My Turn To Host Dinner Club, A Vision in Pink..

   I belong to a wonderful group of friends and we call ourselves the ,"Hill Group." Mainly because they all, except me, live on a hill, in the next town up from me ,here in Clarksville,Mo.. That little town is Louisiana, Mo., sometimes referred as,"Natchez of the North." This is because this little town of less that 4000 people, on the Mississippi River, has an abundance of beautiful old mansions and Ante Bellum homes. One of my friends, lives on that  hill and is single. I guess,I  was pared up with her, as I am single too and we are both antique dealers and great friends.  Well. what ever, I am so thrilled to be part of this group. We meet once a month to celebrate birthdays. Who's ever it might be that month. Some times we dine out, but usually, we meet at one of the members house in Louisiana. She is such a gracious host, loves doing it and has the room for us all to gather. This month is her birthday, so I wanted to do something special for her.  So I have offered to host the party. Having her  numerous parties to live up to, I wanted to go all out.

My dining room ready for the party. A vision in pink.

A collection of Victorian Lusters and art glass tumblers with fresh flowers make the centerpiece.

    I wanted it to feel like spring, as we have had a long and drawn out winter. I wanted the table to be extra special ,so I have put some effort into that. I did not want it to look like a child's birthday party with the usual hats and streamers. I wanted it to be upscale, fun, different, colorful and unusual. I tried many things I have around the house. I have a few collections to pick from. I first wanted to use my bisque figures. I love them most of all. My family called them ,"The Others," as they are all over the house. One great niece calls them the little people. I have been known more than once to gather them in groups under the  Christmas Trees and on the piano. I carried  a few to the dining room table and they just didn't seem to work. The big ones were too big and the small ones did not get the effect I was after.I wanted to use some candle light. What dinner party is not perfect with out candles? I then had the ideal to use my Lusters. A Victorian Luster, is a name given to a glass  vase like, candle holder with prisms. I have always loved anything with prisms. I guess it is a Polly Anna thing?! Well I love Lusters and have a few. A walk about the house and they were gathered and placed on the table. I knew in an instant, this was the effect I was after.

   Having a formal dinner party is a lot of work. First I had to bring the table leaves down from the second floor closet. 5 were needed and that meant 5 trips up and down the stairs. Have you ever tried to open and close a big old dining room table all by yourself? Well I had to lay on the floor, under the table, and use my arms and legs to push it apart. When the leaves were in, I had to push it up against the buffet to close it. Next came the table cover. Did you know the Victorians called the dining room table a board? And thus the the name we have given to the sideboard, buffet or side table. Just a little Victorian history in there. I used a pink sheet us an underlay. It was wrinkled, so I washed and ironed it. That was not so easy either, as I have no ironing board. Don't ask. I don't often use my wonderful old hand made linen table cloths. They are so hard to do up, so delicate and well, you know. But I just knew a pink sheet would never do. So off the roll it came and I spot ironed it on the table. I know, I used a bath town underneath, so I would not hurt the table.
   The lusters were placed. I loved it. But I still wanted a little more. The solution was some flowers. If I filled the lusters with flowers, where would the candles go. I thought the lusters would best do for the candles as the light would hit the prisms and throw lusters of color about the room. Yes, that is why lusters are called lusters. My flower solution was solved by using a collection of art glass water tumblers as vases. I looked the table and luster arrangement over and felt that 6 was needed. Having a pink theme in mind , I chose lusters and tumblers in pinks, red and white. The flowers would follow suite. It is not always easy living in a small town in the middle of now where. It is 9 miles to the nearest bigger town. I had to go there to find a florist. Of course there is no grocery store in my town or that town, so I had to go 13 miles, one way, the other direction, to shop for food. Can you see what is involved in this dinner party.

The jonquils are from my garden. I know the color is off, but it added a little spring to the setting.

Makes me feel like spring is in the air. 

Cranberry  hob nail tumbler

Hand pained cranberry tumbler.

