Reminiscing about Christmas' past

[uncledj]

Looking over some old photos from the mid 90s, back when my Mom was still alive.....sniff......

Mom loved decorating for Christmas, and just decorating in general. She had an odd mix of Victorian and Rustic decorating styles, and was a bit eclectic as well.

Looking at the pic I realize now how non-typical the house that I grew up in was. People who saw it used to fuss over it, and I never really understood why at the time, I thought it was normal... but looking back....it's a bit overwhelming......and really cool.

Everything you see in the pics came from my Mom's mind, and mostly from my Dad's labor, although I'd help when asked.

 

[sydem]

Not my style but the pictures bring back alot of memories when i spent summers and Christmas vacations with my grandparents on the farm. Very cool.

[slowrollwv]

Looks a lot like my mom's and grandmother's place when I was a kid. Thanks for posting.

[ragtop69gs]

Lots of cool things all over the house! Was there a spot anywhere on a wall that had room for something. Was your mom the interior designer for Cracker Barrel? lots to look at.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[snyper316]

That is back when they made things that lasted and I bet that dresser probably took 4 people to move. My Grandpa had a dresser he and my Gramma had since they were married back in the 90's still looked brand new cpt for a couple of scuffs would have liked to have it.

[snyper316]

That is a beautiful Cook Stove tho. In the 80's mom had some nice dishes anymore you really don't find much that beautiful to display and that china hutch too thanks man, Miss them days.

[jimmy99]

Cool house, thanks for sharing.

[uncledj]

That is a beautiful Cook Stove tho. In the 80's mom had some nice dishes anymore you really don't find much that beautiful to display and that china hutch too thanks man, Miss them days.

 

 

That stove was a display piece at a Dutch Pantry restaurant that had closed.

I was a few years into my trade at the time, and went through a bit of effort to convert it to a gas burning stove.

That was back before we had computers, and I had to pour through a catalogue from a local appliance parts store to figure what I could mount, and safely supply gas to....ordered the parts and put it all together. Pilot lights, knobs, and all. The knobs were hidden behind one of the cast iron covers. (Where you'd access the grate shaker)

I would have taken that stove since when Dad was getting rid of stuff to sell the house, since my home now is kinda rustic, but I thought he would have gotten a good $ for it. I found out later that it sold at the auction for $300.

A bunch of stuff went for pennies that I'd have loved to have. Serves me right for not being willing to take hardly anything when Dad told me to take whatever I wanted.....I felt he could use the money more than I could use the stuff.

Within a year after Mom passed ( 98 ) All that stuff was gone, and Dad moved into a smaller house that we'd remodeled for him.

I drive by the house nowadays, and see that it's being let go. The whole neighborhood on the Upper Southside of Youngstown had turned bad.... I don't think I'd care to see the inside.

The stone fireplace was built by Dad, with stones we pulled from the creek up at the hunting cabin.

The grey woodstove IS in my house now. It's the stove Grandma cooked for Dad on in the 1920s in Wilksbarre, PA.

I have it set up for wood heat, but it's so inefficient that I rarely use it.

That was a great home and neighborhood to grow up in, but alas, urban sprawl has taken it's toll on that whole area.

Sad.

That's probably why I live out in the boonies now.

 

[snyper316]

Nothing wrong with the boonies, bon fires, camp fires, pissing on trees, hell mow your lawn naked, don't got neighbors close the farther away the better. That's good ol' backwoods freedom. I loved being in the woods as a kid thought I would like town better so I find myself missing the freedom to do as I pleased, I actually would spend more time at my buddies house then my own in town. That is cool you can share so much info on the house that your own hands helped make the fireplace. I have seen some cool places from back in the day but are more far in between now days. I have came close to get antiqued furniture but it's still not the same.

 

Living life one curve after the other. Vroom scooting, thru the countryside.