My Frogpatch

Welcome to My Frogpatch

2010-11-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting! I am really lucky to have you as a guest. You have arrived at a place that is designed to be a gathering place for eclectic minds. I believe that buying and using vintage items is a good way to contribute to a healthy environment by saving resources and reducing landfills. I will try to make friends by telling you who I am and why I am here. My name is Gary and I live in Florida. I enjoy writing, fishing, cooking, growing things and scouring yard sales, flea markets, rummage sales and thrift stores with my wife and best friend Laura. We do not live in Frogpatch. That is a place that exists in the mind of this writer and comes to life in between the real world right here on these pages. Frogpatch has a mayor named Goggles who by coincidence is a frog. There are many other characters who we will meet along the way. In Frogpatch there are no threatened or endangered species. There is no pollution or humans except for myself who visits occasionally. I believe that using vintage items is a good way to help the environment by lessening the potential waste in landfills and preserving natural resources both here and in places like China. Vintage things also have beauty and character. In the section below called Look What We Found, I will show unique items that were discovered on our search. A couple days ago it was a driftwood board that will become a coat rack or a holder for something else. We came to Florida from New Jersey and as I said in my first post that I accidentally deleted. I had visions of palm trees, blue water, tiki bars and a low cost of living. Reality became increasingly evident a a couple months and 4 hurricanes later. Everything costs more here than the suburbs of NY except housing which is a little less. Home prices soared the second I stepped on Floridian soil. Insurance made homes out of reach due to the hurricanes. We did however find a nice apartment right on upper Tampa Bay in Clearwater. The photo of the sunrise and the Bayside Bridge was taken from there as were the two photos below. Wildlife from eagles to egrets and spoonbills to dolphins are common sights from our Lanai. I can wade in the bay and fish for snook and redfish and even catch one once in a while. I will post the photo when I find it. It is on a CD somewhere.

My Wife was Tickled Pink

2009-12-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

I was king for a day when I found this pair of vintage, pink, hobnail, milk glass candlesticks at a recent rummage sale to add to her growing collection of pink glass. A reward for being one of the first in the door, I snatched these up for 5.00. It was the only thing I bought that day but it got me a fresh baked key lime pie that night!

When hit by sunlight the collars glow with a firery opalescence!

We are back! Here is our latest find!

2009-09-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

After months of heat and humidity we are finally catching a little break and the yard sales are popping up again! If you remember a while back I posted a little note about collecting mid 20th century toleware! Well here is a piece that I could build a whole collection around. This pierced edge tray measures a whopping 25 x 17 inches and is in mint condition. It was spotted in the back room of my favorite thrift store as I was dropping off a donation! I though that $3.98 was a fair price! I over heard the former owner say he was bringing a truck load from an estate on Thursday! I will keep you posted!

Weekend Asian Textile Find

2009-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well here I go again! I was in my favorite Hospice Thrift Store and while flipping through the pictures that were half price I noticed this textile sandwiched between two pieces of plastic! There was a plastic thing the size of a bar of soap glued to the back. I think someone was going to make a clock out of it but when it slid out of position they gave up. I paid the $3.00 asking price and brought it home and of course my wife thought I was ready for hospice care myself.

I removed it from the plastic frame and examined it carefully with a loop. It is a hand stitched crewel picture with two applied, intricately woven, mattes, all made of silk. The little diamond motifs on the inner border contain around 200 stitches each. The picture was painstakingly done with different color silk threads entirely by hand. That is all I know. I think it is Chinese but this is far from my realm of knowledge! It appears to be very old.

I am hoping someone reads this and can help me learn the origin. It is approximately 10 x 11 inches. The colors look a little faded in the pic do to poor lighting and a cell phone camera.

Collecting Menus

2009-07-29T08:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a very interesting and diverse area of collecting! People collect menus from restauarants where they have dined, from landmarks, from fast food places and many other areas! There are vintage menus widely available on Ebay! Menus from the golden age of the American Passenger Ship can bring hundreds of dollars! My wife has a large collection that is in storage right now! Mostly from places we have been! This is the only one that did not get into the storage for some reason! Most restaurants will give or sell you their menus! Some will press charges if you are caught stealing one so ask the waitress!

A Piece of New Jersey Folk Art

2009-07-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

We were at a demolition sale at a very old house in Brielle NJ mainly after old lighting fixtures! We got a couple wall brackets at my risk of electrocution! As we were leaving my wife spotted this driftwood board with a painting of Barnegat Light on it! She asked the price and the person said "just take it." Right now it sits next to the TV here in Florida to remind me how much we want to go home to the Jersey Shore

Vintage Picnic Baskets Create Decorative Storage Space

2009-07-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Very easy to come by at affordable prices. I did not pay more than 7.00 for any of these! Don't they look better than piles of bills and periodicals? That is what is inside them!

