Sunny Fun Monday

On Monday we went to the War Eagle Mill. It is a real working Water Powered Grist Mill.

But, to get there, we had to go over this.





The Mill was built in the 1800's and there are a few remaining old buildings in the area. This is a very, very old house. (No this isn't a typical home in Arkansas!)Here's the old General Store located adjacent to the Mill. I wish it was still stocked with old time goodness. I'd break in!


And, can you make this out? Behind the old house hanging over a creek is the clothesline - with clothes still on it! This isn't the Silver Dollar City fake scene houses - this is the real thing! I warned the boys that if I spotted a quilt on the line, I was going over the fence.



This goose ate almost an entire loaf of Wonder Bread right out of my hand. And, he was polite about it!

Next, it was on to Beaver Lake.


DS stood on this rock and skipped stones. Mom and Dad were nervous wrecks. We are not water people - in fact, none of us even know how to swim. Not more than 15 feet out into the water there was a 25 ft. water marker. He would drop a stone and it would go *gluuuunk* to the bottom. He thinks he is invincible. I think he would sink like a rock!

Isn't this cool the way the water has eroded the rocks?


An artsy shot of the shale. Not to be dumb, but is there shale everywhere? I think shale is so awesome. You see a big rock sitting there and you "pick" it up and it disinigrates in your hands to tiny fragments. On one hand, it is sad that it was a rock for so long and now it is not. But, on the other hand, it is also makes you feel very powerful to shatter a rock in your bare hands!
And, apparently, we have seafood in our lakes!

*I have been arranging these photos for an hour and I think they are in the right order, but if not, sorry!

Day trips have been postponed due to a need for new tires on the VUE. A 2:00 appointment and nearly $500.00 is all we need to be "on the road again!"

And So It Begins...

Today marks the first day of vacation for DH. I am the one to make out the itenrary for the week. If it were up to him, he wouled watch ESPN and John Wayne movies all week. It is up to me to say, "You need to mow today!" Or, "We need groceries today!" He usually just follows me around and does whatever I do and that is super, duper annoying to say the least. He would never get up and say, "I am going to fix some things!" or "I think I will clean out the shed!" He has said since the day we got married, that he will do anything I ask him to do - I just have to ask. Well, 16 years later and that still ticks me off. How can he not see that the kitchen light is blown out or that there is a monsterous pile of towels to be folded? I don't mean to complain about him, but it is just so damn esy.

So, I have our week all planned out. Monday we will be trekking out into the boonies, towards Hillbilly Mountain to visit Terra Studios This is the home of Leo Ward and his Bluebird of Happiness. It is a common misconception that if you see a Bluebird and it is not signed by Leo Ward, but by another name, that is is not an authentic Bluebird of Happiness. Well, that is not true. Leo trained other artisans to make his Bluebirds and a number of artists have made them through the years. In fact, I have several signed by the local Sheriff's wife, a friend of DH's from high school and a lady that used to be my Mom's neighbor. It is only about 20 miles from here and looks like a very interesting Artist Colony. They handblow the birds and make pottery and other artsy things. It is free to visit, and I doubt that I will buy anything as I have almost 50 Bluebirds of Happiness already (they are plentiful at every yard sale and thrift in the area and we inherited the MIL's collection as well) I do have in the back of my mind that I would like a pair of earrings with little bluebirds, so I may look for those - although I am not even sure if they make such a thing.

Later in the week we will visit the original Walton's 5 and 10 Store in Bentonville. This is the origional store that Sam Walton opened that became the Wal-Mart empire. They have reproduced the orignal store and even have his office replicated and his original red pick up truck on display. I actually used to see that truck on the roads when I was a kid. I also want to visitthe Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel which is a beautiful place. I have been to a weding ther, but was unable to really "check it out". I really want DS to see it. Also, on this trip there is a Veterans Wall of Honor on which my Step-father's name is engraved. I haven't seen it yet, and we really need to do so. (Mumsie - wanna go?)

