Favorite Picture Rerun - Sidewalk Cleaners

Another of my very favorite pictures from the Pearces that is certainly worth bringing  forward again.  The lady on the left is my mom, Nan, but I don't know the other two girls.  And, I also know that this would not be the sidewalk in front of the Pearce home - it was on a raised lot with steps up to the yard.  The three ladies must be dressed in some sort of working garment - could that be the forerunner of a housedress?  And two of them are wearing dustcaps--I have vivid memories of my Grandma Pearce wearing those little bonnets.   On the cleanup agenda are some raking and some scrubbing although I can't tell which one my mom is doing.  The icing on the cupcake is the horse and wagon on it's way down the street.  Just past the tree near the middle girl, when you enlarge the photo you can make out an old fellow with one hand on his hip and the other on a rake or broom apparently shooting the breeze with another person.  How I wish I knew more, but  I think this is one great picture!  (Click to enlarge)

Postcard Friendship Friday

I went searching for something to do with this awful hot weather and this was all I could find.  Fortunately for us here in Michigan, it looks to be better tomorrow and on for the next several days with temps in the 80's instead of the 90's.  I will take that!  The little poem on the card certainly hits the nail on the head when it comes to human nature. 

Here is the back of the card - I have tried and tried, but cannot make any sense out of it.  I certainly hope Emily could.  Thanks to Beth at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/  for being our hostess.  Check out her blog and see what everyone has posted for this week.  Happy PFF and a good weekend to all.

Motto Pictures

This is the start of my collection of old motto pictures.  I found this in my mother-in-law's things and just adored it. 

This is the second piece - my daughter gave it to me for my birthday sometime after 1972. I love the art, the poem, the frame and the person who gave it to me. Whenever I would go to antique stores or shows I would buy any of these that I could find and afford.

One of my very favorites, this one was found at an antique show in Peoria.  I pretty well have my walls filled with odds and ends like this.  Most everything came from antique stores, garage sales, auctions or was lovingly made by someone.  Anymore, as much as I dislike housework, I kind of wish I liked things more modern and much sparser.  Alas, that is not the case so I am also collecting quite a bit of dust!   I have the theory that dust is "clean dirt" since it can be eliminated quickly if you just get out the dustcloth!  One day soon!  (Click to enlarge) 

Postcard Friendship Friday

Here is a postcard featuring two little children who look as if they would rather be doing something other then posing before an old crazy quilt that is being used as a backdrop for their photo.  Cute little kids and lovely old quilt.  You may or may not know, but quilts are a very important part of my life and have been for getting close to 40 years now.   It is an obsession in a way.   The back of this card has nothing written on it,  but I have found another card----

which is also in the field of needle arts.  This one you could send to a friend as part of a promotion for the Modern Handcraft company in Kansas City.  The instructions are in the message on the card which shows some really great vintage embroidery and quilt patterns.  I have started doing embroidery again and really enjoy it.  Nice to have something to pick up and work on while watching tv or just relaxing.  Takes no effort getting ready - just work as long as you wish then put it away until the next time. 

This one went to Pansy Story in Topeka, Kansas.  Hope Pansy liked it.  Stop by Beth's blog http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ to see all the other postcards this PFF.   Beth is our hostess for this fun blog hop.  Have a Happy PFF.(Click to enlarge) 

Bing

For a lot of the years growing up in Rome, Illinois, we had this furry, funny old dog named Bing.   Heaven only knows what breeds of dogs he came from - he was quite a mix of something or other.  Lots and lots of hair and must have been part sheep dog since it grew down over his eyes.  However, my dad cut it back especially in the summer and it looked so odd at first.  Here he is with my sister.  Why she had him standing on a box, I can't tell you.  I look at this photo and am thinking what a pretty sis I had and what pretty hair she had! 

Here is Bing in his doghouse with the personalized entry.  I am also seeing dad's workpants hanging on the clothesline in the back - and the line is being held up by a clothesprop.  Remember those?   Thought you might enjoy this little piece of my past. (Click to enlarge)

Postcard Friendship Friday

In the good old summertime!  Here is a quartet of pretty, happy girls dressed to go swimming back in 1906 - my, how things have changed.   What a cute picture of some very cute girls.

