I'll be writing about mine... and Allyson's 'Travels'... yesterday, later, today.
Yesterday... was a Glorious afternoon, and evening.
: )
When I got Home... last night, began doin' a little research for 'The Book'.
; )
oh... my.
Pulled the above video, from the 'vault'.
; )
I'm not gonna spoil... too much.
That meeting, was several years into the 'battle'.
Lawyer Meardon... had requested 'Public Records'... from Fairfax.
They weren't coming. It was taking forever.
We kept waiting... and waiting... for Fairfax's 'records'.
The Iowa Department of Transportation... turned theirs over, quickly.
Couldn't imagine what the hold up... at Fairfax, could possibly be.
Then, noticed... the city clerk, had put on the agenda...
she wanted the council's permission to 'destroy old records'.
hmmmmm.
???
They... approved it.
hmmmmm.
???
{Thank goodness... IDOT keeps good records.}
Not gonna say... too much, here... just yet, but...
when Councilwoman Wainwright stated, in so many words...
{it's in the above video}
"They {IDOT} wanted to put trails on Both Sides of The Bridge... we didn't go for That...
That would be ridiculous!!"
; )
oh my.
Lawyer Meardon has the correspondence between the city's hired engineer, and IDOT.
{Public Records}
In actuality...
according to those...
'Public Records'...
It was FAIRFAX who ASKED The Iowa Department of Transportation to have Trails put on BOTH Sides of The Bridge.
'The Iowa Department of Transportation'... QUESTIONED 'that', and didn't think it was necessary.
NOT...
the Other way around, like Wainwright, stated.
Hmmmm.
Also found it interesting... the city's hired engineer had apparent amnesia, concerning the trail accommodations 'Under' the bridge, that adjoins our land.
Hmmmmm.
Lawyer Meardon... has a File Cabinet in his Office, with one word on it.
'Conner'.
Gratefully...
Meardon...
doesn't believe in destroying...
'Old Records'.
Paper...
or
Otherwise.
; )
If ya think... I was a little angry, at this meeting, you'd be gettin'... 'warm'.
; )
After several Years... of being told...
by
'City Hall'...
"There is No Trail... 'We Didn't Ask for a 'Trail'... 'This is All IDOT', 'we were Forced by IDOT to put in that Trail'....
; )
oh... dear.
ya know...
I never knew, 'understood' the meaning of
'Gaslighting'....
until
'This'...
nearly 10 year long...
Fight.
: (
{according to 'Public Records'... Fairfax had been cookin' up this Suicide Bike Trail 'Plan'... since 2012.
Hmmmmm....
yet, none... at 'city hall'... knew a Thing about it.}
: )
bless their hearts.
; )
To think... back in 'the day'... I actually... 'trusted' some of these people.
: (
My... mistake.
A Really Great Lawyer... once said, "Don't ask a witness on the stand...
On our travels, a while back... through my Old... Stomping Grounds, in Benton County, Iowa...
was telling her about a Painting, Pal... Bill gifted me with, long ago.
I looked up the Artist,
Helen Snow-Miner.
{1872 - 1948}
She was an Amazing Woman.
Lived near Keystone, Iowa... on a Farm.
{my 'Happy Place'... when I was little. <3}
She was quite famous for painting Animals, especially Horses.
I read an article about her, that said... Helen tamed Farm Animals, encouraged them to come inside the house... always carried sugar in her pockets for them.
: )
{My... Kinda Gal!! <3}
Many Horse's were brought to her Farm... to have their portraits painted.
Many... from far away, 'Race Horses'.
; )
Helen... was encouraged early on, to move East, and get formal schooling.
She declined... said, she preferred to stay on The Farm, as she was content being a Wife, and Mother... to her two Children, and... stay with her Beloved Animals.
<3
; )
Found that Helen lived near Luzerne, Iowa... when she passed away.
Not far from Keystone, Iowa... in Benton County.
Very close... to where Son, Justin lives.
Helen was laid to rest... at the Oak Hill Cemetery, Belle Plaine, Iowa.
{Just 4 miles from Justin's Home.}
Allyson, and I drove past that Lovely... Cemetery, the day we were Skippin' through Benton County.
I pointed it out to her... told her about the Painting, and Helen.
: )
Allyson called, last week... wondered if I'd like to go back, and see if we could find Helen's Grave, then...
go for Supper, at The Wonderful... Old, 'Lincoln Cafe'... in Belle Plaine.
