antiques

i treated myself to a shopping trip to the Greensboro Antiques Mall yesterday.  Our weekend travel plans had to be cancelled because Michael has been sick.  That's really not a big deal in the long run as it's just something that happens in life.  So, i decided that i'd spend the money i was going to spend in Asheville on myself at the antiques mall.  Had a blast there by myself and found some things i'd been wanting.  i didn't find some of the things i'd hoped i'd find, but none the less it was a nice outing for me.

i've loved antiques for as long as i can remember.  i grew up around them.  i love them because they have a history to them.  Almost everything i own is an antique or vintage in one way or another.  And because many things i have are family pieces, i know the history behind them.  It just makes me happy.

my passion for them started when i was about 12.  My Great Aunt Sara passed away that year and we had to clean out the family home in Wingate.  i'd been in that house many times as a child, but that experience of dealing with all of those pieces with their family history really got me motivated and passionate about them.  There was an antiques store in Wingate.  It was actually located in another family home of ours, my Great Uncle Bruce's boyhood home, which is now the Jesse Helms Museum, but we'll save that for another time.  Anyway, the proprietor of that shop came and did an appraisal on the pieces at Aunt Sara's and that's how i got to know her.  Now, all i can remember is her first name is Bonnie  lol

Everytime we'd go to Wingate to work on the house, i'd beg to stop by the store.  Usually, Mom would relent and we'd kill an hour or so there.  i remember that the first time i went into the shop, i fell in love with a green and white checkered tea set.  i just thought it was beautiful but at $50, it was out of my price range as a 12 year old.  Everytime we went there i would go back and stare at the set.  i wanted it badly lol  i was saving every penny i could get my hands on, even though i knew it would take months for me to save enough.  This was a risk because someone could've bought it before i'd saved enough, but i was willing to take that chance.

Finally, in October, Bonnie relented and reduced the price to $20, just for me.  And i had saved more than that but gladly handed it over to her and packed up my tea set.  i was beyond thrilled.  We took it home and Mom found a silver tray that we put it on and set it out in the living room.  i was so proud of my purchase.  It stayed in our living room for years and years until Dad remarried.  i still have it, i don't ever plan on getting rid of it as it was the first purchase of my love for antiques.  i still display it from time to time.  Maybe i need to pull it back out and show it off.