Playin'.... around...

Seems...I can't keep my head straight...these days...

I'm...jumpin'...from pullin' weeds... to stackin'... clay pots....

Talkin' to Dr.'s...

and...Grand Children...

I sat...this afternoon...

and threw fish food...into the Fountain....

I didn't mention it...

but...I thought a Raccoon had gotten

The Fish...

I haven't seen them...for weeks....

yet...

I kept feeding....them....

{I couldn't bare the thought....of them... being....gone....}

This afternoon...

They All....Came to the Surface...

and Greeted Me!

What a Gift!

a...Much....Needed....Gift...

: )

I have a couple weeks to get The July Open House...together...

but...as I look around...

there is...

Much....

to be Done....

oh my...

Everybody's Talkin' at me....

I don't hear a word....

they're sayin'...

{sigh....}

Love to ya...

Barb C.

 

I want to...Move In.... to this Old.... Gnarly...Doll House....
I....Truly Do!

Love...my Gnarly... Flock.... : )
these....are 'keepers'....

Planted Sage...in Straw....

{exactly....: ) }

As Polly and I... walked inside...this Eve... I caught a glimpse of the Lilies...
I about dropped....
They are Wide Open....
It's....Summer....
how can that be???
It Can't... be Summer...
Mother Nature....
I feel.... Cheated....
I'll take the Cold.... The Rain...
even.... the Late Snow....
but....
I need....Sunshine...
Spring...Sunshine...
that...gentle warmth.... that gently....
delivers me.... to....
Summer....
Spring...has Skipped a Beat....
and...
I...Don't Like It....
I...see...Trouble....
: (
 



More... for the July Open House....

It's Going to be...a Full....
Rabbit Hole...: )
July 2nd through 6th...
11 - 7 ish....Daily...
{This is a 'Snippet' of what came rollin' in just the last few days...
I have a Pie Safe... and  Darling...Secretary... to pick up...
and...Much More... that isn't pictured...: )
Mark Your Calendar...
Come Visit...
Have a Glass...of Lemonade....
and a Slice of Watermelon....
: ) }
{And...for Pete's Sake...
Wear Your Grubbies...
and...
Bring a TRUCK!!!}
Love to ya...
Barb C. 

Big... Beautiful... Mirror....

Vintage Bisque Flower Pots... and more...

Early... Primitives....

This is an image... of the inside of the above...little Chest....
The Paper.... under the Old Paper... dates from the late 1700's to the early 1800's....
It relates to voting rules...
interesting....

I gathered several more scissors... over the weekend...
oh my...
: )

 had fun...flipping through this old book...
oh my....

Got the Massive Pulley unloaded....
Saturday morn...before Liz, Miss. Scarlett...and myself... headed to an Estate Sale...
I paid...dearly for it.... yesterday...
all it takes...is a little....
twist...
oh my....

Love...this Old Photo....
it came from a Cedar Rapids Estate....

I bought...LOADS... of Vintage Jewelry.... Saturday....
Polly and I spent two hours...down the Rabbit Hole...sorting Early... this Morn....
{well... she laid at my feet.... I...sorted....and sorted.... : ) }

There's some very.... Sweet Stuff.... in these piles....

I found...Many... Beautiful Vintage Rosaries ...this weekend
 {I have several more...to put out...I bought a couple of weeks ago...}
They are...Simply... Soulful....

Love...the Unusual Silver Plate....: )

These Pewter Goblets are Trophies... from 1933....
Sweet!

Jelly?
dated...
1946
 

Simply Beautiful.... Late 1800's Red Transfer
Waste Jar...
Hard to find with Both Lids!
{This was for Table Scraps.... Great Compost Jar!}

Love...Love...Love...
Victorian Table Set...
Hand Carved....
Crumb Brush... and Tray...

This was Fun...to read....
we've come... a Long....Way....

Found....Much More... Vintage Lace....
Simply...
Beautiful...

"Who Said... Lemonade"....
: )

Yesterday's Gatherings.... for The July Open House!

Had a Wonderful Day...

Gathering...at The Amana Garage Sales!

