Woman Escapes From House, Last Seen...

"Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer!

I must get out and breath the air deeply again.'

~ Gustav Mahler ~

While the outside temps stay confused this time of year, with frost two days ago which isn't unusual as frost date is May 15, the calendar says SPRING and my vote is with the calendar. The farm is looking mighty fine...all but two vehicles are under/behind locked shelter, gates re-hung, horses turned loose in the yard to mow graze and a slew of other chores started and finished. John or Daniel are going to plow the garden, clothes need hanging on the line and the list of chores g r o w s but... I took time to play in the Scotty.

Some have read my Scotty story, here, which continues in the making and in the decorating.  For some time, I've been thinking it's a 1967 but checked the title, finally, and it's a 1965...funny how the memory plays tricks. It's stored in the barn, under a tarp and has a few minor booboo's and a lot of dirt dust on it. I'm hoping to find someone to help fix things like the electrical which needs to be done correctly because it looks like I did it (extremely frightening thought!) but I didn't and there's a small leak at the front top window. While camping, that's easily remedied by tying down a tarp over the front upper half and should I be caught in a rain storm while traveling down the highway, I'll seek shelter.

The welcome mat will be placed outside the door while the sunflower mat will stay inside. Camper 'theme' is sunflowers and, eventually, will have happy sunflowers painted on the outside. Before someone starts in on "that's not original" neither is the nasty pink paint someone used to cover the beautiful birch paneling...ugh! I've bought a lovely linen colored paint and cannot wait for warmer weather to begin.

The sunflower mat is in the middle of the camper...stove behind farm name and bathroom behind red rocker.

The living/bedroom area is under the storage area and back in the day, a small child could sleep in the upper bunk, now a storage area.

I keep a cute towel draped over the upper bunk which helps protect my noggin from being cracked on the board. I'm a short woman and this upper bunk, even when raised, is still about forehead high. My bedding...down duvet center with feather pillows right, foam memory mattress and feather top along with the outside rug, left, is stored on the upper bunk.

Lots of pillows...mostly vintage but some picked up in travels with Dave - Armenia, Georgia (the country), Spain, Morocco - and others at thrift stores in the USA. The small black fan is a Tornado brand fan and really stirs the air.

My nightstand fits perfectly and with two shelves holds living room and bedroom things. It all needs a bit of tidying but still serviceable and picture worthy; don't you agree?

Oh yes, I'm a huge believer in good mattresses and good shoes; we spend one third of our lives on one and the other two thirds in the other and all needs to be superior. Above is a five inch foam mattress atop the original mattress

and will be topped by a three inch memory foam mattress which will then be topped with the above feather top. What pea? smile

The small fridge is electric but as soon as I can find something that fits and works better, will be replaced. The ice bucket and tongs are aluminium and antique/vintage. They were part of my MIL's wedding gifts back in the 1930's.

The cupboard above the stove is a bit of a jumble and my vintage Mikassa dinner ware with a sunflower motif is peeking over the top shelf. I'd like to buy matching dishes but it's difficult impossible to find this particular pattern. The Pusser's Rum mugs are a souvenir from the British Virgin Islands; that was the first trip Dave and I took, back when one needed only a legal driver's license, no passport. We rented a thirty-six foot yacht and, for a week, sailed around the islands. The little Scotty dog mug is new.

The original Scotty colors were tuquoise, like the outside, and the stove will be kept turquoise but the pink (shudder!) walls, cupboards and door will be painted a lovely soft, gentle linen, sooooo much more relaxing and calming and will make this little thirteen foot camper, ball hitch to bumper, seem larger. Living space is around eleven feet, I believe.

Most everything is original... two electric and one propane lights, the table, cushions, stove. The kitchen table is perfect for two people and again with the vintage pillows! The tea set is vintage Laura Ashley with antique/vintage mismatching creamer and sugar bowl. I'll probably trade out the tea pot for another one that's prissier...a wonderful thing about having this big house...I go shopping and it's free! Susan Branch calendars hang in the window.

