Antiques Hunt in Maine, and a New Group Shop Opening

Rainy-misty, foggy and cool, a typical mid-May morning in Maine, and I was out early shopping for some neat old stuff. Found a few items, including a sweet 1920s little girl's gingham dress and a circa 1900 wool hooked floral rug, which definitely needs a good wash and a new edge binding. Also found a rustic oil on board painting of a log cabin in the spring, complete with birch trees, which was probably painted sometime in the 1930s. It's never been framed, and I love it's Adirondack look - definitely a good accent for a country cabin or cottage.

Still getting settled in my apartment. It's just a tiny one bedroom apartment, perfect for one person. It's in an 1850s post and beam barn, with skylights bringing in much natural light. I have fabulous views of the Damariscotta River, which is only a couple of hundred yards away. Friends tell me that there often has been a pair of nesting eagles along the river's edge, but I have not been fortunate enough to see them yet.

The property has several gardens, both flower and vegetable, and my landlords treated me to dinner the other night with fresh asparagas picked hours earlier from their garden. They have encouraged me to enjoy the blackberry patch, and to help myself to rhubarb too. Last year I planted a very small garden with tomatoes and herbs, just a simple garden to play with. This year, I hope to expand a bit and add a few more vegetables. I love to cook, and am drooling at the idea of combining fresh-picked veggies with local seafood.

Looking forward to being part of a new antiques group shop opening in two weeks on Route One not far from Rockland. Excellent dealers, great 18th and 19th century merchandise - should be a wonderful antiques shop. If you get up that way, be sure to look up Scuttlebutt Antiques on Route 1 in Warren, Maine.