The falling leaves.......

I love my trees but they sure make the lawn guys job a lot harder.....

 

It's been a beautiful fall.  According to the weather people, this weekend we're to have a killing frost so goodbye to the garden. 

Last weekend Judy and I made the trip to Dry Creek Cabins in Dixon, MO, for their annual Fall Antique Sale and open house.  I love this place.  It's just hard to explain the feeling I get when we pull into the driveway.

They always offer their guests coffee and have something cooking in a big black cast iron pot on an open fire......so inviting!

Loved the sheep......

There were wonderful artisans there selling their wares and lots of wonderful antiques....

 

It was just a wonderful way to spend a beautiful fall day.....

 

 

 

Looks to be a perfect weekend for building a big ole fire in the fireplace and finish some of those projects I have started for Leola's Holiday Open House that starts next Thursday.  

 



Happy Valentine's Day.....

 

 

 The grandgirls' valentine's day hair-do.  The girls and Sage will be with me tonight so mom and dad can have a date night.  They've requested steak and baked potatoes for dinner......sounds great to me!

It's been a busy week.  We've had all kinds of weather to put up with again but the snow is melting and it's slowly warming.  Hopefully, we'll have a good weekend.

I've noticed this winter that I haven't had many birds at my feeders and knew there had to be a problem.  After visiting a local store that actually had people who could tell you what to try, I have birds again.  I didn't know how quickly birdseed gets old.....

I love my birds.....

It was so nice to get out in the sunshine yesterday and go antique hunting with Judy, Mary and Linda.  We were lucky to find some treasures and came home with a truckload.  Seems I never buy anything to just put in the shop....I always have a little something I want to do to it.  Hoping for a few warm days to work outside (maybe in the 60's by Sunday).

Wishing all of you a wonderful Valentine's Day and a beautiful weekend!

An inside day....

It's another cold ole day in our part of the world.  Just checked the thermostat and it's 11 degrees....yikes!  So think I'll just put another log on the fire and stay in.

Think I'll bake a batch of my new favorite cookie.  They're light and crispy and very good with hot chocolate or a cup of tea about 3:00 in the afternoon.....

Also will make bread which I love doing.  I never buy bread anymore and it's made a difference in the way I feel.  Have you ever looked at the ingredients in a loaf of bread.....scary!  It's no wonder it lasts so long in the bread box.

Judy and I went to St. Louis this weekend and did a little shopping a long the way.  Found a few things to brighten up my space at Leola's.  We always have such a good time in St. Louis.  So much to do and so little time.  Shad and Rob (Judy's son & his partner) are the best guides.  Basically, we ride and they drive and they know the best places to eat and antique.

A few of my treasures.....

Linda works at Leola's tomorrow so think I'll go re-do my area.  I've had a fireplace mantle on the wall for so long and it hasn't sold even after marking it down.  Think I'll bring it home and replace it with a table I recently purchased.  One of these days I'm going to have another garage sale and clear some things out but probably won't be for awhile.  We have more frigid weather on its way next week.

Have a great weekend!

 Judy and I took off on Saturday morning heading to an auction in Stotts City, Missouri, a tiny town not far from Springfield.  It's the home of Stearnsie Bears and it was this family that was cleaning out their parents houses, barns and storage buildings.  I think they own most of the buildings in town.  Were we ever in for a thrill!

This was one of the buildings that was piled with the most incredible things.

I've never been to a sale like this one.  It had started the night before with items that were offered on-line.  It was in the 90's all day and we almost didn't make it through the heat.  Think we're tougher then we think we are.

This was our main reason for going there on Sat......Judy's husband wanted this post office piece.  He even let us take his brand new pick-up.  By the way, the piece went for more then he was willing to pay.  It was beautiful.

 This little bent willow chair came home with me.

 ....and some of the crocks.

Also brought home a bunch of green mason jars.  The really old big ones.....some have bales and some with zinc lids.

 We couldn't believe all the Christmas.  Judy brought these old bottle-brush trees home.

We both have several boxes of vintage ornaments.

