New Coffee Maker

I actually bought it yesterday after work and we made our first pots of coffee this morning. So far so good, hope this one lasts. We drink so much coffee around here I'm surprised the hubby didn't insist on buying and industrial grade coffee maker.

On my lunch break I wen't into an old dusty antique shop that I pass on the way to and from work. It's called "La Vieja Antiques", Vieja (vee-eh-ha) means old woman in Spanish. I walked outside for a bit and noticed old doors, windows, dishes, wagons and a lot of other miscellaneous items. A slight path lead to a suit of armor facing another old door. I wondered if it was the entrance or just another old door for sale. As I opened the creaky door I was immediately taken aback by the scent of moth balls and startled a bit because I did not expect to see an old woman. Ok, I did expect to see an old woman given the name of the store but I found it a lil surprising that her chair was centered and facing the front door...I was tempted to curtsy. She was casual in plain shorts and white t-shirt with her gray hair pulled up neat in a lil tiny bun that sat perfectly on her head.

The amount of items she had was so overwhelming, it was unbelievable. Clothing from different eras, albums, jewelry, a death mask, more dishes...a death mask? Hang on! "Is this a death mask?", I asked in total disbelief. That is not a very common antique store item. A coffin? Sure I have seen a few but never a death mask. She said it was the death mask of Pedro Infante, a famous Mexican actor and singer during the golden age of Mexican cinema in the 40's and 50's and died at the age of 39 in a plane accident. I remember watching his movies with my grandparents when I was kid. Very interesting, but is it authentic? Who knows but still an unusual piece.

Although I am not a fan of clutter and disarray I have to say I loved her store because it reminded me of things my grandmother once had. I asked her how she acquires her merchandise and she said she gets it from all over the U.S. through certain people she knows or estate sales. But now a days it is getting a little more difficult to get antiques. With the internet and antique subject based tv shows, people are hanging on to items or trying to sell them on ebay.

I was in there for about 30 minutes but it felt like hours had gone by. Strange isn't it.? Well, rather than ramble on and describe what I saw, I think I'll return to her store and take a few pictures. There is a lil skeleton in a bird cage I want to take a picture of. I'm sure it was just a halloween prop and not real bones.