The Blues Brothers - Sweet Home Chicago - 1080p Full HD

'twas The Week...Between Christmas and New Year's Day.

'twas The Week Between Christmas, 

and...New Year's Day.

Everything was Crazy!...

{what more...can I say? }

Yes...Christmas Day, we got through...

without much of a Hitch....

yet...

somehow I knew...

the week following, would be a Mighty... 

'Stitch' 

: )

Massive Cupboards were coming in,...

from 'Chicago Ray',

Monday and Tuesday....

Promised to to be Quite...

The Days.

True to That 'Promise'...

They, didn't Disappoint. 

We

Assembled...Polished...

and Glued,...

The Massive Old, Cupboard's...every Loose...Joint.

We delivered, the First...'sold',

but...

the other Two...

had to find their way, down the rabbit hole.

: )

Brandon....and Chicago Ray...
Haulin' One....of Massive Cupboards, down the rabbit hole. : )

Trust me...
Me...
Ray...
and, Brandon...
All, found Ourselves...
Under...
The Old, Chicago Cupboards...
: )
{sigh... : ) }

Now, to those whom have never 'visited'...

the little structure, above...

it may sound like an easy...task.

'After all...how difficult  could it be...to shove a couple Old Cupboards....

through a door?...

some...might ask.

: )

Let me light up a Stogie...and try to explain...

Yes...
I smoked a 'few'...'Stogies'...on This...
Journey. : )
<3

These Cupboards...are Massive...

'the rabbit hole'...

is not.

Tho...it Holds... very Beautifully...

 More...

than dwellings Trice it's Girth...

it takes some 'Magical Engineering'....

and, there is truly...

No Place....

like it...

on Earth.

It seems to Expand...

when Beautiful, things...arrive at it's tiny, little door....

and, somehow...

Welcomes them inside,

 when...most would say.

'There's 'room' for No More!!!'

: )

At the end...of the day...

after, I'd Dug...Dug...and...Dug.

yes...

Things were turned Upside Down...

but, The Old Cupboards...

were all...nestled in...

: )

Snug as Bug...

in...

a 

Rug.

: )

When Wednesday....arrived, as one...might have guessed, 

The Hatter was in...

One Heck...

of a

 Mess.

The Cupboards...were 'set'...

but, the debris.... that was left in Their Wake...

was a 'Challenge' at Best.

Make...No...Mistake.

: )

I worked, pushed and pulled...

then,

 walked away.

My Mind...

needed 'Rest'...

That's all...I can Say.

: )

As I was working my way... 

outside...

to the door,

the phone rang...

A Smile...came to my face.

It was Such a Gift...

The Mad March Hare's Daughter...

was, on her way.

<3

Philly...Loved, Mel. : )
{There's a Story...behind my Chair...The Cats..and Mel. oh My.
Peg, had to be Roaring!!! <3 }

I prepared Food, Drink...

and an old... Feather Bed.

We had Quite a Visit...

Soooo Very...Much....

was said.

<3

We talked most of the Night...and Morning...too.

; )

We Laughed, and we cried...

I, fell off of my chair...

: )

We Laughed...Some More!!!!...

then...

we stumbled...off...to bed.

What a Gift...that was, and...one...I'll never forget.

The Mad March Hare...

was 'With Us'...

I'd Bet!!!

<3

: )

Thursday...morning...

I received a text.

A Friend...was in need of help, to gather a Mighty..Load.

He was Chicago Bound...

He and his Wife...

have been such Gifts...

I gave 'em a Thumbs Up....

and...said...

'I'm In'.

: )

Friday Morn...

I was up...at 3.

By 4...

I was at their door.

We hit Chicago,

a little past 7....

I backed their Truck and Trailer in...

we Loaded...

Mountains......

and, were nearly...Home...by 11.

{well... Lunch time. : ) 

nearly....500 miles. : ) }

The Toll....Roads, headin' Home...from Chicago.

This 'Week Between Christmas and New Year's Day'...

has, been...

quite a 

'Stitch'...

would be be...

an...

'Understatement'...

wouldn't you...

Say?

: )

There's Two Days Left....

hahahaha...

oh my...

What Will 'They'...Hold?

: ) 

I Wish...

Everyone...

The Happiest...

New Year.

I, Pray...for All, who Struggle, and Suffer.

I, Hope...You, Will...too.

: )

{I, Know...You Will. <3 }

Sometimes....I believe... we should Pray...the Hardest...for those who never have.

