My Favorite Store...

TerrapinTradingCompany is on Face Book and in down town Norfork, Arkansas, home of the Wolf House and where the Norfork River joins the White River.  A beautiful town to visit with other shops but the only one I see is Terrapin Trading Company with Amanda and David Quinney and their wonderful dog!

I feel badly I didn't ask the dog what her name was. Amanda had her sit for the picture.  I had to play ball and visit a little, no, a lot!  Amanda and co-owner/husband are artists and make amazing silver jewelry.  Displayed are local art pieces, natural products and clothing along with, you guessed it... ROCKS! Or should I say crystals, jewels, and stones, oh, my?!

There were drums, rain sticks, wind chimes, smell goods. finger-less mittens, art, clothing, cards, jewelry, purses, and pretties, lots of pretties.

I was as happy as a pig in a mud hole!!!!  Every where I turned discovered new products and endless items to delight me.

There is a reading room where you can relax and read, play drums, or just have fun visiting.  They do mail products, too so if you take a liking to something give them a call or contact them through FB.

I was successful in taking the dog's picture.  I had to sneak around because this dog is all about playing ball.  I tried to trick her but the dog was smarter than me.

Something for every one

and something for me.

Pure silver hand crafted rings with Amazonite and snow flake obsidian

using two different design styles.

 A silver pendant using my amethysts, an orange calcite and David's amazing talent.

The photos do not do justice to the place nor the pieces.

So if you're ever traveling north of me stop in, visit, play ball and carry home a treasure.  In addition to my jewelry I found a book and a drum I could not leave behind. I can guarantee you will leave with a smile and a warmer heart form meeting Mr and Mrs Quinney.

Random Five Friday With A Rural Journal

Here are the rules.  Come join the fun.

Tomatoes on the kitchen window sill

The tail wagging the dog

Half of a Bear Claw quilt block 

on a quilt I made for Mom and Dad

I do not iron.

I was trained on Dad's work clothes using the sprinkler bottle.

Nope, not gonna do it...EVER!

Slow progress on my new water feature.

And there are five random facts about me and mine.  Join A Rural Journal with your five.

Saturday Centus 115 Funky!

My sister calls me “funky”

I can’t protest.

I do have strange tastes but

The chosen have passed my test.

 Alex’s art and a cobbler’s stool

Do the mantle grace.

A giraffe holds my purse

Everything has it’s place.

 A elegant fox lights my path

While lace hangs behind my bed

I’m not a psychopath

But who knows what’s in my head.

 Momma’s button bracelet on a glass dog

Guards my painting and watches the door

You think I’m finished…

Wait! There's more!

 There’s Buddha in Depression Glass

With a fringy lamp on top

The antique yellow doily

really makes it pop.

Did the best I could Jenny.  Join Saturday Centus and have some fun.

Saturday Centus107

The prompt this week is the picture below. Number of words: 100  Style of writing: Any Pictures: No additional.

These are words Ms Jenny used for this week's challenge at Saturday Centus, a writing prompt.  Join the fun and visit all the entries.

Blocking the sun filling the air
The smoke rose everywhere.
People gathered to look
On the day the earth shook

What can this be?
Smoke was rolling
No one could see

One lad tiny and fair
Softly said,
I can get there.

He walked long and far
Using the muted sun
As his guiding star.

His dog and the lad
Armed with a stick
Walked from clear air
To where it was thick

Disappearing in smoke
The lad was last seen
Waving out the window
Of a big silver thing.

No trace found
Except for one dog hair
On the ground.

Queen of High Places

TP, Daddy's dog, always heads for high ground.

I believe it is for a better view of things.

TP is supposed to be a Bichon Frise.

She loves being outside.

Always resting beside those who are working.

Do not feel sorry for her condition.

She hunts with the pack and is the true farm dog.

We clip her matted hair and keep her free from parasites.

Her personal job is taking care of the cats.

She does it very well.

We like to think, in her, a part of Daddy is still with us.

Seymour Speaks

Wanna play?

