Where...do I begin...

I had no idea...as I rushed out the door....All Excited...about the Treasures...that were Waiting for Me this morning!!!!!....

what...was about...to unfold...

Just after posting..."Alice"....falling down the Rabbit Hole....

I had unknowingly... predicted...myself...doing...just...that...

I received a call last night...from a Nice Girl... that had some things...for sale...

They had taken a Barn down...on an old Farm....and had unearthed...some Civil War era...items...

Old Letters...Newspapers... Uniforms...just...loads of old...Treasures...that she wanted put into hands...that would appreciate them...

{a Sweet Friend..had referred her, to me...a 'Thank You'...is in Order...: ) }

I didn't get directions...until...I was enroute...this Morn...I wasn't familiar...with the roads in that area...

much...

It's near a Small Town...South of here...20 miles...or so...

But....as I turned the Ford...down the Gravel Road... to the Old Farm...

It was then... I fell down...the Rabbit Hole...

This was a Farm...My Father...had Farmed...when he first moved to this area...from Southern Iowa... My Dad...Lived...in the House...I was driving up to...

I had...no idea...that was to be...my destination...

I had never been this close to it...you can see it from the hi way...and...when Dad and I would be down that way...he had mentioned it to me...a time...or two...

He raised Angus Cows...there...{ I remember..him saying...how beautiful...those Cows were...standing in that field...and how he so... enjoyed...watching them graze...}

Other than that...he didn't talk much...about it...it was part of his life...before he met my Mother...

I gotta tell ya...it was mighty hard...getting out of the Ford...

I sat there...for a moment....or more...until...I heard the Old Screen Door...Open...

and knew...the Girl...I was meeting...was on her way to see me...

She directed me...into the Old Summer Kitchen...

{probably...the Original House...from the mid 1800's}

My head was whirling...wondering...how many times...Dad...had walked through those doors...

The Original..Old Massive Stone Hearth...with it's hand forged Cranes...still in tact...

I was...stunned...to say the least...

As we walked through the Grove...and Pasture...to the Barns....

all I could see...was Dad...as a young man... carrying Grain...and calling the Cows up...

The nice Woman...directed me... to piles of things...they had pulled from the Barn..

that they had recently taken down...

Old...Old...Things...

Civil War...era...things... that had been there... since the mid 1800's....

but...more...importantly... they...had been there... when my Dad...was there....

I don't know...how these things...happen...Out of all the People...all the Places...

How...I...wound up...at that door...this morning...

It makes my head...spin....

It's a Strange Chain...of events... that got me...to that door....but I am Thankful...

in...a still...unsettling...way...

I bought...as much as I could... Old Buggy Seats... and wooden Fragments... Boxes...

but... my mind...wasn't right... the entire time...

It kept...wondering... it was a Strange...feeling...

and...to be honest.... I'm still...not 'together'...

As I run my hands...over these...Old...Old... 'Memories'...

from the Piercing Words...of the Documentaries...written...so eloquently... in The Newspapers...

of the battles...of The Civil War...As They Were Unfolding...! To... Children's Clothing...Old...Tall Stockings...from the turn of the Century...Letters...dating back...to the mid 1800's....

then...to put...My Dad... in the Mix...

Yes...I am...a bit...shall I say...'Twisted'... this Evening...

I Truly...Have...Fallen Down...the Rabbit Hole... today...

Love... to ya...

Barb C.

{I have been very...weepy...this evening... Dad...worked so hard...his entire life... and...the rest of the story... He lost all of those Cows...he Loved so... {my Aunt...told me the story...Dad...never said...anything...except...how much...he Loved those Cows...}Those...were tuff times... but...he Never complained...not ever...he just kept working...Climbing...and Falling...but...he never gave up...When they gave me...his things...at the Hospital...after he passed away...he had...only a few dollars...and some change...a couple...old bolts...and a piece...of rusty wire...in his pockets...And...his Daughter's....Love...I think...he would say...He was Rich! {I know...I was...: )  }

I bought...the old Cupboard... filled...with Mice Nests...and...the weird...tin...Oil...or Water Can...Wondering...if Dad...ever used them....

I bought loads..of Old Uniforms... and Clothing...that had belonged to the original owners...dating from the mid, to late 1800's...

I bought Piles...{three garbage bags FULL!} of old Letters...and post cards... some...the Mice...have used to fluff their homes...and...have little or no value....{except...to Mice...of course... : ) } but...I took it all....and will sort it all out here....and salvage...what I can...and...put them into Appreciative...Hands...

The Daughter....of the original owner... was an artist...back in the early 1900's... I would guess... she painted this...of The Summer Kitchen....{we found several of her pieces...I am keeping...}

There are so many paper items...from the Colonel... who was one of the first owners... I bought his chest....thought it all should stay together...

This is another painting..of The Parlor...in the Old House... {I didn't go inside...the Main House...not sure...if I could have...today...}

This is an Old Scrap Book...done in 1891... put together...by the little girl...who did the Paintings... a few years later....

There are over 50...of these Old...Newspapers... dating...from 1853...through...the Civil War...and somehow...they are...in...Very Good Condition... They are from Iowa City...and...a couple...from Chicago... I have had little time to read...about the War... what I have read...is heart breaking...

This is a wonderful....old Plow...in Amazing Condition...from 1874...
I have never seen one...like it....it's missing a wheel...but...other than that...it's really very good...still has all the original stenciling...paint...and pin striping...on the original wood....