Tacks Under My Bare Feet...

Life... sorry I didn't get anything on today.... Remember when I said... just a few posts back... for the first time, in a long time... things were going 'click', 'click', 'click', before 'Sale Time'? { remind me never to do that again...} The news of poor Maggie... Poor Liz... oh my... I couldn't stand it... so, thought I'd pour myself into work... and started to, this morning... then the phone rang... It was Mom's Rehab Center... She was being taken to the E.R....I rushed down, and stayed with her... They admitted her... Thought it was Pneumonia...Turns out... Congestive Heart Failure... Poor Mom... It's been such a trial, today.... She's 90... blind...wheelchair bound...and....well sick of being sick...then... throw in all the pokes and prods...What a mess... We arrived around noon, and she hadn't eaten, all day...{I know how busy the hospitals are... but, we knew at 4:00, she'd be admitted... but, didn't get a room, til almost 8:00... everyone kept saying, "just another 30 minutes...and we'll have her situated".... I got a tray for her, around 8:00... then, they were short on staff... so, I stayed and helped her eat...it's very hard for her to feed herself, in unfamiliar surroundings...and, why is it, they always try and put her on a 'Heart Healthy Diet'.... She's 90... let her eat anything she wants... {that's the note I left for her Doctor.... all she has to enjoy, in life, is food... she is full blooded Czech.... was raised with everything cooked in lard... and she's 90... Let it go....} I'm pooped out... poor Liz called... she was having another melt down... My eyes are still like slits, from yesterday... Thank God...for God... I've put this all in His Hands...

I'll post.. tomorrow... after all... tomorrow is... another day...

Thanks for the kind e-mails...

God Bless us...Everyone...

Barb C.

{Sorry Liz... This song...is just fitting, for your Mama's 'Mad Hatter' Life...... just remember... "tomorrow's another day... and... I'm thirsty, anyway... so... bring on the Rain"...I just can't promise... I won't cry...

Love, Mom...}

After sitting on both sides of the table... I would rather endure the pain... than... watch someone I love, go through it...any day...

I Believe in You...

Liz put these images on, this morning.... Of Maggie....and Pierre... She said I had to take off that 'sad' song... and put this one on... It's been on her mind, all morning... She asked me to have you pray for Maggie... She says I have the best followers... and prayers work...Liz is right...on all counts...

Thanks for your prayers...

Barb C...

I Believe in You...

Crying....

I can't stop crying... I don't know if it's Maggie... or Liz and Maggie.... I can't help it... I cried at the shelter, a couple of weeks ago...when Sweetie was lost... Thankfully...that was a happy ending...but...I think about them, at the shelter most every day...If I could bottle my feelings, today... I'd label the bottle.... "Heartbroken"...

Liz and I have put this in God's Hands... I handed it over, last night... Asked the Lord to shower us all, with blessings... Then, went to bed, knowing, I have already received them... So...why the tears...little faith?... I don't believe so... I know God is here... I also know... it's all about the journey...The rough and rocky road...the Mountains...

I know there are many, out there, that can't comprehend, why I am this way... You think I'm an idiot... and there are a lot more things in this world, to be shedding tears over, than animals.... Bless your hearts...Tho, I wish I didn't have a total 'melt down', when it comes to this... I wouldn't change anything... When we lost Molly, our old black Shepherd, several years ago... Liz was beside herself... She was, like I am, today... a mess... I said to her, how blessed she was, to be able to love so deeply... Many people aren't capable of loving, and feeling... how incredibly sad...I think the World would be a better place, with a little more compassion... love, and caring... I told her... "It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all".... Unbeknownst to me, Liz had that tattooed on her wrists... oh my... but... as we were sitting in the vets waiting room, yesterday, and Liz was crying... and cursing, because this is so painful.... I, touched her wrists... and said..."there it is"...

I look like I've gone 9 rounds, with Ali... My eyes are slits... Don't know how I'll make it, through the day... But... I will...

I'll put some 'Antiquing' images on 'iowa farmhouse stlye'... later... I'm pouring myself into work, outside.

Barb C.

{for the record... I admire people, who can show emotion... men, and women... I've seen some of the toughest people, be brought to tears, over animals...That is not a sign of weakness... it's a sign of 'Heart'...they're the ones, I want in my corner...}

Bring on the Rain....

Another day... There's not much 'rain' left, in this old girl... If you know me... and read this blog... you know... there is one thing... really one thing... that can truly bring me to my knees... animals...

Daughter, Liz called, this morning... Maggie, her 4 year old, Shepherd mix, has been limping...Liz took her to the vet, a few weeks ago... for the limping... they thought she had an inflamed muscle...gave her some pills... It got better... then, last night it flared up, again... Liz took her back in... they took x-rays... This time... they said it was cancer...{ with 3 to 4 months left...} Our vet, sent them to a specialist, back home, in Cedar Rapids... I met them there...I have been sobbing, all day.... Maggie is the best dog... She has been Liz's best friend, since Liz rescued her, from the pound...when Maggie was a pup...{Maggie has rescued Liz, ever since...} They do everything together... They are doing a biopsy, Wednesday... and may remove her leg... They did chest x-rays, and no cancer is detected, in her lungs...a great sign...but... that's the vet... the radiologist, may see something else... The radiologist, may also not see the cancer, on her leg... maybe... it's something else...I don't know... I'm praying... I truly can't take this... I love animals, so... and I've seen such sadness, over the years... It never gets easier... Never.... I swear, sometimes... I'll never have another Critter, in my life... I can't take the loss...can't stand to see them suffer... I feel like a bowl of jell-o...

