The Fall Harvest Sale... history...

Maurina...

Lord... Thank You....

for sending her...

I don't think... I could have made it....

without her...

I hadn't seen her...for years....

until she just pulled in... one day... and offered her help....

and kept coming back....

I know...I drove her Crazy...at times... not knowing what direction....to turn....

my mind... simply...couldn't process....

but...

she hung in there....

what a Gift... Blessing...she was....

Peg... kept checking in...wishing...so.... she could be here....

Mike...is perking along....

Thankfully....

{I...So... Miss.... My...Peg.... }

Lynn and Lea...
It was Great... having them... they always... somehow... make me feel... a little better... about everything....
They have a way...of putting everything...into perspective...
a 'Calming'... factor...
Blessings....

Cindy... oh my... what a Gift...she and Tom are....
Tom got very ill.... after the sale... and was hospitalized...for several days...
oh my...
Thankfully... he is doing much better...and is home...
 Cindy...and Tom... kept... the Books... oh my....
What a BLESSING That Is!!!
{and... Mark's Daughter...Sarah... oh my... Mark and I...used to spend...an entire morning... pulling them all...together....
We Both...
Tip Our Hats...
to These...
Angels...}

Sheree...
This Girl... always...makes me Smile...
She made these Two....Amazing Pumpkins.... one... with an Old... Bisque Turtle Head.... for a stem... she had gotten from me...
I thought... what the heck... is she going to do with that? {I liked it... cause it was...gnarly....}
She... made him...Sing...
What a Darling....: )
It's always... wonderful...when she, and Donna come to visit....
sweet... little... souls...
and...so.... Creative!

Brandon...
oh my....
: )
He popped out... to dig...and I said "Get Crackin'...Boy!"
"You know how to set Displays! Get Goin'!!!"...
and he did... : )
He...is a Dear...Dear...Soul....

Pal...Jan...
She brought a few things...to the sale...
and asked...if I needed help...
That...was Wednesday afternoon.... sale opened... Thursday morn....
I said...
"Yes! Pick a Mountain!"...
She...did... and worked her tail off....
{came back...for the next sale... and did it all over again....}
oh my....
what a Dear....

Many of us... spent the late... Evenings... in The Hen House...
{Maurina'a House... : ) }
unwinding....
I gotta tell ya...
it was a Journey....
 

 

We...had an...Amazing Sale....
Thanks... to Everyone....

Another... Pow Wow...
in The Hen House...
It's been quite the little Sanctuary....

Cindy... is also...among...her many talents.... a Quilter...
She bought an Early Victorian Quilt...to patch her Mother's...
I...have an early...Silk Trapunto...Quilt.... that was in need...of repair...
as well...
{above}
One... that I dearly Love...
that... sadly... had been torn... when Justin...thought the reason it was folded in a sheet... was because...it had been laundered...
He used it on his bed... with... his two hounds.... Stubbie and Lady Bug....
they tore a huge hole in it...
I...wept.... when I found it....
The man...I traded with... for it...years ago... said it would have been a 10,000 dollar quilt.... if...it hadn't had the damage it had... when we traded... but...he knew... I'd love it... no matter....
{he was a quilt conservator...and...realized... he could never...finish it... in his lifetime...  }
He wouldn't sell it to me...
only trade...
{I told him... as he pulled it...from the bag... only seeing the back... I'd trade...any quilt...or quilts... I owned... for this...
 He said..."You haven't seen the front yet..."
 I said...
I don't...have to.... }
but insisted...I could never put it in my shop...where people could handle it....
So... I happily...obliged...
wrapped it...in a sheet... and took it out...on occasion... to admire it's...amazing...splendor...
never dreaming... Justin... would use it...
It was photographed... for a spread in Architectural Digest... before... Lady Bug...and Stubbie... 'nested' in it...
I called my friend, Patti...{Fern Hill South Amana, Iowa... {she...knew... and Loved the Quilt...as well... she has... AMAZING... Vintage Quilts...  }
 when I found it...
Sobbing...
{several years ago...}
She said...
"Now...hang it on a display rack... and enjoy it....
You have had it...put away... to preserve it... Now... enjoy...it..."
That's what I did...
I put it on the spare twin bed...
Wishing... I could sew...well enough... to simply.... mend it...
When Cindy told me... she was going to mend...her Mother's...
I thought... maybe... she could do...this for me....
She... was so kind... and accepted the job...
Now...
It has... a Beautiful....Story...
Justin's beloved... Lady Bug.... and Stubbie... were hit and killed... by a train... that year...
we were all... devastated....
Now... I have a Fond... memory..of Justin... {who was sick... about the quilt...}
Lady Bug... and Stub...
and...My Friend...
Cindy...
who made it...all... better...
{She has a way...of doing that... for...everyone...: )
  I have a name... for her...and folks... like the ones... above...
'Angel'...}

 



Cindy...kept saying...when she dropped it off....
"It pulled together...nicely... but...there is a little pucker..."
seriously...
?
I sure never saw one...
she did... an Amazing Hand...Repair!!!!
Now... I have it spread...on a full size bed... open....
before... it was on a twin... with the massive tare... folded under....
Beautiful....

