Pocket Diaries of 1869 and 1870

I can't remember how I came to own these relics. These are the pocket diaries of Laura Stevens from 1869 and 1870.

I plan to one-day carefully photograph each page for reading.These are smaller than a wallet each.

I included the dollar bill for scale.

They have always been in the Whitmans Chocolate tin.

My Fathers Machete

This machete was my fathers. He had it in the jungles of Panama during WWII.

He gave it to me long ago when he saw I was collecting swords. He had seen my machete and commented on how the original canvas sheath he was had, was long ago rotted away.

It is made of really good spring steel and my dad resisted putting it on the grinder to sharpen it.

--Still cuts well and true.

The Carved Box

This Relic is a hand carved box that once belonged to Brenda's Mom.

It was used as a woman's dress glove box.
This box once belonged to Brenda's great Great Aunt Annie Reiner. It was a Christmas gift from her Aunt Florence Kuss in 1905.

It has that gift inscription burned into it's bottom.


I love the smell of the box when opened.

--The smell of time past...

The Borg Bear

This is a new Relic for my den.

Recently I was helping my daughter clean her room in preparation for heading to college in a few weeks.

We were have a good time discovering and talking about old science projects, photos, books and toys that reminded us of other days.

We came across this Teddy Bear that was a Borg! I brought this back from a business trip to Las Vegas years ago. While I was there I went to the Star Trek museum.


--She gave it back to me for my collection!

The Brass Lamp

This Relic is a beautiful brass floor lamp that was in my kids Grandparents house for decades.

It had several adventures in storage including being thought to have been stolen!

During Grandpa Burts last move it was found in an apartment storage unit.

Becky's sister was going to take it but the damn thing is six feet tall, made of brass, weighs a ton, while at the same time being fragile. Crating it and shipping was cost prohibitive.

We rewired it and replaced the fringe. Sometime in the next ten years we will get it to Ruth because when we retire, it all has to go!

--Works great in my den for now.

The Mirror

This Relic was a wall mirror that was originally my great grand mothers.

Then my grand mothers.

Then my fathers.

And now mine...

This mirror first came to my attention when I was about 9 years old. My brother Eric and I made a secret fort in the attic of one of our barns. There was a ton of things stored there from my fathers parents place. We ran an extension cord up there and had a nice craftsman style lamp, radio, oriental rugs and pillows.

In one of the trunks there was this mirror.

--The frame is made of plaster and has taken a beating over the years. But I still love it.

The Wire Dancer

This Relic is another piece art created by my daughter Cady.

It's made of simple materials from around the house. A wire hanger and some copper wires from the garage.

The photo does not do it justice. There is a butterfly on her outreached hand.


--Love the sculpture, and that girl!

The Oragami

In the mid 70's my brother Russell came home from his service in the air force. He was stationed in Taiwan and came home with a wife and son.

His wife, Hsiu made this for me. She told me it was good luck.


--I have had it over 30 years.

The Stereo Viewer

This Relic was a wonderful Christmas gift from my excellent wife Brenda one year.

I have a wonderful collection of antique stereo 3D photo cards.

I love them.

I have another viewer, the original one that I inherited along with my collection of cards. When Brenda saw that it was broken and repaired, it gave her the idea to buy me this gift.

--It is really beautiful. Just like her...

The Painting

Click the painting for a larger image

My father painted this painting. It hung in my childhood home as long as I can remember. It now hangs in my den.

--I love it. It's signed "WILS"

The Porcelin Jar

--This one even comes with a note written in my mothers own hand. A Relic itself!

The Metronome

This Relic is a recent addition.

It is a beautiful device.  It even sounds nice as it is keeps time.

This belonged to my wife's parents. An artifact of their children's piano lessons.

--The wood is simply lovely.

The Ansco

I have multiple cameras in the Relics collection.This one was owned by my wife Brenda's parents.

It is an Ansco Shur-Flash. It is a simple, basic box camera. It probably has not been used in 60 years. It was really advanced for it's time because it has a viewfinder.

One of these days I want to clean it up and find some film for it.

--In the mean time, it makes me think of Audrey, Brenda's mom.

The Rabbit Stone

This Relic is an art project that my daughter Cady did when she was little.

It's a paper weight.

It is painted on a river rock.

--I Love this Relic.

The Ruler

This Relic has been with me for over 40 years.

It is a simple Wilsey Nursery give away ruler.We gave these away by the hundreds. Bright Yellow and made of simple wood.

I used it in school. It lived in several of my tool boxes over the decades. Now it has earned a place of reverence in my Relics collection.

I tried calling the phone number and it is no longer functional. Odd thing is, when I was a kid, all you had to dial to get us was 9111. Four digit dialing.

It makes me think of the sales counter at the Nursery now.

--1633 Indian Falls Road...

The Musical Bird

This Relic belonged to my Mom.

It is on a musical base that rotates when it plays.

My Grandma Colburn had this with her in the nursing home for many years and that is why my mom always kept it.

It is kind of incongruous sitting in my little museum.

--I still do not know what the tune it is that it plays...

Update: the tune is Oh What a Beautiful Morning. Thanks, BR!

The Whittled Links

This Relic was actually whittled by the hands of my Gramps Jake.

Back in the olden days whittling was the xBox 360 entertainment of the day.

Grampa Jake could not read. My mom told me he was constantly sitting on the porch, trying to catch a breeze and  amusing himself with a bit of wood.

He originally gave this relic to my own father one time during a visit to central Alabama where he lived.

I only met Grampa Jake a few times. All I can remember was that he was a very tell, slim, quiet man. He died when I was 5 years old.

--This Relic makes me think of him. And simpler times...

The Trolls

This Relic is an original, unused, bumper sticker from my brothers rock band, The Little Trolls.

This was printed in the mid 1970's and has survived over 40 years so far!

Carl lives in Virginia now and still plays the keyboards to relax.

--Let the good times Troll!

The Cow

I have this Relic in the collection and I must say I do not know what the real story is behind it.

It is a small ceramic cow that my mom had as long as I can remember. it's about 4 inches long and has a small quarter inch hole at the base of his neck.

Is it an inkwell? A tiny vase?

--Mostly it's a dust magnet.

The Aviators

When I was 18 I took flying lessons.

My parents were very supportive in every way they could be. It turned out I was color blind and any thought of a career as a pilot was a non-starter. My parents even got me color blindness corrective contact lenses. One was red. It gave me a look that was un-nerving to some.

After I solo'd for the first time I came home very proud of myself and immediately told my folks.

Later that night my Father gave me his Aviator Sun glasses that he had during WWII.

I wore these glasses many times as I flew over our fields wagging my wings at my Pa out on the tractor.

--I will fly again some day soon...