Coming as a stranger to Caruthersville, I entertained the idea of working with Sister, reading a lot on my down time, and taking the occasional excursion with Don. What I got were warm greetings, people introducing themselves at church, strangers coming up to say hello and to learn about us, chatting at the church door, invitations to dinner, invitations to ladies meetings, coffee's-on-me moments, remembrances of those I knew were sick and people letting me know prayers were still being offered.
There have also been phone calls offering company and a desire to show me around and seek out the special places, the little gems, that are hidden in an area that has fallen on hard times. In Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light. And there are, indeed, some lights hiding under the bushels of this county.
Seeing some of these places reminds me that in a time of great economic difficulty, people still yearn for and strive for beauty. Whether it is an antique shop that is more like grandma's attic or a quilting shop at a dusty four-way stop on a very rural road, beauty and creativity stays alive.
On Saturday, my new friend, Jane (and friend from Don's youth) , called to invited me for a drive over to Tennessee with her and her friend, Brenda. Objective: Visit Charlene's Colony of Shops. Add one part antiques, one part dramatic home decor in any style you might seek, a comfortable women's clothing store, and a cafe open to only 2 p.m. We arrived after 2 p.m. so no luck there.
Our first treat was to meet Wes Cunningham, who is married to the owner's daughter, (Rachel). He followed us through the antique shop, pointing out this and that, talking about his wife's enjoyment of photography (yes, my camera was out), and his failure at blogging. Wes would rather be out in a canoe and I can hardly blame him. There are times when a canoe sounds like a real good idea to me, as well. Lucky Wes has made it part of his lifestyle.
Several people have tried to identify the piece of furniture he is standing next to but so far no one has any idea of what it is meant to be used for (including Wes). If it weren't for the door, it would look, for all the world, like a fireplace mantel. The interior is lined and backed with a light weight metal. It's a mystery. I decided that it was used as a Priest Hole which had magically found its way from a 16th C English manor house to the tiny town of Hall, TN. Jane thought I had a hyperactive imagination. She's probably right.
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| Charlene's Antique Shop |
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| Some friendly lions |
When I'm antiquing, I can never resist looking behind a curtained doorway or a semi-closed door. You never know what treasures you might spot.
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| More treasures waiting to see the light of day |
. . . and then it was on to the main event.
No space is wasted. Even the Ladies and the Gentlemen have their role to play in the decorating and sales themes.
Here are a few more treasures
Part II will be posted tomorrow. This quote from Hebrews will tantalize you.
Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
2 comments:
I find it interesting that you call Missouri part of the South. My grandmother grew up there, and we always thought of it as part of the North or, more like, just Missouri...in the same way Texas, while part of the South during the Civil War, is really more just Texas. Glad you're meeting nice folks and having fun!
Hi, Sue. Down in the bootheel they are very southern and strongly identify with southern ways. Being a split state, I'd say the mentality is very scattered. I doubt if St. Louis has the same attitudes.
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