 Judy got the lighted Santa in original box.

 I love really early baskets and managed to bring a few home.  There were two others who seemed to love early primitives.  These were so good that I knew that if I paid too much to resale that they could live happily at my house.

 Here was the back of the truck plus the extended cab was piled to the top with quilts, crocks, a mannequin, suitcases and all kinds of treasures.  I was so thrilled to actually get some furniture.  It gets harder and harder for dealers to buy furniture at auctions.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday, even with the heat.  It's so fun getting a head start on fall & holiday goods for Leola's.

Guess I'll spend today washing old jars and oiling lots of old wood spoons and rolling pins (some of my favorite things to do).  Just love to see what happens when you put that oil on a dry piece of wood (I'm such a simple person).

Hope you all have a great Sunday!

A quiet evening....

Sometimes when I sit on the porch on a Friday or Saturday evening and it's so quiet, I think everyone is doing something exciting but me.  Not tonight.  The sun has gone behind the clouds and there's a nice breeze blowing and I'm so grateful to be able to sit on the back porch for awhile after the hot days and nights.  All's right with the world!

This isn't my porch but it makes me want to get mine looking like this.....

Worked at Leola's today after hitting an estate sale.  Found some wonderful primitives and thought it would be a good day to take them in.  I also ordered battery candles and this time, I only bought timer candles.  I love these so much.  They come on the same time every afternoon and stay on for 8 hours then are off until the next day same time.  I never have to touch them .  The ones in my g'kids rooms come on at 8:00 every night and they never know when they go off.  It will be so nice this fall & winter to have them in my windows and not have to turn them off and on.  If you've not tried them,  you should.....they're amazing!

These are some of the things I found at the estate sale.  The scale says "war postage scale, 1917.  The wood bowl is a really early one and the wood piece inside the bowl is a nutcracker.  Also found a cutting board that is perfect with the old bread knife I found last weekend.  Another old brush and a great white ironstone bowl that has a little nick out of the side of the rim.....it's wonderful.  I've probably told you that I'm in love with the old metal, rusty milk strainers.  Well found another one & loaded it with my dried hydrangeas.  They're all at Leola's and the bunches of hydrangeas are $8.00 each.

 I bought peaches at the farmer's market so think I'll water everything and then fix some fresh peaches and vanilla bean ice cream for desert.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Stay cool!

It's getting there......

I know, I have been MIA.  Besides having a sinus/cold thingy (technical term), I've worked like crazy trying to get the weeds from the garden before they become large, out of control weeds.  I sold my tiller because it was too hard to manage so it's having to be done my hand.  There seem to be a lot of gardeners who think the no-till method of gardening is the best.  You don't stir up all those weed seeds buried deep in your dirt.  Anyway, it's just waiting now.....

I have a few onions that have come back from last fall and that green in the back is mint that I use in my tea and mojitoes.  We're having a cool couple of days and then it's warming again (hopefully, for good).

I love arugula and especially love how easy it is to grow.  It just keeps coming back.  These are plants left from last year.

The chives and lavender plants are looking so good.  Thinkin' I might make a baked potato for dinner and sprinkle with these tender, mild chives.

Yesterday I cleaned out the hostas and after raining last night, I swear they grew 2".

 

 

So proud of my tomato starts.  They finally have 4 leaves (on some).  They just take a long time to grow but they're looking strong.

 



If you look close, you're see the shiny little basil leaves coming on.

Finally had an auction to attend on Saturday.  It's been a long spell since I've found an auction to attend.  It's really hard to find early primitives in this part of the country but look what I found......

These are wonderful, early prim baskets.  Don't know if I can bare to sell them.

Great old crock with bale and lid.....

I have 3 of the early herb shelves but this is the largest one so far.  She's a beauty!

Also found some great old ticking feather pillows and an ironstone slop jar.  I think that's what it is but it doesn't have a bale so not certain.  Anyway, it would be wonderful for lots of uses.  I'll wash it well before I take it to Leola's.

Hope everyone has a good Wednesday.  Take care and pray for spring.