The woven splint style like these are the most common! Redman made some beautiful geometrically patterned examples in varied colors! They usually carry the company's label on the inside! I sold a few a couple years ago on Ebay for 20-30.00 before the price of shipping killed the market!

2009-07-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Faithful5252 for becoming my newest follower!

Pre Princess Grace Kelly

2009-07-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

She was one of the most exquiste women of the century! I hope you enjoy this rare picture of Princess Grace when she was simply Grace Kelly and simply beautiful! p Thephoto is from American Beauty Magazine Issue #1 1955. Photo credit goes to Phillipe Halsman! Please do not copy for commercial puposes as the copyright is probably still valid! This is strictly for your enjoyment!

Slim Picking this Weekend

2009-07-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Someone I know once came to Florida in the smmer and described it as a lizard tank! It is so humid, especially in Pinellas Couonty because we are surrounded by 90 degree water. No matter which way the wind blows it is coming off of hot water! That make for very few yard sales because nobody wants to sit outside!

We did pick up this sweet little 1920s wicker basket! It looks good on the farmer made table from the 30s!

A Happy and Safe 4th of July

2009-07-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

This 4th think of how lucky we are to enjoy the freedom we have! Also be thankful for those who fought for it and those who gave their lives! Remember our troops overseas!

Waiting for the parade!

Monkey has grabbed his spot early so that he has a good view of the parade!

Weather Finally Clearing Out!

2009-07-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

The thunderstorms over the last few days wreaked havoc on the Tampa Bay area! But it appears that they have dwindled down to just a few showers like the one off in the distance!

You may not believe me but that little black speck in the water is a manatee! One of several that have been hanging around my aprtment compex this week!

Vintage Cocktail Recipes

2009-07-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have a small collection of vintage stemware which we use frequently. One day my wife was watching The Barefoot Contessa on TV making a pitcher of Sidecars and serving them in sugar rimmed glasses. It sounded so good and a refreshing change in a world of Cosmos, Mojitos and Mudslides and it was just that. Then one day I found a copy of a mixology book from 1939. That was the dawn of the golden age of cocktails. Then another from the 1950s called "a Guide to Pink Elephants" that my parents always had lying around. I started to read and I was amazed at the drinks that I never had heard of. Dixie Whiskey, Bronx, Kentucky Colonel, Button Hook, Five Fifteen and on and on. So I decided that along with my vintage finds and articles I would post a forgotten recipe every few days or so.1Here is the next of the series! Maidens Blush (from a 1939 mixology book)

1 jigger Dry Gin

4 dashes Grenadine

4 dashes Curacao

1 dash Lemon Juice

Strain into a stemmed glass

How Special for the Western Collector! Buffalo Bill!

2009-06-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

I found this book that was printed in England that contains 100 posters of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show! It is in near mint condition with only a small outward curl to the top corner of the front cover! I am offering it for sale for only $49.95 plus shipping by media mail which is more than 50 percent less than the current retail price! A great buy! If you are interested email me at frogpatch@gmail.com for my paypal address! Thanks!

The Benefit of a Second Pair of Eyes

2009-06-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

We were out on our usual weekend treaure hunt and my wife uncovered this blue and white pottery pitcher. It really shows a lot of age and I love the polka dot and double stripe design! Turning it over I saw it was marked but even with my loop I could not make it out! It was apparently a utilitarian piece. Just prior to taking these pictures I asked my wife what she thought. "Germany" she said without hesitation, "It says Germany." So much for my mystery. I still can't make out the rest! But just knowing it says Germany narrows it down to the first part of the 20th century. If anyone recognizes the maker could you please let me know! It is, by the way, one of her all time favorite pieces unlike my little rolltop desk below!

Why Does My Wife Hate This?

2009-06-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

When I was living in New Jersey we stopped at a yard sale at an old house. I think it was in Neptune but I am not sure! I spied this little childs rolltop in the backyard. It was faded and covered with stickers and crayon marks. I head a dealer guy ask the woman running the sale how much? She said ten dollars and he said, "I'll give you five!" There is a difference between haggling and insulting! I walked over and handed the woman ten bucks, picked up the desk and headed for the car with my wife following and asking, "Why did you buy that?" "Because I like it," I replied.

It came with me to Florida and I found the matching chair at the local Salvation Army store for 5.00. I use the desk to store fishing tackle in a room that is storage space because my wife, even after my painstaking restoration, still asks me why I bought it! I dragged it out for the picture and she made sure that it would not remain there. It is so unlike her not to appreciate old things! I don't care. She has this big stuffed monkey that she has had since she was a kid in the 50s. Guess where he will be sitting from now on!

