End of Day Glass

Before I became the owner of this small, approximately 12" tall, green vase, I had never heard of the term "end of day glass".

The glassworker would traditionally use up the molten glass that was leftover from the day's work. All the specks that are seen in the finished object make a very unusual, one-of-a-kind, piece of art.

Here is the description quote from the Corning Glass dictionary:
End of Day
The English term for an object made by a glassworker on his own time. Most friggers were made from the molten glass that remained in the pot at the end of the day. Such glass was considered to be a worker's perquisite. American glassworkers referred to friggers as "end of day" objects. They are also known as whimsies.

All of the pieces I have collected, have an unfinished bottom. It's difficult to see this one because the bottom part is black.

Do you think the company's owner stipulated that the glassworker was not to finish out the bottom?

Unlike the rough cut of the bottom, the top of the vase has a delicately fluted opening.











I'm thinking, the glassblower never dreamed the pieces would become so collectible....

Meggie Mac

Discovering a Photographer from the Past

For as long as I can remember, I've had an unquenchable desire to learn new things. In the last few years, the Internet has been a great source of information for my discoveries.

My mother gave me the wedding photo of my maternal grandmother's brother and sister-in-law. In a post I wrote, For the Love of Grandparents, I mentioned the close family relationship. The woman, in the photo, is also my maternal grandfather's sister.

Besides the obvious, when examining the old photo, there is a very interesting embossed name at the bottom.

My curiosity sent me to a google search of his name. Much to my surprise, there is a book written about him and his photography, titled "Equal before the Lens".

As a blogger or follower, you know how important the photography is to telling a story. The title alone, of this book, intrigued me.

That is how I discovered an entire life I had never heard of before. John Paul Trlica was a first-generation Czech-Texan. The book tells of how Eastman Kodak Company was instrumental in the training of a young photographer like Trlica.

This photo is for you, my dear friend, Elaine @ Pear Tree Log. I know you and your family are preparing a celebration for the christening of your sweet granddaughter. Hopefully, Francesca will not be wearing a similar bonnet.

What was so extraordinaire about him and his photography, was his openness to photograph not only the privilege, but also to the working class. Here is a photo of two girlfriends.

You must remember, this was in the early 1900's where, ordinarily, the studios only welcomed the upper class.

If you are interested in photography, you might want to consider ordering this outstanding book written by Barbara McCandless. Amazon has used copies for about $12.00.

One never knows where a little detective work and searching will lead them. History is all around us, just waiting to be discovered.

My natural curiosity brought a life from the Blacklands of Texas to this post today....

Meggie Mac

Friday's Fence from Texas

Today's fence post, no pun intended, was taken last week on my trip to visit with my mother. I didn't fully realize all the details in the photos I had taken, until last night, when I began to select the ones for today's post.


The three crosses, representing the Crucifixion of Christ, probably were originally all straight. I'm guessing the very hot sun, we have in the summer, pulled the crosses in different directions.

The white rail fencing seems to go on forever across the Texas Ranch.

The metal gate, cut with accuracy, is of a Cowboy, his companion horse, and faithful dog.... kneeling before a grave with a cross.

When my eye caught the sight of the gorilla, I had to laugh. I'm sure the owner had his reasons for placing him so close to the front gate.

 Can you imagine what he must look like on a foggy night.....

Meggie Mac


Another Friday with Jan N Jer. Click on their name to see other wonderful posts for Friday's Fences.

Show and Tell from Belgium

This delightful small bowl has been stored away for quite some time. As with most things I have collected, I'm not sure of any history connected with it. But, one thing for sure, it is the only item I have from Belgium.

In fact, until today, I didn't remember that it was marked with these words. Have you seen this mark before? It appears to be hand written.

                                Do you think the large flowers are chrysanthemums?

Even with a small chip or two, it is still a bowl that can be admired for its beauty and age.


A personal note: Earlier this year, I wrote a post about My Mom, the Cowgirl. The last few weeks my Mom's health has been failing. With the selling of my farm and the moving to Das Kleine Haus, I am now faced with the selling of my mother's home.

Consequently, some days, there is no time left for posting or commenting. Hopefully, things will soon settle down to a more regular routine. Thank you for your continued support of my blog. I do, so much, appreciate you.....

Meggie Mac

Parade Time in Texas

Festivals and Parades, in a small community, are an opportunity for everyone to get together and have fun. The banners in town have been flying for over a month, promoting this past week end.

Very early on Parade Day, chairs began to line up on Main Street....no reservations necessary.

By the time the parade started, the temperature was in the middle 90's. If there was a tree along the parade path, people gathered under the shade.

No parade is complete without a marching band...

                    The Shriner's, driving their famous small cars, are always fun to watch.

         Clowns...is that a riding lawn mower? And, take a look at his hat by clicking on the photo....

Small town parades have their share of decorated floats with the local beautiful girls in long party dresses...each one, Queen for the Day, waving to the crowd.

                        Cowgirls and cowboys must be included in a Texas small town event.

And, of course, some horses.

                                        There is always good support from our veterans.

    The heritage of this community is Czech and German....so a Polka Club is a natural.

I don't know the significance of the mule drawn cart, but the animals were so magnificent, I couldn't resist showing them.

What wonderful spirit this small community of 2,500 has, to show up on a very hot morning and support the town parade....

Meggie Mac

Friday's Fences

                                       X Marks the Spot !

Humorous....
Informative....
Creative....

Meggie Mac

Note:  To give you an idea how tall the X posts are, the gate running across the driveway is about 3' tall.


I'm joining with Jan 'n Jer's Friday Fences. To see other postings about fencing, please check out their blog.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The title of this post says it all. If you have ever moved, you recognize these three elements. The photo above is of a box set up by a professional organizer. I simply laughed when I saw it. Does she really think I will have time to look at this?

I decided to call in Linda, the organizer, for some added help. I have worked with her before, when I felt overwhelmed with "papers".

Future Bedroom

The bad and ugly side of moving is the utter chaos that comes from trying to downsize. I have now been sifting through my life long collecting for about 6 weeks.

The items that made the cut, have been transferred to the new house.

After working a day with Linda, this is what I have....lots of sticky notes and some well-organized files.

And plastic containers just waiting for a new file cabinet.

Through-out this process, I need to remember, to be able to move to the larger circle of life, I must step out of my comfort zone...

Meggie Mac