Treasure Hunt

 Lisa and I were hired to do an estate sale.  Little did we know when we signed the contract that it would end up being 3 sales.  This house is 3 floors, it's huge like 3500 or more square feet.  All of those square feet, for the most part, were filled with cool things.  

I will never forget Lisa's face as we sat in one of the rooms looking around...."how are we going to do this?"  We NEEDED a plan.  There was too much on each level to let everyone wander around without things "missing."  It happens.... 

We started with a sale of items on main living area only.  We sold like 80% of that.  Then we boxed that stuff up, took out to the garage and had a $5 box sale.  We did that so we could have a clean slate to move stuff down and upstairs to main level.  Then we did sale 2.  We had the $5 boxes, new items and FREE items.  We are having a reduced sale to clean up the main level again.  We sold like 70% of that.  Did I mention she had hundreds of dolls?  The 3rd sale will be like a Pop Up Boutique.  We plan to move clearance items to 2 rooms.  We saved the jewelry, clothes, pottery, art and some glassware for the last one.  Whew.....I don't say all of this to get comments for pats on the back, I just wanted to explain this part of the post......

"Was she a hoarder?"  I heard this multiple times during these sales.  "Maybe, she was."  I said, "who am I to judge, I have buildings full of 'treasures' too."  "How can 1 person acquire this much stuff?"  I said, "she must have had fun!"  ahahahah.   One thing is for sure - this is the point of this post - I don't think we will EVER find another house like this!  As in, old...old...cool things.  We went through (100's) of boxes of holiday things.  Of course we bought some of them for ourselves....but, thing is...I can't even share because some customers may get jelly....for real...hey, I dug in all that, that was my reward.  We pay the same price we would have put them out for, sometimes more!

I've been in the antique, picking, selling world my whole life.  I am afraid this may be it, there just isn't many houses like this one left.  The ones with old boxes with cool old things, wrapped in decade old paper.  The only way, would be, if it was for another antique dealer type estate.  Hoarder homes, I KNOW for a fact would have way more rodent damage to the items than this did.  We hardly found any of that.  Most families don't want to deal with any of this so they toss it all.  I'm so happy we were involved.  The last dumpster the family filled was ALL garbage, I know we sorted it ALL and made sure of it.  

While working on this sale, I had a dream about a white fluffy squirrel.  I looked up the meaning and it was something like this:  it's a sign to continue persevering with your goals and dreams and if you do you will be rewarded in a form of success.  Be sure not to overload yourself.  (ahahah).  Almost everyday since that dream, that we worked over there, I found a squirrel.  A squirrel...I mean come on....squirrel....

So, here I am, persevering.....getting ready for sale 3.  

This is why I haven't posted like normal on my blog, I've been doing this.  Here are only a few pictures of what we sold so far.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

November is National Native American Heritage Month

 As most generational "Americans" living in this great old "melting pot," my heritage comes from various backgrounds.  What I am the "most" of is Potawatomi, if one was to divide themselves in fractions.  Which unfortunately is how the U.S. Government regulates tribal people - % of blood quantum.  It is what it is....

I've shared about my heritage in many posts, but this one is a good one:  Great Grandpa and Grandma Ritchie

My dad is the little one, the other two girls are his sisters, my grandma is behind my dad.  My grandma was German.  She worked for Connor Lumber as a bookeeper when she met my grandpa Ritchie.  My dad grew up on the reservation.   

Here he is again.  I love that little smerky face - he did this face his whole life.  He was fortunate NOT to have to go to a boarding school.  An ugly part of history that has now come to a better light is how native children were treated at these "schools."  My great grandpa Ritchie was quoted as saying "none of my grandchildren will go to those schools."  He had some influence and he petitioned the BIA to hire a teacher for the Forest County Potawatomi children.  The Kokomo Reservation School began in 1934 with 20 students (3 were my family).  