I Thought that Plate Looked Familiar

2009-06-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that gets my adrenaline up faster than seeing an Estate Sale sign that was stuck out on a pole without being advertised! That is just what happened when we found this pink cherry blossom plate laying on the couch unseen by the other shoppers. It was $3.00 which provoked no haggling from me. I suggested to my wife, as we got back in the car, that I thought we had a blue one just like it. Sure enough, it was stashed in a drawer as a service piece by her because it coordinated with some blue and yellow plates. I did some quick online research and learned that it also came in green and was produced by the Jeanette Glass Co. right through the thirties. A little FYI, a child's tea set in blue (actually called delphite) was made and is very rare! I sold one in the 1970s for over $100.00

Mid 20th Century Toleware

2009-06-15T17:02:00.001-07:00

We were out this weekend as usual and it is the slim picking time of year down here, south of the south! We did however find this sweet little piece of 1940s toleware! This type of hand painted metalware is a revival of the extremely valuable handpainted wares from the 19th century executed by the German and Dutch immigrants in the U.S. This nice example was made by Hamilton Tole in the 1940s! I have had several pieces of 20th century tole and actually sold a red pierced edge tray on eBay for close to one hundred dollars. This handpainted ware is still readily available on the market and is a great investment as late folk art! Good Hunting!

Saw this Thing Sticking Up

2009-06-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

I was walking around at a small, once a year, flea market in town a little later in the day than I prefer. I was not really expecting much because it had been picked over for a couple hours. I spotted this thing sticking up in the middle of some kitchenware. I could tell from a distance that it was old by the color of the metal. I walked over and saw it had an old blue Ball jar attached to it. I realized that it was used to pick the jar from the hot water bath. A little metal piece slides up and down to tighten the clamp securely. Being a fact that my wife has a collection of blue canning jars, I paid the $2.00 and brought it home where it joined this other accessory, a 1904 lid remover.

Home canning is gaining in popularity recently, apparently due to the economy. It can be an enjoyable project for the entire family that is fortunate enough to have their own garden or live near a place where fruits and vegetables can be purchased in bulk.

2009-06-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Back on May 18th I showed you all the save a plant that I rescued from Loews! I had put this incompetent gnome is charge of it with the instructions to make it grow or become a Travelocity understudy!(scroll down to the May 18th post!) Well the plant died! I showed mercy to the gnome and gave him the Cuban Oregano to care for instead. If he can kill that he will be headed for the thrift store!

Meanwhile Back in Frogpatch Gwendolyn Gagglesquack, advice columnist for the Frogpatch Dispatch, is planning a "Real Housewives of New Jersey Season Finale" party next Thursday! You are all invited.

Rare Pictures from Marilyn Monroes Early Screentest

2009-06-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

I found a magazine in the attic where I lived 25 years ago that was printed as the first edition back in 1955. It is a treasure trove of photos of all the beauties from Hollywood including these rare pics of Marilyn. Please do not copy the picture as it may still be copyrighted. Photo credit goes to Phillipe Halsman. I will post others everyweek so please come back!

Three Little Hidden Treasures!

2009-06-09T07:13:00.001-07:00

I was looking through the drawers in my place trying to find some historic flatware that I dug from a box at a sale to write about when I found these. Years ago they sat propped up in a little cabinet but have been stashed away for two moves. They were all flea market finds from New Jersey but I do not remeber where! My wife actually bought them in three different places. The one on the left is a Japanese Rose Medallion plate from the late 19th or early 20th century. The one in the center is a Limoges piece circa 1900. The one on the right is the most interesting. It is a Royal Worcester plate that dates form the late 1700s. The mark on the back was copied from the mark of the Sevres factory in France. It took several hours of research to determine that. It is very rewarding when research leads to an answer instead of my usual dead end. Sometimes it pays to search you own home for lost treasures.

No Weekend Treasures to Post

2009-06-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

The weather is getting really hot here and the sales are becoming fewer and farther between condensing the competition! My wife foung a blue and white pocelain food mold but that was about it. I will hit the local thrift store during the week and see what can be uncovered and post it here.

Thanks to Didi5611, Garage Sale Junky and Cowvin Cow for becoming my new followers! Welcome! Please come back soon and bring a friend!

Why can't I sell this very old frame?

2009-06-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is an ogee frame that is handpainted and grained and dates from the mid 19th century! I found it for a really low price at a thrift store near my home! I was going to put a mirror in it but my wife does not really appreciate it! So I listed it on Bonanzle where it sat with no interest for six weeks. Then I listed it in my vintage shop on Etsy where it has gone without a look for six or more weeks! If I still had an Ebay auction I would expect this frame due to its age and condition to bring around 90 to 125 dollars or more! I guess I will go back to my original plan and put a mirror in it for the next place we live!

