Saturday Afternoon at The Manor

Have I happened to mention that WT absolutely loves Bob Hope? He
is immensely enjoying My Favorite Spy, 1951, this afternoon on TCM,
starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr. The newly restored copy is so
crisp and luminous. It really is a joy to watch. The glamorous Hedy
Lamarr is drop dead stunning in her sequin covered white evening
dress. I did get a tad bored, though, and wandered over here to my
computer to see what was going on in the bloggyhood. I can't help but
keep chuckling right along with him, because he gets so tickled at the
jokes.

Lily Dalbray: The closer I get to death the more I realize that I love you.
Peanuts White: The closer I get to death the more I realize I love me, too.

I think Woody Allen's (another fave here at The Manor) comedic style
closely resembles that of Bob Hope. I'll post on him later, because he
deserves a whole post of his own! So stay tuned...

More Tales from Willow Manor

I was chatting with Lady Em over at Lavender Beekeeper about
ghosts the other night. She and Betsy asked me to share more hair
raising stories from Willow Manor. There are many to tell, but I will
keep this short and just fill you in on the latest.

.

Last week, when our daughter was home, we were all sitting in the

living room, and the conversation turned, as it usually does, to the

subject of our resident ghost(s). Our youngest son mentioned that the

occurrences here could be from the Native Americans who lived in

this area. Chief Leatherlips is said to have been executed on June 1,

1810, by his own people, along the Scioto River near our property. He

was apparently friendly with the white man and his Wyandot people

did not approve. I then mentioned that I thought it was Laura, the

woman who died here at Willow Manor. At the exact moment I

mentioned her name, a nearby potted plant rustled and six or eight

large leaves fell off and scattered to the floor. We all saw it, heard it

and were stunned. There were no open windows, no air conditioning,

no fans. The plant was on a table across the room. We all agreed that

she must have wanted us to know that it was, indeed, her.

And that's not all. Sunday night, after I had been asleep for about an
hour, the door to my bedroom suddenly burst opened at 3:30. It had
been completely latched tightly shut before I went to bed. The turning
of the knob and the rattling of the hardware was loud enough to wake
me. It opened about 18 inches. I just froze and stared at the open
door. I was too frightened to get up to close it! And of course, WT was
away. The house was completely dark, the guys, who had to work
early the next day, had long gone to bed. What was that all about?

Lady Em suggested that I get a little recorder to see if there are any

EVP's (Electronic Voice Phenomena) here. I might just have to do

that. I'll keep you posted. And if you like this kind of thing, I have

many, many more odd tales to tell.

.

photo: living room at Willow Manor

The Real McCoy

In 1910, J.W. McCoy formed a company in Roseville, Ohio with his son Nelson McCoy. The Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Company lasted through most of the twentieth century. McCoy hired artisans to to experiment with new and blended glazes.

Early designs by Walter Bauer reflected nature in the form of leaves and berries, and coloration was typically earth tone with browns, greens and creamy whites. In 1933, the company changed its name to the Nelson McCoy Pottery Company. The 1930s designs introduced some of McCoy's best known work beyond the floral themes of Walter Bauer, producing charming planters such as The Wishing Well, The Hunting Dog, and Down By the Old Mill Stream. Cookie jars, such as the original "Mammy" design, were produced in between 1940 and 1960 and remain extremely popular with collectors today.

In the 1960's, McCoy went into decline as cheaper overseas imports made profit increasingly difficult. McCoy was first sold to The Mount Clemens Pottery Company in 1967 and later to the Lancaster Colony Corporation in 1974, and all further production ceased in 1990 and the company went out of business.

WT surprised me with this old metal medical cabinet about 15 years ago. He brought it home from a hospital auction and it was a tad on the dented and rusty side. I had it painted with the electrolysis method, and  replaced the knobs. It's perfect for displaying my vintage matte white pottery. I like to keep an eye out for McCoy at garage sales and flea markets. It’s especially thrilling to find apiece that’s been in someone’s garage or basement for years with dirt still in it, for a dollar or two!

