Ahhhh Iowa...

As I was travelin' to Sister's last week, I came face to face with the beginning of the grand parade...tractor after tractor and they just kept coming...never any end in sight. I'm just glad I was heading in the opposite direction as I could see the anger in the eyes of the cars trying to go around. But the look in the eyes of the mostly older farmers driving them was priceless. Always willing to give a wave and a howdy, friendly ol' down to earth farmers all going to a special rendezvous, of what, I have no clue...just a grand caravan of machines chugging along displaying age and stages of restoration and good ol' Iowa pride in the ride.

That's what I love about the back roads in Iowa, especially if you drive a truck, all the farmers wave at ya'. Must be some sort of a signal that you are accepted into the working class, male or female...you're a member of a hard workin team tryin' to make a living in the country in a world of many woes. Watching your neighbors farms being sold off to developers as children head off to the cities for jobs, forsaking the family homestead for better paying work...where did we go so wrong. Why do we need so much...we never have enough time...always on the go.

Well for me, I try to take that special me time with hot cup o joe, sittin' on my porch, surveying this great state and the beautiful sunsets the universe bestows on this country girl...and don't forget me Mom...Scratchy.

Just a lil' tease...

Ok, now keep in mind this is an all new adventure for me and I want to share with you my first trial and possibly error...but you never know till ya try and I am the kinda person that never takes a lesson, I always have to forge ahead on my own, correcting along the way. But I like the idea of using hand-made items, usually by indigenous peoples, it just seems right to me, it's just too bad they only get pennies to the dollar...hey, don't get me started on the value of the American dollar...someday I may be that tribeswoman sitting by the river makin' beads...the lost civilization of America. Scary huh...but, would it really be all that bad...think of what a great tan I'd have.
These little earrings I call 'yellow bird', made of yellow turquoise from China, the blue clay beads are from Indonesia and the tiny beads, Mali, wrapped in aged copper, I love that lived in look.

Little yellow bird

flights of fancy you long for

freedom yet unseen.

I'm not very good at wrapping the wire yet, but that will come in time, as I piece each bead to the story I wish to convey and as I discover new source for beads, you will follow my trail. I have recycled sea glass coming from Africa, what a tale I will weave of these exotic(in my mind) jewels.


Simple, recycled, primitive...isn't that the way it's always been...through time...

We've made contact...

That illusive phone call was made this afternoon from Texas, to make all us poor suckers drool with envy...theothertheresa called disguising her voice as Lauri from The Chippy's...whatdaya mean this is Lauri...I could tell by all the background noise that these intrepid junkers were having way too much fun...I gotta tell ya, Lauri's sweet Southern drawl does not reflect the Lauri we all know and love from the blog...but I'm sure as the night rolls on, that voice will become huskier and more Texas-like to suit the wild-woman we know too well...and speaking of wild women...the now famous table toppin, girdle frocken, Southern sweetheart, Miss LuLu Redstar, our bloggin' pin-up girl has assurred me there is enough trash at this show to go around...they are already shoppin, 'Lauri has bought her first male crack-head baby and is anxious to share with her girls back home...I know personally that Lefty is green with envie...I think I heard the word B__ch muttered in the background. I also got to talk to Theresa Cano, Garden Antiques Vintage, she is having a blog party tonight and would I love to be a lil' mouse in the corner...hell no...pass the gin buckets and Lone Star Beer!

So anyway...have a great time gals, sell lots of stuff and buy lots of stuff...gotta go...got the atlas out and am loggin the road trip for the spring show...later ya'll...don't do anything I wouldn't do!!! Can't wait to see yer new cowboy hat Craig...LOL

Shadow Shot Sunday...already again...

My Florida-My Fountain of Youth

This is my dream time,

the sunshine state, my Florida.

Her beauty I discovered as a child

and it burned deep into my soul.

Shadows cast of elegant palms

on a church in St. Augustine,

this ancient city of Spanish conquest

stolen from tribesmen,

the peaceful Seminole.

They knew her harsh secrets,

yet Spaniards stay

building fortress to protect the promise,

eternal youth and riches of gold.

Eternal youth yes, the joy of a child running in the surf

and gold in the sun that never fades.

A home built for a dream in the 50's,

my Grandfather's dream...

to live in the land of eternal youth,

long since fallen to ruin

to a tragic ghetto community

uncaring of the fountain of youth they spoil

and the dream it once held .

But the canopy of my youth still hovers

oer' land of golden, eternal sunshine...

my Florida,

my Fountain of Youth.