Follow the leader?

Okay, but who is the leader?

I am following.

No fair!

Going Back

Looking back, I can see I have always had sun grins.  Funny how you notice things like that.  The first picture is my first dog, Helen and Mom.  The top picture is me.  The third is me and some one I don't remember.

Helen was given to me by Helen, therefore, her name.  Mom said we got into trouble one day for pulling all the tissues out of the box.  I was putting them back in and Helen was helping too.  She would carry one over and stuff it in the box opening with her nose.  I wonder if Mom used those tissues after that?

I was in trouble again, who me, I never did anything wrong to get into trouble!  I think it was playing in the clay with my good clothes on, Mom was coming after me with a switch.  Helen stood between me and Mom and growled!  Mom was so shocked that I missed that whipping.

Helen lived to about sixteen.  She was worn out.  Sometimes, Helen would cry when she moved.  I was home alone, when she started crying again.  It was awful. 

I called the neighbor and asked will you shoot my dog?  Terry came and he was shocked when I handed him a gun.  He said I thought you wanted me to give it a shot.  No, I said, Helen is suffering and I can't stand it any more.  Can you put her down? 

I had already dug a grave in the barn lot and found something to wrap her in.  I told Terry I had taken her out there and said my goodbyes.  If you can wrap her and just throw enough dirt over her so I can't see, I can finish.

Of course, the tears are rolling.  I cover my head with a pillow and never heard the shot.  Terry came back, handed me the gun and said it's over, Gail.  She went easy.  I hugged him with tears flooding and went to the barn lot and cried on Helen's grave until Mom and Dad came home.

I told them. I know they were proud, although they never said a word. Dad's hand on my shoulder and Mom's sad eyes said it all.  Helen was not suffering any more.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done,  making that decision.

NOTE:  I know this may sound harsh to some but the times were different.  You only used a vet if it was an animal that made you money, like a work horse or a cow.  Dogs were special but they only got rabies shots.  If your dog died, you got another one and life went on.  After all, it was just a dog.

Ten Degrees And Warming

Princess, bleating for breakfast,  made me dress and head to the barn to get a flake of hay.  She seemed rather delighted to see me since Marcy is usually feeding at daylight.  Marcy was staying in a little later this morning.  It was ten degrees when I went out and not sure what our low was except that it was too low for me. When I delivered the hay, Princess did her dance and stayed quiet for a while.

I did take my camera but it was too cold to wander far. I fed the outside dogs, saw Marcy had already prepared the cats a warm treat of fish and their usual food.   I tried to capture the diamonds on the timber but the cold ran me indoors.

The Queen of the farm, Maggie, is royally ignoring Gen's submission.  Look at that look on Maggie, as if it is beneath her to acknowlege Gentry's efforts. 

I may miss that Sunday walk today.

My Life As A Log

Sometimes I have company

Many just say hi

I hang out with friends

But mostly I just lay around

SkyWatch and Febreze

My hubby is an amazing yet trying man, if I haven't mentioned that. He does all the farm work he can from the seat of his tractor but rarely, rarely does he do house work.

So this question had me wondering...do we have any of that febreze stuff? I said what stinks. He said where is it. After giving him the location of one bottle he quickly locates the other bottle. Now this has my curiosity peaked. What is this man thinking?

I stepped into his tv room and he was spraying the dog, Maggie!!!! He said she stinks. I said brush her and the smell will go away. He continues to spray her and asked me if I had sprayed her. No, I did not think of it. Well, she acts like you sprayed her.

I leave them to their smell party. Then Den comes in and says, while standing in front of the vacuum, where is the vacuum cleaner. I said I don't know and he locates one, not the one in front of him, but the one in another room.

Then you're not going to believe this...he vacuums the whole tv room and may have vacuumed Maggie too, I did not stay to watch.

I am in shock!

Wonderful, sweet, hubby is cleaning the tv room!!! He even spot cleaned the couch!!!

I step into a hair free, clean smelling room, with Maggie out of site.

I think this guy is a keeper!