Saturday, October 31, 2015
Happy Halloween....
I've had those drippy... candles...sitting here...
for a year.
The Old Harvest Table... only me and Harold could love...
{and Ed. }
was mounded with papers... along with
'this... that'...
and the other thing. : )
I cleaned it all off... grabbed the dust covered wine bottles... that have been sitting in the porch...
{their labels were too cool.... to pitch. : )}
and the Cob Web Covered Candelabra from the Bathroom....
Piled 'em... on the Old Harvest Table...
and Fired 'em all up. : )
The Halloween Dude... astride a Bat... was from my Friend, Jo... this Summer. : )
The little Horse... was a Gift, from Peg....yesterday. : )
I threw in some of Dawn and Jerome's 'Dug Toys'....
and...within a few moments....
it was
'Halloween'. : )
Thankfully... one of those Bottles... was Full...of Wine. : )
I'm enjoying that, as I write.
Cheers!
Happy Halloween!
Love, to ya...
Barb C.
{When I turned the light out.... after lighting the candles.....
I wondered... what Folks must think when they drive by...
this... Halloween. : )
You can see... in the big window...
I never gave it a thought... until several years ago...
a Neighbor commented how she liked the Light Fixture... in the dining room....
{said... she'd noticed it...as she was driving...by...... : )
oh dear. : )
I'm sure...tonight... I looked like a 'Witchy Woman'... or an Old Gypsy... : ) }
oh well...
it is... what it is.
Made me think... of the Bobby Bare tune...
'Marie Laveau'... : )
oh my. }
Monday, October 26, 2015
Buried.... Treasures.
I can't begin...to tell you...
how Much... these lost 'Fragments'...excite me.
: )
It was All I could do... yesterday... to keep the Shop Open...
when Friends, Dawn and Jerome called... and said... they had Piles.... of
Treasures.... waiting for me to see. oh my.
Jerome said... he'd been finding 'Hearts'... all year... and had a little pile... waiting... to give...to me. <3 <3 <3
I could have sooooo easily... Run!!!!
but... I waited 'til 4....
then...
Like a Bullet!!!!
The Ford and I...were Headed to Town!!!
Jerome and Dawn... are 'Diggers'.
: )
Jerome... has an uncanny way...of knowing... exactly where to dig.....
and unearth... Amazing... Things.
oh dear....
Dawn... is equally as talented.
She sees... 'Soulfulness'.... : )
oh my.
Between the two of them... they unearth... some Incredible... Jewels.
When I look....gaze.... at their findings....
I get lost... in wonder.
I...wonder... 'who'... was the last soul... before Jerome and Dawn... to 'handle'....and 'hold'...these amazing... fragments... of our past.
Many... well over a hundred hears old.
Most of these pieces have been found.... on the S.W. side... of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Much... near their Home.
{Dare I say... 'right out their back....door'. : ) }
Jerome Loves... Bottles.
He and Dawn... have dug deep... and found... some Amazing Ones.
I bought a Pile... of them, along with buckets... of Awesome... Fragments.
Pocket Watches... Compacts.... Tokens.... Keys.... I could go on...and on.
What intrigues me.... as much... as the Antiquity... is where, they are from.
Found...
Saved...
Rescued.
It's like... looking at the Titanic Relics... or... any Shipwreck's.... Discovery!!!
Oh My!!!
It's Fascinating!!!
I see... such Beauty... in these Rescued Treasures.
: ) : ) : )
I would rather have them... sitting on a shelf... or... in a shadow box... any day...
over a Perfect... non Played with... toy.... or Perfume Bottle.
Their 'Journey'... has made them...
Works... of Art!!!
oh my.
The Ford... has a Load...on. : )
I, myself.... have a bit... of that 'instinct' as well.
I saw a pail... sitting back...away... from the Wonderful 'Treasures'... I was examining
and was Immediately Drawn to It....
Like a Magnet... to Steel!
It... had the Toy Trains... Bus... Race Car.... and all Sorts... of the Wonder...
I posted... tonight....
inside.
oh my. : )
oh my. : )
There is Much... More.
