"Soulful"....

I started unloading...the Old Treasures.... from my Pal...Ray's Storage yesterday.......

John...came up...to my shop...late in the day....I had pulled several things...off of the Ford...and was cleaning them... one...by one....

John looked the load over......and said..."All of this stuff...is Older than Dirt"....

Yes... it is... Ray...knows..."Old"...

and...Loves it...

He is building...new cabinets...these days...

But...oh my... his First...Love... is..."Old"...

He had saved these Fragments....for better than a decade.... but...knew..in his Heart...he'd never get it all done....It was...sad.... watching him...go through...his Old Treasures....

Everything...in need...of something...yet...so Worthy...

Much, dated...from the Early, to mid...1800's....

I fell in Love...with this old Chest.... but...didn't buy it...

I knew...I was already in trouble..with the Projects...I was bringing home...with John...

This Old...Darling... is missing it's top...and part of it's back.... I have Never seen drawer guides...so worn...in a piece...ever....They have a hundred and fifty years...or better...of opening...and shutting...on them...oh my...

Ray...was having another friend..come through...to buy...and I was in hopes...he would do something with it....

I had the load strapped on....

it was raining....

I was saying my 'Good Byes'...to Ray...

and he said...

"Let's throw the Old Chest...on"...

I said...he should see if someone else...would give him...money for it....

I just couldn't...because...I knew... I'd never be able to fix it...like it should be...really...no one...can... I would want to put it back...with...Old...stuff...and...there is no...old stuff...around...to make it the way it was....

It Is...What It Is...

But...Ray...insisted....

So..we strapped it on the tail end....

{I think...Ray knew...I Loved it... "As Found"...he must have seen it..in my eyes...

"The Love...of Old..."...}

When John...came up...he saw me...gently..bathing it.... with my finger...inside the top drawer...in the Hundred year...layer of Old Dust....I had written....

"Soulful"...

As my hands...worked..over the decrepit...Old Soul... all I saw...in my Heart...was it's...Incredible...Beauty...

{I remember watching Dad...working on rescued...Old...Farm Tractors...and Trucks...that everyone...thought he was Crazy...for trying to resurrect...and...the thought crossed my mind.......I must look just like him...He always had such...Love in his eyes...while working on them..

{Dad...I 'get it'... : ) }

The Amazing....hand work... the Incredible...Burled...hand painting...on the Drawer Fronts.... The Beautiful...Hand Carved...Drawer Pulls....the Fine...tiny...hand cut dovetails....

and...felt...the 'Soulfulness'.... in the old...Chest...

John said, he had an old top...that would, maybe...fit it... from the late 1800's....

I said..."No... it is...what it is... I'm going to give it a bath....and use it for display...just..this way....I'll make it 'Shine'...and...it will make...whatever I place...inside it...shine...because...it just wants to Sing...."

I Thank...Ray...for all he has done...over the years..to resurrect...these...old Forlorn...pieces...For..seeing the "Good"...the Potential... when most...didn't...

Some criticized him... for 'Building'... them...and...I understand...The Purist....

But...The Purist...would...walk past...something like this...or throw it in a burn pile....

No Value...

That's where...Ray came in... No...it wasn't the way it began it's journey...but, when he got done with it...It was something...that could..'Live'...once again...

Me... I would rather...Love This...the way it is...without...any apologies...

But...some folks...most folks... couldn't...

So...come visit...the Old Soul....when you are sliding through...I'm sure...it will be here....

Love...to Ya...

Barb C.

{Don't forget...Fall Harvest Sale... October 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th!!!

 8 'til Dusk...Daily...

Rain or Shine...Wear Your Grubbies!!! and Bring a Truck!!!

Me...and the Old Soul...will be Waiting for Ya! With Bells On!}