Antiques – Valerie's Voice

More Music

I’m grateful all the ways my life has been, and is currently, touched by music. I do appreciate music, although there is so much I do not know about it. The multitude of different musical instruments is amazing. I certainly appreciate musicians; their dedication to their craft and the practice they’ve endured, creating outstanding music for others to enjoy.

It’s nice to be able to attend concerts at the two colleges in Northfield. Even though I may not know much about the compositions, or composers, I can’t help but think I am changed in some way by hearing the beautiful music. Music is good for our souls.

Recently, we have been to several musical events…the St. Olaf Orchestra concert, a Boston Trio recital at Urness Hall (on St. Olaf campus), and the Rock and Roll Revival, a musical extravaganza put on by Northfield High school students.

Each were unique, each were performed by amazing musicians, and each were enjoyable.

The RRR (Rock & Roll Revival) has been put on every other year, for a total of sixteen times so far, by the high school students. It features rock and roll music, from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The high school kids put on a stellar and energetic performance. It’s always fun to see them in action.

I saw this box of 45’s in an antique store. These records were popular in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Most are without their sleeves, except for one or two.

And, this year’s RRR brochure was especially clever.

The brochure itself was square, with a 45 phonograph record printed on the front cover.

The picture of this “45” looks so realistic. The brochure was such a fun enhancement to the RRR.

The inside pages listed the songs to be performed. This brochure was then placed into a white, paper sleeve just like how the original 45’s were packaged for retail sale back in “my day.” What fun!

The brochures were tucked into these white sleeves, to represent a 45 phonograph record.

Music is very much a part of my life… from praise and worship songs and hymns on Sundays, to multiple and different opportunities presented to me from many other venues throughout the days, including my new Zumba class! We dance to lively, hispanic music.

Whether it is formal concerts, singing to ourselves or in church, or even hearing the birds sing their songs in the great outdoors, music is all around us…and I am grateful.

I would add to this saying on this card I received; .”And for all our saddest days, there is music.”

An Annual Get Away

It was a quick turnaround for me. We arrived home from an almost four-week trip to North Carolina, and two days later I was driving to Madison, Wisconsin to meet up with a friend for our annual get away.

We have been meeting once or twice a year since 1989. Earlier this year we had planned to meet on two different occasions, but each time we had to cancel, so we squeezed in a trip during the busy holiday season. We did not want to break our record and miss a year.

Colorful dogwood shoots with a pagoda in the background at Olbrich Gardens.

My friend and I met many years ago during a church greeting time. Soon after, she gave birth to her first born and I offered to bring her lunch. Not knowing the protocol for bringing new mom’s lunch or dinner at that time, I simply brought her a tuna fish sandwich in a brown paper bag.

BUT… God multiplied that simple lunch into a nourishing friendship that has spanned almost 40 years and is still going strong.

Madison is a good half way point for us, and is our default destination when we don’t have a lot of time. Our criteria for choosing destinations is the area has to have gardens, water (lake, river, ocean) and antique/thrift stores.

A huge cottonwood tree standing tall and proud without its leaves.

A carefully placed birch stump that looks like an owl.

Although it was a cold and windy December day, we enjoyed walking around Olbrich Botanical Garden in Madison. We have been there many times. Although no plants were blooming, the textures and contrasts of the different fall/winter plants were vibrant.

Lake Monona is across the street. The lake was full of white caps.

We discovered two great restaurants for dinner each night. We’d recommend both. Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry has been in business for 47 years making delicious hamburgers, and it did not disappoint.

This restaurant offered delicious hamburgers. We understand why it was voted as having favorite burgers. They were juicy and tasty.

The Old Stamm House, in an old stone house, had the best Brussel sprouts I’ve ever tasted.

I don’t normally take pictures of food, but these Brussel sprouts were scrumptious!

The lobster ravioli was great, and to top it off we had a Crème Brulée (we split everything, therefore we could enjoy an appetizer and dessert).

Old Stamm House building from 1847…it is not the original site of the restaurant.

Our shopping times were fruitful in finding a few inexpensive little treasures here and there, which provides us with much entertainment just from the hunt!

Back home now, I will settle in and start getting ready for the Christmas season.

Matchbooks

I’m slowly going through our “stuff” in an effort to declutter. My latest task is going through the antique Mason jars sitting on top of the kitchen cupboards. It was a nice place to display them…they were not tucked away in some cupboard, but were on display – yet out of the way. I decided to either put them to use, or get rid of them.

The jars on top of the kitchen cupboard.

So one by one I am taking them down. As I pulled the first antique jar down – a blue Mason jar with a glass lid – I noticed I had matchbooks stored in it. At one time we collected matchbooks from different places. Businesses do not give away matchbooks with their logo anymore – but they used to, and the matchbooks were easy to collect. I do remember going through our matchbooks before, and keeping only a few special ones. I forgot that I kept these few in the Mason jar.