It's true most dishes are pottery and could break but some are enamel and used for storage, holding food, washing up, etc.

Here's a great story about the sunflower cup, saucer, napkins and table cloth...while at a thrift store, I started talking to the gent standing  behind me (no one is safe from my mouth; I live alone and will talk to a donkey thinking it could happen again) who was looking at something (??) and mentioned it was similar to what he used while in the Army. I thanked him for serving and he asked about the sunflower goodies. I told him I was buying sunflower "stuff" for my antique/vintage camper and when it was my turn to step up and pay, I found I'd left my wallet in the car. I asked the clerk to put my stuff aside and scooted out of line; when I returned...surprise!...that gent was paying for my sunflower goodies. He said, "Pay it forward" and made my day...such lovely kindness and when I remember him, he's tucked into prayer. I've always paid it forward but this was the first time someone treated me...lovely!

The four burner gas stove with oven is beside a smallish sink and the Eveready light is one Daddy gave me and is so old the battery has to be special ordered! The Jagermeister bucket does double duty as a wine cooler and utensil holder.

Behind this door is the bathroom/closet/storage room.

The bedside potty chair works just fine, especially with the addition of a heavy duty trash bag and kitty litter (a camping tip).

A hanging wicker mirror matches the bedside table and trash can and can be removed and placed elsewhere. The "I love Lucy" sign came with the camper and as soon as I find someone who has a Lucy theme, will go live with them. That metal contraption is a sofa side table, has a black vinyl top and is the perfect size for sitting outside, beside my red rocking chair...or hammock when I buy one.

My bathroom battery candle nightlight.

As Jack instructs us, "choose joy." This basket holds my bathroom necessities...towels, washcloths, hand mirror, bath gel, slippers, etc.

This room is also a broom closet where I store the water hose and a few other camping necessities.

The beach umbrella is the perfect size, came with a heavy duty metal holder and can be moved as the sun demands. "Not all who wander are lost" hangs alongside a metal S with encouraging statements on magnets.

If you want to see other vintage campers, click here then here. There's still a Part 3 for Sisters On The Fly Saddle Up so the vintage cuteness isn't over with this post. Thanks for reading; do you have the vintage camper bug now?

Ponder this ~ from J. R. R. Tolkien reading ~

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king."

Part 2: More Sisters on the Fly Vintage Camper and Trailer LUV!

The Sisters on the Fly Saddle Up event was sponsored by the town of Pigeon Forge and Par 1 is here. If you click on Sisters on the Fly, you can see a photographic slide show of sisters "We have more fun than anyone."

Some people have umbrellas while others have canopies; I have an umbrella and prefer it because it can be moved around.

 Annabandana interior

 Annabandana interior

Annabandana interior 

Annabandana exterior

Annabandana exterior 

Annabandana, owned by Tennessee Sister 692, is a Serro Scotty and close to the same year as mine. There are some differences but both are about 13 feet and this camper is reconfigured a bit differently than mine.

A Teardrop trailer with rear kitchen. Most campers have the entrance blocked off to general public but most allowed Sisters' to go inside. 

Mary Jane Butters has a line of teardrops called Tabitha and is the person who coined the term "glamping", a combination of glamour and camping. For more photos of teardrop trailers, click here. I think her Tabitha is fabulous...except for having to go outside and 'round back to make my coffee in the morning. I'm partial to  my privacy when parading around in my red flannel nightgown...grin.

The camper on the right is a 1995 reissue Shasta Airflyte and modeled after the original which was first made in 1941. There are only 1,941 being made and I had one but sold it once I read the owner's manual that said, "reseal seams every 90 days." Yeah. Like I've got that kind of time and besides, the old ones are sturdy as an oak and just as pretty.