On a different day, we will travel to War Eagle Mill which is a real water working Grist mMll. There is an old steel and wooden bridge that leads to it. I am terrified to walk over it as it looks like it will collapse any minute, but it is sturdy as hell. I have been walking over it when a big truck drives by at the same time. The wooden boards rattle and you can see the river under your feet. Freak out time! The mill is great - full of smells and wonderful goodies. One complete floor has all sorts of handmade fudge, hard candies such as sassafrass, horehound and all other sorts of old fashion flavors. The third floor wwhich I simply cannot venture into is crammed to the rafters with enamelware of every sort of color and style imagineable. I will seriously have slobbers hanging out of my mouth! I was there once when they were clearancing out all the yellow splatterware and I was completely b-r-o-k-e and couldn't buy anything. I still remember that! That was 20 years ago!

All of these places are free so it will be a free week for us. Luckily, DS is the type of kid that likes different places and still thinks things are "cool". He likes history and doing different things. "Everyone goes to Branson," he says. But, he doesn't mean that we should go too - he means everyone else goes, so we should do something different. That's my BOY!

Fabulous Friday Finds

I went to two sales this morning. One was right here in town and is one of my favorites. I didn't know they were having it this weekend, or I would have made it there earlier than I did. This is two sisters that like junk and do things with it. They always have such cool things in their sales, I would love to get inside their house and see what they keep! I think they must have flea market or junk booths somewhere. Everything above came from that sale except the enamel platter and the bench. Included in this photo and not in the close -ups are 25 very old postcards from Easter, Birthdays and Christmas with wonderful old graphics. Some are dated 1908 and have 1/2¢ stamps. They were 10¢ each. There is also a very small old wooden dovetail corner box with sliding top that was 50¢ and a neat old milk bottle with red graphics for 50¢ too.

This wonderful old vintage photograph was a mere 50¢ too. It is big - about an 11" x 14". The boys and girls are dressed in their finest and have corsages and some sort of ribbons or awards pinned on their lapels.
This old composition doll has seen better days, but, of course, that is why I like her. Actually, she isn't in that bad of shape - she is intact and her clothes are all there. She was $2.00.
These big blue Ball Jars were 50¢ too - (that seems to be the price of the day!) These are the big 1/2 gallon size. I have zinc lids for all of them already. They are all clean and bright now that I have scrubbed them up. I should bave done that before I took the photo! (I'm sure my neighbors wonder why I photograph all the crap I drag in!)
This copy of "Alice in Wonderland" has an original copyright date of 1903. And, yes, it cost 50¢ to. The cover is loose and the pages are brittle, but I am hoping that I can make color copies of some of the pages for collages or cards. If not, I will just display it in the "old junk" cabinet.

We headed across town looking for an advertised Church Rummage Sale, but I could not find it anywhere. There were signs on every corner for sales, but I only decided to go to one that said it was a MOVING SALE. t was on a dead end street, there were cars everywhere and it was very difficult to find a parking place where DS and I could get out of the car without falling in a ditch. I really only saw Man Stuff - fishing stuff, tools, manly things and I really don't know why I even was hell bent to stop. But, I was. We walked through the entire house but not much really appealed to me. But then I spotted this great old enamel tray/platter hanging on the wall in a modern wrought iron hanger. I asked the price of the tray and she said $4.00. I took it and carried it around while we looked at everything and then I ended up paying her husband for it.
As I was paying him, I noticed this bench in the front yard. I asked him how much it was and he hemmed and hawed around and finally said I better "ask the wife".So, I went back in and found "the wife" and asked her how much it was. She hemmed and hawed and said, "What'll you offer me for it?" That is usually my clue to leave, because I am pretty damn cheap and that usually means they want a bunch for it. Then she said, "Would you give me $2.00 for it?" I whipped $2.00 out of my pocket so fast I am surprised I didn't get a paper cut! Then she said, "Oh, just give me a dollar - you were supposed to take that iron hanger with the tray for $4.00." So, I paid $5.00 for the bench and the tray! Yay for me! There were four women sort of circling the bench when I came out of the house. DS asked if we had paid for it then he went and picked it up. The women sort of sucked the air through their teeth when they realized they had missed out on it. And, yes, I misbehaved, I said to DS, "Yes, I paid the lady a dollar - it's ours." Kind of rubbed the old salt in their wounds. My bad.
The pictures don't really do the bench justice - it is made of an old barn door - you can even make out the drill holes where the big latches were on the door. There is a support on either side which is unusual too. This is just the sort of thing that I adore! And for $1.00. Ah, heaven. When DH came home from work he said, "I see we have another bench." But, when I told him the price, he couldn't argue about the price, that's for sure!

