caravan is headed West!

The Caravan is loaded, gypsies are all here(ruffles, lace, and bells included), and we are heading West. See you in Texas!

On the plains of Montiel

In the sixteenth century, romances of chivalry, written in absurd, exaggerated style were popular in Spain.
A dignified gentleman by the name of Quixada went crazy over these foolish books. His brain was stuffed with enchantments, quarrels, battles, challenges, wounds, magic salves, complaints, amours, torments, giants, castles, captured maidens, gallant rescues, and all sorts of impossible deeds of daring, which seemed as true to him as the most authentic history. Every innkeeper was a magnate; every mule-driver a cavalier.
He decided that for his own honor and for the service of the world he must turn knight errant and jaunt through the world redressing wrongs and rescuing captured princesses. He changed his name to Don Quixote de la Mancha and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.
I haven't thought about this story for a long, long....really long time. Until yesterday. Yesterday, when I tried to take a few pictures of the things that we have ready to take to Texas. I am certain that we have a handful of "giant" windmills, a couple of monks with a captured princess, an "army" of sheep, and a barber wearing a brass basin on his head! This load is full of so full of magic beans that we may have a giant beanstalk growing in our booth. I tried to take a few pictures but sadly none of them turned out. Sancho and I will begin our packing this weekend and we hope to meet up with all of you in the promised land called Marburger Farms. Who knows, there may even be a windmill or two to have a tilt with.

See you there. Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes

How could this be so hard

How could changing the look of your blog be so hard! After all, they have websites and gadgets and widgets and ....to help you. The cutest blog on the block...NOT!!! Why, oh why, can't I figure it out. I feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy has gotten the best of him...AAAUUGGGHH!

Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins. Native American Proverb

I learned this lesson well yesterday. There are times in my life when the stars are perfectly out of line and I somehow think that I may be the only person that does anything-anywhere-anytime! I am easily annoyed and my patience is hard to find. Gah! How is it that I am the ONLY one who knows how to load and unload the dishwasher, why can't anyone else figure out what color to paint that table...yada...yada...yada.
Jay always tells me that the best lesson is a bought one. I bought a big one. We had a busy day in progress with many, many projects underway at our warehouse when Jay suddenly thought he had a catch in his back. Thirty minutes later we were on our way to the Emergency Room. Three hours later I was putting Jay to bed as he was heavily sedated and eagerly awaiting the arrival of a brand new kidney stone!
So... all of this leads to my lesson. I had to clean and put away all of our projects and close up the warehouse for the day. Easy, right? HECK no! I quickly realized that there were as many things that I physically could not do as well as just simply didn't KNOW how to do. What a blow to my "I can do ANYTHING" ego.
At the end of the day I'm just hoping that the stars are moving, I bought my lesson and paid in full. Jay is feeling a little bit better today and I will appreciate anything that he is able to do!! I am returning his moccasins with a little bit softer heart and may even clean them for him every now and again.

Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins. That way when you criticize him, you will be a mile away AND you will have his shoes. (I may have bought the lesson but I can still have fun!)

cOmE iN! CoMe In!

We have a new family member. Meet Magdalena, she is Soothsayer straight from somewhere in Arabia. She is telling fortunes at Alice and Jay and it is looking good for candy filled futures! PS Rumor has it ...she has a third eye!!!!

too pooped to spook!

Our Halloween treats and tricks are starting to fill the store. Two of our ferns have sprouted ferocious looking blooms!
Gummy earwax, minty maggots, bags o' blood, witch warts and pirate choppers are plentiful in our witches' cauldrons.
"Feed me, Seymour!"
Our store has been transformed into a fantasy land of Halloween curiosities. We have vampire bat skulls, werewolf skulls, Dr. Jekyll's potion kit, Cap'n Hook's severed hand, Fairy Godmother's magic wand and SOoo much more.
As always, the witches have set up house and they have brought a few pirates, professors, and warlocks with them.

Hurry by and check us out before we ride away with the full moon on our brooms.

The Art of Being Broken

Someone very wise told me today that the beauty of Rome and Italy lies in the fact that it is "broken". Those words fell straight from my ears to my heart. I have lived most of my life feeling as though I was broken. Most of my collections have been filled with broken objects and our store is full of broken treasures. Broken people have always caught my soul. One of my favorite past times is to gather broken pieces, love them up, glue and paint, and end up with something new; sort of like a brand new soul filled with lots of old wisdom. Thanks to you, my wise loved one, for helping me to remember that being broken isn't always a bad thing!

Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light.