The reissue's have mod cons like microwave, dohicky's where you can plug in your phone and stream music, full size bathrooms, exhaust fans, etc.

The reissues come in red, green and butter yellow and the table folds down into a double bed.

The bed in the back is a gaucho seat which has an extender so it can be made into a twin bed...pretty nifty!

Every one glamps their camper differently and all are uniquely beautiful!

This is a brand new, glammed camper. 

Full sized rear bathroom and kitchen on left.

Look at these beautiful chairs and electric stove!

More truthful pretties.

Outside seating area.

That's Part 2 with a lot  more to come so stay tuned!

Ponder this ~ "Either run the day or the day runs you." 
~ Jim Rohn ~ 

"And though she be but little, she is fierce."

~ MeMe's Playhouse ~

If you're enthralled with vintage campers, you're going to love these photos and next few posts. Last night, I returned home from a Sisters on the Fly Saddle Up event, sponsored by Pigeon Forge, TN where I joined other like-minded women who "Have More Fun Than Anyone". It will take me a few days to show you all the beautiful campers, or trailers as they're called north of the Mason Dixon line, but, trust me, it'll be worth the wait! 

 MeMe's Playhouse won Best Over All as voted by folks who visited the event. See the beautiful chandelier? Yes, the Sisters do go camping, sleep, cook and eat in their campers. They may be gussied up but they do work and get the job done.

I apologize but can't give the names of all the campers nor their owners. My job was "floater" which meant I visited each camper, introduced myself as "floater" and asked if the owner needed a restroom break. At the same time, I was taking as many photos as I possibly could...both to blog about but the ideas...the ideas!!! Just about every camper I looked, I said, "Gosh, I've got one of those at home...it would look wonderful in my camper." 

Almost all the campers are vintage but there were a few 2015 reproduction Shasta's and it's hard to tell the difference when gussied up.

As you might imagine, cowboy themes ran high.

1977 Prowler:

JennCola's Hen Pen:

 Notice the working sink and faucet between tiny fridge and toaster oven.

and the working toilet...at least I'm pretty sure it works.

The Tolkien quote, "Not all who wander are lost" was a favorite. 

Hopalong Cassidy, aka, William Boyd, (black) visited as did the gent in the white hat John Wayne (thanks Sharon Deel!) standing with DeBorah from GA who owns this 2015 Reproduction Shasta:

Gabby Hayes, me and the gent in the white hat John Wayne sure wish I'd asked his character because I can't remember worth a toot! When I asked about Gabby's gun, he had all of us in stitches. He pulled it out of his holster and said, "I'm really Superman because I can bend pure steel with my bare hands" and proceeded to bend his rubber gun in half. Then he said, "Oh look, I can also shoot around corners" as he bent the barrel at a 45 degree angle. I apologize to the actors because I didn't get their real names. For a six year old girl who had to be threatened/pried out of her Dale Evans outfit, complete with twin six shooters, meeting "real", live hero's from my childhood just about did me in. 

Notice the bunting that says SOTF and her sister number.

Clever idea (yet another)...the brooches on the curtain are her Grandmother's...LUV this idea!

The afghan was, I believe, made by her Grandmother...I have one of my Grandma's afghans...guess where it's going?

That's all for now but I've about 250 - 275 photos; no, I won't bore you with all of them but you'll see a fair number before I'm finished. Seriously, for those who've known my history (Dave's death, etc.) finding this group of women has been a balm in Gilead and a welcome, most welcome, addition to my life. 

Almost everyone names their campers and I've been thinking about Sunny Day or Sunshine...something similar because the 1985 Real Lite has a sunflower and rooster theme. The 1967 Scotty has yet to be named but now I'm thinking My Happy Place but it's all due to change. You know how it is...when a name is right, you know it...boom! I'm still waiting for that boom. 

Now, I've gotta go search 'round the house...camper stuff is calling my name.

Ponder this..."and though she be but little, she is fierce."