I Just Can't Stop Stopping

What is it about garage sales, yard sales, estate sales and thrift shops that just call my name.  I just can't stop stopping.  I can't just drive by.  Often it seems they are calling out to me as I am minding my own business or just driving by.  I might see a brightly colored poster Then there is also the days I plan my strategy.  I look at the paper and the internet the day and night before looking for the sales that list items that may interest me.  Then I look up the addresses and map out a driving plan.  Come the next morning I get up, get dressed, brush my teeth and hit the road.  This morning I found a few treasures and some things I might just stick in the "resale later" box.  At one stop the folks were just wanting to give stuff away so they gave me a Polaroid 120 Instamatic, some great old hand hedge clippers that WORK, a very old donut cutter with 3 egg poaching cups, and an old wooden silverware box.  Another place I found a turquoise boot bracelet (AKA choker) for $.25,  a cute red clock for my patio for $.75, and a great very old yellow gardening tool for $1.  Still moving on a found three medium size conch shells, one for $2 and two for $.25 and two smaller shells for $.50 each. The very old clock with the alarm clock bells on top for $.50 was one of my favorite finds.  So while there was nothing fabulous, the old garden tools, the shells and the small brass clock were my treasures for the day.  I've already used the garden tools in working in the yard this afternoon and placed the shells in their new places.  The brass clock is cleaned up and sitting on the bookshelf and the red one is happily ticking away on the patio.  So to you...Happy hunting.

Luke 12:27

New International Version (NIV)

   ²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Encourage One Another

Ranch Book Was A Hit

In the last few months I have been taking photos of the cowboys working the cattle at the ranch.  After a great week down there I decided to do a Shutterfly Book to send to him in appreciation.  Shutterfly tends to 'beat" me on most occasions and I spend hours literally trying to come up with something and then for some reason it doesn't turn out right...ugh.  Same thing happened this time.  I let them do some of the photo placing and I moved some around, added the little adds and the verbage and when I was finished HOURS later it said I needed to edit as there were problems on about 45 of my 50 pages.  Forget it.  I started over.  I let them put in the photos, added a little bit, did a shorter book and called it good.  I did get to pick the colors of the pages and a few simple things but truthfully, the first book was so much cuter!  However, in the end, when the book arrived, it looked pretty good.  There was one misspelling on my part, ugh.  I put "shoot" instead of "chute".  I'm sure if he shows it to anyone they'll probably catch it but maybe we can give a price if you "catch" the mistake.
When it arrived in the mail to him he was thrilled.  He called immediately and thanked me and said he loved it; said he cried a little; said the pictures were great and that there were some good ones of him; said he looked like his dad (which he did).  There was some sadness in that his dad is not here to see all the fabulous stuff going on with their family's heritage.  Anyway, the book was a success after the hours of time spent in working on it...that was all I was after.
Here are a few of the photos.

Steady as she goes.

Wearin' a Dickie for cattle work

Chute work

Oil tanks in the background

Working with the dogs

The cowboys

The photographer

Headed to the house  

Crossing the creek

Birds ear view

The boss smiling at good cowboys and good cattle

The crew

Branding 

Seven (JRT brand) and two (year 2012 brand)

The End of a good day!

Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Encourage One Another!