Happy Spooking!

Just returning from another journey to the Emerald City.

Hope I'm not too late for the ball.

 Or to wish you a Merry Halloween!!

Safe flights!

Collections ~ La Tercera Parte

Spooking season is nigh....

 (This was the bewitching view out my front door today just beckoning me to take a mid-afternoon flight....)
 

...But, I was reminded that I have been neglectful of my monthly "collections" posts.

So, in honor of the season, here we go:

Vintage papier mache jack-o-lanterns....Most of you are familiar with them, and they certainly don't count among the oldest, largest, nor the "oddest" of my collections. But warm my heart and make me smile, they do.

The earliest lanterns (1920 - 1935'ish) were German made - formed from smooth cardboard pressed into a mold.  The two halves were then sewn or stapled together to form the complete lantern.

The lantern was then painted (by hand) and a tissue paper face insert was glued to the inside.  Although made of paper materials, they were originally intended to be lit with real candles ~ and some of mine have the wax inside to prove it.

 The American versions appeared in the mid to late 1930's, through the 1950's.  Unlike the German ones which were formed from cardboard, the American ones were formed from a clay-like paper pulp that was pressed into a mold and then allowed to dry....Kind of like a really thick egg carton.  They were also painted and fitted with tissue paper face inserts.

Oh how I love these guys!

You see, to some (errr....my husband, for one), they may "all look the same...." But to me, each and every one has a personality all its own....even the "twins:"

(Twin 1)
 

(Twin 2)

 

There are many repro's out today, but I love the charm of the old ones.  Even the ones that have lost their innards inserts:

(The above lantern is a later (late '40's to '50's), American, one, known as a "choir boy" style as he appears to be singing. Very distinctly different than the older and "scarier" German versions.)

If you are interested in starting your own collection of old ones, you can distinguish the orignal pieces from the reproductions by checking the bottom:  original lanterns usually have one or more indented rings, while the repros have flat bottoms.  (Also, the colors on the repros are usually duller than the originals.)

Happy Spooking!

Thirteen Whiskers From A Cross Eyed Cat

No....not from THIS cross eyed cat....

But, she did inspire me to stitch this piece in the first place.

 ;o)

And I finally finished stitching it.... "Cross Eyed Cat"...a sweet pattern from Lori Brechlin at Notforgotten Farm.

I didn't capture the colors very well....the floss colors are very muted and olde-looking blue/grays and dark brown....stitched on heavily stained 28-count Cashel linen, one over two.

Now to find an old frame for it.  My original plan had been to make it into a pillow of sorts...but it's a bit large for that (measures approximately 7" x 15")....

I would like to find an antique frame like the model was framed in:

So, if any of you have any leads, please let me know.

As long as we're on Halloween themes here, I thought I'd share a photo of My Little Frankenstein....

Looking good, eh? 

(I think they should give pain pills to moms too....)

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

 

 

Tuesday Display Chain ~ PATINA!!!

Sadly, this is the last Tuesday Display Chain for a while...

Thank you, sweet Misi (of 1890 Gable House Musings), for the fun while it lasted.

 

This week's theme: Patina

Ahhhh...I love me my patina.
It soothes my soul like a rich, healing, balm.

Glorious, beautiful, patina.  Great choice Misi...only problem was, I had a hard time stopping.  So, a great number of photos...but, thankfully for you, few words are required.

The patina of stoneware:

 The patina of metal:

   

The patina of wood:

The patina of leather:

 

 

 

The patina of printed pages:

 

   

The patina of stone:

   

The patina of my ancestors:

 

  

The patina of my childhood:

    

 

The patina that still holds my heart:

 Click HERE to be magically transported to the beginning of the chain at 1890 Gable House Musings and to see the "patinas" of the other chain gang members. 

There's No Place Like Home....

Well, it took a little more than three clicks of my heels, but we're back in Kansas Nod....

We were not sent away this time (thanks for the broom, Marly!), and, indeed, granted audience with the Wizard.

 

  (Well, truth be told, he looked more like this after seeing the mess Lil' Crow's knee was in:)

After some hobnobbing with his fellow wizards, and some deep digging into that black bag of his, he came up with this:

A combination arthroscopy, osteotomy, and the grand finale: a tibial tubercle transfer (also known as the "Triple T") and combination lateral release.

 

Basically, this all involved breaking (yes, intentionally) the tibia (the main bone in the lower leg) and moving it, cutting the bone underneath the kneecap to change its alignment, and moving Lil' Crow's kneecap.  More incisions were made to remove some of Lil' Crow's hamstring which was then used to reattach the newly realigned kneecap.  Holes were drilled and screws were inserted to hold it all in place.  (Did someone say they would like pictures???)

 The Wizard also found a wayward piece of bone that was embedded on the side of Lil' Crow's patella, which he removed.  Unfortunately, the Wizard did say that Lil' Crow's patellofemoral articulation (the groove on the end of the femur on which the kneecap slides as the knee bends) is basically flat (in a normal functioning knee, it should be at a 45 degree angle) and there is no "fixing" that....

But, all in all, the surgery went relatively smoothly (all 4.5 hours of it) and "as expected." Obviously, however, only time will tell if it was, in fact, "successful."

The trip home was long.  Let's just say pain and long-distance travel aren't the best mixers.  (And thank the good Lord that I had the packed a puke bucket....)

 

The next few weeks will be filled with return visits to the Emerald City....

And then...the dreaded physical therapy....

But, hopefully, my posts will get back "on track" and this will be: 

Thank you for bearing with me through this journey and the journey re-do's....  Your prayers and well wishes were like a warm blanket in that cold waiting room....