    I have to work in my shop on Saturday, the day of the party. So things have to be done and arranged in the days before the party. I started a couple of weeks before, cleaning the house, getting out china that has not been used in years, washing it, ironing napkins and so on and so forth. I make a list and mark things off as they get done. I shop for flowers several days in advance, make the arrangements and place them in the ice box to keep them fresh till needed. I turn the water  glasses upside down till used, this keeps them from getting dust in them. The plates and all dishes needed are counted and put on the kitchen island and covered. The food is all done the night before, I only have to prepare the main dish. I am having chicken breast with rice and a three cheese sauce. It can be made all the night before and put in the oven one hour before serving time.

I chose this china called"Rose Meade"  , pink   napkins and burgundy  flat ware.

Hand made antique linen table cloth has baskets of flowers and fruit and lovers all hand stitched .

Imagine the work that went into this.

Mary Todd Lincoln used this same pattern of antique cut glass goblets at the White House.

    I am trying something new this time. It seems that every time I host a party, everyone is in the kitchen. It makes it a little hard to work. I want every one to enjoy my beautiful parlors. So, I am shutting the dining room and kitchen doors until time to eat. When my guest arrive with there dishes, I will take them into the kitchen and shut the door behind me. The beautiful dining room table will be kept a surprise, till time to eat. The glasses will be full, flowers in place and the candles lite.
   I can see why in the last century people had many servants to help run there house holds. There is a lot of work in having a party like this. This one is one a rather small scale, only 12 people. I can see why it is not done often. I love doing it, but the work, I forget from time to time. It does make it all worth while when you see your guest faces as they enter the beautifully decorated dinning room. I hope this is the fact, coming in just 2 days. And then, when the guest are gone, all the work starts all over again, cleaning up and putting it all away.
   I wanted to share this experience with you. I know most of you can not be here in person, I so wish you could. I'd love to throw beautiful party for you. Just give me a few weeks warning. The lights will always be on and Sissy dog will be at the door with a jump and a kiss. From My Blog to  Yours, I send you best party wishes.Richard

My guest will not only enjoy a beautiful table but other beautiful pieces as well in my dining room.

Happy Easter from My Blog to Yours!

    For many years I have collected these old hand blown glass Easter Eggs.They were mostly produced and sold in the last part of the 1800's. They were given before plastic eggs were discovered. People would keep them, treasure them and display them from year to year. I have done several post about them in the past few years, but this year I have been lazy. I did mange to buy this one egg this year, couldn't resist as it was only $8.00. Love the painting, especially the bird. I added it to my others. I have a whole bushel  basket full. Do you think I have enough?? I doubt it. Hope you all have a great Easter, it is snowing here today and is going to tomorrow. What can I say, hope the Easter Bunny doesn't freeze. I am going to my dear sisters house tomorrow, so my Victorian  eggs have been neglected this year. I usually get them out and do my dining room table all up. But with no company coming, Sissy and I can resist all the temptation and work. I think I am still cleaning up Easter grass from last year,
   I hope you all have a great and beautiful day. I am invited to my sisters where there will be about 33. That is  my close family. So many nieces,nephews,  there  husbands and wives and then there is great and great greats.  My sister lives in a very small  house, so the food is spread all over the kitchen counter, we fill our plates and eat about the house. She makes the ham and we all bring a dish. The food will be wonderful, country cooks you know. I am excited  and I hope there will be left overs and they will feel sorry for there old bachelor uncle , brother, cousin and send a big bunch home with me.
   Nothing fancy for our Easter. We will use paper plates and plastic cups, so many you know.  The men, besides me, wear there baseball caps and cowboy boots. There is lots of kids from several months on up. They run and scream, throw eggs and get womped up on candy. Sissy Dog is invited. I won't go otherwise. See  is scared of all that noise and hides under my chair and shakes. She is still happier there with me, than at home by herself. Believe me, so am I. When I set, she jumps in my lap,and  ever now and then, a kid comes and pulls her ears or hits her in the head with a toy. She minds, but takes it with grace. To her favorite family members, she gives a lot of kisses.
   All the teenagers are busy on there cell phones  sending and getting messages and pushing there finger back and forth. What ever it is they do, I have no cell phone. I would never allow them at the table while we are eating. I am sure that is why they don't come to my house.
   After dinner most of them leave. I usually stay and help my sister clean up. It is not a lot of work. Most things go home with everybody. There is left over ham to deal with and a few dishes to wash. Tables  and chairs to put away and candy messes to clean up. After this is done, Sissy and I head home. When we get there, I will retreat to my room. get under the covers, hug her and settle in. This is my favorite thing. Even if we had not gone to my sisters and had such a nice dinner and visit with my extended family, I would have had a great Easter,because I've got Sissy Dog and she's got me. That is a lot to be thankful for.
   I hope you all have a wonderful Easter. Great food and family all around. I know there will be lots of beautifully decorated table out there, I have seen some already on others blogs. I'd love them and appreciate them, but my family's Easter  will be a blessing for me. HAPPY EASTER!!!!! Richard and Sissy Dog
   If you would like to see the blogs about my eggs, try this: my old historic house, what comes first chicken or the egg.   or   my old historic house Easter dinner and a flood.

