Down Memory Lane

Occasionally, I browse through sites like Etsy and eBay for vintage glassware and the older Avon bottles--figural, animals, etc.
I am fairly certain this love of glassware began with my Grandma D.  Grandma lived just a few blocks from us in a very small town, and we were allowed to walk over and visit her at a young age, even having to cross one of the main streets.  Nowadays, I'm not sure if parents are a little more watchful of their young kids, but anyone who grew up in Wheatley in the 70's knows how small a town that was, and just how non-busy Erie street was.
Grandma's house was like a treasure box, always something more to find.  She had colourful glass vases and goblets lining the windows they could line, and adorning the bookshelves in her front room, dressers and anywhere else that needed a pick-me-up.  I remember on top of her television she had a balloon couple, I believe they were Royal Doulton.
Occasionally, Grandma would let us go up to the attic and look around and through boxes that were stored up there.  What treasures!  Old workbooks from when my father was younger, some clothes, some glassware, and a certain kind of magic that if I close my eyes now and picture the attic, I can still feel.

Once we moved to a town about a half hour away, visits were fewer and farther between.  But, there were times I stayed with Grandma for a few days.  One day, we went 'yard sale-ing'.  There was a house on one of the backroads in between Wheatley and Leamington, and I can't remember anything else that was out for sale, but there was one piece that caught my eye.  A blue wedgewood looking candle holder with a lid, complete with the old Moonwind scented candle inside.  I picked it up, looked it over and just had to have the piece.  It did have a very small chip on the inside of the lid, but I loved it anyway.  This was the beginning of my Avon collection.

My grandmother passed away in the mid 80's, but to this day, I still visit her house in my dreams, always looking for something but never really finding it.

In my most recent window shopping, I came across a shop with a listing for a pair of these holders, minus the candles, on Etsy.  I just had to make these mine and contacted the seller, who replied quickly and is willing to ship these to Canada for me.

The picture is property of debster222 and is used here with her permission.  

Morning Walk

I really must learn to listen to myself.  I decided this morning to take the dogs for a walk down the trail, and thought "Maybe I should take my camera", but then figured "Nah, the same stuff will be there next time"
Already, in early May, it's feeling like a mid-summer day.  Walking along the trail I could smell 'fresh':  the flowering trees, the weeds along the side of the trail, and even just the grass and the trees.  I must admit, there was a short span behind the fishery where the smell wasn't so pleasant, but later on, mingled with the fresh green smell was the smell of paint.  Almost heaven.  :)
At one point, my part-shepherd started to pull and I looked farther up to see a rabbit on the side of the trail.  The rabbit hopped ahead on the trail as we walked, then hopped across it.  Stopped, watched us, hopped a little farther, stopped...repeated this once more, then hopped into the bushes.  As we approached where the rabbit had left the trail, I looked over, and sooooo close, there he was staring back at me.  Ideal camera time.  :(

I will say, for relaxation, it was an awesome walk.  The smells, the sights, and the birds and insects chirping and singing.  For excercise, not so much.  Both dogs insisted on marking twigs and dandelions as we went--I didn't know females did this too, but I swear, Daisy-dog stopped more than Buster did!  There is nothing like a dog stopping to smell things along the way to remind you to stop and smell the roses, although I prefer my roses over their 'finds'.