Black Americana

2009-06-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

From emancipation until the civil rights movement images of african americans where used in advertising, toys, kitchenware and other common everday items, often in a derogatory or insulting stereotypical manner. Black Americana has been prized by collectors for a variety of reasons, some of which are questionable. The depiction of black americans should be sought after for two reasons and two reasons only. First, for its historical value as a reminder of how far we have come and the contributions of Afro Americans to society and tradition and second, for pure art value.

The Southern Cookbook is from the early 1960s and has several "cute" little poems using the N word. I was shocked when I saw the copyright date. This reminded me that that segregation still existed less than 50 years ago. In the late 1940s and 50s Japan produced countless items like the ones shown in the picture. There were toys and dolls, kitchenware and more. These items are still easily found compared to the rare iron banks and advertising from the turn of last century that commamd premium prices on the antique market. The post cards from that era are still common but extremely racist!

The sheet music that I found in a stack at a thrift store of Carry Me Back to Old Virginny dates to the early 1900s and was written by James E Bland an African American.

The two dolls, above left, are from my wifes collection. The rag doll on the left was made by hand by a black person, probably a little girl in the 1930s. The doll on the right is an import from Poland in the 1950's with a cloth body and composition face.

If you are interested in starting a collection of black americana the internet is a good place to start. It is very easy to search out. Also check garage and yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores. It can be an enjoyable area to pursue. There is so much variety. In a couple weeks I will display my wife collection of black dolls.

How Old is This!

2009-05-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I spotted this pushup candleholder at a sale at an old church in Clearwater. At first it looked like just another brass thing from India but upon closer examination it appears to be very old. I reached this conclusion by the wear, patina and construction. Any help with this would be appreciated. The area around the push up device is black with wear. It is stuck in place by old wax which I have had no success in removing.

A Couple Great Finds this Weekend

2009-05-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend was a good one for us. I showed a couple of items earlier but thought I would save these two unusual ones for last. The first is this frosted bottle that held I can only guess what. From the design and construction my feeling is it was made around 1900 and held a feminine product of some sort. It may be European. I have seen reproductions of these but this is the first time I have found a real one. It is large, around eight ounces so I don't think it held perfume! It is what my wife would call a very romantic piece!

These two are California Angels. Not retired baseball players but a pair of cherubs marked Santa Anita Ware, California. They have a lovely white glaze and nice detail. I wish I had these when I did the post on Califonia Pottery last week. They were made somewhere in the middle of the 20th century, most likely in the 1960s.

2009-05-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Efusjonweave and Faithful 5252 for becoming my followers. Please come back soon. My next post will be about finding unusual wall art!

Two Weekend Finds

2009-05-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

My wife was very happy that right before leaving a church rummage sale I spotted this large pink depression glass bowl that was wrapped in plastic. Because of the wrapping no one saw it! A great 5.00 find to add to her collection of pink glass! It has a cherry blossom pattern that can't be seen in the picture!

This black and white flour tin is around 100 years old. It has a lot of rust but will look good in the right place. It is 14 inches high with a latching top and two bail handles.

2009-05-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile back in Frogpatch Abigull Van Bird wrote an article in the Frogpatch Dispatch that smoking should be banned within one mile of anything green. I agree!

These are weeds!

2009-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

I spotted these with binoculars from my terrace, growing along the bay here in Clearwater, when I was trying to identify the sqwawking birds that wake me every morning. I went doem to the water and cut some and my wife had me place them in this antique ironstone pitcher. They look nice on the vintage iron table outside. I think the white ones are Queen Annes Lace but I do not know what the purple one are. The white flowers were on six foot tall plants. I never found the birds however. I am sure they will be waking me up at daybreak.

2009-05-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thank You Yvonne for becoming a follower of my blog! I am honored!

Save a Plant

2009-05-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I go to the local Loews store and in the back of the nursery there is a section where they put plants that look like they have arrived at deaths door. I picked up this little Lantana plant for a dollar, stuck it in an empty pot and put this little guy in charge. I told him if it did not grow and get flowers he would become a Travelocity trainee. So far the plant has gone from wilted to standing. I will post its progress through the hot Florida summer. I wonder what color it is?

Using Vintage Glassware

2009-05-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

At the end of prohibition in 1933 the country was in the midst of the Great Depression. People were now allowed to legally indulge in the consumption of alcoholic beverages and did they ever! Distilleries and breweries rushed to get product out the door to meet the demand. Glass manufacturers produced fancy glassware in feel good colors that was often used in promotional giveaways. Today it is known as Depression Glass. After the U.S. became involved in the second world war, the golden era of cocktails was born and lasted through the early 1960s. Companies such as Heisey, Fostoria and others produced glassware tailored to a well heeled public that is today referred to as Elegant Glass. Here is a picture of an assortment of glassware that dates from the 1930s through the 1970s from our personal collection that we have accumulated over the years. Many delicious concoctions have been enjoyed with them.

