Dogwood Festival Fun

 Once a year, the most fabulous thing happens in the life of a Picker near Orleans Indiana.
All the goodyness of everyone's discards get brought out into public view for people like me to pant and sweat and froth over all the opportunities to be had.


This year, Hubby and I prepared for the event.  Hubby came home from work last night and bid goodnight before I did.  Some nights I am gone to the world before he makes it home.  Last night, he properly installed himself into the sheets, kissing me goodnight while I still had my nose in my book.
I say to him, 'Well.  This is different.  You falling asleep before me?'  He responds, 'Garage Sales tomorrow.  Gotta get at em early.  Got to get to sleep earlier.'  
I just cracked up, patted his sweet little head and said, 'Way to get at it, bud!', and returned to my book.
But not for long.  His good sense made good sense and my bed side lamp was turned off shortly after.

 So it was with great enthusiasm and united front that we approached the small town of Orleans Indiana and sought out the bargains of the year.  Our Rickety Pickety Up Truck was put into sort of good stead to load it up properly and thoroughly.  
And we did...

 Some of our goodies:  

• Fossil watch and three bands for it
• Mission type side table
• Big commercial initials from an old sign
• Brand new Vera Bradley pencils and notebook (still in wrappers)
• Vintage wicker fern stand (A piece of wicker is a requirement to make it a successful picking day)
• Shawnee Pottery, large vase, no chips
• a bag full of vintage notions and fabric
• an amazing quilt; 30.00
• a purple 27 drawer notion holder; Yes.
• a fabu lined water repellent jacket; Dog Walking Special.
• A vintage wool/cashmere great coat for Hubby
• 7, yes S-E-V-E-N sets of vintage Star War Lego sets for Younger Son for his library Lego sessions with the little ones
• well framed Reservoir Dogs movie poster for YS
• and bunches of little things that my giddy brain is forgetting now....

 A trip at Lord and Taylor could not have filled me with more joy....


Ah, simple things...

Spoofin' Supreme

 The planets lined up.
The weather was perfect.  I  mean perfect.
The dog was kenneled.
Our bags were packed.
Our car, Sharky, was scheduled for it's routine maintenance for a proper spoof.
We departed in a timely fashion for an amazing weekend, full of family, festivities and LOTS of wonderful deals.

 The weather decided to turn to that coolish daytime/cold night time of loveliness following a most beastly hot summer.
Sharky has proper climate adjustments so we just adjusted accordingly and comfied in for the long trip to our original hometown.


I believe the Yard Sale gods smiled hardily upon these Autumnal Travelers and there was a proper amount of sales on the winding state routes between here and there.


Sharky has a big trunk for the finds.  By the time we meandered home days later, Sharky was full up, nearly bursting with our wonder treasures.

 It is a good thing to pack a good project for busy hands to content themselves while the miles pass.  We like to bring along a particularly interesting audio book to fill in between conversations.  It aids the quilting process.

 Hubby loves the sales more than he would like to admit.  He seeks them along the road as I quilt/crochet/knit/embroider, points out details that I miss, pulls out his wallet and then carries the twelve point buck to the car.  What a guy.

 Our sojourn took a stop at the wonderful digs of Oldest Sister's lovely new home.  She parted with her comfy bed for two nights.  She also  managed to organize a huge subdivision wide sale for us.  While we waited for her to arrive from a visit to her nearby VA hospital with her Lovely Hubby, my Hubby and I scoured the sales for some nice, upscale clothing for the grandgirls.  She did take credit for the sale, but I believe it was truly the Yard Sale gods again.....

 Could you imagine a better, more gorgeous day for an outdoor wedding than what Springfield Illinois experienced last Saturday?  Sapphire deep blue skies, breezes that only early fall can provide and sunshine aplenty just for the sheer joy of it.  Sitting with Hubby's multitudinous siblings, I was reminded again that to be a part of a large family, (Hubby is 5 of 10) is indeed a glorious thing.  Knowing all the history that has passed in all our lives, we still manage to come together like it was yesterday. Comforting.

 When we do gather for Hometown Occasions, we make it our habit to go to the cemetery to visit Mom and Dad.  We stand around and chat, much like we did when we visited their home. Then, Dad would be quietly playing solitaire at the dining room table, smiling over the din, while Mom desperately tried to get a word in edgewise, while the chaos of our offspring bounded throughout their well worn home.


 We stood nearby their headstones and cracked jokes about our current conditions and some historical anecdotes about each of the parental units, now in their eternal reward. Strangely fun.

 Between the raucous 'younger' music and our Family dance to 'We are Family' and 'Celebration', including the sister in the walker, we managed to talk each other's ears off.  Lots of stories and plans were made in those fun moments at the reception.