*If you read this post earlier and now you are reading it again, I'm sorry. Blogger "Published" when it should have "Saved". Or maybe I did it. Who knows!

Bye, Bye Baby Bunting

I bought this wonderful old book at a sale last weekend. It is called "A Child's World" and actually is a set of six volumes, but I only found the first volume. It is full of wonderful old children's stories. The graphics are so bright and absolutely wonderful. Well, all but one,t hati s. See the Mom and the sweet little baby - looking out the window awaiting Daddy to come home and make everything okay? But, wait, what's THAT? Daddy in the woods with a shotgun aimed at a BUNNY? What sort of a childhood nightmare are they rying to make? Eh, gads!

Happy Hunting this weekend. N(ot bunnies, bargains!)

I'm Still Here

As it was pointed out to me by Ms. Oliveoyl, I have been AWOL. It seems that I have been really, really busy doing nothing blogworthy. Case in point, we have had plumbing issues in the kitchen. I don't have a dishwasher which is a SIN, in fact, I have never had a dishwasher in my entire life. So, when I have to wash dishes, the sink stops up and it won't drain and it ends up taking me hours to do the damn dishes. Which, in turn, makes me, slightly less than desireable to be around. Read - cranky. So, the Roto Rooter guy is out there snaking the drain as I write this post. (On a side note - Mr. Rooter is Fine.)

I did got to several sales and the thrift last weekend. Now, a few days later, I don't even remember what I bought. I tend to do that - get all wound up about my finds, then a day or so later, they seem most unremarkeable. I need to remember that when I am shopping and not just buy, buy, buy. The last sale of the day had a box at the end of the driveway with a sign on it that read "EVERYTHING IS FREE". I assummed that meant the things in the box was free, but EVERYTHING was free. Luckily, there wasn't much that interested me. I did get about 60 brand new hardcover books that I passed on to my Mom and Step-Dad. They are readers in the truest sense of the word. There were two shoes that had been decorated sitting on a table. I mean, these things were frug-ly. I would not have spent good money for them, but since they were free, DS grabbed them. See for yourself:
What were they thinking????

On Monday the mail lady delivered a most delightful box of goodies. I didn't recognize the address at all and was surprised to find a box of goodies and an Anniversary card from one of my readers and fellow YSQ memeber, Sveltestuff. She said it wasn't right that I had to host a giveaway when it was my 300th post Anniversary. So sweet! She sent metwo pieces of matte white pottery for my ever-growing collection, a pink and green crocheted potholder that she said was "almost a watermelon" and three fun little vintage Santas. She also sent DS a bundle of keychains for his collection and a bookmark. He was very excited to get goodies and I thank her for including him.

We're off to Chuck E. Cheese after the Roto Rooter guy leaves. I have been saving coupons off the back of the CEC String Chees packages. We have 108 tokens to spend. The boys will play the arcade games and I will bowl and maybe, just maybe, sneak off to the thrift that happens to be in the same parking lot. Hmmm....

Have a great day!

If Trees Could Talk

One of the favorite things in my small town is the large number of old trees that dot the area. The cemetary and school yards are full of huge old historic trees. They show the first sign of buds in the Spring, they show the first tinge of orange in the Fall. They provide much needed shade at funerals and at Decoration Day. They shade the cars in the prking lot at school. Until about six years ago, there was a field on the main corner in town with a beautiful grove of Walnut Trees in the center. I took DS there when he was little to sit under them, pick up walnuts and try to hug the tree - he and I together couldn't even begin to get our arms around it. One day we happened to be driving past the corner and much to our dismay, they had cut down these magnificent trees. DS was about to turn five at the time. He asked me "Why, would they DO that?" I told him they would most likely build a store there so they had cut down the trees. We walked around the piles of limbs and salvaged a piece of Walnut for our rock garden. He stood on the stump of the tree, stomped his foot and shook his little fist as he said, "I will NEVER shop at this store!" A week or so later we passed by the barren corner and I noticeda sign had been erected at the street front: "COMING SOON: McDONALD'S." I read this to DS as he looked out the window at his corner that he remembered so well, once chock full of beautiful Walnut Trees, but now just a dirt lot. Then, in a very timid voice he said, "Well, you don't really shop at McDonald's." Ah, my little Nature Lover, turned bad by the lure of a Happy Meal.