I will have a Whole Lotta Fun... putting it all out.... : )
What a Gift... Dawn and Jerome are. : )
They.... See... The Beauty... too. <3
and...
work Hard...
{Labor of Love... for them. : ) }
Rescuing these Lost... Treasures.
Love to ya...
Barb C.
{I'll be posting more... of their 'Booty'.... soon. }
 |
| Early...Ford... Hubcap. oh dear. This One... is a Keeper. <3 |
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Something.... something.
The last few of days....
have been Real... Eye...Openers.
oh my.
I have been Blessed.... with some...Amazing...Angels.
Ones... who shed tears.... when they entered the rabbit hole.
oh my.
When I came up... from the rabbit hole... last night....
I sat down... and... processed.
oh my.
I began loading images... from...the rabbit hole....taken over the last few years.
Many... I think...were captured by Sharon Roberts... some, by Melody Smith...
some by Audrey Novak....and other Beautiful Photographer Friends.
<3
The weekend.... was quite slow.
Perfect.
It was a Gift... from the Lord.
The Folks... who walked through the door....
all... made me realize.... so... very... very...much.
I have struggled... inside...and out, for a long...long...time.
If... I could stay in bed... every day... I would.
The many obligations... in my life, won't allow me to.
I've wondered... if it's time... to move on.
Find other means...of survival.
My heart...is heavy. My spirit... is broken.
Passion... is something....that seems soooo long...long...lost.
I always thought.... what I do..... anyone can do...anyway.
A Friend... has told me... for years, I have a gift.
I...never believed it.
She said... "God gives us all... 'gifts'... we need to honor Him... by using them."
I've struggled with that.
I can 'do'... most anything. I'm not afraid of work.
There is a huge... part of me... that wants to simply...surrender.
but...
there's a part of my inner being...that whispers...
shames me....
into feeling like... I'd be 'selling out'.
I don't mean... 'monetarily'.
If....I lost every Thing... tomorrow... yet, I knew... I did the Best... I could....
well... I'd walk away... with a smile.
but...
I mean... Spiritually.
If I walked away... because... I'm 'tired'... and wanted to find an 'easier' way...
well...
that... would be 'selling out'...
Selling my 'self' out.
I'm not sure.... I could live with that.
As numb...as I am... to most Every 'feeling'... that little voice... makes me wince.
so... I keep... moving forward, tho it be... ever...so slowly.
I began pulling the shop together... last week, for this Midwest Show Weekend.
I had very few... people come in.
The ones... that did... really... really... touched me.
One...was a customer/Friend, I hadn't seen in years.
She's a Wonderful... Decorator/Designer.
She brought her Best Friend... from 7 hours away.
Seems, my Friend, and myself... have been running parallel dreams...of sort.
We didn't get into... the depths.... yet, I could feel it.
She said... like, myself.... she has pulled back... from everyone... hasn't been anywhere....
for a long... long... time.
I was Honored... they came to visit...me.
They spent several hours... combing through the rabbit hole.
Came back... the next day... and spent almost.... the entire day... going through.
When they first came in... my Friend said... she just wanted to cry.
{I laughed...and said... "Yeah... : ) I find myself looking around...at what needs to be done... and I... want to cry too!!! : ) }
She didn't laugh.
She, and her Best Friend... were deeply... moved... by the Spirituality of the rabbit hole.
or... that 'Something.... something'... that I can't ever put my finger on... when I'm there... but...
it envelops me... and.... embraces me... every time... I step inside.
We visited a bit... about how difficult... it is... to find... 'inspiration'... these days.
I have searched... for it... over and over.
It's not out there.
I finally realized.... inspiration... doesn't come from outside influence.
You have to pull it from yourself... deep inside... yourself.
The Girls... looked at each other... and said... "We have been trying to figure these things out... between us... for days, then... we walk in here, talk to you...for 10 minutes...and...it's like you read our minds.... and answered every single question.".
oh my.
That... happened...over....and over....and...over.... again, all weekend.
I have wept... over...and over...and over...again...
with Folks... who shared so many personal stories with me.
Folks... I have never met before... maybe... will never see again, on this earth.