N. C. Wyeth

Self Portrait, N. C. Wyeth

Painting a cowboy in his studio, circa 1910

The Scythers, 1908

Illustration from The Last of the Mohicans, 1919

From the new quote on my sidebar, you have probably guessed by
now, that I have N. C. Wyeth (1882-1945) on my mind. Considered

one of America's greatest artists, he is most well known from his

magical illustrations for Scribner's Classics editions of some our

favorite children's books, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Last

of the Mohicans and The Yearling, among many others. Newell

Convers Wyeth, the patriarch of a great American artistic dynasty,

painted over 3000 works and illustrated 112 books. After being

trained by the renowned illustrator, Howard Pyle, the young 21

year old Wyeth left his native Massachusetts, for the west, working

as a cowboy to acquire direct knowledge for his illustrations. I highly

recommend David Michaelis' extensive biography, N. C. Wyeth. It's a

biggie at 555 pages, but is packed with compelling information, family

photos and prints of his paintings and illustrations. This robust,

deeply complex and passionate artist's traits are reflected in his

powerful works. Wyeth is one of those top ten historical figures that

I would love to invite to dinner. There would be plenty of colored

markers available and he would be encouraged to use the tablecloth

to illustrate his thoughts and adventures!

A Brave Defender of His Country's Rights

Capt. Robert "Robin" Hanna, my sixth Great-Grandfather, defended
our country in the American Revolution. Born in Prince Edward Co.,
Virginia, December 10, 1744, he attended William and Mary College
and had a close and enduring friendship with Thomas Jefferson.
Capt. Hanna represented Little River District, South Carolina in the
Fifth General Assembly (1783-1784). He was also a deputy surveyor
for the surveyor general and surveyed a great deal of acreage on the
North and South Carolina border.

His tombstone, Sims Cemetery, Franklin Co, IN, inscription reads:

In Memory of
ROBERT HANNA
Was born Decr 10th 1744
And departed this life
The 24th of January 1821
He was A brave defender
Of his Country's Rights
And lived and died an honest Man

Each man must for himself alone decide what is right
and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which
isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide
against your conviction is to be an unqualified and
excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country,
let men label you as they may. ~Mark Twain

Eastern State Pen

Another place we visited in Philly was the Eastern State
Penitentiary. It was first built in 1776 and was known as the
Walnut Street Jail. In 1836, work was completed and 450 cells
were available to house inmates. Famous for its radial or
wagon wheel floor plan, over 300 prisons worldwide have copied
this architectural style. Some of America's most notorious
criminals were held within the Penitentiary's walls, including
Willie Sutton and Al Capone. After being totally abandoned
in 1971, preservation efforts continue and over 100,000 visitors
a year tour the prison remains. It is amazing that this giant,
walled piece of history still stands in the midst of a bustling
Philadelphia.

***photo by Willow

Back to the Bloggerhood

I just returned from taking WT and Elspeth to the airport,
so things are very quiet around the manor without our two
exuberant ones. I have much to catch up on in the
bloggerhood and will be around to your place today for a

visit, so put the tea kettle on!

Fabulous Frida

Kahlo Exhibit, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Self portrait with Monkeys, 1943.

Frieda and Diego Rivera, 1931.

................................................

We saw the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of
Art last Saturday. I was so thrilled! I was totally unfamiliar with
Kahlo until her U.S. postage stamp was issued in 2002. I did a
little research and became totally mesmerized by her work. The
wonderful film Frida was also released in 2002, directed by
Julie Taymor, who made me feel like I stepped right into a Kahlo
painting. (Taymor also directed Titus, starring my favorite
Anthony Hopkins, doing Shakespeare, one of his fortes. She,
amazingly enough, has also directed opera at the Met and LA
Opera.) The museum was totally packed to the limit and we

waited in line for about an hour, after we purchased our tickets,

just to get into the actual exhibit. Many of her fabulous paintings

were on display, as well as an extensive collection of rare family

photos. I had seen prints of most of her paintings previously and

already have a book of her work, but the copies do not do her

amazing paintings justice. The colors and incredible details were

absolutely stunning. I came away with a brand new appreciation

of Kahlo’s intelligence, creativity and magnificent talent.

Two Treasures

Vintage bisquit tin with embossed pattern, $8. (hers)

........

Matte white McCoy vase, bird pattern, $9. (mine)

It was a glorious day! We had tons of fun digging in
several antique malls, with plenty of vendors.
The photos above are two of our special finds.

Ben at Home

Mr. Franklin is now feeling at home on my bookshelf. I found him
in the discount museum shop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Elspeth got a white one. Of course, since we were both buying odd
objects, they were completely out of shopping bags. We ended up
carrying around our Franklins the rest of the afternoon and giving
people a good chuckle.

