with liberty & justice for all

boom!

Mom lived in the perfect place for July 4th...right across

from Winnequah Park in Monona.  When I was younger,

we could line up our lawn chairs right across the front yard

to watch.  The day would start with baseball games at the 

two diamonds...then Healy Lane & all the Trails would begin

to fill through the afternoon.  The small carnival, craft fair & 

beer tent were like beacons ~~ drawing in the people.  Each

laid claim to their piece of the park with a blanket.  By night

it was like a swarm, and we spent as much time, maybe even

more, enjoying the people watching.  And then with several

booms, the night filled with the lights of freedom, independence,

and pride.  My mom would announce, "I like that one!" or "That

was a good one!"...and we would hoot & applaud in symphony.

I was always befuddled by the number of cars that would leave

during the show...as if beating the crowd out was the grand prize.

For the Wind girls, that was the time when we brought out the sparklers, 

and with reverence & some fear, I would run the yard with spitting

fire in my very hand.  

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July!

little flag boy

                   adore this vintage picture....

             little guy on a crate in front of a flag!

             

                      Happy July!

Ojibwa, Sawyer, Chippewa

I couldn't be happier then sitting on the floor of a hayloft in a 100 year old barn with 7 kittens playing about me. This is indeed my kind of heaven on earth.

We have named the 3 buff kittens Ojibwa, the 3 sable kittens Sawyer and the one gray kitten Chippewa. This makes it easy for now. They will be 6 weeks soon, and have learned to trust me just as their mom, Hope, does.

They play easily...a piece of straw is toy enough.

Their independence & co-dependence feels extra right today....Happy July 4th!

Just as free, free as we'll ever be...

It poured -- skies just opened, and it poured.

Still, we grabbed our folding chairs, rain gear...

Ian drove up from Madison,

and we arrived at CountryJam just as they took the stage.

Early -- things were moved around, acts were cancelled or changed.

And then the blue skies returned and for three hours they sang to us...
three hours!

People danced, sang back and were happy.

And, to hear thousands sing the chorus..."free as we'll ever be" with the

Zac Brown Band

magic, pure magic...

Every now & again you capture that moment,

tuck it way way back knowing it is special & will

be cherished.

Standing there, last night with Dave & Ian and thousands

of other folks that had arrived in Eau Claire-

Didn't matter our ethnicity, socioeconomic status, political views...

under that one sky, with mud on our feet

we were all happy -- just happy.

And we sang...

This is how it rolls in the country -- in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
 on a wet, stormy Saturday night.

It's a party for our gal!

She's the emblem of

the land I love...

the home of the free & the brave!

Happy Birthday America!

wishing you all a great weekend...

I will be doing a little antiquing,

visiting with my nephew from California,

& at some point...getting all misty eyed about this country,

her birthday & how great she indeed is.

So whether you will parade, camp, sit in a lawn chair, watch fireworks,

or simply & perfectly reflect...

enjoy!

Ode to Americana...

One of the many benefits of a Barn Sale or Antique Booth is that you have a chance to "clean house" every now & again.  As I love to gather & also have a bit of "need to change - bored with that complex" --- I sometimes will move it out, move it on.  Thus was the case with my 4th of July collection.  Pulled up the rubbermade for my May Sale -- and out it went.  So here's the thing --- it no sooner went on the sale block, when I began to rebuild it.  Now my Americana is found on my porch -- from Memorial Day to July 4th.

• Found this sweet as a peanut quilt -- faded just so -- $22.50. 
• Found this adorable little red shelf -- will be great for Christmas & Valentine's Day too -- $18.00.
• Added a vintage child's jump rope, several sweet finds -- and there you have it.

My newest vintage "Ode to Americana"
What have you found lately?
Do you ever get bored with your collections -- if so, what do you do?