I feel Blessed... I wasn't busy.
{tho... The Bank... may not see it that way... in the morning. : ) }
I was allowed the time... to 'share'... with these Travelers.
It made me realize... I am... where I need to be.
I... don't make a lot of money....but... I know... the Lord... will provide...what I need.
because... I'm counting on Him...
He did give me a 'Gift'.
He won't let me down... if I... persevere.
yes... the thought... of sitting in a truck.... having no distractions...
being... by myself.... sounds so Good...at times... these days.
oh my.
but... that isn't what I am supposed to do.
I was 'shown' that... over and over...and over....
this weekend.
The little rabbit hole... with all of it's Chaos....
is my Sanctuary.
seems... it is...and has been... for others... as well.
: )
I also... heard that... over and over...and over.
I sat for hours... last night... looking through images.
oh my.
Some...were painful... but... the ones... of the rabbit hole...
well...
they... soothed my soul.
: )
There's that 'Something....something'....
that... I still... can't put my finger on.
but....
It's Good.
It's All...
Good.
: )
Love...to ya.
Barb C.
  |
| I walked into the Bedroom.... last night. Looked up... on top of the Old Wardrobe... and saw 'The Hatter's Hat'. I pulled it down... blew the dust... off the top... put it on my head... and took this image. It fit..... just like it did.... years ago. The first song... that came to my mind... was 'Something' by The Beatles. It was the rabbit hole's song. yep. |
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Processing.......
I've spent... several hours... tonight....
loading images... for you.
Tomorrow Night....
I will...
Write.
<3
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Me and Jesus... {and...John the Baptist... : ) } yeah... we got it all.... worked out.
A Dear Friend.... brought this Saint... for The Sale.
LOVE Both of 'em!
This Saint... is Hand Carved Wood.
Pretty... Stout.
{Don't know... how much he weighs...
don't want to know. : ) }
Old...Old...Old...
He's Life Sized....
The Story goes... Two Fishermen... rescued the Saint...
as he was Floating... down the Illinois River....
Years...ago.
oh my.
The Saint... didn't sell... My Friend... came, after the Sale... to pick up...
his Treasures... that didn't sell, the other day.
He asked me... if... I'd like to keep... the Saint, for awhile.
Oh My!
Yes... : )
{My Friend... KNEW... how Much... I'd Love... to 'Keep' the Saint.... <3 }
but... I said... I wanted to put him in a safer... place, down the rabbit hole.
Today...
That...
was my Mission.
: )
I had to figure out a way... to walk the Saint... through the narrow...winding paths...
of... the...
rabbit hole...
then... lift... him... High... onto a Table.
oh my.
: )
It's no Secret... I talk to myself... and... the Old...'Souls'... down the rabbit hole.
: )
They... have to cooperate.
after all...
I... can't move mountains... all by... myself. : )
The Old Saint... and I....
had Many... Conversations... as we Waltzed through the rabbit hole... this afternoon.
He was a Bit... concerned... when it came time... to be lifted upon the table.
: )
No Worries.
oh my.
: )
The Angels... were right there.
: )
I picked him... up... from his base...
and...
Swooped Him Up.... and onto that Table...
as if...
he had Wings...
Helping me. : )
<3
oh my...
oh... my.
I captured Many Images of our....
'Journey'...
Love... to ya.
Barb C.
 |
| Yes... we had many.... 'Conversations'... <3 |
 |
| I took this image..... just.... before... Me... and 'The Angels'... lifted the Old Saint... Up High. I was Reassuring... him. He was Light as a Feather. : ) |
 |
| yeah... I saw the 'concern'... on the Saint's Face...after we had walked... soooo far, then... he saw the Table... I was going to have him Rest... upon. oh dear... The Table... with the Spindly French... legs... : ) : ) : ) : ) 'No... Worries'. : ) |
 |
| oh my. : ) |
 |
| Gotta have a little... Faith. <3 I figured... if The Old Boy... Survived... The Illinois River... well... He'd Make'r Down the Rabbit Hole. <3 |
The Rabbit Hole.... is Open... Thursday thru Sunday... { Midwest Show... This Sunday!!! only minutes from the Rabbit Hole!!! }
I Can't Believe....
