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This embroidered post card from World War II is in near mint condition.
I don’t believe I have ever posted this beautiful hand-stitched post card from France during World War I, probably with a silk insert.
“To my dear Sister from your loving Brother” on the front and “Carte Postale … Post Card … Postkaart …” printed on the back side. The silk insert on the front has a piece that you raise carefully with a picture or sketch of a young lady pushing a wheelbarrow full of gorgeous freshly picked flowers. The front is all hand embroidered and in silk.
A beautiful treasure sent clear across the ocean to his beloved sister to let her know that her brother was doing well during the war, I presume. The silk and hand embroidery on the front is still in mint condition. The post card itself has yellowed a bit through the years and I still have the tissue paper covering it — as it was originally mailed out with this possibly cellophane covering.
Post Cards a few years back were hot items to collect and fairly easy to find. Today, we do not find as many in this kind of condition — as close to mint as you can get.
The treasures we find from over 100 years ago, and some even much older, amaze me and I am thankful that some things were very well taken care of and carefully kept in good condition — possibly put in a Bible, or kept in a dry drawer of a beautiful secretariat in someone’s home.
We each have treasures we have accumulated through our lifetimes, but today we do not see people keeping things like they once did. Each person needs to do how they feel about historical items or family treasures, but once they are let lose or thrown away, they will be gone forever. And, this is why I am writing this column today.
I feel that if you do not want to keep a certain family treasure any longer, then I would remind you to ask another family member if they would like it (before you decide to just throw it away.) As my mother used to tell me, “Judy, you cannot keep everything … you should know that at your age.” And I think that was in my early teen years. I used to keep all of my paperwork from school, cutouts I would find in the newspaper about family and friends or even just a favorite birthday card I had received from a friend or school mate.
My mother, bless her heart, did not like “clutter.” Every time she would come to my house for a meal or holiday or whatever, she would look around our home and ask me “Why on earth are you keeping that?” And she might not even know what it was. But my mother was a thrower whereas I am a keeper.
When I was younger, I did not have many things in my bedroom — a chest of drawers, a bed and a little nightstand. A bedroom light was hung on the wall just over the head of my bed so I could read late at night. Oh, how I loved to read. We did go to the library quite a bit and check out books as I did love to read.
We were all so busy helping in the fields and around the house — I hated to clean house as it shows today in my own little apartment.
Mom and I cleaned house almost every Saturday morning. And I got to clean the venetian blinds when mom finally hung them — upstairs and downstairs. Most of them were in our living and dining room downstairs. I hated those blinds so badly. Now they have these cute little double duty dusters but back then it was usually by cloth or maybe a feather duster.
I could only use the feather duster once in awhile as mom said the dusting cloth did a much better job. Funny what we remember through the years.
And don’t forget, I was trying to hurry so I could go outside and help my dad with the haying or the irrigation. Anything but cleaning the house. I didn’t even mind cleaning out the barn stalls. I would have rather done that then work in the house.
I did learn to be a pretty good cook and dishwasher, but I usually dried the dishes. And I remember being taught how to make baking powder biscuits from scratch. Whenever mom had fried chicken and potatoes and gravy, I would usually make biscuits to go with it.
We would pack them in a basket and put it all in the back end of the old Chevy station wagon and take it all up to my dad on the hill where he was farming.
I am one of the lucky ones, because I had a lot of fun and good memories. We had a lot to do but somehow my dad would always lend me a hand with my outdoor chores. Best dad in the world.
But back to my photo: This beautiful, very old post card is in almost perfect condition — what a wonderful piece to have framed someday and hang on the wall for all to see. But then you could not open it to see the cute picture of a young lady pushing her wheelbarrow full of flowers.
So I would recommend keeping an item like this in a glass frame so I could take it out and look at it or show it to someone. I do believe that is exactly what I will do with it.
How does one decide which items they are going to keep and which items they are going to give to family or just plain get rid of?
I think that is a very personal question and only you can decide that. But sometimes we decide because of value … and another time we may decide because of emotional endearment — or even the scarcity of an item.
Each person in this world will give you a different reason for keeping something. You just have to do what you think best. But please, if there is something you do not want to save, ask a friend or relative if they would like to have it.
If you do have a sale it can be a lot of work. Getting the items out of the attic or above in the garage, cleaning them up a bit, finding space in the garage to put out your tables. Oh, and hauling the tables to begin with is not much fun either, then setting it all up with your pretty inventory, watching the weatherm hoping you have chosen a good weekendm getting it all advertised in the local newspaper and putting signs out.
Lots and lots of ways to handle your selling process and hopefully you can get done by Sunday evening, or if you’re lucky, on that very first day.
However, all that work is worth it to the person who walks through your yard sale and picks up that one thing they might have been looking for. How fun is that? I can never throw anything away, and yes my apartment says it very well. But, I just cannot do it.
I keep saying I will have a yard sale but then my old bones do not agree with me. That is one of the many reasons I am still in a booth — No. 50 — at the CR Rustics Antique Mall at 108 E. Fifth St. in North Platte. And, I really need to get busy and take more things down to the shop ASAP.
I will be working on that these next few weeks. Fall is coming upon us much quicker this year for some reason. The older I get, the faster the years go by. My mom used to say that, and now I know what she meant.
I do have a large supply of my Howard Oil Products in my booth right now. It is one of the best products I have ever used. And, once you start using it, I am sure you will agree. Brochures are available with all the info you need to start using it on your fine antiques and collectibles. They have been in business over 50 years now. It’s a great way to preserve your beautiful heirlooms so another generation or two will enjoy them.
Never be afraid to ask questions when you are in the CR Rustics Antique Mall (or any antique mall) — everyone will be so willing to help you with your questions or problems.
Be aware of what you have in your home or basement. Pass it on to relatives who may want a certain item or two, then call the antique shop for more help as to what to do with the rest.
Do not forget about my antique classes from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday at Wild Bill’s in their Birthday Room. I had to cancel last week due to illness but we are usually there. If you have questions ahead of time, call me at 308-530-4572. You are asked to bring one item and I charge $5.
We will talk about each item brought to class that evening and you get other people’s views on your item as well. We do have a fun time and we all get to see some pretty fantastic things. Hope to see you sometime soon.
Take care, be safe and don’t forget those items in the basement that you have been wondering about what to do with them. Come visit our class sometime and maybe we can help you. Have a good week, everyone.
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This embroidered post card from World War II is in near mint condition.
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