Great Thrift Store Finds

What $30 Can buy You These Days!

2012-06-16T09:48:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I've been absent a few weeks..First my dream of a lifetime trip to Israel(which I wish to share once I sort out my photos),..then my kids came for a visit from Boston..so life has been busy but pleasurable.
Still fitting in some time for my treasure hunting hobby, I drove past one of my fave thrift stores "The Collectibles Store, across the street from my favorite Goodwill, and sitting in front was a small Eastlake sofa. The upholstery looked old and worn but the wood frame was in good condition
and it seemed solid enough.I could just envision that sofa for one of my guest rooms.
So ,just out of curiosity,I entered the store and inquired from the elderly entrepreneur what he would ask for that sofa outside. Imagine my amazement when he answered $30.
Now I had a problem, how to get that sucker home..no problem..for one who has tied things on top of cars etc. to transport treasures. So..we loaded it into my Camry trunk (don't ask me how) and secured it with that great modern invention ,a bungi cord.
After tearing off the old upholstery it was discovered that parts of the frame needed reinforcing so with the help of my husband we were able to bring it back to pretty much it's original stable condition.
After a few hours of staplegunning upholstery and hot gluing braid I was rewarded with the finished product shown above.
Now my husband feels so invested in the sofa's reformation ,he insists it should remain in the living room,not out of sight in one of the bedrooms..we'll see....p.s. one of my favorite things about this sofa is that it has it's original brass and ceramic coasters.

Invading Israel

2012-05-10T22:14:00.003-07:00

OH Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Having finally realized my dream of a trip to Israel and experienced the land of God's chosen people and walked where Jesus walked, I feel an overwhelming urge to recount and share my adventures with you.It is awesome, phenomenal, overwhelming, and humbling to retrace the history of God reaching out to man and see the Bible come to life right before your eyes.

Jerusalem has been destroyed 3 times,so that very little that remains is original. These paving stones that are under my feet are a few of the original. Just think the very stones that Jesus, the desciples and Paul walked on.AWSOME!!!

Some great recycling ideas from the ladies of Jerusalem. It must be the latest craft fad!These were displayed on the walls along the street in old Jerusalem.

According to Jerusalem women their purses make good planters too!!

Fabulous! Fireplace Fender! $35

2012-04-16T16:07:00.001-07:00

Forever I have wanted and longed for a for a fireplace fender at a price within my budget. On a quick stop at Sally's Boutique I found it and well within my budget $35.It is all brass and has a fabulous French motif...what fun!

Another great surprise for me was that my granddaughter decided she would sit on the grand Victorian sofa I bought 2 years ago just for her and just her size. She also conducted a tea party at the little table I arranged for her to enjoy.What fun to be a grandma!

WOW Another Antique Quilt For $7

2012-04-10T16:50:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that thrift store shopping ain't what it used to be. Prices have skyrocketed and if you aren't careful you'll spend more than if you went to an antique shop. So, as you may have gathered, my recent thrift store excursions have been very nonproductive; but I'm here to tell you that perseverance pays off!!
I was about to wind up my thrifting excursion with that familiar lump in my throat that plagues me when I've found no treasures. As I entered the store I spied across the store what appeared to be a beautiful hand made quilt that also appeared to be vintage. I sprinted across the store and, if I were younger ,I would have made a leaping dash over the racks of clothing that blocked my path. I claimed possession of that treasure and was even more thrilled when the price quoted by the cashier was $7.

It has this extra bonus of coordinated scalloped edging and though a few of the pieces were worn and the edges were worn in places it still is a treasure,at least in my eyes.

After a good washing my quandary was what to do with it.My stair rails could not really accommodate one more quilt.And then I remembered ,my spare bedroom used by my young grandchildren had it's windows darkened so as not to disrupt their naps when they were visiting . This offended my Victorian senses somewhat but now I have the solution to decorate my darkened windows. The quilt was a perfect color and offers a warm decorative effect to the room and is beautifully displayed for all to enjoy.

