Sunbeams in November




I can't believe it is November already. Even with all this snow the first day of winter is still more than a month away -- it is technically still fall. Hmmm. 

One of my favourite treasures is the Sunbeam Mixmaster that sits on my kitchen counter. It belonged to my dad's maternal grandparents. (We grew up baking with a chrome Sunbeam and I still think it mixed much better than my fancy mixer does today.) I love its yellowed bits and chipped metal. My grandmother gave this mixer to my great grandparents on their 50th wedding anniversary on February 21st, 1956.


Another of my very favourite things are old family photos and the stories that go with them. I am fortunate in that we do have quite a few of each from both sides of my family and I am lucky that I have aunts from both sides and my parents who remember the stories. 

Marlene and my dad circa 1945 in front of my great grandparents home.

Yesterday I visited my Aunt Marlene (she's the little cutie in the picture above) and we had a fun afternoon going through a new box of old photos. Every time I think I've seen all of the photos some wonderful new ones surface with letters and clippings. Piece by piece the stories weave together. I started my genealogy research on my dad's side with many questions as my grandmother was adopted in Ontario in 1917. I did find some information with the little bit we had to go on but have yet to find any direct relatives. Ontario is a long way from Alberta but I do hope to find more information soon. In the meantime I'll enjoy the new photos we came across. Here are a few...


My grandmother (on the left) at our local lake in the late 1920's with a friend and Grandma Gladys in their yard with a furry friend. I love this photo; Grandma was a real animal lover.


Most photos have no information scrawled on the back so we are left to wonder. I loved this picture of happy children and wish I knew who they were.



I do know who these characters are! The school family dance was held Tuesday night;  Macy and some of her 5th grade girlfriends on a rare occasion when I got them to stand still.



Another favourite activity this week was carving our pumpkin on Halloween.


Pumpkin carving was much more temperate than the trick or treating that followed! One quick cell photo was all Mr. C.F. sent, but I was glad it was him out in the cold and not me! -15C with the windchill is not my idea of good chocolate gathering weather.

I was happy today to have my first visitors (that I've noticed) at our sunflower buffet. One of my favourite yard guests, purple finches, dropped in for a snack. 

Their visit was short. They took off in a flash when this female Merlin zipped over then stopped in our mountain ash tree.


She came up empty handed this time and I'm quite sure I wasn't the only one who was relieved.


So that is what is happening around here after Halloween. We've already had Canadian Thanksgiving in October, Christmas is thankfully two months away, so I'm kind of in a decorating quandary. I feel like I should be decorating with snow rather than leaves but the snow doesn't stay white and fluffy indoors for long. Poor Doughboy isn't even white anymore. He has retained some purple dye and nothing he bathes in seems to remove it. It doesn't seem to bother him -- he just tied on a jaunty fall scarf and went about his day. I am not sure if the cause was the Halloween costume parade. I did catch him rolling around in purple Smarties** yesterday (kind of like the rest of us after Halloween). I'd better check my arms for purple stains.


 **Smarties, candy coated chocolate popular in Canada and the UK. Mmmmmm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to:
Rooted In Thyme
Common Ground Vintage Friday
Mockingbird Hill Cottage

19 comments

  1. Tracy, I'm taking down fall and going winter next week. It's cold outside and I'm sure we will be having snow that stays soon.

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  2. I love those old photos! The fashions were so fun, weren't they? And I had to smile at your great-gma in the pic with the mixer. Women looked so matter-of-fact and capable back then, didn't they? I think they were much heartier and far more talented than I am.

    I can't believe how much snow you have and how freezing it was for trick-or-treating. Yuck.

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  3. oh those smarties do leave stains, lol, that was a cold night of trick or treating, it was cold here but no snow, your old photos are wonderful and the girls look great in their costumes

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  4. I spy the exact same Sunbeam that my Mom had throughout my childhood. She used it all the time. It met it's untimely death when my younger sister made Divinity candy one Christmas. She made around 50 batches in about a week and the motor kicked the bucket! I love all your family photos...What treasures!
    Have a great weekend!
    Carolynn

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  5. Poor purple DB! Don't worry, your personal shopper found a long lost bro who will be flying across the border as soon as he finds a traveling box. He's so excited to reunite with brother DB and meet Remy!

