So Small...

I had to put this song on this morning... Peg and I have been working hard..and things are moving forward... Seems like if things can go wrong...they do...{from every side}Peg told me to get out from under what ever star, that is raining garbage all over me... She said," It's never one thing...with you.... it's several..all at once"...oh yeah... I was visiting with one of my dear friends, yesterday... she asked where that girl is, that always tells her, to pull out her 'Streams in the Desert'....and reflect... {I haven't been doing that myself...too busy... I opened it, just now to read this...} "Use the cross you bear as a crutch to help you on your way, not as a stumbling block that causes you to fall.... You may others from sadness to gladness beguile, If you carry your cross with a smile." What a wonderful message to see, while being attacked... I'm so thankful, for the reminder... Images tonight... Have a Glorious Day.... and...Keep Smiling... Barb C.

I'm Playing Taps... for the Old H.P.

Well... the cats, killed my laptop..... yes... my diary... my therapy.... they killed it... but... I am up and running... so... I broke my Piggy Bank... and scraped enough together, to get a good, no frills, work horse, of a laptop....I have replaced the old girl.... I don't have much time, to get everything on this computer.... Peg is here, helping me... and we are trying to get things pulled together... Scout's{our horse} eye, is all inflamed, so the vet was out this morning...he's gonna be fine... she said in the old days, they called it Moon Blindness...he's not blind... but, for some reason, this inflammation comes and goes... they used to think it was with the moon changing... Marv called {Clock repair service} the beautiful Store Regulator, is up and going.... Just in time for the Open House...I got that picked up... Hit several stores, scouting out the best deal...computer wise...{after 2 different places checked out the old one... booo hooo. with the sad..sad news...} I'm off, and running... mostly...just... off... Barb C.

COMPUTER DOWN!!!

Cat dumped coffee. Laptop soaked! Blogging on hold. I'll keep in touch. GRRRR! -Barb C.

Open House Fast Lane!

Whew....I'm rollin' today! I took the entire day off, yesterday... Knew I'd be slammin' hard, all week! I'm working on the yard, and shovin' piles of new stuff, in the Shop! I'm on the road, tomorrow..looking at all sorts of Country Stuff...and picking up greenery... Then, the phone gets turned off, and I'm locking myself in the Shop, 'til I'm done... Whew!

Have a Great Monday!

Barb C.

{hear this song?... try listening to this Auctioneer... and, the Auctioneer, in the adjoining room... straddling a doorway... bidding in both rings... and... taking phone bids...see... one ear, for the Auctioneer on the left...one ear, for the Auctioneer, on the right ... and...one ear...on the phone...taking bids... hmmm.... I guess I'm blessed, with three ears... } {I've always thought, I should have worked in the Stock Market...on the Floor.... It would be a piece of cake....}

A Day at Duwa'a Auction...

This is a large, folk art oil painting... it is pretty cool... I bought another, even larger, oil, that is done by the same artist, in 1952...like 'em... I love this pair of early portraits... They are nicely done... and the frames are very nice... they date, I would say, from the 1860's or 70's... like 'em...

There is some pretty fun stuff buried in this cab, of the little Ford... a Lovely, large, Home Sweet Home, print... an early basket, with a swing handle... neat old books... oh my... Fun Stuff! Love the Old Store Table... it has two massive drawers...grungy, old blue-gray paint and is paneled on three sides... There's a lovely Lincoln's Drape Cement Urn... a cute, rusty, rusty peddle car...{but fun!}

A large hand dovetailed chest...and... all sorts of littles... like 'em! Oh dear... What a day... I was running late, even tho, I was up at 5... I arrived at the Auction, about 30 minutes late... Dale and I previewed it, last night... there was a Gnarly, Store Table, I really wanted... and... some even Gnarlier Folk Art Oil Paintings...and... of course.. lots of stuff, I didn't see, 'til they were selling it... and... two things, I asked Dale to watch for me... {he sat 2 feet away from them...and they sold for 2 dollars... to someone else.... GRRRRR}....{ I was trying to watch both rings, and running from one side to the other} to say the least... I was storming....I didn't say anything... I think my eyes must roll back in my head... and steam spew out my ears... folks just seem to know when I see red...}

