~Three French Hens~

 

I found the container, at Three French Hens. 

I’ve combined several different subjects in this wandering post; books, table tops, decorating, and garden art. 

Friday morning, bright and early, we shopped the Friends of the Saint Charles County Library Book Fair. Attending this event is a family tradition.  This year, J and I joined our eldest and youngest daughters, at the fair.  A huge event, the Book Fair attracts people from several states.

We spent three hours browsing thousands of books.

My purchase included, among others, books for children, cookbooks and two biographies. 

We are a family of avid readers.

Books are priced beginning with books for children, at 25 cents.  Hardcover books are $2, paperbacks $1.  There is a section, at the event, for specially priced books.  The cookbook, in the last book collage, is one of those books, priced at $3. The Peter Mayle two volume set was $5.  Cookbooks, in the regular stacks, were $2 for hard cover and $1 for spiral bound.  The stack of childrens books cost just over $5 total. Where can you find a stack of books, in great condition, many with library binding, for that price. 

All proceeds go to the Library Foundation.  Books, purchased by our family, are read and donated back to the book fair; recycle/reuse.

If you live in the Saint Charles Missouri area, you might enjoy attending the three day Book Fair, next year.

Kid Books

Cookbooks

 

Beautiful Cookbook

Lunch, at McGurk’s Pub, in O’Fallon, MO.  McGurk’s is on our list of favorite restaurants.

Another stop, while weekend wandering; Three French Hens, located in west St Louis County.  I was able to take these exterior shots, however, interior photography is not permitted. If you would like to take a virtual tour, click the store site HERE.

This store is absolutely beautiful.  I could spend hours just going from room to room. 

There is a variety of antiques, new furniture, accessories and gifts. Custom pieces are also offered.

 

I managed to find a few things to bring home.

The black and white placemats and napkins were found at Three French Hens.  The placemats are reversible, with a bold black and white paisley on the opposite side.  I’ll use them in another table setting, soon.

• Rooster salad plates are garage sale finds, from last year.
• Other plates and flatware from Marshall’s.
• Napkin rings, Pier One.
• Goblets from Target. 
• Rooster and hen salt and peppers from Tuesday Morning. 
• Black pedestal, Nell Hill’s.
• Silk flowers, Evergreen Mfg. Osage Beach.

I will be featuring other treasures found at Three French Hens, in upcoming posts.

For now, the bike has found a home on the patio, next to the wall and Knock Out Roses.  I found a wicker basket, with a flat back, at Michael’s. It was lightly sprayed creamy white and wired to the handlebars. A bouquet of Iris, 2 books and a bottle of Coppola Chardonnay were placed in the basket for photo taking.  I have plans for a geranium, in the basket, and perhaps some sort of ribbon.

As much as I would love to ride this old bike, I am no longer able to, due to a couple of minor physical issues. Nothing really bad, but possibly bothersome, should I try riding a two wheeler.

Continuing our weekend wandering, we are taking a couple of days off, for a little R&R at Lake of the Ozarks.  I’ll be checking in from the deck.

Enjoy your week!

(I am not compensated for mention of businesses or products)

~Get Your Kicks On Route 66~

Announcement:

I’m making some changes, here at the Back Porch.  In the process, my blog list evaporated!!  I am in the midst of visiting all of you, my wonderful readers, through your comments, trying to restore my list.

Please bear with me, through this transition! I hope you continue to visit, while I take care of this little dilemma!

***The follower list has been in and out, the past couple of days. I think it will be okay.

It’s my regular blog list that has disappeared. It needed some editing, so this is a good time to update.

Thanks, everyone!

Friday was a beautiful day, in the Ozarks; perfect for a day trip.

We packed a picnic lunch, then drove to Bennett Spring State Park.

This was the view from our table.

Bennett Spring is a place of many happy childhood memories, for me.

After lunch, we continued our day trip exploring, with a drive to a new rest stop, between Lebanon and Springfield.

I smile, as I type, because who in the world would turn a stop at a rest area into day trip exploration? J and Pat, that’s who!

As many of you know, I grew up in a small town along Rte 66, the Mother Road. If you travel through Lebanon, Missouri, located on I-44, be sure to stop by the Library and take a tour of the Rte 66 museum.

I traveled old Rte 66, between Illinois and California, as a child. Trips to visit my grandparents, in Texas, began on the old highway.

We travel I-44, from St Clair, to Springfield, quite often; always looking for the old road that still meanders through the countryside.

There are historic markers, along the way. Once in awhile we rediscover an ancient, long abandoned, filling station or cabin.

One of several picnic table shelters, built to resemble long ago structures along Rte 66.

The floor, inside the welcome center.

I don’t have a memory of where we turned south, from Rte 66, toward our Dallas destination, during childhood travels. I was asleep in the back seat, because we always started our trips to Texas in the wee small hours of the morning.

We might have to stop back, after dark, to see this sign all lit up.

All of the above and Burma Shave, too! Do you remember Burma Shave signs, along the highway?

Before returning east, on I-44, we stopped at Marshfield for limeades, at a drive-in.

Approaching Lebanon, from the west.

Remember the sign, outside the welcome center? This is the original, in Lebanon. That’s old Rte 66 to the left. The motel opened way back when Rte 66 ran through my old home town, before I-44.

For a history of Munger Moss and great photos, click HERE. It’s a website I think you will enjoy; I know I did!

As long as we were feeling nostalgic, we took a different, than usual, route back to the lake. We drove the road to Eldridge and Hwy D, which took us past Ha Ha Tonka State Park to Hwy 54. This is the way we drove to the lake, from Lebanon, when I was a youngster.

Here we are, back at the lake. This photo was taken, while crossing Grand Glaize Bridge, at Lake of the Ozarks.

Get Your Kicks on Rte 66

Chorus

Mister . . . may I . . . recommend a royal route?
It starts in Illinois, let me tell you boy!
If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway, that's the best!
Get your kicks . . . on Route 66!

Lyrics by Bobby Troup

(I’m old enough to remember who Bobby Troup was!)

Stop by Susan’s A Southern Day Dreamer, for  Outdoor Wednesday, each week.

Weekend Wandering in the Ozarks

~Sunrise on the 6 mile marker, Grand Glaize Arm, Lake of the Ozarks~ 10/14/07

This and the following photo, show the Sunday morning view from a marina, inside Lake of the Ozarks State Park.

One of the roads, that cut through the park.

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We visited the Swinging Bridges, inside the park, Sunday morning. These bridges were built, in 1931, by Union Electric, when the construction of the lake caused existing bridges to be under water. The photos show the larger of the two bridges. Both are still in use.

A pathway leads to the area beneath the bridge.

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Another type of colorful tree, just inside the entrance to our road, at the lake.

This tractor sits in a field along the route we drove, Sunday morning.

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Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life exists.

~Rachel Carson~