Wednesday, March 31, 2010

three days to go

The antique shows that we travel to are all about two things - fun junque and great food. Finding new places to eat is always a treat. We had to stop at a local gas station the first morning and I noticed a small "bakery" sign on the side of the building. I made a beeline for the store and found the most delightful german/texan bakery inside of this tiny gas station. YUM. Hot out of the oven were dozens of flavors of these yummy pastries called kolaches, cinnamon rolls the size of Texas, and shelf after shelf of pig in the blankets. Forget loosing weight, load me up with warm breads!

Between eating, Jay has been working and I have been out looking at all the cool stuff. Check out these fun bulls made from parts and pieces complete with ALL of there bull parts(look closely!)
Here is our booth security guard. He kind of reminds me of Barney Fife. I'll just bet that there is a bullet in that coat pocket.

One last picture for the day, an Easter tree that we pass by every day on the way to our hotel.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

what day is this?

what a day! All the pictures that I wanted to take today never got taken. We were busy from start to finish and I am thankful. Jay says that his mouth hurts because he thinks that he talked to about 3000 people and my feet hurt so we are off to get some sleep. We will fill you in on all of our excitement tomorrow. Goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite.

Monday, March 29, 2010

three days



Here is one of the reasons that I wanted to come to Texas in April. Bluebonnets. Wildflowers are everywhere and with the warm weather they seem to be popping out in front of us!

Our first treat of the day was Magnolia Pearl. We had ordered a book about her and been reading it over the last few weeks. She and her husband were the first ones to come by our booth this morning.
Jay and I have eaten too many Reese cups! Our cheeks are chubby! Here is a peek at Magnolia Pearl's booth. She has the most fabulous clothes ever!

So, it took us ALL day to get everything in our booth. I knew I had packed tight, but let me assure you that we took advantage of every inch of that 20' trailer. Here are a few pictures of our little spot.

After a long day unpacking we went for a walk to marvel at all of the stuff. Here is a little of what we saw...


lots and lots of the neatest goodies. Wish you were all here with us!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

day two


day 2 began early with 600 miles ahead. After pulling a 20 foot trailer, Jay decided these would be a better mode of transportation for Alice and Jay.

We passed through some of my favorite country today. Louisiana always makes me happy.

We stopped to eat lunch and not only was there a boudin/cracklin restaurant that served gator burgers but there was also a drive through casino.

That was a new one for me. After nightmarish construction and traffic in Houston, we finally pulled in to Marburger about 8 pm. Tired and sleepy, we will see you tomorrow.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

day one

We are on the way to Texas but before we left Sasser we had a surprise roll in to town. An antique car club from Florida was in town for a little antiquing. Aren't these old cars fun.
Then we hit the road. We didn't leave until about 5:30 pm with 300 miles ahead of us. Mobile Bay here we come. To quote my oldest daughter, "I love not camping!". Nothing looked better at midnight than this...
and this..

and most definitely this!

sweet dreams everyone. See you on the road tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

one reason


Here is one of the best reasons to have a store in Sasser, Ga. Rufus! Rufus was a stray puppy that was roaming the streets of Sasser. Rufus started following our town manager around on his daily duties and Pretty soon Jeff and Rufus were the best of friends. Today, Jeff and Rufus stopped by the store to talk to Jay and I noticed that Rufus must have gotten a promotion. Look closely above the town emblem. Isn't that great!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Ode to Al

