Tag Archives: thrift store finds

For Such a Time as This…

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, faith over fear, farm living, God’s time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Spiritual life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning, from the mountains of Kentucky. Let me first begin by saying, we are blessed! I am not just implying my family, I am saying and proclaiming for all that are reading… “we are blessed!” You might be asking how so, or why did she post that? Deep within, you need to know that if you are physically able to read this post or any other post, you are alive, thus… you have been blessed with another day. Even, if there are things going on in your life, and we all have those days and even weeks, or maybe seasons, if you are breathing, you are blessed. Secondly, accept this day and know Lord has your best interest and will take care of you, walk in it. Make this day count. For every day that passes, is a day that we cannot and will not be able to enjoy again.

God’s beauty…

My mind often drifts back to a simpler time when life didn’t seem as hectic or as chaotic. The world seemed to be a more simple place. Sure there’s always been trouble, trials, wars, and bad things that happen, but that’s because we live in a real world where both good and bad happen. However, it seems to rein in a more bold abundance than in the times gone by. Is that it? Or, is that we, as a whole, are more connected to the media, social media, and here say, than we are to our savior and His word? Is it that we focus too much on what others are saying, or implying, than what the word tells us?

My heart is leading me in a direction to simplify life, my life. How so? By disconnecting from so much of the media. I don’t mean that I will live in a bubble where all is well and I will not acknowledge that bad things do happen. No, not at all. I mean, that I am being selective of what news I read, that’s right, read. I feel lead to spend much less time on social media, and more time in my prayer closet, in the word, and with the Lord, and with myself. I am doing some soul searching, meditation, deep and close reading, and also spending some quiet time listening to His voice.

His beauty abounds everywhere!

I was reminded of how we, as a society, often overlook the simple things and become bored when things begin to calm down, or when there’s no fast paced gratification in most anything we attempt. Have we allowed the use of technology to rob us of the blessings of using our hands to create, our strength to labor, our eyes to actually read a book that we physically hold in our hands, and using precise measurements to create delicious dishes? Have we allowed the clutter in our lives to rob our desire of helping our fellowman? Do we care more for ourselves than the elderly widow who would love to have a home cooked meal, or someone to physically talk to? Have we allowed the convenience of instant almost anything to replace the satisfaction that we once felt by actually taking the time to complete a task?

This is an afghan I’m working on for one of our grandchildren. This is the fourth of five that I’ve made with love and many prayers for each of them.

What tasks am I speaking of? For such as a time as this, almost anything would fit into this category. Anything from baking a scratch cake instead of a boxed cake. From crocheting your own afghan for a friend instead of buying a thoughtless gift. Nurturing a plant from a seed with care and love, rather than picking the finest mature plant from a nursery. Growing your own herbs to dry, rather than buying a cheaper easier version from the store. Canning healthy produce for your family, rather than buying cheap imitations that are full of preservatives? It could be as simple as taking a break from browsing your phone, to watching a squirrel gather nuts. Reading deeper than surface reading the Bible. For such a time as this, this list could continue for far too long. We can’t make a total change overnight with simplification, but we can simplify our life, one habit, one deed, or one choice at a time.

I was inspired by our six year-old grandson to post this blog. While I prepared breakfast a few mornings ago, he was enjoying his pre-breakfast muffins and a cup of milk. He was a bit upset because his tablet battery was low and he wouldn’t have enough battery life to watch a cartoon that he wanted to see. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a company’s Christmas toy catalog lying on the table. Immediately he laid the tablet aside and asked what the book was for. I explained how his mommy and uncle used to browse the Sears and JC Penny wish-books for weeks circling their favorite toys in hopes of getting those for Christmas. They were making their choices known. Right away, he asked for a pen to circle his choice of toys, not just for himself, but for his brother, cousins, and friends. Grant it, if the item was given a circle and a check, then that indicated the ranking of interest for that particular item. All the while, he never mentioned being bored, or once stopped to watch his tablet. With excitement, he browsed the pages several times and later declared to his mommy that they too needed a book like Nan’s.

Take time to enjoy something with substance. We need more Sears and JC Penny’s moments in life. Simplify things.

With that being said, for such a time as this, I feel inspired to ask you today, to take time to stop and enjoy what our Heavenly Father has created for us. Simplify your life. Choose wisely how you spend your time. And above all, remember that He gave all so that we could have life and have it everlasting.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this post. It’s a bit different than many of my other posts, but I am a person of many diverse interests, from crocheting, reading, writing, gardening, thrifting, collecting antiques, baking, creating, singing and so many more things. Above all, I love to tell others about Him. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky. Feel free to follow and comment. May the Lord bless each of you abundantly.

Old Things Make Me Happy

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, thrifting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Each of us are unique and each have our own dreams, desires, and things that brings joy to our lives. I dreamed of becoming a teacher when I was a little girl. I dreamed of becoming an author. I dreamed of working on a newspaper and gathering the facts about a breaking story. I also dreamed of owning a farm and having a family who loved farming as much as I did. Then there were the simple things that I loved. I loved, and still love old things. Old things make made me happy as a child and old things still make me happy.

Mission store find a treasure from days gone by.

I have been a thrifter since I can remember. I loved going to the dime store with my grandmother when I was a little girl. I would hold tight to my hard earned fifty sense because I knew I could buy five treasures with it. It was a custom to rise early, do the Saturday morning chores, dress, and load up with my cousin, mamaw, aunt Doshia, and uncle Roy and head out to the mission store. It was the simple things in life such as the dime store trips that made some of my favorite memories.

I recall searching until I found what I thought was the perfect princess dress. In reality the sparkly satin dress was probably someone’s prom dress in another era of time. We would dig enthusiastically through the bin of baby clothes until we found at least one new sleeper or dress for our dolls. Even though they were resurrected from a babies wardrobe who had long since outgrown them, they were still new to us. I always loved going through the jewelry to find a sparkling pin filled with rhinestones that we thought were diamonds. Yes, we were rich with our dime store treasures.