I ask myself...why do I fall to pieces, when it comes to animals...and children.... I guess it boils down to unconditional love...

Humans are the only species that kills, for sport...

There was only one Man, who walked the face of this Earth, that has the unconditional love of a Dog... and He's been gone, over 2000 years...

I guess... that says it all...

Barb C.

A Visit to Mary's Farm....

My old friend, Mary, called last week, she had been doing more cleaning around the Farm, and had gathered some things up, she thought maybe I could find a use for.... I love Mary... She was raised on a farm, north of Cedar Rapids, then married Ivan, in 1957, and moved to a farm, south, of Cedar Rapids... I love the way she thinks... kind of like, I do.... Before you scrap it...or pitch it... see if you can find another use, for it....Mary was 're-purposing', before it was the 'popular' thing to do...When I first met Mary... many, many moons ago...Ivan was ill... Mary worked in Iowa City, and worked around the farm, too... always sorting... and cleaning up buildings... one by one... I spotted her rake, in the Pole Building.... Mary has used and used this old rake, for years.... while burning piles of lumber, around the farm... It's braces have bowed, and the fork, had even bent. from wear.... I told Mary, to go buy a new one... I'd pay her the same, for hers.... That is a perfect memory of Mary... Strong...Patient...Enduring... She is an amazing Woman... A True Iowan... A Farm Woman...

Mary lost Ivan, a few years ago...but, still... she forges ahead... works hard, around the farm... everyday...with no complaints..... Mary is involved with her Church, and is truly an inspiration...

This an old De Laval Cream Separator, Mary had in the shed... I buy them, for the stand... They are perfect for a Martin House perch, or a stand for a gnarly grinding stone.... They are pretty heavy... 100 pounds, or more... I suppose...{ I never really want to know...} I asked Mary, how she thought we might load it...{my truck bed, is so high...} She thought, maybe taking some boards, and creating a ramp... hmmm... I looked at it... she had it on a 2 wheeled cart... I wheeled it, to the truck... and asked Mary to hold the cart handle back, a little... Thanks to the 'overdose of Brethine... {it's like adrenaline}I had melted in my coffee, yesterday morning.... I grabbed a hold, and hoisted 'er right in the truck...

I told Mary, of the time, a man asked me to do something, I didn't want to... I said if he could beat me arm wrestling, I'd do it... I had another friend, standing next to me...To my surprise, the man took me up on the offer... To his surprise... he couldn't beat me... and said, to my friend, as he was struggling to take my arm down..."She's pretty strong, for a woman"... My friend's reply... "She's pretty strong, for a man, too".....ahhh...Farm Women...

Have an Amazing Thursday!

Barb C.

Gatherings from Wednesday!

Here's Peg and Clohe... What a sweet pair... What a day... We ran to see Charlie, at his Barn Sale, 17 miles south of Mt.Pleasant, Iowa...on 218... go see him! And... we ran garage sales...in Mt.Pleasant... oh my... Wound up, somehow, in the Vintage Tractor Parade... and 3 miles an hour... oh my... { Midwest Old Threshers Reunion is going on... } Had to get a Police Officer involved, to get us out.... oh dear...What a day.... Peg just kept laughing... me?... ah.. not so much... These are the lamps, I had to go back for.... They are the Craziest things... I surprise myself...sometimes... whew... They would be great theatrical props... whew... You may not believe it... but... I'm actually throwing it around, in my totally 'Buzzed' brain, to use the large, wild pair, in Justin's old room.. with the massive cherry rope bed... the bed has striking, tall posters, and enormous finials... hmmm... These are the coolest tables... they are from the 50's or 60's.... but... the base's look super early! All dry, and gnarly... I may cover the tops in fabric, and, or, tin... maybe both... I have 6 or 7 of them... some 3x3...some3x6... Fun, Fun, Fun!!!!! Grinding Stones!!!! Love the little pig... he was in a ladies yard.... he looks scary here... but not in person... he's a sweet pea! {check out the galvanized, long spouted piece... just behind the pig.... it's a separator filler, from Cherry Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa... 1905.... How Cool is that!

I'm flyin' high... I can't believe I can type this fast...think this fast...and... misspell so many words.... YEEEEEAAASSSHHH!!!!!

Barb C.

Flyin' High...oh dear...

Well...another 'Mad Hatter' day... Started off with my regular morning ritual... coffee... check e-mail... take my asthma meds... Just as I was poppin' the top off the Brethine tabs... They flew all over... in the sink.. on the floor...like a spring loaded jar of confetti... I was trying to rescue the ones from the sink... they dissolve, pretty fast.... and they aren't cheap.... so, paper towels were all lined up in a row, to retrieve the soggy pills... I saved most of them... one went down the drain... but I was thankful, I didn't loose more... Then, I took my meds... started working on the computer... sippin coffee... then...I got to the last swallow... and saw the remnants of 3, mostly dissolved tablets... I had taken at least 3 times the dose I was supposed to this morning... oh dear...

I called the Pharmacist... she looked it up... and said, they probably won't hurt me... but... my heart could race... and I can be very jittery... oh my... I was already there... I'm FLYIN! I have to meet with a friend, this morning..oh my...{whew... didn't know I could type this fast!!!!}

Gotta Go!

Have A Fab Day!!!!!

Barb C!

Peg's Gourds....Oh My....

Peg brought up some of the gourds she has been working on, the last 2 months... They are amazing... She will have a wonderful selection, for the Fall Harvest Sale... We both looked at each other, hard... when we realized the sale, is just, a month away... oh dear.... We are on the go, today... then, Peg is heading home... I have lots to pick up.... and one delivery, so far...

Hope Everyone has the most Wonderful Wednesday!

Barb C.