Belle since it was closest to where I parked. I picked up four unused 4 piece place settings of Orchard Ware Americana pattern (Made in California) for $20. I didn't know anything about this pattern but after doing some investigating on Replacements, Ltd., I found out this was discontinued in the 1940's and their price for a bread and butter plate is $9.99 each and the cup & saucers are fetching $13.99 each so I felt pretty good about my purchase. It will mix nicely with my black and white plaid Homer Laughlin DuraPrint and Knowles Ebonette dishes both of which are square in shape, too. I also picked up this Fabulous Fondues book for 25 cents, an oil painting of a mountain scene for $2, and a record album set for $1.

When I went out the door to put my treasures in the truck, it was pouring down rain. I had some other errands I needed to do in KC and the rain wasn't conducive to walking from place to place so that ended my junking for the day. All in all, it was a great week, though. Lots of goodies and lots of fun. What have you been up to lately?