Confessions Over The Hedge
Have you ever wondered about my many confessions I make periodically? When I started this blog about 14 years ago, it was mostly to leave recipes for my kids, plus a record of what was happening in my life because we had moved so far away from Kansas to Florida. I am sure I get the ‘confessions’ from my grandmother on my mother’s side. My maternal grandmother.
I have such sweet memories of my grandmothers’ and her friends’ ‘”confessions”! As a child, I remember these ladies in my life, visiting and talking about their neighbors and…well lets just call it what it is..gossiping! LOL For example, My grandmother had a neighbor next door with a 3 foot high fence separating their back yards. So when grandma was out in the back yard hanging up clothes on a clothes line…way before dryers became “the thing”…she would grab her clothes basket containing the clothes that were already dry,.. position the basket on her hip and head for the house. However, if Esther, her neighbor, was in her garden or at her clothes line, the two ladies would meet at the fence and…well, gossip. They talked about many things…such as the weather, their respective vegetable gardens, the sales at Monkey Wards (Montgomery Wards), or Sears & Roebuck, Politics, and of course, the other neighbors! I would wander over and ask what grandma was doing and she would say…we’re having confessions over the fence. Sometimes I would sit in the grass at her feet and play with my dolls or play dishes and listen to these ladies “confessions” or I would run off and find something else to play with. It could be my little red ball and silver jacks, I loved to play jacks. Or I could be found on the hop scotch sidewalk, playing hop scotch. It wasn’t really a professional made hop scotch like at the school playground, I would take chalk and draw my own hop scotch ‘jumping pad’ and I had my favorite little chain with a very small teddy bear attached as my marker. Did you ever play hop scotch or jacks?
Since I wanted this blog to be a combination of many things…tablescapes, food and recipes and just plain old chit-chat as I shared my life with my kids and you all…it would stand to reason that I would also confess many things. I don’t think I have let you down in that respect, I want to be perfectly honest with everyone and so I have confessions to make. Hence the category “Confessions over the hedge!” Below is yet another confession.
Many of you know I am a “collector” of many things, mainly dishes and table setting related…but perhaps you don’t know I also collect dolls…if you missed my Lupina Dolls collection, please check out this post titled “Another Fall, Another Turned Page in New Mexico” ! I also collect Byers Carolers, which started innocently enough one Christmas as a small vignette of Salvation Army Christmas Carolers, along with bell ringing and the infamous red donation bucket seen at the entrance of grocery stores and department stores. It slowly blossomed to other carolers and now the ‘group’ of historic Williamsburg carolers is almost out of control. 🤗 On Patriotic days, I love to set out George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, the proverbial fireplace and fence. The new additions to this year honoring our 250th fourth of July celebration.include a patriot carrying a musket and a flag and Uncle Sam. I have featured some of the carolers in previous posts. You can see a few of my patriot soldiers in this post titled “Celebrating the Red, White & Blue” .
This year in celebration of America’s 250th birthday, I added the little table with a green tablecloth. On the top of the table is the Declaration of Independence, quill and ink, bell, candle and Bible.
I gathered George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson around the table. Of course Abraham Lincoln was not at the signing…LOL, but I like to include all the historical figures.
Another interesting doll but a different time period is Susan B. Anthony. She fought for women’s right to vote…and dedicated over 50 years of her life to that cause and co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869 and was arrested for voting in 1872. She laid the groundwork for the 19th Amendment but passed away in 1906 before the amendment was officially ratified.
And did you notice the horses? Of course, they played an important part in Paul Revere’s ride!
I can’t forget Uncle Sam…He was new this year.
And there is always a proverbial fireplace as a source for heating back in those Colonial days.
We have to include Betsy Ross…she is sewing on the flag….while she sings.
These are happy Colonists…notice all the stuff she is carrying. She has bread, candles in one basket and a goose in another. The gentleman is carrying a Virginia Ham and a tankard of wine.
The dolls are all lined up as a reminders of the part each played in our fight for freedom.
