Sunday, May 6, 2012

Triumphs and Tragedies

A lot of folks out in Blogland hold and participate in meme's.  I've wanted to join in on a number of them over the last couple years but have generally held back and today's post is a good example of why.  Every week throughout the summer months, generally on Friday, I try to post a Triumphs and Tragedies bit.  This week is my second T&T post of the year and I'm only just writing it on Sunday!   Unfortunately my ability to write a post in a timely fashion is severely lacking.  Especially when my week has been as busy as this week was.

To start we have a Triumph.  The banking has been completed and the funds are now secured for the new roof to go ahead.  The exterior makeover on this house is about to begin and I'm extremely excited.

Another exciting venture this week that kept me busy was a huge auction sale.  Two days of selling was full of highs and lows.  Trying to decide what I want to buy, how much it is worth and how much money I have in my pocket to spend is a big puzzle that constantly keeps changing as items hit the floor.  There were some minor Tragedies.  Pieces that I loved but in the end could not afford.  The moorecroft bowl that eventually sold for over $600.  The large blanket box that also sold for over $600.  And there were some Triumphs.  Like unexpectedly finding a rain barrel in with all the antiques.


Purchased for $50 this is approximately half what you would pay in stores.  I've been wanting to buy a rain barrel for the past two years and keep putting it off due to the cost.  I can't wait to get this set up.  I already have the spot picked out.

Another deliciously wonderful Triumph was finding a very special label.  Every antique shop we walk into, every flea market, every auction - we always look at the labels.  And have always walked away empty handed.  Years ago our community of Canoe Cove was home to a lobster cannery.  I am given to understand that the man who owned the cannery was also the person who built our home.


This auction, amidst the hundreds of antique signs and labels I found one, yes just ONE, label for the Canoe Cove Lobster Cannery.  In near perfect condition.  and I won the bidding to take it home.  I was thrilled.

If the picture on the label looks familiar to you, it's because on the top right hand side of my blog I feature a photo of our community sign.


This sign features this very same picture as the label as recreated by a local artist.  Isn't that something?

There have been some Tragedies this week too.  After getting back very late last night from the auction we discovered that one of our semi-feral kitties had somehow gotten covered in motor oil.  No idea how this happened but her back leg and side were completely coated and we spent several hours holding her down and playing beauty salon.  You might remember we had a similar incident with some tar last fall that resulted in me wearing a cat like a hairpiece.  I'm happy to report that although this was a difficult process our patient was much better behaved this time.  Who knew a hairdryer would have a calming effect on a cat?

Another tragedy this week is that the downside of spending so much time at banks and auctions has resulted in a lack of time to spend in the garden.  The weather is getting warmer each day and the garden (and weeds!) are springing forth.  Just this morning I found the hyacinths have begun to bloom, the second bulb to open here after the squill.


Soon the muscari and tulips will follow suit.


I had better get outside and get working because next thing you know the veggie garden will need to be planted and I'm nowhere near ready for that!

30 comments:

Michelle said...

That label is just great -- what are your plans for it?

Diana Studer said...

That, is just what I was going to ask!
How is the cat?
Hope the weather cooperates when you in the throes of reroofing!

Laurrie said...

How wonderful to score those great finds. . . the label (just perfect!) and the rain barrel. Forget about the tragedies, they are minor compared to the serendipity of finding great surprises at the auction.

Anonymous said...

Great score on the rain barrel and label. Old labels were such works of art. They really paid attention to design and detail back then, not splash and pomp.

Gardeningbren said...

Wow..you did great on the label and the barrel!! Whew..great condition for both.

Aagaard Farms said...

A roof and a rain barrel - it was a good weekend! The label is excellent, what a find!

The Witch said...

Great score on the Label and it is in really good condition. The rain barrel was also a great bargain. I have been wanting one for awhile also but I do find them way too expensive for a plastic container.
So glad everything has been approved for the roof and can't wait to see some pictures of the progress.
Where does the time go. I just started planting my tomato seedling today. The pepper I ordered from the Heritiage Harvest Seed have just started to sprout. I'm so glad you shared the link with us.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Now I have read about the kitty .. how on earth did that happen I wonder ? Good grief !!
That label is amazing and a fantastic catch.. of the day ? LOL .. I think Red Lobster is running in my head again!
That rain barrel !!! you are so right that they cost twice that .. we bought ours a few years ago and I love it .. I only wish I had room for another one on the other side of the house .. but having at least one makes me happy : )
New roof and exterior ? that is going to be so exciting ! take lots of pictures !! and the garden will still be there waiting for you girl ! LOL
Joy

Marguerite said...

Thanks Michelle, we're hoping to have it professionally framed to try and preserve it. The paper is quite brittle so it has to be handled with extreme care. Jody took a high resolution scan of it as well in case anything happens.

Marguerite said...

Thanks Diana, the cat is doing just fine. She was pretty scared of us manhandling her but she seemed to really enjoy the warm hairdryer on her face so that helped. In the end we had to cut a lot of her fur off with scissors but the weather is fairly warm now so we were lucky in that sense. Can't imagine how she got herself so full of that mess.

