Blogs - Canita M. Pro Writer

Owe to a Savanna mammal

8/20/2015

Two velvet covered ossicorns for sparring, set beside two sizable, acute ears, with a dark tassel of hair in between.

All a top two keen, large, soft, brown eyes with outrageous eyelashes.

Followed by a long, soft muzzle matched with a long, blue-black tongue that trims trees and snaps thorns.

Attached to a really long neck covered with a coat of camouflage.

Built on a bulldog shaped torso.

To which is attached a short tufted tail.

Set on four fitfully, graceful legs with an elegant stride and a deadly kick.

From the inside out there is a powerful heart and twelve gallon lungs that issue; moos, hisses, grunts, snorts, roars, bellows and a flute-like sound.

All with a calm expression.

What am I?

That's Right - The giraffe

All the photo in this slide show are from Google images via the internet.
Sincerely yours, Canita M. Prough

Precious Moments

8/9/2015

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Precious Moments was the title to one of many classes offered at a Sunday School conference I was attending. I thought maybe it was about those cute little tear drop eyed figurines, I began hearing about them shortly after family moved to Joplin, Missouri (close to Carthage, Missouri where Precious Moments Chapel is located.) I was not sure how it would tie into teaching children, but the name had me hooked. I attended the class and was shocked when it was on miscarriages. I thought about getting up and leaving the class quietly since I was not married and did not believe that a miscarriage would be happening to me. I had prayed about which classes to attend and I had been excited about this one; I decided there must be something I could learn from this class. This was the first time I was introduced to the steps of grieving.

Steps to Grieving

Shock and denial - just breathe - take it moment by moment
Pain and guilt - take it minute by minute - pain and guilt come after the shock wears off - Give yourself permission to grieve
Anger and bargaining - take it hour by hour - Frustration gives way to anger - Why me? - Blaming yourself and others
Depression, reflection and loneliness - loss of direction and purpose - take it one day at a time - keep yourself busy do not dwell on the loss.
Upward turn - Find a safe place in your heart and possibly a safe person
Reconstruction and working through - choose life - take it one week at a time
Acceptance and hope - Take it one month at a time - connect with others that are hurting

This is just a list, they can happen out of order, switch back and forth, and you may wonder how long does each one last. There is no exact science to grieving. Each person does it their own way and in their own time. Some stages may last only a few weeks and some may last years. It depend on whether you embrace the grieving process or if you just avoid the pain. Molly Fumia said this about grieving ‘It may be postponed, but it will not be denied.” It needs to be said again, “Give yourself permission to grieve.” It is an excruciating and almost unbearable pain, express it - scream, yell, punch a pillow, cry, go for a run, whatever helps you release the pain. No harm should be come to yourself or others. You can be angry. The only boundary is to sin not.

After the class a young lady who was teaching Royal Rangers and Missionettes in our church and I ate lunch together. It was over lunch that she recounted her numerous miscarriages and sadness, as we both cried. I prayed with her, we agreed together that God would give her a child. A short time later I went overseas and I have not seen her again. It was three years or so later when I received a Christmas card telling me she was pregnant with twins. The next year there was a picture of the twins, one boy and one girl. I thought this was the reason God has allowed me to learn the steps of grieving, to pray with my friend and experience His miracle.

In 1993 another reason why I was to attend that class arrived on the scene. My sister and her family were expecting their second child. My sister carried the baby full term and as long as she was inside of her momma she was alive. When she was delivered she died. This was early in the understanding of the RH factor. I used the steps of grieving myself. I did tell my sister about the class and the steps. At the anger and bargaining stage I had to really work at not scaring every pregnant mother I saw into a panic. I wanted to let them know what could happen if for some reason they had not heard about the RH factor.

In 1994 I met a young lady while living in Germany. A couple of years after we met she moved to Denmark, met the love of her life and married. They were married a couple of years and she too had several miscarriages. I told her the story of the class, my friend, the twins, and we agreed together that God would give them a baby. They chose to try artificial insemination. The first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. A year passes and they try artificial inseminating again. This time she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. A year later they had a handsome baby boy naturally. The success with the couple with twins gave me hope that it would happen again. Another reason for attending that Precious Moments Class was beneficial.