So yes, I confess to another collection. To be fair, several of my blogger friends also have various collection other than their tablescape items. We shall see if they chime in and confess too! 🥰
Fashion Sunday:
I laid out orange clothing to wear to church today and the Captain said ‘we are still celebrating America’s 250th birthday’, so I acquiesced and wore the following …….if you are interested in any of these items…let me know in the comments below and I will give you the link.:🥰🇺🇸❤️🤍💙
Red Blazer
Red, white and blue blouse
Blue Denim Pants
Straw Bag
Star ear rings
White/Natural Cloth Flips
Thank you for reading ‘Confessions Over The Hedge’ and maybe you have a little more insight into why I do what I do…..and say! I hope you all had a fun and safe 4th of July Week-end. It is very hot here in Florida so the Captain and I will be spending most of the afternoon in and around our pool and sipping on cold sweet tea.
Blessings Always
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17
Well, those are just about the coolest, most wonderful characters I’ve ever seen. What a terrific collection and what a grand time of year to bring them out. I love the detail on the costumes and faces and especially how you set them all up! I’ve not seen or heard of these, although I do know about the Byer carolers. These are even better! I’m so glad you posted them!
Oh my , just lost my very long reply. Loved this post and your Byers’ collection, especially that Uncle Sam {sigh}. I played jacks and hopscotch, and I seem to be the Gladys Kravitz of the neigbnorhood, mostly because I live on a corner and am in my garsen a lot, and neighbors stop to talk and tell me all kinds of stuff!
What don’t I collect is the better question! My biggest investment is in antique microbeaded and mesh handbags from the late 1800s to 1930s. I collect religious relics, crocheted potholders, old quilts, dishes (duh!), MacKenzie-Childs, Blenko……Pam’s idea of a Collectora Anonymous is a good idea.
Rita I have that happen more times than I care to remember…Pam once suggested doing a copy & paste to another page but my problem is I “hit” something on my keyboard and I lose my comment before I finish it or do a copy & paste. 🥴. sigh….
I knew you had collections too…🥰 an I was hoping you would chime in like Pam and Nancy did…alas, we are collectors or we wouldn’t be in the ‘dish’ business. Do you think your daughter(s) would like any of your collections when the time comes? My daughter says emphatically NO.🫣🥺😔😢😢
Ok, now I want to start a Byers Carolers collection! I love the patriotic ones. I’m interested in the links to your outfit.
Thanks Connie for your sweet comments…I will send you the links for the outfit as soon as Amazon corrects an error in my account. I love the Byers Carolers and also have pilgrims, Spanish and Halloween carolers. There is no hope for me Connie…🥰 Thanks for popping in. Blessings
This is absolutely amazing. I love your collection and how you display them. Awesome. I also love you Lupina Dolls collection and tablescape.
Aren’t those Lupina dolls cute? I started that collection when we lived in New Mexico and haven’t added to it in years but I might have to make a trip into old Mexico soon to ‘fix’ my habit. 🥰LOL Thanks for stopping by. Blessings.
What a wonderful patriotic collection of carolers you have. You brought back many memories when I worked in a gift shop selling Swarovski, Hummels, Enesco, Precious Moments, Cherished Teddies, Department 56, and even Beanie Babies. I collected none of these although I gifted family members with some of these collections. In my younger days I collected autographs, postcards, bookmarks, UFO books, and panda items. One strange collection I have are banana stickers that are kept in a notebook. I’ve been known to chose bananas depending what stickers they have on them.
Jan how clever you collect banana stickers…I will look at my bananas a bit more closely and differently from now on. I have quite a few Dept 56 and Precious Moments. I guess I am just a helpless collector. LOL I hope you are staying cool, the weather here is HOT and when it rains, Florida becomes like a sauna! Did you have a good 4th? We hung around the pool a lot and of course eating was a big part of our holiday week end. We are watching the World Cup Soccer USA game tonight⚽️ …even though I don’t know a lot about what is going on other than someone making a goal. LOL. I am ready for basketball…Go Jayhawks🏀.Thanks for stopping by my friend.
