It's.....Showtime.

It's been awhile, since I've posted.

: (

Life... has been, just... a bit...

'Round the Bend. 

: )

oh dear.

: )

Pulled in, around Midnight, last night.

I... Truly... Can't Begin... to tell you,

how... Incredibly Exhausted...I am.

: )

Daughter, Liz...Miss. Scarlett... and me, took on 'Junk Jubilee'...

in Des Moines.

Where, oh... Where... 

do I begin. : )

I won't get into... all, that doesn't pertain to 'Junk'...

that...

'Ugly Stuff'...

called, 'Life'... that is Swirling Around my Head... these days.

oh dear.

: )

Much, for a Mad Hatter... to digest.

{Thankfully, there have been Kind Folks, {Angels} around me, to help... me 'understand' things...that are so foreign. : ) <3 }

My mind, was spinning... so fast, trying to get the Trucks loaded... 

to stay focused...

was a trial, indeed.

It's difficult, trying to 'create'... when the World... is Pounding... at your door.

Thanks, to Daughter, Liz...

I couldn't have done this Event... without her.

We had planned to take 3 Trucks.

Brandon, our Helper... was going to drive the third Truck.

Liz and I were up 'til 11, loading our Trucks.

then... I was up 'til 3... packing, and preparing food...for Polly.

I was up at 6... ready to load the third truck... and, Brandon... didn't show up.

I...couldn't reach him.

Liz and I Crammed... our two trucks... Heavier...in the rain... Wednesday morn.

We...were running Late, by then.

Still had to get Fuel...

We stopped at our Casey's.... I filled the FUSO... {Cab Over Box Truck}

with Diesel Juice...

grabbed some Stogies... and headed for the Road.

As we were pulling out, I called Liz.

{she was following, in The Ford }

I asked her, if she'd rather take 30 or I 80...

she said.... she didn't care... then...said...

"OH MY GOSH MOM!!!! What is That...'Thing'... Hanging off the Side of Your Truck???!!!

 Oh my... Gosh... MOM... It's the Fuel Pump Hose!!!"....

yes...

I'd driven off...with the pump hose, stuck in the FUSO's...Tank.

: )

Now, I've heard of Folks... doing that.

: )

and, I always Wondered... 'How Stupid'...can people...be...?'

Let me Introduce...Myself, : ) "I'm 'Stupid'..." : )

I left the FUSO... right where, I'd hit the brakes.

{blockin' traffic... }

Climbed out... gathered up the hose... and walked it, to John, The Manager, of our Casey's.

I told him, what I'd done... and wondered how many Thousands of Dollars...

 I was gonna owe, that I don't have.

He smiled... : ) said... "No Worries, : ) they are meant to pull apart... and he'd fix it."

I Gave Him a BIG....Squeeze!!!! 

oh my.

I'd noticed, as we rushed...from the rabbit hole...to Casey's...

 The FUSO... was a bit, 'sluggish'.

{but, then...so was I... and thought...he just needed to warm up...a bit. : ) }

About...a mile, after we left Casey's...I noticed The FUSO... wasn't shifting right.

It didn't have 'low'... or 'high'... only second gear.

oh....dear.

I began putting The Truck... through it's paces.

Manually shifting.... Stopping... Rolling Faster... Running the RPM's... up High..., then, backing off....

hoping...

he'd 'slip' into gear.

To No... Avail.

I could run 40... at 3000 rpm's.... 

not good.

but, he was moving forward.

If we had to drive 40...to Des Moines...

so be it.

We HAD to do this Event... Period.

Bills...to Pay.

Called Son, Justin... he didn't have a clue.

then...

called Kevin's Transmissions, in Cedar Rapids, who John always used, and who replaced The Ford's rear end, last year....

 We both... began to 'Troubleshoot'.

I, thought it might have something to do with the vacuum.

Kevin, didn't think so.

I kept pokin' along.... as he looked up things, that it might be.

{Kevin said... he rarely...worked on these... so, it was kinda out of his 'area' }

I turned off... about 20 miles down the road, and put The FUSO... through his paces again, as I reported to Kevin.

He said.... "Pull over, shut him down.... for a minute, then... restart."

By The Grace... of God, The FUSO....found his Gears. 

: )

oh my.

Kevin said, it isn't a permanent fix.... something's goin' on... but, this might...get us through.

{I told Kevin, before it started shifting.... "If I have to hook a Log Chain... and Pull The FUSO... to Des Moines.... with the Little Flatbed Ford Ranger, you put the rear end in.... last year... By God... we are Gonna Get To That Show!!! We Have No Choice!!!".}

He... understood. : ) 

Thankfully... we made it. : )

When we pulled in, at Junk Jubilee....

