Heart of Country...2013...History...

Heart of Country...2013

in three words...

Over

The

Top

!!!

three more...

Roller

Coaster

Ride

!!!

Wanda and I took off...early last Monday Morn...

Picked up Peg...in Hannibal, MO.

We made Wonderful Time!

Until....Wanda's Garmin, 'Mable'....took us over 'The Bridge'...in Kentucky...: )

it was a pretty...uneventful...Journey.. : )

{'Uneventful...is 'Good'...and..."Rare"... when traveling...with The Old...Hatter...: ) }

Holy Smokes...I haven't laughed that hard...in a Long...long....time....

Wanda....was hanging on...for Dear Life!

That Bridge...was Sooooo Tall....Narrow...and...Transparent....

{you could see through the bottom...: ) }

The bridge...was sort of like driving on mesh....

I stayed as close to the right...as I could....to give oncoming cars...and trucks...room...

{don't think...we could have met a Semi...and made it through...oh dear...: ) }

My front right tire...dropped into a groove... I couldn't correct....afraid I was going to pull into oncoming traffic...

Wanda kept saying...

"Get over...you are going to hit the bridge!"...

There was no way...

I knew how close we were...and...it was close....: )

but...I knew..we weren't going to hit the bridge..: )

{She Swore...there would be Blue Bridge Paint...on the Fuso's Mirror!!!!}

I was laughing so hard... and yelling at Peg...to get the camera...to get a picture of Wanda...

{she was fiddling with the camera...and couldn't get it to work... }

I grabbed the camera...and got the image!

Wanda began to roll her window down...for some air...

I said.."Wanda...better keep that window up...when we hit the water...I want to float...for a little bit!"

Oh My Lord....I thought she was going to Explode!

Thought I was too!

I couldn't stop laughing!

The Bridge...was a LONG...one...so...I finally...decided to put the hammer down...and get the Girls...across...

They...had, had...enough!

TOOOOO FUNNNNNNY!

Then..we get to the Hotel...it took us forever..to get the luggage...all out...

{The Fuso...was Packed Tight!}

We waited and waited.... to get checked in...to find out...they had no room...for us...Monday...

They had Over Booked...

{we had a Most...Lovely Room....at the Opryland...the rest of the stay...}

oh my...

The Opryland...took care of us...tho...

Paid for another room...at a Hotel across town and cab rides...

and...some other..'perks'...

so...all in all...it worked out....

{We were So....Tired...and disappointed...Monday...: ( }

Bright and early...Tuesday Morn...

Hooked up with Susan Kramer Hunkins {Heart of Country Promoter}

{She..is an Absolute...Angel....: ) }

and got to the loading Dock...where I met..with Pal, Red...{my Porter}...

Between Wanda...Peg...Red...and I... we had the Monster Load...unloaded...in 2 and a half hours!!!!

We Rocked!!!

Then...we started unpacking...and setting the 'Bones'...of the Booth...

By Tuesday Night...

We were in Good Shape!

Val and Roxanne... came in...from Iowa...to Shop the Shows... and we hooked up with them...for Supper that night!

What Fun!

Cindy B. {Lady Bug }...came in....Wednesday ... and stayed with us...

 Then..Bud and Renate.... oh my...

I Think...

They All...were Blown Away!

It was an Incredible...Adventure!

Wish I could have spent more time with all of them...

but...I truly work...nonstop...and when we are done...for the day...we...are....DONE!!

{Cindy...came down with the Flu...when she was heading out...Saturday Morn...we all are worried about her....We Hope...she gets feeling Better...Soon!!!!}

The Presentation, Friday......went off without a Hitch!

I struggled...before I went...with what I would Open the Presentation with...

The very first thing that came to mind...

was Minnie Pearl...

How she always opened her act ...with..

"I'm Just So PROUD to be Here!!!!"

I shared that...with the Folks...

as...I was...So...Very...Proud...

to be There...

Proud....to be...a tiny...part.... of The Best...Antiques Show...

in the Country...

and...how Honored... I was...to Share...The Wonderful...Old...Soulful...Iowa...Treasures...

with them...

The Old Soulfulness... was Proud...to be there...as well....

Except...I don't know what I said...

but had...folks...tearing up...

Many came up to me...afterwords... and said...I had made them cry....

They all said..."In a Good way"...

Somehow...I touched them...

I think... it was really...the Wonderful...Old...Soulful...Pieces... that 'Touched'...them so...

and..the Story...about..their.."Journey"...

I explained to them...while...enjoying 'touching'...all of these Old Treasures...as I packed...for the Show...

it was...really...how The Old...Treasures...'Touched me back'...

without...them...in my life...

I wouldn't have had some of ...The Greatest Gifts...of my Life...

The People...they have introduced me to...over the years....

I wouldn't have had...the opportunity...to meet...any of them...either..

What...an Amazing...Gift...These Old Soulful...Treasures....have Given...ME!!!