The question keeps coming up, “Why attend funerals?” They feel the person is gone and will never know if you attend. I believe that funerals are also a part of the grieving process. I attend funerals because I personally need the closure. I believe you attend funerals to express love to those left behind and allow them to grieve just a short while with you. I then hear “I never know what to say.” You don’t have to say anything. I believe it is actually better to say nothing. Just give the ones who have lost someone a hug. That hug will say it all.

Later, when life took my parents those steps of grieving were priceless to me personally. I have never regretted that class that took all of 45 minute out of my life. And yes, those Precious Moments when my sister, I and our family held their beautiful baby girl. We miss you Mallary Hope.

Sincerely yours,

Canita Prough

Fair Friendly Fighting

8/3/2015

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http://o5.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/couple-fighting-on-couch.jpg

In 1998 I stayed with a young married couple while working at Camp Sonshine in Silver Spring, Maryland. They had a sheet of paper that was well torn and taped on their refrigerator it was called Rules of Fighting. I have told others about this list. The following is my attempt at recreating the list.

Conflict is normal

Go after the problem - Not each other

Stay in the present - one issue at a time

Stay on the topic of contention - state topic clearly - ask for specifics

NO degrading language - name calling
NO blaming - accusations
NO cussing
NO yelling - talk softly
NO use of force
NO talk of divorce

DO get curious - not defensive

DO take turns talking - (no) interrupting - listen respectfully

DO use time outs, when necessary (Limit fighting to 30 minutes)

DO define yourself not your partner (use “I” not “you”) (forget the words “always” and “never”)

DO agree to disagree

DO brainstorm solutions

Chose the best solution

Make up a safe word when in public and the arguing is going too far (goofy word)

Never go to bed angry

Sincerely yours,

Canita

Volksmarch Medallions

7/20/2015

I went into a flea market in Harlingen, Texas and asked if they had items they could not identify. A vendor took me back to her booth and showed me a shallow basket with about five medallions in it. I knew immediately what it was from my time in Germany. I searched through the basket and picked a medallion from 1976 the year I graduated from High School. I thought perhaps others would enjoy the history.

I first heard about these marches when it was Oktoberfest in Germany. The Oktoberfest will be taking place September 19 to October 4, 2015 starting in Munich, Germany. I’m not into fermented drinks, so I did not pay much attention to the other festivities surrounding this event. It was later that I was told that included in the Oktoberfest events were volksmarches.

A volksmarch or volkswalk is a noncompetitive, fitness walking 3.1 mile (5km) or 6.2 mile (10k) walk. It is on a pre-determined outdoor path or trail. It can also include bicycling, swimming, boating, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. It is not a pledge walk, it is not a race, it is a fun activity you do with a club, with your family, with your pet, or all by yourself. Volksmarching got its origins in Europe. Today there are thousands of volksport clubs around the world, allied in the International Volksport Federation the IVV.

The IVV began January 14, 1968 when a few walkers from Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany met in Lindau, Germany and decided to form the IVV.

You can get an award/medallion similar to the one pictured upon completion for $6.00. You get the award at the event and not at a later date if you have a current AVA/IW yearly permit. The medallion weighs 2 ounces, it has a safety pin and ribbon. The medallion tells the race length and where the event took place.

The medallion shown here was a 3.1 event in Wanderung, Germany in 1976. It was with a pet dog. It has a seal of an elf with Deschler Sein (Deschler is a family name which means bag maker) (Sein signifies identification number) and Deschler munchen (Munich) 90 on the back.

The Wanderung walk is quite well know walk. Its total ascent is 3809.0 ft, descent 3838.5 ft, max. elevation 1466.5 ft. and min. elevation is 479.0 ft. The complete path is 6.1 miles. You will see castles, the Rhein River, shopping district, little villages and forest. You can cruise back down the Rhein to your starting place.

More information on the Wunderung trail go to; www.sharemyroutes/Germany/Ith-Weserbergland/Ith-Wunderrung/details.aspx

After I discovered that Volksmarches were a part of Oktoberfest I have wanted to attend just to do the march. I did not have opportunity while I was in Germany. I have participated in Komen walks, Boonie Stomp walks and hiked several canyons. I would love to add a Volksmarch to my list.

THE RAILROAD AND TIME ZONES

7/7/2015

Mastering Life before it's too late

I was reading the book Mastering Life before it’s too late by Robert J. Morgan and came across this paragraph. This was information I had never read before. How the railroad played such a big part in bringing our world into a smaller picture and paving the way for the world of technology.