Time to check out Hey, Harriet and all the shadows...join in the fun and give us a holler...

Junk Gypsy on the Edge...

Robin Browns new book, 'A Bit of Velvet and a Dash of Lace', is the inspiration for this Gypsy's new look at the 'Pink Chateau'. With fall fast approaching, velvet throws and wall hangings will help warm the house when the chills are in the air. I love the Bohemian look of the gypsy style with all the bangles and pomp, wonderful music of Jami Sieber's electric cello on the Bose and the gold light bulbs come out to warm the heart and set sweet moods of romance...don't even go there...it's just for appearance...AND...because I can... eat your hearts out...I'll just read a juicy romance book to get my fix...are ya ready for this Scratchy...she loves the new velvet throw over her thrown... mmmm, cozy Mom!

So this is the first wall, many to go as I raid my daughter's store for neat stuff...it is good to be junk dealer!

More later...oh yeah, if you look real close, you can see Scratch under the red chair, she smells a mouse...good Scratchy...ahhhhh, life in the country!

Indian Summer

What is this Red Man's tale,

this Indian Summer dream.

Times when first frosts

have seized the moment

changing green, lush horizons

to golden hues of lost relevance...

publishing an Autumnal Renaissance,

a revival

of what will soon be only a warm whisper

surrounding our cocoons~

warm hearths,

warm memory faded,

we prepare for the long season

locked away from the dread,

winter's dry, certain death.

Oh, Indian Summer...

give me one last warm breath

one last ray

one last memory

before I sleep,

locked in silent, frigid beauty

of steely blue

and white

and grey...

winter.

What's goin' on???

Well, you kinda know me by now, right...well...I need another project to still my constant mind of whirling Earth elements and the need to create. It's something that I have never done, but always wanted to do. A way for me to harness the beauty of Nature in a wearable art form...I am going to try my hand at creating sterling silver and copper jewelry, with Earth elements as my core inspiration. I can never find exactly what I want, I'm sure it's out there, but not affordable to my meager budget for trivial items not necessarily deemed needful. I love the organic feel and look of silver wire, aged to cover original splendor, to a more Earthy tendered age. The use of polished gems, bits of nature and charms to show a respect for the little things that make our world the beautiful wonderland that it is.

Winter is at our doorstep and when the winds are howling, I will be cozy inside, formulating beautiful art pieces of the beauty around me, inspired by the still of the season. This gives me and Scratch the opportunity to forage in the wild for the most unique of Nature's wonders...like the lowly acorn...have you ever stopped to see the beauty in each small seed and wondered of the glorious birth soon to grow of the simple nut? Or small agates, picked up from a day at the rivers edge, unpolished, but of rare beauty in itself.

Many Earth elements await my formulation into a twisted fabrication of what my eye sees as simple beauty and perhaps a poem for each new enterprise, making it an adventure unto itself. A legend created to mark simple meaning of the Creation, in both terms...hmmm...Nancy from Shab n Chic is sending me a pheasant taxidermy piece and that has gotten my wheels to turnin'...my works will be hung on mounted pieces of taxidermy or perhaps a huge river stone or log...or maybe just a chunk of sod...all Earth elements, worthy of exploration. So...'The Wild Thing' is born, my latest adventure.

So what do ya think...am I nuts or what...but like I said...there is still too much goody left in the hours of the day and I'm gonna gettum all.

'The Wild Thing'

I love fall...

Went to Sisters' today, not my usual schedule, but needed to get soaps up there before the Kalona Fall Festival this coming Friday and Saturday. Barb usually plans it that way so there are two weekends of heavy traffic. She even has a BlueGrass/GospelTrio coming to play between 11:00 and 2:00 Saturday, that should be a nice touch to the Indian summer days ahead. Still lots of wonderful furniture available and more coming...the journey never ends.

Silent Companion

Creatures and gnomes, perhaps faeries

and ladies of lost civilizations,

all watching and waiting

as each new dawn brings

weathered fissures

to once brilliant images.

You take away the loneliness

of one,

ones castle, ones paradise,

sweet yard birds...

ornament to a dream,

Faeryland...the land of Oz.

How far will your dreams take you,

where is it you want to explore

and are you free

to let go and receive...

receive this ageless beauty

that dwells in the soul,

of these steady soldiers

of fantasy,

soldiers standing guard

to my entrance

to my all.

Equinox...Autumnal

Equinox...Autumnal

A seasons bones tower,

tall sentinels hovering o'er

graveyards of spent produce,

leftovers to a forager,

skilled reaper of the Earth's

stores.

