Spring Cleaning

 Monday, May 11, 2026

I've been working pretty consistently lately at getting the upstairs cleaned out of all my school stuff. Dale's current project is to clean the windows inside and out. 

He's off to a good start. 

Signs of Spring

 Tuesday, March 10, 2026

March is an interesting month. You really start to see signs of the changing seasons from winter to spring. 

                                    

A couple of day ago, Sunday, the temperature got up to 60 degrees. An anomoly for this time of year for sure but it's a sign of things to come. I actually sat outside with a cigar the whole time it took to smoke it for the first time this calendar year. 

Collecting - Santas

Thursday, December 18, 2025

I've been collecting American Santas for a while. I set them out recently. 

It felt like I was missing some. 

I don't usually set them out on this shelf so maybe that's what looked different. 

Anyway, not too long after setting them out I found another box in the coal room where I store most of my Christmas stuff. That's where they had been hiding. 

I added them to the display. 

Mom never promoted the Santa with us when we were kids. When I asked her why she said it had something to do with Dr. Benjamin Spock in the 60s and that you shouldn't have kids focus on fairy tales. Anyway I think that the fact I still ended up believing shows the power of how prevelent the Santa Claus myth is in the culture. 

Decorating with Books

 Friday, Deember 5, 2025

Books look great on a shelf but as I've said before I also think they look very nice stacked and displayed. They help reflect themes and interests, like in this case, Christmas. I also think they add warmth and personality to a space or even a whole room. 

Dining Room In the Dark

 Sunday, November 30, 2025

The darkness of the late afternoon and early evening is definitley upon us. 

It's perfect for candlelight. 

Christmas Tree

Friday, November 28, 2025

Started decorating the new tree a couple days ago. 

Finished yesterday (Thanksgiving). I think it looks great and Dale really likes it too. 

Collecting - Fiestaware

 Thursday, November 27, 2025

I've been collecting Fiestaware for the past 35 years although I haven't bought any in quite a number of years. After all, you can only have so much. I've heard.

My most recent aquisitions were bought about 10 years ago. 

I bought three place settings in distinctive fall colors. 

They look particularly good when mixed and matched. 

The fourth place setting is pieced together with fall-like colors from my regular collection. 

Mom and Dale at Thanksgiving dinner. 

From Wikipedia: "Fiesta is a line of ceramic glazed dinnerware manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia, United States since its introduction in 1936, with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985. Fiesta is noted for its Art Deco styling and its range of often bold, solid colors."

"The company was known as the Homer Laughlin China Company (HLCC) until 2020, when it sold its food service divisions, along with the Homer Laughlin name, to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer. HLCC in turn rebranded itself as the Fiesta Tableware Company, retaining its retail division, prominent Fiesta line, factories and headquarters in Newell, West Virginia."

"Fiesta's original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942. Fiesta products before 1986 were semi-vitreous pottery, and after 1986 were vitreous china allowing marketing it for food service applications. Several of the original shapes had to be modified due to this change in material and other new shapes were added by Jonathan O. Parry, who became Homer Laughlin's art director in 1984."