“There were no time zones anywhere in the world until the railroad companies established them in the 1800’s. In the United States and Europe, time zones were devised by train companies to coordinate rail schedules. It was the railroad system that caused people to start wearing pocket watches so they wouldn’t miss their trains. Smaller versions of these pockets watches appeared on the market, designed for the wrist, but they were not popularized until about 1911. Wristwatches didn’t become popular with the general public until the 1920’s.”

Time Zones

When were time zones invented and who invented them? The first adoption of the time zone was December 1, 1847 in Great Britain by the railway companies called “railway time.” It was 1986 when Nepal the last to join the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and the world was officially on the same time zone schedule.

Famous Clocks

I began thinking about the famous clocks of the world. Were they only set to the hour or did they have second hands? The Glockenspiel built in 1908 in Munich, Germany. Rings at 11:00 a.m. (12:00 pm midnight and 5:00 pm in the summer). “Big Ben” built in 1858 in Westminster, London rings hourly. Prague Astronomical clock. The oldest clock still operating built in 1410, chimes every hour

Glockenspiel and Big Ben

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.6mAqyWcI1%2fkGy%2baoL%2fBYDQ&pid=15.1,https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/sh42lxGeJ2r8gLIHovhXVg--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9MjMwNDtxPTk1O3c9MTcyOA--/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Big_ben_closeup.jpg

Second Hands

When did the second hand show up watches? The fixed hands on the clock came on the scene in the 14th century. The “second hand” showed up in 1690 after the invention of the pendulum invented by St. John the Evangelist of Groombridge, Kent, England.

Railroad Pocketwatch and WW1 Wristwatch

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.VUVgtBgZYQZgX4jvADsPMA&pid=15.1&P=0, https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.%2b6MgvwPUlcT4nPERvY8Qxg&pid=15.1&P=0

Pocket Watches

When did pocket watches show up and who invented them? In 1462 Italian clockmaker Bartholomew Manredi invented the “pocket clock.” In 1675 when Charles II of England introduced the waistcoats it began begin called the “pocket watch.”

Wrist Watches

When did the wrist watches come onto the scene? In 1571 when Robert Dudley invented the arm watch which was primarily worn by women until the military began using them during WWI.

Railroads pave the way for world of technology

The railroads were responsible for bring the transportation of people and goods. It was responsible for the introduction of fine dining with the “Fred Harvey way.” It was responsible for the induction of the time zones which brought the world together on a time schedule. Railroads brought entertainment and many other practical things into our world that paved the way for today’s world of technology.

Hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely yours, Canita

The Barnsley Brothers

12/11/2014

It’s definitely fun to find interesting history behind an item that “randomly” ends up in our little store here in Anderson, but it is infinitely more relatable when you dig into researching and find that the same interesting history also happens to come from close to home.

That is the case with this “Barnsley Brothers” straight razor that recently made its way to the front desk of Grandma’s Attic. I mean, we’ve probably all been amazed to find out something we own has traveled around the world to find its place in our home, but in the age of internet buying and shipping things to the far corners of a huge, round {don’t ask me where the “corners” came from} earth, sometimes it is more shocking when a rather old item stays within an approximate 45 mile radius of its place of “birth”.

The Barnsley Brothers Cutlery Company made its home in Monett, Missouri from 1898 to 1906.

Don’t you sort of wonder what stories this straight razor could tell us? “Franklin, the town barber used to chatter on about politics and the weather while dunking me in and out of the enamelware bowl of water to wash the shaving cream off the chins of the regular customers whose names and stories he knew by heart as well as the occasional stranger who wandered through his front door….” I’m gonna go with the idea that someone, maybe not Franklin the barber, but someone, has been pretty rough on this poor straight razor. That assumption is based on the knicks in the blade, even knicks can tell a story sometimes, you know?

There were six brothers that worked at this company for seven (7) years. It was an extremely successful business during that time. U. S. Barnsley was the oldest Barnsley brother and the founder of the company, as well as several other companies in the Monett, Missouri area.

The company produced a full line of pocket knives and razors. The following is the one that came to Grandma’s Attic in 2014.

This item is $15.50

In 1906 some of the younger brothers decided to move to Laredo,
Texas and start ranching. In 1910 the Barnsley Brothers Cutlery Company was bought by the Case Company.