I love those Simple days that have passed far to swiftly. Some days it feels as though it was only a few years ago, and other times it feels like a beautiful dream. In reality, it actually was another era… another time, a simple time, a cherished time.

Today, our daughter, myself and sometimes our granddaughters or grandsons still love to thrift at the mission store. The prices have increased, but the excitement of bringing life to an object that was cast aside by someone before us, still resonates within me and still brings an element of happiness and joy to each of us. It’s exciting to find tins of old hand-written recipes dated 1963, with noted about the recipe. It’s still exciting to browse the pins and find one full of beautiful stones and rhinestones. Thrifting brings out the kid in all of us. It’s a family tradition that I’m happy to have passed down to our daughter and grandchildren.

A treasured find uncovered in Arkansas by our son in-law. He knows my interests well.

I still love simple things. Simple things make me happy as does old things. I cherish quiet mornings relaxing on the porch, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the fog lift. I love the smell of breakfast early in the morning in the kitchen, wearing my grandmother’s apron while I bake bread, canning tomato juice with our antique food mill, and cooking supper for my family using some of the old recipes to guide me. I love old quilts of all kinds! I look at them and try to imagine the many stories they could tell. I love strange and unusual objects, I love old clocks, old books, old dolls, dishes, old glass door knobs, and old silhouettes! These are only a few things that I love. I’m a person of many interests, but a person who loves old things… they make me happy.

Two treasures finds. One dates 1946 and unsure of the other. I can’t help but wonder who these beautiful ladies are. What words of wisdom would they share?

Teatime Treasures

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, farm living, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, shop local, tea time, thrifting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Morning, from the mountains of Kentucky. I hope your week has been filled with happiness, good food, family, and lots of sunshine. We’ve gone from 70 plus degree temperatures to forties within a few days and now, we’re expecting up to six inches of snow for the weekend! March weather in Kentucky is always full of surprises.

I love a good surprise! One my favorite kind of surprises comes from thrifting! When you thrift, you never know what you’ll find. I have found thrifting to be a therapeutic hobby, and a lasting tradition in our family for generations. When I grew up in the mountains of Kentucky, spending time with family was a priority. We found joy in things that we loved to do whether it was congregating for a big family dinner, attending a special church service, gathering on my Mamaw’s store porch to catch up on the events of the week, working the gardens, or thrifting at the dime store.

A Hidden Gem

I am a bit of a creature of habit. I love many of the old traditional dishes from my youth, but I also love trying new dishes. However, I find it a bit of a struggle to change a timeworn tradition. As a child it was a tradition to go to the dime store on Saturday mornings. The dime store was what we called the second hand mission store where everything cost a dime. My cousin, and I, would load up with our grandmother, great aunt, and uncle who was the designated driver. Neither my grandmother or grandfather ever learned to drive, but they never planned a trip that didn’t include a family member who enjoyed driving them. It was an exciting time as kid to hold those well earned dimes in our hands and dream of the treasures that awaited us.

As time passed thrifting wasn’t as much of an interest for us as teens. But, what most of us discovered is that the love of thrifting never completely left us, but lay dormant waiting for just the right time to surface. Since the days of our youth in the late sixties and early seventies, dime stores have grew in popularity. They’ve become the stores to find retro clothing, farmhouse decor, and much more. The prices have increased from everything being a dime to various different prices, depending on the store. But the love of searching for treasures remains the same and for many a way of carrying on a mountain tradition.

Redbird Community Store in Beverly Kentucky

Our daughter, daughter in law, and two of our granddaughters share a love for this time worn tradition. We enjoy a couple of days a month browsing vendors malls, GoodWills, estate sales, mission stores, and flea markets. There’s something about searching the shelves that are filled with dishes, glassware, odds and ends, baskets, and bins of household goodies, shelves of books, and racks of clothes, that brings an element of excitement and unity. We’ve learned that the joy lies not only within the findings, but also in the search and spending time with family.

I’m excited to begin sharing weekly treasures with you! I’ll share just a few of the treasures we found, but it would be impossible to share them all. The picture below is one of my new favorites! This absolutely gorgeous hand embroidered and crocheted table runner was definitely a score for only 1.25. Once it is washed and pressed, it will adorn the fireplace mantle in my bedroom. Based on the material and research, it appears to be an early 1950’s piece. Whoever made this treasure, really put a lot of tender loving care and obvious heart into the intricate details. It’s also in excellent condition.

A gorgeous hand crocheted and embroidered table runner.
Seven Star Vintage colander

I also found an aluminum seven star vintage colander. It didn’t look like much when I pulled it out of the bin, but after cleaning it up… it was in excellent condition. It has been housing bananas in our kitchen, and I’ll be honest, I’ve enjoyed using it as well. There’s something about the simplicity of its lightweight design that makes straining foods easy. Truly another great find that has stood the test of time. I’m not sure about the date, but I’m still researching and will update you later.

I’m truly a nerd at heart. I love to strap on my vintage apron, and cook barefoot in our kitchen while using some of my thrifting treasures. I like to imagine who’s kitchen the sifter or crock came from. I like to imagine their homes, their faces, the dishes they’ve prepared, and wonder what their lives were like and what their names may have been. I also enjoy decorating with vintage utensils, crocks, linens, and other tried and true treasures.

Thrifting is a year-round hobby, that brings joy to my heart, keeps a tradition alive, and family time well spent. We found an abundance of treasures on our last thrifting spree. I’ll share more teatime treasures next week. For now I’m going to relax with a cup of sweet and spicy hot tea and enjoy re-browsing our treasures. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!