{ we hashed it out...he helped me load... and I bought him supper.... but, I will say...I did snap...it was a major, Mad Hatter Moment...{internally... and within a 10 feet radius of my body...} well... several moments... I don't miss many bids... and... I NEVER miss a bid, someone leaves with me.... ever....}

Mark did this to me, once, at this same auction house... I had been running, from one ring, to the other, for hours... before Mark arrived... I was bidding, and getting all sorts of stuff, for him...{taking phone bids, for him...} I was so relieved, when he finally arrived, so he could watch one ring, and bid on my stuff, and his... I'd watch the other ring, and do the same... In the ring, he was watching, I asked him to bid on a pile of Coin Silver Flatware..{that was the only thing, I asked him to watch...} and left a substantial bid with him...stressed how important it was, to keep watch... I collect it...after about 15 minutes, I walked towards his ring{checking on the progress}... saw him, digging through a box of old drawer pulls... and the Coin Silver, was being carried to someone else... it had just sold... all of it... for 15.00... Each piece was worth that.... and their must have been at least, 30 pieces in the box....Yes... I was storming...

Oh well.... I bought a lot of fun stuff... all in all... it was a great day... It's always nice seeing everyone... Barb and Dan, {Park Place Antiques... Marion, Iowa} Dwight and Junelle...{Duwa's Auctions, Wellman, Iowa} Barb H's Dad, from Sisters' Garden....John and Norma, from Cats and Dogs, in West Branch, Iowa....It was all good... I'll have lots of images...tomorrow...

and... The Holiday Open House... Oh My... There will be some Amazing stuff... {The Shop is going to be very... very... full...} Peg is coming up... oh dear... I have got to stay home... and get something done...Oh Dear....

Have a Restful Sunday...

Barb C.

The Best Customers {friends}... I am Blessed...

Yesterday, I was running full throttle... A gal stopped in, before I was open, so I told her to go ahead, and look around, I'd be down... I'm really not open, 'til the Holiday Open House, next weekend... The shop is in transition...and if you are brave, you are welcome... The poor gal, was brave, but about frozen.... for some reason my furnace wasn't working... and she was like an Icicle! She was very particular, at what she was hunting for... and, I remembered seeing some of the things she wanted, at the Estate Sale I was at, the day before...She was from Colorado, and I knew she could never find her way there... and... my bid was accepted, at the sale, for a wonderful butter mold.... and.... there are many shops in Marion, she would enjoy.... so, I led her, across town, to the sale, and shops! Just as we were pulling away, Sarah and Brittany, from Mt.Vernon pulled in... They must have known, the furnace wasn't working... they were all bundled up, and had their own Hot Tea....! I had to leave... so gave them instructions... begged their forgiveness... and let them mind the store! They are Darlings! I so wanted to visit with them... it's been soooo long... I told them to be sure and stop back, next weekend... we'd have a nice long chat!!!

What Sweeties!

Treasures...

{Don't forget about 'Gatherings' {www.gatheringsiowa.blogspot.com} Open House... I'm going to try and get there, sometime this weekend! 'Tis the Season!}

This is an 1868 Hymnal... It's surprisingly small... not much bigger, cover size, than a post card.... It came from the Estate Sale, in Marion, yesterday...very sweet... This old folding wire hanger, fascinated me... and I found some cool, muted white treasures... Love the cording spools... They are the 'Cat's Meow!'.... and... of course... teeny, tiny ornaments... For a Feather Tree, I suppose... Gotta Love 'em!

Cupboard... Big...Cupboard...