My Pal...Linda...from West Amana {there are Seven Villages, creating The Amana Colonies}

{The Amana Colonies were Formed...in the Mid 1800's... a German Settlement... who lived...kind of like The Shakers.... Communally...}

I Love... their Stuff! From the Early Hand Made Furnture...to the Tin Pieces...their Tin Smiths Created!

They made their own...EVERYTHING!

They all ate together...and Worshiped together...

in each Village....

Everyone...had a Job... a Purpose...

From working in the Laundry.... to the Communal Kitchens...

Gardening... Woolen Mill....

Very...Cool....}

Linda... and her Husband, Dick... bought a Home in the Village of...'West'.... several years ago...

and have been hosting an Antique Garage Sale... the last couple of years....

Linda and I...go...way back!

I hadn't planned on going to the Sales....

with Mom...and Polly.... I never know what's next....

and..it was difficult...thinking about anything else....

{Mom...is Home... but... fragile... so...very...fragile...}

The Amanas are only 11 miles from my door....

and...I really wanted to see Linda....

{She and Dick are over the road Truckers and difficult to catch at home.... Dick...is having some health issues... so...they are home....{ Dick...and Linda...are in my Prayers...: ) }

So...headed out...first thing...

There were Sales...Everywhere....!

I drove Jethro... because...I didn't plan on finding...too many Sales...

or...being away...very long...

oh...my....

I had to come home...and get the Ford!!!

What a Day!

Hope You.....had a Great One....

Too...

: )

Love to ya...

Barb C.

{Happy Birthday...Lynn... : ) Hope You and Lea.... Bring Home a Big...Birthday Load!!!}

 

 

This... Pulley Wheel....is...
AWESOME!!!!
It's Cast Iron....
and...Sooooo....
Sculptural!!!!
It was...a Bit... of a Trick...Loading it..... : )
{Thanks...Girls....for the Offer! }
: )

It was...a Very...Good... Day....
: )

I think...this may be an Amana  Sprinkling Can...
All of the edges are rolled... the sprinkling nozzle...is soldered...and hand punched....
It came from the Home...of The Original Tin Smith... in Homestead....{one of the Amana Colonies...}
as...did a Wonderful Bench... and the Great....Dry Sink! }

Love...the Construction... of Old...Hand Made Tin Ware!

I bought a Sweet Pile of Primitives...from Linda... : ) Her Sale is Still Going On...Today...and Sunday!!!!

Found Piles...of Darling....Vintage Lace...and Doilies...at Friend...Frankie's!
She always...has such Great Sales...Too!

I kept telling the Older...Gentleman... I purchased so many of The Amana Pieces from....
How Much...I Loved Them!!!!
and what I hoped to do with the Dry Sink!
{He said it had been in the Basement...for...Ever... }
Love this...Old.....Dry Sink!
It's between 5 and 6 feet wide.... constructed from 20 Inch Wide Boards! All Square Nailed!
It has...Original Red { like Ox Blood } paint.... under the Gray Blue...that was added... in the early 1900's...
 {you see a lot of Amana Pieces...in the Gray Blue.... }
It's so...weird....
I have just started asking....friends...who deal in Furniture...to keep an eye out...for a Dry Sink....
They are getting....soooo hard to find....
They all said... you can find ones... that are...newly made... or... had been converted...from something else... and made into... a Dry Sink...
but... The Real Deal... is getting tuff to find....
I agree...
and feel Blessed to have found this one...so quickly...
I want to use one...for The July Open House...
{July 2nd through the 6th!}
as a Server...or... actually... put dish pans in it... and use it....
I'll be serving refreshments...in the Evenings... and use real...vintage... Stemware...and plates....
{I Hate...Plastic...and Paper...: ( }
I could keep up...with the dishes.... at the Shop!

This is a Thimbleful....
 John and I shoved what needed to be covered...inside the Green House... before it Stormed....
I had to Hurry....and get the Weed Whipping Done.... and MOW...as well....
oh my...
The Lawn.... has been getting out of hand!
I can't keep up!
I'm Stiff and Sore...today!
oh my...
More images... of the Amana Gatherings...that will be here...for The July Open House...
Very Soon! 

