This is a continuation of LAST APRIL’s challenge about
HEIRLOOMS. When my sister and I cleaned out our parents’ home, we had to make
many decisions about what to do with all the stuff. Which things are truly
“valuable” and which have only sentiment in their favor? Should we sell it,
keep it, or throw it away? To help ensure a future for our family’s heirlooms,
I plan to leave a booklet for my daughters telling the stories of what they
will inherit one day. (Not TOO soon, I hope!)
is for Umbrella Stand that is not really a stand for umbrellas.
It is actually a butter churn. However, as long as it has been in our house, it
has held umbrellas. One day when our girls are cleaning out this house, they
will look at each other and ask, “Do you want the umbrella stand?” Unless they
read their book of heirlooms, they won’t know it was once used to churn butter.
Somewhere I have the lid, so I need to find it. A hole in
the center allows the churn stick, also known as a dash or plunger, to be
inserted. Butter was made by moving the stick up and down to churn the cream
into butter.
I believe my umbrella-butter churn came from the estate
of my grandaunt Violetta Davis Ryan, but whether it was something her mother
had used or just a novelty Violetta purchased at an antique store is not known.
And speaking of butter, I also have an old butter press
that shares a similar story of how I came to have it - origins basically
unknown. Like most butter molds, it is made of wood and probably dates to the
19th century. They were used to stamp a simple design into the
butter purely for decorative purposes.
 |
| The stamp is a flower design. |
Too bad I have nothing to say about umbrellas!
Wendy
© 2019, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
How creative to use the butter churner to hold umbrellas. I have a butter churner (not a family heirloom but bought at an antique store) that I always thought would make a good vessel to put on the patio, fill with ice, and then add cold beer. Of course I've never done it but I HAVE thought about it.
ReplyDeleteThinking is the first step. I like that idea though, much more fun than umbrellas.
DeleteI love how you put the church to use as an umbrella stand! In all my years of reading people's posts about "U" and even me participating, I don't think I ever saw umbrella featured on people's posts for this day.
ReplyDeletebetty
Really?? I can't imagine NOT using "umbrella" - now I wonder what words they used.
DeleteIt's pouring cats and dogs today so Umbrella is a perfect 'U' word. I'm looking for mine as we speak/write. Obviously I don't have a butter churn or any other kind of umbrella stand unless the coat closet counts where they usually stand in the corner.
ReplyDeleteIf I put an umbrella in the closet, it would just fall over and be lost forever.
DeleteGood idea! I have a butter churn that needs a purpose. The wooden top is getting ruined from being on the patio for lack of a better place.
ReplyDeleteWell there you are! Grab some umbrellas and fill 'er up.
DeleteUmbrella stand is good as plain umbrella.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteGreat use! I though it was a flower vase ;)
ReplyDeleteThere was nothing else in the photo to give perspective. In person, you'd never mistake it for a vase.
DeleteMy mother still prefers butter on her breakfast cereal (cheerios) over milk and I'm positive it's from her days of having home churned butter.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Finnell
@randallbychance from
Katy Trail Creations
Butter on cereal?? That's a new one for me.
DeleteI love that idea for an umbrella/cane stand. Good repurposing!
ReplyDeleteDB McNicol, author
A to Z Microfiction: Unicorn
Walking sticks would be good too.
Delete