In with the Old, Out with the New

Nostalgia is alive and well here on the corner. My son, Austin, was recently here in Cross Plains for the summer, helping disassemble old barns and build new old furniture. He came up with the saying "In With The Old, Out With The New", and it sorta stuck. And somewhere along the way, I believe he got hooked on this love affair with the old, this sickness that has no cure (of course, no cure is desired anyway). I mean, after all, that is what we are about here at Corner House and it is our passion. Having just gotten back from the overwhelmingly huge Gift Market in Atlanta, I see more and more evidence that this sentiment is shared among many of us in today's society. Showroom after showroom this weekend was filled to overflowing with pieces made to resemble the authentic old relaimed pieces we love. Maybe it is because in grasping onto some of the old, we all find a "safe place", an assurance that tough times can be survived, and today and the future doesn't seem quite so worrisome. Or maybe it is because building character takes time, in furniture, in barn wood, and in people, and there is a realness, a wisdom, a respectable authenticity, that the old brings that just can't be replicated by the new pieces created overseas. I was reading an old school-friend's blog just today and began reminiscing about the time our small hometown finally got a McDonald's. I was in high school, and I cannot begin to tell you how exciting it was to have it and a Pizza Hut. Up until that point it was either the Burger "Queen" or Scottie's 14 cent little square hamburgers (to which I attribute my love for Krystal burgers to this day). Oh!, and I remember when we got our movie theater, where we didn't necessarily have to drive across the state line to Kentucky just to see a movie, although it still felt like more of a date if you went to Murray. I, on occasion, pull my Gunne Sax by Jessica McClintock prom dress out of the cedar chest and look at it, or flip through old pictures. On our way to Atlanta this weekend, we had a 70s music fest of sorts and listened to all the oldies on Pandora. Funny how a song, a smell, or a picture can evoke such vivid memories. And I guess that is the allure of something old. It causes us to reminisce, think of the good old days (although whether they were actually any better than today is questionable), and wistfully remember a long-forgotten moment in our personal journey. A lady brought a box of stuff into the store the other day and although I had no need for a multi-colored suede patch pantsuit with maching vest, it was all I could do to keep myself from buying it, just for nostalgia's sake, because it evoked the very essence of my teenage years and remembering favorite clothes. I even had the suede patch saddle oxford shoes as an adolescent young girl, and I can still remember them and all their glorious colors and random patterns. (However, I did buy the Ms. Beasley:) But, nostalgia can get you in a lot of trouble too if you think that nothing will ever be as good as a previous time in history or a previous time in your life. Perry said to me the other day, "remember the good old days", to which I replied "these ARE the good old days". So along with all that reminiscing and remembering, don't forget to keep moving forward. In the store, we're moving forward, and just taking pieces of history with us. New to the store is an "old" style cafe room where you can come in and enjoy home baked goods and coffee and fruit tea any time of day. I wanted a new place for our customers to sit and talk and become friends. So I filled this new room up with old things and started trying out new recipes. (So far, my favorite is the peach-praline pound cake, or maybe the chocolate zucchini bread...well, maybe the fresh blueberry muffins or actually, the toffee crunch coffee cake I made today was pretty awesome too.... I also wanted to take a new approach to our jewelry area, so we painted the walls with chalkboard paint, hung old antique white frames on the wall, and added jewelry - something old and something new. The best thing about the old is that it is still at home in the present. If it is rusty, chipping, peeling, wrinkled, or a bit crooked, you can be sure it has an interesting tale to tell, and more character than can ever be contrived in today's "new offerings". But, as always, it is the mix of old and new that keeps life interesting. Old memories and new ones too. Old prom dresses and pictures, but for heaven's sake, losing the mullet or the Farrah Fawcett "wings". When going through a difficult time, my mother once told me, "Teresa, it is just another season". There have been many seasons before this one, and there will be many more after it." And I have found that to be true. So, while I type this blog on my iPad, I have my feet propped up on a reclaimed barnwood coffee table, the century old mantle clock is ticking above the fireplace, and I can hear the wide-screen TV in the other room, and the channels changing via remote control. Don't get stuck in the past, but certainly bring a piece of it with you into the present. After all, the past is what made you who you are today, and these are the good old days! Teresa