Archive for the ‘Figurines’ Category
Cruising
Cruises are fun. At least the one I went on was! It just made me decide that all cruises must be fun because we have some friends that go on lots of them and they never come back saying it was a bore. Anyway, it is a little different than being out on a lake in a fishing boat which I have done many times.
All of this brings us back to the good old days and I mean old days. The days of the clipper ships. Those ships are the ones that we see in bottles and as figurines. Those are in the stories and movies of pirates. They are the stuff of Long John Silver and Robinson Crusoe. I probably would not have enjoyed a cruise on one of those ships. However, since I am not getting ready to go on a cruise, nor do I ever expect to go again, I must admit that sometimes I enjoy the movies of those old days and have even read a book or two about them. Now I will just stare at my figurines, etc. and remember - the real and the stories.
Do You Like to Read?
It seems there is always a book around with a marker in it. A person in the family is reading it. Someone may have recommended the book or it just may have had an interesting title or we may have seen it advertised on TV. Anyway, it makes us appreciate the teachers who had a hand in teaching us to read. Sometimes everyone is reading a different book and there those books are with their cute or funny or plain bookmarks just waiting until we have time to pick them up and curl up on the sofa or somewhere quiet for a while.
One of the other things that goes with reading the books are the bookend
s we have. After all these years, we have bookends that fit best in the living room, some that are in a bedroom and some that are in the family room. It is fun to see the different ones we have collected over the years. Sometimes we just can’t part with a pair of bookends when a new set arrives and we just put them away for a while. Maybe someday we will get them all out and put the unused ones in a display case that will be just as special as the shelves with the used bookends!
Horses Through American History
When you take a moment to think about it, horses are inextricably linked to our national identity. Horses made transportation, exploration, commerce and war much more expedient up until the 20th century. Draft horses remain useful farm animals, bearing a tremendous physical burden in the service of human needs. And of course there are the majestic racehorses that gallop around tracks across the country, providing observers with a thrilling rush.
It’s no wonder, then, that so many people classify themselves as horse lovers. For these individuals, no other gift could compare to horse figurines, which capture the freedom and grace inherent to equestrian animals. Whether they are placed on a living room mantle or in the center of a coffee table, these figurines are sure to serve as conversation pieces for years to come.
Sailing the Rolling Sea
Everyone dreams of something. Maybe of when they lived somewhere else that they loved. Maybe of their childhood days and the carefree life of childhood. Maybe of a job where everything goes right. Maybe of sailing on the open sea. That must have been where a ship in a bottle was invented. When you read books about long ago and the dangers and wonders of sailing the “bounding main,” you see sailors with time on their hands between voyages. Wouldn’t between voyages have been the perfect time for someone to come up with the idea of building a boat in a bottle? How intricate the pieces would have to be. And so much time would be involved in putting it all together. If you know the story of how this all started, you might want to share it. Maybe everyone except me does know. Oh well, I can contemplate the ship in the bottle and wonder. That is fun, too.
Unusual Photography
Do you know anyone who loves to take pictures? Maybe you do. Maybe a friend or relative does. Some people take pictures just for fun. Other people are serious about it and try to get really good photos. Often the best pictures are taken with great effort. The subject has to be just right. The light has to be just right. You have to have a good, I mean a REALLY good camera. We have a relative who is a good photographer. He knows when the light and the place is right. If the picture does not come out perfect, he takes it again. Sometimes you just have to be lucky and be there when the time and the light are right.
Some objects are really good subjects. One of those subjects is a lighthouse. If you have some really good photos, you can decorate an area with lighthouse decor. In fact, you can do it without the photos, but the photos help make the area really special. If you are thinking along that line, you can find lighthouse decor in many places. When you visit an area near the sea, you will always find these items. Then you can combine your own photos with the objects you buy. You can also find lighthouse decor in unexpected places. Choose your subject and start taking pictures.
Remembering
Yesterday was Veterans’ Day. It set many people to thinking about our country and all the things it means to us. If you are a veteran or married to a veteran or have one in your family, it is very special to you. If you just know a veteran, it also means something to you. If you live in the United States, it probably means something to you, too. It should. The people who served or are serving in the military in our country give something up to serve. It is sometimes a very hard life, and at the end of the service, it is something you will never forget. You may not want to talk about it, but you won’t forget. In our family, there are always some symbols around that mean we live in a great country. We do not usually put out anything special for Veterans’ Day. It is already out. The eagle figurines, flags, etc. just stay out. We live in a great country. We have many in our family who have served it in the military. We never forget.
Our Country
Is our country coming to a crossroads? Will things drastically change? Will all blow over and we will be back to life as usual? What will take place in the years ahead? No one can answer these questions for sure. Most of us have an answer we would like to give to each question. Some of us are very opinionated on this subject, some people are not, and some are just drifting along with the flow. Those of us who are opinionated can get into some very serious discussions. But then we listen to the news and find our ideas were not even considered.
Right now we can enjoy the season - if the weather will let us! Give candy to the Trick-or-Treaters, plan Thanksgiving dinner, mail Christmas cards, plan the gift list. We can pray that things will not change so much that we cannot continue with life as usual. Even difficult times are not so bad when we have some holiday breaks. Keep up with the times. Thank God for your life. Stay contented. We still live in the greatest county on Earth!
Display
Figurines are for display. Many of them mean something to us because of a special place we bought them or because we are collecting that particular thing. Why would we want to collect them and then not display them? Some people collect miniatures. Some people collect horse figurines, some collect raccoon figurines, some collect miniature cars. There are so many different things that can be collected that it would be impossible to name them all. Then when we have a special piece, we look around for the perfect spot to display it.
Some items fit best on a shelf. Some fit on a decorative table. Some items are moved around from place to place depending on our whim. Whatever the place you decide on, be sure to display your figurines. Expensive or inexpensive, each has a special story that is fun to share.
Collecting
Our older daughter used to collect 
horse figurines. The other day I was cleaning off a shelf and found several of her older pieces. Some were still in perfectly good shape. However, some needed a foot or something glued back on. Later she collected larger pieces that could be displayed. She now collects raccoons because she saved the life of a poor little raccoon one time.
What do you like to collect? Over the years various members of my family or friends have collected different things. My sister has a beautiful collection of miniatures. They are mostly on a shelf in her living room. It is fun to look at them and some of them have great stories that go with them. We have a collection of things that we have accumulated over the years. They are mostly displayed on our living room bookcases. This was not a deliberate collection. It just happened. Take your time. Choose your object. Start collecting.
Browsing and Dreaming
Recently, in our town, there was a festival that involved booths set up to sell various items. Going through them was kind of like visiting an art gallery. There were clothes, household goods and other interesting things. However, what caught my eye was the beautiful jewelry, paintings, and figurines. Some of these were not expensive, but others were handmade and very expensive. There were many Native American items on display. Others were being made at the time by the people who sponsored the booth.
All of these things made me think of visiting an art gallery or a museum. A nearby western art museum has many paintings and figurines of western and Indian art. One can get lost in thinking of times when these were the ways people lived or of the beautiful scenery, most of which can still be seen. It made me go home and look through my house for items that took me into a time that I never really knew, but have read much about. One can begin to daydream and spend time in a past that was slow-paced and beautiful. It may be just a dream now, but once upon a time………..