It’s probably not the best idea to drink large amounts of wine with friends when you haven’t eaten more than part of your son’s leftover peanut butter bagel in the morning and some weird chips in the afternoon but damn it was fun. It was the perfect end to a good day. All five boys raced around their wonderful back yard and we sat in front the firepit before the wind got too cold. Wonderful spur of the moment evening. Of course when we got home close to 11:00 Leo thought we were still going to color eggs but we got past that and everyone…except poor Ernie….even slept late today. Thanks SO much Beth and Matt!!
Friday was my lone day off this spring break and I really wanted to get out of town. We randomly picked some little towns south east of here to hit for antique and junk shops. Actually, I must admit, despite it being a good idea, the antiquing was a total bust. Oh well….some days are like that. We did buy two small glass pieces but nothing wonderful and nothing that we needed for Ernie’s upcoming show—which decidedly is NOT a glass show. However the boys did score in the first shop we went into in the beautiful little town of Greenup, Illinois. Owen found a firetruck and Leo found a slotcar set. Of course it didn’t work when we got it home but it was exciting at the time. Ernie found some 78s and I took pictures….including some with the boys holding the copies of the new testament that the nice woman gave them.
I gotta say….my boys sometimes try my patience when we’re out…we avoid finer dining and stick to places like Fries and Peanuts for instance…..but my guys do know how to act in antique shops. I was very proud of them, as the woman kindly told me I should be. We meandered from Greenup down to Palestine, Illinois, then up to Marshall to Paris to Oakland to home. Went through lots of tiny little hardscrabble towns and it was more rolling land around there than the very, very flat fields in our part of Illinois which was a pleasant change. Saw lots of flooded fields and even flooded roads, with some nice early little houses here and there. The air was warm and it felt and sounded like spring.
the boys holding their new testaments. Owen asked me what it was and I said it was like a bible and he said "what’s a bible." Geesh.
I started collecting these little salt dishes when I was twelve. I don’t have any anymore except for the very first one I bought but seeing these sometimes touches me.
Sooooo much fun. Can’t believe I didn’t have to pay for it the next day. Thanks for coming!
Palestine is SOOO close to St. Francisville. You should have gone there and driven across the Canonball Bridge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgVHKXQZGI4
oh man….that would scare me to death—I’m a total wimp on bridges!!! Are there any shops worth hitting down around there?
I have a crystal salt dish that means a lot to me. For every day, I use a lot of Japanese wasabi dishes (same size, just less precious) for holding snacks for E or giving to my m-i-l for her tea bag.
Please someday share how you and Ernie helped your boys learn how to be careful in antique shops. I know it’s a cumulative thing, but how do you get them to understand that some places are special and full of fragile things? E has begun to pull apples from the very bottom of the pyramid displays in grocery stores because that is all she can reach, and — by gosh — she is shopping and choosing and grabbing because she can. She’s not understanding the importance behind my No-no-no’s.
Well, first let me say that I never would have taken Owen into a crowded antique show when he was three as E is. In fact there was a time I thought he would never go into an antique shop until he was at least 30! Leo has always been instinctively more careful….Owen we had to wait until he understood rules. Whenever we got to a shop or show before we go in I say ‘what are the rules’ and they recite “no touching without asking” and “no whining if we can’t get something.” I’m not saying they are always perfect but at this point they understand. I do remember one time when Owen went running through a glass filled antique shop thinking he was being funny because I was chasing him. It took years off the lives of me and the dealer. So some of it is just time and living at home with antiques. When they’re in the midst of the phase where they don’t understand it seems like it will never end….but it does….