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Christmas Is Here, Bring Out Your Treasures

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is everywhere. It seems the season moves rapidly forward with little time for Advent or waiting. But so much depends on the holiday season, from Black Friday business promotions, to family gatherings, travel, work and school schedules, that it’s easy to see how the holidays take over. I just started my decorating this weekend. Like most antique enthusiasts, I have vintage Santas, antique trees, special ornaments for the tree and other treasures that I enjoy. Do you have a favorite ornament on your Christmas tree? There are so many choices, ...

Thanksgiving Gatherings Bring Antiques to the Table

Antiques and Thanksgiving just naturally go together. After all, fall is the time for enjoying family, friends, your home and hearth. So, what better time to pull out your treasures and feature them on the table. From platters to china patterns, to serving dishes and table linens, antiques enhance the table setting immeasurably and add to the tastiness of a turkey dinner. Antique butter dishes are one of the simple pleasures that dress up the table in an easy way. These utilitarian dishes are also a stand-alone collectible that antique enthusiasts have long appreciated. But ...

Case Closed?

As I write this column, the jury is still out in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial. By now, anyone who reads the newspaper or listens to the news knows what this case has been about. Rittenhouse shot and killed two people and wounded another during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August of last year. Rittenhouse has maintained that he shot the men in self-defense. I will spare you any further details. You and I will know the outcome of the trial by the time this column is published. What I will tell you is that while watching and listening to these proceedings, I have ...

What’s The Rush?

Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is about three weeks away. No, I do not skip over Thanksgiving and head straight into Christmas. No sir, I like Thanksgiving too much to jump right into Advent. In my opinion Thanksgiving is one of the least stressful of the seasonal holidays. That is unless you are the one doing the cooking because mostly the day is all about food, family gatherings, watching football on TV and more food. The holiday can be as laid back or as formal as your family desires. The meal can be traditional turkey and all the fixings or a barrel of Kentucky Fried ...

A History Lesson Up Close

People my age and older often talk about their “bucket lists.” You know, that list of things they wish to accomplish or obtain before life’s last call. Recently my husband and I accomplished a common wish list item when we drove to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to take in the historic sites and learn more about the Battle of Gettysburg. It’s one thing to read about the Civil War and that famed battle in Gettysburg. It’s a whole lot more meaningful and memorable to stand on the same grounds where so many human lives were lost. The Battle of Gettysburg occurred over ...

Vampires Continue to Take a Bite Out of Collectors

Vampires remain a popular topic at Halloween. In fact, my 4-year-old grandson Angelo is looking forward to scaring his brothers and friends decked out as Dracula today rather than a current pop culture character. But the legend of Dracula has been around for a long time and of course, much of its on-going popularity began with Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic novel “Dracula.” It continues today with books and films that glamorize the spooky theme. Even Charles Schulz’ famous comic strip dog Snoopy has been pictured vampire style. But what if instead of fantasizing about ...