California Pottery

2009-05-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

California Pottery refers to Art Pottery from various companies in the mid 20th century. The most common and familiar are the brightly colored pieces from the 1960s that are usually marked simply Calif. with a letter and number. The example pictured was picked up at a yard sale in NJ a few years ago and is now for sale in my Etsy store. The most common colors are orange and turquoise. A few years ago I found a six piece chip and dip on a Lazy Susan in pink and black. It fetched a good price on eBay. My wife would not let me keep it! She is not a big retro fan!

American Pressed Pattern Glass

2009-05-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Very attractive and made in hundreds of patterns from the middle of the 19th century through the first part of the 20th century American pattern glass is the bargain of the antique world if you are looking for clear pieces. The colored ones are pricey and hard to find but the clear patterns are readily available at affordable prices and add a nice vintage touch to any table. In this picture are four pieces that we found recently. The compote is signed with the Higbee Bee mark and is called Thistle. The vase appears to be flint glass as it is much clearer than the rest although it dose not have the characteristic ring of most early flint. These pieces were all found at yard sales and rummage sales for less than 10.00 each. I think I paid 5.00 for the little pitcher at a sale right on my street.

2009-05-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks Chris for being my first follower. Please email me at frogpatch@gmail.com if there is anything you would like to see!

Collecting Florida Kitsch

2009-04-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

I went to a Florida Kitsch show at the Biltmore Hotel in Florida a couple of years ago and was shocked at some of the prices that these items commanded. Some I must admit were not kitsch. Webster decribes it as "made for the mainstream or non discriminate." There were some lovely old advertisements such as charming fruit crate labels and airline ads and some real art from the Highwaymen, a school of Florida painters. But for the most part it was kitsch. I looked around my place here in Clearwater and realized that I had unconciuosly built a tacky collection myself.

In the hall closet was this green and gold serving piece made of the part of a palm leaf that attaches it to the trunk from the late 1950s or early 196os. (pictured above left) In the china closet was a Flamingo Thermometer that my wife must have bought without my knowledge on a trip here from New Jersey years ago. They still sell these, along with alligator heads and coconut patties at those stands with all the plastic oranges outside. This tin with the palm trees was made in Ohio for the Florida Market and once contained cookies. There were a couple old postcards and two flamingo prints that hang on our wall in the dining area, one of which is shown here above left .Just when I thought I was done my wif drags out the epitome of Florida Kitsch. A 1950s vintage Florida tablecloth. Life could not become more kitschy!

If you are in the market for Florida Collectible do not look in Florida as they were usually purchased by tourists. The pictures came from a flea market at Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey. The tablecloth from an estate sale in NJ also. I am not sure about the others except for these postcards. They were purchased here in Clearwater. They were never mailed.

Meanwhile back in Frogpatch, Billy Bob Bobcat says he is planning on opening a day spa! Says he needs to get his nails done! I think he has been watching too much real housewives.

Little Cabinets With Drawers

2009-04-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Some people call them sewing cabinets, spice cabinets or even screw cabinets. Whatever you put in them thats what they are for. I will want to put fish hooks and sinkers in the long one but I am sure my wife will have another idea to overrule me! What ever their use they are extemely popular items to sell! I particularly like the old paint on the white one. These were both recent yard sale finds!

You Never Know What You Will Find

2009-04-23T10:30:00.001-07:00

While digging through piles of pictures at a local thrift store I came across this original oil painting that was marked $5.00 the frame appears to be from the 1950s because of its minmalist look. On the bottom left corner of the frame waqs a little round folded price tah that my wife spotted as we were checking out. It was selling for $250.00 50 years ago. I have tried to research the artist but I am unsure of the spelling in the signature. If you can make it out please let me know! The picture is very well executed. Look at the lighting, shadows, motion and texture. I have always found artwork to be the most challenging when it comes to research. The experts want to be paid for their info and are wrong very often. There are website that are helpful but you have to be a paid member to research there. I have several pieces that are sitting in a closet for lack of information!

2009-04-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Tax Dollars at Work These municipal workers, in Clearwater Florida, are waiting for two others to finish digging a hole by hand that will take a couple hours. Do the math

2009-04-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

You Have To See This

This was in the Antwerp Belgium Train Station. 200 dance to the Sound of Music.