THIS
is....
'Midwest Show'
Sunday!!!
How... can That Be???
oh my.
It is one of my Favorite...Events!!!
I have been a Vendor there..... a few times... over the years,
and So...Enjoyed it!
This time.... I'm going to be Open...
The Rabbit Hole... is just a few minutes away....
from the Fairgrounds....
Liz and I have been Stacking and Racking...things... in...and around the rabbit hole....
so...there is Plenty... Much... for us to offer... here. : )
I WILL be Shopping the Midwest and Collector's Eye Shows..... then...
Beat Feet... back to Open, here... Sunday at Noon!
Hope to see ya. : )
Love.... to ya.
Barb C.
 |
| Simply Iowa Booth... at Midwest Show.... last year. <3 |
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Happy Places.... 'Bridges... over Troubled... Waters'.
 |
| The Mighty Miss. After The Thursday... Sale... a Beautiful... Lunch..... I crossed The River... and did a little more Junkin'... in Coal Valley. <3 |
I received a message... last Wednesday, from my little Friend... Sarah. : )
{Bless her Heart! }
She wanted to make sure...I knew...
that 'Jumers Castle Lodge' was closing.
oh my.
I didn't.
: (
It's a Huge... Wonderful... Hotel and Restaurant.... near the Mighty Mississippi....
in Davenport, Iowa.
oh my.
For so many years.... THAT... was my final stop... from my Gathering Road Trips... in Illinois.
The little Purple Ford and I would come draggin' in.... on some of the Coldest... Road Slickest... Nights....
our last stop... for a Great Meal... and....Amazing Atmosphere.
It was like a Castle.
oh my.
The Food was Mouthwatering.
It was Very Formal... yet.... I'd come walkin' in.... a Frozen Mess....
Filthy... from digging in Buildings....
The Maitre D'.... would happily... seat me.... : )
{I might as well have been wearing a Ball Gown. : ) }
The Dining Room... was Exquisite.
Linen table clothes.....Linen napkins....
oh my. : )
Fabulous Service... : )
I'd sit there... and take in....
Soak In....
Bask....In...
The Beautiful... Decor.
The Oil Paintings... The European Antiques.... Gilded Mirrors....
Fountains....
oh my.
oh my.
 |
| I captured these images... poor as they are... on my last trip... to Jumers... a while back. I know... somewhere... I have images of the Food. oh my. It was Over The Top!!! |
My 'Happy Places'... are... like Bridges over Troubled... Waters.
oh my.
There is No Drug... on This Earth... that can Soothe....
my whirling mind....
weary...
body...
oh.... my....
like my 'Happy Places'...
oh my...
oh...
my.
I always ordered the same thing.
Prime Rib... {Rare}
with their Garlic Mashed Potatoes...
and... their Fabulous French Onion Soup!!!
oh my.
{I'd take John a piece of their Insane....'Death by Chocolate Cake'....
Holy Snikes!!!!
{My mouth is watering now. : ) I eat very little meat, but... on these trips... I did. }
The Lodge is about 70 miles from Home... so... I'd have the same Meal for John.... packed up....
just before I headed West. : )
Sometimes... it was Late... but... I always woke him up....after I plated it all up for him...: )
John always.... LOVED... the meals from there... and woke up Right Now.... to eat!!! }
I remember.... walking out to the little Purple Ford.... that was always...always.... loaded so heavy....
Inside...and out.
Mud Flaps Draggin'.... and trying to find some place... in the cab... to put John's Food....
oh my...
The Loads... that would come Home.... from those Excursions...
: )
{I don't eat at places like Jumers... and Michael's... often. Even tho... they are no more expensive than a chain steak house..... we only went out to eat... on Special Occasions.
When I Bust My Butt.... at a Show... or On The Road....
I will... Treat Myself.
Period.
: )
If a Friend, or Kids were with.... we All...Got Treated!
This Job... is Awesome... but...It's Hard Work.
