The volunteers are out of control this year.
Displays are cropping up everywhere.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Manger: The Real Thing
Just in case you were offended by last week's creche, here is something more traditional. Pay no attention to the blue plastic bag, The manger is not floating out to sea.
WINE ELF!
Volunteer Joan Spiegel is holding the Wine Elf. He is carved out of wood, and opens up . . .
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
STAYING OPEN THIS WINTER
The Gift House will be staying open five days a week this winter, weather permitting. The hours of operation will be Friday thru Tuesday, 10 am - 2 pm.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Christmas At The Gift House
Don't miss Christmas at the Gift House. You've never seen anything like it.
18 days left . . .
CHRISTMAS TURNIP
Was it one of my community garden friends who left a huge turnip on the steps to the Gift House this morning? Thank You.
PERFECT TIMING!!
I'm not sure what the definition of perfect timing is -- but Kathy appeared at the Gift House today just as a box of fantastic stuff was being dropped off, along with a big model ship. Kathy snagged the ship and came back for the box soon after.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Waltzes Always Feel Like Christmas
Lots of vinyl classics accumulating at the Gift House. Some people just use the jackets for craft projects -- and throw out the records, the music, all those sounds! Don't let that happen to Wayne King.
HOLIDAYS CAN BE A PAIN
Homemade hot water bottle cover! No need to suffer at Christmas. Just slip this under the covers . . .
NUTCRACKING
This entire month will be devoted to Christmas.
At the Gift House, we have to look at this stuff all year long. Now it is time to spread the cheer around.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Happy Thanksgiving, all you Gift House Regulars. I've set my table already -- and you'll be thrived to see the turkey basket that I brought home from the Gift House awhile ago is being put to use!
See you down at the dump on Friday at 10:00 a.m.
LOBSTER LIGHTS
Dennis McLain brought in these lobster lights -- and they didn't last long. The Orleans resident who brought in the fondue set (see below) took them. He and his wife spend the winter in their camper, driving across the country. "We never make reservations or plans," he said. "We just go wherever we feel like it." But they decorate their cab with strings of lights. Each year, they have different ones. "It can really jazz up a dark night."
TOE BRACE
If your toes are permanently pointed -- and it's painful -- this might be the remedy for you. Thanks to Gift House regular, Dennis McLain, this gem was found amid the rubble. You might know Dennis, but have you seen his fantastic blog?
Check it out!
Vintage Sander!!
The old power tools are so beautiful. We found this one in the dumpter. It works perfectly!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
COME RIGHT IN
We are going to try to keep summer hours all winter this year -- meaning, Friday through Tuesday, 10 - 2. This is depeding on weather, volunteer hardiness and so forth. We know you will be understanding!
btw, this copper welcome sign came in -- and is awfully nice.
HUMMEL PLAQUES MULTIPLYING
It really doesn't get much worse than this.
There are 3 plagues, all ready for the kitsch museum.
SCALE
Great scale -- a rare thing at the Gift House. Not sure, though, if the "zero" is supposed to be way over there, at 2 o'clock.
Slow Cooker - Fryer!
Lots of slow cookers come into the Gift House. But how many Betty G's? How many with a fryer basket -- wow!!--- for making fried chicken, fried clams, fried oysters, fried anything.
MORE ONION SOUP BOWLS!!
I love these things. Onion soup, baked beans, whatever .. . This set comes with a sugar bowl and creamer, which is kind of puzzling.
Friday, November 5, 2010
NO MORE STUFFED ANIMALS
End of an era at the Gift House. For fear of bedbug infestation, the stuffed animals have been hauled to the dumpster. This has caused a controversy. Should we should worry about bedbugs? What do you think? It seems a little like a witch hunt. Where will it end?
The bugs could be lurking anywhere. . .
