OUR MACKENSIE CHILDS TRIP

Located on the southern tier, in the town of Aurora, NY, along the East side of Lake Cayuga, on State Route 90, is an old farm.  The artist in the farm family pursued her interests in painting, inspired as she walked out the door,  until the results became popular, wannabe items. 

I visited there years ago with three friends.  At that time, you could tour the family home, gift shop and the building where the pottery was made and painted.  I'm not sure if the manufacturing is still there but the  business with gift shop, Internet ordering, catalog orders and tours of the family home remain.  They have fabric worked in to the furniture in many beautiful colors with  flowers prints and the black check the main stay.  They are famous for their ceramic baking dishes and enamel decorator items.

 

 

CERAMIC CANDY DISH IN COURTLY CHECK

 

And, for several years now, they have had "BARN SALES"  with items reduced by 20 - 50%.  Betsy had signed up for their e-mail notice.  The products are very expensive because they are hand painted!   www.mackenzie-childs.com/barnsale

 In our family, the young ladies are showing an interest in Mackenzie-Child's products and requesting items as Christmas/Birthday gifts.  Me too! So, Betsy organized a trip to visit the place, letting everyone know about three weeks in advance.  Annalynn, myself and Betsy went on Thursday.  What an experience!

Arriving and directed to the hay field for parking; we excitedly joined the shoppers.  No, not yet!  The line for admittance was at least a mile long. Annalynn and I toured the gift shop while Betsy went to stand in line, in the  90 degrees heat for the next hour and a half.  She put the umbrella up for some relief.   After the gift shop viewing; I sat in the shaded cafe area. 

WAITING AND WAITING

 

 

ANNALYNN AND ME
WE ARE FINALLY GETTING CLOSE TO GATE!

 

Closer to the barn sale, they had a canvas canopy above the brick sidewalk for shade.  Employees came along with arm bracelets and shopping bags for each of us.  Finally the guard allowed our group entrance.  It was mobbed!  We didn't know which way to go.  The barn area or the huge tents.  Betsy spotted the cart area so we stood in line again for one.  We had printed the sale layout at home so we decided to shop for the enamel items first. 

We shopped and shopped; buying requested items for the people who couldn't come, birthday gifts, wedding gifts etc.  The barn area had the enamel painted items and some basket pieces.  The tents had isles and isles of huge cardboard containers for pillows, rugs, napkins, Christmas decorations and garden things. 

THEY HAD SHELVING FOR CERAMIC AND ENAMEL ITEMS.

MY NEW ENAMEL TEA KETTLE IN COURTLY CHECK

BETSY'S ENAMEL COMPOTE AND CANDLESTICK HOLDERS
 IN COURTLY CHECK

BETSY'S THOUGHT WE NEEDED THIS BREAD BASKET TOO!

THIS IS THE PARCHMENT PRINT  ENAMEL TEA KETTLE
THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER PRINTS: WHITE FLOWER MARKET, BLACK FLOWER MARKET, AURORA WHICH IS A FARM SCENE, AND ACACIA.
 

It was so much fun, sweat was pouring out of us until a storm came and it down poured.  Did it rain, oh my.  The tents had rivers running thru them which we walked thru in water up to our ankles.  At one point nervous me said to Annalynn; let's get near an entrance in case this tent comes down on us, people would have to crawl out. Oh, Grandma what are you afraid of?  Ha, it's a big hang up of mine.  When I worked and had to take the fire inspector  thru the office building, he told me to always locate a fire extinguisher or an entrance when ever you go in huge buildings.  That kinda stuck.

After four hours of standing and shopping; we headed for the checkout stations.  They have this down to a science!  Wooden fence isle to registers, with 32 cash registers. 

EVERY CHECK OUT WAS BUSY
THEY MUST BE LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK.

AND HERE COMES BETSY FROM THE CHECKOUTS. 
SHE IS HAPPY!  THAT WHOLE LINE IS CASHIERS.
 

In the field where we had parked was puddles, streams and mud!  We left the grocery carts an carried our bags.  Betsy's car trunk was full.    The parking attendants watched us carefully to see if we would need a push but her little Toyota moved right out.

Heading home we stopped at the Waterloo Outlet Mall for lunch.  Yah, at 4:00pm as we didn't take time to eat.  Annalynn had a dress to return and I wanted to go into Clark's Shoe store.  Love their shoes.

I called Bob and told him to eat as I thought we would be later getting home and I'll be darned if I wanted to stand any more to make supper!  It was fun and I want to go back.  Now I have so many other ideas of how to use the products.  Figures!   A great summer trip.  Put it on your to do lists.

Other than all that fun; we were busy cleaning around home this week.  Bob rented a carpet scrubber to do the motor home throw rugs and that job  expanded to more ideas.  Here he is doing the chairs that Cinder always slept on.  I tried to give him a break now and then; but of course, I wasn't doing it right.  "Put the water up here, now you don't have water here."  Okay Bob!  Guess what, I handed him the hose!  I'm done!  

BOB SCRUBBING THE LIVING ROOM CHAIRS.






THE BLACK TOP SEALER GUY CAME
BUT THE EDGES HAD TO BE DUG OUT BEFORE HE CAME.  




We stayed in the house all day Wednesday, trying to stay cool.  When the rain finally came there was so much wind again.  The pool furniture went scooting across the pool patio.  No damage though. 

So another week has passed us by and we start to worry how fast the summer days are going!  Best we make more plans.  Ha!  Some days I'm so tired now it's hard to keep up with things. 

I'm telling you right now, I have really enjoyed going to the farmer's market again.  I had almost all veggies for supper on Saturday night,  I made a huge dish of cucumbers like Mom used to make.  The recipe that you soak the cukes in salt water to make them wilt before draining and applying the dressing.  Mmmm good!  Cukes were 5/$2.00 compared to .98 each in Tops.  Grandma Lang always creamed yellow beans adding  bacon so I made that too.  They still had fresh peas which I like to shell and put in salads.  Tomatoes, so beautiful and delicious.  Corn too. 

That's about it for this week.  Have a good week and I'll be talking to you on Sunday again! 

 

GOLDEN GRAM