Friday’s favs…Vintage French towels and European grain sacks

It’s interesting what you bring home with you when you travel.

I find that what I bring home has changed over the years.

When my family was young it was t-shirts emblazoned boldly with the name of whatever state or tourist attraction we had visited.  Or coffee mugs!  I still have a box of coffee mugs tucked away in our storage closet from Texas, Louisiana, Florida and various other places.

My tastes then moved on to pottery.  I would try to find local pieces of stoneware to bring home with me when I traveled.  Once I carried home with me on the plane a whole set of stoneware canisters and a set of mixing bowls from Texas!

When we visited Maine, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia last month my luggage space was limited, and  I didn’t want to pay the fees to check another bag. 

Here’s a little peek of what made the cut.

Clams!  When we visited the relatives at the farm on P.E.I., they gave us two jars of home canned clams to take home with us.  Putting glass jars filled with juice and clams in your checked baggage is a risk.  Imagine the smell if they broke!  But the thought of wasting their hard work, plus the thought of how yummy the homemade chowder is going to be, made me risk it.  We wrapped them up in our dirty clothes and hoped for the best and hurray!

They made it home to Oregon safe and sound.

A P.E.I. potato sack…I have one framed and hanging in my kitchen!

Also from P.E.I., I bought a children’s book explaining what it is to be Acadian and an Acadian cookbook.

I learned so much about my French Acadian family and heritage while visiting and wanted something to help me pass that on to my children and grandchildren.  The cookbook has recipes in it of foods that I remember Mama talking about having when she was a child. 

Anyone out there in blogland know about Rapure, or Rappie Pie as it’s sometimes called?

From Maine I just had to bring home Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal to read to my granddaughter.

We already have and love One Morning in Maine and some of his other books.

You should have seen me as we drove along through Maine, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Nova Scotia.

I’d perk up every time we passed any signs that said “Antiques”.

Linens were on my mind.

Beautiful, old, textured linens.

How easy would it be to fit some lightweight linens in my luggage?

Thanks to my patient husband, brother in law, and sister, who stopped the car quite a few times to indulge me.

On our very first stop, somewhere in Maine at the hugest antiques store I’ve ever seen,

vintage French towels, and for a pretty good price too!

When I spied one embroidered with my mama’s initials it seemed “meant to be”, as this trip was all about exploring the places where Mama was born and grew up.

In Mama’s hometown I found a store with a whole stack of European grainsacks.

P.E. is embroidered on this one.

Again it seemed “meant to be” as Mama was born on Prince Edward Island, so this one came home with me.

Who knew that the best kitchen store ever would be found in little, old Bath, Maine?!

A couple of new linen towels from there came home with me.

I love towels you know!

What comes home with you when you travel?

 

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE and HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND!

Elizabeth