 It's never an official trip 'home' until we've done the tour of our homes:  The one Hubby was raised in and the ones we occupied as newly weds.  Always, we go by Gabatoni's, the pizza place that Hubby worked at when we started dating and then when we first  married.  Hubby still makes the glorious Italian Beefs that he cooked at that small Italian restaurant back in the day.  The pizzas there are the best and the one that we measure all other pizzas by.  Nearly 40 years later, the pizza we shared this lovely fall night, was the same as the pie that we would order, many years ago, at the walk up window and carry home to his parents house nearby and eat on the porch swing.    We were so full of memories that night we nearly choked on the emotion.

 Sunday wanted to show off to Saturday.  If the weather hadn't made the day, Big Sis wakes us up for the most amazing breakfast. Ever.  We drifted out to Niece Lisa's home.  Hubby caught a fish and soaked up  atmosphere .  Just spending time with Lovely BIL on the deck was treat enough.  The rest was icing.

When all the goodbyes were said and hugs and promises were made for future visits, we climbed in to a very full Sharky and headed southeasterly toward home.  We continued on with our book and my quilting until the crescent moon rose in the sky and our tummies reminded us to eat.

 

Stopping at the Blue Door in Greencastle to refuel for the evening, we sighed and reflected and reminisced.



 And we thanked God for the Spoofin Extraordinaire Weekend that had just taken place.


Amen.

Day Five of Bag Giveaway and What the Heck Happened to Day Four??

Remember, Hubby has been off for the week.
And a Week of Spoofin is a whole lot more busy than a Day of Spoofin.
So where is Day Four?
In the annals of our memories.
There were walks with my Sewing Room Assistant and our photographer.....

There was a wonderful visit with this little fuzzy guy and his people,
aka My Eldest Sister and Her Wonderful Husband. They live another state over so it's a bit of a hike, but the time that we spent there was oh so worth the trek. We had a lovely, lovely visit. Snippets of their neighbors, aka my niece and several of her four sons with a brief drop in by the nephew in law.
Could it be that the sweet little niece that came to our family when I was 16, is now 40 and starting to empty her very full nest? Wow.

And then there was the mundane.
Leaves to contend with, both on the ground and in the brand new gutters.
I took this photo of Hubby on the cliff of our roof to enrage our children further about his antics when there is no witnesses or protectors hanging around.
I'm sewing and he quietly, like he does this every day, exits the window and proceeds to use his broken Gutter Getter to roust out the infernal products of our abundant tulip tree.
Evidence, kids....Your Papa is still stubborn as ever.....

Then there was babysitting.
Just a brief spot with the 2G's so their mama could make a doctor visit.
Grant and Mr. Pat read many books and Miss Grace, the brand new walker, listens in. We thought we should all go to McD's when mama got home.
Just more fun. The 2G's mama spelled out F-o-l-l-o-w t-h-a-t b-i-r-d, a secret Christmas gift, to wit, Grant replied with gusto, 'Follow That Bird'! The Big Bird Movie...!!!" Not quite three.....

Ta Da!!!
Almost completed and really fun, The Giveaway Bag!!!!!
Again, I thank you and all your kind comments....
This has been such fun for me; already planning the next Fun Thing of Interest on My Blog....
Tell me what you think of the First Ever Giveaway Bag...
and maybe ideas for the next event?!
Enjoy your weekend!

Spoofin' or Ways to Make a Doctor Appointment Fun

Okay. So you have to go to a doctor appointment to meet a new doctor that you'll be going to in Indy....
All is not lost!
When you live in a small town, you make the most of every Big City opportunity...
Here are a few things Hubby and I did after my early, early appointment.....


Fabric Shopping!! Found a wonderful fabric/upholstery shop in Danville Indiana called Rader's Fabrics....TONS of fabrics and a grand end of bolt bin....Many yards of purse-bound fabrics

All that fabric shopping and doctor visiting can wear a person out! You need sustenance, by golly! Why not go to the Mayberry Cafe where there is everything Sheriff Andy Taylor and his buds? Why, you can even buy Mayberry0poly and watch non stop Mayberry episodes! Too funny! We indulged in the Aunt Bee Meatloaf special and who could pass up the hot blackberry cobbler with real ice cream (NOT frozen yogurt!) Diet another day!

Did we not laugh like crazy when we saw Mayberry's finest parked along side the cafe??

On we went to other more mundane destinations only to finish up a day of spoofin to the 2G's and their parental units to a lovely supper of Shrimp Caribbean with a side corn salad that was pretty amazing....We were fed very well, thank you, from Aunt Bea to our favorite little family.....

Spoofin Days.....