Thanks, so Much....to Chicago Ray...Brandon...Pattie...Dale...Stephanie...Bart...Denise...

The Cool Cats...from The Prison...in Chicago, who helped us Load...

and...

Peg's Daughter, Melissa... <3 

oh my.

Amazing...

Beautiful...

Folk.

I had to post... the Blues Brothers...
above.
{after the Chicago Run....and Dealing...with Chicago Ray...
and..The, Old.. Chicago....Cupboards. }
: )
 Peg...
was Totally... Dan Aykroyd...
I...was ....
 Totally...John Belushi...
on our Crazy....Escapades.
: )
Yes...
We...
Were...
Crazy.
<3
but, then...
all the Best...people...are. : ) <3

{Trust me....
if you think 'The Blues Brothers'...is a
'Stretch'....
: )
think, again. : ) }

Let There Be Peace on Earth

Christmas...

Just got home...

from delivering, and setting up...One, of the Three, 

Chicago Cupboards.

It looks Pretty Happy, in it's New...Temporary Home.

{It was purchased, for resale. : ) }

: )

All Cleaned, and 'Slicked'...up. 

Two, left. : )

Thanks, so Much...to Chicago Ray....

for Bringing them, and...helping to set them up.

{The other two, are heading down the rabbit hole, tomorrow. }

Hope Everyone...had a Wonderful Christmas. <3

We had a Good One. : )

The Kids, and Grandkids...were here, and it was Fun...watching the Little Ones...

play, with the Insane... Noise Makers...I got for them. : )

I, don't know...what was funnier....

Watching the Little Ones...make All Kinds...of Racket!!!

or...

Their Parents...

CRINGE!!!

{I'm...sooooo Naughty!}

: )

Miss. Meadow....

Kept Us All...on our Toes,

 She Is a Climber!

Loved the Stairs!

oh my.

{Reminds me...of her Daddy, when He...was One.

: ) }

Thankfully, she has a Wonderful...Big Brother, Little Justin, : ) 

who Watches Over Her...like a Hawk!!! <3 }

Even, Miss. Scarlett...was perplexed...
: )
Meadow...headed for Those Stairs...
Every Time, we turned our backs!!!
yes...
She's a Climber!!!

Sweetie, and Miss. Meadow. <3

When everyone, left...

I sat by The Tree, with The Critters...

listening...to the last few hours, of Christmas Music, on the radio.

Soaking every last 'drop'...of 'Christmas'...in. 

I, never did....put any ornaments....on The Tree.

{well...I put a little 'Heart'...on The Tree, that had fallen out of a box, we'd pulled out.

I, didn't have 'the heart'...to put it back, in the box, and hung it...on The Tree. : )

and...

for the First Christmas, of my life, after moving out...on my own, 38 years ago...

Christmas Dinner, was served on paper plates.

It was a Huge...Meal.

We sat all of the Food, on the Table...

then....

I set a stack of paper plates...down,... and told everyone...

"This is what we're eating off of. 

If you want a 'Dinner Plate',
Help Yourselves... : )
You...know, where they're at...: )

 and, wash 'em...before you leave."

: )

To say, this Christmas, was 'Casual'...would be an understatement.

No one...seemed to mind a bit. : )

We all...ate...a little, too much.
and, seems...
the consensus...was,
'Paper'...is o.k.
: )
No one...opted...for a Washable Plate.
Not, even...
Me.
: )
{I, actually...ate from the Old...footed soup bowl...
that held Oyster Stew.
{we used Real Bowls...for Oyster Stew. : )
 Anything else....would have been Criminal. }

I, Hope...that never happens, again.

I, Truly...enjoy the Beautiful...Old...Soulful....Plates, and Platters, we eat off of.

but, 

last week...was soooo draining, on soooo many levels, I didn't have it in me...

to spend hours, cleaning...after spending hours...cooking.

{Make no mistake.... The Food, was all served...in, and on...

 our Old....

Ironstone.

{that's all we have, and... they don't make paper 'anything'...that could hold, our...

'Christmas Dinners'.

They...are Big. 

but, I wasn't going to wash a Mountain...of 'dishes', too. 

Call me Scrooge. : ) }

I'm tired, tonight.

It was so cold...and windy, today... we nearly froze,

working with the old...Chicago Cupboard.

We had to unload...all of the drawers, doors....and trim, outside, off the Truck...

for all three Cupboards, to match them up... with the One, that was sold.

It felt so Good, driving home....in The Ford.

He's got one Heck of a Heater!

