Sunday, August 19, 2007

John's Challenge

When John asked to see what's on or above our mantelpiece I realised that I had actually done this, first in a Fun Monday post and then more recently when I got my new picture (so if you read those you may not want to read any further). Never one to resist a challenge and I wouldn't want to upset John as he sends me jokes for Witty Wednesday, the first thing I did when I came downstairs was to take a couple of photos (no I tell a lie the second, first I went and got the Sunday papers so that Embee had his crossword-well I have to keep his old brain oiled somehow!!)

My fireplace is a reclaimed marble surround that replaced a wooden monstrosity about fourteen years ago. I wanted to be able to have a log fire but I must confess that I only lit it a few times because of all the dust it made and the room got very hot. I suppose now I'm retired and have more time it would be nice on a cold winter evening to see the flames dancing up the chimney and I still have a lot of peat bricks (brought from Ireland) so I ought to think about it again.
You might notice my old toasting fork (was my gran's) sitting in the log basket. One of the pleasures of a real fire is toasting bread or crumpets, we loved this as children and it tastes so much better done this way.

My tall jugs were given to me by an aunt of my ex and the ginger jars are Crown Derby and belonged to Embee's mother. When my gran's sister left me a small legacy over thirty years ago I bought the carriage clock as a memento of a very sweet lady. Probably too small to see is a china bird given to me by Sam as a child, a tiny pig which we found on the original mantelpiece when we moved into the house and a small teddy bear given to me by a nursing friend when we had a reunion a few years ago. Oh and I wrote about the card back in May on Friendship Day.
Now I'm off to have breakfast.

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16 Comments:

At 19/8/07 10:23, Blogger Beccy said...

Hmmm the words cheat come to mind. Your mantlepiece hasn't looked that tidy for over a year. What happened to all the childrens artwork and photos?

 
At 19/8/07 10:46, Blogger ChrisB said...

Rebecca how dare you dob your mother in!! I took down dads b'day cards and tidied a little I admit- I had to make the photo slightly different to last time!!

 
At 19/8/07 12:50, Blogger Beccy said...

Well I didn't tidy mine, Dillon took the photos and didn't even straighten the candles!

 
At 19/8/07 13:42, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love it Chris!
(Especially the picture coordinating with Beccy's) and the carriage clock!
I love carriage clocks, hmm, I think I should get one.

 
At 19/8/07 16:36, Blogger ChrisB said...

lisa hope you had a good vacation looking forward to hearing about it and maybe see some photos!!

 
At 19/8/07 17:19, Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks Chris, I do remember seeing that....It was much tidier this time!

 
At 19/8/07 17:46, Blogger ChrisB said...

john well I needed to do a bit of tidying up after beccy's visit and now I'm in need of a rest!!

 
At 19/8/07 17:55, Blogger katy said...

lovely fire surround and yes nothing like a real fire, although very messy, and the peat logs in Ireland i love them!
the post below with the signs is just so funny!

 
At 19/8/07 19:55, Blogger Sam said...

i love those jugs and ginger jars and of course the little bird which bought for you at "Artifacts" and which i think cost about 79p at the time. It does look like a very neat mantlepiece. It's funny - i am nt sure we have ever had a mantlepiece but we have another place that would suffice as one. i still have my brthday cards up though.

 
At 19/8/07 21:33, Blogger ChrisB said...

sam I love my little bird. I took dad's b'day cards down before I took the photo.

 
At 19/8/07 21:39, Blogger ChrisB said...

her indoors thanks for dropping in :)

 
At 20/8/07 00:34, Blogger Unknown said...

I love your fireplace surround - it's so beautiful! I'm intrigued by the old toasting fork....how does it work? I wonder if one can still buy them...(? I couldn't see it clearly). It'd be good fun to have one with our big old fireplace - during winter...

 
At 20/8/07 07:39, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The picture looks absolutely PERFECT there. I love it.

I wish I had a mantelpiece - but I don't. We only have a woodstove. It is a real bummer during Christmastime... no place to hang our stockings.

 
At 20/8/07 09:30, Blogger ChrisB said...

tiger lamb girl You can still get toasting forks; junk and antique shops would be the best place to start looking. I will post a picture of mine on my photo blog. As a child we had a back wire one.

 
At 20/8/07 17:35, Anonymous Anonymous said...

that is beatiful!!

 
At 20/8/07 23:14, Blogger ~ej said...

i love your ginger jars...and the cute little teddy. your mantle is very pretty....
we have a fireplace, but we've blocked it up since we don't use it anymore due to the boys asthma (and it was drafty).

 

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