Sam arranged Mr. Franklin in the easy chair early Monday morning
before heading off to work, which was a very amusing sight, especially
before coffee. Elspeth let out an operatic scream and I hopped a few
feet in the air.

We are having a lovely time time with our daughter, who rarely has
the chance to be home. We are chatting nonstop, shopping, laughing,

cooking and eating. I am anxious to tell you all about the Kahlo exhibit.

So stay tuned.

Houseguest

I'm back safe and sound from Philadelphia. Mr. Benjamin Franklin

decided to come home with me. We are all resting up today. I'll be

back to my full swing of blogging in a few days. I have lots to tell...

however, Ben's not much of a talker...

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Well, my Great Aunt Neva (short for Geneva) and Uncle Henry
took the train on their trip out west in about 1912. She was the
sister of Palestine, who I have mentioned in earlier posts. Neva is
especially dear to me because I wear her beautiful rose gold diamond
engagement ring on the pinkie finger of my right hand. Aunt Winnie,
her sister, gave it to me after she passed away in 1971, just a few
weeks away from her 92nd birthday. I remember her home, in
northern Indiana, being beautifully decorated with an exquisite
collection of antiques. One in particular, was a Czech communion set
in the shape of an egg, with a decanter filled with sherry and six little
cups inside. My aunt and uncles liked to sneak a wee nip when she

wasn’t looking! Aunt Neva was a gracious hostess and a wonderful
inspiration to me. I’m not sure what happened to that communion set.
I should find one for my home just as a tribute to the stolen nips.

............................................................................................

I will be traveling for a few days and will miss all of my dear blogging
friends! There will be much to share when I return.

Ta-ta...I'll be back soon!

Lilacs and Lozenges

Edouard Manet, Lilacs in a Vase, 1882, Nationalgalerie, Berlin

Edna St. Vincent Millay, Renascence and Other Poems, 1917

Thou art not lovelier than lilacs,—no

Sonnet I

THOU art not lovelier than lilacs,—no,
Nor honeysuckle; thou art not more fair
Than small white single poppies,—I can bear
Thy beauty; though I bend before thee, though
From left to right, not knowing where to go,
I turn my troubled eyes, nor here nor there
Find any refuge from thee, yet I swear
So has it been with mist,—with moonlight so.

Like him who day by day unto his draught
Of delicate poison adds him one drop more
Till he may drink unharmed the death of ten,
Even so, inured to beauty, who have quaffed
Each hour more deeply than the hour before,
I drink—and live—what has destroyed some men.

...................................

..................

Thanks for all your kind words while I've been a little under

the weather. I'm still not feeling too great, so I'm going to

take Steviewren's advice and listen to some Fiddler on the

Roof. That should do the trick.

Stormy (and under the) Weather

The tornado sirens went off yesterday afternoon and we spent
a few minutes down in our old cellar. It is a little bit of an ordeal,
because the floor of our family room is built over the old cellar steps
that was once only accessible from the outside. So we have to
pull up a big door in the floor to get down there. Fortunately, the
storm passed through quickly and I don't think any tornadoes actually
touched down. There was quite a bit of thunder through the night.
When the sound hits the riverbed, it echos like huge artillery fire.
And to add to the excitement, I am sick! I was healthy as can be all

flu season long, without even a sniffle. Today, I have a fever, sore

throat, aches and the snuffs. So, I am planting myself in my favorite

old cushy kitchen chair, in my wool slippers and flannels, with my

books, magazines, tea and cough drops for the rest of the day. The

doctor also ordered a healthy dose of The Sound of Music, to be

taken later in the afternoon.

Mother's Day

Mother and Child, J. Gari Melchers, 1860
vintage postcard, Willow's collection

.............

The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.

The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could spare.

Oh, if instead she'd left to me
The thing she took into the grave!
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.

Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mine the Harvest, 1945

A Proud Mother, vintage postcard, Willow's collection

Tolstoy Plowing

This painting, Tolstoy Plowing, 1887, is by the Finnish artist,
Ilya Yefimovich Repin. It hangs in The State Tretyakov Gallery
in Moscow. Tolstoy, one of the greatest of all novelists, is fresh
in my mind, from recently reading Song Without Words, the
Photographs and Diaries of Countess Sophia Tolstoy. Even
though a Russian count, he was very much against progress and
society, preferring to tend his land, along with his peasant serfs.
I love the solace of Tolstoy portrayed here, out in the peaceful
field with the scent of fresh damp earth.

....................