    I love your Sunbeam and the photo of your great grandparents holding it. I'm not sure of the brand name, but a vintage mixer like yours was my dice game gift 2 years ago. It was a fight to the bitter end, but Megan took it home.

    It looks like the girls had a fun time at the dance, and there are a few I would NOT like to meet in a dark alley. Scary! At least they celebrated indoors. The weather certainly wasn't cooperative!

    I think that Merlin hawk migrated from my yard. She ate all our birds this summer and now she's got her eyes on yours. Bad, bad bird. Throw some Smarties at her. The purple ones. :@

    Love the pumpkin!

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  6. The mixer is fabulous and even more fabulous is the story and photo behind it! What a treasure! And may I say that I always wanted a little PIllsbury Doughboy of my own? I'm just a wee bit jealous!

    xo
    Claudia

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  7. If only Doughboy could talk.

    Bliss

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  8. I love old family photos! Do you "scrapbook" any? They make subjects. And I hope you write info on the backs of all your puctures! 40 years from now your daughter might not remember all her friends names. How neat to have a picture of the mixer and its original owners by the way.

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  9. I found you through A Favorite thing link. You have wonderful photos! It looks like it's cold where you are. Here on the Gulf Coast, we had to turn the AC back on today! November and using the AC!!! Good grief.

    Enjoy your Autumn.

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  10. I found you at Rooted in Thyme and your Sumbeam Mixer caught my eye and the little Pillsbury dough boy, wow, (I hardly saw the stains you mentionesd!)you really have some gorgeous treasures! Well, I have to seriously think on starting C'mas decor, I'm not in the mood, really, even though I got some new stuff for the kitchen! I love the fall look,it's colors and warmth. Have a blessed Sunday.
    FABBY

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  11. This was the most delightful post! I loved looking at all your family photos, both past and present! I cannot believe the snow you have already! I can't believe you have the original 1956 photo of the mixer that now sits on your counter - what a treasure!!!... Donna

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  12. What a treasure those photos are, and to actually be able to ask your aunts questions. I love the mixer and that picture is wonderful. The Halloween pic are great too. I'd gladly give you some of our Tx heat for some cooler weather! Let's see if we can trade-half and half. It would be perfect!

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  13. Hi fellow Canadian - I am another 'lover' of old, black and white photos of the family. I treasure those I have and with only one Aunt left to tell us the stories, they are very precious, too. You have been getting lots of snow so I imagine it will be heading our way soon. None up to now. That is a great photo of the girls on Halloween.
    Thanks for stopping by and I will certainly get a good photo of the 'crew' around the wood-stove soon. Hugs, Deb

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  14. So, when we see purple on you, we know what you've been up to!! I love old photos too and have so many that I don't know who they are. I encourage everyone to write on their pictures because when your parents and their families are gone, you have no clue who some of those family members are. I started doing a family tree, but because my Grandfather was a full blood Cherokee, he had no birth certificate. So, it stopped there on that side.

    Cherish those treasures!

    Judy

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  15. The mixer brings back so many memories. We had one just like it. Yours is so special with the story and that picture is priceless.

    Stop on over and visit soon :)

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  16. As usual, your photos whisk us back in time in grand fashion. How fabulous that you have that photo of your grandmother and grandfather with the mixer. I had to laugh. From the look on her face I get the feeling she was thinking..."a mixer? really? Thanks for giving me more work to do!" I'm so glad your aunt is around to provide you with some of the stories behind the photos. They are just amazing.

    As for that icy Halloween...ugh! I can't even imagine it. If you need to escape and have the time or money to vacation this Winter, South Florida can be the place to go hang out for a while to thaw out!
    Liz

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  17. I like your bird photos and your jaunty Mr. Doughboy too.

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  18. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful treasures and great traditions on Simple & Sweet Fridays. Love all your family photos!

    Jody

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  19. Those pictures are so precious, Tracy, and how wonderful that you have your Aunt Marlene to help you toggle together the history. That is a true gift! (Oh, and I love that mixer!)

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