A Trip...down the rabbit hole...

Getting ready to take on the day....a late start...I must say...but, then...what is 'late' really?....anyway...if there is a 'start', and an 'end', I guess the rest is irrelevant....
Guess I pushed a bit too hard, yesterday....tho, I got very little accomplished...came up to the house at 3, and fell asleep...for hours...
I wanted to get the truck unloaded, and reloaded.... but none of it got done... It has been a glorious week....and I've spent most of it down....
My mind is whirling...about what I'm taking to Gold Rush...Peg will be coming... and I am excited to see her....I do miss her so....She has been working on the Beautiful Gourds...non stop...I can't wait to see her latest collection...but mostly...see her...
Amy and Allyson are coming to Gold Rush, and staying with us...It will be a Lovely Time...
I took Polly out, for her walk, yesterday morning...then...Scout...I took him to one of the apple trees...and let him clean up all of the wind falls...He rooted around, and found a few... then he grabbed onto a cockle bur weed..and threw it 10 feet in the air... but not before, he got several in his mane... I picked them all out.... they can get so gnarled in hair, they are a nightmare to get out...I remember, as a child....my hair was so long...and thick....I'd spend the day, out with the horses...and my hair would have cockle burs in it...Mom finally gave up, trying to comb through it... one morning... and behind my back, literally...cut all my hair off...I cried...
 I took Scout out on a 30 foot lunge line....and gave him a good work out....yesterday morning... I think he enjoys our time together...even if we do both sweat a lot....he has been good therapy, for me...
I visited with Steph, this morning....she's just back from Canada...{stephanie brandenberg studios} {fern hill} {be sure and check out Fern Hill, in South Amana, 319-622-3627 they are having a Shop Hop, this weekend....a Perfect time to see all of Steph's Original Fabric Designs...}Oh my.... I do know The American Queen, life style.... I have been so blessed, that I have been able to slow down a bit, this Summer...I know my time on the hot seat, draws near....a busy Fall, no doubt... but...for Everything, there is a Season.... a time to stand still...wait...and reflect...
God has a way, of touching you...when you least expect it....
Polly has been waiting for her walk, this morning......I spent much time, on the phone, with Steph....so, I was going to run outside, and take Polly for a walk... without washing my face....or brushing my hair...but then, thought better of it... It's late....and who knows who might be stopping by...
I started brushing my hair...and the brush got all snarled up...I thought....what in the world...is in my hair...
A Cockle Bur...

I cried....
Love to ya...
Barb C.

Let Them Eat Cake...{ One Hundred and Fourteen Year Old Cake, to be Exact...}

The State Fair, in Des Moines, starts this week... it reminded me of something...I have proudly displayed, in mine, and Ed's Cupboard... A single piece of cake... from 1897....

There are times in your life, you simply never forget.... The first ride, on a bike... first time, driving a car.... first kiss... well...for me...it's a lot about old stuff.... like, the Auction, where I bought this Prize Winning Slice of Cake...

It was 20 years ago...I would guess... at an Auction in Vinton, Iowa... oh my....there were some wonderful old treasures there... I was a waitress, then...... John and I were always scrimping.... {guess some things, never change.......and...I am Thankful, for that...}  Darrel Alpers was there.....I asked his advise...on a wonderful wooden bowl.... He thought sure, I could get it bought, for 80, to 110. dollars....I had money saved back....and I was going to own that wonderful, old bowl.... Inside the bowl, was a hand carved, and hand dove tailed butter mold... {Dear Lord.....} with a Tiny Heart....carved in it....and all of the history, written about who made them both... Well...I wanted the bowl....and the mold.... Just as they were going up, for sale.....choice....... a woman, with short, dark hair, blew through... and held her bidding number up....and never put it down.... I ran the bid, to nearly 200., to no avail... The woman's choice...was the bowl...and whisked out of the auction, with it in hand, as quickly as she had entered...the paper, with all of the history......went with....

the mold, was left for me... I treasure it...

more and more....with every year, that passes...

The Cake...

Well...it sold earlier in the day...I had looked at it... and thought....how strange...for someone, to keep a slice of cake... at that time...for nearly a hundred years... I don't recall what I payed for it... but it wasn't much... a few dollars...I suppose... but...I find it today...priceless...

That day, will stick in my mind...forever...

Memories...

Theirs...

and Mine...

Strange... how they co-mingle....over a Century...of time...ahhh...a blink...really...

Love to Ya...

Barb C.

{the note reads...}

Cake

This cake was baked in the year of 1897 by

Jossie Ammerman

it took the Prise at the

County Fair in

Minnesota-

{Priceless...}

The Gypsy Rocker....

