~ An Olde and Worn Pony Express Mail Bag ~

Can you believe it will be June 1st tomorrow ! TDIPT Mercantile will be updating tonight, and for my offering I have made an olde, worn and prim looking Pony Express Mail Bag with a set of envelopes tied with some prim string.

The Pony Express was in service from April 1860 to October 1861 until the telegraph was connected to the west coast. The telegraph put an end to the Pony Express.

The mail bag is a design from Dee Duncan with my touches and the envelopes are of my design. The only glue used in the making of this set was to seal the envelopes.

If you find you cannot access my blog to leave comments, please just drop me a line on an email ! homecamp1@comcast.net

I hope blogger can soon fix these issues ! I can only access a couple blogs to leave comments. I see the followers have reappeared for the time being anyway !

May you have a great and safe day ! Enjoy the warm weather ! It seems like mid August here right now !

Hugs,
Linda

The Birthplace of Memorial Day

Below is Duffy's Tavern in Boalsburg, Pa. near State College. A great place to eat and the atmosphere will take you back to days gone by.. It once was a stagecoach stop. It still has some small doorways and as you can see from the photos below, lots of original charm and ambiance.





*These photos were taken last year* Click photos to enlarge.

On an October day in 1864, in a small village in Central Pennsylvania ( Boalsburg )beside a little church, there is a graveyard where the birthplace of Memorial Day took place. Three women, Emma Hunter, Sophie Keller and an older woman, Mrs Elizabeth Meyer were placing flowers on their loved ones graves.

The loved ones had served in the Civil War. Emma Hunter's father had been a surgeon in the Union Army and Mrs. Meyer's son had fallen in the battle at Gettysburg.

The ladies talked and found in their grief a common bond in which the first Memorial Day took place. It was from the shared grief and meeting at the graves that the women discussed their plan to honor the fallen soldiers with their family, friends and neighbors.

It was said that on July 4, 1865, an informal meeting turned into a community service. Dr. George Hall, a clergyman, preached a sermon and every grave in the cemetery was decorated with flowers and flags.

Four years after the first meeting in the cemetery, General John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, ordered May 30th 1868, as the day to decorate the graves of those who died in defense of their country. He also mentioned in the order * with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year *.

Initially, Memorial Day was to honor the graves of fallen soldiers. Over the years it has become a day where we honor all of those who have passed before.
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Well, it seems that blogger still has issues and a lot of us cannot leave comments on other blogs.. There are only a couple that I have been able to leave comments on.

So, if you would like to comment or say hi , I am here at homecamp1@comcast.net

May you all have a safe holiday weekend.. part of it is gone , but may today and tomorrow be a safe and happy one !

Hugs,
Linda

Civil War Mailbag

Click photos to enlarge.

It was 150 years ago this year that the Civil War started. 1861 !

I have this civil war mailbag set available. I just love this mailbag set ! It can hang from an olde cupboard or you can tuck it just about anywhere.

For more information about this olde and worn looking prim mailbag set, you can click on the mailbag photo on the right sidebar or email me: homecamp1@comcast.net. ( $39.00 plus traveling fare to your zipcode. )

Update !

The olde prim and worn mailbag has been sold . Thank you, Teresa.



I made the hook and eye closure from rusty wire and added a rusty bell.



The only glue used was to make the envelopes. No glue was used to make the mailbag. Just good old handstitching when needed.



The design is from Dee Duncan with my own touches.

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND !

And Thank You to our military , past and present, for keeping our country safe and free.

P.S. I have not been able to leave comments on almost all the blogs I love the last few days, so hello to everyone ! I hope blogger will resolve these problems asap !

Hugs,
Linda

The Strip District ( Food and Fun Atmosphere ) in Pittsburgh, PA

Above photo is a mural on the side of a building at The Strip District in Pittsburgh.

Click the photos to enlarge them.


Of course, you can purchase Pittsburgh Penguins, Pirates and Steelers shirts, hats , etc here at the strip !
Below is some of the breads, roll, etc. available, too !

A favorite store of mine shown below.. The smoked swiss cheese is delicious ! And a big variety of cheeses, olives and meats are sold here and yes, I had permission from the lady weighing the cheese to take photos !



Shown below is some of the seafood sold at Wholey's.. Look at the size of those crab legs ! They also have live fish you can purchase swimming in tanks. And I believe they clean them for you also.

Click photos to enlarge them .


Fresh crabs anyone ~



Fresh herbs at a great price and an old fire engine house at the Strip.


This section of Pittsburgh is one of my favorites. The Strip offers lots of fresh foods such as breads, cookies, great restaurants and a variety of foods from other parts of the world such as Italy ! My favorite, of course. I had to buy a package of fresh Italian Love Knot Cookies.. anise flavored .. delicious and fresh, too.

There is a place out of the weather where artists can rent a spot and sell their creations and paintings.

Lots of vendors set up on the sidewalks on Saturdays especially during nice weather.

It was a great weekend in Pittsburgh with nice weather and time spent with my sister. We also went to a couple shopping complexes , Robinson Towne and The Waterworks and McNight Road where there are lots of stores ! And we were able to get in a couple long walks around her neighborhood.

So, back to sewing I go...

Hugs,
Linda

Got Asparagus ?

Our garden is full of asparagus at the moment, so I thought I would make something different with it ~ quiche !

Asparagus Quiche

10 bacon strips, cooked until crisp ( I trimmed off the fat on the cooked bacon )
1/2 chopped onion, sauted in a 1 tablespoon bacon drippings and a bit of olive oil
1 pound of asparagus, trimmed
1 cup of shredded swiss cheese
1 tablespoon all purpose flour ~ I used about three tablespoons of flour.
A few dashes salt
A few dashes black pepper
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4 eggs
1/2 cup half and half

Asparagus spears for garnish and a sliced tomato

1 unbaked pie pastry shell ( I cheated and used pillsbury in the dairy case ) I roll it and make it thinner and a bit bigger for my 10 inch pie plate.

Directions :

Cook bacon and drain, let cool and then tear or cut into small pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings to saute the chopped onion.

Cut five asparagus spears into 4 " spears for garnish. Cut remaining asparagus into 1" inch pieces. In a saucepan cook all the asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until crisp tender.. and drain.

In a bowl, toss the bacon, sauted onion, cooked asparagus pieces, swiss cheese and flour , salt and pepper till mixed. Pour into pastry shell. In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream : and pour over bacon mixture. Place asparagus spears and tomato slices on top of quiche. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Or red pepper if you want a little spice in your life ! :o) Or paprika !

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and crust is golden brown.. Cover crust with foil so it doesn't burn before baking. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

The dh liked it .. and it was the first time I ever made a quiche !



I changed out my daffodils in the wire fence basket and put some summery geraniums in their place .

Hugs,
Linda