***click on painting to enlarge

The Tudors

I was chatting with Eleanor over at Thatchwick Cottage about how
much I have been enjoying Showtime's new season of The Tudors
on Sunday evenings. There have been some complaints that the
series is not totally historically accurate. Henry is a little too young
(he was over 40 by the time he met Ann Boleyn) and Henry had two
sisters, not one, among other errors. But these are minor
inaccuracies, in my opinion. Okay, and they are glamorizing the
historical figures, just a tad, as you can see by the painting of
Henry VIII and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who does a stellar job,
by the way, of portraying a “Henry to hate”. On the other hand,
would we really watch it if the actors were that realistic? Jeremy
Northam, one of my faves, is perfect as a tender and compassionate
Sir Thomas Moore. The great veteran Peter O'Toole has a cameo
role as Pope Paul III, among dozens of other very talented actors.
Did I mention that the acting is fabulous and the costumes and sets
are absolutely amazing? I have always been infatuated with the
British Monarchy, so this series is two thumbs way up in my little
book of manor favorites.

Strapless

Rebecca's (Ladies' Historic Tea Society) recent post on New Orleans,
brought to mind Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau, the striking French
Creole woman, who posed for John Singer Sargent's voluptuous
Madame X painting. She was a celebrated beauty and Paris' most
famous "it girl" of her day, but most people are unaware that her roots
go back to New Orleans. Deborah Davis' fascinating book, Strapless:
John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X, is the true story of
Gautreau. A few years ago, when I was totally enthralled with this
book, my Auntie Dee gave me a print of Madame X, for my birthday,
which I framed and now hangs in the upstairs hallway of the manor.
Thanks to my refreshed interest New Orleans, I dug up this book
and am going to read it again. I highly recommend this one. It's

brimming with history and art, two of my favorite things, among
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, of course!

.....................

Hey, I just noticed that this is my 100th post! Posts fly when you are

having fun!

Auto Art

When I was out and about in traffic this past weekend, I found
myself curiously attracted to other drivers' rear view mirror decor.
I observed all kinds of odd necklaces, tassels, stuffed toys and the
like. This little carved ivory dancing deer is my personal bit of mirror
art. Several years ago, WT was up early one morning, pacing and
praying over an issue that was troubling him. He prayed for a
specific sign; to see a deer, for assurance and comfort. Deer,
at that time, were fairly scarce here at the manor. Not five minutes
later, the biggest eight point buck imaginable came kicking and
prancing through the back of our manor property. Well, needless to
say, he certainly got his sign! So, my particular piece of car decor
is very symbolic to me and holds a special place in my heart. I am
curious to know what interesting item might be swinging from
your mirror?

Poem for Today

Pan and Psyche, Edward Burne-Jones, 1872-74

DOUBT NO MORE THAT OBERON

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Doubt no more that Oberon
Never doubt that Pan
Lived, and played a reed, and ran
After nymphs in a dark forest,
In the merry, credulous days,
Lived, and led a fairy band
Over the indulgent land!
Ah, for in this dourest, sorest
Age man's eye has looked upon,
Death to fauns and death to fays,
Still the dog-wood dares to raise
Healthy tree, with trunk and root
Ivory bowls that bear no fruit,
And the starlings and the jays
Birds that cannot even sing
Dare to come again in spring!

Oberon, Sarah Mallabar, 1994

Oscar and Lucinda

If you enjoy beautiful time period films, then this one is a must see.
Oscar and Lucinda, masterfully directed by Gillian Armstrong, (Little
Women), is the story of Oscar, a priest (the amazing Ralph Fiennes)
who gambles discreetly and donates his winnings to help the poor.
Lucinda (the fabulous Cate Blanchett) an unconventional Australian
glass factory owner and also a gambling addict, who meets Oscar
over an innocent, yet life changing game of cards. Blanchett absolutely
sparkles in this role, which is one of her best performances and also
one of her first films. Ciaran Hinds, has a wonderful supporting actor
role, along with Tom Wilkinson, both among my personal favorites. I
happen to adore all kinds of glass and especially art glass, so I was in
heaven with the scenes pertaining to Lucinda's 19th century glass
factory. Breathtaking cinematography, gorgeous scenes of New South
Wales and excellent musical score add to the great features of this
story of chance and faith.

***vintage glass paperweight, Willow's collection

Happy May Day!

These lilacs, freshly cut from the manor today, are filling

the room with a heavenly scent!