Life is good

On Thursday, my Emma arrived. She was here to help with overgrown gardens and to fill my heart with wedding chatter. We survived a lightning strike to the farm on Friday night that was only mitigated because our strong farmhouse & breaker box took the brunt of the hit, protecting us all. On Saturday, my Ian arrived...tired from good work at his new job in Milwaukee, thankful that I94 was all it took to bring him home. On Sunday, we walked The Condensery, taking in all the checklists that would need to be completed...yet relishing the thought of this lovely wedding & reception that was awaiting us in October. Sunday, my Dave and I attended a bridal shower at a neighbor's dairy farm, enjoying the kindness of folks just down the road and the excitement of their approaching event. And now I lay with my Lucy cat on my shoulder, taking a moment to catch up on my friend's weekends as I "like" my way thru FaceBook, often smiling. Life is good!

life is just a bowl of Daisy

that guy, right there...

That is my pride & joy, my Ian!

I am certain you know that feeling too.

Knowing that you are part of creating something so good.

He took FMLA to fly home from Washington and be 

with me for over two weeks.  He helped me 

with my health needs, brought such joy to my days and helped 

Dave with farm projects.

When he told me he was coming home, as a mom, I said, "no".

He sent me a copy of his plane ticket.

That guy, right there...love of my life!

taking a stand...

💙

got this thing for chickens

If you were to count your way through our house,

I am quite certain you would find several flocks of chickens.

They work hard to keep rugs from slipping, doors ajar,

and "cute up" little spots here & there.

However, outside, the closest you will come to a chicken is 

the rooster who crows to the dawn at our neighbor's farm.

Got this thing for inside chickens, I guess.

🐔

birthday month

June has always been the birthday month for me.

I have many family members & friends that celebrate a birthday in June.

My birthday & Dave's birthday are in June.

Years ago, before we had the ease of Facebook reminding us of birthdays,

I kept a very organized monthly card keeper.  I kept Hallmark financially 

stable during those years, and June was always my big investment month!

So if you have a birthday in June, you are in pretty good company!

It is the birthday month for me.

❤️

Daisy, Daisy

Give me your answer, do.

I'm half crazy, all for the love of you...

💙Our sweet Daisy Grace💙

💚

Charlie

That's Charlie...the brown & white goat with my friend

Jani & me.  As you can see, he is very social.

❤️

Tonight was a very sad night as Charlie had taken 

a serious fall on legs already riddled with severe

arthritis.  A 10 p.m. call to a farm vet is never what

one wants to do....but a beloved animal suffering

is also not responsible.

Dave is especially missing this sweet goat boy, as 

he had been working hard to take care of him...

even providing baby aspirin to help.

May his sweet memory be for a blessing.

Good bye sweet boy.

Well, that was fun!

When I first took the plunge into buying & selling 

antiques & vintage finds, we were living in 

Sun Prairie.  I sold in Madison, Columbus and Waterloo.

I learned quickly to include the Hixton

Schoolhouse Antique Mall on my buying route.

When we moved to our farm in 2007, I was 

tickled that we lived just 20 minutes from this 

favorite mall.  It was a place that you could

just get lost in, not fancy, just fun.

And I did just that, browsing the aisles 

frequently enough for THEM to inquire

if I might like to rent a booth.

And I did!

My first booth soon became my very

own little room.

And, boy did I have fun with that!

But, the years have changed the market a bit.

More folks interested in repro, more folks

looking to haggle lower than most 

dealers can justify.  And you still

have to bring in stock, and keep the

interest going thru display, social media,

etc.  Dave & I began to question over 

the past few years if it wasn't perhaps

our time to exit this business.

Now...for every negative I may have felt in

the past few years, there have also been an

UNBALANCED 100 times the goodness:

*Wonderful customers that I have gotten to know.

*Kind, kind people who share their love for vintage.

*People who have lifted me thru health struggles.

*And, of course the hunt for that next find!

But, my current health has ultimately 

provided the tipping point....because a 

booth is not going to just run itself!😬

Today, my little booth at Hixton will be unloaded, 

and remaining stock will travel to an antique

store that is creative and lovely and full of all

that is needed to inspire.  And I like that!

But...

I recognize that I may not have known you if not for 

my booth at Hixton, my Barn Sales, 

or maybe even this 

little old blog (which will still be around).

And, it has been fun!

💙

A new year, a new door

Many of you know that I have been immersed in health issues.

I typically am just an "annual doctor appointment" kind of gal...

but when I do get sick - boom, I go big!

Starting in November, two health tracks emerged.

One was work related, hurting my lower back while providing

books & more books at 12 events I hosted across the Chippewa Valley

at libraries and 4K classrooms during November.

For anyone experiencing back pain, it is quite debilitating.

My second track began as a persistent cough this past fall, ultimately 

diagnosed as a very large mass in my left lung.

After weeks of scanning, poking, and trying to finalize a plan of action,

my lung collapsed, sending me on a wild ambulance ride through

a Wisconsin snowstorm. The plan had been to have medflight with a 

Thoracic Surgeon on board meet the ambulance along I94 for an 

Emergency procedure. I was fortunate that the Emergency Room

at Mayo in Osseo were able to stabilize me enough to transport me

all the way to the Emergency Room in Eau Claire without the 

drama of a medflight rendezvous.  

I ended up in the hospital for 11 days, and was deemed

strong enough for lung surgery while there. I arrived home 

on Christmas Eve.

I will meet with my Oncologist & Spine Specialist to set a continued

plan for recovery later this week.  Of course, this wasn't my plan

for 2020...but I will walk thru this door with courage.

Over these recent weeks & days, I have felt the lift of

kindness, care, and such goodness...it sometimes feels

overwhelming.  From my son hopping a plane to fly home from 

Seattle as soon as he found out I was heading to Eau Claire in an ambulance,

to Dave...taking care of this entire farm & me without complaint,

to my big sis, Randi, literally lifting stress off of my shoulders

with her generosity, to countless family, friends & neighbors

stepping forward...the kindness has moved me.

We do not know our path. But, with love & support, we can walk

through any door. 

P.S. I have not been to the barn or pasture to greet my goats 

& barncats in almost a month. That is one of my next goals.

Missing that old barn door.

💙