Am I Blue

2012-03-26T15:59:00.003-07:00

In the early 1980's the country was swept with nostalgia for all things related to early American. This was due to the popular programs of "The Walton's" and the Depression Era," The Wild Wild West" and other programs of it's genre' and the Victorian Era and "Little House on the Prairie"and the Country fad.
I have have been enamored with all three periods during my years of collecting. Having spent many of my childhood years on a farm, Country Decorating warmed the cockles of my heart.Farm life was a struggle and Country Collectibles reminded me of those years. Though they were a struggle there are so many wonderful memories of my farm life.
Country Decorating created in me a fondness for blue and white china. Every Country or Victorian program had someone sipping tea from a beautiful delicate Blue Willow Cup...hence my consuming fascination with Blue Willow China.
Well as in all collecting fads your tastes will progress from your original passion to a new passion ,discovered during your quest for the former...in my case it became Flow Blue China.
Flow Blue China it seems,though fascinatingly beautiful as it is, was a mistake. In the early 1800's England became consumed with the blue and white china being imported from China. These imports were for only the very wealthy so the Staffordshire pottery companies began to make relatively good copies. The design would be painted or transferred to the white bodied stoneware and fired. Well one day something happened during the firing and the blue flowed on to the white making an attractive blurry design. It became very desirable and is to this day highly collectible. If the pottery could speak it would look at the blurry blue on it's white body and exclaim"Am I blue",(for those too young to remember this is the title of a 50's pop song).
I'll share with you some of my most unusual pieces and keep in mind they were purchased for $25 or less...they would be much more if purchased in antique shops.

This my most exciting find. Found for $5 this chamber pot has long been my desire. Until my children were grown I couldn't even look at one of these as they would recoil in horror and scream"Don't touch that and don't you dare to bring one of those into our house!As you can see it makes a marvelous planter especially for my powder room.

Below is an especially beautiful pitcher portion of a bowl and pitcher used in bedrooms on a wash stand, the most convenient item for washing face and hands in morning until running water was available. This is a particularly blurred version to the point that the original design is unintelligible. It is an early design as it is not marked and of a heavier weight. In 1890 a law was passed if pottery was made in England it had to be marked England.Pieces before 1890 are more valuable.Those produced after 1890 are lighter in weight and often have gold trim.

A decanter beautifully presented but of early 1900's as it has gold trim and is marked England.

A lovely set of flow blue finger bowls.Yes Victorians could never eat with messy fingers.

" Fingerlicken Good" was not allowed.

This a milk pitcher. Every Victorian table was set with a milk pitcher especially at breakfast.

Gold trim missing on this but love the lattice work.

My Ames's

2012-01-25T08:28:00.001-08:00

For all the descendants od Judson David Joseph Ames
Thomas Eames
b1548 Fordington St George,Dorset, England
d1605 Dorchester, Dorset,England
m Joan ?
b 1525 Dorset England
d June 6 1587

From Chipped Gesso to Glorious Restoration( or how to restore damaged gesso on an old frame)

2012-01-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

One of my most recent thrift store purchases was this precious Victorian print and even more precious and elegant frame. I spotted it thrown haphazardly on a shelf being propped up by random, unremarkable, run of the mill thrift store items. It was dusty, drab and half falling out of the frame,with multiple chips out of it's paint and the decorative raised areas made of gesso. This of course didn't deter me from taking possession of my new found treasure. Gingerly carrying it to the clerk ,being careful to maintain it's state of disintegration with glass and print falling out of the frame and asked "How much do you want for this old thing." " $5.00" was the answer.
Dilemma... what to do with all the chipped gesso that left glaring white blemishes which were equally garish in the chipped green paint...once I got it home.
Idea...rebuild the gesso design with spackling compound. This I did ,I even used the kind that was pink when applied and turned white once it dried. Oh the miracles of this modern civilization!
This a delicate job to perform to make it look like the rest of the design,but one can come up with a close approximation with the right tools. I had a fine pointed dental too l(just happened to have it on hand,don't we all have one of those laying around the house?)
Once the gesso(spackling) was dry I finished it off with Antique Gold Rub n Buff, great stuff that you just rub on with your finger tips.

