A Great Afternoon!

Had a Wonderful Lunch...with Peg and Amy....A Lot...of Laughs...{priceless...}
I got Old Sally out...put the top down...
 Pegadoo...and I Cruised...
It's her Birthday!
a Good Day...a Very...Good Day...

Amy told us about a new shop...in Czech Village... The Copper Alligator...Oh My...we Had Fun...There...!
Peg is such a Goddess! : )

The True...'Flower Child'! : )

I found this   'Dunhill Tinder Pistol'...for a Dear Friend...who collects Cigar Paraphernalia...{it's a lighter that was made from the 30's to the early 50's..)
Like It! 

This is a Fun Shop!

Miss. Scarlett... Liz and Pam {owner of PJ's , in Czech Village...another Fun Shop!!!} Pam gave Scarlett this darling little Teddy...and the Sweetest Red Dress! What a Kind...Soul...

I bought this Wonderful...Old...Old..Chest...from Pam! It has tons of drawers...and they are all hand dovetailed.....oh my...Love...It!!!
It's Older Than Dirt!!!!

I also found this Gnarly...little ...Jewelry Box... at PJ's....  Cute...Cute...Cute!!!

Pam's Shop...just Opened...it's filling up Fast! So many Cool New Shops...in Czech Village!!! It's so Great to see it all come back to Life...after the Flood.... What a Journey...for so many... Bless Their Hearts... : ) Go There...and Support these Awesome Folks...on Both Sides of the River!!!!

'The Little Collector.'.. oh my...

As I gazed...upon the Mountain...of a Cupboard... {The Witwer Dairy Farm Cupboard... 7 and a half feet tall...and 8 feet wide...} Completely...Full...{and...then some...} of my most Precious...Treasures... {The Old Cupboards...in the house...are like my "Treasure Chests"....} Filled with gifts...from my dearest friends...my most...Soulful...Gatherings....
There is everything...from Bird's Nests...hair clippings...old photos...Gnarly Christmas... to a Dachshund Dog figure... {my Late, Best Friend, Jeri's.... } to letters...from my Loved ones...past, and present....Broken, and repaired...Staffordshire.... The Kid's Art Projects... Sister, Chery's...Memorials....
oh my....
and this...Tiny...Little Book...that says it all...
I am...
The Little Collector....

All of the the Shelves...are Loaded Heavy...in Chaos....

Peg, Amy and I are sharing lunch...today...then..I'm getting on this Old Cupboard....

Sorting... and resetting...

I'll be packing...a few things...I suppose... and selling...a few...as well...{none of the gifts....I Never...sell a gift...}

But...I have a stack of platters...that need a place to rest... and this Old Cupboard...is Perfect....for them...

This is where I get into trouble...cleaning...I reminisce... as I go... and it takes me a long...time....

There is a 'story'...with each and every piece...

or..it wouldn't be in the Old Cupboard....

Hope you have a Most...Amazing Day!

Love to Ya!

Barb C.



My Gift...for Today....

{Love this...is was on a separate slip...in Peg's Birthday Card... I found for her.... it's a "PAPYRUS" card...from Target... This one...was perfect...for my Pegadoo...}

My Gift.... for...Today....
A Long...Visit...with Michael...and Pegadoo....
Peg looks...and sounds...Great...
tho...I know...how nervous she is....{she doesn't show it...but...I know...}
Please keep Peg in your Prayers... Tests on the 7th...I pray...it will be Wonderful News....
Love to You...
Barb C.

House Cleaning...Day Two...

'At Rest'.... Not....so much... : )

Got The Table...BACK!!! It was Mounded Heavy!
I have a Million Miles to Go...in This Room!
 I'm going to unload the 8 foot Witwer Dairy Farm Cupboard...
Clean...and Reset It!
 Holy Smokes! That...will be a Job!!!!
 But it will be So Cool...when it's DONE!!!

Peg will be here...any minute....have had calls...all Morning! and I'm Spinning...trying to get the Dining Room....Clean!

I have got to hit the Shower!

Oh My!

Love...to Ya!

Barb C.

