Friday, February 27, 2026

Escape.

 Everybody sings the blues... sometimes.
Life... can be a bit overwhelming, at times.
Guess... all we can do, is get back up, dust ourselves off...
and, take on another day.
: )

I've been numbing my brain... with something I never have.
: )

Been watching people build dugout cabins in the woods.
Somehow... it's fascinating to see.
Must be a 'Rabbit Hole' thing.
an...
'Escape'
thing.
Everyone, in my opinion...
needs a 'Rabbit Hole', to escape to,
now and then.
'Tequila' isn't always...
 the best option.
; )

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.




Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Holy Cow!!!


'Holy Cow!!'
: )
<3

Above... is an an Old, Old... Cow Weathervane Directional.
: )

Found her Years ago.
<3
Was So Impressed by how Shot to 'Hell, and Back'...
 she was, yet...
somehow...
she
remained in
' One Piece'.
<3

She was mounted on a Beautiful Arrow.
So wanted to keep her, she kinda represented a few 
I've known, and Loved... throughout my life.
<3

but...
Business... is Business.

Took her to a 'Gold Rush' Show, Rochester, MN.

Before long a Man came through our Booth, and Snagged...
 'The Holy Cow'.
<3

As he held her in his hands, I said...
"Oh My!! : ) KNEW there'd be Someone like me, who'd Appreciate 'The Holy Cow'.
<3
Isn't She Incredible?!?! <3"

The Man looked at me, like I'd Lost My Mind!!!
: )

He said...
"I... don't want 'The Cow'... I need the Arrow for a 'Good' Cow, I have at Home. 
This one's junk... I'm just going to throw it away."

my heart... sank.

{almost... refused to sell 'The Holy Cow', to him.}
: (.....

 just stood there, sick... at heart.
: (......

Tried... and, Tried.... to help the Man... 'see' the 'Good' in 'The Holy Cow'.
; )
<3

It wasn't 'happenin'.
: (

Business... is business.
: (
sold....
 'The Holy Cow', to the Man.
: (

It bothered me over the entire show.
It bothered me... for Months.
: (

Kept thinking...
'The only thing that stood between The Holy Cow's demise, and the Man, was me.
: (
and,
I... caved'.
: (.....

Several months later, while setting up, again... at Gold Rush,
 a
 Man....
came walking up to me, holding a paper sack.
Knew I'd seen him before, but... couldn't quite place him.

As the Man... handed me the sack, he said...
"Here's a 'Present' for you."

???

Peeked inside the paper sack....
: )
about
Died!!
<3 <3 <3 
: ) : ) : )

It Was 'The Holy... Cow'!!
Oh My Lord!!!
: )

Priceless!!!
<3
Priceless!!!
: )

Asked the Man... how much I owed him.
<3
He, said... "Nothing. I know how Much... it means to you."

{oh... my Lord. <3}
: )..................

Was Beyond... Grateful, the Man... saved her, and... saved her, for me.
<3
: )

The Holy Cow... is one of my most 'Precious Gifts'.
I... think of The Kind Man, who Saved Her... for me, every single time my eyes rest upon her.
: )
<3

For The Love... 
of
'Old'.

<3

Pal, Bill... and I, met at the upcoming 'Estate Sale' today.
We did a 'walk through'.
Met with the 'Estate' holder.
: )

There's so much... that needs to be 'Finished' with the construction, yet.
; )

Assured The Estate, we'll be there for them, when it's completed, but... diving into it now, would be a mess.

One Day at a Time.
; )

Whipped up a kettle of Vegetable Barley Soup, when I returned Home.
It's Fragrance is Wafting Through The House, as I write.
: )

When I woke up this morning, it Finally... felt like Spring.
Sun... in The Early Morning.
Finally.
<3
Longer Days.
<3

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.




Tuesday, February 24, 2026

'Shenanigans'... Indeed.