Here is a list of the matchbooks that I found in the jar, and where they came from:

The Old Spaghetti Factory: This was a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, and the place where Gary and I had our first date in 1976. It closed in August 2019.

Mardi Gras: The cruise ship we took for our honeymoon, a Caribbean cruise in 1978. Along with the matchbook, there was a champagne cork in the Mason jar, also from the cruise. I remember our table-mates had a bottle of Bollinger Champagne they shared with us, and told us keep the cork. That was the first time I heard of Bollinger champagne…too bad the winery was not the same Bollinger family as the one I had just joined when I married Gary! HA

There were two different matchbooks from National Parks we had camped in: Zion, Bryce Canyon and the north rim of the Grand Canyon (we visited in July 1992) were together on one matchbook called The Sanctuaries. The other matchbook was from Glacier National Park (this must have been our 1989 visit). I would say these were our favorite national parks overall.

Boca Raton Resort and Club: This was the most luxurious resort Gary and I stayed at in Florida (February 1992). It was for a work convention. We were with friends from work and enjoyed the beautiful accommodations, the lush landscape and grounds, the ocean and ocean views from our hotel balcony, and the service…o my.

Hotel Uzwil: a hotel Gary stayed in several times when he took business trips to Switzerland. It was located in the village of Uzwil, east of Zurich.

One matchbook was from Cargill, the first company Gary worked for after he graduated from college.

Another had the Greek letters for the fraternity, Delta Theta Sigma, which Gary belonged to in college.

The Orion Room: I hardly remember this restaurant, but it was on the 50^th floor of the IDS center. In 1972 the IDS center was built in downtown Minneapolis. In 1974 the restaurant opened. It is no longer there, but it was considered an excellent dining establishment in its day.

Good ‘n Plenty Family Style Eating: A family-style Pennsylvania Dutch restaurant in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, the area where Gary grew up in Pennsylvania. It was my first introduction to the Amish in his hometown.

These two jars now hold epsom salts in our bathroom.

Once again, it was fun to go down memory lane. Now, after writing about these matchbooks, perhaps I can use them up. I wonder what I’ll find in the other jars on top of the cupboard?

Growing Older Quip

This framed print caught my attention in an antique store in Madison, and made me smile.

My Mother’s Ring

There is so much jewelry in this world…some unique, classy, and valuable pieces, but a lot of schlocky pieces too. I like jewelry and used to wear more of it, especially when I was working. However, I now mostly wear earrings…even though I do like necklaces. These days I will look at jewelry with a more critical eye, and I rarely buy any of the beautiful pieces I like when I do look… I say to myself, “where would I wear it?”

A 4″ tall, mini-pink, depression glass chalice that holds my special ring and earrings.

I have a few valuable pieces of jewelry: a diamond necklace Gary gave me when we were engaged, a pair of stud diamond earrings, and a pair of teardrop diamond earrings I’ve received as gifts over the years. I have some antique jewelry, and sparkly beaded necklaces I wore for a long time, when in fashion. At times I feel I should just wear my classic, lovely jewelry for the sake of wearing it…no matter what I’m doing, but I usually don’t bother.

Another valuable piece of jewelry I own is my mother’s ring. She was widowed in her 50’s and at some point she had her wedding rings made into a single ring using the diamonds and rubies from her set. Her name was Ruby so I always liked that she had rubies in her ring. When she died I inherited her ring. I wear it when I dress up, or on special occasions. For instance, last Sunday our grandson was baptized so I wore her ring. It makes me feel like she’s there too, somehow.

The ring is a bit awkward…protruding higher than I’m used to. It doesn’t exactly fit either…a little too big for my ring finger, a bit too tight for other fingers. But I wear it anyways.

When Gary and I got married 43 years ago, we each got a wedding band…plain and simple. On our 25th anniversary he bought me an anniversary ring, a gold band with diamonds to replace the original band that had become too small for me.

The saga will continue…to wear jewelry or not to wear it. But, I will always enjoy looking at jewelry, and admiring jewelry others are wearing.

Old School Cafe and the SPAM Museum

Antique, pull-down maps, chalk boards, pictures of George Washington and Abe Lincoln, and an aged, class photo decorate an old, country school building converted to a restaurant in Mantorville, Minnesota.

Front view of the Old School Cafe with bell tower.

The old school house is now the Old School Café, with good cooking, and a popular spot for town folks to eat. The portions were generous and the food was tasty and the ambiance was nostalgic and cheery.

Outside was also inviting. There were old wooden benches and a school desk on the wide, front porch. There was a bell tower with the bell intact and rope hanging from it. Sculptures of children were placed around the grounds…a lovely idea for a school house yard.

The children on the slide was my favorite sculpture.

