Saturday, May 23, 2026
Friday, May 22, 2026
Cedar Rapids Estate Sale... 'Tip... of The Iceberg'!! ; )
This Sale...
Is Getting Bigger by The Minute!!
: )
Can't get too many images yet, because it looks like The House, and Garage have
Exploded!!
We've Got Chaos Goin' On!!
Hahahahahaha!!!!
So MUCH!!
; )
Hundreds... of Books!!
Nice Books!!
Everything... is very Nice.
The Clothing, Furnishings... and Household... are very Clean, but...
There's Much!!
; )
Gonna be Interesting finding places for it all.
; )
but...
We Will!!
The Yamaha... is a 'project' Bike... but, certain someone will enjoy Playin' with it.
; )
Ton's of Cool... Vintage Caps!!
; )
Grateful to Pal, Bill... and Dear Gayle!!
Oh My!!
We've been puttin' in some Hours!!
{Grandson, Justin... Too!! <3}
Bill, and Justin pulled over a Hundred Box's from the Garage Attic, the other day.
; )
Holy Smokes!!
Stay Tuned!!
<3
Barb C.
: )
<3
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Clutchin' my Pearls. ; )
Mahlon's Amazing Crew...
Took down 4 Trees, yesterday... and trimmed John's Old Oak, a bit.
Mahlon said you can only cut dead branches, on an Oak... this time of year.
Major trimming has to be done in the cold months, with Oaks.
It looks Much Better.
; )
They also trimmed up the Old.. Locust, in front of the House.
Was So Grateful to be able to save that one.
<3
Above... is The Locust.
<3
He looks very lonely... without his Old Pal, The Ash.
: (
When The Crew... pulled around, to start on The Ash...
I had to leave.
Couldn't watch it.
Justin 'J'... and I, went to lunch, in Cedar Rapids.
'J'... took his Driving Test, yesterday morning.
; )
He Passed It With Flying Colors!!!
I had No Doubts.
; )
{That Kid... has been ' Drivin' Somethin' '... since He Could Walk!!
Hahahaha!!
{That's a 'Conner' thing. : ) }
Backhoes... Skid Loaders.... Side by Sides, Four Wheelers...
You Name It...
I Guarantee...
'J'
Can Drive It!!
<3
; )
'J' is now, a 'Licensed' Driver!!
<3
YIPPEE!!!
; )
It was very strange... coming Home... and seeing the gaping hole.
: (
Son, Justin... is taking all of the wood.
Mahlon's Crew... delivered the Massive Loads.
Justin heats his Home... primarily with wood, so... at least it won't be wasted.
<3
Two, or three load's went to Justin's.
I... kept all of the mulch.
Ton's of Mulch.
I really want to hit the Yard... Hard, this year.
We'll make use of that mulch.
; )
Mahlon called yesterday evening, asking if I was happy with his Crew, and the 'Job'.
: )
Oh... My... Yes.
: )
They were All so Kind, including their 'Drivers'.
: )
So Cautious, and Careful.
: )
They cleaned Everything Up, so nicely.
Wonderful... Talented... Hard Working...
Men.
I Highly Recommend Them.
; )
Their prices were Very Fair.
; )
This 'Job'... was a Lot of Work.
Dangerous 'Work'.
Son, Justin... offered to take the Trees down.
<3
No Way... would I ever let him do that.
I was 'Clutchin' my Pearls'... while watchin' 'The Crew' of Experts, with Big Equipment, Dance in Those Trees.
; )
Gads!!
Mahlon's Crew... works about a 60 mile radius of Delhi.
Which includes Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Marion, Swisher... Fairfax, and MORE.
; )
Told Mahlon... it was painful... watching the Trees come down, especially... The Ash, but his Crew...
made things a lot easier.
; )
Grateful.
; )
There was 'no'...
'Saving 'The Ash'.'
{after looking at the inside... of The Ash's Trunk, that was very... plainly 'seen'.}
: (...........
Worked at The Cedar Rapids Estate, today.
Captured a few... images, I'll post tomorrow.
Lord... Lord.
; )
There's a LOT... on This Sale.
; )
Stay Tuned!!
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
<3
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Priceless.
<3
<3
I Knew...
when looking at that Beautiful, broken... Mustang,
what John... would make from him.
; )
Never a Doubt.
; )
<3
Jethro... carried us to every single... horrible, radiation treatment John endured.
Jethro...
at
John's Celebration of Life.
<3
John, and I... had a mutual Love Affair, with Mustangs.
<3
Especially...
This One.
The one he named...
'Jethro'.
<3
<3
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Rules....
; )
That's.... a Fact.
<3
: )
{shared the above... with Grandson, Justin... yesterday.
; )
Love It!!
The post had Roy Orbison, 'Pretty Woman' attached.
; )
<3
Love That... Too!!}
: )
The other day... took Justin 'J'... to lunch, after... we stopped to fill Jethro up.
While I ran inside... 'J'... gave Jethro a 'Fill'.
: )
When I returned, noticed a Young Lady... chatting with 'J'.
; )
She wanted to know the 'Story' behind Jethro's name.
: )
She, as many do, thought it came from 'Jethro' in 'The Beverly Hillbillies'.