; )

Was going to write about something totally different, today.
but...
Last Night, had quite a Dream.
; )
Couldn't shake it... all day.
<3
: )

The Dream...
was
 Incredibly Vivid.
It was about Dad.
{Marion Conner Sr.}
; )

In the 'Dream'... 
Dad wanted to take me, and his Great Grandson for a ride in his plane.
{The Great 'Grandson', in my 'Dream'... was nameless, about 6 years old... he, was my Nephew, Billy's Son.
<3
Billy, has two College age Daughters. No Boys.}

??

Dad... taught himself how to 'Fly', back in the late 1940's when he bought/traded.... for a little two seater Plane. 
an
 'Aeronca Champ'.
<3

Never had the opportunity to fly with Dad. I was born in 1963. Dad... sadly, lost his Pilot's License when he flew The Champ between a Bridge, and The Iowa River, in Iowa City, in the 1950's.
; )
Dad... was givin' his 'Boss' a 'Ride'...
 his horrible 
'Boss'
 would
 Never Forget.
; )
That... Dad, did. : ) }

Hahahahaha!!!
<3

Back to 'The Dream'.
; )
oh my.

We all climbed into Dad's Plane... tried to get situated. It was tight.
; )
Finally... we did.
The Boy, and I... watched Dad do his Stuff.
<3
We started down the runway, 
of a tiny little Airport.

Felt the Plane... Lift Off!!
<3
Exciting!!
{Dad, and I... had flown together, in small planes when I was young.
He... just couldn't be the 'Pilot'.}

The 'Boy' and I... Truly were enjoying the Lift Off.
: )
then...
Dad lowered the plane, back onto the little runway.
??
I could see other planes, or what I thought were planes ahead of us... on the tiny runway.

No...
It wasn't a 'Runway'.... Dad... was landing on.
; )

Hahahahaha!!!

It... was an 'On-Ramp' onto I-380, that runs through Cedar Rapids.
: )

As we were Toolin' down I-380, well... 'The Champ' was rolling through a Messy Slushy Snow Covered 380.
Could barely see tracks from other vehicles, in the Deep Slush.
; )

Yeah...
Boy!!
: )
{uh... oh.}

I... asked Dad if it was 'legal' to 'drive' The Champ... on the highway.
He, said...
" Nope."

: )

Dad's 'Great Grandson'... was on my lap.
: )
Neither of us were a bit concerned.
<3
: )

I looked at 'The Boy', asked...
"You know... your Great Grandfather is 'Irish', right? 
; )
Just like your Grandma,...me,
your Dad... and You."
; )
<3

The Boy, smiled... and said...
"Yep."
: )

Reminded 'The Boy'... 'Life... to us 'Irish', isn't much without 'Adventure'.'
: )
then...
I asked The Boy, what another word for 
'Adventure'
is, to us...
'Conner's'.

The Boy Grinned, and said...

"Shenanigans"
: ) : ) : )

INDEED!!
<3 <3 <3 

I've abbreviated 'The Dream'... a bit.
; )

Lord, Lord...
<3
It Was Great!!
<3
{Red Lights... Green Lights... First Avenue... in Cedar Rapids.
'Brakes'
????
: )
Possibly having to remove The Champ's Wings to Get Through a Building!!!}
; )

yeah...
boy.
; )
<3



Loved hearing Dad's 'Voice', again.
: )
It was Incredibly Real.
<3


<3

; )


'Shenanigans'
; )
<3

 Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.



Monday, February 23, 2026

Way... Too Much.


Been going through Old Books, today.
The above, is Long Gone.
; )

The cover... made me smile, when I stumbled upon it.
: )

Still does.

Started on 'The Book'... I'll finally... be writing, yesterday.
It's going to take some time... and editing, but... just putting everything down in words, is...
 kind of therapeutic.
Liberating.
<3

It became very evident... while writing, yesterday....
'Not sure I can write 'One' Book'.
Hahahahaha!!!
; )


There's going to have to be a 'Book' from 'Before'... 
'IDOT, and Fairfax'...
  and, one...
dedicated to 2016, and after.
That... '2016', and 'after' is a 'Novel' all it's own.
oh my.