One More Time!

  Well it is officially Spring, but some how some one forgot to tell Mother Nature ,here in Missouri, We are getting it good and hard. Started a couple of hours ago and already about 6 inches of heavy snow. Come down steady and fast.  I am over it. The poor jonquils are having such a hard time. They are up and have had several snow blankets on them in the past few weeks. I hope this does not mean we will not have our beautiful spring. I look so forward to it. But, what can we do? Smile and get out the snow shovel. You all come when you can. I'll leave the lights on and Sissy will always meet you with a jump and a kiss. Richard from My Old Historic House.

Unwanted Gift!

Started snowing at 11:00 am

   Well, ever get a gift and ask, why would some one give me that??? That's what happened to me yesterday.  10 inches of snow with a thin covering of ice on top. It started out with all the weather reports saying it was coming. Then on Facebook friends would say, It's snowing here and I would say not here. Then in about an hour it started. And boy did it ever come down. I could hardly see the river across the street from my shop. We got it all, 10 inches in just a few hours. When I walked home, poor Sissy was in over her head. Then latter when we went out for the last bath room walk, poor little short girl, was over whelmed. There was a thin coating of ice on top the 10 inches of snow. When we walked it went crunch, crunch. Sissy just was beside herself and looked at me as to say, what am I  to do. Well after a trip or two around the yard, snow up to my knees and over Sissy's head, we gave up. I warned her, I wanted no tear drops on the rugs. She was  good, at least I never  felt anything warm on my sock feet. When we came to work this morning, we were forced to walk down the middle of the street, they had been cleaned by our road people. Thanks to them it wasn't at all bad.
    The sun has been shining today and is above freezing, so some of it has started to melt. I guess when the  it gets colder tonight it will freeze again. What happened to the Ground Hog? I thought he said we were to have an early spring? Maybe we should have ground hog season ?.I just worry about all the jonquils that were popping up all over the garden. I guess under a snow blanket, they will be fine. I sure hope so,
    It was beautiful, I love a fresh fallen snow.Last night when Sissy and I  went out, it just glistened like diamonds, with the ice on top. But we soon took care of that ,as we plowed our way through. Maybe this will be Mother Natures last gift. I sure hope so, cause even though we have had a mild winter, I for one, have had enough. Come one spring and warm weather. I long for the flowers, spring is my favorite. I can smell the lilac as I type.
   You all come visit me any time. I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will always meet you with a jump and a kiss. The walks are clean and so is the parking lot.Be safe and be warm and pray for spring and pretty flowers. Richard

Middle afternoon, river is beyond the sign and gazebo roof, where did it go!

10 inches when I went home at 5:00.

Coming in May.

 



  When you live in a very small town, kind of in the middle of no where, you have to create some excitement to get people to come. We try and have a least one major event a month. Some work better than others.We depend very much on tourist. The one I am posting about today is a new one. I wish I could take credit for it, but I am afraid I can not.

