Always on the Sunny Side
Antiques, collectibles, vintage stringed instruments, vintage restaurant ware, cigar box ukuleles, handmade gig bags. We’ve been selling online* for many years and NOW we also have a space in The Shoppes on Bellevue in downtown Hammonton NJ. Anything you see online can easily be available for you to purchase in our local shop. – My Vintage Madness – Just let me know when you will be stopping by.
*.MyVintageMadness.Etsy.com
*BluesBoyRoy.Etsy.com
*FabricMadness.Etsy.com
Today, on the eve of the instrument becoming fifty years old and celebrating another 4th of July, I offer a fine, “Buck Owens American Guitar“. It looks great and plays great. It is all original except the strings and a replaced pick guard. A solid spruce top and quality American craftsmanship made it a great sounding instrument. It’s like has appeared on stage with Nirvana and Ryan Adams plays one of three he owns on tour.
This guitar is stage ready. It has a new hard shell case (says Washburn on the front), new light weight strings in place, and is ready to ship in time for the upcoming holiday. The time and price are right, so act quickly.
UPDATE: This was SOLD by BluesBoyRoy on Etsy on July 27th, 2019.
I found this interesting gravy boat at a yard sale this weekend. Restaurant ware 1930s made by Warwick China for Joseph Horne Co. Pittsburgh, PA. No chips, nicks or repairs. The ship on the front was nothing like I’d ever seen before but the words beneath it, “S.S. Grand View Point” gave me something to “Google” to find out more about where it came from.
What I discovered is The S.S. Grand View Point Hotel, also known as the Ship of the Alleghenies, was Herbert Paulson’s vision and quite the roadside attraction on the Lincoln Highway in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Built in the shape of a steamer ship, the Grand View Point Hotel officially opened on May 29, 1932, five floors with dining and sleeping quarters and a “grand view” of three states and seven counties from the observation deck – and docked on an Allegheny mountainside. In the late 1970s, Herbert Paulson died and it was sold, renamed Noah’s Ark and eventually fell into disrepair. The ship shaped building burned down to the ground in 2001.
Be sure to check out this website: http://roadsidephotos.sabr.org/LH/grandview.htm
The Grand View Ship Hotel Tribute Pages
Honoring the “Ship of the Alleghenies,” 1932-2001
And there’s a book!
http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Hotel-Grand-Lincoln-Highway/dp/0811736318/
On Tuesday night, around 6:00, the weather here in southern NJ went medieval on us. Heavy rain, crazy wind, thunder, lightning, and the sound of a freight train barrelling towards us left a path of destruction along the way. The top of one of our old oak trees snapped right off and landed in the middle of the back yard. Another huge branch harpooned the top of Roy’s “man cave”, just missing the gas grill. Not too bad but for miles and miles around us, giant trees rested precariously across electrical wires or had crashed onto cars, homes and major roadways. No power for more than 48 hours.
On Wednesday, the sounds of chain saws and generators filled the air. Friends across the street offered me a cold beer, actually Cidre (yum), and an outlet so I could charge my phone. Someone remarked that the only thing lit and visible the night before were the solar lights in our neighbor’s front yard. A light bulb went off, in my brain. My son, Mike, had given me a box of solar lights and they were still in the box – waiting for me to finish planting whatever I thought I was going to plant along the steps to our front door.
So, yesterday morning, bright and early, Matt and I assembled and planted 8 solar lights and by dusk, they were ready to shine through the darkness in our home. I had so much fun creating emergency lighting by placing solar lights in stemware filled with colored marbles or sea glass, plastic tumblers (in nice fiesta colors), candle holders (fit perfectly), that I just had to share.
Right now 6 solar lights are back outside along the walk recharging and two of them I will keep on my sunny windowsill. One was placed in an old ice cream sundae glass with a scoop of marbles half way up and the other one I filled with clear glass rounds, screwed the top back on and placed it in my favorite cut glass candle holder. Both look beautiful with the sun shining through them (and recharging) and will look beautiful when the sun goes down tonight. Brilliant!
Keep On The Sunny Side!
I watched the robins building their nest in my backyard. The pair let me photograph the eggs while they watched from the tree limbs above me and a week later, I discovered four baby birds. I’ll keep you posted on their progress. 
Roy’s Chile Relleno Casserole
Ingredients
4 large or 8 small Fresh Poblano Peppers
1 cup crumbled Queso Fresco mexican cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce (Spanish style if you like it hot)
2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
What to do:
Preheat oven to 400º
Wash, dry and rub olive oil on whole fresh pablano peppers. Place on baking sheet and roast in oven for 45 minutes turning 1/2 way through cooking time. Let cool before removing seeds and skins. Rinse and dry and quarter lengthwise.
Combine half & half, eggs and flour – beat til smooth. Set egg mix aside.
Combine the fresh Mexican cheese (Quesa Fresco), 1/2 cup cheddar, chopped red onion, cilantro. Set cheese mix aside.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in an 8 inch square pan followed by peppers, cheese mix, egg mix, and repeat to make three layers.
Pour tomato sauce on top evenly and the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 375º