Look What We Found

2009-04-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

No matter how many years I look for vintage and antique items I never fail to come up with a stumper. Look at this stemware. This glass is one of seven that were purchased at an estate sale in Neptune New Jersey. At the same sale we found items as old as 1860 through the 1950s. To of the glasses are slightly smaller than the others. The actual color of the stem is a graywhite.If anyone can tell me anything at all please email me a www.frogpatch.com

Recapping the New Days of the Week

2009-04-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I thought that the medieval names of the days of the week should be updated and I came up with some suggestions.

Monday I thought should be a work optional day where employers should reward you with a Bloody Mary just for showing up. I want to change the name to Someday as that is the day we are all looking forward to unlike Monday.

Tuesday is the first day of the week when most people actually get work done. I thought Oneday would be a great name for it because everyone is going to accomplish something great one day and now they have a day just for that!

Wednesday has to get that cliche of hump day disassociated with it. The Germans simply call it Mittwoch or Mid week. I like that, so I will follow suit and call it simply Middleday.

Thursday is that day that sits just to the right of the center of the work week. It is not the weekend yet encourages some thought of it. It is kind of just there. So I will call it Thatday. We all remember that day.

Friday is one of the Big Three. It is a day of great anticipation and around three in the afternoon people start emailing friends. Playing music on their desk tops and stop paying serious attention to their jobs. If you are a saleperson and you call on a customer late that day, you have no life. It was originally named for the Norse God Frigg. I do not think Friggday sounds to good. I want to name this one Yayday as that is what everyone says a quitting time!

Saturday rocks! It is by far the best day of the week. Lucky 7. On this day you still have one more day off ahead to sleep late if you wish. I have renamed this Whattaday.

Sunday I left as is because changing the name would cause to many problems. Besides being named after the sun is a good thing.

So here they are in order. Sunday, Someday, Oneday, Middleday, Thatday. Yayday and Whattaday. Enjoy your new week!

I Missed Two Days

2009-04-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

I was overwhelmed on Friday so I had no chance to post. Please accept my apologies and take this flower as a token of my regrets. It was one of those days where I had to run here and there and by the time I was done the day was also.

So lets talk about Friday! Friday is such a popular day that Robinson Crusoes sidekick's mom even named her son after it. That created a whole occupational group in the 1950's called Gal Friday which in the liberal 60's became Guy/Gal Friday, changed to administrative assistant soon after. The saying Thank God it's Friday became simply TGIF and from that sprang a national restaurant chain. The actual origin of the name was in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg. Imagine if we called it Friggday. When I was little I thought this was actually Fry Day as all my Catholic friends ate fish on that day.This one really needs a new name. Because it is the day that precedes Saturday and is one of the trinity of good days it should have a cheerful name. I think we should call it Yayday because Yay is what most people say at the end of their workday.

Now it is Saturday, the Mickey Mantle of the week. Good old number 7. Even its number is lucky. It is the Sabbath for the Jewish people and just a day that rocks for anyone else that has the day off. There is that great "I am off tomorrow" feeling that lasts all day and late into the night. Back in the 70s the only show that ever kept people home on Saturday Night exploded on the scene. SNL as it is fondly known today is still going strong over thirty years later. This day is named after Saturn. That is way too days of yoresque. I think we should call this one Whattaday because what a day it is.

Now we are on to Sunday. I think this one should be left alone or all the kids that go to Sunday school will be wandering around lost all week. Too many churches would have to change their signs and blue laws and liquor laws would have to be rewritten. Remember the song Sunday will never be the same? We do not nee Spanky and Our Gang to become prophetic do we? So we will leave Sunday alone. After all it is a day of rest for many of us and is named for the Sun which is a good place to rest in on Sunday.

Thursday

2009-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a day that does not bother me as much as the three that preceed it. Maybe because it comes before Friday and my anticipation of the weekend is starting to flicker just a little. When I was a small child I thought it was thirst day. I did not understand! Did adults just drink more on this day? To me, today, it is kind of a neutral day just to the right center of the week, but not part of the big three. So appropriately I think the name of this one should be changed to Thatday. Anything you do today will now be something that happened that day. Now we have Someday, Oneday, Middleday and Thatday.

Yesterday was a much nicer day weatherwise here in Clearwater. There were no more tornado warnings and the skies were blue and the wind was calm. I actually got to do some fishing last evening. No catching, just fishing. Below is a picture of where I go wading for snook.

Like I said yesterday I was going to walk the shoreline to look to see what washed up during the storm the day before. I trekked the high tide line for a while which is where I am standing when this picture was taken. I found nothing except this. What do you think it is? If you said a fishing bobber your are sort of right. It is what is known as a popping float. It is tugged through the water flat side first. Inside there is shot that rattles. A shrimp or other bait is suspended below it a a depth that depends on the water depth. The spashing and rattling attracts fish that then see your bait following below triggering a strike. I will use it. Recycled to use from the shoreline. That is worth 10 greenpoints!

