99% of the time, only antiques are allowed on my property. today, a brand spanking new object was purchased, brought home and has me totally in love/lust. mind you, it took a long time to close the deal. way too many to choose from. i want this puppy to last till i am carried feet first thru my front door - she cost a pretty penny. but when you consider how she makes me smile, looks so damn good, and functions to perfection, well, a pretty penny is relative.

thanks to the benefit of 2 good friends, she was tweaked and tested to perfection.

her dollar amount was in tow with another never noticed but not less wanted/needed device - putting the total credit charge in the "YIKES!" category. he is nothing to look at, trust me. will never register on the attractive meter. but his predecessor died months ago and i have drooled for a replacement. he is kinda like toilet paper - nothing to get excited about but, by god, when it's gone, you know it!!

what do you think they are? pictures tomorrow . . . .

the good, the bad, and the ugly

most of you are familiar with this term.

- the good: spent the last 3 days - tomorrow will be 4 - revamping, regrouping, and reconstructing my spots at country roads. okay, the reconstructing part was bryce. matt and bryce were a major part of redo. (i am still kinda gimpy.)

- the bad: just the second part of the phrase. nothing bad at all.

- ah, the ugly: need to vent. most dealers spend huge amounts of time planning, primping, preening, plumping, and placing goods just so. we fret over decorating and display. we do all this for you - the customer. hours, sometimes days, are invested in an effort to bring you the best shopping experience possible. smelling, touching, unfolding and examining our goods is what we want you to do. but, please, consider the next customer. everyone should get the same experience as the first one on the scene. don't shake out all the linen and throw it on the floor. return an item to it's original spot instead of the furthest corner of the booth or worst yet, another dealer's area. why must lamps be taken apart? why are items drug out and then left blocking access? why should all the customers that follow you wonder what the hell the dealer had in mind with his/her booth in such a shambles?? we have all visited antique stores where our skin crawls and hand washing is a must. we have all been turned off by the topsy-turvy, helter-skelter, mish-mash stash of stuff. we must all lend a hand to make our favorite antique stores stay a cut above.

"that's all folks!"

this week - starting monday - i am planning to do some moving and revamping at country roads all week. at least, that is the plan, barring any unforseen events.

so, if you've had your eye on something and want to deal, pop in and visit. i am always in the mood to dicker when it's hot and the spots need to be redone. you may just acquire that treasure you've been drooling over!

lots of stuff to talk about and, then again, nothing at all.

not much in the way of hunting for treasures.

mom is again on the roller coaster of health. this takes takes over my mind and energy. it creates a lot of thought on the old-age issue. do we want to live past 80? 90? for me, the jury is not only "out" but i believe on vacation.

as with most things, life/living should be quality versus quantity. recently i've run up on this situation a lot more than i'd like to. a few friends are caught up on this merry-go-round of indecision, guilt and hope - their folks being "at that point in their life" . when we hope the sick/old will continue to live, is it for us? or them? i think - us. they will be at peace. this may sound cold but it's not.

had an acquiantance tell me that her husband died in surgery. it provided her with a certain kind of peace. he had had plans when recovery was complete - plans to celebrate the second chance he was being given. he left this earth never suffering and with plans of future fun. we and our loved ones should be so lucky.

tomorrow, i shall visit mom.

friday, if all goes okay tomorrow, i will be junking.

so for tonight and every night, let's all go to bed with plans, hope and dreams . . . .

happy 4th to all!!

i choose to celebrate quietly - "freedom of choice". things are quiet except for the washer and dryer spinning and humming away. boring, you say??? yes, it is but so soul soothing. believe me, i've had my share of partying, noise-making and feasting. tonight i may entertain a glass or two of wine while viewing the fireworks from the opposite corner - very close to the display site.

having lived 1/2 of my life where fireworks were almost mandatory for every household, displays here are pseudo at best. new years' eve always topped july 4th by tons. living on a hill back home, the city would be seen totally covered with smoke by midnight (no smog existed in this paradise) due to all the powder previous ignited. and, as always, it would rain after midnight clearing it all out. not being very religious, i still believed whatever the supreme being was, he did not want this stuff lingering around his paradise.

just reminiscing - that's one of the perks of boring time - reflection. . .

been a week - once again - haven't touched bases with all of you - haven't had much positive info to share. now what was that our mothers always told us . . . .

a long frustrating week but i won't elaborate - much.

remember book reports and how we had to do them up in an "outline" format? ta-da!!

