I ♥️ Mason Jars

Do you?

I have a ♥️ for Mason jars. It kinda happened subtly, not intentionally. Before I knew it, I had several here and there in our home.

I’ve lived and traveled Mason jar heaven; from the midwest to the east coast. My grandparents used to have Mason jars filled with canned goodness. My aunts used to serve fresh milk from a Mason jar and make homemade, canned jams and jellies.

While on the east coast, I found some Mason jars that were different from the norm I was familiar with where I grew up, and I found some old zinc lids, including some milk glass and transparent glass liners.

Blue Mason Jars…

I especially loved the blue glass Mason jars, so I bought some remakes to use for drinking glasses. Slowly I replaced broken drinking glasses in our home with Mason jars from sauces we bought at the store.

When we started Rustic Country Market, I hooked up with Mason Jar Lifestyles, a small, family based business located in Colorado. I started carrying various Mason jar accessories. Oh, but it didn’t stop there. I started to sell our fresh roasted coffee beans in Mason jars.

We recently acquired a couple old, dirty Mason jars, which inspired me to do some history digging. To my amazement, Mason jars play a huge part in the history of the U.S.A., and since I’m a patriot (and veteran) I decided to share what I learned.

I was taught we are supposed to give citations for our sources, but this info is quite common if you spend time doing the internet research. Let’s face it, all information is passed down one way or another. I’ll use my own words based on all the info I gathered…

How Mason jars got their name…

John Landis Mason was born in New Jersey. He was a tinsmith in New York. At the age of 26, he invented the screw on lid, and then patented the Mason jar and screw on lid in 1858. It is my understanding he did not patent the rubber seal under the lid that provided the airtight seal. He attempted to patent the rubber seal, but he was too late. Other companies were using rubber seals with their jars. After his patent expired (1878), Mason was unable to protect his patent via the court system, opening the way for new, “Improved Mason Jar” patents.

Sadly, Mr. Mason died poor in 1902, but his Mason jar legacy lives on with his name.

Mason Jars are a collectible and a common household item today…

Ball started using Mason’s design in 1880, branding it the “Improved Mason Jar.” Blue Ball Mason Jars were produced the late 1880’s – the late 1930’s. Ball’s “Perfect Mason” was produced circa 1913 – 1922. “Ideal” Mason Jars were produced circa 1915 – 1962.

Royal Square Fruit Jars, made by A.G. Smalley Co., Boston and New York, were patented in 1896. The company closed circa 1918.

Atlas Mason Jars were started 1902. Atlas EZ Seal were produced in the early 1900’s. Atlas Strong Shoulder Mason Jars were produced circa 1920’s – 40’s.

Drey Mason Jars were made in the late nineteen hundreds to 1925, until Ball bought them. Ball continued to make Drey Mason Jars for a few years.

Did you know…

  • Mason jars (Patent 1858) were originally made of handblown glass. They can be identified by the air bubbles in the glass jar.
  • Circa 1908: Mason jars were machine made and will typically have a mold seam (line) in the glass and a glass mold and/or production mark on the bottom.
  • There were 2 common types of Mason jar closures:
    • The wire bail and glass lid that clamps down (Lightening Seal) common prior to the 1920’s.
    • Screw top jars which became more popular after the 1920’s.
  • When aging your Mason jar pay attention to the glass quality, closure, jar shape, color, logo, brand name, and base/mold/production marks.
  • Ball Mason jars were popular in eastern USA.
  • Kerr Mason jars were popular in western USA.
  • The brands Ball, Kerr and Golden Harvest Mason jars are all manufactured by the same company since 2022.
  • MARK YOUR CALENDAR: National Mason Jar Day is November 30th.

I think John Mason’s descendants should be proud that today we use their namesake “Mason” jars for endless purposes.

Until next time…

We aren’t just a market, we are Rustic Country Market Living.