Hmmm Wednesday

2009-04-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday has always been the stressful day for me. There seems to be more traffic and I was always really busy at work. I guess that people take long weekends starting Thursday or extended weekends that end Tuesday. Everyone seems to show up at work or school or for the senior breakfast specials on Wednesday. I like the day for one reason only. 69 cent cheeseburgers at McDonalds. Aside from that the day is manic. It is no secret why people refer to it as hump day. I do not like that name as it is just old and reminds me of those people that insist on using 80s office cliches like power lunch and "thats what she said." The Germans downplay the day by making it the only day of the week that has no real name, They simply call it Mittwoch or Midweek. I like that. It takes the hill climbing out of it. So borrowing from them and in an attempt to de-stress "hump day" I think we should simply call it "middle day." Sort of like middle school. You're not where you used to be but you have not reached where you want to be. So now we have improved three days. Someday, Oneday and Middleday.

So on this middle day I am going to start my day getting a little fresh air. We had some strong southerly winds yesterday after the storms past by. I am going to go out and walk the bay shore and see what the wind brought in. Maybe I will find another great piece of driftwood like the one pictured earlier. Who knows? Whatever it is you will see it here.

Look Who is Here

2009-04-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile Back in Frogpatch. Hey there! I am Goggles, the mayor of Frogpatch and I would like to invite you to our town wide yard sale which will be coming up soon. I have a couple of other announcemnts to make. Gwendolyn Gagglesquack and Abigail Van Bird, who are columnists for the Frogpatch Dispatch have confirmed that they will be joining together in a joint venture and opening a vintage cook book nook soon. I will keep you posted. Billy Bob Bobcat says he is planning on opening an Italian Bistro. He says he studied regional Italian cooking with Giada De Laurentis in Tuscany. I think he watches too many cooking shows,

Today was Tuesday

2009-04-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, if you were around, you would have read that I thought making Monday a work optional day was a good idea and changing the name to Someday because everyone always looks forward to someday. Well I am not to happy with Tuesday either. When I was little I thought it was twosday because it was the second day in my week, even though my mother said it was the third day. I had issues with it even back then.

Tuesday is the first day of the week when people actually are up to working a full day and the weekend is still a recent memory and the next one seems so for off. My proposal is to change the name of this day also. I would call it Oneday. The reason for this change is that everyone is in work mode and everyone that I know always stated that they wanted to do something great one day. Well here it is. One day is here so now you can go skydiving, take opera lessons, learn Mandarin dialect or whatever it is you were planning to do one day. Think of how the world would change once a week by everyone accomplishing something great. I have to go now. I want to write that novel that I said I would write one day. I will be back tomorrow when I will deal with that day. Here is a photo of our gray day in FLA. This is the same view as the photo above. There was a tornado watch earlier,

Black Beans When I was taking an Autocad class a few years ago I sat next to another student who was an engineer of Cuban descent. I asked her if she had a recipe for black beans and she came in a few days later with this hand written recipe that her grandmother translated from Spanish. It is a little complex but it is by far the best recipe that I have ever tried. You have to follow it to the narrowest degree. No substituting ingredients or varying measurements or it will not be the same. I am going to type it into a word document and offer it to anyone for free. If you are interested please email me at www.frogpatch@gmail.com and I will send you a copy.

Meanhile Back in Frogpatch Professor Edward Everett Egret is preparing for his new class at Frogpatch Univerisity or FU as it is called.

It is Monday Again

2009-04-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

It seems that we have one of these per week. I do not like them as they fall right after two days of having fun. Why couldn't they have a day designed for easing slowly back into the week? A day when we could go to work late if we felt like it but didn't have to. If we did it would be a law that we were rewarded for just showing up and y Marys would be manditory for all employers to provide. The name of the day would be changed from Monday to Someday because we are all waiting for that one to arrive anyway. Yesterday we celebrated what is called Easter here but in my opinion should be referred to as Resurrection Day as the former was taken from a pagan spring fertility celebration as were hot cross buns. Those buns were originally a phallic shaped treat that was paraded around in a celebration. The church put a cross on it to make it acceptable. The Maypole is another phallic fertility symbol that children danced around. I made one of those hams yesterday that looked like a Smithfield add. It had those perfectly cut diamonds with a clove stuck perfectly in each one. The shiny tangerine, brown sugar and mustard glaze was perfect. I wanted to take a picture of it as it was a feast for the eyes but I decided to start pulling little pieces of it and eating the with my fingers before it got served. When I first started this blog I messed up and deleted the original post on there I was showing my new found flotsam find. Well I decided to bring it back. I found this board along the shore and decided to recycle it into a coat rack. When my wife bought these hooks and that 100 year old bracket I asked her, "what do you want that for?" When I finish my one a of a kind driftwood coat rack we will all know! 100 green points for me. Please read my new article on hubpages about the vanishing bees and how there demise could lead to ours. www.tinyurl/vnshgbees