I snapped this image, of John....after we unloaded from What Cheer, the other day...{a rare photo} See his boot... or his sock, rather....sticking out of his boot?....I have given him money...for Christmas....and...his Birthday....to please...go buy a new pair of boots....but no....{I'm surprised he hasn't wrapped it with Duct Tape...}

Anyway....as he was sitting in the Rocker...he asked if I thought the Gypsies made this....I was taken back....John has a dry sense of humor...you never know, if he's serious, or not....This time he was serious....he said he remembered, as a child of 2, or so....living in Waterloo, Iowa.....how the Gypsies would settle there, over the Winter, and make these chairs... and Willow Furniture... He wondered why...he could remember this...at such a tender age...It's funny how our brain works...and gathers...

This is the rocker, that the Angels held, on the Truck....

Funny....I had seen it, in some folks' booth...early in the day....It haunted me....so...as I was heading out, at the end of the day, I drove past them...the Old Rocker was still sitting there....looking at me...so...I turned the truck around....parked next to the Old Rocker...and yelled out the window...how much would they take for it...{we had already had a conversation about it, earlier....the man said it looked like me...I said "yep...it's a twisted...gnarly thing...just like me".... he shot me a good price...so..I got out of the truck...and bought it... I told the folks, I had better look around...in their booth...and see what else I need...Everything that I was drawn to....his Mother had found for him....including the Old Gypsy Rocker...the man said he would give his Mom money, to go 'Saling'...she would have a Blast...gathering things...

I told him, I thought she and I would be good pals.... he said, sadly, she had passed on, three years ago...{somehow...I already knew that...}

He said the Old Rocker had set on their porch, for years... I sat in it... it is very Wonderful...

Love the Slats, on the seat, and back...love the way it feels...It doesn't rock, much...it actually sets more like a high back chair... and, I think John is correct, about the age...early to mid 40's...

I'm giving it a Soft Wax...then, it will be Gold Rush Bound...If I had a Porch...I would keep it....

I worked on getting things cleaned, this afternoon...I still feel like a Toad... but Polly kept me company...and I didn't push it, too hard... John came out and helped, too....

I do enjoy cleaning old Furniture...and seeing the transformation...a little soap and water will do...

love to ya!

Barb C.

{when I got home the other night....late....John said, he heard a Woman's voice....plain as day, talking to him...when he had let Nicky outside....but  no one was there....It was dark out...and he was shook up...

 Wonder if she could be related to the one, who held the Old Rocker, in the truck?{the Old Rocker was less than 50 feet from him... That was my first thought....I asked him what she said to him...he said, he couldn't make it out...she was just talking.... That's a Man for ya....{That's a Woman, for ya, too...I guess...}

Best Friend....

My Polly.....always stays extra close to me...when I'm sick...she never strays more than a few feet away....My Girl....

Down...with the CRUD....

Spent the last 36 hours in bed.... Oh My....I haven't been this sick...for a long...long time...
My throat so sore...I couldn't speak....I was so wiped out....couldn't get out of bed... The vertigo...has also made a come back....
I hate being sick...the only thing I hate worse than being sick...IS BEING SICK IN AUGUST!!!!
I'm going back to bed....
Love to Ya....
Barb C.

A Lovely Day....

It was a great morning....I took Polly for her walk...then Scout, {our Horse} for his walk....He is skittish...but I'm not afraid of him....tho...I'm always waiting for him to jump...and...hopefully...not on top of me....He's a very powerful horse....around 1500. pounds... I took him around the shop...through the yard....and to the apple trees, where he could clean up the wind falls....When I led him to Chery's Memorial....where I sat on the bench...he must have seen that as his opportunity to escape...He bolted....I.... hung onto the rope... thankfully there is a Crab Apple Tree, at Chery's Memorial site....and he wrapped himself up in it...with me, at one end of the rope...Scout at the other....I was sooo mad at him..and he knew it....I just bought a new headstall, for him...I will be taking him back out...but with a bridle on him....The halter simply doesn't let me keep him under control...He is like a spoiled 12 year old boy....Very Smart...and Extremely Mischievous....

It was a quiet day, in the shop...had a few folks pop in...and a few treasures found their way, to new homes....I got a lot done....cleaning up, some of the latest gatherings...one is, the stemmed glass I am holding...filled with a Peach Daiquiri...this eve...I pulled it out of a box, at the 1.00 per item booth...at What Cheer, Friday...{yes...it has a tiny chip on the base....but it holds the Daiquiri just fine...what else can I ask for?} I have a thing about Old Stemware....I drink my Morning Coffee out of it....especially in the warm months...I like iced coffee... Very few of the Glasses match... I find that interesting...I have nothing in some...and up to 20.00, in others...each....They are Lovely...I took a pair of them filled with ice, and an Ironstone pitcher, filled with water, for a couple of girls that were parched, shopping here, last week....I don't think anything about them...we use them everyday....they thought they were cool... I think everything tastes better, out of an old stemmed glass... that's just me...

