On our way to the ferry that takes us to Sweden from Frederikshavn in Northern Denmark we like to visit a special shop driven by an old woman in her eighties.

The “antiques” she sells are put in neat order and arranged so that it’s like visiting a museum from our great grand mother’s time. Her white linen bedclothes with embroidered insertions and baby clothes from a distant time are ironed perfectly and arranged in old wooden shelves.

“Rubbish & Cinnamon” ( The name of the shop).

Once we came we had to get cash to pay. Next time she had an electronic way of paying. In Denmark we don’t use cash very much so that was nice. We are never sure of her opening hours and this time in May on our way to Sweden we came to a locked door. On the door was a sign that said that we were welcome to call her. We did and ten minutes later she arrived and opened the shop for us. You don’t leave without buying anything when you get such a service.

I bought the cradle as I felt it ought to come and stay at my place. Last year I bought one of the milk bottles as they were like those we had in my childhood. My grandmother had a table dustpan and the brush and I had not seen such a thing since the 1950s. Suddenly the memory became alive seeing this in the shop. The dolls are nice but too expensive and I have already collected enough of dolls.

The embroidered things remind me of the big job that was invested in making such fine things for the household. As far as I know young girls were working on these things for years before they got married to be able to have a beautiful home.

I admire that a woman in her eighties is still working on finding treasures to be sold in her shop. Next time I go there I will ask the shop owner if I can take a photo of her to put here in this post.

Doll’s clothes

porcelain and blue enamel kitchen ware from the 1920s

a silver-gilt dustpan and a brush for the table

An old weekly journal from 1920s

A photo from her Facebook page at Easter time