What a fun post! I am a collector of many things as well! Dishes, honey pots, trinket boxes, teapots and teacups, dishes, oh, did I say that already? Lol! I have lots!
Your carolers are darling! I think Pam of Everyday Living collects those. You have a gorgeous collection.
Thanks for the fun today! Happy July!
Yes Nancy, Pam and I have discussed our collecting habits, and from the sound of it…you might have to be in our Collectors Anonymous Chapter too.LOL. I don’t think I have ever posted my Byers Salvation Army carolers, though I set them up as a vignette at Christmas time. Same with the pilgrims and such at Thanksgiving. Like I have said many times…I love playing with dishes and dolls…and most likely will never grow up. Have a wonderful week. Blessings always🥰🤗
Oh, Kari, you have brought back so many memories. I remember my grandmother and my mom hanging clothes out to dry and they always smelled so good when brought in, but I remember having to iron everything too. lol I definitely played hop scotch and jacks. Fun! Fun! I do want the red white and blue blouse so if you send me the information I’ll order it and maybe the blue slacks too.
Thanks ahead of time.
Hugs and love,
Sandy
Hi Sandy…I will get those links for you as soon as Amazon corrects an error on my site…in the meantime , if you like, you can go to my Amazon store here and browse through a few of my choices for clothes etc.
Click here I have these products listed on my store front if you are interested…It won’t cost you anything but if you click on a product, it credits me with a few cents. If you would like to visit my Amazon Store front you will find these products here.
Thanks for stopping by my friend and STAY COOL…it is HOT out there. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Kari, you know I need to make confessions about my endless collections! I have also collected Byers Carolers, but your collection is far more extensive than mine. I enjoyed seeing all of yours, they make me smile just looking at their clothes and seeing their singing faces! I have a lot of collections, but my friend is there anything that you don’t collect! We might need to start a chapter of Collectors Anonymous 😊 I would have to sit down and think of all my collections. I think if you have 3 of anything, it is a collection. One collection I have never shared is my miniature shoes!
Thanks for the fun today dear friend!
Yes Pam…I know you are a collector too …I love your little jewelry/trinket boxes and I did not know about your miniature shoes…how adorable would they be??? You must share them in a post one day.
Lately, I have heard questions similar to yours on what haven’t I done? Pam, I am older than dirt and as I think back, God has truly Blessed me, as I grew up learning to do things that today we would hire done….AND turning a love-a-ble gift item into a treasured collection! My daughter looks at all my collections as hoarding…LOL…and doesn’t want anything to clutter her minimalist home. Yikes! I don’t know why the younger generation want and like living in a throw-a-way world. If she buys a blouse; she tosses 2 out of her closet…I buy a blouse and somehow find room for it in another closet. LOL.
OK, here goes…”my name is Kari…and I am a collector. My friend Pam and I consider 3 or more of anything as a collection. My house is clean and neat but my closets are full. We don’t think we need help but perhaps we do”
Pam, I’m Just practicing for our First Collectors Anonymous Chapter Meeting! Have a great day…we can’t take it with us but we can enjoy our collections until then.❤️🥰❤️
You are hilarious my friend! Sending love and hugs!
Oh I love these Kari! What a fun thing to do – and collect! I’m glad you still play with dishes and dolls! 😊 Have fun down there my friend!
Thanks Barb…and I enjoyed reading of your exploits with chess boards and chocolate.I know it was not funny at the time but I can relate to trying to remember something you’ve done years before…only to find you need to sit down, take a break and re-group. Thanks for stopping by and I hope it is cooler up there.🥰
These are the “coolest”
Figures I’ve ever seen. When we’re in florida this winter maybe we could meet. I so enjoy your blog posts.
I would love to meet up with you Cookie…just let me know when you will be in SW Florida. One would think that as one got older, they would not still be playing with dishes and dolls…I guess I don’t want to ever grow up. Thanks for your kind comments and for stopping by. Have a great and blessed day. 🥰
Kari… Cookie is my sister! Did you know that??
No, Nancy…I did not know that! How cool, perhaps you might visit too! hugs my friend.