I did NOT grow up in traditional ways.  However, we were raised in tradition.  If that makes sense....how we treat one another, our land, how to hunt and gather, garden and fish and respect for all life.  Especially those we took to harvest.  I heard a "hunting story" - it made me sick!  I kept thinking how my dad would not like that!  Even Al said it was so disrespectful to the animal.  Anway....

I struggled with not looking "native" enough, yet being teased for being "native."  Ya....I don't harbor bad feelings or suffer from any trauma...ahahah....

I celebrate my Native American Heritage - rich and full in the knowledge of where I come from - steeped in tradition.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

November National Adoption Month

 

As much as I would love to share pictures of my grandchildren, I have been asked not to.  However, I can tell you that adoption has made me a Grandma Bird.  I am not the one putting in the time and effort of raising an adopted child, my children and their husbands are.  I am writing this from my perspective.  I feel I need a disclaimer.  

When I was little and in school, I only knew 1 person who was adopted.  It wasn't until just this past year, I found out about 2 other girls I graduated with, that were adopted too.  I had no idea!  

My mom and dad were foster parents for years.  My sister Lori adopted my niece Angie, who was her foster daughter.  Adoption isn't new to me, it's just something I didn't expect for me personally.  

You all may not know this, but as the last of 6, I don't share well.  By the time something worked it's way down to me, it was broken or well worn.  When I get something new, I'm not sharing.   I also, have a tendency to get jealous.  This concept comes learned as well....my mom was the same way.  She said "if I find out (one of us) calls their mother in law "mom" I'm going to get mad!  I earned that title, I put in the time, blood, sweat tears.  That's my name!"  As last child, I had to hear this 5 times over.  To this day, I don't call Marlene "mom," she is my mother in law or Grandma "Pepper" (her dog).  

So, adoption....it's all about sharing.  

I would be a liar if I told you this isn't still a struggle for me.  It is!  Just like my mom, I know the work, time, love, support, prayers that I put into my girls.  As far as "earning" it, I do understand why she felt that way, but I don't want to be like that!  What has helped me, is to think about the birth families.  My little grands came from love.  Their moms and grandmas made difficult decisions based on love and sharing.  I love each of them, pray for them daily and am beyond humbled to share in the loving of our (grand)children.  

I hate to quote "Sister Wives" but, LOVE IS meant to be multiplied not divided.  

I am reminded of my own quote "She is God's child not mine."  When I had to face Anna's cancer.  

Oh, my little grands are God's, birth family, our family, extended family's children.  They are so lucky to be loved by so many.  I will be thankful for whatever "work, time, love, support, prayers" I am allowed to put into my grandchildren.  

The next time you hear someone has been adopted, think about the difficult decisions made out of love.  The love that is multiplied and not divided.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.   

 

 

Happy Halloween

 

Happy Halloween!  

That paper mache' pumpkin right there....I first almost stepped on back in June when we first looked at this huge estate to do a sale for.  I have ALWAYS wanted one!  This one still has the vellum.  I had to wait until the family picked all they wanted and we could start getting ready for the sale before I knew it was going to be mine. It was still there!  Yay for me.  Lisa even found one!  

Well, that wasn't all .... eeek.....we found some super cool, old items we had to buy as well.  As we laid them out for viewing, we did a game "you pick one, I'll pick one, we can sell that one" it was so fun.  We both love old Halloween stuff.   

Some of these items, you've seen before in my Halloween displays.  I only did the little table in my entry this year.  Someday, I will drag out all the (fill in the holiday) and stage it.  I also got that wool blanket from this estate.  

We found a few more vintage Halloween items at that estate since I took this picture that I added to this display.    

I hope your day is filled with "treats" not "tricks."

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

26th Annual Ringle Harvest Day

 Well, it's that time again....I just can't believe it's been 26 years!