They are widening the highway that runs through town and adding in a turning lane. By doing this, many old trees have gone by the wayside. When they built the new high school about ten years ago, the PTA and various student organizations planted trees in honor of and in memory of diferent people. About a month ago, we watched as giant machines swooped in and knocked those trees over like they were sticks, picked them up, put them in a dump truck and drove off with them. Now there is no shade, no beauty, nothing. Oh, they will plant a neat little row of Bradford Pear Trees in their place, but you cannot replace a 10 year old tree with a sapling.

Yesterday we drove by the school and we were so saddened to find that they had cut down an immense tree. It is honestly one of my very favorites. DS and I admire it every day on the way to school. In the Spring, it buds first, in the Fall, the leaves turn a brilliant orange and in the winter it has twisty turny branches that look like a Halloween tree. It is beautiful. Or, rather, it was beautiful. I always have my camera with me, which has proven to be a good thing once again. The girth of this tree was probably over four and a holf feet across. It just makes me sad that such a gorgoues old tree would be cut down just to make room for three or four more parking spots. A shame.

I know that progress is necessary and buildings must be built and highways must be widened. But, sometimes I think that peopel take the easy way out and just knock things down rather than going around them or working it into the plans. I would liked to have shown my grandchildren trees that were 150 years old and not trees that they are just now planting.

Winner, Winner, Winner

(That title should be read in a big booming voice like the Claw Machine at Wal-Mart). We have a WINNER!!!!!! Ottermom is the winner. We've already been in contact and I am in the process of assembling a personalized Goodie Box just for her. It will be in the mail by the end of the week (*Cross fingers*). Congratulations, Ottermom!

Friday I went to a couple yard sales and to another sale that I have been going to for weeks. In the beginning, the prices were obscenely high, but have goten cheaper as the weeks pass. The items are getting picked over to a point, but they also keep bringing in new items. As I was looking around this time, the man brought in a big box full of salt and pepper shakers. There were probably 50 sets of old shakers in there. They were $2.00 a set, but everything was half price - so a buck a set. I showed restraint and only bought two sets.
Friday's Finds: Miniature Mouse Tea Set - 50¢
Boyds Bear - 25¢ (I just cannot pass up a Boyds Bear when I know they are hawking them on QVC for upwards of $20.00 each)
McGruff "Take a Bite out of Crime" puppet - 50¢
Aunt Jemima Bottle - 25¢ (I see these for $3.00 and up at sales because people think they are collectible. Well, they are a little bit - she will look cute with my Black Americana collection)
Ball Jar w/ Glass Lid - 25¢ (But, what shall I put in it?)
Big Bag of Buttons - $1.00 (How about buttons in the jar?)
Old Cast Iron Microscope - $5.00 (This had been priced $49.99 at the sale and I had watched it go down each week. I figured I would miss out if I waited much longer. Not sure if it's a toy or the real McCoy).
Mama and Joey Kangaroo S&P's - $1.00 (They have the cork stoppers and JAPAN on them).
Old Acorn S&P's $1.00 - (Cork stoppers and JAPAN again)
White Pottery basket - 50¢
Cake Slice S&P's - $1.00 (I'm always looking for Birthday Party decorations)
Single Shaker of African Boy on a Carrot - 50¢
Stack of Newspapers from 1917-1936 - FREE (I will use in collages and crafts, but first I am reading them. Can you beleie that Oranges were 29¢ for TWO DOZEN in 1917?)