Marguerite said...

Jody always tells me that's the best part of an auction - the things you weren't expecting to find. It was a wonderful surprise to come home with these two items.

Marguerite said...

It really is a pretty fancy label but it's very much sentimental value for us. There were so many amazing old labels and signs there, some quite expensive. People really love their old signs.

Marguerite said...

Brenda, I was in such a hurry to get my hands on that barrel I didn't check for holes until after I bought it!! Silly me. Luckily it's in great condition.

Marguerite said...

Thank goodness the roof is coming otherwise we would need the rain barrel to catch the drips!

Marguerite said...

So glad you liked your seeds. I have so many varieties of tomatoes this year from that company, very exciting. My tomatoes are all well on their way growing, just planted the last lot of seeds tonight (zucchini and pumpkin). I agree, it's a lot of money for a plastic barrel. I had a hard time getting my head around that so was very glad to find one for cheaper.

Marguerite said...

Joy, we're shaking our heads over it too. Jody wondered if somebody could have poured oil on her? But I disagree. Her back end was covered which made me think she may have been walking across buckets or barrels and slipped in accidentally. No idea where though as we don't have any oil on our property. She was obviously somewhere she should not have been. Should have explained a little clearer, the roof is the first step of renovating the exterior of the house. We need a paint job as well and some porches fixed but only the roof is getting done this year. One step at a time.

Melanie J Watts said...

Isn't it great to score exactly what you want and get it for less. I love that light, previous post, I'm sure it is worth every penny. No point in settling for something you only sort of want just to save a few bucks.

Lannie Good said...

Hello fellow Islander! Well I'm back and grateful to be here..hubby and his son join me hopefully by Monday night..love the new windows in our farmhouse, have been up there sweeping and vacuuming..also digging several flower beds, so happy one is full of nice, dark rich soil. So thrilled for you getting the label and rain barrel..we have two back home, hubby was fortunate to get two lg. barrels from work and put on a tap and covered top with screen to keep out mosquitoes..you will love it. Work will start in earnest once hubby arrives, so I'm enjoying my digging in the dirt for now..happy gardening....Lannie

Casa Mariposa said...

Hooray for auctions! I have some pieces that I purchased at auctions when we lived in South Dakota that are really important to me. LOVE the labels! I have five rain barrels and ended up buying short (6ft or so) hoses that I could attach to each spigot to make it easier to fill watering cans, etc. The barrels lose pressure as the water level drops which makes using a long hose potentially difficult. Rain barrels are addictive. I started out with only one, too! :o)

Jess said...

Amen to not blogging regularly... I can't do it either. If I try I find myself getting stressed out about it and then NOT wanting to blog. Much more fun to blog when inspiration hits!

ps. I have never ever ever seen a 2nd hand rain barrel in all my auction/antique/junk shopping. What luck!

charlie b. said...

Congrats on your auction finds! $50 was a great deal. And pretty hyacinths! My irises are just starting to bloom.

Jennifer said...

Hi Marguerite, Having a post ready for Monday morning is the hardest thing! Knowing that Monday is one of the best days for traffic doesn't seem to motivate me any more. The weekends are so jammed packed, who has time to sit at the computer editing images and writing a post!
I think there has to be an interesting story behind the name "Canoe Cove" and the two lobsters paddling away. It is a amusing artwork and I am sure the label will look great framed and hanging on your wall. The rain barrel was a great find. You'd never get one at a store for $50 at this time of year.
Your poor cat! I hope she has recovered. It is funny, my dogs think hairdryers are evil incarnate!

Marguerite said...

Melanie, that rain barrel was the best thing I could have ever bought. Something I was looking for anyway and paying half price just made my day.

Marguerite said...

So glad you're getting some garden time in. I know how houses can suck up a lot of time and you guys are doing so much work. Saw a picture of the house on Jane's blog, it's lovely!

Marguerite said...

Tammy, you would laugh. Initially hubby says to me, oh you'll never get that barrel filled completely as it's only capturing water from half the garage roof. Well here we are only a couple days after having set it up and already that barrel is overflowing. I definitely see another barrel or two in our future!

Marguerite said...

The auctions here can be pretty rough at times, not just antiques but farm equipment, tools, etc. This is the first time I've ever seen a rain barrel come up but I wasn't terribly surprised since there was all sorts of yard equipment too.

Marguerite said...

Iris already! how lucky. We are quite a bit behind you but I'm looking forward to many more blooms in the next month.

Marguerite said...

I have another cat that is terrified of hairdryers so was a bit surprised to find this one actually liked it. Very lucky as it took a long time to dry her out. I find the lobsters paddling away rather funny too. Who knows what the person was thinking who designed that.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

So happy you will be moving ahead with the new roof. You all have really done a lot with your house, a new roof is icing on the cake.
The Canoe Corner lobsters label is amazing.

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

I just had to comment to say how happy I am that you found those awesome labels. Now that is a real treasure. Congrats!