As I was writing yesterday... thought, perhaps... 2016, 'til today...
would take up a Chapter, or two.

Hahahahahaha!!!!
; )

Nope...
It'll have to be a 'Book'...
a
'Novel'...
 All Its Own.

There's way too much.
: (

Way... 'Too' Much.

{oh dear... That's Sayin' A Lot, in my humble opinion.}

Stay Tuned.
<3
I'm Workin' on It!!
; )
{Wish I would've paid more attention in the Typing Class, at Roosevelt Junior High.}
; )
{Who... Knew??? }
; )

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.




Sunday, February 22, 2026

More... Coffee.






Thought sure we must be under a Full Moon, lately.
'Sleep'... for me... and several I've visited with, lately, has been nearly non existent these last many nights.

Spent yesterday on the phone with Folk's who were trying to pick my brain, for advice on different matters.
; )

Told them they were welcome to try... but, 'these days'... 
"There ain't Much to 'pick' from."
: )
Gratefully, they all thought I was helpful.
; )

Another busy week ahead. 
We're going to start on an Estate Sale, that we'd wanted to conduct in January.
The Estate has been doing remodeling on the Home, the contractor's fell way behind.
That... happens.

Hopefully... we can have it pulled together for a March Sale.
I'll know more, after a walk through, tomorrow, or Tuesday.

Won't get into politics, we all see enough of that... minute by minute...
but,
something has struck me... listening to the 
'Words'.

Lawyers take every word seriously.
The 'law'... is very specific when it comes to words, and how they are written.

Saw/heard... a couple parallels concerning the Mess we're going through with IDOT, and Fairfax.

'Authority'.
'Government Overreach'.

The Rule of Law... is a Big Deal.
It's what our Country was founded on.
Without The Rule of Law...
we have nothing.

Need More Coffee.
Lots More.
{and... a little Dwight Yoakam. He usually...
 gets me goin'.}
; )

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.




 

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Happy Birthday... Mom.


Happy Birthday
to
Rose Marie Dvorak.
<3
February 21, 1920...
'til
March 20, 2014.
<3

Friday, February 20, 2026

oh my.


 

The Love... of Old.




Was thinking about Pal, Mary Sellon, today.
{Dark Horse Antiques, Janesville, Iowa.}
: )

Sure Do Miss Her!!
<3

That Gal... was Quite a Woman!!
; )

Top Notch Horse Woman, and Antique Dealer.
Mary, and her Husband, Tom... were Huge into Civil War Reenactments.
Mary, and Tom... 'knew' Vintage Tack, like no others I've ever known.

Mary was equally knowledgeable on Antiques.

Incredible People.
: )

Fun People... Too!!!
; )

Mary... liked to Have Fun!!
Lord... Lord!!!
; )
You didn't have to 'see' Mary, if she was within earshot!!!
She had a Laugh... Like No Other!!!
: )

Miss... Mary's Laugh!!
<3

Mary, and Tom... came to visit The Rabbit Hole, one day... it happened to be Halloween.
After I closed the shop... we went to a local Pub to share a Beer, or two...and a little Grub.
: ) : ) : )

Mary struck up a 'Friendship' at the bar... with the 'Tooth Fairy', and... his 'Sidekick'.
; )
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!
Priceless!!!
: )

Mary passed away, a few years ago.
Mary, like Peg... fought The Fight.
: (

Mary...  is Deeply Missed.
<3

Sadly, in the last month... we've lost Three Wonderful Antique People.
Jack, Randy... and Susan.
: (

 Feel so Blessed by this 'Love of Old'.
<3
Had I taken a different direction in life, never would've had the opportunity to have known some of 
The Best People, on The Planet.

Each, and every one of them... come from different backgrounds.
but...
We All Shared the mutual...
 'Love of Old'.
; )

We 'Understood', understand...
 one another, when sometimes 'Family' couldn't, can't.
; )

We're a Bunch of 'Gypsies'.
; )
{in my opinion}

Proud of It.
: )

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.