Dilemma # 2 ..how to repair the chips in the green paint. The solution was simple enough, just match the color by mixing some tempera paints.. which worked quite fine.
The finished product is very pleasing and looks great on a wall near one of my hanging candelabras.

This is actually a very large French Style mirror that I repaired in a similar manner. The design was a little more intricate but the repairs are barely noticeable, the price can't be beat, $9.00 at good ol' Goodwill.

The Flower of Winter,My Very Own Rose Parade

2011-12-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Revelation 15:3b Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty......

It may be winter but we Californians are truly blessed with the ever presence of flowers!Praise God! ...and all from my own yard.

angel trumpet

water lily

bog lily in my pond

bog hibiscus

don't know the name but very hardy

finally oranges on my potted tree after many years. The Santa Ana winds always blown the blossoms off!

Lantana I plant these all over and keep small as edging ,then I don't have to keep replanting annuals

Moses in the Boat

Petunia

ivy geranium

morning glory

periwinkle with sweet allysum

antique single rose,my favorite

antique single rose

Lily,not sure of exact name

Mandevilla vine

Blue Plumbago

tea rose

Merry Christmas with the Martians

2011-12-25T13:14:00.001-08:00

Written 700 yrs ago before the birth of Christ. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign,Behold a virgin shall conceive,and bear a son,and shall call his name Immanuel.
He is the Reason for the Season!

What's Christmas without a new tie

what's Chrismas without a Santa Hat

Do you catch a family resemblance in the previous pictures?

I try to find find something humorous to wear just to interject a little craziness but my daughter's family beat me to the draw this year

they really outdid me

Anthony Blake delivering our Blakey Cakes

pumpkin spice and egg nog with luscious fillings and topped with works of art

for my 3 yr old granddaughter

while all the frivolity is going on,Chef Tom is preparing the prime rib

Cate enjoyed the Christmas Village

Tom's version of antipasto,tons of salami,prosciutto and salad that melts in your mouth

enjoying the repast, sparkling apple cider is always the finishing touch

It's one thing to open a gift,it's another to put it together

Teddy finds the wrapping more enticing

Merry Christmas
Remember the Reason for the Season!
Marge AKA Victoria and Tom Mar

Garlands Galore or the Halls are All decked

2011-12-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

I really prize my antique candle holders. I also found these punched tin stars that fit over the candles in a thrift store
I especially like the little church vignette in the Christmas ornament at the left.
In early days before electricity the trees were lit with candles. Everyone would stand around the tree while the candles were briefly lit,making sure a couple of buckets of water were handy in case of fire.

antique Christmas tree,love the birds

full view of the antique tree,I probably enjoy it and appreciate it more than anyone

Finally after recovering from an injury and dealing with a recurrent chronic back pain my home is ready for the big day tomorrow. I really enjoy making it a special day for the family..its just my contribution as my husband has his very special prime rib and other dishes that we all look forward to. I am sure not complaining..It affords me more time to do the Christmas thing.

a garland with french horns adorn the cat walk

I wish to share with you the fruits of my labor and tomorrow there will be another edition with all the lights on and all the family enjoying the day.

loft banister with angels to announce the birth of Christ and a star to guide the wise men

dining room centerpiece ,we serve the dinner buffet style in here and eat in the living room, the festive style antique satin red and green embroidered tablecloth purchased from Goodwill for $8.00 ..it washes beautifully

old chandelier pieces used to decorate antique mirror in dining room,silver star ornament is antique and purchases for $.50

garland in living room where we enjoy the dinner

dining table is antique accordion table that fold into a side table and is expanded with 3 leaves $75.00

love this old candlestick,just needs it's crystals added,a future project

I claim this is for my grandchildren

arts and craft sconces for $20

saw this last year in Victoria magazine but didn't have the antique cardboard church from the 30's and 40's found this this year at Agoura Antique Mart