It felt So Good... to be 'Waited On'... for a change. : )
and... be Surrounded by Such.... Beauty. : ) something... you'll never get....
at any 'chain' I know of. }
I didn't sleep well... the night before the tag sale.
So much was running through my mind.
It was quite an 'interesting' sale.
I have never attended anything...quite like this.
I was around number 40. They didn't hand out numbers.
{Hundreds of people came in just after I arrived... it was a Zoo }
They charged... 4.00 to get in.
With tax, there was a 20% buyers Premium...
{If you saw something for 100.00 it was 120.00 in reality}
You couldn't pull tags... or... put a Sold sticker on anything...
Only....
Write down the item number, on a receipt, they provided...
go pay.... for the item.... then.... go...put a Sold sticker on it.
oh my.
I felt like I was on a Game Show.... I was running... looking over everything....
then.... running to pay...
Hoping...the Guy... that is 10 people ahead of me...
isn't paying for the item I wanted.
oh my.
I found out... the first time I went to pay... they don't accept checks....
I have a limit... on my card, in case I should lose it.
I'd left my phone... in the Ford.... {a Long Walk...away. }
I asked the cashier... if there was a phone I could use...
to call my Awesome Bank....
to raise the limit?
No.
Well... should my card not go through... could they 'hold' the item... until I could run to the Ford...
Call the Bank...
"No".
oh my.
Thankfully... my card had a higher limit... than I had thought.
but... after I gathered and paid... for the Most Important things... to me,
I ran out...got my phone... and called my Awesome Bank!!! <3.
then.... had to stand in line... 60 people deep.... to pay for my last purchase.
oh my.
By the time I was done.... the Crowds... were Insane.
I had to carry my items through them... as people were inquiring to workers there....
if they could buy... what I had just bought....
Holy Smokes!!!
I was afraid to leave Anything.... anywhere... as I went to get the Ford... to load.
{I bought a Lovely Chandelier.... that other's were inquiring about....
as I had my hand on it.... until a 'Sold' sticker was applied.
I was pretty sure.... had I not been holding on to it... it would have walked. oh my...}
oh my.
There was a Man... checking people's receipts....where I stacked my things....
I looked at him....
pointed out my Treasures...
and directed him... to...
"GUARD THESE THINGS....WITH YOUR LIFE!!!"
He Laughed!!!
{he thought I was Joking??? : ) }
Then, I visited with the Police Officers who where letting us in to Load.
I said... "There's A MOB in there!!! I should be Packin' Heat Too!!!"
They Roared....!!!
Said... they were gonna stay...Outside! : )
oh my.
To say the Least... I was Frazzled... by the time I left.
And Starved!!!
The minute I walked inside... The Castle...
my Body... was yearning... for that Wonderful... Food.....
that I was so Thankful for... with every single... visit.
I remembered a place... where some Friends and I ate... a few years ago...
in Davenport.
'Hotel Blackhawk'.
It's on The River....
It's been recently restored.... and... is Beautiful.
The Ford and I... found our way.
: )
I sat down... ordered a Bloody Mary...
and took in the Beauty... of that Hotel.
: )
I ordered a Vegetarian Pasta.... with Grilled Shrimp.
oh my.
It was.... Incredible.
: )
It's not Jumer's.... It's not Michael's....
It's not... The Cascades.... at the Opryland.
but... it ain't bad.
: )
In fact... it's Beautiful.... in every way.
Seems... so many of my 'Happy Places'...away from Home... are no more.
: ( : ( : (
but... at least... 'The Hotel Blackhawk'... is Thriving.
 |
| Bling and Grandeur... from The Castle. |
 |
| I carried these Candelabras... what seemed like a Mile... through Crowds... One... over my shoulder... the other... tucked under my arm. oh my.... People... kept commenting as I danced through the crowded isles..... holy snikes. |
 |
| {sigh....} I Needed.... That... Bloody Mary!!! oh my. What a Gift... it was... to find another.... 'Happy Place'... that day. |
 |
| Hotel Blackhawk |
 |
| Very... nice. : ) |
 |
| I really like this Hotel.... I just MISS.... the Antiques. 'New'... can be pretty... but... it... simply... doesn't have 'Soul'... : ) |
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