This and That: A Blog

 So, it's Presidents' Day.  When I was in elementary school we had days off for Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays, whether they fell on a Monday or not.  February 12 for Washington, and February 22 for Lincoln, although Washington was born February 11, 1731 under the old Julian calendar.  In 1752 Britain and the colonies switched to the Gregorian calendar and his birthday was "moved" to the 12th.  The Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, changing some, but not all, federal holidays to Mondays.  Lincoln's birthday was never a federal holiday, but was a state holiday in about a dozen states, including mine at the time, California.  It still is a state holiday in a few.  Some states treated it as a school holiday, but not an official state one.  Getting on to the garden, here is what was going on yesterday. Autumn crocus, not actually a crocus, grows its leaves in late winter/spring, they dry up completely before the blooms emerge ...

  Now that Christmas has come and gone, here are some of the items I thrifted to give as gifts, and some I got as gifts.  I know my audience, and they don't mind thrifted items, and they know I don't either!  You can find some nice gifts to give in thrift stores, or online sites.  This little glass bluebird from St. Vincent de Paul was tagged as Fenton, but I don't think it is. A bird house or feeder boot from Goodwill.  This beautiful twisted Murano style rainbow ribbon sculpture came from a yard sale. 1950s birds perched on pinecones planter. The back part, the planter part, is a nest.  It's a Japanese import of the sort that was sold in stores such as Woolworths.   A new cat toy from the Goodwill Bins.  Baby Cat isn't big on toys, not like Benny was.   A few of Mickey's gifts were thrifted.  The red grinning dog has the red and green checkered body.  Each check has its own squeaker.  That's from the Bins.  The...

🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🎄 Fittingly, the theme for this week's Thursday Postcard Hunt is Christmas!   1911 c.1930s - 1940s when bright colors, " Golly, " and humorous winks at " curses " would have been popular.  c.1905 c.1910 - 1915 1911 This one is interesting due to its cancellation advertising the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. One of my favorite postcards of all of my postcards!   c.1908 - 1910 printed in Germany A traditional nativty combined with figures from European folk customs. There's a hunter in his traditional dress with his German dachshund and several dead animals. A boy has brought a live animal of some sort in a cage.  Then, a mother with three children are wearing 1880s - early 1900s clothing, and have brought a tree for Jesus' first Christmas.   It may be Joseph hiding in the shadows, or a shepherd.   It just all makes such a strange nativity!   Hope you have a very Merry ...

 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!

 

 Christmas Trees are the theme this week for Thursday Postcard Hunt 's December theme of Christmas.   c.1910 I like this one a lot, even with, or all the moreso for, the printing being off.  c.1910 Swedish postcard c.1920 (I'll tell you one reason I prefer Microsoft Copilot to Google for translations.  Google saw the "Jul" and jumped to " Happy July !"  Copilot translated both words, " Happy Christmas !") For some newer postcards I have these German ones. I bought over 100 German Christmas postcards at St. Vincent de Paul recently.  Now, don't gasp... they were the 5¢ each ones!   Apparently, many of this sort came from boxed sets that were sold in German department stores in the '60s and '70s.   This has a textured front.   Next week is Tree Ornaments.    When the theme was first revealed I was concerned.  I had few Christmas postcards.  It's a lucky thing for me that St. Vincent de Paul got ...