Another sculpture of children at a drinking fountain.

There were many, pretty flower pots scattered throughout the yard. On one side of the café was a charming, old wooden house dated 1855, that looked occupied, and the other side of the cafe was a garden area. It was fun to look around, and a delightful way to start the day.

I love whimsey. This little troll was attached to the 1855 house outside wall.

An outdoor seating area along side the cafe, between the cafe and the old house.

There always seems to be a kitty cat hiding in gardens.

Our next stop was the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota.

A well-done sculpture of a farmer and two pigs, outside the SPAM Museum.

An interesting, fun (and free!) museum dedicated to the story of Hormel’s specific product SPAM. Hormel began in the late 1800’s but SPAM was created in 1936 and became popular in WWII when the military ordered lots of SPAM to provide for the armed forces overseas… because it was convenient, and the shelf life was lengthy.

A life-size figure, a screen projection, was lamenting how he felt he had an overabundance of SPAM while in the army.

Some in the military might say the government overused SPAM. But it continues to sell today and there are multiple flavors of SPAM, and it is sold in multiple countries all over the world.

An interesting story on how SPAM got its name.

Free samples of SPAM were offered. We tasted the hickory smoked version and it was very good.

Of course, there is a gift shop featuring all things “Spam”, including flip flops that spell out SPAM when you walk in the sand!

A parting shot…a stunning blossom in the gardens of the Old School Cafe.

Minnesota Marine Art Museum

Last month we went on a Sunday Drive down Highway 61 towards Winona, Minnesota. The sun was shining bright and we enjoyed the scenic views of the Mississippi River. Because it was late March, the trees had not budded out yet, and we saw a lot more of the water than driving the same route in summer or fall when the trees are full. It’s a beautiful drive anytime of the year, but I it was nice seeing more of the river this time.

Our first stop was Lark Toys, a very unique and fun stop. Lark Toys is a toy museum, a retail store with a large selection of wooden toys, vintage-style toys and a fine book shop. The museum has glass enclosed displays with all sorts of games and toys from bygone years that prompt many memories and a delight to see. There is an indoor carousal you can ride, a candy store to buy old-fashion candies, and an ice cream shoppe.

Inside one of the glass enclosed display cases of antique toys in Lark’s Toy Museum.

Our next stop was the Marine Art Museum in Winona. It seems an unusual place for such a quality museum, but I assume it’s because of the two colleges in Winona, and probably a generous donor. It is on an inlet of the river, close to downtown but in a more industrial part of town. The tagline on their website is “Great art inspired by water.” I like that because I like water, and I like art.

The museum has permanent displays and changing exhibitions. Some works of Fred Somers, a talented and inspiring Northfield artist, were on display the day we were at the museum, and also an exhibition about the Titanic, with art pieces to go along with that tragic story.

Exhibitions change which provides new artworks to see, but the permanent displays are wonderful too. I don’t know much about art…I never took an art history class (but wish I had). I really enjoy admiring the artwork. I marvel at those who can paint. I often think, “this piece started out as a blank canvas!” A lot of the pieces (but not all) in the museum focus on marine art, thus the name.

There were two ship’s figureheads in the lobby of the Marine Art Museum, reminding us to wear our masks.

There are two permanent collections: American artists and European artists. The American collection is “historical works by American artist spanning the length of the nation’s history”. I don’t know many American artists, but I’m learning. The European collection had pieces by artists I recognized, such as; Monet, van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Picasso and more.

Understandably photographs were not permitted (except in the lobby). There is a nice gift shop where I bought some postcards.

This is a post card I bought in the museum gift shop. I liked the colors and style of this Renoir painting, from the European collection.

It’s worth the drive to Winona to check out this interesting and amazing museum.

Olbrich Gardens Revisited

Madison, Wisconsin is a great halfway point between my house in Northfield and my friend’s house in Indiana, and it meets our destination criteria of a body of water, gardens and thrift and/or antique stores so we have enjoyed several trips there.

Olbrich Gardens…showing off many beautiful planters.

We traditionally take our annual trip in the spring (ever since 1989), with an occasional trip halfway through the year if we can fit it into our schedules. We have met in many different locations around the country but Madison is convenient destination for us.

Along the trail on a beautiful fall day.

This year we planned a trip in May, but because of the pandemic we delayed it, until finally we decided to go… six months later. It was a tough decision, as are a lot of decisions around COVID these days. We decided on Madison because it’s easy to get to. We were careful where we went and we wore our masks.

When we meet in Madison, we always include a trip to Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The gardens are a must see. Spring, summer or fall, Olbrich Gardens is always a special place to wander the trails and enjoy nature’s beauty.

The purple aster among the white birch is appealing to the eyes.

We had fun walking around the gardens with our masks…but not our facemasks. The first day together we found sparkly, purple eye masks, new and unopened, at a thrift store, so we each bought one to add a whimsical touch to our time together.