; )
{I was telling Allyson about The Lincoln Cafe, and how it hasn't changed since I was little, when Dad and I would sometimes stop...
for a
'Bite to eat'... as Dad would say.}
; )
Every Friday... they have 'All You Can Eat Walleye'.
; )
It's Amazing!!
; )
So are their Homemade Pies!!
; )
{That... Perked Allyson's Ears Up!!
'Homemade Pie!!'
Yippee!!}
; )
Hahahahahahaha!!!
Hoping my back can take a walk through The Beautiful Cemetery.
Eeeeek.
: (
It's 'better'... today, and... along with Coffee, taking some Aleve.
Hopefully...
it'll hold up.
Dang.
; )
Looked at a possible 'Living Estate Sale', on Tuesday.
Got Such a Kick... out of The Gal!!
She was an Actress, and a Music Instructer.
Very... Very...
Animated... and Flamboyant!!
Full of Life, and Energy!!
<3
FUN!!
; )
As we were parting ways, she asked me where I'm 'From'.
Told her... I've lived my life within a 50 mile radius of Cedar Rapids.
She paused... said, "Hmmm... That's surprising.
You've never lived in 'The South'?"
Nope.
but...
Do, Love The South!!
; )
{Bill was Grinning!! He said... "But she has a LOT of 'South' in her!!!"
Hahahahahaha!!!
We'd just taken a quiz, the other day... about 'Southern Slang'.
Hahahahahahaha!!!
Bill was Shocked at how I Knew... Every Single Meaning!!
; )
Especially... the 'Bless Your Heart'... 'meaning'.
; )
{There's Two... 'Meanings' for That One. ; ) }
The Gal said... "You've never lived in 'Southern Iowa'... even??"
Nope!!
But... my Dad, was born, and raised... there.
; )
{I'm Tellin' Ya... once Ya get South of 80, in Iowa...
{excluding Iowa City}
EVERYTHING
Changes!!
Hahahahahaha!!
She Agreed!!
; )
Dad must've rubbed off on me... a bit.
; )
<3
The further 'South' I go... oh my.
; )
I pick that Southern Drawl... Up, Quick... without knowing it!!
; )
Daughter, Liz... used to get teased in Nashville, because of her 'Yankee' accent.
Hahahahahaha!!
Not Me!!
; )
I Slipped Right In There...
; )
Never knew... I was 'Bilingual'!!
Hahahahahaha!!
For the record, in my opinion... there's Many, Many... level's of
Always say, I learn something at every Estate Sale.
This one, was no different.
Not sure that I 'Learned'... something, but...
certainly
'Felt'
something, I never have... before.
This Estate... was different, from all of the others.
The Couple who lived in the Home we were working at, had moved here from Southern, Iowa...
three years ago, to take care of the Wife's Brother, in Cedar Rapids.
He was suffering from severe Parkinson's Disease.
The Couple... {Linda, and Chuck} had no more... than moved into their new Home, hadn't even unpacked boxes, when Linda was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
: ( : ( : (
Linda... sadly, passed away within three months.
Chuck... as anyone would imagine, was devastated.
The Home... sat, with boxes everywhere.
Never unpacked.
When we came in... Chuck was preparing the Home, to be resold.
Gratefully...
Chuck, met a Lovely Woman, through their Church, and remarried, not long ago.
After getting to know them, I'm pretty certain... She... saved Chuck's life.
<3
{God... Works That Way. <3}
So... Bill and I, began unpacking.
Bill... in the garage, me... in the Home.
I've always said, you get to know a person... during these Sales, through their possessions.
I... got to 'know'... Linda.
<3
I... So would've liked her.
: )
I... could tell, how Incredibly Kind, and Loving... she was.
: )
but...
it was so Bittersweet.
: (
I... struggled, often, while unpacking those boxes.
Thinking... about when Linda, and Chuck... packed them, so carefully...
they had not a Clue, Bill... and I, would be 'unpacking' them.
: (
I... tried very hard, to place things... 'Stage'... the Home, as I felt...
Linda would've.
: )
Linda Loved... the color 'Lavender'.
Learned that... right away, as I began unpacking her 'Life'.
: )
Chuck had painted their Bedroom 'Lavender', for Linda... when they first moved in.
<3
That room, tho... it had to be packed Full, for the Sale, I... really tried to make it reflect 'Linda'.
: )
Linda's Sister in Law, came through... just before the Sale.
: )
She confirmed everything I 'Felt', concerning Linda.