I went to the Super Cheap Thrift on Saturday. Since they had been closed earlier in the week to "RESTOCK", I assummed that it would be chock full of goodies. But, apparently, they had just cleared out the store and gotten rid of old merchandise and will be slowly stocking it with new merchandise. So, the pickings were pretty slim. I did notice one thing that sort of upset me - the prices had gone up a bit too. Not too much, it will still be the cheapest thrift in the area, but, nonetheless, the prices had gone up a bit. I also went to two sales - left empty handed at one.

Saturday's Finds:
2 Cookbooks - 25¢ each
Set of Handmade Bears - 75¢ (These are really cute)
Old mint green Hairdryer - $1.00 (The man told me it worked. As if. It has the old round plug and a ravel-y cord and it is metal and it weighs a ton. Like I would use it. Bzzzzt.)
Paper Maiche Egg - 25¢ (Made in West Germany - the other Easter items were in the bag with it)
As I was paying, DS went over to look at something and I noticed the picnic basket under the table at his feet. It is big and very old and has the longest handles of any picnic basket I have ever seen. Everytime I see these at a sale, I hold my breath when I ask the price because I usually get a lecture on "it's old" or "that was Granny's" or some other inane comment that I do not want to hear. I asked the magic question and he said, "Oh, that's a good OLD heavy basket." (Crap, I thought) "50¢ oughta do it", he said. The lid has been painted, and I wish it hadn't been, but at least it is painted well and fairly cute. I mean it could have been cammo or purple or something! When I got home I took a running inventory of my picnic baskets and I seem to have an even dozen now. So, apparently I do not hear "that was Granny's" enough. I use them to store everything from my coupon stash to bread and potato chips to my crafting supplies. I suppose I could go on a picnic sometime.

Have a happy week!

A Case for Thrifting

Yesterday I had a thrifting bug. I had to go to the thrift. And not
just any thrift, the super cheap thrift, It's only open a mere ten hours
during the entire week, so when it's open, I have to go. We drove out to
it - it is in a neighboring town with absolutely nadda to do except visit
the thrift. Much to my chagrin, it was CLOSED. Bummer. It is CLOSED
Tuesday and Thursday for restocking which means Saturday the parking lot
will look like Wal-Mart at 5:30 on Christmas Eve. DH drove right past
there yesterday and I mentioned that I should have had him make sure it
was open today, but then again, why wouldn't they be. They do have a habit of closing for restocking with no real notice. Well, next time I will have him check, that's for sure. It's only about 8 miles out there, but that's another 8 miles back and gas was $2.89 last Wednesday and today it was $3.29, so I really can't be wasting gas looking for a tencent goodie. Well, okay, I supose I can. But, I really shouldn't.

So, that nasty thrifting bug just wouldn't go away, so I decided to go to the Salvation Army even though they rarely have any vintage goodies to peak my interest. But, sometimes we find movies or books or an occassional interesting item. Today I spent $3.20. Records were 10¢ each,down from the usual 25¢ each. They used to be $1.00 each,m shich is crazy since no one really even has a record player anymore. I know some records are worth money, but other than Elvis and the Beatles, I am pretty clueless. I do like to look through them for graphics and maybe an occassional autographed
something or rather. I found a set of Square Dancing Records. There were four in the set, but two were missing. I liked the graphics and decided it was still worth 20¢ (yes, they count the records in a set and charge you X x 10¢).

My main item of the day set me back $3.00. This vintage Samsonite Suitcase. It is smallish and not a huge one. It will be perfect for storing scrapbooking paper or my evergrowing collection of felt for shoes and donuts. They actually had three of them in three different sizes. If they had been the type to stack symetrically, I would have bought them
all. But one was more squarish than the others. I would love to have a stack of them at the end of the couch for an endtable/storage unit. The larger one still had the original paper on the inside and had some sort of a folding hanger situation that seemed to me a closet in a suitcase. It weighted about 15 pound and it ws empty. It would have been interesting trying to lug that thing around with all your clothes in it for a trip. And shoes. And hats. And girdles. And
dressing gowns. Etc.

The thing that really peaked my interest in these suitcses is this - inside each one of them there were various silk pouches on the sides and edges. Pinned to each and every pocket was a different medalliion with the Infant of Prague on it. In the suitcase I bought, here was a gold one, a pewter one, a silver one and a cheaper tin-y version. I "googled" it and read the history of the Infant of Prague, but I still don't really understand the pinning in the suitcase thing. If anyone can enlighten
me, please do. I'm sure it was "Good Luck", for lack of a beter term.

