This and That: A Blog

Two things I noticed about my thrifted antique postcards.  Maybe you noticed too and wondered the same things I did. First, a controversial word.  Xmas 1910 from Great Britian Yes, Xmas.  Some claim using it instead of the full Christ in Christmas is " taking the Christ out of Christmas, " even finding it offensive.  They see it as the big part of the " War on Christmas " that has been taking place for the past few years (decades?), or so they believe.  In fact, the St. Vincent de Paul volunteer who was with me when I went through the many cards for sale questioned the use, and seemed surprised the antique cards used the shortened word.  (Which goes to show, we may have grown up in the same town and attended the same high school just a few years apart, but somewhere along the line our similar backgrounds diverged.) 1912 So, what's the truth?  What is the history of Xmas, and was is used to remove Christ from the word Christmas?   The short an...

❄  Winter has arrived! ❄ I don't get "real" winter like so many of you do, so for me it just means making a new folder named "winter" for photos taken starting today! If we do get snow it's only for a day or so, and not much.  Not like this January in 2017.    There isn't any snow on Mount Ashland (in the Siskiyou Mountains), so the ski area hasn't opened yet.  They need at least 2.5' of snow and a few days prep to open. They encourage skiers to perform "... snow dances, pray to Ullr.. ."  Ullr is the Norse god associated with skiers.  I am not a skier.  I tried a few times as a teen.  Nope.  Not something I seem to be able to do!  There's Mount Ashland in the distance, seen from my backyard yesterday. Here the Winter Solstice is very rainy.  

The  Sunday Stamps theme this week is the letter U . U niversal Postal Union 100th Anniversary  Belgium 1974 U nited Nations 1951 U niform  Stamp commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Polish Red Cross. Poland 1959 U niform King Michael in military u niform.  King Michael was the last king, reigning from 1927 to 1930, and then again from 1940 until his abdication in 1947. Romania 1934 V stamps are next week.

 It's Tree Ornaments this week for Thursday Postcard Hunt 's Christmas theme.   While there were ornaments on the Christmas trees last week, these focus on the tree ornaments themselves. Two from Germany. A current day one from the U.S.A. The 2002 Martha Stewart for Kmart.  Trim the Tree ornaments were associated with the Deck the Halls line that year.  Santa decorating the Christmas tree.   In 19th century Germany and Austria the tree was hidden from the children until Christmas morning, when they were told Santa, St. Nicholas, or Christkind, decorated it.  In Victorian era America the tradition continued, with books and magazines in the late 1800s, and postcards in the early 1900s, depicting Santa trimming the tree. c.1907-1915 Next week, the last of the theme will be Christmas!    That is, Christmas is the theme, and it will actually be Christmas Day!

 Mickey and I took a walk to the park on Sunday morning.  I found it miserable, but he enjoyed it.  It was foggy and damp and cold, and without gloves my hands felt like they were freezing.  Of course, they weren't. I did find some mushrooms to photograph! These were big ones.  The back view shows one newly emerged from the soil.  Some had dew drops on their caps. Later in the day (still foggy and damp and cold) I spotted this one all alone in the path of the herb garden.  December always means the bird's nest fungus appear!  These are the Common bird's nest.  I found Fluted ones in the park in September.  Under dew on spider's webs. Pixie cup lichen are also called trumpet lichen.  Here they are growing with moss, possible forked moss.  More mosses.  These are Red Shank mosses growing on pumice.  This one growing in a rock crack might be cushion moss. Hope your week has been going well.  Can you believe next We...

 This triptych (a single composition divided into three parts that are meant to be viewed together) etching, Freedom , is by Barbara Whipple (1921-1989).  It's number 15 of 35.  Her etchings are quite valuable.  I'm not so fond of this I wouldn't sell it, as I only paid $2.24 at Goodwill!  I don't know a lot, but I know to pick up numbered prints for cheap, just in case! This information was on the back of the mat.   I've not seen one of these before, but learned that in several states there are laws requiring disclosure of edition size, medium, and master plate status of prints, also called a Certificate of Authenticity.  Art dealers can be fined for selling prints without this. Art dealers would refuse to buy a print without one too, as they would be unable to sell it.  I wonder if having it makes my Whipple more valuable?   On a different day at Goodwill I got this 4" carved wooden mask, probably from Bali.  This might be th...