living is learning

The Great Outdoors

2012-03-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

The weather has been so nice here lately that sitting on the computer has been the farthest thing from my mind. I love being outside in this weather and working around the yard or going fishing or hiking somewhere. Maybe just spending a lazy day on a river somewhere.

Here is a picture I took a few years ago while on a local river. What does that look like to you? I thought it kind of looked like an alligator! Not likely, it's just a log sticking out of the water
Oh, and lets not forget mushroom hunting! I'm guessing mushroom season will probably be a bit early this year. I'm going to have to get out and see if they are popping soon.

Mmmmm can't wait, I just love morels, sauteed or batter fried! And they go great with fried catfish too!
So, I guess you know what I'll be doing in the weeks to come but don't fret, I will find the time to update and get more pics and info on all the things I want to share with you.

Speaking of, I did get the tools up today, well most of them anyway.

Individual images and commentary are on the "Old Tools" page. Have a look, Have fun, and Take care
Old Soul

Spring Fever

2012-03-14T18:58:00.003-05:00

   We are having some awesome weather, just shy of 80 degrees. I love it, can't wait to start planting a garden and doing some more landscaping.
   While I was out surveying and coming up with ideas, I noticed some of my lawn ornaments/decorations, affectionately known as "Yard Garbage". Now here is another whole class of collectibles.
   I have seen some really beautiful yards, in person and in numerous magazines, and then there are those that beg the question, "Why on earth would anyone put that in their yard?" Ha. Well, were not going to go there(I hope).
   My yard at present is minimalistic, sometimes I feel lucky enough to have the time to mow the grass. But, I have a few items I have found that I keep outside for decoration along with some perennial plantings. Of course it's too early for them to be sprouting yet, but if the weather stays like this they all will be up soon.

Hope you enjoy the snapshots!

Some landscaping I did several years ago with some Day lillies.

Notice the old push plow?

Some of those bricks are the old purington paver's as well!

An auction find, I love the old tools

Can you imagine pushing that through your garden?

A pair of old milk cans I saved from the salvage yard

Old steel wheels

I see a lot of these in landscapes

I think they came off an old manure spreader

These are wrought iron

They did have 3 small can like things mounted

on each of them that I believe were for torch light

Here is my only yard statue

Its a fairy about 3 ft tall

I bought this for my Wife on Mothers Day the year she passed away, I had created what I called a fairy garden for her with a little pond and lots of plantings. Someplace for her to sit and relax since she had been very sick and traveling was out of the question. I have some pictures of the garden somewhere. When I find them I will post them.

So there it is, my little bit of "yard garbage" hope you enjoyed the images and the beautiful day we had.

Old Soul

Back to Basics

2012-03-12T12:51:00.000-05:00

While rummaging through totes and boxes for all the stuff I have collected over the years I was thinking about how I came to possess these items. The majority of what I have acquired, that's worth anything, was either going to be thrown away or was given to some charitable organization for resale, and believe it or not, if items sit on their shelves too long they toss them in their dumpster. Dumpster diving can be fun and profitable!
But it just made me realize how we have become a throw away society. Out with the old and in with the new, Right? I mean think about it, Quality is almost a thing of the past because if it has a warranty, the manufacturer had the expectation or specifically designed it to fail after the warranty expires. Hence more sales or repair costs. However, if you happen to be lucky enough to find quality products you almost need a 6 figure income to afford them.

Recently I repaired an old meat slicer similar to this one.

   All that was wrong with it, besides being a little rusty and worn from years of use and abuse, was the electrical cord. A quality product that was made to last! Do you think that 50 years from now someone will still be able to use any of the appliances/tools you use today?
   Not very likely, especially in this age of plastics, complicated circuitry and overall poor craftsmanship. Then of course there is the continually rising costs that overpower the average wage earner to the point that we are lucky enough to keep our bills paid month to month. Let alone being able to go out and purchase products that will last more than a few years.
   In 50 or 100 years from now what will our children's children be digging out of their basements or attics to remember our time with? Will they be thinking, "Boy, they really knew how to build things back then"? Not very likely.

Do you plan on holding on to that old cell phone?

or maybe that desktop monitor that took up so much real estate on your desk?

Maybe? Maybe not?