I had a crazy idea as a much younger woman and mother, to host a huge sale at our farm.  The first year it was my sister and Lisa, the next a few more friends.  On about the 3rd year, we joined 4H and the club set up and sold pumpkins.  I made 2 huge Nesco roasters full of soup and homemade buns.  I fed the crowds for free...ya, if you think I have a lot of energy now...ahahah...shoulda seen me then!  (wink, wink).  This became a very popular, family friendly event.  Well, at about year 10, when my insurance found out how many people came here....it ended here.  It was for the best anyway, I couldn't host that large of an event here.  So we moved it down the road to our little town of Ringle.  Rest is...history I guess...

We always have it on the 2nd Saturday in October.  It coincides with National 4H Awareness week.  We have had ALL kinds of weather...even snow.  This year looks like a sunny, but cool day.  I'll take it, thank you Lord.  

Here is a link to the blog:  Ringle Harvest Day Blog

Here is a link to the facebook page:  Ringle Harvest Day Page

Yesterday, while driving back from taking my little grand back to her house, I stopped to enjoy the colors.  In the  midst of often stressful things, one can loose sight of what is important.  I just pulled my van over and sat and looked at all of God's beauty.  Boy, my little corner of Wisconsin sure is pretty right now!  I needed a "mindful" moment.  My co-general 4H leader messaged me yesterday and we were laughing about how stressed I used to get....the older we get...the less stressed we are.  The "show" will go on either way.  

I was thinking about this in my "mindful" moments...I am in October - as in my stage of life.  My productive years may be less, but I think the wisdom (less stressed) is the color.  Then I happened to think of this quote from Anne of Green Gables:  "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers"

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Simple Tomato Sauce for Freezer

 I tried something different and I probably will keep doing my preserving this way.  I have had a lack of time to pull out all the things for canning so far this harvest season.  I saw something on Wisconsin Foodie episode for Stoney Acres Farm.  Tony cooked down tomatoes for the sauce on the pizza and it looked super easy.  

We had our first frost the other night.  So I stumbled through the garden looking for some ripe Romas.  I mentioned this before, but I let some volunteer cherry tomatoes grow...they totally took over that end of my garden.  Next year, I will be tough and pull any of those little tender plants - wait, I will transplant them.  Hahaha.  I ended up with a 5 gallon pail full.

Step 1:  Wash tomatoes.  I cut off any tough looking ends and the spots that had touched the ground, cage or another tomato.  I did NOT blanch and peel these, leave the peel on.

Step 2:  Put a cup of water in the bottom of the Nesco.  Set at "steam" and dump the tomatoes in.  Let steam for around an hour - until soft.  I did add extra water because some were sticking to the sides.  I added a "handfull" of salt.

Step 3:  After they are soft, take an immersion blender and carefully break down the tomatoes.  Turn down the heat to "cook" and take the lid off so it will thicken.  I did stir it every hour.  This took like 4 hours, I could have let it get thicker, but I wanted to go to bed...ahaha.

Step 4:  After it is cooked down, let cool and put in freezer bags.  I did 4 Cups per bag, the same as a quart jar.  I filled 8 bags and my canner only holds 7.  Stack the bags as flat as they go into the freezer.  That's it!

When you want soup, chili, spaghetti, pizza, marinara - any of this, pull out your bag and add the spices and cook to the consistency that the recipe requires.  I absolutely LOVE having my own tomatoes to use.  This was so easy, anyone can do it.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

John Deere Green

 

I bought this from an estate sale we did back in August.  I had to, it had a horse for our granddaughter.  Ignore Ginger's butt in the lower corner...ahaha.  Those 2 dogs love it when she comes to visit.  We look forward to our grandson using it someday too.

Grandpa had to help at times...  She really likes it.

I get to spend the whole day with her today.  Now that she is in school, I miss that.  I'm sure we will be playing horses....I told here "grandma Bird can NOT play horses all day" (my imagination is running out of horse ideas).  We plan to make some apple and tomato sauce.  She loves to work in the kitchen, especially when the work ends in a sweet treat.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and may your days have some sweet treats too.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.