A morning's Autumn dew

lights tents of wee clowns

weaving and weaving...

what is it they secret away,

is it the knowing,

the pending doom

of a species locked in a time warp

of crystal towers

and frigid airs.

Small creatures weave

a secret we know not.

Survival...

What if man's efforts fail

and we must weave

to exist,

weaving and weaving...

is it the knowing,

the pending doom

of a species locked in a time warp...

to survive is

the secret,

a secret

we know not...

yet.

Just had ta do it...

As I was reading The Chippy's blog this morning, they were asking for us to post some souvenir of Texas to give 'em a jump-start on their long-planned annual trip to Texas...I just couldn't resist...if not a relic now, will soon be...praise the Lord!

Please everyone, give a thought today on this International Peace Day...what can I do to make a difference...

Shadow Shot Sunday

Free Bird on a Leash

Old shutters cage a lark's

freedom,

already imprisoned

by her steely self image,

as morning sun alights hope

of life beyond

this barred vision.

Life of a free bird...

are you ever a free bird

what is this thing we so covet

this freedom...

to speak

to think

is it given freely,

why do we struggle so

when they say it's God-given.

Is it really free,

give it to me

so I may exist beyond this cage

of fear

the prison

the shadow

where thoughts and passion dwell

always, always

awaiting the next sunrise...

Open the window,

shall I...shall I

fly

free.

Well kids, here we are again, another shadow-fest. Check out Hey, Harriet and sign up, we know you want to...you'll have fun...promise. Then check out very one else's shots and give 'em a holler.

Last Man Standing...er... loading...

The last diligent customer of the day...I had been seeing them for about an hour or so, wandering around sitting in chairs, trying them on for size. Saw them upstairs at Sisters', downstairs at Sisters', downstairs at Bloom, behind Bloom, every time with a chair in hand or Mrs. sitting in one checking the comfort zone. Next thing I know they have all the chairs lined up around a huge white harvest table...I'm thinking... WHAT...cause usually people do this and you have to put them all back, but not this time when I walked into Bloom, Barb was writing up a receipt and son Drew and Mr. were loading the van.

Now mind you, they got all TWELVE chairs and the harvest table into that minivan...don't forget the porch post!!! Well, I said to Mrs., you know there is still room for a couple of mums in there...joking right...and she says, oh yeah, I forgot...and off she goes.

Now this Mr. is a gem...she says, yeah he is a great packer, he's an engineer...go figure...but happy as larks, they ride off into the sunset...and we're left thinking...did this just happen...

Have a great Sunday everyone and thanks to all who came and played with us this weekend, we hope to see you soon...the Sister's crew...

A Gift for Gab...

There is a message here...right Pam...thank you so much for the award. My friend Pam,

White o morn Cottage across the pond in Ireland, has made up an award for some of her friends that apparently have 'the gift'. Painfully shy most of my life (I know, I know) this blog-thang has been a blessing for many of us to meet new friends all over this big blue ball. Check out Pam's new website for lots-o-neat Irish treasures...I love the china she finds!!!

Thanks again Pam...you rock friend!

Sold...Sold...Sold...

Yes, all the black pieces are sold and I am typing away while the first coat is drying on several pieces gone black...you know what it's like when you have a bare spot...you fret until it is filled. so tomorrow I deliver more black stuff to Sisters'. Black seems to really be hot right now, so while it's moving, we're moving.

I love this old sofa...don't know where they all come from, but they seem to come out of the woodwork around here, there is at least one at all times. But through the years as a business owner gains a fair and honest reputation, people will confide that they have a piece that really needs to disappear, usually taking up space in an attic, garage or barn, so they call Barb, knowing full well that their dear departed piece will find a new home.

And lastly, Elinore...I wanna be just like her when I grow up! She doesn't know it, but she has always reminded me of Tasha Tudor, with her silver bun twisted at the nape of her neck and long skirts. Her willingness to keep working though age has slowed down the use of her hands, she keeps busy, growing flowers she dries and sells and paints furniture too. As her and I were talking today, I found out that she likes Tasha as well. Guess it's just that ol'timey respect for hard work and love of Nature.

Well, as I ventured to the back of Bloom this morning, first thing I notice...there's more stuff...where does she come up with it all...methinks she has a barn...lucky stiff, yes, I have barn-envy, well, a girl can dream, right. Not only that, 3 of the long work table were being loaded up and out the drive...some dealers just know to strike early.

Well, first coat is dry...I'm outta here!