Items made by the Barnsley Company in the 1900’s are very collectible.

This 1898 Stockman knife is worth $1000.00.

It must be marked Barnsley Bros. Cutlery Company, Monett, Mo., be 3 1/8 inches in length, have honey bone worm groove scales, have a clip master with match strike pull, and a pen with nice blade length.

There is little on the internet about this company or the brothers, but there are a few pictures that follow;

Barnsley Bros. Cutlery Company is another successful Missouri business that continues on through the Case Company. If you find a straight edge razor or a knife with Barnsley Bros. Cutlery Company etched into the blade, now you will know they only existed from 1898 to 1906 and their items are collectible.

Happy Hunting!

-The GA Gang

Antique Fire Grenades

12/3/2014

This item came into existence in 1868 and lost its appeal by about 1903.

The first pattern of this item was made by a man named Alanson in 1863 in New York. It was used because it was easy to break and had a minimal amount of extinguishing capability, thus a minimal amount of mess to clean up. It is called a fire grenade. It was aimed at the base of the fire to quench the flames. It was filled with a blue brine of salt water and bio carbonated of soda or muriatic of ammonia because it did not freeze. The grenade worked by robbing the fire of oxygen through a chemical reaction.

Fire grenades are usually six to eight inches high, with a narrow neck and a round body. Many grenades were sealed with a cork and cement. The cement would prevent the liquid from escaping if the cork shrank. For added protection, some grenades had a foil seal over the cork. Many grenades had a wire loop on the neck which was used for hanging the grenade from a nail or hook on the wall.

Some manufacturers sold two or three fire grenades grouped together in a wire basket.

Finding a grenade unbroken is rare. They were made for a short life, so for the railroad collector this is a great find.

Happy Hunting.

-The GA Gang

The Railroad "Whatchamacallit"

11/20/2014

In October 2014 this item came into Grandma’s Attic. The vendors explained its use but, I’m a little thick sometimes. So, I went to the internet for more information. My first couple of finds didn’t help me much. They did produce pictures which I have included in this blog. I could not tell from the picture if the engineer or the station manager was handing something through the loop or putting the loop out for the engineer or station manager to grab. I finally came across an article where a guy was discussing the confusion of terms used for this item. They have had several names attached to them such as; wooden staff, token, broom handle shaped token, staff and/or tablet, each name changing because of what the station was called. Each location in the UK, Australia and other locations gave it a different name.

Courtesy Photo Bangalore City Museum

The railroad token or staff was used in block signaling which was for single lane railroads. They were handed off from the engineer to a person on the platform or vice versa depending on the conditions or use of the rails or the direction in which they headed.

Internet photo

Wikipedia defined this item as a token which is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to. A token system is used because there is a much greater risk of serious collision in the event of irregular working by signalmen or train crews on a single line than on double lines.

Internet photo

When you go online to find a token, staff, table, token pouch, token ring or whatever name you find for it you will see there are many different styles of them. Information is limited on this item. Have fun hunting for your favorite style of railroad token, staff or table, there is a lot out there to see!

-The GA Gang

Christmas is on its way...

11/13/2014

I thought some of you might like to see a few sneak peek pictures of what Grandma's Attic is starting to look like this time of year....

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But, just seeing the pictures and not actually stopping in for a visit would be like getting to see all the nicely wrapped presents under the tree and not actually opening them, SOOOO...

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You better stop in and see us this Holiday season, you hear?!? :)

All right, now that we've gotten that out of the way.

Take a look at how we're "decking the halls" around here.

Vintage Gadget Thimble

11/4/2014

Just the other day, a thimble arrived at Grandma’s Attic. It has a small piece of extra metal attached to it, which made it a curiosity to us. The thimble also has the word “Vernon” on it. We started searching under gadget thimbles and came across the Lillian Vernon thimble. This explained the “Vernon” but now, how was it used?

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It was described as a gilded brass thimble with a needle gripper or pusher horizontally on the band. Mathis refers to it as the 'Magic Thimble'. Some brass examples have © Vernon on the band. This is not the maker's name, rather the name of the retailer - Lilian Vernon - in New York. There are diamond patterns on the gripper.

I saw little information as to how the thimble was used and what made it special, so I went on the search for more information.

One of the ads I saw had the word “grippers” in it.