- our justice system sucks big time. it's no wonder that the country is imploding. if breaking a serious law over and over again incurs no substantial punishment, why would any self-respecting criminal go straight? unfortunately this situation - this time - is wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-y too close for comfort.

- still hassling with the foot issue - dragging around that monstrous, ugly, velcro laden brace really wears my butt out. if only it would cause weight loss. . . . doc visit tomorrow - let's keep a good thought.

- termites are devouring the posts and header on my back porch - bless their hungry little hearts. guess that one pregnant female roaming the neighborhood landed at my house.

- moving a bunch of stuff outside yesterday stirred up a nasty wasp. dropped the bed, hosed down the vine with wasp poision and fled the scene. here i sit with a hot, swollen, and still swelling arm tonite. and that was after i killed 2 black widows!! unlike honey bees, she's still alive circling for her next victim. the B!!

- brain fart last week resulted in not ordering celebrex in time. tomorrow it should arrive. almost a week without the wonder drug and hurting like hell. in this case, swelling and stiffness is not a good combination.

- got balled out by the mechanic for only having a quart of oil crusing thru the engine of my truck. after realizing the potential damage it could have done, i paid the bill, toweled off my forehead and slithered out of the shop. patting the dashboard all the way home, i whispered "good truck, mommy's sorry".

there was more. i know there was. but let's just say that memory has flown the coop at the moment. maybe that's the reason why when humans get old memory fades. it makes life easier to deal with . . .

dropped off a few new (old) things at country roads on tuesday. once again, my camera stayed lodged in my pocket. "memory of a snail" - that's me!! was so involved in getting the goods in and cleaning up, that i forgot.

bryce was a gigantic help - an angel, actually - since i should not be lifting heavy stuff till after i visit the doc july 1st.

new items are:

- - the funkiest, coolest, chippy, peely, red-over-blue-over-a-different-blue, vintage (60's -70's) patio coffee table w/black iron legs and 2 benches to match. wood plank construction. all sold seperately just in case you don't have room for it all. add some pink flamingos, a vintage hibachi (barbecue), a bottle of thunderbird (remember that!) and it's party time!!!!!!!!!!

- - along a more traditional line - a square nail construction, very old cupboard. she boasts original country blue paint aged to perfection. the fact that it has "alligator-ed" adds immensly to her charm. top double doors with original old metal screen, single large middle drawer, and pair of solid bottom doors completes her gasp-for-air quality.

- - an old shop cupboard who wants to move indoors. bluish-grey, hint of black, well-worn paint on this thick board primitive makes it fabulous! 2 large doors and a shelf designed to hold screwdrivers handle up. he'd be happiest hung on a wall. possibly would agree to being table-top. but, if forced, would easily settle for the floor. large enough yet small enough to go almost anywhere.

- - a chair. a bucket-seat style in heavy mesh wire. iron legs, arms, and delicate frame. all done up in old torquoise paint. he'd fit into the industrial look perfectly for a vanity, desk, kitchen, or porch perching. you have got to check him out.

- - crane your neck and look up to find mounted on top my side wall, a wonderful old bannister. chippy marroon paint over a greenish (?) chippy paint - exceptionally aged. thin, turned spindles and large solid post. divide a room, create a dramantic entrance, or just decorate a large white wall with it. simple yet divine.

did sprinkle a few smaller items about. even my cases hold a new treasure or two you may want to rush in to see: vintage carnival knockdowns, vintage french glass bead flowers, and . . . .