simply iowa: Things...with... "Heart"...

After eating breakfast...this morn... I thought about...what I was going to post, today....

Yesterday...was a pretty quiet day...Had a few folks...pop in...Liz...and Miss. Scarlett....

Then...it hit me...

Everything...that transpired, yesterday...revolved around... "Heart"... and things...that make my heart swell...

A man, met me at the shop...as I was opening... he looked familiar... as we began to visit...he told me, he and his wife....always stopped on their trip, across country... {they are from Washington State...near, where my Sister, Merry Jo, and her family live...} He said...How Much...They Enjoyed the little shop... His wife...wasn't with...this time....she had, sadly...passed away... last Fall... His heart...was heavy...I could feel the grief...surrounding him... He said...he had to continue 'Gathering'...because, they both enjoyed it so...and..he feels close to her...when he finds...the things she loved, so......

I told him...the story....about my Dad... and...when we least expect it... they give us a 'wink'... from the other side...and...the Good News...is...we'll All be together again...one day...when our Journey, here is through....and...how...we must...enjoy....every moment...as we both know....it's a short one...and...Today...is all we have....

I shared the 'Heart'....story...with him...

When Dad passed away... it was Friday, the thirteenth of February...25 years ago....

I had baked him a Heart shaped cake, and took it to him, with his lunch....on the 12th...

{Dad was involved in a fire, that caused an Aneurysm, while he was trying to put it out...that night...}

After the fire...I was in charge, of going to the scene... and get Dad's things in order...

I sent John...I couldn't go...

{I couldn't go near that area...for several years...}

When John returned...he said everything was burned, beyond recognition... but.. then, he said...

" The strangest thing tho...in the center of the building...was a half eaten Heart shaped cake... that was sitting there...like someone had just set it there...it hadn't been touched by the fire..."...

John had no idea, I had taken that to Dad...

After that...when I'd find myself...least expecting... sometimes...when I was as down...as I could be.... out of nowhere...and...from a fragment...maybe...of some little thing...there...would be a 'Heart'...

A gentle reminder...I am not...alone...

I told Andy....{the kind...man...} to pay attention...he, too... would see...gentle...little reminders...

I think... he felt a little better...when he left... I hope so...

As the day...went on...a Sweet Girl...from Nebraska...popped in...

She has stopped with every trip, visiting her Grandparents...and is Fascinated...by the Old Fountain...This was the first time I had met her... she stops...it seems...when I'm out and about...

We had a Lovely visit...she took images of the Fountain....and...said...how much...she Loves...

"This Place"....

{the Soulfulness}

It's not about the Stuff...{I don't think..she's big...into Antiques...} it's about....the feel...

I had to agree... The Old Fountain...always greets....and...has become, a 'World'...of it's own...all...alone... I simply put water in it...and...it 'Lives'....

I told her...the story...of Christmas Day...many years ago... and how...I always think...Christmas...should be like a 'Norman Rockwell' Painting...and never is... and..that Christmas Day...was no different... Things had been said...during Christmas Dinner... that were painful... I excused myself... and found my way, down the Rabbit Hole...

I started cleaning out the Old Fountain... I had it dressed for the Holidays... with Pine Cones...and Evergreen...branches...as I pulled them out...something in the water moved! It startled me! I jumped back...then, peeked in the water...to see...three little Fish... and a feeling came over me...

"There is Life!"....

The little Fish...had, I think...been brought in...months earlier...in water plants.... but...what a gift...they were to me... That Christmas Day...when...I was at such...a dark...place...

{It brings tears...to my eyes...even...today...{and...yesterday...as I shared the story...}

The Old Fountain...is...a 'Soulful Treasure'...to me...

a reminder... There is...Life...

Liz...and Miss. Scarlett... popped out...as well...

It was so Great...seeing them... I love watching Scarlett....as she "Sees'... things...for the very first time...

Children...are Priceless...

It was late afternoon...Scarlett was fascinated...by the Big Fountain...outside... and...she Soooo Loves...Miss Piggy! {The Sow} She pets her...and hugs her...as if she is real....

Liz was walking around the yard...in front of the shop...and said..."What's this?"... and handed me...a Shark's Tooth...fossil... in...the shape...of a Heart...

How a Shark's Tooth...Fossil...found it's way...to the Rabbit Hole... I'm sure...is quite a story....in itself...

but...to me...another 'wink'....on my...Journey...

Love to ya..

Barb C.

Miss. Scarlett...and...Miss. Piggy.... Priceless....

Scarlett Roared!!! When Liz made the 'Piggy' Sound!!!

The Hollyhocks...are in Bloom... They are such...'Free Spirits'... and pop up...and Smile... where They...want to...
Love 'em....

This Old...Cupboard...has been in the house...for 20 years...I'll never forget the day...the Kids and I brought it home....From an old Farm... near Cluttier, Iowa...
Talk about Heart....
An Elderly Farm couple...had taken us...to three of their Farms...they had lived there...all of their lives... they showed us...all sorts of Oak furniture...they had, throughout their lives...and was ready to sell...
I never was, much into...factory made furniture...So..I asked if they had anything...Pine...and with paint...{They thought I was Crazy..."who would want Old Painted stuff?" } The Woman asked...her husband...where the Old Cupboard was...that was in their house, when they got married...{over 60 years prior, at that time} "Oh...that old thing?...it's in the shed...at the other Farm... the Boy...stores his oil, in it...." We made our way...to another Old Farm...and when I saw this...in the Shed...I melted....It's a big...stepback....Cupboard... I Loved...the paint...and told them so.... The Elderly Woman...said... "I remember...that cupboard...so well... I remember...sitting...in the Kitchen...feeding my little girl...at the breakfast table...as my Mother in Law...painted it white....that was the year...my little girl died"....oh my.....I stood there...looking...at my...Little Children...and felt such...sorrow...for her....I could see... those moments...in her eyes...The Happy Ones...at The Breakfast Table....Then...the Horrible...Loss....
It's...no wonder...these Old Pieces...feel...so Soulful... they have been exposed...to many....'Journeys"....

This...was a Beautiful Mid 1800's Compote... that...even...in pieces...I can't bare...to throw away...it rests...on the Old Cupboard's...work surface...