Just to give you a perspective of my church

oh Christmas Tree

From Reticule to Ralph Lauren

2011-12-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

Tooled leather purchased where else but Kingman,Arizona

Down through the ages,the woman of the household was usually the shopper. In very early times it was a daily task since there was no refrigeration. Today it is a necessity, but also a pastime(in my case). Now if you shop you need to have a receptacle to safely carry your money.
The first such item was simply a small drawstring bag that could carried in the folds of the voluminous skirts or petticoats that were the fashion of the day.But as in many other basically utilitarian items of daily use, women began to decorate the so called bags with needlepoint and beads. These early bags were called reticules.Beaded,needlepointed, encrusted in seed pearls,these reticules began to appear with hinged frames and handles for the most part,making them easier to carry and to display to other envious women.It is said that certain artists would leave their identification on the beaded bag by placing a bead in the design that was a different color than it's surrounding design,appearing to be a flaw.
Today our bags, ladies, are still an important fashion statement and have evolved into veritable suitcases,carrying all the necessities of life. Need I mention,Dooney and Bourke,Prada,Gucci,Louis Vouton and of course Ralph Lauren...all displayed to impress. I recently was compelled to empty my purse in a restaurant the other day and was amazed at what I was actually carrying around...dental floss,church program,multiple register receipts,Bible,nail file, and of course you never know when you may need a crystal prism.

beaded purse with maker's mark,note dark wine bead at tip of orange floral center

note wine colored bead that appears to be a flaw

purse shown on opposite side without the wine colored bead

seed pearl purse with makers mark in the form of a whiter pearl near frame

white pearl shows better when flash not used

glass bead reticule

a later glass beaded reticule with beaded handles instead of drawstring

this is a beautiful iredescent blue bead bag,fringe was removed because it was in a very bad state

silver mesh reticule

seed pearl with nicely decorated clasp

clasp on above seed pearl purse

more intricately beaded seed pearl purses

needlepoint purse

this one is needlepointed on both sides

for some reason this is my favorite

Victorian Christmas Costumes from the Dollar Store

2011-11-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas dinner I have a dress up theme for the family. They anticipate what weird stuff I come up with almost more than the dinner or gifts.Well one year I just had to have a Victorian Christmas but was met with dilemma of finding inexpensive costumes. To the rescue came the Dollar Tree and the 99cent Store. I made the girls and ladies costumes from items purchased from these stores and for the men, I simply purchased top hats and canes

feathers from Michael's and roses applied with hot glue

hat from 99 cent store with brim turned up with hot glue

ladies collar from mini tree skirt from Dollar Tree ties are satin napkins also from Dollar Tree

muff from Christmas 2 stockings ,jeweled chain for placing over neck from eye glass holders all from the Dollar Tree

girls cap from Christmas stocking with feathers added from Michael's

girls cape from fur trimmed Christmas stockings,ties from satin napkins

One Last Walk in Beautiful Boston

2011-11-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

looking over Charles River to downtown Boston

Our last day in Boston found us making the most of our last hours taking a walk last with daughter and family near their condo which is a very lovely area along the Charles River.It was a beautiful day and I must say a great send off for us.

This bridge is a very windy walkway

A brave window washer

Part of Boston's beauty is that the new blends so well with the old

great idea! these bikes can be rented after depositing fee in a machine and can be ridden to other parts of city and returned.

This picture shows how the old blends with the old.

Fish mosaic along our walk route

Rose garden in Rose Kennedy's honor.104 bushes,1 for each year of her life.

more of the rose garden

Lovely building at entrance to Fan Harbor

Lovely Lustreware..Back to Thrifting

2011-11-21T12:18:00.001-08:00

This is the classic image that comes to mind when thinking of lustreware.

