From One Side to Another . . .

Years and years ago on  road trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin we came home through the tip of Illinois and stopped in a town that I'd read about in magazines and always wanted to visit, Galena, Illinois.

It is a neat historic town with a wonderful downtown full of wonderful touristy shops especially some nice antique shops.

In one, we happened to notice a "stove" -- it caught both of our eyes and we checked the price which was far too dear for us -- for what would we do with such a piece?

And the owner came over, saw a customer with some interest in this stove and said that he would take $100 for it.   

"SOLD"

He was European and said that the stove had come over with him.    It was a shop featuring mostly French antiques (in an Illinois river town -- go figure!) but the stove is German.     And for years it lived on our front porch.

And then we had the breakfast room built and it was moved inside  -- tucked into this corner.

The stove -- banished to the corner -- hidden, really.

It's ceramic and I'm sure if it was hooked up properly lit would work.    I've never liked it in this corner . . . for I think it should be a focal point piece -- not a tucked into the corner piece.      And besides, it reminds me of . . .

Much prettier than Linderhof's stove, it was workable (although we didn't know how) and reminded us so much of our little heating stove back home!

This stove which was in the dining room of our English Cottage, Blue Row.     It was nice to find this stove there for it reminded me (during our stay in England) of our beloved Linderhof.

A pedestal with a secret -- CD storage inside and the Christmas cactus on top!

In front of the doors, we had our pedestal -- not just a "pedestal", it's also storage for our CD collection -- a nifty subterfuge, methinks.

And today, at breakfast,  the "light bulb" came on!   

The stove, now taking pride of place in the breakfast room and reminding us of the wonderful dining room at Blue Row!

And I switched them . . . I moved the stove in front of the windows (and I may, just may, put some pipe so it looks as if it does work)

I always thought this was a better place for the pedestal and the orange tree looks much better on top of a pedestal than on top of a stove!

And I put the pedestal in the corner -- which is where it resided until we moved the stove in.    It's much easier to get to the CDs (for the CD player is close by) and the orange tree on top is not "catawompis" as it was on top of the stove -- for the stove's top is not entirely level!

I am happy with this small change and yes -- I did it by myself -- the pedestal was a "snap" to move -- the stove not so much but I can be stubborn about things and I was determined that I could get it moved!

It's Monday and although it is more of a change than a metamorphosis, I am sharing this with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday.