Thank you for visiting our Samtiques website after reading about us in the Update newsletter.

Some of the items we have for sale can be viewed by clicking on the link to the right. If you have a particular interest or special item you NEED, please email us at [email protected], and we’ll check our inventory to see if we can make a match.

Better yet, please put March 27 – April 5 on your calendar to visit our booth at the Cole’s Antique Show in Warrenton, TX. If you’ve never been to the Round Top Antiques Show — which has expanded to Warrenton and many other little communities in the area — you are in for a TREAT! Our advice is to wear comfortable shoes, bring your water bottle, and be prepared for any kind of weather if you choose to shop in the fields. Our other tip is “don’t think you can cover it all in a day!”

Cole’s offers you free parking next to the building, over 200 vendors, air condition shopping, and best of all . . . indoor restrooms. The Cole’s only lease to vendors who bring in antiques and collectibles — no new stuff, no crafts, no junk. We are in Booth #8, and we hope to see you there in March. If the Fall is a better time for you, that date is September 25 – October 5.

Again, if you have any questions . . . please email us at [email protected] — hope to meet you soon!

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It may be, but I’d just as soon write the old-fashioned way.

So, Happy New Year 2008!

The best year’s wish I can give to all is Good Health! It’s a wish that’s priceless and one that is often forgotten until we NEED it. We were reminded of that just before Christmas, when our Melissa had a bit of a scare from an annual exam. Turns out the concern was not cancerous and we are so very thankful.

Going into a New Year usually means new resolutions — to make and probably to break. However, I’m thinking we should not only look forward, but look back to see what worked (or didn’t work) the year before and remember “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

For example, Nick’s fudge. It’s the same wonderful recipe that we get to sample occasionally, and it puts us into bliss. Why would that need to be changed? Well, he didn’t really change it — he just added another rendition . . . pumpkin fudge. As his “official” taste tester, I told him the above quote! I guess some folks like pumpkin flavor in just about anything, and I, too, love the Cheesecake Factory seasonal pumpkin cheesecake. The pumpkin flavor coffee that appears during the fall and winter at various coffee stops is also good. But . . . NOT pumpkin FUDGE. Just my opinion . . . but my friend Betty agrees, so that should be the end of that. In 2008, I resolve to encourage Nick to spend his time and chips on the original recipe.

The scale at my house is NOT USER FRIENDLY! It keeps giving me numbers that are too high — even though all during (part of) last year, I tried to keep the carbs low. I know the problem is with my scale — I lost weight according to other scales I used while traveling away from home. Sure enough, when I used it again the other day the numbers were back up. That just causes more stress on my part . . . which isn’t healthy for me. So, in 2008, I resolve to push the scale at home back underneath the bed and not think about it.

Our clothes’ closet — as if we have MANY other types of closets — is a mess! We each have little paths going into our darkened fabric containers. Been retired for over 7 years, and some of the clothes hanging on my side were classroom bound only–so, why are they still hanging around? Sadly, some never saw the classroom and still have their tags hanging “in the wind.” On Terry’s side . . . there are shirts that go far enough back in time that we recognize them in photos from the 70’s. Now, the pants are another story . . . most of those were outgrown and pitched within the last decade. Not only is it a clothes’ haven . . . our closet has become the place to put anything out of sight that we don’t know what else to do with . . . like books to be read, gifts such as gadgets still in their packaging, boxes we MIGHT need some time to wrap other gifts (even though we always seem to use gift BAGS now), shoes for all occasions and many years worth, keepsakes from our parents’ houses, and most importantly, the oscillating fan to pull out for me whenever a hot flash attacks. In 2008, I do resolve to move some of this clutter mess stash to other places. In other words, we need to DOWNSIZE — that could cover lots of things! However, we all KNOW that if we do, it will probably just reappear in other shapes/forms during this year. So, perhaps I should not worry too much about this resolution.

As a very good procrastinator and excuse-maker — I could put that last sentence to use on just about anything resolved. However, I will make THIS resolution and try very hard to stick by it: to complain less, worry less, love more, be more patient, and encourage others to do the same.

Have a wonderful 2008 —

Looking for Antiques/Collectibles? — please click on Samtiques to the right.

Just opened one of my Christmas presents to myself — a box of Queen Anne chocolate covered cherries (milk chocolate, not that dark bitter stuff) — and I can’t believe what I see. My box of chocolates has two layers of candy (as usual), but there are ONLY 5 (five) candies underneath that cellophane cover. The bottom layer is the same thing — five chocolate covered cherries. Now, as Larry the Cable Guy might say . . . “That ain’t right.”

Everything is being down-sized, but when “they” start messing with our chocolates, it’s time to start some kind of riot — or at least a demonstration!

True, I only paid $.97 for that box of goodies at Wal-Mart, but that’s what I always paid for them about this time of year. I rather enjoy the cheaper versions of this type of candy more than the expensive Godiva ones at the mall. But . . . is there much difference NOW in price? Gee, that works out to something like . . . 10 cents a bite (one candy = one bite).

Actually, the cost per bite is much higher if you remove the candies that are broken and have leaked all the good cherry juice — so, you end up with a crunchy cherry bite. That’s not REAL bad news — at least it wasn’t that bad when you had closer to 16 candies in the box. So, they’ve cut the product portion by half and left the cost the same. What’s wrong with this picture? Was this done on purpose, do you suppose? Or maybe now that so many items we consume come from overseas, perhaps the packers in China misunderstood. I don’t pretend to know the Chinese words for 16 and 10 — but surely they can’t be that confusing. Yeah, I bet it was done on purpose by some profit-mongering, chocolate hater, monopolistic capitalist some place.

Just checked my Queen Anne box. I need to apologize to the Chinese — this fine product is manufactured by World’s Finest Chocolate, Inc. at 4801 South Lawndale in Chicago, Illinois. Next to that information is this statement: “REAL CHERRIES — may contain pits or pit fragments.” Yep, it’s a USA product all right. I need to stop complaining here and go online to let queenannecandy.com know my feelings. If you have found this problem with your chocolates — please contact them, too. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF WE UNITE!

But first . . . another bite . . . yummmmmmmm!

Looking for Antiques/Collectibles? — please click on Samtiques to the right.

Yup . . . we are still livin’ rite har in Texas . . . BUT we can pretend, can’t we? After all, Hawaiians are spending their time in December on the beach and in shorts. Whoa, that doesn’t put me in the Christmas spirit . . . . I love having some cold winter weather to put me in “the” mood. (Note the key word in the previous sentence is “some.”)

But none of that is relevant because the “Hawaii Christmas” I’m talking about is happening next summer. Our family is planning a trip to Hawaii, and that is our Christmas gift to the “kids” (and may be their gift for the next 2-3 years!). We’ve decided that we’ll spend their inheritance WITH them — and so far they’re not complaining.

Our Christmas party this past weekend, therefore, was not the traditional type. No turkey and dressing or ham or lamb or crown roast. Nope, we had kabobs on the grill — Hawaiian chicken with pineapple. Our side dishes weren’t particularly Hawaiian, except for the fruit plate and the pudding for dessert (made from coconut milk). But our table decorations

and music put us in the hula mood! Even the sunshiny afternoon helped us forget we were in central Texas in December and let us pretend there might be a beach beyond them thar hills. If 2008 goes by as fast as 2007 has, we WILL BE on that Hawaiian beach in just a few days. (Reminds me of a remark by my friend, Ann, the other day — our days fly by as we get older, just like the paper on the toilet roll goes really fast at the end.)

Now, that’s no way to end a happy blog-day — so, let’s just change the subject to this wish for all of you: Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and yours!