Sister's Garden Fall Open House

I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked to the back yard at Bloom...all the fall decor and country splendor to boot. When Barb and the crew do an open house, you are truly NEVER disappointed. The smell of fall in the air, the pumpkins and gourds, the beautiful multicolored mums, plus two yards full of furniture...what more could a gal ask for...well, beautiful autumn weather , warm and sunny all weekend, this is truly a blessing for all involved, as we've had horrible weather episodes in the past...maybe this is a sign of good things to come...we sure hope so, cause we love what we do.

New soap scents are Carmel Apple, Dragon's Blood, Blackberry Fig, Sandalwood, Apple Martini and many others for your bathing pleasure.

Come on out and visit...we'd love to fill your car with lots of fun goodies.

See ya there!

The photos don't do it justice...WOW

B-A-T-H-

As evening ebbs

a bath unwanted

necessitates thought...

was it for you

or for moi...

My name is Scratchy

is it reason enough

I had an itch

that's why I scratch

no bugs on me

no ticks or fleas

it's just an itch

so let me be.

A tail (no pun) of woe for a dog with allergies, a fungus in the tall grass she so loves to tunnel through for rodents, but always gets a bath after or will scratch all of her hair off. But it was worth it, we got to play chase the stick (in the house) till she wore me out. I do want her to be clean for at least one day...awwww...poor Scratchy...WHATEVER!!!

Empty Nest Syndrome...

Comes in all forms you know...but to me, to have my living room and parlor completely devoid of furniture in various stages of completion, is somewhat bittersweet...WHATEVER!!! Am I nuts (don't answer that) well that is truly written on the walls, but now Scratchy and I can walk freely through the hallway, play chase the stick and the mouse without having to move sideways through the project jungle.

Ah...to walk in the land of the free spirit, unshackled from the man's grip of what my reality should be...is that my prison or yours. All my life as a young woman, I would strive to find that perfect husband for me and father for my daughter, but was never really comfortable with that prospect, as a matter of fact, I never really was comfortable with the word 'husband' or 'wife'. It was an odd feeling, I think, of possession, that I could never really grasp, let alone say the words. Now my daughter strives for that life, wanting all those things that society deems the norm, perfect home, perfect family life, outings with friends. I tried giving her all of those things when she was young...but you had to sift through a lot of crap back in the 60's n 70's. Women were just coming into their own, bra-burners united, that is something her generation will never understand, what it was like to be the possession and not the equal.

We still fight those problems of equality in a man's world, not having total possession of our own bodies and what we choose to do with them...NO MAN or religion should be allowed to dictate what is rightfully ours...right or wrong.

So you can see, I am a product of the 60's, a liberal, free-thinking woman, who loves living alone, unshackled and not gay. Although that is a stigma many women who live alone face...well she must be, otherwise she'd be married...NOT!!! When I was married and contemplating divorce, I told myself that the first thing I was going to do was plant a table in the hallway, not because it was practical, but because it looked great...now that' a good reason, right...Well, I don't have a hallway, however I do have a stairwell and most men would cringe coming down the steps in the morning, as it's lined with Goofus Glass vases, taxidermy and pictures...even my didgeridoo at the bottom of the handrail, stops the complete slide of the hand nearest the bottom...OH, the inconvenience...but me and Scratch have no problem navigating. We are not looking for something to bolster our power-over...we just love the thrill of the ride...AND...we get the whole apple pie (aka.enchilada)...laughing all the way!!!

Note for the Chippys and friends...

Lefty says 'Hey'... just takin' a dip in the bird bath, enjoyin' a little swim before it freezes solid. All is well in Ioway, some basement flooding and street flooding, but nothing major however we did get 5 inches of rain the other night. After this summers 3rd- 'hundred year flood' (that we have every year)... and what is up with that...guess they'll have ta come up with a new excuse for that one...hello ya'll in the white house...GLOBAL WARMING...need I say DUH???

