Sweet Dogs I Love II

It's the first day of the month - time for photos of sweet dogs!

All of these photos were taken at The Divine Canine in Inman, SC. 

Silvia

  Lily

          

Tucker

   

Maybell 

               

   Trixie 

Bentley 

Buddy

                              

Roddy

Saving Thread

It is a strip of fabric about 6” long and has seven different color threads wrapped around it.  I found it in a sewing box that I purchased from an estate sale.  The sewing box has a handle and is made of woven plastic.  They were a stable in most homes during the 20's and 30's.

Inside the basket is a removable plastic tray with compartments to keep the sewing tools neat. The bottom section holds spools of thread and it is here that I discover the strip of fabric. I often find wooden spools with multiple thread strands wrapped around them but this is the first time I have seen something like this - such a careful and deliberate display of thrift. 

As I look at the fabric, I think about the time when people saved thread. People actually saved thread.  Think about this for a moment and think about all that we throw away on a daily basis. There was a time, not that long ago, when people saved thread.

 

The thread may have come from a larger spool, but most likely it came from a garment that was taken apart. The buttons were cut off, the shirt cut into squares for quilts and the hems were unraveled for the thread. When a garment was no longer wearable, every part of it was re-used.  Nothing was wasted or thrown away. 

 

The comparison to how we live now could not be more startling.  Now, clothing is not made to last - it doesn't have to because the fashion industry has created a culture of ‘trends’.  The trends are always changing and consumers are conditioned to think that if you are not wearing 'the latest', you are not fashionable. 

 

Because the trends change so quickly, cheaper fabric and inferior workmanship are now acceptable.  Even if a garment lasts past a few washings, it goes out of fashion and is replaced with the next trend.  The garment gets passed onto thrift stores, or, as in most cases, it is simply thrown away.  When you have not paid a lot of money for something, you hold no value in it. It simply becomes another piece of trash to be disposed of.  

I keep this fabric piece in my "Treasure Jar" so that I can see it often. It reminds me to be cognizant about what I consume and about what I purchase.  And to be aware of the path I leave as I pass through. 

Hendersonville, NC - Photos

We went to Hendersonville yesterday for a much-needed day of no stress and relaxation.  Bill, bless his kind soul, is always so patient with me as I dawdle in the shops looking for treasures and looking for photo opportunities.  I thought that a Sunday morning would be a great time to share them with you. 

The last two photos are of Buster and Red - they 'work' at Eclectric's in Landrum.  

 
 

Emil and Missy

Our friend Emil is leaving this morning and Missy and I went down early to say good-bye to him.  Emil had a little bit of Bologna left and he got right down to giving Missy her final lesson in "will-power".  

As you know, "will-power" is not Missy's strong suit.  Missy is all about "now-power". But little-by-little Emil has been working with her.  He was always very firm and patient with her, even when she messed up. This morning she got her final lesson.  I'm so proud of Missy - she really is a smart little dog.  And I'm so proud of Emil.  

At the end of the lesson, he asks for her paw - just to make sure she didn't forget that trick.  Watching Emil love on Missy at the very end just melts my heart.    

I'm sad that we won't be able to visit with Emil at his house down the street, but we'll be visiting him in his new home soon. 

This is the video of Emil and Missy from this morning.  Emil and Missy

Emil always comes out to see us as we leave.  It's one of my favorite memories of spending time to him.  💗  

"Treasure Jar"

If you've been to my house, you've probably noticed the large glass jar on the table by the front door. That's my "Treasure Jar" and I started it about 8 or 9 years ago as a place to keep all my little treasures.  All those delightful, joy-bringing trinkets that I couldn't bear the thought of passing up or throwing away, they all get added to my Treasure Jar.

This past week, I outgrew my first jar and added a second jar to the table by the door. Two Treasure Jars!  Oh my!  

I find the best things in old button tins, boxes of junk, and jewelry boxes. And, I'm always on the look out when I'm at yard sales, auctions and estate sales for those piles of junk/treasures. I buy vintage board games just for the pieces (Clue and Monopoly) and I seem to be a magnet for porcelain and plastic animals. 

Vintage keys, medicine tins, little bottles, patches, tokens, crystals, key chains, metal lipstick tubes, random earrings, beads, vintage lighters, buttons, little dolls, belt buckles, scout pins, Christmas ornaments, watch faces, metal toys, sewing kits, door knobs, metal hardware, pill cases, compacts and everything in-between - they all have a new home...in my Treasure Jars.