{ Wore my... 'Hatter's Hat', and 'Attire', to Mary's Funeral.
Mary... would've expected no less.
; )
<3


Above... is Mary, sporting her own 'Hatter's Hat'...
 Daughter Liz... 'Created'.
; )
 That Hat... was 'Made' for Mary.}
<3


<3





Thursday, February 19, 2026


 

Promises...


No Matter... What. 
<3

; )


Been going through old images, from Blogger.
Can't post anything new, from my new phone, yet.

That's given me the opportunity to look back.
: )

oh my.
<3

I've been going through thousands of images, from 'Yesterday'. 
'Before'... 
cancer, and The Iowa Department of Transportation/Fairfax, Iowa, entered our 'Lives'.
{for a second time}

Peg... often referred to her cancer... as 
'The Dirty little bastard'.
I... often refer to Fairfax, Iowa... 'City Hall' and The Iowa Department of Transportation, a bit stronger.
{bless their hearts}
; )

I'll never forget the day Peg and I... were gathering Trimmings, from an Amana, Iowa... dump, for a Christmas Open House, Down The Rabbit Hole.

As we were gathering tossed off Pine Tree cuttings, we stumbled across an old concrete fountain, that had been thrown in the dump.

There was No Way... we could leave it there, 
it was so Beautiful.
so....
between the two of us, 
By God...
We Loaded That Massive Concrete Bowl, and Base...
onto The Ford's bed.
<3

Saved it.
<3
It's still... at The Rabbit Hole.
; )
{not for sale... ever.}
<3

The funny thing is, someone... I know very well, turned us in... for rescuing
'The Fountain', from the dump, to the DNR.
; )

Had an interesting conversation... with the kind... DNR representative, a few days later.
; )

I agreed to Never... pick up discarded Pine Tree branches, from The Amana Dump, ever... again to decorate The Rabbit Hole.
; )

I've kept that promise.
; )


'Promises'... in my opinion, should be kept.
; )

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.

 

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Grit.


 

Simply... Iowa.


I've posted these images many times... over the years.
They were in an old photo album, my Friend, Allen Clinton, who did 'Hauling', and Scrapping, had set aside, after hauling from an estate near What Cheer, Iowa, twenty plus... years ago.

Allen would call me after sorting through his 'Hauling' loads, if there was anything he thought might interest me.{Allen knew my 'Crazy'. ; ) 'Passion', for 'Love of Old'. Especially... 'Iowa' 'Farm'... 'Old'. <3}
; )

I treasure these images.
<3
Think of Allen, too... when I look at them.
: )
If it wasn't for Allen, they would've went to the landfill.







Allen passed away in 2013.
Learned, just today...
Allen's Son, Vance... passed away last Fall.

Vance, was a Good Kid. He helped me put up a porch in front of The Hen House, years, and Years ago.
; )
So... enjoyed working with him.
Vance, was much like his Dad.
Hard working, and Kind.

'Simply Iowa'
<3

This day has been filled with many things, I... need to chew on.

As I've been 'chewing'... go back to what 'Iowa' truly means to me, has Always... meant, to me.

Honest... Hard Working, People.
Kind...  
and fair, 
People.
<3
Intelligent People.
'Educated'
far
'Beyond'
what a 'degree' could ever offer.
 'Grit'.
<3

Yet... I know, and have witnessed what an Educated Iowa Lawyer, can do...
who, also... has 'Grit'.
; )
{Holy Smokes!! ; )}

'Grit' 
in my opinion...
is...
'Simply... Iowa'.

What 'Iowa' is not... 
in my humble opinion,
 'Fairfax, Iowa... City Hall', or
'The Iowa Department of Transportation'.

Time... will tell.
; )
It always... does.
A Broken Trust... is a bad deal.

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.


Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Not... good. No... the 'sting' never fades.