   Clarksville is a very small historic town, founded in 1817 and located right on the banks of the Mississippi River. When I  grew up here, many years ago, it was an active town with  several grocery stores, clothing stores and other retail shops. Like many a small town ,the changing times have taken it's tole on Clarksville. But, unlike many other small river towns of it's size and age, Clarksville is alive and open daily.  Large box stores, like Walmart, have killed many of theses small towns. Mom and pop shops can no longer complete. Clarksville no longer is  full of clothing stores and grocery stores, but it is full of antique shops, art gallery and fun other gift type shops. Great efforts have been used to  fill and keep the shops open. The shop owners are a tireless group that works together to promote and keep  Clarksville alive. With just a pinch over 400 in population, we are proud to have some thirteen shops and 3 great places to eat. Clarksville has one of the biggest antique mall is this part of Missouri. There is over 40,00 square feet of treasures and things just waiting to be found. We also have one of the smallest antique malls in Missouri. That would be my shop, Downtown Antique Mall. While  I only have 7 dealers plus myself, they are special hand picked dealers, all of which do a beautiful job of display. Treasures changes often and we have to have good prices to complete. If you are looking for something special, odds are, you will find it in Clarksville.

   Clarksville not only is lucky to have wonderful hard working shop owners, we also have one of the greatest Mayors a small town could ever wish for. She works endless hours and devotes many resources to doing for us here in Clarksville. I am sure any town would be thrilled to have such a smart, talented, energetic and thoughtful Mayor as Clarksville does. Not only is she the Mayor, she and her husband have the most wonderful old fashion storefront antique shop around. Beautiful displayed with real antiques, it is a delight and a real treasure for our town. Our Mayor and her husband are the ones that have put our latest event together. It is called ,"Clarksville Antique Ramble," designed to bring shoppers to town and see what we have to offer here. There house , a charming old stone cottage, as well as My Old Historic House, will be open for tours during this event. My house is open most often, but this will be a first for there home. It is full of beautiful Victorian and early Federal pieces. Great lighting and wonderful things all available for the first time ever for public viewing. There is a small price of $10.00 for both homes. Other wise the event is free. Along with the shops full of stuff, we all are going to go all out and do extra displays of antique and vintage cloths and linens. Some for sale, others just for looking. We are in the early stages of this event. We are hoping for some outside vendors as well. I am working with the next town down the road, Louisiana, Mo. and there Historic Museum, to maybe share there large vintage hat collection. I'm hoping they will be on display at city hall.I am planning antique dresses laid on all my beds. My windows will be displayed as well with vintage linens, I already have the most wonderful old lace curtains.

   I am posting this early, so you can hopefully get this date on your calender. I know a lot of you all are far away, but please, try and make an effort. This would be a good time for tours, shopping and down home fun. Make your reservations in advance and if enough of you sign up, I'll throw a big blog party. Honest, for real!!
   Come anytime for a tour. I will always leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a kiss. Happy blogging. Richard and Sissy Dog in Clarksville,Mo.

Sissy Says, " Happy Valentines Day!"

   Hope this week brings you all a lot of love and Happiness, especially for Valentines Day. I have a lot of love and special Happiness because of this little girl. Have a beautiful week. Richard and Sissy

Hour and Half till Dinner/Not quite Downton Abby!

    I have 3 friends that I often go out to dinner with here in the country on Saturday nights. We used to always go to the golf course here in town. Eagles Bluff is a beautiful golf course, 18 holes, and we are so lucky to have it in our little town of 400 people. I have never played golf, not my style, but the club house is lovely and on weekends it was open to the public. It was a casual place and the food was down home, comfort and affordable. Well they have closed for the winter season and that has left us without a place to go. We tried several other places, but was not the same. For the past couple of weeks I have just opted not to even go. Yesterday my friends came in and asked  if I wanted to dine out and the notion hit me, for us to dine at, My Old Historic House. Well this was around noon and I had to work in the shop till five, so I said about 6:30. They all agreed.