Thanks for all the great comments on the last post. Looks like the giveaway will be a good one. Svelte asked when I started my blog. I think it was in October of 2005. I love to write and never really had much of an outlet for it and this blog has helped me write. It might not always be earth shattering or enlightening, but I write it! I majored in Journalism and creative writing and really need to do something constructive with that someday. I need to combine my love of thrifting, junk and writing into some sort of a money making format. I wish!

Thanks again everyone! And, if you haven't signed up for the giveaway on the next post - please do so!

Crucio!

It's all about Harry Potter at my house this week. DS knows the movie comes out on Wednesday and he is dying to see it. And, so am I. I love Harry Potter too. But, we are only halfway through the book and I really do not want to see the movie without having read the entire book. Today he got out all his books and all the DVD's and lined them up on the coffee table. Then he got a notebook and a pen and did all sorts of interesting things. He counted the books (not too hard) then he looked up the number of pages in each book and added them up (over 3,300 pages so far). Now he's in the process of counting the words on a page in each book and tallying up how many words would be in each book and in total. As long as he is using a book, pen, paper and a calculator, I consider it to be educational.

Does anyone have any idea why I cannot seem to put a title on blogger anymore???? (It is driving me positively batty!!!) I finally figured out how to make a customized header and now I cannot manage to title my posts. Bah humbug, Blogger.

I have a humdinger of a sore throat and I have had it for nearly a week. Is there some sort of a virus or a bug going around that I don't know about? I usually get sick and get well and never know that everyone else in the world has had the crud too.

I see that this is my 300th post. My, I am a long winded one, aren't I? What shall I do to commerate this occassion? Let's see - a giveaway, I suppose. But, what shall I give away? How about a package of goodies from my area? Things that represent NWA. Wal-Mart home offices, Tyson World Hedquarters, Hannah's Candles (of QVC Valerie's candles), JB Hunt Transportation and the now defunct Valorie's Home Accents are all from my area - within a few miles, actually. I'll make it fun stuff that you will want and or need, I promise. So, leave a comment by Sunday, July 15 and I'll throw your name in the sorting hat and let my own Harry Potter draw out the magical name.

P.S. If you don't happen to like or approve of Harry Potter, please don't take this post out on me. It is make believe and good fun and has been terribly helpful in getting children to love books and reading. I once mentioned Harry Potter to a 1st grade class that I was substitute teaching and a 6 year old boy wagged his finger in my face and said, "Oooo, you are going to hell. The devil made Harry Potter." Now really, who told this litle boy such rubbish? He wasn't old enough to even understand the devil and hell, let alone to be condeming me to hell.

P.P.S. Rant over. ;o)

Fun Friday Finds

Friday morning DS and I got a late start. Sometimes the lure of a yard sale calls to me, but the nice cool air conditioning of the house keeps me here. We did go to two sales, but it was getting hotter and hotter by the minute (Remember a post or two ago when I whined about it being wet and cool? Well, now it is hot. And I hate it.) With only a few good yard sale purchases under my belt, I felt the need to hit the thrift too.
All of these items came from the thrift - Green Celluloid washboard, three glass baby doll nursers, a bottle brush, a small red celluloid dishpan, one yellow celluloid clothes hanger and 18 fantastic little wooden painted clothespins. It is all on top of an old heavy slate. The doll accesories were in two seperate baggies and priced at $2.00 each. The older man that runs the register at the thrift, often scoffs at the prices and rounds them down. He only charged me $2.00 for both baggies and then he knocked another 50¢ off the total to make it an even amount when we were done. The slate was in a different ocation in the thrit than the old doll accessories, but I feel that it came from the same home. Old toys, old school stuff, etc. It isn't a Hobby Lobby kinda chalkboard - it's a real slate with a wooden frame. The scratches show up in the picture much more than they do in reality.



