Deck The Halls With Batter Operated Lights.

    It has been a long time since I did a new Blog Post. Maybe June? I just have been out of the moood. I have gotten several comments lately from other bloggers saying they missed my blog post, so I am trying to get back into it a little. I am not promising anything, but a least I will do this one. I am not decorating for Christmas this year because I am going to be out of town. I am spending a few days with my favorite Niece, we are going to shop, cook, eat and re-arrange her house. I am excited to be doing something a little different, for a change.

I am a good  person to buy toys. I don't mean real toys, but things  I like to play with. I was in the Dollar Store getting some Dog food, for Ms. Sissy Dog, and I could not resist going through the Christmas Decoration section. I don't know why, except, I just couldn't help myself. I found these fun little LED batter operated Lights. I bought several sets. I thought they were fun and new. Since then I have been told they have been around for awhile. What can I say. I am slow and behind times. I don't use electric lights at Christmas at my house. I try to do a 19th Century Christmas and use only candles. M

Here is how they come. They cost  a whole $3.00 a set and take 2 AA batteries. They cost another $3.00, funny isn't it. They come in color  or clear. The color ones are very pretty and bright.

  I don't have to use these lights only for Christmas. I think they would be fun for other times of the year as well. I really didn't do them up proper, as I am lazy. I just kinda draped them here and there for the effect. I could do a much better job and hide the wires with greenery, tinsel or ribbon.

 I think they would be fun on My Doll House, maybe next year!

Next year, if I really decorate, I promise to do better. I can just think of all kind of fun things to do with them. I am going to hook a set to Sissy Dogs Collar Christmas and I will send a picture of that latter.

I really like the colored ones. The colors are very intense. I will turn these on during the season as I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This is my kitchen mantle with all the English Staffordshire  figures.

I like the clear lights in my Italian Tin Flower Urns. They are 18th century and were used for funerals and a on church alters when fresh flowers were no available. They are some of my favorite things. I hope a few of you stop by and please leave a comment so I will know that you did, Let me know so I can see if I should start this up again. I have been looking at your blogs and promise to keep it up and get back in the habit of leaving comments soon. Merry Christmas to all of you and I look forward to hearing from you all soon. Please come any time, I will leave the Battery Operated lights on and Sissy Dog will always meet you with a jump and a kiss. 

My New Spaces At The Antique Mall.

My Shabby Chic Booth

 I made a decision to close my shop and take several spaces at my friends Antique Mall. This way I am free to do a little something else. I moved in the shop the first of June, so this is my second month. I think I already need more space.
   I divided my stuff into groups and did theme booths. I have 2 Country booths. Garden. Shabby Chic. World Bazaar and Traditional, so far. When I was young I loved the World Bazaar Stores that were in all the Shopping Malls. I think there were early for runners of Pier One. I just loved all the treasures from around the world.

World Bazaar Booth, Treasures from around the World

   I just wanted to share a few pictures with you today of my new adventure.
   If you ever get to this part of the world, please make an effort to stop in and look around. The Shop is, Kate's Attic Antiques and Mini Mall. I'd be the mall part. It is located at 505 Georgia Street, Louisiana,Mo. Do you know that this is the only town in America named Louisiana? It is a sweet old river town, on the Mississippi. The new shop is far enough away from the river that it doesn't flood. Made sure of that. Enjoy.

Garden Booth

Shabby Chic, with the Chic Part

Pretty in Pink

Traditional Booth

Just for Fun!

Just wore Sissy Out, All this moving stuff.

Working out the problems, one at the time!

   It has been awhile since I have posted on my blog. It just has not been in the cards. So much has happened, including," water under the table." Meaning really another Mississippi River  flood. I grew up close to the river and have seen a few floods before. Never as often as we are seeing them today. The River has a mind of it's own and man has tried over and over again to control it, but, I'm afraid it just can't be done.
 I made my self a promise last year after we had the third worse flood in history, it was 88 days from the moment we started sand bagging till the bags were taken away, that I would get out of my shop before the next flood. I guess I am just not smart. I have a house and a business on the banks of the Mississippi. Well I kept my promise. I closed my shop the end of June and the flood started the next day. Thank goodness I only had the house to contend with. The flood we had this year was a shocker. I really didn't believe we were going to have a flood. But, here it came. Thank goodness  for computers, you can go right to a site and see what's up with the river. It will tell you up to the inch how high it is going to be. I just think about in 1845, when my house was built, that those poor people had no ideal the river was coming up until it began to over flow it's bank. They had no ideal how much it would flood, when it would happen and how long it would last. At least we have that information today.
  In case you did not know it, I closed my shop, Downtown Antique Mall. I got tired of working 7 days a week and 5 years without a vacation. I have a friend that has a Antique Mall in Louisiana,Mo., about 9 miles from the old shop and I have taken several spaces in her mall. I am leaving all the responsibility to her, all the book keeping and so forth and so on that goes along with having a shop. I will work a few days in exchange for booth rent. I am hoping it is a win win situation for both of us. And the good thing is, it is not close to the river and never, ever will flood.
  My old 1845 house has gone through several floods in it's 168 years, three since I have owned it. I bought the house in 2006 and we had the third worse flood in history in 2008. It was a real learning experience.  Millions of sand bags were filled and we build a wall all the way around my house. It was a island. It was also a mess to clean up. Although the sand bags keep the river away from the house, water does seep under. This means several pumps were used to pump it back out. Someone had to man those pumps, fill them with gas and keep them running 24-7. That someone was me. It was a two month ordeal. I lived at the house with no utilities, had food brought in by boat and had to tight rope a sand bag wall to take Sissy to the bath room. But I did it and all was well. Cleanup took months.
   Every flood is different and different methods are used to fight it. The flood we had last year, we made a wall from gravel, right down the middle of the street, in front of my house. It went up much faster and was much easier to take away. Our little town of 450 people, paid for those two floods. It almost bankrupted the town. This year the city officials voted not to pay for flood prevention. It was up to each person to do there own. With the prediction being what it was, I knew where the water would be, so I just chose to let it flood. It was emotional, but it has worked out. I have some brown grass, dirty side walks and a very wet basement, but otherwise, all is well.
   I am hoping that some day, SOON, I can sell my home and get away from this flooding problem. When I was a kid, the floods came every 20 years. Then 15. Now it has been 2 years in a row. I am sure people messing with the river has caused this. When you build banks to hold the river back, it has to go somewhere. Damns have been build to control the debt for barge travel, I fear they can control the river, more than we ever will know. I love this old house, but enough is enough. I am sure it will be very hard to find a buyer, what with this flooding happening so regularly. Stranger things have happened.
  Anyhow, keep me in your prayers. Help me find what is right for me to do. And for now, all is well at, "My Old Historic House."