Lustreware was originally created by the early pottery factories to replicate,gold,copper,and silver on pottery items. The glaze produces a lovely sheen that closely resembles the aforementioned metals. Another type of lustreware in colors was also produced and is evidenced in mostly trims in colors ..predominately pink.These were produced by England,Czechoslovakia ,and France.

more diminutive versions of the above

An example of pink lustre trim. These pitchres had humorous pictures on them and are quite valuable . This one isn't because of a hairline crack,but my enjoyment has well benefited from it's small cost.

Very old cup and saucer. No handle on cup as the tea was poured into the saucer to cool and then drunk from the saucer.Probably gaudy dutch with the lustre pink trim

pretty lustre embellishment in bottom of cup,this set was found one at a time on 2 different days at the salvation army

more listre trim

Very collectible tea leaf design china,and hard to find.Tea leaf and trim are lustre

Keep in min all this was found very inexpensively in thrift stores or antique stores. Some do have flaws ,but that doesn't decrease my enjoyment of them.

A Visit to Plimouth 's First Residents,The Wampanoag

2011-11-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

The native American's that first greeted the Puritan settlers was the Wampanoag. What surprised me was that the Puritans and Pilgrims were not the first Europeans the native Americans had seen.They were used to seeing European traders that had been coming into the bay for quite awhile...not far from the Puritan village is also a replica of the native American village.. Extremely interesting.

The Wampanoag abode

The dwellings are made of long pieces of bark. In the spring as the sap runs there is a space between the bark and the tree. An incision is made at the top and bottom of the tree and the bark is easily removed.

This young man is making a canoe by controlled burning of the inside portion of the tree.

I asked the young man if he didn't feel cold as you could see his legs are bare."Actually ",he said," I am very warm right now".

drying skins

The family was enjoying a soup of corn,beans etc.

The chief,not as threatening as the picture looks.

Enjoying his soup

Inside the bark dwelling,The lady would answer any questions we had.The dwelling was lined with animal skin covered benches that served as beds.

I was amazed that there was very little smoke inside the dwelling as it escaped upward through the hole in the roof.

woven baskets and bags hung around the perimeter holding extra food,clothing etc.

Pilgrimage to Plymouth

2011-11-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Plymouth settlement

One last place I just had to visit was the Plimouth Plantation,a representation of the first Pilgrim village.It is especially meaningful to me as I recently learned that my landed ancestor,Thomas Eames ,lived in the Plymouth Colony. His was a tragic story as all but four of his children and his wife died at the hands of marauding Native Americans. The story is that the Native Americans were actually friendly with the Puritans and even attended church with them.

There was another group of Pilgrims(not Puritan) who also were living just north of the Puritan settlement and they were roudy and disrespectful of the Native American ways,ridiculing them and desecrating their burial grounds etc. When enough was enough King Philip's war erupted against all the settlers.King Philip was a name given to th native leader. At any rate the tragedy occurred as a result of this uprising.

One thing I noticed about New England,there is a church,sometimes two on every block.

The town of Plymouth,itself, is a beautiful destination. Perfectly poised on the shore with every bit of New England ambiance one would desire

Time for a lunch break

So much atmosphere in this bakery shop. They didn't shove all the furniture out and place tables with chairs. Instead they left the sofa and it's chairs in place with small occassional tables placed in convenient place for coffee and snacks...all antique furniture,by the way.

Just to show a sample of the beautiful mums that are used profusely in the area

Some of the homebaked goodies just sitting there beckoning

As pleasant as the coffee shop was, we opted to go down by the ocean to enjoy our repast

Here we are at the town meeting house , the upstairs affords a good panoramic view to spy any approaching predators..with the added protection of cannons

Ready for Battle?

It boggles my mind that all these antiques are just sitting around and no one guarding. I warned this lady that I have her picture ,in case something comes up missing...a girl after my own heart,she answered she needed a closer look so she would know what to buy if she sees anything similar.

these folks have done their laundry,like dutiful Puritans

my eye caught that old rug on the fence

"Under the spreading chestnut tree,the village smithy stands"

a bucolic scene if I say so myself

Sharpening a spear

Many of these lovely chests came with our early settlers

Many of the homes had one room serves all concept and a few had two rooms.

airing the bedding,needs a little more than airing!

beautiful antiques

These ladies are baking bread. One was supposed to be the wife of Gov. Bradford. They role play as if they are the actual colonist.I had a little conversation with her ,just to see if she was up on her history facts...she was.