Cleaning House...Day One....{oh dear...}

I remember buying the Huge....Mirror Frame....before we added on...in Savanna, IL. It was a Long....Stormy ride home...Frightening...The hair on the back of my neck...stood up...throughout the ride home.... I bought the 24 foot curved Balustrade...for the Balcony...the same day.... {whew...there is Another a Story There!}
When I finally hung it....I thought...should I put a mirror in it...again?...Then...I thought... No... When I see it... I want to see more...than a reflection...of myself... Life is much...deeper than that... Life...is So Much More...Than...Ones...Self.... It remains...empty...yet...so Full....so...Very...Full....
The Tall Hand Wrought, Iron Candelabras...came from a little Church....near Vinton, Iowa... I had missed them, at an Auction {got there too late}...then, a friend told me, of a Cool Pair of Candelabras...in the Field, at Gold Rush...when I was doing the Show... I went to see them...they were the same ones...bought 'em...that was 12 years ago...oh my... what a 'Journey'.... : ) }

Whew...It's been a Long...Long...Day! I was Movin' and a Shakin'!

I have let this house...go...for soooo long... too...long...

It's my fault... I need to be more structured...and...I need to be five people...

It's such a shame... John worked so hard...building this Beautiful Addition...{as did I...Gathering...and Salvaging...Vintage Architecture...} and I won't share it with anyone... I can't stand...a Dirty House...and......I gotta tell ya...it is D I R T Y....{oh...dear..}

It deserves...Better....

We...deserve...Better....

I want to have friends stay...while they are travelling through...but...it's never clean enough...for company....

That...makes me sad....very...sad...

I told John...we are going to have these doors Open... to Friends... and...as God as my Witness....it will Happen!

So....I'm Closed...This Week...

I Will...Get The House C L E A N !!!!

Love to Ya!

Barb C.

{I never care...what someone else's house is like.... not at all...and...The Rabbit Hole...no matter..It Is...What It Is.... but...my house... It Drives Me CRAZY!!!!...Allyson...has a word for it...I'll call it.."Crazy"... : )}

The funny thing is... my 'clean'...may be filthy...to some....and good...to others...but...I don't care...about what they think...it's what my head says...is 'clean'...to me... yep...C R A Z Y!

I Love...Dibby Dabbies... and...they are a bit of a chore...to keep clean...but...so Worth...what they add...Such...Soulfulness... They Stay!!!!

It doesn't appear...to be so difficult... to keep this clean... but...oh my..add a few...critters...and two...folks..who are Busy...and it  feels like Mountains...to Climb!

I lit....all the Candelabras...this Eve....as my Treat... I haven't done that...forever....

Organize....

When I got up this morn....

I stumbled to the coffee pot...

had a half a pot...of yesterdays....waiting....

I checked to see...if  it was still drinkable...

it is....

Then...looked around the house...

Dear Lord.... I have messes...Everywhere....

I have been running so hard...Shows...back to back...Gathering...Delivering....

Dumping...and Running.....On The Road...On The Road...On The Road...

The Poor Old Farm Table...{only Harold and I could Love...oh...and... Ed...}

is Mounded High...with Gatherings...from the last 30 days....actually going back to Easter....

I looked at the Contents... of the Heap...

Scrap Book...Papers.... Ironstone...Staffordhire...An Old Branch...that is a perfect Coat Hook... Bird's Nests...Easter Bunnies....Christmas...Rusty...Crusty...Old Treasures....ect.

That is JUST...the Table....

oh my...

{and my bedroom.... dear Lord...I have a path...to my bed... : ( }

I spent the entire day, yesterday...with Liz and Miss. Scarlett...

for Liz's Birthday....

When I laid down with Miss. Scarlett, at nap time....

I fell asleep...and woke up later to hear Liz say to Scarlett..." Shhhh...we have to be quiet...Grandma is Sleeping"... Scarlett never took her nap... only me....

oh dear....

I'm taking the next week off...to clean and organize this house...

I can't Stand It....

Peg is coming...tomorrow....

I plan on spending two days with her, before she heads back to the Mayo....

Keep her in your prayers...