I also...told them...how Proud they should be...of this Amazing Show...

It is also a Gift....

The Beautiful... Creation...of Elizabeth Kramer...

that began..over 30 years ago...

Libby...had a Vision...

a...Passion...

{The very first person, to Cater...Heart of Country...was..none other...than...Martha Stewart...

Libby...could see Potential...in Folks...way before...anyone else...could...}

Susan...has taken her Parent's Dream...and continued it...in their Memory...

They...would be so Very...Proud...of her...and her Family...

{I'm...sure...along with my Dad...Libby and Dick... were there...watching...over us..: ) }

It's a Huge...Undertaking...

They... their...Family...and Amazing Staff...work tirelessly... for the Dealers...and Folks...attending...

oh my...

oh my...

I am...Always....always...

So Very...Proud...to Be There...

I had a Very...Good Show!

and...with Peg and Wanda's...help...

It was...Stunning...

{ I don't say that...often...but...I gotta tell ya... as I walked past it... enroute to another booth...I was...Very...Proud...of Ours...

It was Full...and...Welcoming....

I had draped Vintage Fabric...all over the walls...it was sooooo Warm...and Cozy....

It felt like...'Home'...}

We sold..everything...from the Beautiful....Massive...Floral Rug....{on the back wall...} Masonic Columns...and Staffordshire.. to...little spools...of thread...and lace...fragments....

It was a Very...Diverse... Show!

We Busted Butt...Saturday Night...and was loaded out...by 11:00...

Mel...Peg's Darling Daughter...was Amazing Help!

She had flown in...on Thursday....and had to catch a 5:00 a.m. flight...back to Florida...

Sunday...

so...

She and Peg...sat up...most of the night visiting...Wanda and I...hung in...as long as we could...

but...I managed to get a few hours of sleep...

All of the Girls...were Wonderful...

I Thank Cindy B., Bud and Renate...for bringing Fragile Things...from Iowa...to us....

They were a God Send!

We got home...late last night...

and...as Lovely...as Heart of Country was...and...Nashville...

I am So...Happy...to be Home!!!

I have a Cleared Head...

and am making HUGE Changes... this year!!!!

I'll be posting them..in the next few days!

Love to Ya!

Thanks...to EVERYONE who came to Visit Us....at Heart!!!

and...a Special Thanks....

to Susan and Steven....

for Making...

Heart of Country...

Heart....and

Soulful...

Barb C.

{Thanks...to Mary Randolph Carter...."Carter" {author "For the Love of Old"...for her Beautiful Book...that has inspired soooo many...including myself...

and...for her encouraging words...during our visits...they mean more...than you know...: )

please check out her website www.carterjunk.com }

 

 

  

Oh my....It's a Long.....Ride...Home....from Nashville...
The Girls...{Pegadoo...and Wanda...}slept...off and on...{they are going to KILL me...for posting this!}
{Wanda...don't get any ideas...of posting any of me..: ) I have Way 'Better'...ones...I could post..of you Girls!!! : ) }
We hauled Fanny... all week...and had little...or no sleep... after load out...Saturday Night...
Sunday...was a Long...600... plus....miles...
We hit a few Antique Malls...on the way home...and found a Wonderful BBQ Joint...by Marion, IL. to have a bite to eat... It was a Good...Trip...Home...
Polly...was Very...Happy to See Me!!!!

Wanda....Pegadoo...and her Darling Daughter, Melissa! {Mel}...Those Girls...Rocked!
We partied HARD....and Worked HARDER!!!!
{Our Room...was Stocked Better..than the Bars!!!!}
The Girls...watched the Booth...while I gave my 'Presentation'...Friday Morn...and about lost their Minds! It was BUSY!!!!
{I forgot to warn them...about how Crazy...Friday Morn...can be...at Heart!!! oooooops! : ) }

 

Peg went through...and snapped a few images...of the Show...for me...
It was....Beautiful!
It was themed around "All Creatures...Great and Small"... Very....Wonderful!

I LOVED this Eagle...It was from the 1870's... and...Totally...Over the Top!

This was the set up...of a few of the Grand Buffet Tables...at Heart... {Meal included with Preview Ticket} The Food...is Incredible!
Heart...definitely Knows...how to throw a Party!!!

It was soooo cool...seeing all of the Wonderful...Old...Old...'Critter'... memorabilia...
{sigh...}

My Little Pal...Carol....from the Under 200. Booth.... I ran into her..as we were walking through the Show... We were Loving...all of the Treasures...as we Flew to our Booths!

This is where I had my Presentation..."Heart and Soulful"...

Peg Loved...this Little Bunny....

Wonderful...Wonderful....Treasures Throughout the Show... Holy Smokes!

There were Several Thousand People....visiting The Opryland....over the weekend!
4000 people...checked out..on Tuesday...only to have the Hotel...fill back up again...within hours...
The Rooms...were Booked...Solid...
It was a ZOO!!!!!!!