simply iowa: The 'List'.... for GOLD RUSH! {This Friday Through Sunday at The Fairgrounds in Rochester, MN. }

The List....

Liz, Miss. Scarlett and I.... are heading to GOLD RUSH... this week....

We are going to have to unload...and re load....

I'm sitting here... this Morning...

walking through the Buildings... in my mind.

oh my....

Here's what I've come up with...so far.

Two Beautiful Early Walnut Store Tables... {with hand dovetailed Drawers... }

A Pair... of Tall, Narrow... Gnarly... Hotel Doors.... in Red Paint...

A Tin Running Horse Weather Vane....

Lodge Columns with Amazing Globes....

A Large Trunk...dated 1826

An Unusual... Grungy White... Sideboard....

Several Painted Tables...and Stands... from the late 1800's.....

A Gnarly...Marble Topped Etagere....

A Darling Drawered French Stand....

Mirrors... of every shape and size.....

Architectural Fragments.....

Farm Gnarliness.....

Interesting... 'Smalls'....

and...of course...an Old Cupboard... or two... : )

It's going to be a full... load.

{this is just what I can bring to mind... this Morning..... while being reminded.....

as I sip from the Mug... Peg gave me...

I...am 'Mad.'....

Entirely Bonkers....

but... here's the Secret...

All The Best...People.....

Are. : )

Images...soon....

Love to ya....

Barb C.

{ My little Friend, Nick..and his Beautiful Daughter... {the Jehovah's Witness Friend... who has stopped by...over the last many months... left Flowers...at our door.....and a Beautiful... Card... : ) and... has so...Lovingly... 'kept'... our Family.... in his Prayers... <3}

stopped in... the other day....

As his daughter... was searching...and searching for a certain Scripture... then read it to me... I smiled....

I said... "Thank You.... : ) It was Beautiful....

Would you, try... next time... you want to find the

Perfect.... Words.....

let God... chose them....

Let God... guide your hands... as I do... now....

He will show you...the Exact Message... you need to see... and share."

I have done this...for many years....

with The Bible....

and, as below... my daily devotional....

Streams in the Desert.

It's Incredible... what has been Shown... to me...

Exactly... what I needed to see...and feel.

I did this... again... this Morning.....

This... is a snippet... of what I read.....

Would we know that the major chords were sweet....

If there were no minor key?

Would the painter's work be fair to our eyes...

Without shade on land and sea?

Would we know the meaning of happiness...

Would we feel that the day was bright....

If we'd never known what it was to grieve....

Nor gazed on the dark of night?

Many people owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.

{Charles H. Spurgeon }

When an organist presses the black keys of a great organ, the notes are just as beautiful as when he presses the white ones.

Yet to fully demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument, he must press them all.

: )

Sing... to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.

{Ephesians 5:19-20 }

No matter the source of the evil confronting you, if you are in God and thereby completely surrounded by Him, you must realize that it has first passed through Him before coming to you. Because of this, you can thank Him for everything that comes your way.

This does not mean thanking Him for the sin that accompanies evil, but offering thanks for what He will bring out of it and through it.

May God make our life one of continual thanksgiving and praise, so He will then make everything a blessing.

: )

perfect.

I walked through the house... last night.....

oh my...

My eyes...came to rest... on our Initials... John carved in the Old Opera House... Balcony Rail....

The top... of it has Hundreds of initials carved.... from long ago... Lovers...and Sweet Hearts....

Guess... John thought...ours should be there too....

I remember the day... he showed me.... this... 14 yeas ago....

: )

Last night.... I was a Ghost...in this house..

I lit...every Candelabra.... and had Alison Krauss... rattlin' the walls.

oh my....

I know... I have a few folks... concerned....

please...don't be.

I had to flip a switch.... when John... went away.

Had to push...everything... on the back burner... except for work.

I, am Blessed... I can do that.....

but... I also knew, a day...would come... many... when I'd have to deal... with ... Unimaginable... Loss.

FB has seen much more than Blogger.....these last few weeks...

I've had to keep this site... for the most part... Business.

with so much...going on...now.

I've had a few folks... say... as they follow this blog.....and FB...

"I wonder... what's going to happen...with your life...now? "

and are waiting...and watching.... to see.....

oh my.

: )

I...wonder...too.

I've put it in God's Hands....

that is why... when I ask for Prayers.... I mean it.

When I think back...to the time...when we first heard the news...

John was just admitted to the Hospital....

Then... Mom, came back in.....

I'd walk into the elevator.... shuffling between the floors..they were on.....

It was Then.... as I stood alone.... I could feel... the Angels.... around me.

They...carried me.

I...know, I'm not all here.....

and may never be....

I have lost... such a Huge...part.... of myself....

that... is Never coming back.

and.... it Hurts... so much.... when the things.... that had brought...so much Joy...to my life... are the same things.... that ...now... hurt me...so very deeply.

A dear friend.... and blog follower... thought...maybe I should get some meds.....

{I'm sure...she isn't the only one... }

: )

oh my....

There is no pill... on this earth... that can make this suffering go away....

It's part of life... that we have to go through.... we learn...and grow from.

It's these kind of.... circumstances... 'life altering'.... that make us... who we are to ultimately... become....

I...know, I'm not the same person...I was a year ago....

anymore... than I am the same person...I was.... before I met John.

or... he was...before he met me.

He made me...a Better person.... and, I'd like to think... it was mutual....

We've had many challenges... throughout our lives... on many levels.....