When I searched for thimbles with grippers I found this patented thimble's details appear in Greif - the patent was taken out in Germany by Walter Schultz, the Patent No. is 577590. "It is a thimble with a device to pull the needle. A small spring, double barred, rough on one side, about three millimeters wide, is attached to the side of the thimble. A needle is clamped lightly between the spring and thimble. This aids in withdrawing the needle from tough material".

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It was patented [No. 562,730 of 23 June 1896] by Uriah A. Knauss of Pennsylvania, USA

A similar gripper was patented [no 193257], in the USA on 25 December 1962, by Henry Burbig [Burig] of New York.

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A third version is made in Germany but marketed in the USA by the Heddy Corporation of New Jersey as the Heddy Handy Thimble.

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There appears to be several different designs of the “gadget” or “gripper” thimbles.

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After reading the “Heddy” Thimble instructions, and some help from my employee, I finally understood how the thimble was used.

Having learned to quilt with wool cloth and having patched a few pairs of jeans, I can see the genius of this item! “Tough” was the key word in the ad. You would insert the “eye end” of the needle into the “gripper” and that would give you the extra grip to pull the needle through the tough material. It’s pretty neat once you get the hang of it!

This is an example of a search on the internet producing a satisfactory find. It makes you feel as if you have achieved something. If your search is unfruitful it can be pretty frustrating. Here at GA, we have discovered that sometimes putting the item aside for a while and returning to your search on another day will help you to be more successful in your discovery.

Happy Hunting.

-The GA Gang

Hmm...Define 'vintage'.

10/28/2014

If an item is…

Antique – My grandmother used to have one.

Vintage – I haven’t seen one in a while.

Old – Mine’s in the attic.

Classic – popular at least one year.

Limited edition – limited to the number of buyers we can find.

Retro – covered in plastic and price marked up.

Rare – listed no more often than once a week.

Unique – only a dozen left!

Collectible – I thought it was great, but don’t want it anymore.

Scarce – I need to get this sold before I misplace it again!

A customer submitted ^ these definitions to us several months ago, and we thought they were pretty funny.

Here are more accurate definitions:

Antique - Meaning the age of the items is at least 100 years old

Vintage - signifies in general something being old, old-fashioned, classical, or "from another time."

Old - Typical of an earlier style or form

Classic - Belonging to the highest rank or class, serving as a model or standard

Limited Edition - An edition that is restricted to a specific number of copies

Retro - Trends, modes, fashions or attitudes of the recent past 15-20 years

Rare - There aren’t many of its kind

Unique - Only one of its kind

Collectible - Collected by fanciers

Scarce - Insufficient amount to meet the demand

I believe the age of E-bay, Etsy, Amazon, and Craigslist has changed the definitions a little, but the definitions given to us by a customer are a good way to remember how to tag items, and identify them for resale, or for collecting.

What terms do you use for "old" items?

I like this definition for vintage: 
Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.

-The GA Gang

In Search of the real Zane Grey

10/22/2014

I was going through some boxes of books and found this book by Zane Grey called Roping Lions in the Grand Canyon. Hoping to learn more about Zane Grey as a person, this book caught my eye because it was fact, not fiction.

The book is dedicated to the Boy Scouts of America and I was also hoping to tie it to President Roosevelt, since he was an ardent supporter of the boy scouts. This is an older book, written in 1922.

In the summer of 1998, I chose to take my physical science course as a summer hiking trip. One of the five canyons I hiked for that course was the Grand Canyon from the North rim to the South rim, nineteen point five (19.5) miles. Since, I have hiked the Grand Canyon, researched the area, and studied about the Anasazi Indians. I thought I knew a lot about the Grand Canyon. I knew about the gray squirrels, but not about it being mountain lion country. Maybe, my professors did not tell me because we were alone quite a bit as we hiked.

It is reported by GrandCanyon411.com there are mountain lions in the Grand Canyon. Mountain lions will generally avoid humans. Most people will never get even a brief glimpse at a mountain lion, and lion attacks on people are extremely rare. The number of mountain lion- human interactions has been increasing in recent years, largely because more people are living and recreating in areas where lions live.

