It was nice while it lasted. My summer class ended July 31st and for five weeks I'm free of school, and for almost two of those weeks I was also free of work. Well, my paying job anyway. I was able to take some time to go visit friends in Ohio (Hi Kathie and Steve!), and then veg around the house a bit. Scott and I didn't go to GenCon this year, but maybe next. We'll see if they have fun guests of honor and if the road construction between Wisconsin and Indianapolis is better. Chicago is a lost cause as that freeway/tollway is ALWAYS under construction, but I-65 to Indy was also torn up this year. Even though we have air conditioning in the car, I don't fancy sitting in construction traffic with the AC off, in August, in Indiana. So, we passed on it this year.
As the summer draws to a close, my husband and I have decided to pave our driveway and put in a patio behind the garage. We've had a gravel driveway since the beginning of this house, and even though it doesn't bother me that much to have it, shoveling it in winter is hard, and even more difficult with the snowthrower. I won't miss the ice that forms on the gravel as I've fallen several times, including my first night back to college where I not only fell, but ripped the skin off my palms from the rocks that were still sticking up, and was a bloody mess going to my first night of English 102 class. That's a good way to start a semester. Not realizing that I had ripped that skin off, it wasn't until I was half-way to class and with my hands burning did I realize they were more than just scratched up. Once I got into the light I saw that my hands were bloody, I was a wet mess from the snow (it was snowing pretty hard), and the front of my pants were muddy and bloody because of my hands. I'm very glad that the rest of the semester didn't go as badly.
While in Ohio, I went to an estate sale with Kathie and Steve. It was paydirt for me, as I found a set of salt and pepper shakers in the depression glass pattern I collect. Granted they were pink instead of the monax (white) color I collect, but I got them for a song. I had really only needed the tops, but when I saw what the bases were, there's no question as to whether or not I'll keep them. Last summer I found a quilt that is exceptional in its stitching and quality, and this summer the shakers. I'm not sure how I'm going to top myself next year, but it will be fun trying. Kathie is the person who got me into auctions and antiques by exclaiming one day in my kitchen "WOW, that's a Shawnee cookie jar on your fridge!!!" I had no clue what it was other than grandma's cookie jar which was always magically full of cookies whenever the grandkids were there. It was never empty. When she passed away, I was very lucky to get that cookie jar and a box of "old, white dishes" I though would be useful when I went off to college in the fall. I was 18 at the time and didn't have a clue as to what either items were worth, or would be worth in the future. I just knew that I would always think of my grandma when I looked at that cookie jar. So, when Kathie had that reaction, my interest was peaked for all things Shawnee and soon had the salt & pepper shakers and the creamer that went with the cookie jar. Then, the collecting of depression glassware started. While at the first auction Kathie took me too, there were a few plates in the same pattern that I had sitting in my basement. The crowd was not paying attention and I got them for a song too. The auctioneer actually admonished the crowd for letting someone get those plates for cheap. I didn't care what the crowd did, I was thrilled and hooked.
Over the years, I've added quite a few things to my collections of glassware and Shawnee pottery. I'm sure my grandmother would have a fit if she knew how much these items were worth. And, that I treat them more like museum pieces instead of actually using them. I do use a few platters of my depressionware, but they are pretty common ones and are also not mint. You might find a chip or two in them. And, no, the shakers will not be in use either....
My final thought is that even though I love collecting this stuff, it has occurred to both my husband and I that moving all this stuff into a new house is going to be, well, let's just say, AWFUL! It never occurred to us that we might want to collect, oh, I don't know, feathers or something light. It's going to take a long time to move, plus packing all these things will be nothing short of, short. But, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Until then, just one more piece of glass won't hurt, will it?