Sea Shells in the Library!

Some times I am overwhelmed by the kindness of people. Today was a very special day in my heart. A sweet lady, who I know only through my antique shop, Downtown Antique Mall,and as a tourist, several times through, My Old Historic House, came a calling with the nicest gift. I was over whelmed and beside myself. I have received several gifts for, My Old Historic House and every time I am just so thrilled.  

This sweet lady had toured my home  several times, she has also brought others to tour, including several groups. On one of my tours she asked about some brass window cornices in the kitchen. I said they were a gift from a tourist in Kentucky. She said, people give the house gifts. And I answered yes and never gave it another thought.

Those of you who follow my blog, know I am a collector  of Victorian Glass Specimen Domes. These glass domes were highly praised in Victorian times, 1830 -1900, and held many fun and unusual items. At my house I have domes with, clocks, dolls, dead birds, wax fruit, silk flowers and the list is endless. I did not have one with sea shells. I do love sea shells and have lots of them in French Wire planters on all my porches. This nice tourist lady, saw my domes, saw my love for sea shells and gave a dome full of shells she had, to me for my tour house.

This is beyond generous.OH MY!!hen she arrived with it, being the big baby I am, tears were in my eyes. It is tall, full of the most wonderful shells and just beautiful. I put it in the library on the center of the room table. The library has many other domes already and it seemed a good spot for it. I can close my eyes and see the Elgin children studying the shells and learning all there names.

If you love sea shells and domes like I do, you are sure to like this dome. Please come anytime for a tour. The lights are always on and Sissy Dog is always at the door with a kiss.


 

St. Louis Antique Car Club Takes a Tour!

Yesterday, May 10 I was lucky enough to have a group of 24 people from the St. Louis Antique Car Club, come and take a tour of My Old Historic House.
The leader of the group had called me a few weeks back and booked the tour. She had been in Clarksville, my little home town, on an earlier visit and picked up one of my cards, She called and we made a date.

It was the most beautiful day for them. The sun was shinning and the sky was blue and the wind was calm. I was excited to see all the old cars around my house and just knew I felt a Blog coming on.
I had it all planned out, so I thought. They were to arrive at 3:00. I had a friend coming to baby sit the shop while I went and gave the tour. I had our Mayor lined up to give a welcome speech when they arrived. I had made mine and Sissy's bed before I went to the shop that morning. I also picked lilacs from the yard and had them in vases around the house. Made the old place smell so good.

At 2:30 I got a call, thanks to everyone having a cell phone, they were already at my house. My helper had not gotten to the shop and I was worried about the Mayor. I had no choice but to lock the shop and run home. Didn't want my tourist waiting in the sun. When I got there and welcomed them , explained about the Mayor and said instead of her starting the tour, she would end it. We went ahead with the tour and a few minutes into it, here she came. I explained to her what had happened and she waited patiently for her turn. WE citizens of Clarksville, population 420, are so lucky to have such a devoted mayor. She does more than her share to make things special when people come to out town. I am sure she does not get the praise she deserves, so here it is, YAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!MAYOR SMILEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Clarksville,Missouri's., Population 422, Mayor, Joann Smiley 

The tour went off well and the car people could not have been nicer. They seemed to really have enjoyed there visit. They asked many questions and seemed to really be interested in the old place. I got the usual UHHHHHS and AUHHHHHHHS and at least one who asked," who cleans this place."
I hope you enjoyed the car club tour as much as they did. Make your reservations soon. Sissy Dog and I will always, turn the lights on, make the bed and take out the trash. Heck, I might even make some sweet tea and set a spell on the screen porch. Happy Mothers Day every one in Blog Land!

This gentleman loved the floors

My grandson would sure like this little chair

May we take pictures, sure!

We are here!!! Where are you!!!!! Coming!!!!!