I parked at our booth.

said... "Hi.... to Miccia, and explained... why we were so late.... "

Told Liz.... 'I had to take a 'walk'.... just... for a little while.

just...to gather myself up.'

When I returned... to the booth, Liz...and Miccia's {The Promoter }Family... had The FUSO... nearly...

Unloaded.

oh my... : )

I about cried.

: ( : )

oh my.

Then, Pal...Wanda...called, and said she'd bring part of a Load..from the rabbit hole, we had to leave behind...after being short a Truck.

oh my.

Wanda helped us set the booth... and stayed overnight. 

oh my.

<3

Thank GOD....for Angels.

So Many...

So...Many.

{I couldn't find my feet... setting the booth. I was spinning. 

Wanda said... "but, when the doors Opened... you, were On It."

yes...

"It's Showtime!"....

I can somehow... always.... pull myself, together... at Showtime.

hahahaha....

Few would ever know.... that I'm half a FUSO short...of a load.

but...

behind the scenes... well... : ) 'jello'. }

Liz had created some Amazing... 'Hatter Hats'... they were The Hit... at the Show!

{Folks were fighting over the last ones...oh dear }

Liz, went Home... Friday.

Stayed at The House, and watched over Polly. <3

{Polly was laying by the door, when I walked in... last night. <3 : ) }

{Katie, watched over her, while we were both gone. Angel <3 }

Liz called, after she got off work, Friday night, around 11:30.

said... we had no water, at the House.

oh dear.

I couldn't get a hold of Son, Justin. {He goes to bed at 8...and is up at 4.}

I didn't sleep much... called him at the crack of dawn...

I was afraid the well pump.... had died.

: (

He found a water pipe... had broken... in the work shop.

and... Thankfully... the pump had shut down, before it burned up.

It flooded the work shop... but... all is 'well'. {no pun intended... : ) }

Junk Jubilee... was Busy....Busy!

: )

Miccia.... and her Crew... do Such a Great...Job!!!

but...

I hadn't packed nearly enough 'smalls'... so, I'm gonna have to Peddle...HARDER, for Gold Rush....

in a week and a half.

oh my.

As Miss. Scarlett and me... were driving Home... last night, I kept thinking.... and thinking....

and...

Thinking.

What does God... have in store, for me.

What...do I need to be doing, differently.

Am I on...the right path?

I can't 'Make'... myself.... do things.

It doesn't work that way, not with me.

{I can 'Make'... myself, but... it doesn't 'flow'...come together...when 'forced'...to fit. }

I told Wanda... I'm working on two cylinders.

75% down.

so... I'm Thankful, for what I can do.

I'm FOREVER GRATEFUL... for The Angels... : )

who... help carry, the rest of the load.

<3

May God Bless'em. <3

For everything... that went wrong... there were Blessings... at Every Turn.

Mary, our neighbor.... was such a Gift.

She's been through so much, yet... she worried about us. <3

oh my.

This Business... is crazy.

but...

it's also....like a Family.

: )

oh my. 

I know, I'm not 'Fun'... these days.

Work...Work...Work.

Spin...Spin...Spin.

try...

and stay...'Focused'.

{It's Difficult }

on so many levels.

One day... at a time, I keep saying.

One day...

at a time.

: )

Thanks... to Everyone, who Shopped with us, and Everyone... at Junk Jubilee.

Thanks.... to Everyone... who, lent a Helping Hand.

: ) 

Angels.

Thanks, to Polly Ann... who had Beautiful 'Encouraging' words. <3

Thanks... to Miccia, and her Family, for being so Kind.

Thanks, to Lynn and Lea... for bringing the Beautiful Windows....and 'Helping'.

Thanks, to Katie and Justin...for Holding Down...The Fort... <3 <3 <3

and...

a Special...Thanks... to Daughter, Liz...

<3 <3 <3 

oh my. 

What a Beautiful... Gift, Blessing... she is, in my life.

<3

I'm posting many images... from Junk Jubilee... below.

Love, to ya...

<3

Barb C.
{Happy.... Belated Birthday... to Sister, Chery. <3
I...Miss...You...So Much. <3 <3 <3 4/29 }

Miss Wanda....

Lizzard. <3

Farmer Friends... <3

<3 <3 <3 

Darling... Ethan. <3

This Sweet Little Gal.... came back on Sunday.
said... all she could Think about... is buying Another...Hat.
: )
She bought one, that wasn't for sale. {It was Miss. Scarlett's. : ) }
Scarlett... agreed...to let her have it. : ) <3
{"Mama... will make another one. : ) "... <3 }