{I, didn't want to get out, when I pulled in, at Home. : ) }

I have some Major...Mountains, to move...tomorrow, down the rabbit hole. 

oh my.

It's gonna be a Busy Day. : )

I'm gettin' to bed....Early, tonight. : )

Hope, you All...Enjoyed, 'Your Christmas'...

and, ate..a little...too Much, too. : ) <3

Love, to ya...

Barb C.

{WE, are So, very Blessed....that, we are concerned...
about...
'Paper Plates'
: )
There are MANY...on Our Earth....that, don't have a Roof.
Many...that, haven't eaten a 'meal'...for a long...time.
Some, folks...don't have 'hands'...to be able...to 'feed'...themselves.
or....
legs...to, walk...to find a meal.
{Our, American Soldiers...to name...a few. }
and...
'We'...worry, about eating a Meal...
from a paper plate.
I, think...
Not.}

Reminds me...of the saying I read, as a child.
"There are two times..in our lives, it doesn't matter...who our neighbors are.
The First...
When we are born...
The Second...
When we die....
Let's get along."
The quote had two pictures.
One,
with a Babe... in a Cradle.
One...
of a Headstone...
at a Cemetery.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Canon (Video)

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas...

to You...

and

Yours.

Love You.

<3

Barb C.



Grandpa Walton's Christmas Wish

The... 'Kitchen Queen'.

: )

I, don't know what it is...about 'Old Cupboards'...that pull so, on my heart strings.

Just, picked this one up... this morn.

It's lived in the same Iowa County.... it was delivered to, 90, or so...years ago....until, today.

Still has the paper label... from The Hoosier Company... that said it was shipped to Grinnell, Iowa.

: )

This, style...of Cupboard, was quite a 'Modern'...thing, back...in the day.

It has a tin lined drawer, for Bread.
They, had a Flour Box, and sifter.
{the one, in this...is long gone, like most of them...these days. }
Spice racks, on the upper door. {This one, still has that. : ) }
Some called these, 'Kitchen Queens'....
: )
They Had Everything... a Baker, 'Homemaker'....could wish for. : )
The 'work surface'...pulls out, several inches....so, you could easily...roll dough, or...cut noodles.
: )
This one... is a bit... different. I've never seen a 'black' porcelain... work surface.
It's original. : )
The 'tambour'...doors, in the center, still....slide, with ease. : )
I, wonder... if this Old Hoosier, was originally painted.
Many, that weren't Oak, were painted....originally, at The Hoosier Factory.
Many...30, 40...and 50 years ago...were stripped, to show 'Wood'.
Everything...
'Trends'. : )
These Old...'Hoosiers'... where Crazy...Expensive....a few decades...ago.
{and, when they were 'New', in the early 1900's, through the Depression years....}
then, they...slacked off.
I, see them... being 'Admired'...once, again. : )
I, think... because, they are so Versatile.
Folks, are... 'Cooking', Baking...and Canning...again.
These, Old...Cupboards...
were
Designed....for That.
: )
yes, I guess, they are...
Indeed...
'Kitchen Queens'.
<3
I haven't bought a Hoosier Cupboard, for a long time.
but...
I liked this one. : )
If, it doesn't sell... that's o.k.
I'll use it for display....until, it finds the Perfect...'Home'. : )
I've got so Many....wonderful...old....'Kitchen'...related pieces, and early...Cook Books, I've tucked, away....
 that...I could use... a 'Kitchen Queen'...to display, them on. <3
She's headed to the rabbit hole...in the morn.
{I'll bet, Her Majesty ....is shiverin'...on the bed...of The Ford, tonight. : )
It's a Cold One! }
I'll have the shop...open, over the weekend.
She'll be 'set'...and warm....by then. : )
Love, to ya...
Barb C.


I, posted...above...
one of The Best... thoughts, of 'Christmas'...I've ever heard.
Reminds me...of my Dad...John...Peg, and...so Many, I've been so Very...Blessed, to have Known...and Loved.
<3
This, Old....Hoosier, reminds me...of my Dad's... stories...of The Depression, years.
<3
So...Difficult, yet...'Dad'...never, once said, how 'difficult'...they were.
{He regretted...he couldn't have done more...for his Grandparents.... but, he, was...just a teen.}
He shared...The Warmth...he experienced...from, Family...and...'Togetherness'.
{they, had to be, 'Close'. Times, were...Tuff. }
but... Dad, remembered those years... Fondly.
<3
What a Gift.