After reading the book, I began to wonder if it had been controversial in its time, especially to the Boy Scouts of America. The following is what I found out:

This is a true account of Zane Grey’s Adventure, at the age of 36 years, traveling in 1908 to Powell's Plateau in the Grand Canyon in order to rope mountain lions, with legendary plainsman Buffalo Jones, James Simpson Emmett (simply "Emett" in the book), Jim Owens, an unnamed Navajo man referred to only as "Navvy", and a pack of very lovable dogs (who are as much real individuals as their masters) set off on this hunting adventure with camera and lasso.

Everyone has heard of roping cattle and wild horses, but roping mountain lions on their home ground is another matter. The book never explains why they are roping mountain lions. (Perhaps, they were trying to translate catch-and-release in a hunting context or maybe they were collecting live specimens, they never make that point clear). Things go badly more often than they go well. Several lions die in unnecessary deaths. The five men survive almost unscathed.

I don’t feel I learned much about Zane Grey, except that he was a hunter and supported the Boy Scouts of America. Later, I read another of his non-fiction books, Betty Zane. Still, I learned more about his grandmother than I did about him...I’m still curious about Zane Grey the author.

I had also read that President Roosevelt was an ardent supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. Boys Scouts of America began in 1910, which was after President Roosevelt was out of the office of President. (Dates in office; Sept. 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909) Mr. Roosevelt was associated with Troop 39 out of Oyster Bay, N. Y. He was honorary Vice President of The Boy Scouts of America and the only man designated as “Chief Scout of America”. Although, both Grey and Roosevelt were alive in the same period of time, there does not seem to be a connection between them, other than the fact that they were both supporters of Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scout troops in Arizona are recorded to have had the Roping Lions in the Grand Canyon book as part of their reading materials and often visit the Grand Canyon. Mr. Grey was not connected to that troop though.

Troop 39 of Oyster Bay, NY

The following is quote by Zane Grey regarding his feelings on writing this book:

“Every boy has a heritage. It is outdoor America. Our open country, that is to say, our uncultivated lands, forests, preserves, feeding and nesting swamps are threatened by the march of so-called progress and commercialism. What is needed is two million Boy Scouts to save some of our green, fragrant, untrammeled land for the boys to come.”

I enjoy reading older books. I find it interesting how differently we view things now, than we did back then. Obviously, we feel differently about hunting. Contemporary nature-lovers, animal-lovers, or environmentalists will be appalled by elements of this book. (And the representation of Navvy, too, will offend readers, but that's a story for someone else to tell.)

I checked into current care of lions found in the Grand Canyon and the following is a report from Rangers of The Grand Canyon;

“R. V. Ward, Wildlife Program Manager in 2003 has research the lions of the Grand Canyon and if they are captured they are immobilized with a mixture of tranquilizer chemicals, delivered via blow dart. Immobilized lions are fitted with radio collars, weighed, and morphological measurements taken. Blood is collected for genetic analysis. All capture methods and drugs used are approved by National Park Service veterinarians.”

Sounds a lot different than roping mountain lions, huh?

If you are interested in Boy Scouts of America, the Grand Canyon, mountain lions, old books, or just enjoy Zane Grey books. Here is a controversial read for you.

This book can be found at Grandma’s Attic for $8.00.

Have you read Roping Lions? Tell us what you think!

-The GA Gang

Just a Spoon.

10/15/2014

Just a spoon.

Or so I thought.

Awhile back, I was given a vintage spoon to research, I found the spoon on the internet and in the process discovered a lot about spoons and silver in general!

http://www.hoardersworld.co.uk/elizabethan-tudor-spoon-c1500-in-fine-english-pewter-293-p.asp

I have never really thought about the parts of a spoon before, but this particular spoon had a makers mark on the “drop” or “neck”, so I went looking for the makers mark first and when that dead ended, I began trying to think of other ways to approach this task. While trying to find words to put into the computer to help locate this spoon, I decided to dissect the spoon into parts. The following is what I found:

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A - bowl tip or rim

B - bowl

C - drop or neck

D - shoulder or heel

E - stem or transition

F - handle or thread

G – terminal or tip

This diagram of spoon gave me the era in which my spoon might have been made.

This is a diagram of the parts of a knife.

So, next time you start to take a bite of your cereal, remember...

Sometimes, even a spoon is more than just a spoon.

Leave us a comment and tell us what items have taught you

"There's more here than meets the eye".

Next time you want to identify a piece of silver the information will all be in one spot and your search will be shorter.