Close up on the clothespins. They only measure a little over 2" tall. I have a set of old metal toy laundry wash tubs that I will most likely display with these items. I also have a little toy wooden ironing board and my old toy iron from when I was a kid. It actually plugs in and gets hot. What a toy! Can you imagine a toy like that now?



These items all came from the two sales. A large beaded necklace for 25¢, celluloid rose pin 25¢ and a fantastic old ledger for 25¢. The center bead on that necklace mesures over 5" around. I think I would tip over if I wore it. But, I loved the red and the patina of it. The celloulid pin is pretty awesome too - no chips or knicks. And I love, love, love old ledgers with old handwriting in them. I opened it at the yard sale and noticed the date of 12/22/1897 and knew I would have to pick it up and read it. I love to see what people bought back in the day. And it is facsinating to see what things cost. I have an old general store ledger with prices of 5¢ for Hershey Bars. Anyway, I got this one home and it is in Russian or Polish or some language that I cannot make heads or tails of - doh! Oh well, it's still fun. When I was little I fantasized about travelling back in time and going to Olsen Mercantile to shop. Little House on the Prairie - anyone, anyone? Oh, those huge jars of candy looked so yummy. And Laura would give Mr. Olsen a penny and walk out with a brown paper sack full of candy! Apparently, I have been a bargain hunter since the beginning.



Cloe-up of the pins. The green flower is enamel. The rose pin is really nice - I will research it and list it on ebay this Fall.



One of my favorite finds today. A cherry pie with a crow on top - he's even holding a cherry in his mouth! The pie is about the size of a real piece of pie. Very primitive and very me. DS's Cherokee name is Crow, so I am always looking for crow items. He was my $2.00 splurge.

It's interesting that all my purchases today from two sales and a thrift seem to have the same color scheme of red and green. I love it when that happens!

I also picked up an old architectural piece for $1.00. It is the top of a rounded window frame or an archway or really, I don't know. It measures about 5 feet across. It is wooden and white. It doesn't have any fancy molding or anything - just the curve. It looks like a huge "C" on it's side. I think it will fit in the soffit above my bay window in the living room just to add character. I'm also looking for a way to display all my old kitchen utensils and this might be an answer with cup hooks or something. It's a work in progress.

Thee is a big house here in town that the previous owner's had all fancied up with Victorian elements. Too many of them actually, the house was covered in gingerbread and shutters and had an ornate peeing (eew) cherub fountain, iron archways, picket fences, etc. This was right in the middle of a new housing addition with very new and modern houses and, although it was a nice house, it just never fit in very well. We drove by the other day and the new owners had bulldozed all the picket fence, iron work, etc. into a big pile beside the garage. I'd love to have some of that stuff in my garden. So, we keep driving by hoping it is at curbside. I really just need to get my nerve up and knock on the door and ask for it, right? But, will I? Oh, probably not. It is a shame they bulldozed it rather than trying to sell it or Freecycle it or just deliver it straight to my house. ha

Happy hunting everyone!

Happy 5th of July

I'm a day late - but hope everyone had a Happy 4th. Sunday we went to a big parade and that night to the fireworks show here in my small town. It is actually a big presentation, but we don't advertise it to the surrounding towns so they don't come! That might sound tacky, but it keeps the crowds down and only to the people that live here. There was a big demonstration at the University Baseball Stadium last night. We stayed on our side of the Interstate and watched it. The Baseball Stadium is about ten minutes from my house, but last year we went to the Stadium to watch the fireworks and it took nearly an hour and a half just to drive home. If you could call it driving. More like coasting. So, we watched from afar and it was really almost as enjoyable as being really close. Someone was shooting off fireworks before the big event and they had these ones that shot big balls of pink light up into the sky and they just floated forever. I was convinced it was a UFO because it would suddenly just evaporate and then return. It was creepy, yet really cool too.

We came home and let DS set off the very minor things that Mom actually let him buy. I hate fireworks that you do yourself. Dangerous and a waste of money, in my opinion. But, kids think they are great. Luckily, he is a good kid and always minds us and respects us so he is happy with what he gets. One fountain was the most dangerous thing I allowed. I think Daddy thinks I am a wimp, but they scare me. My Mom got hit on the top of her foot with a metal tipped bottle rocket when I was a kid. It swelled up like a football. I think she still has a knot there. The doctors said it would have killed her if it would have hit above the legs anywhere. You should have heard me last night, "Hurry up, get them done, use them up." I suddenly sounded like a really cranky old woman. "Git 'er done!" so I can go IN!