Anywho, thanks for asking...and after living in hurricane country myself, Florida, my prayers go out to the latest victims of the storms.

With exception of the oil refineries...and if you haven't heard, there are hurricanes in the gulf, did your plans not reckon for them...or maybe it's just another great American screw-job to the public...no sympathy here!!! Gas is $3.75 here in Iowa, but of course, that was yesterday. My Mom paid $4.19 in Florida...argh!!! (putting it mildly)

Beauty Rests...Shadow Shot Sunday

We mourn the loss of color

as burnt umbers and rusts

blanket our garden.

New colors of autumn

give us brief respite

till North winds rule the land,

a land in shadow

and death.

Gardens in neglect,

grey skeletons nod

as seasons draw near.

Little rain, too much rain,

pestilence in many forms

devour remains,

storing energies

for life's new journey.

Crisp remnants stand sentinel

marking boundaries for future plays.

Great spiders weave webs

and guard new generations

of infant terrorists

that keep me from

my labors...Ha,

you little creature,

you make my skin crawl

as your worth I know,

but cannot adhere,

beauty with toxic undertones.

You have the power to eat me alive~

in my mind...eewww...

But, all I can do is wait,

knowing the coming lament

for days long past,

as each day closes

nearer to the death

I already long for spring.

This is life in the North,

the changing of the guard,

deep breaths taken

as events unfold in our journey

to the fond memories of warmth.

Oh brilliant sun, where have you gone,

forsaken to warmer climes~

we sleep...and dream.

This is the long time,

when time stands still

nothing moves, nothing lives

only raw beauty

trapped in the power of the deep, frozen sleep.

I do not like winter,

have never relished her charms.

As my garden transforms

writing her new mystery,

a novel of 'plants gone wild'

I wonder where each new friend

will peak out of it's sleep

into new fields of brilliance

harboring spring~

ah spring,

land of my dreams,

you are my true soul sister~

I rest in your arms

and wait.

Here we are again...check out Hey Harriet for the rest of the artists and our concepts of shadow. Be brave, join the group and feel free to leave comments.

A day in the life...

Hi Theresas'...hi Chippys'...was thinkin' of you gals today as I was flying through Coal Valley filling the cart to the brim, knowing full well that it would torture y'all if I posted pics...so I just posted one of the inside of my truck with my new lil' friend Lefty (eat your heart out Lauri). Why Lefty you ask...well only Lefty's left eye closes, must have been in an all-niter on big-trash pick-up. Why is it in this biz you never have room for a passenger...even with a club cab it would take help from the Almighty or a month on slimfast. But I think it also shows the true character of the REAL junker...the Junk Ho...the Queens of Cram...the Dumpster Divas... the Junk Jypsys!!! We are unafraid of the night...although sometimes procuring that particular curb ornament, does take a bit of dark to help conceal the Ninja suit you're wearing, this also helps if you have to fight for the piece of trash...hi-yah!!! A woman on a mission is a lethal weapon...beware! But we all have the faith, that the day will bring treasures beyond your dreams...well...let' not get into that or I wouldn't be out scabbin' trash...right, I'd be home with my rich Prince Abdul (nicknamed Lefty).

So anyway, this is the day that I post shots of Sisters', but I'm not going to show too much, you're gonna have to come and see for yourself. Barb and Deb were busy flying around the stores getting things ready for next week, she even had to call in for back-up...trusty Elaine showed up shortly to help...that is after she crawled through the 2nd story window to get into the house she accidentally locked...hmmm...Elaine does all the wonderful signs around the stores, she's Barb's other right arm. She has a real talent for calligraphy, to which I think she should pursue...she can also get into your house if you don't have your keys.

So with the help of the Almighty (and Brent and Drew), things will be on schedule and you'll be in for that special Autumn fling that only Sisters' can throw...think Christmas...it's not that far away...and remember, if you like it, you better buy it...I know I've snoozed on too many things and came home crying like a baby...well maybe a slight exaggeration...maybe...