Welcome to my castle.No jumping right now Sissy.

      Clarksville, my little town, has no grocery store. The nearest is 30 miles, one way, from here. We do have a gas station/quick shop. It is small and limited. I had planned to make mac and cheese  this week, so I had most things needed for that. I always use cream of mushroom soup in my cheese  sauce and I did not have any. So to the gas station I went, they had a can, off brand, had to do. I make mac and cheese kinda as a complete meal. I add chunks of ham or in this case hot dogs.I had the slim makings of a salad and needed a desert. I asked my guest to come up with that. They have a home in Louisiana,Mo. 8 miles away. Where it has no grocery store either, it does have a Dairy Queen, Dollar Store and larger Quick Shops. I'll show you the desert latter!

    At 5:00 I hurried home from the shop. I live two blocks away. I  go several blocks, round about as I use that walk and time for Ms. Sissy, well you know why! As soon as we made it home, I feed her and lite the fire place in the kitchen( gas log) and shut the dinning room door. I just finished reading a book about Alminia, Countess of Carnarvan,of Highclere Castle. Highclere is the English country home that Downton Abby, the Masterpiece mini series is based on. Highclere was built in 1849 and has 100 rooms. At that time, central heat was not heard of, especially in a country house, of that size. The book  describes in great detail about when  Alminia was first married to the Count of Carnarvon and moved to Highclere. She was used to a more modest sized home that was warm.. She tells of how cold it was, and how only a few rooms were used in winter and she wore her fur coats in the house. Well, My Old Historic House,  does not have 100 rooms, only 14, but in winter it is cold. I have central heat, but the cost to run is more than I can afford. So I too, live in only a few rooms and often wear my coat, not fur, To warm up the dinning room for my last minute dinner party, I use the kitchen fire place and shut the dining room door. This takes a few minutes, that is why that was done first.

Love the hat, what would, Alminia -Countess of Carnarvon ,think?

I guess they liked it, almost all gone.

At least the silver was polished.

   Since I was having a guest that had never been to my home, I wanted to make it as special as I could, serving mac and cheese with hot dogs.I asked myself, what would Alminia do?? So I moved the French bronze and crystal candelabra from the mantle to the table, replaced the candles with fresh ones , dinner would be by candle light .I set the table with nice china and had full intentions to go to the yard and pick some magnolia leaves for added inspiration. Time was against me, as remember, I only had  one and half hours to cook and pull this together, And there is no staff at, My Old Historic House. Alminia had over 50 servants are her beck and call. I barely had time to throw the junk that was on the dining room table, upstairs in the closet.

The desert table is ready!

   My guest arrived and wearing there coats, we had a fast tour of the two parlors, and then into the warm  dinning room and kitchen. As I finished our  dinner , mac  and cheese needed a little more oven time,we all gathered around the fire. Finally it was done and to the dinning room we went. I wear about 5 layers of cloths in winter, by this time, the fire was starting to really warm the house, so as I excused myself, off came a few layers. Kinda seems like a comedy almost at this point.
   We dined on mac and cheese with hot dogs and salad. We had water and no bread. Alminia, Countess of Carnarvon, would  had to have smelling sauce.And for desert, Little Debbie's, right out of the box. I thought latter, I should have at least placed them on a silver tray.But we had good conversation and it was warm, after all.

It's cold in here, might want to leave your coat on!

The big finish!

  My guest left and I was left with a pile of dirty dishes. I rang for the staff, but no one came. Where was Mrs. Hughs when I needed her??? I washed them up, turned off the fireplace , replaced the  candelabra to the mantle, enjoyed the smoke rising as I blew them out.Went out for Ms. Sissy's last walk and was surprised to see we had a nice beautiful snow. All in all, I felt like it was another successful event at, My Old Historic House. Come by any time. Give me at least and hour and half and I'll fix us something to eat. Sissy will always meet you with a jump and a kiss, but I can't always promise you snow!!

A parting gift for my guest, a fresh fallen snow!

You all come back now.