We decided Olbrich Gardens was the place to don our masks and find a photo op. So, when we arrived at the gardens off came our facemasks and on went our sparkly eye masks.

This framed print was hanging in an antique store and we liked the caption. It went with our whimsical mind-set.

Olbrich Gardens had a lot to offer at the end of October. There were still lovely flower arrangements and colorful trees to enjoy in their fall glory.

This tree was labeled Full Moon Maple. Love that name…love the color.

Bright sunshine shone down on us and its warmth embraced us. We took great delight strolling around in it.

I didn’t record the name of this unique berry bush. Yes, these are real, natural berries.

At one point during our afternoon a message popped up on my phone alerting me to a photo memory. I looked and it showed photos from a Fall trip my friend and I had taken last year (2019) to Madison. The photos were from Olbrich Gardens and the date was exactly one year ago TO THE DAY. That was crazy! It felt like a confirmation. We reminisced, and recalled in 2019 it snowed the night before we visited the gardens so the ground and paths were covered with the white stuff. Not so this year.

Olbrich Gardens is a place to revisit again and again. Our trip turned out well. Although we shortened it, it was good to be together, in-person, to catch up with our lives. Someday we will not have to worry about COVID, but until then, a lot of decisions are heavy and difficult.

Glass Ornaments

I have a collection of colorful glass… mostly antique art-glass vases…

I find myself attracted to any colored glass pieces though, and to dishes in general. I have my grandma’s antique china set, which I love, and many other vintage glass pieces I’ve collected over the years from antique shops and thrift stores. I think it’s great fun to hunt for them, and I get a lot of enjoyment from using them too.

The lure of colored glass prompted me to take a class on creating fussed-glass pieces. The first class I took, a few years ago, was detailed and instructional – it taught us how to cut glass and introduced the different glass and glass making tools and explained the firing/fusing process. In that class I made four coasters, two mini bowls and a star hanging. It was an interesting class.

My funky bird coasters, made in the first class.

When a friend recently told me of a class being offered making Christmas Ornaments from fused-glass, in the small town of Kenyon MN, I was all in.

The class was very relaxed. The instructor brought her glass supplies and gave simple instructions and let us use whatever we wanted from her supply. We didn’t have to do anything but create. No set up, no clean up…just show up and be creative. We entertained ourselves over and beyond the time class was to end, but it did, and we liked our results.

The snowman ornaments I made in the second class.

My friend wanted to start a tradition of making Christmas ornaments for her daughters so she made two wreath ornaments. I made three snowman ornaments, one for each of my grandchildren.

A Change Along Scenic Drive

On our way to the north shore we always take the scenic drive instead of the expressway from Duluth to Two Harbors. It may be a slower route, but it is, as the name describes, a scenic route along Lake Superior. About half way between the two towns is a non-descript building that looks more like a house than a store. It was called Practicals, Collectibles & Antiques.

We’ve been stopping at this unique store for years. We enjoyed browsing around and visiting with the owner who was always there. He was friendly and welcoming and recognized us. We knew he was a retired military guy who wintered in Texas but would spend his summers in his shop right across the road from beautiful Lake Superior.

The interior of the store was lined from floor to ceiling with thousands of used books and old vinyl record albums. Shelves outlined the perimeter of the store, which displayed antique dishes, collectibles and “practicals”. We always looked forward to stopping at this quaint shop. We would usually buy a couple of books at about $1-2 a piece.

One year we apologized for only spending $2 but he graciously said…the north shore gets a million visitors a year…if each one spends a $1 that works for me…however, I run this store because it’s fun…not for the money.

The For Sale sign for Practicals, Collectables, & Antiques.

This year at the turnoff we noticed the large hand-written “For Sale” sign in the yard. The building was locked and empty, and we were a bit sad. I guess we knew it was coming sooner or later but it was too soon for us.

While at the cabin we searched for additional information about the store. We found a local TV news program had interviewed the owner in Spring 2018. We learned the owner’s name is Ed Johnson and that he was loved by many (we were not surprised). We learned he ran this store for 26 years and at the time of the interview he was 76 years old.

If you look closely, you can see an outhouse in the back. There was no running water in this building. The public restroom was an outhouse.

One other fond memory I have of “Mr. Ed” is from years ago, before we got to know him a bit. My mom and I would occasionally take weekend trips together and I remember bringing her to his shop once. She was using a walker at that time and she required some extra care. He always welcomed people into his store. This time, when my mom and I left the store, he came to the door to say good- bye, and then he said to me, “thanks for taking such good care of your mom.” I don’t think any other person in the world ever told me that and it really meant a lot to me and brings tears to my eyes this day. A simple act of kindness.

“Cheers to Ed!” We trust he and his wife are enjoying their retirement.