Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Tick Tock and Bong, Bong, Bong!!

Gentle Friends on the way home yesterday I picked up a clock that was being repaired.  It has been in the Shop for a couple of months and I couldn't be happier to have it tick-tocking away and bonging every hour - a sound I grew up hearing and hadn't heard in years.  Here's a snap...




In this little picture you can see the stuff from both sides of my family.  Starting with the clock..  a Seth Thomas clock ca 1840's - came from my paternal Great grandmother - has a little background.... she had a farm in Decatur Georgia and raised chickens, during the Depression she traded someone a chicken for this clock - so that's how it came into my family, and we refer to it as the chicken clock.  It sits on a washstand from my maternal Great-great grandmother, next to a ladder back chair from my maternal grandmother, the salt glazed pitcher is from my paternal Great grandmother, the blue German Jasperware plaque on the wall is from my paternal Great Great grandmother.  The 18th and 19th century English candle sticks I have collected - and the Gibson Girl picture is from my paternal Grandmother.  The large Virgina mahogany desk you can see a bit of I bought at an auction in Jacksonville or Bunnell when I lived in Florida - and is filled with a bunch of family stuff and things I have collected.

The clock has a bit of a past  - even with its chicken history - it was one of the things stolen from my mom's house last year that I recovered.  Although the police had been given a very specific description, and a colour picture, it was still up to me to fly home and scoured the local antique malls and pawn shops to recover some of things lifted from my mom's house.  I found the clock in and Antique Mall directly across the street from the Police Station, it took me about 3 seconds to identify it after walking in the door.  I found other things scattered in Pawn shops and Antique stores... all within a couple minutes of the Holy Hill and Ormond Beach Police Stations....   and every item I found, the police had been given specific, identifying descriptions and colour photos of the stuff that was stolen - which was a total waste of my time - don't get me started.
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On a lighter note, I frogged the stitching I had done and re-started on a darker piece of linen.....


.....it's Lizzie Kate's  "ABC's of Christmas - I am going with 36ct Meadowlark and using the over dyed floss that came with the kit.  I had thought of trading out the cotton for silk, but changed my mind.

There you go sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,
edgar

22 comments:

  1. What a great story about the clock. So glad you have it back now and can enjoy for many years to come!

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  2. edgar - love the clock! The sound is like a heartbeat, and very comforting. I understand why you love it so, especially with the family connection (great story!). And I love the renaissance revival washstand - you have lovely old things made more special by the family ties. Best wishes to you -

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  3. Glad you were able to reclaim your family treasures! They are beautiful. And I like the fabric for ABC. Although silks are fab, sometimes a good overdye has its place!

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  4. How nice to have so many family items. My grandparents came to the US right before my parents were born and we have no records of their families that stayed in Italy and Poland. Mom and Dad never knew a grandparent or aunt/uncle.

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  5. What wonderful pieces you have, Edgar. You are so lucky to have so many heirlooms and pieces that go with them. So glad you were able to recover some of the stolen pieces. Cute stitches too!

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  6. That's a fantastic display you have there and such a beautiful clock...we also have a "chicken clock," but ours looks very different!! It was my first anniversary present from the hubby (well, one of them)...traditional is paper, modern is clock, so he got me this clock made by a local artist...it's an abstract chicken painted on a heavy paper with a clock mechanism on it. The chicken makes me smile every time I look at it...she looks like she is saying, "Schwunh????"

    I feel you with the police...expecting them to do any work on your behalf when something gets stolen...it's like you're throwing your information in a big, black hole. Like, what do we pay them for???

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  7. Your family treasures are gorgeous!! So happy you found the items stolen from your mother. The clock is wonderful.

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  8. Just love that clock. What a great story about it!

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  9. Love your new start! And the clock -- wow! I love everything in that picture actually. lol! You have inherited some beautiful things. So lucky to have such pieces and to know the history behind them as well.

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  10. Couldn't we all use a little bong from time to time ~ LOL! TFS:)

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  11. The clock is so beautiful..
    Beautiful stitching xxx

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  12. I love vintage and antiques and you have inherited quite a nice collection! The story behind the clock is great!

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  13. All of your pieces are wonderful and that's from a serious antique lover. I'm so happy you were able to get family things back. We were robbed in Louisville. I never got anything back and there were some important (to me) family things. I'm very happy for you. I love that clock and what a great story!

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  14. What a beautiful collection of family heirlooms! I love the clock. I agree the sound of a clock is comforting.

    That's awful so many of your family things were stolen. How shameful the police didn't locate them when you easily found them...

    Glad you were able to recover them.

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  15. Thank you for sharing your family history about the chicken clock. As for the police. . .

    Love your choice of linen

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  16. I am delighted you recovered some family property and discouraged it happened in the first place. As a parent of three, I know how important it is to instill respect for others into their upbringing. It is unfortunate this family had tilted values and opt to prey instead of work for a living. Hang in there.

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  17. I'm so glad you were able to recover some of the items stolen from your mom's house. I can just imagine how you're feeling about Florida's law enforcement! Great backstory about the clock! You are lucky to have family heirlooms. My brother grabbed everything he could from my parents' home & left me with nothing.

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  18. Gorgeous Clock! I grew up with a Seth Thomas bonging in my house,so I know that sound exactly - and it's great!

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  19. Clocks are not my thing but that Jasperware piece is lovely and I do envy that washstand.

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  20. I've been busy so behind on reading blogs.

    So sorry about the thefts and glad you've been able to recover some items.

    I love the clock! Beautiful!

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  21. Very impressive collection of items you have. I love this kind of dark wood. We had a similar clock passed down from my paternal grandfather. It broke during one of our home-shiftings and just could not get it to work again. I used to love it

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