<3
'Good Vibes'.
<3
She was very happy with the way we'd set the House up.
I... was grateful for her kind comments.
This one... was Tuff.
yet...
I'm so Happy for Chuck, and his Lovely... also, Kind... and Caring...
'Wife'.
<3
The Sale... turned out to be much bigger, than we'd anticipated.
There was so much, we hadn't seen on our 'walk throughs'.
The Garage attic, with not only Books, that we'd anticipated... but Ton's of Household.
: )
Oh My.
Grateful for Gayle, and Grandson, Justin.
<3
{been a bit longer...
than
a
'week'.}
; )
While working on the Sale... I'd been getting calls from Contractors, wanting to set up appointments.
There... was Simply, No Way... I could do Anything, but work on that Sale, period.
Made appointments, as soon as I could, which... was 'Tuesday' after.
Peg's Daughter, Sarah... also, reached out to me, wanting to know if I wanted anything of her Mom, and Dad's.
: (
I'm... still... reeling, about Peg's... Michael... Passing away, so Suddenly, in January.
: (
I feel so incredibly sorry for Sarah.
: (
She wants to get everything done, concerning Michael's Home, as quickly as possible.
I... couldn't get to Sarah, any sooner than 'Tuesday'.
Tuesday... Tuesday... Tuesday.
: (
Set up an appointment with one of the Contractors...
Tuesday morning, at 7 a.m.
I walked outside, around 6:30... to see Trash... Strewn across the entire frontage of our land, and on South... for a hundred feet.
Oh... no.
: (
Grabbed a trash bag... picked up Everything, except what was all over Highway 151.
{sorry... I wouldn't risk my life... for it. ; )
Eventually that, too... blew in the yard. It's All picked up, now.
'J' helped, with the second 'Clean Up'. }
I examined some of the trash... found names.
; )
Asked Son, Justin... if he knew who the people are.
; )
He did.
Gave the Neighbor a call.
; )
He came right over, after checking his security cameras.
Seems the Garbage Dude slung a bag of trash too high, it came off of the Garbage Truck, when he got on 151.
; )
{great place for a 'Bike Trail'... Fairfax, and IDOT.}
The Neighbor was Very... apologetic.
: )
'No... Worries'.
: )
Just... not something I needed, 'Tuesday' morning.
Got the appointment done, then.. Justin and I headed to the 'Sale' to meet with Folk's who were picking up items.
I... bought some concrete stones, for landscaping... that Justin, Gratefully loaded, and... unloaded for me.
: )
Came back Home... unloaded, then... went to meet Sarah.
: )
That was Tuff.
Very.
: (
Sarah... hates being at Michael's.
: (
I... hate it...too.
: (
Pal, Dale... met me at Sarah's Home, where she had some things she wanted me to take.
We filled his Bronco, and The Ford... between both places.
So... many, many... memories.
Sarah... took in Michael's two Pups, when he passed away.
Teddy, and Charlie.
<3
As we were standing outside, Sarah told me, a couple of weeks ago, Teddy was outside, with Sarah's Beloved, Bill.
Bill turned around, and Teddy was gone.
Bill called Sarah, at work... said Teddy was nowhere to be found.
Sarah Raced Home... to look for Teddy, she found him....
horribly crushed, deceased, on Mt. Vernon Road, where they live.
Oh Dear LORD!!!
: (..........................................
No Words.
: (............................................
{I've been 'there'... too many, many times. }
No Words
: (
Lot's of Tears.
Lots, and Lot's of Tears.
: (
That little Cupboard, is coming back... 'Home'.
<3
Have No Idea... where I'm going to go with everything Sarah sent.
Was thinking, this morning... I should do a
'Peggy Jo'
Room, at The Rabbit Hole.
: )
<3
Before we went to Michael's...
Sarah Gifted Dale with one of Peg's Birdhouses.
<3
Dale... So Loved Peg.
: )
Sarah doesn't part with Any of Peg's 'Art'... but, she wanted Dale... to have that little Birdhouse.
<3
So Kind.
<3
I... could write more, but...
I, really...
can't.
I've been spending a little time, this week... at The Rabbit Hole.
Not 'doing' much.
Mainly...
Soaking It In.
Watching... The Fountains.
Feeding... 'The Fish'.
<3
Decompressing.
There's been too many 'Roller Coaster Rides', for too long, for too many.
Had a Nice... Couple stop by The Rabbit Hole, yesterday.