Every back yard needs a cannon or two

And so It's goodby to Plimouth Colony with all the reminders of the great struggle our forefathers endured that we might have religious freedom. Thank you Lord.We are so blessed.

More Boston Beauty

2011-11-05T05:13:00.000-07:00

fall color

more fall color

Bunker Hill Monument

Bunker Hill Bridge

Boston Garden

Bunker Hill Bridge..love this bridge,it is magnificent!

Boston Garden through the bridge

heading home through the "Big Dig"

Boston at twilight

Over the Charles River ,closer to home

Boston at night

"My" Trip To Bountiful

2011-11-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

I discovered about 2 years ago that my landed settler,Thomas Eames, lived and pretty much owned Framingham at one time in history.Framingham is just outside of Boston. So you can imagine what ecstacy I felt when 6 months ago, my daughter's family relocated from Hawaii to Boston..I could just see myself getting my picture beside the Thomas Eames memorial and upon arriving in Framingham ,seeing a sea of family likenesses as I walked down the street.My daughter's last words as we walked out the door"Hope this won't be a trip to Bountiful,a movie where this elderly lady dreams of going back to her home and when she does nothing is as she imagined.
I had also found on the internet that many Ames's were buried in Sudbury..so since I was out that way I prevailed upon my husband to take me first to Sudbury... I found the History Society pretty easily and unfortunately it was closed..so I asked the ladies in the town clerk's office if they had heard of the Eames family name and they were very helpful. In fact we shared some great stories of our geneological jouneys. They kindly directed me to the cemetary,but as I began perusing the various tombstones from every era of our history and every family except Eames or Ames, I've finally come to the conclusion that I am not really a geneologist. I think I need to hire someone for this boring job.
At any rate ,I encouraged my husband to take me on to the promised land,Framingham. Surely I would find something there...Meanwhile ,we were driving through georgeous fall leaved forests,bejeweled with manicured typically New England homes..which I couldn't fully enjoy becuse I'm looking for road signs and route numbers.
After asking a couple of Framinghamites directions,we found the History Society. It was closed and desolate. there was not a soul in site...Time for a coffeebreak..so we pulled into a minimall bearing a Starbucks sign. Imagine our dismay when we reached the door bearing the message",temporarily closed due to power outages"..Ah.. It's elementary, that's why we will not find much info . I didn't think power outages would effect areas so close to Boston.
Next stop..a barber,surely someone there has heard of our Gandfather Thomas. The man I talked to kept looking at me quizically..had I really come all the way from Los Angeles for a historical placque...is this woman for real. I tried to ignore the look and asked if he knew any Eames's, he said yes but he didn't elaborate. Funny, this the second time this happened to me. Either they really didn't know them personally or they didn't really care for them.
I will definitely come back to Boston and yes I will make that trip to Framingham again. The next time I will call ahead and make appointments with the History Society, and pray that there will be no power outages.

Ames Hotel

2011-11-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Ames Hotel, Boston,Mass

We decided to take advantage of a relatively pleasant afternoon and visit the Ames Hotel. It was built for offices of the famed Ames Tool company ,who made their initial fortune by coming up with a top notch shovel,just at the beginning of industialization and the expansion west of the United States and right around the Civil War..Only the outside bears any resemblance to it's origins,as it is now a ultra modern boutique hotel inside. I did get an Ames hat,though maybe $20.00 was a bit much for it.

detail of the Ames Building

For those of you who don't know, my maiden name was Ames. These Ames however were another Ames branch,although there is some speculation they may be cousins.My ancestors originated in Framingham and I hope to visit there tomorrow.