Inspiring Home Life ♥️,

THE RELENTLESS REDECORATOR

Family Keepsakes…

Our house is filled with things that have stories connected to them, all near and dear to our family. My decor style is eclectic. I love to highlight imperfect things.

If it’s tattered, that’s because there’s a story connected to it…

Board Games…

Our family loves to play games. When my 80+ year old mom moved into our home with us, she came with several family keepsakes. One was an old “Uncle Wiggily” (TM) Game board.

The game board is now displayed on a shelf in our game room. (I love shelves.) My mom told me this game belonged to my father’s mother. Grandma kept this game to play with her grandchildren. She had a lot of grandchildren. The game’s cards and tokens are long gone. It’s not in perfect condition, but I enjoy having it for nostalgia.

When I look at the game, it brings back memories of playing games on grandma’s big table, the smell of her coffee brewing (and over brewing) on her stove and the fact that she always kept cookies on hand for her grandchildren. Especially those strawberry, chocolate and vanilla cream filled wafer cookies (which I stopped liking in my teen years).

According to https://boardgamegeek.com: This game is based on the character “Uncle Wiggily Longears” which was in a children’s book created in 1910. The game was first introduced by the Milton Bradley Company in 1916. It was modified in 1923, 1949, and 1955.

Playing Catch…

Another family keepsake on our game room shelf is my dad’s baseball glove. It’s an All Star 727 Ralph Kiner. My dad and brother use to play catch with a softball in our big front yard and this was the glove my dad used. Seeing it brings back memories of the smell of fresh cut grass, pine trees, damp dirt and the sound of a softball hitting the glove.

According to https://www.baseball-almanac.com : Ralph Kiner was the National League home run champion in every one of his first seven seasons in the Major Leagues, 1946 through 1952. I don’t know when my dad got this glove, but I do know he had it before I was old enough to know what a baseball glove was for. I also know that my dad enjoyed watching baseball, so owning this Ralph Kiner glove would fit with his era. My mom guessed that my dad played catch with his older brothers and nephews prior to having his own children.

The little girl in the photo is my mom. She was 2 years old. The photo was taken in Chicago. She was first generation born in the U.S.A. The photo of the teenage boy is my father’s graduation picture. He was 17 years old. He joined the Navy during WWII.

Let’s inspire together…

What do you have in your house that has a family story connected to it? Share it on https://www.facebook.com/RusticCountryMarket

Until next time…

Inspiring Home Life,

The Relentless Redecorator

What does Boho (Bohemian) mean to me?

Some people refer to Boho-Chic and Bohemian and as a fashionable clothing look. Other’s identify Bohemian and Boho as a decor theme. For many years the term Bohemian has been connected with bands of gypsies from Bohemia, that lived artful, hippie lifestyles. I’ve heard people say, “That’s so Bohemian.” And let’s not forget the popular rock song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

I personally love the “Boho” clothing style. I’ve even considered starting an online store that includes the “Boho” look.

But what does Bohemian really mean?

For me, Bohemian refers to my heritage, and part of my family’s culture and history. As a child, I never saw a connection between Bohemians and gypsies. The only mention I ever heard regarding gypsies was when my grandmother would tease me that she was going to sell me to the gypsies. I’m guessing my grandmother had heard the reference between gypsies and Bohemians when she was growing up.

I grew up influenced by the Bohemian culture…

You see, I’m 2nd generation, born in the U.S.A. on my mother’s, mother’s side. My grandmother was born in Prague in 1906, which was the capital of old Bohemia at the time, located in what was formally Czechoslovakia. Bohemia dissolved into Czechoslovakia around 1918. My great grandmother and great grandfather moved from Czechoslovakia to the U.S.A. via Ellis Island with my (infant) grandmother in 1907. They settled in a Czech community outside the Chicago area.

Dressed in Their National Costumes

The above photos are my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather wearing their traditional, national costume. National costumes varied based on the region you came from. Variations were seen in the style of clothes, accessories, embroidery patterns, colors, beads, lace, etc. Note the detailed embroidery on my great grandfather’s shirt.

