Dear Reader Column 07-13-2020

Dear Reader,

I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a kid, and on every single one of my visits we always went to the resale/antique store. It was two towns over from Lancaster, Wisconsin where my grandparents lived, but even the drive to the store was a treat for me. I sat in the backseat of the olive green Studebaker, and it sounds bizarre, but the more right and left turns Grandpa made on the way to the store, the more I enjoyed the trip. The turn signal on Grandpa's car made a distinctive, resonating clicking sound, and for some reason I found it very comforting. Over the years, instead of counting sheep when I couldn't sleep, if I listened real hard I could hear the click, click, click, of Grandpa's turn signal and soon I'd fall asleep.

My grandparents introduced me to the fun of visiting second-hand stores and I've been hooked ever since. Now when I walk through a store, it feels so familiar because I see my grandparents on every shelf. There's Grandma's cookie jar, those poinsettia water glasses in the display case were always on the Christmas dinner table, that chest of drawers looks familiar too, and when I see old woodworking tools, I picture them hanging on the board my grandfather had in his basement shop. Grandpa was very organized, every tool hanging on the board had a designated place.

You didn't have to dress up to go shopping at the second-hand store, but whenever Grandma was going shopping anywhere, before she left the house, she put on a fancy going-to-town hat, touched up her lipstick in the mirror, then gently ran her hands down the front of her dress to smooth out any wrinkles, and finally, when she gently rested her handbag on her wrist, Grandpa and I knew that was the signal--we were ready to go.

I do like vintage dishes and knickknacks, but I've fallen in love with vintage hats. I assembled such a collection that five years ago, I had a Vintage Hat Party in my friend's vintage clothing store. Obviously I'm not the only one in love with the hats, because I sold every single one I displayed.

But I have kept some of my favorite hats, because I love the way they make me feel when I'm wearing them.The first time I ever wore a vintage hat, a warm wonderful feeling came over me; I smiled and giggled as I looked in the mirror because I think I discovered a bit of the magic Grandma must have felt as she was getting ready to go-to-town.

If you'd like to see some of my favorite vintage hats, click here.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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Comments

[Cindy]

Suzanne-
You always look so classy and stylish in a vintage hat!
Stunning and elegant.
It was such fun doing a hat trunk show with you. Vintage hats from Michigan to a vintage shop in Florida. An amazing experience. The hats, the displays, the party! Thank you again.
Cindy