Reds, yellows, purples, and whites, colorful flowers and foliage for autumn delights – decorations on front doors, outdoors, mantles, and tables, on view from windows, sliders, and gables – add some ribbons, moss, and whatever more, celebrate the season with creative decor. A large storage tub, full of seasonally-appropriate plastic flowers, holds endless possibilities for home crafting or just in time for craft fair displays … and now, it’s time for the Mailbag.

Fall floral assortment, ‘frost-proof’ hardy plastic

“While I’m always on the lookout for things to donate to the Mailbag, I have an ulterior motive for passing along this tub of artificial flowers, some ribbons and excelsior moss, and that is to deter my wife from dragging me to the craft fairs she likes so much … no offense, just not my thing,” says Bert the Picker of Nashua (LTR 1,775). “There are at least 20 springs of flowers (blue hydrangea, peony’s, roses, baby’s breath), in many fall colors, a small basket of tiny blue and red flowers, hanging clusters … too many to name even if I were more familiar with floral varieties. Hope someone, an individual or group, will enjoy having them.” Did you know that before the current season was referred to as autumn or fall, it was called harvest? Autumn has only one meaning: the season between summer and winter. The word fall, on the other hand, has many other meanings both as a noun or a verb, e.g., ‘when leaves fall.’ ‘fall for someone,’ ‘fall in line,’ ‘fall for a line’… Before I fall off the subject, folks interested in the flowers should give Bert a call at 883-0990. Leave a message and he will call you back.

Storage ‘in store’ for you?

“I have an industrial, metal storage locker for someone who could use it,” says Betty O. of Nashua (LTR 3,382). “It measures 7-foot tall by 4-foot wide by 18-inches deep. You will need a truck to come and pick it up.” Sounds like secure storage for someone who has space on-site at their home or business and the height makes it versatile for tall tools such as a tree pruner, roof rake, etc. Betty can be reached at 883-3021. Good to ‘think storage’ before the snow flies!

Has crib for baby; Crate for small pup

“I have a crib and mattress to give away,” writes Barbara H. of Nashua (LTR 3,383). “Also have a dog crate for a small dog. Thanks.” Here’s a bit of trivia on baby cribs: Until the 19th century, children often slept with their parents due to lack of space and rooms (actually, parents often slept in separate rooms where children slept in the same bed as their mother) –

Simplybabyfurniture website. As with many inventions, dog crates, basically wooden slatted crates were designed for the military to transport military dogs for WWII. In 1962, a man named Doxel got a contract with an Airline to make wooden crates for pet transport. Production of plastic crates began in 1968 – history of dog crates. And now you have ‘the rest of the stories’… for a chance to have the baby crib and/ or the dog crate, contact Barbara via email at: barbyann12@gmail.com.

Knitting, can keep you ‘in stitches’

“I have 16 pairs of knitting needles to give away,” says Annette A. of Nashua (LTR 2,493). “They are all sizes and lengths. Some metal and some plastic. Hopefully someone can use them.” The oldest knitted artifacts are socks from Egypt, dating from the 11th century CE (CE for Common Era, a modern alternative for AD, meaning Anno Domini). Wonder if it was a matching ‘pair,’ or if the missing sock dilemma was ‘common to that era, too’? For sure, Annette can be reached at 882-9017.

Note: Folks, whenever possible please let me know the status of an offer or request, preferably a first name and location of the donor or recipient. ‘Updates’ show other readers that The Mailbag ‘works’! Thanks much.

Contact Chris’ Mailbag by emailing christine.graham33@gmail.com or sending mail to Chris’ Mailbag c/o The Telegraph, 110 Main St., Suite 1, Nashua 03060. Include full name and complete address, along with telephone number or email address for publication, if applicable. Items eligible for publication are for donation, trade or barter only; requests of items for sale or purchase will not be included.

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