Grief shopping is a thing, right? Last month I rented a truck and drove to Louisiana to sort through things my mother salvaged from my grandmother’s house post-hurricane. Since they both passed away earlier this year, I had no idea what I’d find, but I had hoped to at least come home with a Hoosier cabinet, pictures, and some of the milk glass that my grandmother collected and cherished. I did find the Hoosier and other antique pieces that I’m working on restoring, dozens of photo albums, a few dishes and depression glass…but not a single piece of blue or lavender milk glass that I remember being in her kitchen pre-hurricane.
[Read the origin story of these heirloom restorations here: Heirloom Restoration]
My grandmother Nonna with some of her collection in 1983 
Her baby chair
Now, I’m not a sentimental person when it comes to “stuff,” but my grandmother was. And I did tell mom not to try to salvage everything, particularly porous material that would have been damaged by water (mold, mildew, other icky things). So I was pretty upset to find that the milk glass was gone. I don’t know for sure if she gave it away or if the remediation company hauled it off. But it’s gone, and I got real salty about it.
Fenton pinwheel compote bowl 
What I did come home with were a few pieces of pure white milk glass, and an odd yellowish bowl I later found out is Uranium glass made by Fenton (original sticker is still on the piece). Under a ultraviolet/black light, the yellow custard satin Fenton bowl glows bright green, which is pretty cool! Science!!
[Related: Nonna’s Recipes and Nonna’s Peanut Butter Fudge]
Fenton persian medallion cherry blossom bowl 
My craft room
So I did what any grief-stricken shopaholic would do and I bought a random blue satin bowl on eBay. It wasn’t a piece that my grandmother collected, not that I know of. From multiple pictures I’ve identified several of her pieces such as long tail birds, a button and daisy bell and boot, a water lily candy/compote bowl with lid, praying boy and girl, and hen on nest, to name a few. I wasn’t about to replace them, but I did instantly feel better having a piece that reminded me of her collection. And then I kept (grief?) shopping…
Fenton water lily lidded compote bowl 
Fenton water lily bowl 
Fenton button and daisy bell 
Fenton strawberry toothpick holder 
Fenton long tail bird 
Fenton persian medallion cherry blossom bowl 
As it turns out, uranium “custard” glass is my jam. Like, I love love it. I think it’s pretty cool to have (harmless) radioactive conversation pieces, and they are now spread around my house. Satin yellow custard, like my grandmother’s pinwheel bowl, all glowing bright under a black light. Some glow brighter than others, and I’m tempted to get a Geiger counter to test the different pieces. Because science!!
Fenton ruffle top persian medallion compote bowl 
Fenton(?) pinwheel toothpick holder 
One such piece that glows brighter is the ruffle top persian medallion bowl that is more green than yellow in natural light. And one piece that doesn’t glow at all is the pinwheel toothpick holder. It could be a reproduction, or a piece made during the uranium restriction from WWII to the Cold War…or it could be Imperial #505 Bellaire Octogon, which looks exactly like this, but also resembles my pinwheel compote bowl. Oh well, still cool. I think I’m finished shopping for Fenton pieces, and I feel more connected to Nonna with my own collection. It’s like all these years later, we now have this thing, like many other things, in common.
For more in the series, click here: Heirloom Restoration or follow the corresponding board on Pinterest.