Picked up a Load of Gnarly Concrete, yesterday....Love...Love....Love....The Old Swans....They are wonderful, inside, at Christmas Time...Welcoming Folks in the door.... They are lovely with a Dried Sweet Annie Tree... or...just Mounded Full of Old Worn Silver Ornaments.... on a Big Harvest Table!{one can never have too many vintage concrete swans...}

It's been a long day...but...a good one...

Love to Ya...

Barb C.

OPEN TODAY! NOON 'Til 4!!!! Hope to See Ya!

By Hand Made...

I picked up a half dozen, or so, of these Vintage Hand Carved Duck Decoys...in Marion, Iowa....at Bob's Estate Tag Sale.... Bob told me, the former owner, now passed away...Hand Carved these....

They were quite dirty, but I gave this one, a gentle bath, last night....and it cleaned up beautifully.  I love hand made pieces. This duck's head will move, but it was carved to set a cetain way, on the duck's body...at a slight angle. As I looked down on it...it seemed much more natural...ducks don't  usually all have the same position when swimming.... These are the details lacking, when  mass produduction is used. The hand painting is very 'folksy', I love seeing all of the carved marks, on it's head, and body....The artist used wonderful, tiny glass eyes... I'm anxious to get the others cleaned.

Barb C.

By Hand....made....

this is a hand dovetail...you can see the 'scribe' mark...{the straight, faint, horizontal line, that tells the builder where to end his dovetail} ....

This is the bottom of the drawer...all hand champhored...the sides, of the bottom board are all 'thinned' down,{champhored} to fit into a groove, on the drawer sides, front and back...then a nail or two will hold the bottom in place.... The darling Hand Forged Iron Latch...{ below} is someting I always Love to see...and rarely do....a good clue to it's Early Age...

the back of the old Cupboard....lots and lots of wood patches...{ they wanted it tight! No pests! No Dirt!}

This is the back foot, that is attached to a stretcher, that is mounted to the base of the cupboard...then a dovetail was created for the back feet to slip into.....

top of the Cupboard...where the side crown had been....now it exposes the hand dovetailed case construction...with all of the trim on the top and base...you couldn't see the dovetails...

I was humbled...this Morn...while unloading the treasures gathered, at What Cheer....

The Old...Old Cupboard.... the Early....{1870's...or so...} Walnut, one Drawer Stand....

I ran my hands over them....searching for their voice....or rather...the voice of the one, who created them....So beautifully constructed...the scribe marks...on the little Stands drawer...to guide the creator's hand...on the depth to cut a dove tail....that would hold the drawer together...perfectly....it slides...perfectly...

The dovetails, on the back legs of the Old Cupboard...{I have never seen this done...this way....lovely....} the hand forged iron latches....on the inside of the Old Cupboard's Left Door...have a slight curl...at the latch...so, not to be sharp....and yet...be so Beautiful....with a Touch of Elegance....

John pointed out...the doors are plank doors....with the top and bottom, front, center, champhored down, to accept another inset  board...so the door appears to be mortised and tenon...I have never seen this done, either....

I believe it to be pre Civil War Era....It has Bracket Feet...{almost uncanny similarities, to an Amazing Cupboard John created a base for....a year or so, ago....}

I fell in Love with it...the Moment...I laid eyes on it....

It was recently purchased at an auction, in Ottumwa, Iowa...I can't be sure....But it almost seems Southern, to me.... just a feeling I have... It could be Eastern...but....My Heart says...South....

The Cupboard's Case...is also...hand Dovetailed, together....The strips of wood patches, on the back.... have me guessing...and.....originally....I don't know that it had shelves... the ones in it...have been added....at a later time....

The surface....will be scraped down to it's original red wash...someone started it... so...we will finish it...Don't know if we will build the side crown...it is very unusual...so...we'll see...

John found a name, written on the drawer of the little stand...Charles....with a last name, we can't quite make out....

I owe Gary Darrow...so much....for opening my eyes....20 years ago...so I could See...the Amazing Construction...in a piece of furniture...The Hand Dove Tails...Hand Champhoring...the Width of Boards....the Type of Nails...Screws...and Hardware...the Pegs...Hand Plane Marks...the Type of Woods...

I feel like archaeologist...on a dig...sometimes...with these wonderful old treasures....it's like putting a puzzle together...{I hate Puzzles...} I Love...Old Hand Made Pieces...tho...

Love to Ya!

Barb C.

{Just think...these folks had very primitive tools...and cut their own lumber... built these Amazing pieces... that have lasted 100, plus....plus...plus...years...and still...you can buy a piece, like these...for a fraction of a new, hand made piece....sometimes less than a Super Store... Oh My...I scratch my head....}