🐾 Dog Breeds That No Longer Exist 🐾

It's a dreary Friday here at my cottage. I spent the first two hours in a webinar for continuing education credits for my real estate license. The sun is supposed to come out later this afternoon and maybe I will rake some wet leaves.

I enjoyed reading this BBC fascinating article about dog breeds that time forgot. See link below:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211105-the-bizarre-dog-breeds-time-forgot

Listen to a 7 minute segment on NPR about Turn Spit Dogs. There is an illustration too:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/05/13/311127237/turnspit-dogs-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-vernepator-cur

🐾🐾Enjoy🐾🐾

Have a great weekend.

Historic Lodge in England

The Lodge, Greys Court, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England via National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

HISTORY OF THE FAMILIES WHO OWNED GREYS COURT

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greys-court/features/the-families-of-greys-court

This is a good read with photos♡

Enjoy. xo

Ephrata Cloister: Ephrata, PA

The Ephrata Cloister preserves the remains of a religious communal society founded in 1732 by German immigrant Conrad Beissel. The monastic society of brothers and sisters lived an austere life of work, study, and prayer. They ate one meal a day of grains, fruits, and vegetables, and encouraged celibacy. They even slept on wooden benches with wooden "pillows." Known for its a cappella singing and publishing, the society lived and worked in a cluster of striking buildings with steep-roofed medieval-style architecture. The last sister died in 1813.

Pushing William Penn's "Holy Experiment" to its Limits: Ephrata Cloister

I have never heard of this historic site in Lancaster County. The above link is from the Pennsylvania Heritage website and has more photos including some of the interior with furnishings. I haven't finished reading it yet but have it bookmarked. It is absolutely fascinating! Enjoy. xo

Home Page with Most Current Blog

THE GOLDFINCH

Carel Pietersz Fabritius, the most promising student of Rembrandt, famous for his painting “The Goldfinch,” died young at just 32 in 1654. He was killed in an explosion. (Not what you were expecting, right?) The city of Delft’s gunpowder magazine unexpectedly exploded, destroying about one-fourth of the city and killing Fabritius. Dying young does not mean the end of a painter’s career – just look at Van Gogh. But unfortunately for Fabritius, most of his paintings were also destroyed in the explosion. Only about a dozen of his paintings survive today. (Source: Wikipedia) photo source

Double Hearts on Pen and Ink 18thC Family Record

I have this framed family record on a wall in my living room that never gets any sunlight. Sorry about my reflection in the glass. It is hand lettered with pen and ink and the calligraphy is beautiful. Every line is hand drawn.

I especially love the double hearts with the word together in the center. This is the perfect post for Valentine's Day.

Birthday Card Request + The Death of Brown Furniture

Here I am again after a few days off wearing my Realtor Hat and working harder than you can even imagine. I am a member of NEXTDOOR, a neighborhood app where members can post and share. I am amazed at the questions, mostly looking for recommendations on home repair, good hair cutters, and child care workers. I especially love the photos of free things they are giving away!

The post below touched my heart:

I have my birthday card to this veteran who is turning 100 all filled out and ready to mail. I enclosed a dollar bill too, just like my grandmother always put in my birthday cards, ho matter what my age.

I typed out his address below if you want to send him a card as well. I love Hendersonville and my family always vacationed there. Doesn't Sunnybrook sound like a nice place?

Let's all help this 100 year old Veteran get 100 birthday cards!!!

Mr. Art England

Sunnybrook Assisted Living

Apartment 211

306 Spring Street

Hendersonville NC 28739

Now on another note. You know how much I love antiques and most of you do as well. This article that appeared in YANKEE MAGAZINE will break your heart. THE DEATH OF BROWN FURNITURE 

For those of us who still love old things with rich histories, it is a buyer's market. For those of the antique collecting community who paid premium prices for their possessions, it is very depressing. I rarely miss an episode of The Antiques Roadshow on PBS where they freely speak of the depressed market for fine antique furniture. I can't help but think the trend for "staging" homes that are for sale is partly responsible too. Having home sellers replace their possessions with rented furniture to go with gray walls with white trim might be sending another message. Maybe the buyers think they can't keep what they have but need all new furniture in order to move. I could go on and on but will get off my soapbox now. I am turning this platform over to you now!

Morris Essex Dog Show 1927-1957

This panoramic vintage photo is on display at Harding Township Town Hall and the event took place just up the street from my cottage. The man who built my house was born in the home of Marcellus Hartley Dodge (his family was in service there). In adulthood, he purchased the land to build his own home from Mr. Dodge as shown on my deed and I am the second owner. The lot was much larger back then and provided income in later years as he sold off land for new houses but was still able to maintain a smaller private lot for his cottage, now mine.

The inscription below the photograph: 

Morris and Essex Dog Show 1927-1957

An international event spanning thirty years, the Morris & Essex Dog Show was hosted and sponsored by Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, daughter of William and niece of John D. Rockefeller, and her husband, Marcellus Hartley Dodge, owner and Chairman of the Remington Arms Company. In 1939, the show exceeded records previously held by Crufts, UK and Westminster shows, becoming the largest one-day dog show in the world, With over 65,000 attendees and 4,456 canines arriving in 10,000 automobiles, it required four times as many tents as the Barnum & Bailey's Circus. No other dog show has ever matched this one for its elegance and standing.

Click on each photo to enlarge and see how formally the people were dressed for this event.

Broadway Tower Folly: Cotswolds UK

Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower lies prominently on top of a hill close to, and overlooking, the village of Broadway in Worcestershire. It was built for the 6th Earl of Coventry as a folly on his Springhill Estate, and was completed in 1799. The Tower is in the shape of a castle. It is 65 feet tall and its top (at 1089 feet above sea level) is said to be the highest point in the Cotswolds.

As with so many follies or curiosities, more than one reason has been given for its creation. The most likely is that it was used long ago as a signaling beacon since it was visible both from Springhill and also from Croome Court, another family estate some 20 miles away near Worcester.

In later years Broadway Tower was used as a holiday home. One occupant was William Morris, relatively well known (amongst other achievements) for designing fashionable wallpaper - some of which can be seen inside the Tower today.

Broadway was the first town in the Cotswolds I visited back in the early 1970s. The Broadway Tower was closed and I did not get to go inside. Now I want to go back and see the wallpaper!!!

Photo by Richard on Flickr found here

Vermont Turkeys walk to Boston

During traditional turkey drives to Boston, children of Vermont farmers typically walked with the turkeys, scattering food to lure them forward -- but perhaps they would have appreciated wagon rides.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS photo.

"Turkey drives" were an autumnal tradition from the 1800s to the early 1900s, and involved the overland strolling of flocks of turkeys from all corners of Vermont to their destination, and demise, in Boston. Who knew? Read more about the fascinating history of this farm to table turkey drive HERE. 

Mount Vernon: Beautiful Historic Rooftop Architectural Details

Detail of historic Mount Vernon in Alexandria, Virginia via Simply gorgeous and so beautifully maintained.

Before There Were Birth Certificates

This is a framed birth record I have hanging on my wall in the living room. I bought it from a New Jersey dealer about 35 years ago and still love it. It is a page from a family Bible recording the 18th century birth date of all the family members. Someone kept it up until 1834 and then the record keeping fell by the wayside.

Here is a closer look. Isn't thehe penmanship exquisite? This also falls into the folk art category because of the folky angel and decorative flourishes across the top. It's a wonderful glimpse into 18th century family record keeping.