{tho... I, 'Simply Iowa'... could understand that...
that's not who 'Jethro' is named after. }
<3
John named 'Jethro', after Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the NCIS Character, Mark Harmon played.
John, and I were HUGE... 'NCIS' Fans.
; )
I don't think John... ever put two and two together, but...
John, and 'Gibbs'... were Cut from The Very Same Cloth!!
: ) : ) : )
{Daughter, Liz... is 'Ziva'... it's Uncanny.}
Below...
are a few...
of
'Gibbs' Rules'.
; )
Gibbs, and I... would have to part ways, with Rule #13.
; )
Believe 'Gibbs' would've crossed #13 off of his 'list' if he ever had to
fight...
'Deal' with...
Fairfax, Iowa... 'City Hall', and
The Iowa Department of Transportation.
; )
{bless... their hearts.}
; )
#3, John... wouldn't have on 'his' list.
John was Very Private, when it came to 'Home'.
He wouldn't talk to anyone... other than his Closest Friends, or his Closest Family...
on a Sunday.
Sunday... was John's Day.
: )
His 'Home'... was his 'Sanctuary'.
<3
John wouldn't talk any 'business'... unless it was an Emergency,
'after hours'.
Period.
; )
Once John... walked inside the House,
he was pretty much,
'Unreachable'.
; )
After I explained 'Jethro'... to the Young Lady, we parted ways.
: )
{She was So Sweet!!}
<3
'J' said...
"Grandma... she thought 'I' owned Jethro."
: )
I said...
"Why wouldn't she??!!
; )
A Young... Handsome Man, like You...
Standin' next to A Handsome... Old Mustang?????"
: ) : ) : )
<3
{Sure wish John was here... He would've advised 'J'... to 'Spin a Yarn'.
; )
'Tale'.
; )
and, never... ever... admit,
it's
'Grandma's Mustang'.}
Hahahahahahahaha!!!
<3
'J'... will learn.
<3
; )
; )
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
<3
{Started this post, yesterday.
This 'day' has been a long one.
I'll write about 'today'... tomorrow, hopefully.}
<3
Cedar Rapids, Iowa... Estate Tag Sale!! May 28 thru 31!!
Workin' on The Cedar Rapids, Iowa...
Estate Sale, today.
; )
We've moved the dates from this weekend, to Next.
May 28, 29, 30 & 31!!
; )
Have a Crew... coming to help, today.
; )
Bill has been working on the Garage... he's finding All Sorts of Treasures!!
; )
We've been told there are Mountain's of Books, in the Garage's Attic!!
Oh Boy!!
This Home... is Full of Nice, Clean... Interesting...
Things.
Stay Tuned!!
Images Soon!!
Monday, May 18, 2026
The Ash... has Received a Reprieve.
<3
'It's too wet, to take him down...
'today'...
said the 'Tree Trimmer'.
; )
That...
statement...
Made My Day....
Today.
; )
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
<3
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Heavy... hearted.
Amishman, Mahlon, called yesterday.
He's coming bright and early... tomorrow morning to take down
The Old...
Ash Tree,
in front of the house.
: (.......................
Dear Friend, Bud... told me several years ago, I was gonna lose The Ash.
It's lived much longer, than Bud... had predicted, gratefully.
; )
I always Thank... Lawyer Meardon, for Saving...
The Ash... and The Locust, in front.
: )
The Maple... and The Pet Cemetery Pine Tree.
<3
The Iowa Department of Transportation was going to 'Take' Every Single Tree, in front, for Fairfax's Wrongful Bike Trail.
{They Took So Many... They Never Should've.}
: (..............
I've been doin' my fair share of 'Boo Hooin'... coming to grips... with The Ash's loss.
but...
it's a different kind of sadness.
When 'Life'...
'Mother Nature'...
'takes',
it's sad.
: (.............
yet...
somehow...
understandable.
but...
when an
'Entity'... 'Takes', 'Butchers'... so Incredibly Wrongfully,
Intentionally......
'Fraudulently'...
{in my very, very... humble opinion.}
That... is a Violation, on a Very, Very...
'Personal'
Level.
Grateful... The Ash has held on, as long as it has.
<3
{tomorrow's gonna be tuff.}
The Great News, Mahlon is Confident... the
Beautiful... Old Locust, standing next to The Ash... can be trimmed up, and saved.
<3 <3 <3
Another Tree Trimmer, thought it should come down, too.
: (
Mahlon, couldn't quite understand... that.
; )
<3
I don't trim much of The Gnarliness... away...
around our
Land.
<3
The Bittersweet... and Wild Grape.
<3
They're like a Warm Cloak... protecting us, from Highway 151, and what the 'former' Council, and Mayor, in Fairfax...
called...
'Progress'.
I'm very protective of it all.
<3
If there was ANY Way... to save, that Old...
Ash,
I would.
<3
{The Emerald Ash Borer... reminds me much... of IDOT.
'Bastards'....
in my very... humble opinion.
bless their hearts.}
Mahlon said... he's surprised we have any Ash Trees left, around us.
: (...............
After the 'Iowa Hurricane', in 2020.... so many, many... Tree's were taken.