Sokol Club, Chicago, IL Photo CIRCA 1930’s

The American Sokol Club: A Czech athletic club that hosted Czech Day in Chicago. The Sokols housed Czech social, cultural, and athletic clubs in the Chicago area. My great grandparents participated in Sokol Club events.

My Bohemian Heritage

Not all my family (on my mother’s mother’s side) spoke English. My great grandmother spoke Czech, my grandmother was bilingual and my mother partially spoke Czech. I only used a few words to identify things or address people. I called my great grandmother “Babi” which translates to Granny, from Czech to English. My grandmother was a Naturalize Citizen.

My great grandfather passed away in 1934. My great grandmother eventually remarried a Russian-Czech widower.

The Food We Ate

I grew up eating homemade food most of my peers never ate, unless they were at my house. We ate schnitzel, cooked potato dumplings, raw potato dumplings, yeast dumplings, plum dumplings, yeast pancakes, potato pancakes, braided bread, dill gravy, tomato gravy, Hungarian goulash, sauerkraut and sweet-kraut. We enjoyed kolache and strudel, along with many other homemade Bavarian style pastries.

Bohemian History

The above picture is my great grandmother with her 2nd husband, dressed in their National Costumes, attending a Czech celebration. Note that my great grandmother was wearing the brightly colored kerchief like the one pictured on the right, tucked in at her waist. This gives you an idea of the colors they was wearing. Yes, I have this kerchief today. It was passed down thru generations from my great grandmother, to my grandmother, to my mom to me.

My great grandmother was holding a 1942 Lidice flag. I wondered why she was holding it, so I did an internet search on the name Lidice. I found the following info: “Lidice was a small town in the former Czechoslovakia located about 12 miles from Prague. German forces destroyed the town and murdered or deported its inhabitants in retaliation for the assassination in 1942 of Reinhard Heydrich, a prominent Nazi official.” You can read more about this tragic story on the Holocaust Encyclopedia: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/lidice

Back in Czechoslovakia

I imagine it was very hard for my great grandparents to hear the threat of war near their homeland. After W.W.I (1916-1919) Czechoslovakia remained a stable democratic country; however, they faced heavy opposition from Germany. The Communist Party (founded in 1920) took over Czechoslovakia in 1938. My great grandmother had 3 sisters, 2 moved to America in the early 1900’s.  

My great grandmother’s one sister that stayed in Czechoslovakia owned a family vineyard with her husband. When the Communist government took over, they confiscated the vineyard and forced them to have other family members move in with them in order to keep their large home.

My great grandmother returned to her homeland two times, once in the 1930’s and a second time in the 1940’s.

One of my favorite childhood memories:
Visiting Babi (my Great Grandmother) in her mobile home.
CIRCA 1960’s.

My grandmother visited Czechoslovakia with one of her Bohemian cousins in 1978. While there, they connected with family and visited family landmarks. I have my grandmother’s photos and journals from that trip. I would love to take a trip over there one day, maybe even follow in my grandmother’s itinerary. I wish I was in touch with our Czech relatives today.

So the next time you hear or see “Bohemian” or “Boho” describing a fashionable look; remember, for many, Bohemian means culture and family heritage.

Inspiring Home Life,

THE RELENTLESS REDECORATOR

Got Roses?

25th Wedding Anniversary Flowers

Red roses symbolize love and they are typically given on a special occasion. I received the roses pictured above this year on my 25th Wedding Anniversary. They were pretty and they smelled wonderful. Sadly, roses don’t last forever; but what if I want to keep them for memory sake???

What do you do when the roses given to you start to wilt? Do you toss them in the trash? Do you keep them until all the rose petals fall off? Do you wish you could keep them longer?

When I want to keep my roses, all I do is bunch them together before the petals start dropping off and hang them upside down . Once they are dried out, I can put them in a vase and enjoy them a lot longer!

The Relentless Redecorator