I was so worried about him getting hurt or burned lighting those stupid things. But, he was unharmed. Except the cat got mad and gouged both is knees. And then at the big fireworks show he slipped off the curb and scabbed up both knees and one elbow. And then the chiggers started biting. He looks like a war victim or every other 11 year old boy in the summer.

Every year the newspaper goes out looking for that "one cute kid" for the front page of the newspaper on the 5th of July. One holding a sparkler or watching the parade or eating a chunk of watermelon. After my kiddo was born, I vowed that he would be "that kid" one day. I know I am partial and that he is half grown now, but he was one of the cutest kids ever. I swear! So, in 1999 when he was three, we went to the Rodeo of the Ozarks Parade. He was wearing a blue shirt, red shorts and a huge Uncle Sam hat. Oh, he was a cutie! Everyone was waving at him - the Mayor said, "I like that hat, young man!" and Michelle Duggar (of the 17 Kids Duggars) came over to see him and tell me how sweet he was. Then I spied the Newspaper photographer walking the street scanning the crowds. I held my breath as she neared me. She stopped! In front of us! Looking at him! (If you are not a Mother, you just will not be enjoying this story) She kneeled down and stated snapping away. Score! She came over for his name and age and told me it was her picture for the 4th - guaranteed to be in the paper. Well, in my excitement, I failed to ask which paper. It ended up being on the front page of the newspaper that is delivered to the entire state. Fame!



Seriously, is he cute or what?

Rain, Rain,Go AWAY

I hate the heat. Summer is not my friend. Give me air conditioning, dark rooms and a fan or two and I am a happy camper. (Not that I would go camping - but you get my drift.) But, this summer has been icky, wet, damp and down right yucky. It rains buckets several times a day even when the sun is trying to shine. Sometimes it gets hot afterwards, but for the most part, it has been geting cool in the evenings. That part I would enjoy, if it was dry enough to go outside.

This afternoon it rained. It poured. It rained cats and dogs. You couldn't see across the street. Cars could barely drive. It was terrible. I was lucky enough to be home and inside. (Well, lucky if laying on the couch clutching a coffee can with a nasty case of the stomach bug is lucky).

Once it stopped raining we went outside to have a look around at what is normally our front yard.
You're only a kid once, so we let DS have a swim in the ditch. Before long, the rest of the neighbor kids came out to play too.
There is rain in the forecast every day for the next week. Eh gads.

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Here are my most recent finds. I say my latest finds because they are just that - found items. In my own home. I am on a cleaning binge, gathering for a yard sale and donating the rest. But, every once in awhile amist the "pile" that is my ebay room - I find a treasure and it makes all the hard work totally worth it. So far I have found, two Matte White Pottery pieces for my collection, a fantatic old Santa, four old blown glass candles, a heavy old Stork planter, a sweet pink Dakin Mouse, a fun old stuffed poodle, a stuffed dog with a rubber face and a fastastic fabric covered dollhouse couch that I swear I have never laid eyes on before now. Gremlins? (Outrageous, yes, Mumsie?) I'm halfway throgh the pile so I'm sure I'll find more treasures down the line.

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Tuesday, July 3rd is my Mom and Step Dad's 15th Anniversary. It's funny that I've been married a year longer than my own Mother! Happy Anniversary!

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Just as news on my friends the Harp's continues to improve after their accident, I heard of a death of one of our best teachers. She was killed in a car wreck this weekend in nearly an identical sort of wreck as the Harp's accident. She was only 29 years old, and even sadder, she was 8 1/2 months pregnant with a baby girl. Her husband is in very critical condition as well. She was the Drama teacher at the high school and everyone knew her. Her husband is the Band Director at the next small town over. only mention this as I think that as each one of you read it, it sends a thought to the family. In the six years we've been in this school system, we have lost three students and now a teacher. It is all so very sad.