: (
They say... 65, to 70% of the Trees, in Cedar Rapids, were lost.
More than 100,000 Trees.
: (.........
{Fairfax, is 5 miles from C.R. We were in 'Direct Hit', as well.}
We were Very... Blessed, 'here'.... on our little slice of pie.
<3
The Iowa Department of Transportation...
'Took'
far more of our Trees, with their 'Wrongfulness', than the
2020 Derecho did.
: (
Mahlon's gonna trim up several Trees, while he's here.
: )
It's gonna be difficult... gazing out the windows, while I write...
after tonight,
not seeing my
Old Pal.
: (.....................
; )
Indeed.
<3
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
yeah...
The 2020 Derecho... has nothing, on The Iowa Department of Transportation.
; )
The Horrible 2020 Derecho, lasted about 45 minutes, with Wind Speeds...
around 140 mph, sustained.
This battle with Fairfax, and The Iowa Department of Transportation...
has lasted close to 10 years.
; )
Crazy Train.
{now Ya know Why... I Sing Lawyer Meardon's... Praises.}
; )
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Grateful... for 'The Mascots'.
; )
The Simply Iowa...
'Mascot'.
<3
{One... of many. ; )}
It's been a long... day.
Rather Toasty... for May, in Iowa.
I don't enjoy 'breakin' a sweat'...
with such... little effort, this early in the year.
; )
When Jethro, and I... pulled in a bit ago,
noticed the
Little... Angel, again.
{He Always 'Greets' us, at the end of the day.}
<3
Found The Angel... in St. Augustine, several years ago... while traveling with Pal, Allyson.
: )
A few years ago, there were Men doing backhoe work, here.
They... sadly, hit the base, 'Pool' that 'The Angel' was standing in.
Made me pretty sad, until... I really 'looked' at The Angel.
: )
He's got a broken right arm...
Just... like Mine!!
: )
He's been Kicked in The Gut, too...
Just like Me!!
: )
He's got a Broken Wing...
: )
Just like Peg, and I... always said,
'We, Too... Have!!'
<3
{Peg, and I... would Joke, and say... how 'Our' 'angel wing's'...
{if... we had them}
{Hahahahahaha}
were down to
'Pinfeathers'.... Smokin'... Smoldering.... and Singed, from gettin'
Way Too Close to The Gate's of 'Hell'.
; )
<3
Hahahahahahaha!!!}
; )
Most Folk's would see... a broken angel.
I... see a 'Warrior'.
<3
'Survivor'.
; )
To me... that 'Angel', is more precious,
'meaningful',
than he was...
before, the backhoe's mishap.
; )
<3
; )
Indeed.
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
<3
Friday, May 15, 2026
Soulful... Treasures.
Friend, Cindy... former owner of 'Smokehouse Antique Mall, Amana, Iowa'...
has moved to Montana.
She's closing up her Home, in Cedar Rapids...
and having a Sale, over the weekend.
There's 'Estate' items, from her Family... along with 'Moving' items.
I... was Flyin', today.
Had so many, many.... obligations, didn't think I could attend.
When my 'day' ended, called Pal, Dale, asked him... if he'd made it to Cindy's Sale.
He had not.
Dale was actually 'At' Cindy's old Store, in Amana.
; )
Told Dale... if he wasn't doin' anything, we should head over.
; )
Dale... was here in 20 minutes.
; )
We had such a Lovely Time, at Cindy's Sale.
: )
Cindy, and I... go Way Back.
; )
I'll Never Forget the times we shared in Nashville.
'Heart of Country'.
; )
Holy Smokes!!
; )
{I'm certain, Downtown 'Nashville' remembers us, as well.}
; )
Cindy's Sale... has some Beautiful... 'Treasures'.
: )
Dale... found many things.
I... gathered a few.
; )
Love... Love, Everything.
The late 1800's Foot Warmer, is such a Gem.
It's case... is so beautiful.
The Needlepoint top, is... simply soulful.
<3
I've never seen one, like it.
It's complete... with the handmade tin water reservoir.
You'd fill the tin reservoir with HOT water...
then, rest your feet on the Beautiful... Needlepoint.
'Treasure'.
<3
The Fun...
Paul Hanson, Lamps...
; )
{Hollywood Regency}
<3
When they were placed on Cindy's 'Holding' table...
heard Cindy say...
"Barb Is Here!!".
: )
Hahahahahahaha!!!
{Priceless.}
; )
<3
20.00 for the pair.
<3
I'll have to get them re-wired...
but, Seriously???
How Cool!!
<3
{Thought of Pal... Gail, so often, at Cindy's Sale. ; )}
Love... the Beautiful, early 1900's, I'm guessing,
Girandole Mirror.
<3
As Much as I Love... Early Iowa... Farmhouse Primitives,
oh my...
fall all Over myself, for the Goopy, Fringed... Mirrored... Prismed...
Tasseled...
Worn Velvet...
'Victorian'
Gnarliness.
; )
'Simply...
Iowa'.
; )
It was So Great... visiting with Cindy, this late...
afternoon.
; )
Gonna Miss That Girl.
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
<3
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