Happy Hunting.

-The GA Gang

Ship of the Desert

10/7/2014

The other day, the twelve year old granddaughter of one of our vendors brought an item to me at the front counter. She thought it would be a good item to blog about. At first glance, it was obvious that it was a whip.

It is in fact a Camel whip from Saudi Arabia. It is a vintage (1970’s) inlaid whip with a wood and leather wrapped handle. When camels refused to move, they would use these whips to give them a smart whip on the chest. The surprising part was what I found *inside* the handle.

Inside the handle is a prodder. Camels have thick coats that protect them from the sun, and insulate them so their bodies can absorb their sweat. Their hide is very strong, with a pulling strength 5x greater than cattle hide. This prodder is used to stimulate movement. They are poked in the rump. If you have watched “Indiana Jones” movies you will have seen a prodder used on camels when the bad guys are chasing them. Camels can keep a constant speed of 45 mph. With a little prodding they can do short bursts of 65 mph. The prodder is not easily accessible and I am sure only used when necessary. Camels are amazing animals. A full grown camel stands at 6 foot 1 inch at the shoulder and 7 foot 1 inch at the hump. They have a life span of 40 to 50 years. Camels can consume 53 gallons of water in 3 minutes. So, just how long can a camel go, before its hump starts to slump or the camel is in need of water? There are records of camels going 6 to 7 months without water.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/21513985_vintage-egyptian-leather-and-wood-camel-saddle-stool

In the few years that Grandma’s Attic has been open, we have had a camel saddle and now a camel whip. This is pretty amazing since there aren’t too many camels in Anderson, MO!

Have you ever ridden on a camel?

-The GA Gang

A Ring To Die For...

9/29/2014

Yep.

You heard me right.

A ring...

to DIE for.

Cue ominous music.

Dun, dun, duh.

It sounds a little J.R.R. Tolkien, does it not?

"Don't leave me here alone! It's your Sam calling.
Don't go where I can't follow! Wake up, Mr. Frodo!"
As the story goes…

If you were next in line for the throne and you had the chance to have a lovely meal with your elder brother, the king, all you would need to do is slip some poison into the hole in your very stylish ring and you could nonchalantly tip your hand over his glass while kindly pouring him a second glass of wine. Then, poof! In goes the poison and you are the king of the land!

Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo

This poison ring ^ was found at the site of a former medieval fortress in Cape Kaliakra, not far from the Black Sea coastal town of Kavarna in northeast Bulgaria. It was probably worn by a man on the little finger of his right hand.

It is said to date back to the 14th century and may possibly be the missing link in many unexplained deaths of royalty at the time.

It was possibly used in one era to keep the stench away, for smelling salts in another, and for Quinine and heart attacks in yet another.

The path of research that led me to this morbid piece of jewelry all started with this beautiful turquoise and silver ring. It is marked .925 but, it is unusual because the band is adjustable which is something generally found in less expensive rings. The vendor who brought it in told me that it is called a “Poison Locket Ring” and went on to show me how the ring opened.

A poison ring or pillbox ring is a type of ring with a container under the bezel or inside the bezel itself that could be used to hold poison, hair, teeth, bone or other substances. They became popular in Europe during the sixteenth (16th) century. The poison ring was used either to slip poison into an enemy's food or drink, or to facilitate the suicide of the wearer in order to escape capture or torture.

Rings like these have been used throughout history to carry perfume, locks of hair, devotional relics, messages and other keepsakes, and have been known by other names. Artists would paint tiny portraits of loved ones, to be carried in what was called a “locket ring,” which was popular during the Renaissance. By the seventeenth (17th) century, jewelers were creating locket rings in the shape of caskets which served as mementos for mourners. These were called “funeral rings.” Rings with compartments are also called “box” rings or “socket” rings. (Wikipedia)

This type of jewelry originated in ancient days of the Far East and India. It replaced the practice of wearing keepsakes and other items in pouches around the neck. The wearing of vessel rings was so practical that it spread to other parts of Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean before reaching Western Europe in the Middle Ages. By then the rings were part of the “holy relic trade”.

Come on down to Grandma’s Attic and check out this unique ring...No worries, there's a very slim chance that we will offer you a soda from our Pepsi machine while wearing "My Precious", err, this ring...

very slim indeed.

Dun, dun, duh.

-The GA Gang