One of the period dressed tour guides that you see around the city

We decided to take a stroll down state street and I am including some more beautiful Boston pictures.

the Customs House...until this was built ,the Ames house,built in 1898, was considered the tallest skyscraper in Boston

A park was created in the spot where an elevated road way went through Boston. This roadway was replaced by The Big Dig, a tunnel and a source of great pride and accomplishment for Bostonians. The pillars light up in multi changing colors similar to the columns in LAX

another view of the park

Beautiful Boston From A Bus

2011-11-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

walking to the bus tour,a lot of walking in this city,..reminds me of my early years in New York City

One of the most picturesque and beautiful cities I've seen is Boston. I'm straying a bit from thrift store finds but there certainly is nothing more Victoriana than Boston.The weather is clear but the temp is mega cold,at least for us Angelinos and Hawaiians(daughter and son-in-law just settled here from beautiful Hawaii)... so we opted to take the hop on hop off Trolley Tours, only we hopped on and didn't hop off.
WE really saw more than my pictures indicate but these are my best photos.
ps, my son inlaw and grandson

Mast of USS Constitution..would like to visit it sometime

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Beautiful new bridge Bunker Hill Bridge The towers are designed to represent the tower of Bunker Hill

another view of Bunker Hill Bridge

remember Cheers?

Can't resist those magnificent victorian brownstone mansions!

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Trinity Church

covered walkway joining 2 shopping centers,a necessity given the inclement weather,nevertheles a beautiful necessity

Well we did hop off one time for a visit to the "necessary room" as the victorians would call it. Of course it was a shopping center...here we are walking across the beautiful glass covered walkway described earlier

Here it is Randy,Fenway Park,Can I make you really jealous, my son-in-law's work provides a box seat for it's employees

Fenway Park!!!!!

MIT Arts Building

The Charles River and heading home

decided to add this not so good picture of ultra modern architecture at MIT

Oh well, one more picture of a Victorian facade

Back to Thrift Stores!

2011-10-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I have recently deserted my main blog theme with all this traveling...Yesterday we were traveling to Costco in Avon,Mass. and there just happened to be a Salvation Army thrift store nearby. Wow,wished I lived in Mass. ,the prices were phenomenal.I wish I had brought my camera to validate my finds. I really couldn't buy anything as my limited luggage space needs to be reserved for very special things.
.The following listing is the evidence of the great deals available here.
Hurry over all you Bostonians..even my daughter (usually a non thrift store fan) got inspired.
an early 20's high chair...$15.00
a beautiful intact pump organ with a gorgeous mantel...$159.00..I paid $450.00 for mine in Los Angeles
a player piano ...$199.00
4 beautiful old oak dining chairs...$4.99 each
multple collectible and antique dishes at$.99 each
In our thrift stores in L.A. there is nothing for $.99..the lowest price you can find is $1.99 but if anything looks the least bit valuable,it jumps to $7.99.
So get out there guys, the bargains still abound!!!

We Went on the Duck Tour...Quack...Quack

2011-10-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ted was our beast of burden,3kids at once

and this was our duck

one of the sister ducks. They are amphibious ,Land and sea. It was great fun but I was unable to take many pictures

my one picture,Longfellow Bridge

Freedom Walk, or Better Put ,Freedom Crawl

2011-10-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

If this man was able to ride his horse around to warn the colonists with a bell in one hand and a gun in the other, he deserves a statue !

The Commons, a fantabulous park established by the Puritans

Ducks on the Duck Pond

more ducks

Boston's architecture hasn't strayed far from the Enlish influence

Mass. state capitol,note gold leaf dome, beautiful

Though it's not readily evident,my youngest grandchild is taking a snack break

The King wanted to build an Anglican Church in Boston but the Puritans wouldn't allow it so he built this one in a cemetary

first free school open to all

oldest book store in Boston,now a Chipotle.You can see the wavy old glass still in the windows

hail,hail, the gangs all here

tea party organized here ,Old South Meeting House

Faneuil Hall

Mime in front of Sam Adam's statue

Beautiful flute music from the Andes

This is not a pigeon on Sam Adam's statue

This mime is so good,she isn't even shivering.

