Stuff that make me happy.

Lately I'm feeling overwhelmed with stuff. Too much stuff to do! Too much stuff in drawers. Too much stuff in the closets. Filing cabinet. My head! Don't even look in the basement! I get mad at my house too, for being so needy! Anyway, here's a few photos of little collections I have that make me feel better...

Some little watercolours that my Dad did. On top is Shelby, and the three kids are underneath.






An old type drawer filled with meaningful rocks and stones, twigs, etc. We also put china bits in here. Whenever we dig in the garden we seem to find bits of old dishes and glass. Horseshoes too...


My Johnson & Johnson collection in the bathroom upstairs....



More medicine bottles in the downstairs bathroom...




A collection of samplers in the bedroom. I made two. My friend made another as a wedding gift, and the rest are by my great-grandmother... Oh, and the baby clothes hangers!! I love these. Each one has a different face. I bought the four together for $1.00 at the Great Glebe Garage Sale years ago. They still make me smile!


This is my battered up Steiff teddy I've had since I was a baby. My Mum took the eyes out so I wouldn't swallow them! He holds on to my jewellery for me!

Patterson and Sons

Last time, I showed a photo of the dormer window in this building - the old Patterson and Sons building. It was a furniture and undertaker business way back when. It is on our main street, right on the Mississippi River.


This is the view of the side of the building from across the river...

The old painted sign. See where the wood supports for the balcony were? There used to be a second story balcony wrapping around this side of the building. Note the French door up there too...



There used to be an identical door down here at water level, and it was said to be access for Indians trading with the shopkeepers. It's been badly changed to a window.... and of course, water levels have dropped here like everywhere else. (Honey Harbour ...... sigh....) I thought the reflection in the water was rather artistic, but it actually makes looking at the photo confusing! Sorry!


Across the street from Patterson's is our Town Hall. It was built in 1895. Nice eh?


Although I think they need to paint the trim a contrasting colour! The building always looks a tiny bit blah to me! Especially on a grey, drizzly day!



This is the view up the river from the same vantage point...


You are right in the middle of town, but as you can see, people have boat houses here, right in their backyards! Just down around the bend on the left is our swimming beach, right beside the high school.

Washing Windows

I've been washing windows this morning. The three new (ugly) vinyl windows are a breeze to wash - they slide and flip and do all sorts of contortions. They are nice and squeaky clean now. The old, original windows are impossible to clean properly. None are painted shut anymore, but some only open a few inches. The aluminum storms/screens are screwed right to the frames on the outside, and I've never taken them off. So, in order to clean between the windows, it's me who slides and flips and does all sorts of contortions. Not pretty, and the windows are pretty streaky too! Oh well, they'll do, and it's brighter in here now!

Some other Carleton Place windows:





The second story of a main street store. These have aluminum on the outside too. See how they couldn't be bothered to build the top curve into the new windows? Sad. Bet these are streaky too...


This is a neat old building on the main street that's right on the river. It has a door at water level, that was used for deliveries by boat long ago. I'll get a photo next time I'm over there....


Our town hall clock tower...



Our town hall again. This stained glass window is in the Council Chamber Room.


This is my dentist's office. The building used to be the Bank of Nova Scotia, and this would have been a door originally. Dr Ellis just replaced all the original windows and doors in the building. I tried to talk him out of it!!! He saved me one though....