She needs Good News....

Love...to You...

Barb C.

Happy Birthday Liz!!!!

Oh My....

The Years have went by...so fast...

What a Blessing...God Gave Us....

With our....Elizabeth Marie....

Happy Birthday....

Our Sweet...Little Girl...

Love You...

Mom...and Dad....

Get Used to " Life is a Highway".... Trouble.....in Music Land!

Well....I Gotta Tell Ya... "Playlist"... Sucks...Rotten Eggs!!!!

 I spent hours...today...trying to get it to comply....to no avail...

So...Liz helped me get this far....

and...Life...Is..a Highway...

and...without music...I can't post....

so...it is...what it is...and I'll figure it out....

Enjoy....the sound...of Roaring Engines....

They Make...my Day...{along with squealing tires! : ) }

Love to Ya!

Barb C.
{ actually... this is.... good enough..for me.... as far as I am concerned... 'Life...is a Highway'...and...I want to Drive it...All Night Long...24/7....for that matter... Love..to Ya! }

SHOP HOP!!! Down Kalona Way! Don't Miss It!!!!

Looks Like Great Fun!!!!

GO! GO! GO!!!!!

Love...to Ya!

Life...is a Highway!

On the Road...again...

Jumped in the FUSO...Cranked up the Tunes.... and Drove...

It was a Cold...and rainy day....a perfect day...to make deliveries...and pickups...

The Massive Church Alter...and Windows....along with the 10, or 12 foot table...went to a Lovely Girl... and it was great seeing my friends...from far...Eastern Iowa!

Then....had a couple more stops...one...was Charlie...

It's been too long between visits...

I had been meaning to get to his place...for months... but... it never seemed to work out...

I needed to pick up a load of tin panels...about 60 of them....in 8, 10 and 12 foot lengths... for our barn.... I'm so glad that job is done....

He had some great Ironstone... and a darling little cupboard.... all sorts of Gnarly little treasures....but...my favorite ones... were the Birds Nests...he had saved for me.... and...now, he even has his friends...searching for them....

Charlie handed me a box....that a Farmer friend of his had given him, for me.... While the Farmer was mowing hay.... he spied them...and thought of me.... How Sweet Is That!!! He had to stop his tractor...and gather them.... That Touched me...so.... I couldn't have loved them more...if they were a dozen Roses....

Charlie thought they were from Red Wing Black Birds.... They build their nests....near the ground... oh my...

I went on and on....what a Gift....

Peg will know what kind of bird...created them... They are Amazing!

I told Charlie...I have to give one to Peg...she doesn't have one like THAT!!!!

Charlie had saved several for me...with moss in them....as well....

That Charlie....what a Sweet Man!

We had a meeting with a little snake....while loading the tin....and I heard the baby raccoons... scurrying around...in the barn.... saved a few spiders...as we invaded their homes...

{I had a feeling...there were several snakes....around...as I walked through the tall grass...searching for treasures.... before we saw  the baby.... sometimes... one...just gets a feeling....and...step...lightly... }

Springtime...in Rural Iowa....

I didn't get home...'til late...last night...

The FUSO, is still loaded...

don't know...when I'll get to that...

I'm tired...this morn...Thankful...for the coffee...Tommie, from "FUEL", brought out...last week...

I have to get back on house work...with the Alter gone... everything...needs a shuffle...

and...a LOT of Cleaning!!!

It was a Lovely Day...

Hope Yours was...as Well!

Love to Ya...

Barb C.

Love...Iowa....

Beautiful...

It was like the windows..in the FUSO...Framed...Amazing Artwork...all day Long!

Saw a Garage Sale Sign...as I was between stops.... {The FUSO is no better at passing them...than the Ford... : ) } and found this Amazing Victorian Scrap Book! It was Filled with loose... Trade Cards...as well... Love It! and a hog feeder....and a couple of Lightning Rods! a Great Stop...and such nice Folk...as well... I Love Rural Folk!

Love this Darling...Old Ornament...Charlie had...he rode safely home...in the Gnarly Nest!

LOVE THE BIRDS NESTS!!!!