My Father’s Day post.
Here’s a photo of our parents, Roy and Marian Hendricks. Dad is holding my sister.
My parents didn’t own a camera so a family friend must have taken this picture.
This lovely photo is in one of those awful sticky photo albums. Ugh. There must be a way to remove the photo without damaging it. Any clue?
I’ve been to Harmony, Pennsylvania but not Harmony, Maine. Recently I watched a Kristy Glass Knits knitting video where she told about Bartlett Yarn Woolen Mills (since 1821) manufacturing yarn.
The man on the video featuring Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool said, “Bartlett is a mainstay for us. This is your grandma’s yarn. This is real true farm yarn. Or your great grandmother’s yarn. At Christmas, a lot of people buy it to make stockings .” Well, I’m getting a head start this year. My friend Deb has been knitting Christmas stockings and inspired me to knit them for my grandchildren. You might remember her gauge difficulties with her Christmas stocking- I blogged it last January.
The grandmother who taught me to knit was born 126 years ago on February 7th.
That very day, I got on the phone and spoke with a nice woman and told her what I wanted to knit. Three days later I got a box of yarn from Harmony, Maine. She helped me select Spruce Heather, Cranberry and Natural. I added the other heather to create sock monkeys on the stockings, which I graphed. Mark’s old stocking from childhood served as a guide and I found a vintage knitting pattern from the 60’s on Etsy to serve as a template for the actual stocking. The woman who knit Mark’s stocking in Clarion PA was named Jane. My plan is to knit one a month and have them ready for NEXT Christmas. For the grandchildren. Getting an early start this year. And yes I did finish James’ sweater and he loves it!
Knitting bowls gifted from Toni, Laura and Bill.
Already I realize my monkey is a bit too tall. Back to the drawing board. 
Yes, it’s winter. Seriously cold winter.
What better time to bake apples?
I used my sister’s method and added a few tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar in the bottom which I later spooned onto the apples’ core opening. Nothing else. No cinnamon or raisins or butter or sugar. Granny Smiths snd Balsamic vinegar.
I used an apple shaped Glasbake Vintage baking dish (a gift from Molly) and baked them at 350F for an hour.
The kitchen was warm from the oven and the whole house smelled delicious. Looks like an electric element but it’s gas.
My sister gave me this vintage apron years ago.
It’s a conversation piece. I don’t know who made it.
Most of my aprons hang inside the pantry door and aren’t vintage. That will be another post.
This half apron is fun to wear when hostessing,
Just lift up the skirt of the dress for the unexpected.
A bit of lace and an embroidered flower. The fabric of the midriff is worn and there is a hole right where the navel would be. Maybe it is one of a kind?
And of course it it all trimmed with good old rick- rack.
OoooooLaLa
Do you have boxes of board games in your home? Or have electronics taken precedent?
This week I’m visiting family in Ohio and we’ve been playing board games. Some take hours and hours. The card games aren’t included in this picture but UNO is the most popular around here. Maura and I’ve played a few rounds. I heard the four grandkids were playing Life before Christmas.
Does anyone in your household seek world domination- or scarf up real estate, utilities and railroads, add houses and hotels?
On my mother’s side my Uncle John was very good at chess and my Uncle Robert was good at backgammon and Royalty. Both of their families are good game players. I think my family missed that game playing gene although we had Flinch. I looked up the vintage card game Flinch and it’s pricey on eBay.
Different ages prefer certain games and there are a few games I find difficult to stick with and finish to the win. If I were photographing games at my house you’d see Scrabble and Jenga, Boggle, Pictionary, Mille Bornes and Monopoly.
Good sportsmanship and learning to lose gracefully is an ongoing effort.
Following the rules, taking turns, paying attention are essential ingredients.
The new Risk has been trending at Mark and Erika’s house this week. I’ve been watching Ticket to Ride tutorials on YouTube to teach the grandchildren how to play.
At Laura and James’ house the selection is colorful and fun. Charlie is 2 1/2 so it’s Hi Ho Cherrio! Or these two games photographed by Laura today. The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
Charlie and the squirrel grab acorns. 
Goodnight Moon Counting Game 
The other day I took a bus downtown (Senior Citizen perk= free bus pass) and went to S.W, Randall Toys Store on Smithfield Street. I climbed to the the doll floor on three, looking for a fresh doll outfit for a 14 year old doll when I came upon a two sided display of a variety of paper dolls.
I remember cutting out paper dolls when I was young. So careful not to ruin them and cut off the little white tabs you needed to fold over to hold the clothes onto the doll. Sometimes tape was involved.
A looooong time ago. I had no idea all these different paper dolls were available in 20I asked the sales clerk if I could photograph them and she said sure but now I’m wishing I opened them up and peeked inside and photographed the dolls and clothes. Going to have to plan a return trip downtown.
I considered buying a book of them- many choices. Wondered who is playing with paperdolls nowadays.
Do kids even know about paper dolls? I talked with a friend today and she said she cut out magazine fashion and made up clothes out of the magazines. I relied on the printed and dotted lines to cut around. I can picture a little doll with a full white slip on- waiting to be dressed. Modest!
You may have old KODACOLOR prints in your home, fading away.
I captured this one with my iPhone. Not much color left.
I’m posting this one to say Happy Birthday to my brother David.
I’m almost two, he’s almost 5 – in this picture of the two of us sitting on our dad’s knees in Montclair NJ.
Somehow I can’t stop myself from photographing all things green this week. Today at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival, I stopped at the vintage buttons booth.
Thanks Michelle from Dusty’s Vintage Buttons from South Carolina. I’d offer a link but she doesn’t have one. You have to catch her next year at the festival. She started collecting when she got buttons from a friend’s grandmother and hasn’t stopped.
button up
1. Lit. to fasten one’s buttons. Your jacket’s open. You’d better button up. It’s cold. I’ll button up in the car.2. Fig. to get silent and stay silent. (See also button (up) one’s lip.) Hey, button up! That’s enough out of you. I wish you would button up and stop gossiping.McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
It is easy being green Weekly Photo Challenge