Phone Drama.
: (

Picked up a new phone, today.
Sadly... they Guys at The Phone Store couldn't get my info from my old one.
Trying to navigate a new phone, for me... is Torture.
I'm Not Geared or Wired for 'Devices' of Any Kind.
I'm Old... School.
Have Zero Interest... in 'Computer' Anything.
Period.
{Don't Even... get me started on 'Passwords'. Good Lord!!!}
ZING!!!

I now have a 'phone'... that works, but... no apps, or email.
Can't even get Bluetooth to recognize this phone.

Had to walk away from it, this afternoon.
Told the Kind... Guys, at the phone store, I'd be back....
; )
Told them... I was Done... screwing around with it, needed to Smoke Many Stogies, and Sip a Lot of Tequila, 
before I tackle this 
Mess....
again,
tomorrow.
; )

My head has been spinning, the last several days.
The weather, has been so warm, and beautiful... for mid February, in Iowa.
It's taken me back to 1987.

Too many parallels... with Dad's death.
Way... too many.

Was visiting with Pal, Allyson, this morning.
She'd been trying to reach me all weekend.
<3
{many... have.}
<3
Allyson feels about the same way I do, concerning 'devices'.
'Old School'.
; )

 Was Very Proud of Allyson, for searching out the blog, this morning, and seeing my post, with the 'land line' number.
; )
That's BIG!!
 ; )

I'd been thinking about Allyson, too...
but with the Android down... had no way of retrieving contact numbers.

Still don't. 
Have many numbers in my brain, but... not nearly as many as I easily trusted the Android to store.
In the future, well... I'll be having a 'rolodex', again.
; )

It's very worrisome....
 how dependent we've become on 'devices'.

Not Good.

Not...
good.
: (

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Happy Valentine's Day... to All!! {Android is still down. Here's my land line # 319-846- Eight One Seven Three}


It's a Glorious...
 Warm Day...
in
Iowa!!
; )
50, plus... degrees, today.
<3

Spent about 5 minutes outside. 
: (
From the amount of traffic going by... guessing I'm the only one...
 who stayed Home, today.
: )

Heard quite a few motorcycles fly by.
I'm certain Biker's are Itching to be on The Road!!
; )

 

Above is one of my Favorite 'Valentine's'.
Usually post it every Valentine's Day.
<3

It's SO TRUE!!!
Hahahahahaha!!

An Iowa State Trooper, made my Heart Skip a Beat or Two...
the other day, when me, and Jethro were heading to Iowa City.
; )
We were passing a line of Semis... on Highway 30, 
 then... just over a hill... out of
 The Blue...
Sat The Trooper!!

Ooooooops!!
: )

Must've not been going 'too' fast, The Trooper stayed put.
<3
None the less...
My Heart was Pounding!!
: )
ZING!!!





The Android phone is still not happy.
; (

It turns on, and charges fine, but the touch screen won't respond.
Guess it's going to have to go in.

It really sucks, can't access my email, not even on my computer.
{my email wants to send a verification code to my phone,
 which... I can't open.
It's Enough to Drive Ya 'Round The Bend'!! ; ) }

Had the phone set on 'Do Not Disturb', so, can't tell when I get calls or messages.
{ I've missed some, but can't see by whom. : (}

Grateful for the land line, and old cordless phone, but... it's internal battery was dead. 
Thankfully, after doing Much Digging, found another battery that worked in it.

However... don't know most of my contact numbers by heart.

It's made me very aware of how dependent I am on The Android.
: (

Probably won't get The Android going until Monday, or maybe later.
 Have insurance on the phone, but they may have to send this one in, if that's the case... it could be weeks.
: (

GADS!!!

Hopefully, they can use a wireless mouse to unlock the phone, so I can at LEAST get my email accounts open on my computer.

Gads... I hate thinking about a new phone.
: (
The 'Set Up'... for new devices makes me Crazy!!
: (

oh well.
it is...
what it is.
; )

The Fun... Never Ends!!

<3

Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.

Barb C.