Jane Burnette: July 2013

If life is a bowl of cherries, going to the hospital is the pits.

My Mom (83) recently hurt her back and spent some time as a guest of one of our fine hospitals here in Gainesville, Florida. She has now improved to the point where she is in therapy at Woodlands, one of the best rehabilitation establishments I have ever seen. The atmosphere between the two places is like night and day.

Woodlands has a happy, home-like feel, with personnel who smile and say "Hello" and residents who want to be friends and planned activities that all can enjoy no matter what age they are.

On the other hand, our hospital experience doesn't merit more than a fleeting mention, and then deserves to be forgotten.

Needless to say, at the lowest emotional level of having a loved one in pain and a situation out of control, I turned to one of my "escape from it all" pastimes and beat it to an antique shop - The Painted Table in Thornebrook Village in Gainesville. After all, therapy is therapy.

I didn't have a chance to venture out any farther, and this is a great alternative to one of the big antique malls. Here you can see a large collection of really cool stuff including antiques, collectibles, old things that may become collectibles and other old things that may become antiques. And then there are also things that are just cute or unusual. I would say a little something for everyone.

Wandering around I saw this beautiful porcelain pooch and he reminded me of the dalmatian we used to have when I was younger. Technically, he was my brother's dog but he loved everybody and everybody loved him. He even loved to sit under tables. Well, this guy gladdened my heart so I took a pic to show Mom when I went to see her.

Dogs, real or not, are good for you.

Farther on I saw this darling little vanity. Compact, clean lines, very cute. Made me think of my granddaughter, who would like it better if it had pictures of One Direction stuck all over it. I guess we all have our Beatles.

I really like looking at it.

And, tell me truthfully, could you walk by this lamp without a look? Really? Well if you can, you're a better man than I am Gunga Din (although, if you're a guy, you're already a better man than I am). Lamps like this one don't entice you they demand attention.

Hello Beautiful. Another day perhaps.

I have a set of barrister boxes my late husband bought for me in a small shop in Stark. I love them and wish I had more. I keep an eye out for that set that is going to knock me on my keister. These two sets are lovely, but I was able to walk away so they are not the right ones.

In most of the shops I visit, there is always the book corner or room or wall or area of some kind, and I never skip it. Here I found art, magazines, hardback, paperback, old, new, and all in-between. Didn't have time to look at more than a third of the material, but even then found something I wanted that I could afford (want happens a lot, afford is not so common)