Old farm house attic is full of old stuff — Our attic is full of Uncle Tim's and Aunt Mammie's stuff including dishes, old jars, bottles, catalogues, and books.

Peek into our attic

When I first came to Payne Mountain Farms in 2001, the attic was a mysterious place. I could tell that no one had touched the upstairs area in decades, because old spider webs were everywhere and dust was thick.

old lawn chair in the attic — This old lawn chair is from the 1950's. It makes a comfortable place to read on a rainy day.

After settling into the house, I started working on the downstairs first. Tony wasn’t used to change, but agreed that improvements were needed. After being a bachelor for over 20 years, cleaning was OK with him, but he didn’t like the furniture to be moved.

I had to take my time so he could get used to things. It was slow going at first but he finally came around to new ideas.

Goodbye to the bachelor pad

After about a year, people could tell a woman had moved in. The bachelor pad slowly became a home.

I added new curtains, bright pillows, and artwork. I had so much to do, the attic was last on the list.

old linoleum in the attic — We pulled up the old linoleum and uncovered beautiful oak flooring.

Tony did major remodeling, too. We replaced rotten flooring and updated the bathroom. Tony even bought a new washing machine for Mother’s Day. That was a nice surprise since the old one leaked water and was sitting in the back yard! We filled it with a water hose and in drained into a ditch. Talk about a hillbilly life!

Time to tackle the attic

Finally it was time to work on the attic. I headed up there with vacuum cleaner and dust rags in hand.

My first battle was with spiders and silverfish. I sucked up most of them as quickly as possible. Thank God I didn’t find snakes, bats, or mice, but flying squirrels were a problems for a while.

old chairs, bottles, and magazines in the attic — Here is another reading nook in our attic. The plants like to be up there in winter where it is sunny and warm.

Attic shelves are full of jars and old bottles — All the shelves in the attic were filled with old bottles, jars, and dishes. After cleaning everything, I left most of the stuff up there.

Lots of antiques and vintage stuff

I had never explored an attic before. I found everything from antique furniture and tools to vintage Sears & Roebuck catalogues buried in piles of junk. There were old books, medicine bottles, linens, clothes, tools, and stacks of newspapers. A lot of it was garbage, some of it was collectible, and a few things were valuable.

Old and yellow, this is a copy of the North Georgia News — This is an old edition of the North Georgia News. The local paper is still in business!

We toted garbage bags full of moldy, stained clothing, rotten linens, and bug-infested papers downstairs to the trash. We also got rid of old mattresses, box springs, and broken furniture that had been put up there many years ago.

Nothing was a surprise to Tony. He went through everything way before I came along and knew what was up there, but to me it was an exciting treasure hunt.

Like a treasure hunt

I salvaged all kinds of things. Some of my favorite items included the Sears mail-order catalogues and old magazines from before I was born. I sealed them up in large plastic baggies so that insects couldn't eat them.

I spend rainy days up in the attic looking at the magazines and catalogues. I love the artwork and the prices. Back in the 1950's, a pair of nice leather boots cost $3.50.

I also found stacks of old dishes, boxes of blue Mason jars, a few toys, and lots of Aunt Mammie and Uncle Tim's stuff. There was even an antique bonnet still in its box, a large spinning wheel, and a medical bag with pills for the dropsy.

The attic today

We cleaned up the attic and made part of it into a little bedroom.

The rest of the attic is like a museum. I am sure Aunt Mammie and Uncle Tim would be proud of us for keeping the house up, and saving their stuff for future generations. It sure has been fun!

Thanks for reading my blog. Jan.

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To purchase heirloom corn seed, yellowroot, and other herbs, visit Every Green Herb (our herbal encyclopedia and online store).

Payne Mountain Farms
322 EV Farm Dr.
Blairsville, GA 30512 USA

This post contains original photos, text, and other content by Janice Boling. If stock photos are used, credits are given. Sources are also listed when applicable.