I hope you are having a good summer so far and are able to enjoy doing the things you like to do whether it be gardening, swimming or just having time to relax and sometimes do nothing at all.  Take a minute and stop by Beth's blog http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ to check out today's postcards.  Happy PFF.

 I have decided to add two pictures from my mom's side of the family from the days when they had a summer cottage north of Peoria.  These pictures and many others are in earlier posts under the "Pearce Family".  In this one, my Aunt Nelle sits on the boat and my mom, Nan, is the first girl standing in the water.  They, too, are in their swimwear.

Here is my grandfather, Dan, with my grandmother, Maggie to his right and an unknown woman with them.  Thought these went well with my postcard. (Click to enlarge)

The River Comes Up Our Street

Back in the spring of 1943,  the Illinois River flooded.  We lived about a block from the river and this is looking down the street from in front of our house.  This was also the first picture I ever took, according to the note on the top of it.  (I must have inherited that trait from the Pearce side of the family!). 

Here is my little brother, Bud, rowing the boat in our yard.  That is dad's old double bow boat that I could navigate very well.  I loved rowing the boat.

This picture shows Dad standing in our yard. Right behind him to his right is our outhouse. Everyone had to take typhoid shots since we all got our water from wells and they were under water. Naturally, anything for drinking or cooking had to be boiled.

Here I pose in front of the river.  I was finishing my freshman year in high school.  Certainly was not a fashion plate - although I don't think I looked any different than the lions' share of teenagers back in the forties.   I am noticing the pin on my blouse and remembering it was a wooden "CD", my initials, and I had forgotten all about it.  I wonder where that ever ended up?   Will post more pictures from this point in time on a later date.  (Click to enlarge)

Track Inn

I was reading the Chillicothe weekly newspaper on line the other day and came across an article about this restaurant that was out at the end of Santa Fe street.  When we moved back to Chilli in 1982,  we would sometimes have dinner at this little place that was kind of like a little hole in the wall but the food wasreasonably priced and it was good.  You could have a nice meal for not much money and lots of people ate at the Track Inn.  There were two or three tables right by the windows in front and then a counter with stools all the way back on the left side.  On the right side were booths - or tables - all the way back.  What used to strike me as being funny was that everytime someone came in the door, everyone with their back in that direction turned around and everyone at the counter glanced left to see who was arriving.  Most of the time, you knew who it was.  Looks from the picture like things have been spiffied up since the eighties.  My, they had good pies!!  Following is part of the article from the paper.

Track Inn building originated in 1900s.  The building Di’s Track Inn occupies originally was Marburger’s tavern, opened by John Marburger in 1907, which was split between the tavern and a barbershop, according to local historian Gary Fyke. The tavern changed hands a few times, and then became different restaurants, including the Northtown Café, New Apollo and Michael’s, until Donna Gondek’s parents, Sam and Mary Ann King, bought the businesOpening in May 1977, Track Inn’s business mostly came from the railroad. Gondek recalled long days and busy times at the restaurant during the initial years. She and her mother were thrilled to make $300 the first day the restaurant opened, Gondek said. The business was her mother’s idea, and she kept the food cooking while Gondek was out front with the customers.  As years went by, Gondek ran the business by herself and found she enjoyed the making of the food.


Picking up skills from her mother on cooking, she also learned how to make pies and other goods from her night cook. She began baking up a storm, winning her 42 awards in a five-year period at the Heart of Illinois Fair. They made her stop entering, Gondek said.  “I really had dedicated pretty much my life to it,” said Gondek of the business.

(Click to enlarge)

Postcard Friendship Friday

Happy PFF - and Happy Fourth of July.  Looking for a card for this bang-up holiday, I came across this rather strange card.  Have never connected the 4th and Eskimoes before, but it's a bit different than the usual greeting.  I found some very cute funny - well, maybe funny like a rubber crutch - cards of ornery, mischievious boys who were trying to set firecrackers to everything they see.  Very cute drawings but not really "feel good" cards.

This card was written a long, long time ago - about 102 years.  Again, thanks to Beth for being our hostess on PFF.  Stop by her blog and see all the blogs you can visit to find great postcards this PFF.  Have a  fun Fourth.  (Click to enlarge)