NEW SOAP SCENTS TOO! Awesome new fall fragrance and colors.

Say good bye...

Lush green farmland once was the legacy of Iowa, vast hills of green clovers and grains. Massive forests of mighty oak and elm provided lumber and heat source for the new pioneer. As families migrated to cheap land, farms sprang up all over, dotting the landscape, tiny islands floating on green seas. Families grew as more hands were needed to maintain the farm, some stayed on the farm, some went to the cities. A hard life was the farmer's and his wife, as more and more of his children migrated to the cities, parcels were sold off to lesson the burden.

Herds were culled as competition from huge factory farms steal their livelihood with cheap product of unhealthy animals. Polluting the land, the rivers, the air, nothing stops this destructive beast, subsidized by a biased, well paid government. Yet farmers are encouraged to farm more ground to feed the masses, with little payback.

Chemical companies vie for the latest, most toxic venom to poison the fragile eco-system, killing every innocent in it's path. Unscrupulous developers are stealing the habitat of the deer and the turkey, complaining as they forage for what we deem as landscaping. The eyesore is the addition that popped up over night, each one vying for the better space, the better overlook. What of us, the passerby that used to relish the beauty of rural Iowa. Mow that grass, water that grass, fertilize that grass, mow that grass...what is this all about...

There is this thing called ego, the consciousness of self... is it a thing that makes us a little better than our neighbor...that we need to have more than we require...consume more than we require...throw away everything that is no longer of use to us for bigger and better...no, that is a thing called egotism...selfishness, vanity and conceit.

This is a bum rap...

I can't believe my Mom would do this to me, again! Yeah, but look at the results...I'm a star. This is Missy, a year old Yorkshire terrier, getting a trim. Check out dem ears, that's what gives her her charm, you gotta lov'm.

I can't tell you how much fun it is to groom these lil' treasures. To sit and stare into the eyes of these curious lil' friends is a laugh a minute...they are so serious and when you're taking the shots, some of the expressions are so funny you are laughing out loud. The magic words to get a dog to tilt his head are...you wanna go for a ride...you wanna go outside...where's the kitty and what's that. Works every time, if you can click fast enough. It took 9 shots to get the tilted one.

But Mom loved her do, so all is well in the land of Groom and Missy will star all day.

What's in your studio...

Ah...yes, at times I'm so envious when I see the wonderful shots of the other artists studios, neat stacks, full bins, brushes in colorful tins, pencils all in a parade of color guard from light to dark, neat this and neat that...when in reality, it took days to stage the shots. These are the studios of fantasy. Behind the scenes of the working artist, there is mass confusion and chaos. You can't set anything down and remember where you set it...anxious to get on to the next vision, you have starter projects everywhere. AND if you are very lucky, you have an understanding husband that knows he and the kids will, at times, be eating at the alternate table because of the project that has consumed the dinner table.

Well, to enter my studio is easy...you just walk through the front door and VOILAH...'studio'... Anyone who is in the antique biz knows that when you find a bargain, you have to snatch it up now, even if you don't buy groceries for two weeks...it was worth the fast. I also paint for other people, so my living room and parlor is often full waiting for clients to pick-up.

My dreams are of a garage, that never hold a vehicle, but is a workspace filled to the brim with furniture and cans of paint, waiting for delivery to The Candle Shed or Sisters'...now that can be a reality if the economy would just stabilize a little. We Americans love our stuff...and this antique biz has morphed into collectors odd fantasies of doll heads and butter pats...aka Chippys ...well maybe I should mention the odd piece of taxidermy...nuff said. But what fun is this great treasure hunt...my secret (yeah right) is to stow-away to Texas with the crazy gals I have met this year blogging...we can make it all happen...just work a little harder! Plus I need one more day in the week that nobody else gets...HA!