Last Hours of September

On this last day of September there are few blooms left in our yard but most trees have not started to turn color. Our five birch trees will get lovely yellow leaves soon and then, sadly, go brown and crispy fast. We still keep our windows open overnight, but with temps dipping to 52 degrees fahrenheit, it’s nippy in the house by morning. (I grab my sweater as I make my coffee at 6:00.) I think it’s almost time to shut all the windows at night! And I’ve put my antique brass candlesticks and beeswax candles out once again on our mantel and I confess they make me miss my youngest who was always was a big fan of candlelight in the long fall and winter nights. She was often the one saying “Let’s light the candles.”

Here’s a pic from several years ago
when I had them out in full force!

She lived at home for a few years after college, but moved out this past spring. While it was a good move for all of us, I still miss her. No one tells you (or you don’t believe them!) how it will be after your children move out and move on with their lives–that you will feel both thrilled and devastated. But I am grateful that my daughters live just down the road and we see each other often. In fact we had lunch together yesterday and I realized we all have the same weird humor and so many inside jokes. We spent half the meal laughing.

Well, I finally popped back into my neighborhood thrift store after a “sabbatical” of 10 days and spotted some good “bread-and-butter items”, but I don’t need more of these. I told myself if I bought anything it would have to be STELLAR–Waterford stemware or another piece of Steuben glass or a Jay Strongwater picture frame. Alas, I didn’t find anything like that so I walked out empty handed. Which was fine! I’ve been busy listing stuff from that big private pick. All so interesting! The Victorian-era hair acorns would have been made into earrings typically with gold fittings. It’s hard to imagine having the patience for that intricate work! New to me are reliquary crucifixes! This one opens up and has a bit of earth from the Roman Catacombs.

I haven’t sold anything yet from that haul, but four items are in already in carts–which is hopeful! And I have the next round of looking through the remaining boxes soon. Thankfully she said I could bring back things I decided I didn’t want. Which is incredibly kind of her and I do have a couple of things to return. I think the problem was as we were unwrapping items from the boxes, I was making split-second decisions without really looking things over carefully or thinking them through. This next round I will be more selective.

Wishing you happy hunting and a grand start to October,

Karen