   Believe it or not, I still have my first cell phone and my first computer system! Antiquated and outdated and not even worth the gas it would take to haul it to a recycling center. But, I still hold onto it. Why? Now that's a good question. I think I may have answered that in my first post, "Because I hate to get rid of anything" and "Borderline Hoarder".
   They do hold some memorial value to me, but for my children or grandchildren all they will be is garbage they have to clean up after I am gone. Because they will never be valuable enough for them to hold onto. Did you know that you can't even give away an old tube television to some charities anymore?
   Oh I am sure that there will be museums set up somewhere, if there isn't already, to show future generations how far technology has come, but for the most part these and other mass produced "tools" we use today will be recycled or tossed into a landfill somewhere.
   I enjoy technological advancements, and low cost merchandise as much as anyone. Because usually I am just lucky enough to have a couple of pennies to rub together. As for technology, by the time I can afford it, it's on sale because something better is already on the market.
   Let me jump down from my soapbox for a minute and ask you, the reader, to look around and ask yourself, "What have you purchased brand new that will gain in value over your lifetime?" Furniture? as long as you didn't get that sawdust and glue pressed board stuff. Maybe some jewelry? Some artwork? Maybe a fancy new sports car? If you are fortunate enough to afford it. Will you be able to hold on to those things for your future generations to benefit? Or will the ever rising cost of living absorb those things? (that's a subject for another blog, Ha)
    I guess where I am going with this post is that I know there are still some craftsmen/craftswomen out there that are making quality items that should gain in value over our lifetime. So seek them out whenever possible and affordable, as I am sure most of you do already. And if you are so inclined, learn from them! But above all else, if you have a craft or an art that you exceed in please teach others so that it can carry on for generations to come.
    I have dealt with enough young people to know that a lot of them are so caught up in technology that working with their hands or even pride in workmanship (unless it involves a keyboard or game controller) is unknown to them. (another blog topic, Ha)
    I suppose these opinions/feelings I have wrote here are why I seek out the knowledge of days gone by, to try and learn the old ways so that they don't just die off and become forgotten and to pass on that knowledge whenever possible.
    I have always taken pride in every job I do, no matter how menial it may be and have set out to learn as much as I can. That's probably how I became a "Do-It-Yourself" kind of guy. I am also open to new ideas or old ones that I haven't heard of yet.
   My father once told me "to work smart not hard" and if memory serves me right, my mother once told me "to use my head for more than holding my ears apart" Ha! Probably why I listen and think so much. I suppose the smack in the back of the head might have had something to do with it too.
   Hey, now there's an idea for another collection I could write about, "Old Sayings". Hmmmm?
Old Soul

Collecting

2012-03-09T12:53:00.001-06:00

    Collecting is something that I have been doing for many years. (Borderline hoarder I suppose) My interests in collecting vary, but tend to lean towards the old and or unusual. When I was a child, my grandmother got me interested in coins, stamps, and rocks of all things. With the exception of the rock collection, I still have the majority of the coins and stamps. Oh, I still have some quartz and agates, but most of my rocks have been lost. (Comes with age I suppose, Ha)
     Throughout the years I have acquired numerous items. From garage and yard sales, to thrift stores and auctions. I have even been fortunate to peruse through local scrap yards (junkyards) and find trinkets that would have otherwise been recycled for their metal content. Also, many of the neighboring towns in my area have what they call "cleanup days". You would be amazed at what some people will throw away. Many items I have were given to me by family and friends as well, of which, regardless of value I hold most dear.
      Smaller items are best, especially if you are limited on space as I have been for many years. However, at this point in my life I have approximately 20 totes with collectable items in them. You just have to love basements, attics, garages, sheds and lots of shelving as well. If I had the money and the room, I would love to have display cases and cabinets to show off a lot of my collections. Someday soon I hope. But for the time being a few shelves and a couple of bookcases will just have to do. However dusting is quite a chore.
      Alright, on to the collections, but where to begin? I suppose I will start with what I have acquired recently. A Cook Book, vintage is 1890 and is titled "White House Cook Book" First printing was in 1887 while our 22nd president Grover Cleveland was in office.

Sadly it is in terrible shape, missing part of the spine and some of the pages have become so brittle that they are breaking off around the edges. But it is truly an awesome book of 568 pages with everything from carving meat to how to remove freckles(yeah right) and everything in between. A dear friend gave this to me knowing how I feel about discarding old treasures, especially old books.
I recently wrote a fellow collector inquiring as to the value of another cookbook. It is a signed copy of "Granny's Hillbilly Cookbook" by Irene (Granny) Ryan and Cathy Pinckney.

Who doesn't remember the Beverly Hillbilly's

I had searched and searched but only found copies that were not signed and they were valued in the $30-$50 range. My new found friend told me that a signed copy could be worth around $150 or more. Well after several emails it looks like I may be doing an interview for her companies website. How cool is that! I haven't asked her yet, but I suppose she won't mind if I direct you to her website that I stumbled across while trying to value this particular cookbook. It is www.cookbookvillage.com Great site and she was quite helpful and very personable. So if you are interested in vintage cookbooks check it out.
I do have quite a few other cookbooks such as some old Betty Crocker's, Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, and numerous church and other organizations. Just to name a few.

     Collecting cookbooks really came by accident. I mean that I enjoy cooking and having a good cookbook is almost essential in the kitchen. If for nothing else but to reference and or for ideas. But since I hate getting rid of anything they have accumulated. Hence, A Collection!

      I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into one of my many collections. I will be taking some more photo's and writing about my other collections soon. So stay tuned and Happy Collecting.
   Old Soul

     Images and Information about the collections will be on separate pages, so just click above on the one that interests you. I will be adding more information to all the images as I acquire it, so please stop back from time to time and check it out. And, if you happen to have any information about any items please leave a comment.

Thank you all
Old Soul