Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Life and other stuff




Yesterday we said goodbye to the husband of one of my dear Guild Sisters.  I sat next to a dear friend and followed along to the funeral Mass.  It's been a while.  I am at "church" often, but not at Mass.  Everything is so familiar, and comforting.
 
It is not the way you'd like to start a Monday morning...but a show of solidarity.  Another friend said, "we have each other" and that's what matters at times like these. 

I wanted to tell you about the Button Show.  I found it quite by accident.  One thing lead to another.  On pinterest there was something about a town in Iowa, Muscatine, known for mother of pearl buttons.  They harvested clam shells out of the Mississippi River, cut and polished them, to make buttons.  The industry made the town famous with many button factories springing up along the river.  There is a museum in the town in one of the old factories.  That reminded me of an article that my friend Jean sent me, about a button museum right near here in Gurnee, Illinois called the Button Room. I looked it up on facebook and the first thing I read was about a button sale on Saturday and in another local suburb Lake Villa.
I had no idea collecting buttons was such a serious matter.  I expected large containers of buttons you could run your hands through...scoop up a bunch and purchase.  It was more like buying individual buttons, and looking through cards that had the buttons sewn or wired onto them.
 Everyone was kind and friendly, but I was in over my head...and the glazed look of my husband was enough to make it a quick look around.
 There were button cards to look through...
and a table to sort through and purchase just the right button.
 I did purchase a couple of things from a talented lady.  All hand sewn from wool felt.  This little treasure
had to come home with me...
 along with this cute button flower.
 Here's her information.  She had so many lovely things.
This little bookmark is a treasure.  Thank you Nancy Jo.

Then, we went across the street to a barn sale...I will tell you about that very soon.
Gotta walk, my island in the kitchen is covered in glass plates and bowls...I have several small plants that are going to be planted in a terrarium sometime soon.  When they say a body in motion stays in motion, IT'S TRUE.  I am a driven.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy this beautiful day.

5 comments:

Lynne said...

Buttons galore . . . for sure. I look forward to the barn sale views. Sorry about the death of your friend . . .

Debby said...

funerals and masses are always hard. My son and I went to a celebration of life 10 days ago. We thought it was kinda like an open house. We got there at 2:30 and it started at 2.....to our surprise it was more like a service. Other people arrived after we did and they all looed surprised as well.
The button show seems interesting. I didn't know of such an interest either. I would have been overwhelmed as well.
Have a good week, my friend.

Barbara Lilian in France said...

well the button collection is certainly something new to me. I thought they were just something a few people collected as they'd been handed down from grandparents, parents etc. I didn't realise it was such big business. Plus I never really thought about where mother of pearl buttons came from.

Our Hopeful Home said...

I spend lots of time in church, but it's never easy when it's for a death. So sorry, Penny. Can't say that I'm a button person myself. Love your term "glazed", that would have been me, too! I do like that button flower, so pretty! xoKathy

Melanie said...

I am so sorry to hear about the death of your friend's husband. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful support to her in these long, hard days and months (and perhaps, years!) to come. I've never heard of a button show either. Had no idea there was that kind of interest in buttons. Sorry to say, but my eyes would be glazed over like Tykes! ;-) Though the items you got are really cute.