"Ol Tom"
This foot-tall sea captain came in to the Gift House earlier in the week. Dottie Root was very surprised to see him there. You see, Dottie -- a dump regular -- used to own him. He was made by her brother-in-law Romaine Alexander, who lived in Zenia, OH. The little sculpture was inspired by Dottie's brother, Tom Dennison. "I never had the heart to throw it out," Dottie said, because periodically Romaine would visit from Ohio and look for it on a shelf in Dottie's livingroom. Eventually, after Tom and Romaine had both died, Dottie gave it away to a neighbor who had admired it. That was six years ago. But . . . somehow it wound up at the Gift House.
But not for long. Betty, who lives in Tonset Woods, was thrilled to take Ol Tom home. "I know just where I'm going to put him," she said.
FREE BOARDING
If you haven't checked the free board at the Gift House lately, you are missing out. The requests -- the dreams! -- are elaborate and fascinating. In addition to guitars and amps, Dump Regulars are wishing for: a butter dish, Barbie clothes, Playmobil, bowling balls, a stereo reciever, a pig spit, a weather vane and any spare wooden oars you've got.
Have any of those things to give away? Write to me (at martha@orleansgifthouse.com) and I will track down the phone number of the person making the request. You can be a Secret Santa any time of the year. . .
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
HALLOWEEN & OTHER SCARY HOLIDAYS
Almost any holiday can be scary. I figured this out when we put the Halloween ghosts and pumpkins and arched-back kitties next to the creche figures and Christmas angels. The spirit world unite!
THOSE CRAZY AMISH
I had to explain this saying to several people at the Gift House. When you have to explain a saying, I think it means it isn't working.
TRUCK LOAD OF STUFF ARRIVES
The Gift House was looking pretty bare this week until Andy and Roger arrived with a truck load of boxes to drop off.
It was like Christmas!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
GIFT HOUSE SNOWBIRDS
It's hard to imagine missing all the winter fun at the Gift House. But several loyal volunteers like Bill Reiher seem pretty thrilled to be packing for Florida, where I'm sure there are no Gift Houses and not so many stuffed clowns, either.
See you in the spring, Bill.
FOLK ART
It's hard to describe some things that come into the Gift House.
You know what I'm talking about.
This is a souvenir from a trip to Innsbruck, Austria.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS!!
Everybody brings their friends and houseguests to the Gift House -- to show it off. We're proud to be residents of a town with a such a fabulous transfer station, right? Here's a photo of my friend Mamoru, the proud owner of an American eagle wall hanging that he snagged while browsing the salvage. He's taking it back to New York City to hang in his kitchen.
CAST-IRON + ENAMEL BAKING DISHES
Very sweet set of nesting cast-iron and enamel baking dishes -- very shallow.
A WINE LOVER'S BOOK COLLECTION
Too bad you can't leave your wine cellar to the Gift House for town consumption. But it was nice that somebody left us their books.
WHAT'S WITH ALL THE MONKEYS??
Last week it was a monkey in a space suit.
Before that, a monkey made from a coconut.
Now this, a NY Yankee.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
HALLOWEEN AT THE GIFT HOUSE
There's a bowl of candy on the counter at the Gift House this week.
Stop by before all the Halloween stuff is gone.
1ST GEN GOOD SEASONINGS CRUET
For diehard collectors of kitchen antiquaria, it does not get better than this: First generation "cruet" for making Good Seasonings vinaegrette.
SO MANY PUNCH CUPS!
There's still a crate of glass punch cups in the Gift House -- brought from the Orleans Yacht Club. Come by and take ten or twenty. It will barely make a dent.
MAKE YOUR OWN CIDER
The spigot makes this jar indispensible.
Make your own whatever -- cider, punch or iced tea. Or put your filtered water in the fridge.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
COCONUT MONKEY SAYS "HAVE FUN"
IIrresistable smile.
Timeless message, "Have Fun," inscribed on his neck.
Top of head opens up to reveal a secret hiding place.
What more could you want from a coconut monkey?
HAPPY GREEN CHEST
I'm not going to claim that the drawers just glide open. You do have to wrestle with them a bit. It was left out in the rain for a day. But it's a happy and very crackly green chest just waiting for a beach shack to call home.
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