Back to Work..Here at Home...

Spent the day, yesterday, working around the Shop, and getting the Little Ford, unloaded... Peg stopped out, on her way home, to MO. I always am sad, to see her drive away... She was totally wiped out... Just needed her own bed... then, her own couch.... she said... The heat, and fast pace, of a one day, July Show, will suck the life right out of you...Not to mention, the last 2 hours, of taring down, in double time... we were flyin', to out run the storm... We had it done so fast, we ran and helped others, get their stuff thrown in their trucks... and still, made it... Everyone made it...whew... No shows, until August Gold Rush... Dale, Allyson and I are going to shop, Bishop Hill, Saturday.... It's a darling little country show, in Illinois...But, for now... I need to get caught up... Bills... bookwork...resetting the Green House, {it's pretty much been stripped!} I have deliveries, to make... Tho, I have nothing on the Show Calender... life will be busy... I have been invited to speak, at the Sleepy Eye Convention, early August... I did this for the Regional Questers Group, a few years ago.... I remember, my beloved friend, Eudora, talked me into speaking there... I had been asked before... but, they always had a theme, they wanted me to speak on.... I know a little, about a lot... I am no expert, on any one thing... So, always declined... So, when Eudora asked, and the Questers let me decide what to speak on... Well... That was right up my alley... I had just received a book, for Christmas, from Barb H {sisters garden} that she thought, had my name, and hers... all over it... Oh my... It is titled, 'For the Love of Old', by Mary Randolph Carter.... I had been dismissed, by so many antique people, as being the 'Junk Dealer' in Fairfax, that opening this wonderful book, written by such an amazing woman, who was a huge part of 'Polo, Ralph Lauren'... I felt like I had been handed my degree... { Libby Kramer, {Heart of Country} also had faith in me, and Julie... with our Old Iowa Farmhouse Style... She took a chance on us, and we have been invited back, for 10 years... Thanks to Libby... you are missed, my friend...} So with Book in hand, my theme, was about Old, and Well Loved, Things... I, as Mary, love, chipped faded, mossy, mended, rusty things, and fragments, of those things... I am NOT SHABBY CHIC!!!! I have been catagorized, with this term, for many years... I do NOT RE-PURPOSE! { not that there is anything wrong with that...it's just not my journey...} I Love Old Things... Just As They Are....As Found...Sculptural Fragments... Pieces that have been mended, a hundred years ago, because they meant, so very much to someone... Things, that have 'Soul'... Apparently, some folks, didn't think I would be well recieved... and came to the huge gathering, to see my wings clipped... by the Questers, some, who are very fussy, and seek perfection...To their amazement, that didn't happen... I was well recieved, and I think some, may have concidered my old 'stuff', not worthy... but, I believe, very few... and that's o.k.{ they are the folks I like to buy from...} I was so honored, to speak to them, it didn't matter... Eudora, was a fabulous writer... and had written for many magazines, and periodicals... she was so worried about me... told me to be sure and have my notes... Just before I was scheduled to speak, I found her, in the crowd, and told her, maybe she should leave... I didn't bring notes... I had just gotten in, from Chicago, in the wee hours of that morning, and was scrambling to get all of the props there, let alone, have notes ready... So, I spoke for 45 minutes, off the cuff... You get me talkin' about this wonderful old stuff... and the wonderful people,{ like, Eudora} that I have met on this incredible journey, with this wonderful old stuff... I could talk for days! I am anxious, to speak with this group, as well... I don't know much, about Old Sleepy Eye... I have had a few pieces, over the years, and loved it... It is named after Old Sleepy Eye, the Indian.. From Minnesota, and there was a Milling Company, named after him... It has his image on a lot of the stoneware... and is very collectible...and, beautiful...as well as useful... It was loved by the Farm Wives, of the late 1800's... I just sold, my last piece, a large pitcher, during my sale... spout, broken, cracked, and stained... oh, but so beautiful... The young woman, who bought it, was going to put 'black eyed Susan's', in it... the blue, of Old Sleepy Eye, and the mustard yellow, of the flowers, will be stunning... I visited with Mary Randolph Carter , author, via e-mail... She is exactly what I thought... a very gracious soul...Hope to meet her, someday... Well... Gotta go...pal, Gail H. is on her way out... can't wait! Hope you all have a Marvelous Day! Barb C.