Friend, Wanda, called today, letting me know she had referred a woman to me, that had a Big Cupboard...{7 feet x 7 feet} in her...Basement...{Wanda is preparing for her Holiday Open House, beginning tomorrow....{Don't miss it! Check out her blog...'Gatherings'...I follow her, so, you can get there, from here!} I ran over to Marion, to look at the Old Cupboard... and it was pretty cool... and... pretty Big... and...in the basement....and... the basement stairs were pretty steep... oh dear... I was figuring, and plotting, how I was going to get that Cupboard...up those steep stairs...{and the Retro, double Sofa... and the Massive Iron Cauldron....} Then... I got to thinkin'...Son... Justin didn't work today...so John...Justin's friend, Josh, and Justin, met me at the Cupboard's home... YEAH!!!! This Never happens... They had that Cupboard, and everything else loaded, and heading home, in fast order! WOW!!!{Whew...I could get sooooo, used to this!}{I paid them well... it was worth MUCH to me...}

Turned out to be quite a coincidence...there just happened to be an Estate Sale, in Marion.... My pal, Gail called, while I was there, looking at the Cupboard... so... while I was waiting for the Men... I slipped over to the Tag Sale, and did a little damage! Oh Boy! The Fun Never Ends! I'll have images of all the 'Littles' in the morning... {Robin... I have something for you... hoo!}

Barb C.

{Better images, in the morn...}

Christmas Past...at Home...

This Bell, is so cool... I bought it at Hoge's Auction, last year... It's from a Small Town, Street Light... John fashioned a hook, out of a very ornate old table spoon, and, made a permanent hook, for the Bell! {The hook is so pretty, that when the Bell is put away, the hook looks like it's part of the old Gasalier!}{and the cob webs... make it look like it's always been there...yeeesh...} I strung a mass of vintage ornaments, to form a 'clapper', for the old Bell... It was pretty cool...

I just got in, 2 wonderful, Vintage Bells, and Brackets... The Bells are Red and White... They originally came from the Red Wing Stoneware Factory, in Red Wing, Minnesota... They will be Perfect, for the Open Houses!

This is last year... Christmas Eve... I wasn't going to put the tree up... in the house... Too tired...But... John surprised me, and started dragging the 12 foot Wonder out, and put it up...{it's quite a production...} then... left... {Oh, he did scale up about 12 feet, to put a hook on the Chandelier, to hold the enormous Street Light, Christmas Bell...then, he left...} I spent the entire day, and evening, with Christmas Music rattling the windows... I strung well over a thousand lights...went through dozens of boxes... and more boxes of tinsel... hundreds and hundreds of ornaments...and... with help of yards of electric fencing wire,{I buy it by the rolls... oh my... Dad taught me early... you can fix most anything, with a little wire!} I secured the vintage store display, Rudolph, in the tree...{I think when I told John, I was going to attempt this, early in the day... that's when he found the door... he wanted no part of it...} {Hey... I wired the tree back to the landing.... and I wired Rudy... no worries!} The mass of ornaments, I have strung together, with ribbon... then draped them around the newel post... I love it...I add more to the string, every year...

It was sad.... We put it up on Christmas Eve... and took it down, New Years Day... Used to be... we'd put it up, the day after Thanksgiving...and take it down, New Years Day... Don't know when I'll get it done, this year... Two Open Houses...Thanksgiving, in between... and much to do... I would so love, to have an Open House, here, at the house... Invite the ones, that have been so kind to me... and... there have been many... but... that means I'd have to get the house clean...oh dear... I spent hours, Sunday, just scrubbing the kitchen floor, and cook stove... oh my gosh.... What A Mess!!!!! With the Cats...Dogs... and us...{oink, oink...} I may as well invite Scout in, too {our horse} He may balk, tho... I think his stall is cleaner... I'll have to see how much ambition I have... Today... well... not too much...

Have a Great Thursday!

Barb C.

{I Love this song... Pachabel...'Canon in D'.... I love to listen to Jazz...and...Blues... while I'm decorating the Tree... But, Pachabel... lets my mind rest...even with the windows rattling!}