The Annual Easter Bunny Invasion

2009-04-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Shamrocks are gone from the windows and the last pint of Guinness is just a fond memory. Easter is approaching fast followed by Greek Easter which is a week later this year and we celebrate both as my wife is Greek. It is my favorite Holiday for it's real purpose of celebrating the resurrection, of course, but it also is a springtime celebration, a time for new beginnings and new hope. It is also time for bunny's in my home. First it starts around St. Patricks day when a new one shows up on the consolebar by the little Christmas tree that contains shamrocks and soon will have Easter eggs hanging from it. Then another appears in the bedroom and more in the living room and even the bathroom. Soon the number swells to more than I am willing to count. There is this years arrival, Glitter Bunny, followed by Black Lady Bunny and Classic Bunny. The are even bunny salt and pepper shakers and get this! A vintage bunny pencil sharpener. There are outdoor bunnies as well! These are just a few of the bunny enterage managed by my wife the bunny madame. There is one that did not make it out this year. I imagine the reason is that the bunny madame is weary of me poking fun at it. It is a big white ironstone pitcher that looks like a rabbit sitting up. The rabbits mouth fuctions as the spout. I would say: I'm a little bunny short and stout, Here is my handle, my mouth is the spout. When I get all filled up here me shout, Tip me over an watch me puke! That one I named Barf Bunny! My wife does not see any humor there! She says I am disgusting and cruel as if this porcelain pitcher actually had feelings. The rabbit was a symbol of fertility as was the egg. Even the name Easter was taken from a seasonal paggen celebration that fell at this time of year. Rabbits are known for their qickness on their feet and their quickness in producing more rabbits thus making them a perfect fertility symbol. Sonehow the rabbit and the egg became a large rabbit that delivered eggs and hid them for children to find. Classic Bunny is a repruduction of an early model Easter Bunny. The ones around our home multiply in a different way. the bunny madame adopts them. Glitter Bunny came from Michaels with a 40 percent off coupon but most come from estate sales, church sales and thrift stores! I kind of wish that one of those big hollow chocolate one would show up here so I could break off its ears and fill it with jelly beans as I did as a kid.

Fish Cakes and Spaghetti

2009-04-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

A Times Square Memory Here is a link to the story of two 15 year old guys and their unlikely friendship. It was 1965 and they decided to visit the city on their own. Click the link below and it will take you to a moving little story. http://www.tinyurl.com/fshck

2009-04-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile back in Frogpatch, the residents are getting ready for their own town wide yard sale. Billy Bob Bobcat is trying to find some old fishing tackle and Abigull Van Bird and Gwendolyn Gagglesquack ( pictured ) are thinking abut opening a vintage cookbook nook. Look for the upcoming announcement From the Mayor.

Roots and Shoots

2009-04-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

Growing anything in Florida, if you are from the North like me, requires a complete change of seasonal thinking. Right now in April we are in the peak of tomato season, the last part of strawberry season and the tail end of citrus season. In New Jersey I would be planting peas about now and 45 days away from planting tomatoes. Contrary to what I thought prior to moving here, Florida produces very good tomatoes out of a town called Ruskin and Plant City is the strawberry capitol of the east. Their strawberry festival in February brings in top entertainment and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the country. The strawberries are some of the best I have ever eaten.

What grows indoors up north in interior landscaping is used for exterior here. Even Cactus can thrive here outdoors if given the proper care. This plant, a tricolored Peperomia, pictured here, was a house plant that traveled in the back seat and slept in our room on the trip down here. It has been very happy living in the Florida sun where it was originally potted by Englemanns 7 years ago. It was three leaves when I bought it for 89 cents in Frank's in Wall NJ.

Once the hot weather arrives in May most gardeners here go in the air conditioning and do not come out until October when it begins to cool off again. The rainy season soon arrives keeps the tropical vegetation happy and the mangoes become ripe and ready to hop into the blender to become a Mangorita.

Look What We Found

2009-04-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

When searching around at an estate or demolition sale always go outside and look in the yard under the bushes and in garden beds especially those that are over grown. You never know what you might discover. Also look on shelves and rafters in garages and basements. These four vintage gnomes have been outside for years and have developed real character. One might be tempted to repaint them but I like the weathered look. This old concrete bunny planter would cost around 50.00 at a garden center today if you could find one. This one will be an Easter decoration this year and cost only 5.00. Here are a few other items that are for sale in our booth on Etsy. There is a link on the side bar. The frame is a fine example of a 19th century gilt, painted and grained frame. It was a thrift store find.