Our project of the day was supposed to be to rest, but I hear that there is no rest for the weary. Instead we decided to go out to Jay's Dads house to weld. Because I am known for my clumsiness, I am not allowed to weld or even be near when welding is going on. This frees me up for lots of lolly gagging. What a great pastime! We should all have one full day of lolly gagging a week. Anyway, as I was lollying around with my blueberry phone camera, I started thinking about Jay's Dad. Everywhere I looked, I could "feel" Big Al. Now, Big Al is a big man with a big personality! If you have ever seen the movie, BIG FISH, you have seen a glimpse of Big Al. The best southern description that I can use to describe him is ,"that fellow is a character!" and I LOVE me some characters. Al's original claim to fame is his knowledge of turtles. He knows everything there is to know about the turtle. He has trapped them, raised them, studied them, and even eaten them. He was in National Geographic back in the 80's for knowing so much about them. But turtles are just the tip of his iceberg. His passion for nature is so intense that I wouldn't be surprised if God gave him a huge rack of antlers when he gets to heaven! Traps and nets line the fence behind his shop. He traps turtles, alligators, beavers, hogs, armadillos, and things I didn't even know were out there! His fascination with the critters is downright contagious.
He had these bones out in the sun for some project. You see, he looks at the world in a very practical way. His heritage is Native American and there is no mistaking that! He traps, he eats, and then he uses what is left for crafts. There is nothing black or white about Al. The more colorful-the better!He loves making crafts and he loves to add color. This is the trailer that he built and painted for he and his wife to travel to shows in. He tells me that he is going to paint pictures on the panels soon. I can't wait.
Al grows strawberries in old cast iron tubs.
He builds "bird" houses for his birds
He collects the most interesting things. He is also a diver, which means that his collections range from river bottom fossilized bones
to driftwood, rocks, stones, and I even found a brick collection.
Big Al's life inspired me today. He always has a song in his heart(even though he only knows one line to 5 songs). He always tries to look on the bright side (and he likes his side so bright that you can't miss it). He truly loves the world that he lives in and he has a deep respect for all creatures tall or small. I was only able to snap one picture of Big Al as he was welding but picture if you can ... we are getting ready to leave and he is calling his dog and cat to get out of the way of the truck, he reaches down, scoops up this kitten and with his giant worn hands and gently stokes the kitties face against his cheek. Thanks Al for being such a character and sharing this gift with the world. You made mine a little brighter today.

tick tock

Ahoy mateys, Has anyone seen the likes of Alice and Jay lately?

We hear that they are going to the land of bluebonnets and longhorns.

The fun junk has all been tagged.

The trailer is full of flowers and frilly things.

Lots and lots of upcylcled treasures and loads of the usual lamps. We hit the road on Saturday evening and will hopefully arrive in Texas on Sunday. I hope to be able to share the road trip with my new blueberry phone(everyone else may have a blackberry, but I am pretty sure that mine is a blueberry). Texas and Louisiana have never disappointed and I am confident that this trip will not be the exception. Project of the day - resting from all the packing yesterday! See you tomorrow.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

salvation on a Sunday

The words Salvation and Sunday have always been synonymous in the deep south. Now, don't get me wrong, I still believe that these two go hand in hand but today(Sunday) took a little detour. Today, my salvation was found in a Reese's cup.
The store is being emptied in to the trailer so that we can make our journey to Marburger next weekend. Last minute projects and decisions are being wrapped up and packed tightly away in hopes that Texas will treat us kindly next week. Jay and I are tired and stressed. If you have ever owned your own business I know you understand. Jay and I have had fever blisters, ulcers, and I even have the shingles! We have been working non stop for weeks. Today, as we ran to the store for our usual mid afternoon soda, Jay purchased a Reese cup.
That beautiful orange wrapper sat on the truck seat between us all the back to the store. I wasn't going to mention opening the package and politely allow Jay to take the initiative. We were discussing our woes and worries and I was about to get out of the truck when Jay picked up the candy and said , "hey, lets eat our chocolate !" My heart skipped a beat at the thought of the yummy cup of goodness.
The day has been cloudy and rainy-down right gloomy! As I placed the cup upon my knee, the sun began to shine. I sat and stared at my chocolate as if it were a diamond waiting to be scooped up. It was so beautiful that I had to take a picture. I wanted to capture the feeling of hopelessness being consumed by sunlight and transformed into this glorious delight. It took 3 bites to eat it all. Three bites that swept my soul from a sad dark hole to a renewal of energy and hope.
My taste buds have settled back in to their state of neutrality now but the memory remains. Thanks to the Reese cup for a tiny taste of Euphoria and thanks to God for the gift of it all! List of things to do when we return from Texas - Weight Watchers!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

packing it up

We are packing up for our big trip to Texas! Since our trailer was stolen a few weeks ago, we have been in the market for a new one. I stumbled upon this cool furniture removal truck. I could pack it FULL and the color is great! We will look snazzy driving around Texas in this!


Our accommodations will no longer be an issue either. I found these two fabulous homes that we can live in while in Texas. Mine, of course, will be the English Tudor style home while Jay can stay in the smaller Manor with the garage. I also have travel between our homes and the show taken care of.



Our own little train depot. I can't wait to ride the train! And finally, as fate would have it, I found the perfect outfit for Jay to wear while helping our customers at Marburger.



He looks handsome in red! Now all I need to make this happen is a little bottle found in the bottom of a rabbit hole, that reads, "Drink me!"