Daylight....



as....Polly and I walked...this Morn...
I paid Special attention...to 'The Daylight'...
I have always loved the Alison Krauss Song....
'Daylight'...
but... never realized... how incredible the lyrics are...
I sooooo.... understand them....
oh my...
I...live them... : )
actually... I looked at my 'playlist'...this morn...and find...
I 'live'... them all....
From 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'....
to...
Mahna Mahna....
'What Do Ya Think About That'... to 'Let it Die'...
Song Writers...
Modern Day...Poets...
God Bless 'em...
they...had to 'live' it...
to 'write' it...
Yes... Pontoon... was my second song of choice...
this Morn...
I heard it... the other morning..as I was swiftly heading to the Hospital...
in Jethro....
I felt myself....
drift away...
In...my mind....
I could see....
my feet...dangling...in the water... sitting on the bow...of the Pontoon....
The Lake... was Smoooooth...as Glass...
It was Hot....
but...the Canopy... shaded my shoulders....
{sigh...........}
oh my....
for...a few.... short...moments.......
Life....was.... at Peace....
in The Daylight....
When I went to get Mom...at the Hospital...yesterday....
just....as I was beginning to feed her...her lunch...
she had a grand mal Seizure...
{I thought the Nurses... who happened to be standing next to me... were going to pass out....
their faces... went pale...then...bright...red...when she began to convulse....
I clutched...one's arm.... and told them both to be calm... I shut the door...to Mom's room....
{she yells...out...while having one...}
 and held her hand...
and...kept reassuring her...
she was going to be...just... fine...
it was a Long... one....
about 3 minutes...
{that feels like...hours....}
Mom...didn't go home...
I stayed....several hours... and...Mom...was doing much better...
They were re checking her blood levels...
I'm thankful...we weren't on the bus... when she had her seizure...
I haven't seen her have one...for several years....
They...are frightening...even...to trained... folk....
What....an Awful Thing.... for Mom...or... anyone.... to go through....
Mom... so...frail... 93.... her...heart... under so...much....stress....
oh my....
oh...my....
I'm glad I was there...for her....
she was...too... : )
Love...to ya...
Barb C.
{Polly...is perking along.... her stitches... are holding....so far...
She's lost some weight... and is fussy....about eating.... but...is perking.... along....
One Day...at a Time...
: ) }

 

Lessons Lived...
are Lessons Learned...
: )

 

 

 

 

Summer... Surprises....

Love.... this Gnarly Church....
I have gathered... so many Fun things...
these last few weeks...
I am Thankful...for the Calls... and Folks... bringing things...
as...I have had to be close to Home....
: )
There will be some...Sweet Summer Surprises... for the
July Gathering....
July 2nd through the 6th... : )
{As I put the Gnarly...Church...on it's Perch... this Morn...I realized... why I am...so attracted...
It reminds me of the Little Church...in Cedar Bluff... that I first attended... when I was 5...
and... sadly... the last time I saw it... it looked like this.... and...was torn down...shortly after....
I used to go visit it...every few years....
I don't go back...anymore....}

These Gerber Daisys have travelled with me...all over this Spring... and...
Keep Smiling...
Love...them....
: )

welcome....

Lucite...Grapes...
: )

There is a Rooster...to match this Little Hen.... : )
I had never seen this set...
They are Cream and Sugar...
Their Heads... are Salt...and Pepper...
So...Sweet...
from...the 30's, 40's or 50's... I suppose...
They need a Good...Bath...
but...I couldn't resist... setting them... out...
Grunge... and all... : )

Mom...is being released to Rehab... and I'll be heading in... to get her ready...
She is doing Much...Better...
The Dr. said... "We can't turn back...the Clock." and her heart... is working...hard...
Polly...is perking along...tho... I don't leave her alone...for long....
I totally missed an Appointment... for an Estate...this Morn... { : ( } told the Family... I'd be there...soon... very...soon....and...how Very...Sorry I am...
Met with a Bride...to be.... yesterday...after I left Mom... Helping her... with Wedding...Props....
Life... goes on.... even... when yours... is spinning..in circles....
Love...to ya...
Barb C.