Farmhouse Friday - Week 26 Wild Flowers

 

Until the Zinnia's bloom in our newly created hedge, the rest of this pasture is full of several underated wild flowers.  

Some produce starting in the garden.

Look what fell out of a tree.  Remember my telling you about the tornado in Ringle in April?  This little nest was made of insulation, from damaged homes, which was in lots of trees in our township.  I just love how birds recycle.  

A couple years ago, when we made this porch enclosure, I could walk up the ramp.  However, since breaking my femur and having 12 pins in my knee, it hurts to do it.  So, our nephews are fixing the ramp so it's not too steep.  

This was accomplished by raising up the door from ground level.  Now we will put a ramp out here.  They are working on it today.  Our nephew came up with a good idea, so it will be a longer type ramp, that twists back toward the house.  Might as well build it right now, as I will need this when I progress to a permanent mobility devise.  

This is my great-great nephew, he came to visit one day while they were working.  He is 3 weeks old.  He's just perfect.  

Not sure the weather will cooperate for the 4th of July celebrations and parade.  Looks like we will be cooler at least.  

Happy 250th America. 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday - Week 25 - Selling at the Farm

 

Well, I did it.  The first of my own estate sale.  Al and Anna helped me set up.  Truthfully, I did a majority of it by myself, with the Lord's help.  I did drop and break stuff - oh, well...few less things to sell.  The weather was beautiful too.  

I was going to set up tents, pull out what I wanted to sell and stage in tents.  However, wind, rain, hail type of weather, Al convinced me to just start in a corner and work on it.  It was a HUGE mess, but the best idea.  

The befores...

Al helped me set up tables in the middle and I found a place to sit and mark items.  

This sale had mostly things you can create with.  Bundles of crafting wool, linens, fabric....

Already felted wool, wool sweaters....

unfinished projects, fabric and lots of miscellaneous.  

The afters....

I made the mistake of saying "everything was $10 or less."  That would have worked, if I set up in the tents.  However, using my building, I had all kinds of stuff in here, so we had to hide it.  I still want to sell most of it, but not for $10 or less.  

This happened....

This also happened....

Speaking of becoming "rich" - these words are priceless.  

Now to evaluate left overs - toss, burn, donate, maybe lots for sale.  

Swedish death cleaning continues.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday - Week 24 - Little Bit of This and That

 

We had some trees fall down in the storms, so Al is making firewood to use in our sauna.  

We planted grass where we used to have garden.  We are trying to make things easier - work smarter not harder, right!

The garden was all the way to the field.  We usually planted like half the garden in sweet corn.  However, the past few years we have had racoons, wind, deer tear apart the corn and it was all the work and no yield.  We'll just buy sweet corn from the neighbor.  

Squash is looking good.  

We have had so much rain!  You know it's almost haying time.  With this wet of a field, good luck until mid July.  

Well, Al dumped out the burn barrel.  We had all those papers we burned last weekend.  There must have been a hot spot still in the barrel, days and rain later, because when we went back outside after supper, it was on fire!  Good thing we went back out.

It's 4H fair project time.  I taught needle felting and Natalie taught painting.  

Lauren came over for Grandma craft day.  We made these cement mushrooms.  

We had our monthly 4H meeting.  Braelyn, one of our members, works at the Applewood Lane Alpaca Farm so she set up a tour.

I was tagged in a Facebook post.  (smile)  Glad all the years of teaching and sharing my art, people remembered me.  

I am still working on my set up of the 1st sale of 2026.  I'll share more next week.  Even some before and afters.  My week has been a little bit of this and that.  How was yours?  Thanks for all the comments on last several posts!  (smile). 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

To Everything "Burn, Burn, Burn"

 

"To everything burn, burn, burn

There is a season burn, burn, burn

and a time to every purpose under heaven"

My twist on the lyrics by the Byrds and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

I just happen to think of this, while we were burning things that no longer are needed or wanted.  

In 60 years of life

38 years of marriage

30 years of Town Hall Trinkets, LLC estate sales and resell business, you may have a few things to burn.  

Truthfully, I've filled and emptied my storage buildings and barns multiple times in those years.  If you do, what it is I do, you'll understand the magnitude of items that you acquire.  I can think of only a few other life long pickers that are part of this "club."  Many claim "picker status," but few achieve, maintain and have been consistent for as long as members in this "club."  We are relics in this business and we are few and far between.  I normally don't speak like this, but it is the truth!   

I am 100% positive this will be the LAST  time I fill and empty these buildings.  I thought this would make me more sad.  I actually feel blessed, yes, blessed by the mess.  I had so much fun all these years doing what I love and making a living at it.  I feel my picking days were the BEST time to be in this business.  

