REMEMBERING MARION AND "BABE" VARNEY OF NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASS

Summer Street at Prospect, North Brookfield, MA is the location of this Victorian splendor. It served as the Varney's castle for decades. Further, it was the repository of the Varney's antique inventory. Their shop was in West Brookfield. You know the location.








As  budding auctioneer, somehow, I 'volunteered' to help liquidate the Vellis King Estate in the Congregational Church hall. The proceeds were earmarked for Marion's painter's guild. Marion was in charge. I distinctly remember auctioning a photograph of Henry David Thoreau for one hundred dollars!




Years went by and Marion decided to sell her big house and move to "Podunk" to a delightful Cape. Darrell helped all in the move. I was hired to sell at auction Marion's and Babe's vast antique inventory. Marion loved me and I her. When I called her I would always say "Hi, Mrs. Varney."


The long and short of it is Marion instructed me in the ways of American antiquity. I remember the term millifiori. as applied to decorative glass wear. Marion wanted me to succeed as an aspiring auctioneer.








In selling her house another agent told her "it's overpriced" at $190,000. She was between a rock and a hard spot as her heart was now in "Podunk." I got lucky, got the listing and made a sale to Marlena, a Bostonian, and staged an auction in the driveway at Summer Street. I featured George M. Cohan music from "George M" and editor Sandy Miller wrote of it "blaring."








The estate was so formidable. A highlight was an autographed document from one Benjamin Franklin which Marion sold to me for $1,000! If anything, Marion Watson Varney was genuine. Her artistic prowess was revealed in her tole painting. What I liked most of all was her sense of humor as Judy in New Mexico just commented on.








106 Summer Street, North Brookfield, was Marion's Camelot. For me it was my graduate school in American antiquity! I show Christ Memorial Church post card as artist Jacob Knight featured Marion and Babe' wedding in his Town of N.Brookfield painting.








I will be happy to have any more memories of Marion posted!

Marion's Shoppe

SMARTPHONE INFO AND FACTS 2017

This is the latest from the Internet and Pew Institute.


1. 1.4 billion smartphones were sold in 2015.
2.One billion were made in 2014.
3. Three billion people worldwide now use the internet.
4. The mobile industry generates +3.1 trillion in annual revenues.
5. Mobile devices are biggest and desktops are secondary.
6. By 2018., 8 in 10 e-mail users will access e-mails from mobile devices
7 More than 8.4 billion people globally are expected to use mobile phones  today.


Since 1999 our lives have changed exponentially and we ain't seen nothing yet.

Smartphone enthusiast at the Boston Marathon

BROOKFIELD, MA CENTER

Here's some more beauties of Olde Brookfield...
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PAGEVIEWS TODAY 1,180

We are soaring like the new supersonic! Apparently people like what I offer! Thank you. Tomorrow I will feature the history of the Smartphone, introduced in 1999. Stay tuned! All time PV 80,400.

SEARS PREFAB HOME IN NORTH BROOKFIELD

I sold this lovely Victorian for Marion Varney in 1986! Summer Street, NB. for $150,000!

QUABAUG SPRING WATER

This was a short-lived enterprise of Theodore C. Bates. It came about when Spring Water was the craze, around 1900. Bates was a high-roller delving in many things about North Brookfield. The library, the train station, the school system, you name it and Bates was involved!




Senator Bates was responsible for the building of the Water Works and the Observatory. He lived to see his dream fulfilled but when he died in 1909 all of the Quaboag Spring materials were relegated to the Wendemuth attic on Bates Street. For decades the remains remained dormant. Then one day in 1979 Julia Wendemuth decided to sell everything go me. There were thousands of QS Water labels, boxes, and  bottles unique to the Bates enterprise.  Some may remember seeing the shed in the field where the spring came to surface.




The North Brookfield Historical Museum had first dibs. All of the important materials can be seen today at the museum. Survival printings can still be found at the Brimfield Flea Market or online!




Theodore C. Bates was quite the guy and good citizen. His acts inspire me to this day.

1893 muster. Note the incredible water power in NB because of the location of the reservoir.

IT'S MAY!

It's May, it's May, the lusty month of May as Julie Andrews sings in Camelot. April is a swing month and did it's thing giving us more moderate temperatures, a little snow, and the hope of a new season. Now let's hope for redolent lilacs, busting red  poppies and happiness.


Cool nights are fun. Birds sing and the miracle of life defines our existences. Vacations begin, friends stop by but why? IT"S MAY! And yes, there's yard work. LOL.