Peg is Back!!! Spring Cleaning!

We worked and worked, on the yard, yesterday.... More of the same, today...and all week, for that matter... We pulled almost everything out of the front yard of the shop... Straightened fences, raked, reorganized, and had the burn barrel roaring!.... Oh my... We were both plenty stiff and sore... Peg is a 'Yard Bird'.... Loves having her hands in dirt... When she moved to Mo., she intended on having the same, beautiful gardens, she enjoyed here, in Cedar Rapids.... To her dismay, NOTHING will grow, on her ground.... except Poison Ivy..... She asked last fall, if she could come play in my yard... "Are You Kidding Me???"... I am not a 'Yard Bird", tho, I love garden stuff, I just don't get into it, as much as some... I like 'Low Maintenance'.... Lot's of stone, and bricks, lots of urns, and troughs, for container gardening, I hate to mow, so lots of weed block! {we don't use chemicals, of any kind... I think that's why we have so many critters!} I think Peg just wants to see the place 'picked up' a bit....I do too... I know it looks 'junky', it always has... What can I say... I like 'junk'... The truth be known, I think she's trying to prove a point... She asked one of her old friends, if she had ever been to my store... Her friend replied, "You mean that place with all the 'junk' around it... I didn't think they had anything great"... Oh my, Peg was burning... I guess, my feelings were a little hurt, too... Ah, but not for long... I love this old Gnarly Stuff... Some folks, just don't get it... Thank goodness for them... They are just the kind of folks, I love to buy from! My Pals from Texas, went toolin' by, after shopping at the Amana's, several years ago... Michael saw the Shop, Ed wouldn't stop... 'It looks like a bunch of 'Junk!"... Michael demanded they turn the Truck around... Ed said, later, it was the best stop, they had ever made... They have been wonderful friends, and customers, ever since! Yeah, it hurts a little, when Ed tells the story....{ but it's usually after a few Margs, so the insult, is softened, a bit...} I guess I just don't see the 'junk'... I see beauty... After all, I hand selected every piece.... He didn't mean to hurt my feelings... The way I see it, if it wasn't for all of the cool junk, they may have driven on past... My biggest diversion, is time... If I'm not runnin' down the road, or doing a show, or gathering and loading, or fixin' stuff, for them, I'm collapsed...So, what gets done, gets done... That's the best I can do... I put out 'fires', like fluffin' the yard, and shop, at 'Sale Time', but, then on to the next 'Fire'... When Peg gets done, 'fluffin', the same 'Junk', that makes it look junky, it will be beautiful... I have no doubt... She'll have the place, on it's ear! She's planting all sorts of stuff, all I can say is, she will have to keep coming, or have it take care of itself... Low maintenance, please! She assured me, it will be... And, she intends to keep it up... Wow... What a Friend... She is amazing... and a little crazy, too... I'll have to show you the Amazing Gourds she painted for me... They are in the shop... She made them for the 'Mad Hatter' theme, and has 'The Rabbit Hole', on them.... They are stunning.... Pic's tonight! I hope you all have a wonderful day.... Barb C.