Renewed & Rescued

Where I go for a little TLC

There’s a not-so-little nook I’ve taken to retreat to throughout the last year or so called Renewed & Rescued. It’s a quality consignment shop located in the very worn and tired, once-thriving Village of Herkimer, and it’s filled with magical memories and carefully crafted goods that promises something for everyone.

Renewed & Rescued is the perfect name for this haven. It gives life to Main Street, promising hope and encouraging other businesses ‘yes, you too can thrive here.’ It finds home for trinkets and treasures, quality vintage furniture and fun things that were once lost to yesterday, forgotten in someone’s overstuffed attic, or boxed up and abandoned in a basement.

But for me, Renewed & Rescued was more than just a place to pick up the perfect lamp for my desk, or a home made candle, or a jar of local honey, or even holiday decor.

Renewed & Rescued offered much needed therapy during a very rough year of my life. And I will always hold Tammy and Bertie and their caring, creative staff in a special place in my heart for being there for me time, and time, and time, and yes, time again as I hauled in bin after bin after bin of mementos and keepsakes collected throughout the last four decades of my life. They rescued and renewed me when I needed it most.

One of the many great things about this business is that after a consignor drops off their items to sell, if no one buys them within a few months the pieces get donated to a little thrift shop in Ilion, called The Cornerstone Shop, in Ilion. This means so much to me because it brought me closer to my mom, JoAnne Jones, who passed away in 2012. She would have LOVED Renewed & Rescued, as she loved thrift stores, good will, garage sales. But even more heartwarming, my mom had volunteered for years at the thrift store my unsold goods would end up at. It was a bit funny because a lot of the stuff I’d hauled from my attic were things that my mom had discovered and dropped off for me during her thrift store outings.

Synchronicity at its best.

The very first time I visited Tammy to inquire about how things worked, I had just taken the first step in a task that proved to be monumental in a healing journey I’ve been on since October 18, 2019. That’s a whole other blog for somewhere in the future. So for the next few years I did the emotional cleansing and healing, but in early 2023 I knew it was time to put that healing to the test and start to unload all of the memories and yes, some trauma and pain, I had stored away in my attic throughout my life.

And so began THE GREAT PURGE. Physically and emotionally. I’m not sure what Tammy thought of me the first visit where I started unloading all my baggage, I mean my treasures. I remember crying and I remember her hugging me. I remember telling her about many of the memories associated with the things I was entrusting her with. I talked about my mom, how much I loved and missed her and how I wished I’d had more days to garage sale with her.

Visit after visit I became lighter, freer, more healed. Until finally, one day, I was able to take a pause to reassess what was left. My attic was ready for renovations, and so was my life. I’d been renewed. They’d rescued me. And now it was time to start living again.

That began with purchasing an adorable little teapot from them. And then a few lamps. And some holiday decor. Now I stop in when I need a gift, or I’m looking for local sweet treats like jars of whipped honey or dried ginger, or popcorn.

It’s the perfect place to find unique gifts for loved ones. Or to sit a spell and have a cuppa with a friend, or favorite sister who shares your mom’s love of thrift stores.

So whether you are just looking to pass some time, or need a quick gift, or want to make a little cash with a few quality (key word is quality) collectibles you need to unload, Renewed & Rescued is the place to go.

There are other aspects to this location called Mohawk Valley Community Market, like The Mungers 1918 Luncheonette in the level below, that pays tribute to the old Mungers Department Store that once occupied this space on Main Street. Here you’ll find all sorts of Italian foods for sale as well a delicious menu to enjoy while you take a break from shopping!

The most exciting news coming from Main Street is the opening of a Victorian TEA ROOM! Right here in Herkimer! I’ll be sure to pop in this Memorial Day Weekend to have a spot of tea and take a look around!

How does this all tie in with Janina Grey? After all, this is a Janina Grey blog. During one of my jaunts there with my sister, Jeana, who found the perfect table and chairs for her kitchen only to learn Bertie would not part with it no matter what . . .

. . . Bertie (who is an avid reader) ‘met’ my alter ego – Janina Grey. She and Tammy gushed and woohooed me and asked why I wasn’t selling my books at their location. Soooooo, ta dah! You can now pick up your favorite Janina Grey stories at Renewed & Rescued!

So stay tuned for more Janina Grey and Renewed & Rescued adventures. Like possibly a book signing and reading at their Victorian Tea Shop???

Many thanks to Tammy and Bertie for the countless hours of therapy you provided, and for giving all my beloved trinkets the chance to find a new home, and now, for embracing Janina Grey and sharing this adventure with me.

For those of you who haven’t checked out this amazing shop, here are some pictures to show you what you’re missing.