I may not longer be buying out whole houses, but I sure had some great ones!  Dr. Forrester estate in a historical home and property was an X on my bucket list for dream buy out.  I was given the keys to free range it and clean it out.  We rented an actual semi trailer to haul it all home.  It is my all time highest money buy out. 

I may not longer be doing huge estate sales that take multiple sales to clean out, but I sure had some good ones.  Melzer estate was an X off my bucket list for dream sales.  It was our all time highest money sale over the course of 1 year of sales.  

I may never go to another old farm auction, but I sure went to some great ones.  Not only went to them, but set them up, clerked, worked the ring and did the auctioneering.  Aunt Milly (my friend's aunt) sale was also an X off my bucket list.  I was under contract and hired an auctioneer, who hired another auctioneer and the 3 of us did an ALL day auction!  So much stuff!  Also, the highest grossing auction I was involved in.

I may never set up and sell again at major shows or flea markets, but I sure have had some awesome booths over the years.  Urban Farm Girl (Rockford, IL), Elkhorn (Elkhorn, WI), Cranberry Fest (Eagle River, WI), A&R Antique shows (Wausau, Schofield, DePere, Eagle River, Stevens Point, Door County, WI) and Art in the Park (Wausau, WI). 

I may never have another antique booth, but for several years I had 5 booths in 4 different cities.  

I may never get to stand in line to be first at a market or estate sale, but I sure did go to and was able to be first plenty of times.  Junk Bonanza (St. Paul, MN), Junk Jubilee (DeMoines, IA) too many in my local area to mention.   

I say all of this to say, to everything....there is a season.  

As I work on my own estate sale, by doing the Swedish Death Cleaning for my family, I am excited to regain some of my buildings back.  I mean, this is a process of a couple years for sure.  I want to go through it and make good decisions on what to do with rather than just an auction or sale.  Besides, Al still wants stuff too and I'm not headed to the "burn barrel" (cremation) yet.  Like how I did that? hahaha

Back outside, it's beautiful in Wisconsin today!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

Farmhouse Friday - Week 23 The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

 

Good Friday Morning!  

The top picture is of me (my 18th birthday/graduation party) and my sister Lynn.  We both made our dresses.  She is 11 years older than and I am 11 years older than her daughter, my niece Jessi.  

Last week's Farmhouse Friday post, Daisy g from:  Maple Hill 101 left a comment about Swedish Death Cleaning.  Honestly, I never heard of it.  So, I googled it.  "A thoughtful decluttering process where you gradually clear out unnecessary possessions while you are alive to spare your loved ones."  Well, I've been doing this for a year already, since being diagnosed with my muscle wasting disease.  

I come from a long line of hoarders.  I do estate sales for my job....yes, I do.  However, just like Sam from Cheers was an alcoholic bartender, I'm a hoarding estate sale specialist.  It's no secret, I sometimes buy out an estate, sometimes we do a sale and sometimes I buy what is left after the sale.   I've gone to too many auctions over the years and bought row after row of $1 boxes.  I'd pick out 1 or 2 things I wanted and sell the rest - it was the BEST!  I MISS those days!  

Anyway, back to the Lord works in mysterious ways.  I'm a story teller, I can't help it.  My sister Lynn messaged me yesterday, while I was elbow deep in yet again another box of some other old lady's sewing stuff I just had to have and I was short with her.  She messaged and said "this is a sleepy kind of day isn't it?"  (Poke the bear...poke, poke)  I messaged "No, I'm outside doing my Swedish Death Cleaning."  She comes back with "what is that?"  (Poke, poke....)  I said "Google it!"  She comes back with "I'm almost afraid to..."  I wanted to say, but I did not...."you should be!"  Truthfully, she messaged me when I was just feeling defeated about how I can hardly do "this" anymore for myself.  I spent decades doing "this" for others and I wish I had the old Dicky Bird, the stong one, that did "this" for just 1 week.  

Well, after several messages back and forth (I'll spare you all the details) about stewardship of what God's given you....my messenger "beeps" from our brother Frank.  That top picture comes up....(o.k. Lord, I get it!  I'll stop now).  Frank says, "I was looking at old picutures" and sent it to both of us.  I love my sister Lynn, we share many of the same "issues."  I fight my battles and she her's.  She is going to hate that I wrote this, but it was part of a lesson for us both.  On to more Swedish Death Cleaning.  

I did find money in a bag of my "stash."  

We had a ton of rain here this week.  This 3.5 is from 1 day.

Here are some photos from our boat ride in Waupaca, WI.

Both Ezra and Lauren we able to steer the boat.  

My friend, Lori U., said "he looks like the Skipper from Gilligan's Island."  He does!!!  Sorry, Gen X moment.  

Last of the Lilacs.  Is there a sweeter scent?  The air was full of it.  The Iris are almost done too.  Now on to Peonies and Lupines.  I enjoy all my flowers!  

Have a great weekend.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.