I captured this... the last night of the Fall Harvest Sale...
knowing...I was going to have...to let... the show...go on....
the next week...
The weather...
Fought us... hard....
We bailed water... all day... one of the days....
then...the wind....
I couldn't get everything out... or all of the buildings open...
no...way...
I had lost...two... beloved... Critters.... during this sale....
that...
in itself....
could easily...drop me....
I left all of my customers... standing....
as I whisked...the first one... to the vet....
to no avail...
the second...
I found... while walking with Jan.... to the rabbit hole....
{unrelated...to the first... these...were both... knee bending... losses...and..shockers...}
she helped me bury him....
We all put in... too many hours... on these sales...
but...
I had to...
had to get things... cleaned out...
and figured out....
I will say... by Monday... as the tents were coming down....
and... I was gathering up...what needed to be put away....
I finally.... lost my mind....
Seems...everyone...was moving so fast... around me...
I couldn't keep up...
the tents...were coming down...faster than I could move things....
as I was carrying an old...chair... with a coffee pot... hooked on my finger...
I lost it...
The chair flew across... the lawn... and I drop kicked the old...
coffee pot... like a football....
I was...gone....
took off... walking...
I didn't know where... I was going...
but... I was...goin'....
and...never looked back...
I walked...quite a way... down the road....
and then... stopped...
sat down... on a hill....
and looked at the fields... that had just been picked...
the trees... that are turning color....
the... creek....
and...thought of...
absolutely....
nothing....
and...realized...
I...Am... Blessed....
simply...
to have this day...
and eyes... to see...
the Beauty...
in it...
Then...I walked... home....
finished my jobs...
and...closed the door... behind me...
I went to visit Mom... the next day....
that was good...
She was in good spirits....
I fed her... her lunch...and a Blizzard...
and we...talked....
: )
a long... time...
I noticed... the Young...people...{Aides...} who were setting near us... also feeding Elderly Folks...
Darling... Young...Folks...
They are also studying to become Nurses...
Two...were young men... who looked... like
 Body Builders...
and...kind of Tuff...
: )
If... you could have heard... how... kind... they were... to the Old Folks...
Spoke...so...Softly... to them.... and were so... Gentle...
oh my...
I Tear...Up... thinking about them....
That...was such a Blessing...
knowing... when I'm not there... they...are.... : )
I still... have much work...outside to be done....
and...inside...
some MAJOR pieces sold... over the sale...
and the rabbit hole... is ready...for new...arrivals...
{and...a mess... }
I'm having a Primitive Open House... the end of the month...
 that coincides with the Mid West and Collector's Eye Shows,
at Hawkeye Downs Fairgrounds, in Cedar Rapids...
I really haven't strayed... from here... for weeks...
so... much...to do....
Liz...Miss. Scarlett...and I... took a ride...today...
we ended up... at a book store...
I was seeking...inspiration... for the redo... of the rabbit hole....
and found... none....
I'm..hoping...it will come to me.. when I find my way... down...
the tangled... path....
I hesitated...
when I wrote this...post....
about telling it... like it is....
but...
This... is like my journal...
and...
I'm not much... about painting a pretty picture...
when... it's...not...so much...
I am Thankful... and feel... Blessed.... to have such Amazing...People... in my life...
I feel...Blessed...to have had... a Great Sale...
when so much...was...against us...
The Weather...
and...
the Government... being shut down....
{I had no idea... how scary it was... I didn't watch any t.v. for...weeks... except...the weather....}
oh my...
I was...sad...to find...I had a couple of things...stolen.... : (
one...was a pendulum bob... for an old clock....
wish...they would have taken the whole thing....
now...when I look at the old clock... I see.... it's parted... and will never be whole... again...
it had it's bob... for 130 years... and now... are separated....
: (
and...worse.... if they thought all bobs...are the same...and wanted it for their clock....
they're going to be disappointed....
It would only work... for this particular clock...
what a waste....
I found...comfort... yesterday...and today... walking through the house.... and trying to find a spot...for the Blue Poster Bed....
I didn't find one....
but...
I did... visit rooms... and old friends... I hadn't seen... for a long...time....
that...was... a gift....
These Old...Soulful... Friends...
have a way... with my heart...
They... seem to bring peace... to my...soul...
Love to ya...
Barb C.
{I did...have a Very...Funny Thing...Happen...at The Fall Harvest Sale....
: )
I had a lady sit down...at the check out... as I was eating lunch... she didn't know who I was...
She had a pile of things...
I had seen her... the first day... of the sale... and she had bought a few things...
she was talking to one of the Girls...{I thought it was Cindy... but... it may have been... Maurina... or Sarah...in any case... Any One of Them...Would Have...Also...Choked!!!! : ) : ) : ) } )
 and said...
"When I was here, before... I was told... anything with a chip...is half price"...
I LOST IT!!!!
I Spit Coffee All Over The Table!!!!
I said...
"Oh...Honey...You Must... Be Mistaken!!! That wasn't here... : ) you see... most Everything I Own...has a Chip...Crack or Stain!!!! I bought them...that way... Love Them...that way... and..It's All Priced...That Way! : ) : ) : ) "
she sat up straight... in her chair... and said...
"oh"...
: )
oh dear...
{sigh.... }
Toooooo Funny!!!!!!! }