First Market in Boston now filled with restaurants and shops

Demonstation of yankee ingenuity, you wouldn't believe the drum sounds coming out of these plastic buckets.

Old restaurant that has always been under the same management

oldest part od Boston

more of old Boston

Old Boston

Boston has the best Little Italy I have ever seen!

famous Italian Bakery

Yummy

unusual sign nearby Mike's Pastry

Wow! This place is packed to the brim. Hope my son-in-law comes out with all his limbs intact.

Here that brave man comes,no limbs missing and bearing luscious trasures for all.

didn't realize the pastry I ordered was enough for an army

contemplating her indulgence

down it goes!

Paul Revere"s back yard

Now can I have a cupcake.

Paul Revere's home

St. Stephan's Church

Old North Church

Old North Chuch

Old North Church from where message was given to patriots that the British were going to Lexington

I guess this must have been the servant's entrance to the brick front mantions. These dot the streets and are very diminuitive in size.

La Famiglia where we ate the night before. The entre' could feed a whole platoon.

view from Daughter and son-in-laws window in the Sheraton.Domed building on left is MIT

Another view from their room

Dinner at Legal Sea Food in the Prudential Mall ,meeting up with 2 of daughters classmates who are doing post doctoral studies in Boston

chopino anyone?

Son-in-law

and another

friend and husband

daughter and friends

the patriarch and matriarch

Hard to say good by

I'm very proud of my husband and myself for finishing most of the famed Freedom Walk in spite of inhibiting our much younger family's progress. After being highly praised for great accomplishment by our son in law,I couldn't resist exclaiming with indignation,"we're not ready for the grave yet,"even though I surely felt close to it.

My Daughter, the Pioneer Woman,or a New Respect For City Dwellers

2011-10-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Day 2 in Boston.... The skies are gray,rain is pouring and winds are blowing. Baby is sick. Daughter must go to Cvs for prescription.Being the protective mother,I offered to go along ...to HELP.Ready set go! My daughter bundles baby,bundles herself and slips baby into a cocoon like plastic covering over the stroller and patiently waits while I'm still bundling up and taking my arthritis pills.
Blastt Off !!down the elevator into the cold blustering rainy atmosphere. Daughter with stroller in tow half a block ahead of me as I hobble along really making my best effort to maintain some semblance of decorum and keep up.
Finally making it to the train, I am trembling in complete horror,envisioning the stoller being swallowed up in the CHASM between the platform and the train. As my eyes are closed in horror ,daughter whips that buggy across the chasm with such expertise that I have to admit myself that she is just amazing.
In trying to make at least one heroic motion, I decided to pay for the fare. In my authoritative mother voice ,I asked the porter person(she was a woman) ,how much is the fare. In a somewhat snide remark she answered "It would help to know to where.
We barely dragged ourselves on to the train and it was time to drag ouselves off. Out we go again into the cold ,blustery,wet, hostile weather...only to arrive at the pahrmacy to learn that the prescription needs to be approved before it can be filled.(shades of Obama Care???)
With a rerun of our earlier experience we finally made it home. My daughter asked me what would I like to do now(being the perfect hostess and making an effort to entertain).My answer.. nothing I just want to sit down and blow my nose!

Blogging from Bean Town , strolling through the neighborhood

2011-10-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

pretty nice neighborhood

beautiful and restful

a scenic rusty old bridge now used for a foot bridge. Good job in preserving history Boston. So many of these old bridges reside in my memory

Fan Harbor founded in 1900

some of the neighbors

this restaurant knows how to attract my kind

more entrapment

Stopped by at this touristy place to take some clam chowder home for the folks...turned out to be nothing to bark about.

This Victorian is taking a break to visit my oldest daughter and her family in Boston. We're staying in her cool loft near the Charles River. Too exhausted from yesterday's trip to do any extensive touring I decided to take a stroll nearby.What a pleasant diversion.