Homestead Dreams

These brick steps once led the way to the front door of a house that is no longer there.  I wonder who lived in that house when it was first built?  Did they have a good life or something less than that.  What did they dream about as a child and did at least some of those dreams come true?  The answers to those questions will likely remain a mystery to me.

I wonder who will build the next house in back of these red bricks and who will be the first to make the new house their home?  Will kids live there and if so, what will they dream about when they dream about their future?   Regardless of what these children end up dreaming about I hope each has at least a few occasions when "visions of sugarplums dance in their heads"!

On sweet-dreams and long-ago-home topics, I'll try to keep you posted....

Lanterns and Overrated Service

If you watch HGTV or any similar TV shows, even occasionally, then you're well aware of the possibilities of adding to your home's ambiance for not a lot of money.  I picked up a couple of these little read lanterns at Walmart a few years ago for about $5.  With very little effort, I hung the lantern on the wall of our Missouri log cabin and BOOM there it is.

Not a bad addition for about the price of a Starbucks frappuccino...not including tax or largely unearned tip.  And if we're expected to tip the coffee gal at the coffee shoppe, why don't we tip the kid who rings up our stuff at Walmart or Piggly Wiggly? They're doing at least as much work as the coffee person if not more.  Not that I have anything against the coffee folks.  Some of my best friends are coffee folks.  But what is it about pouring a cup of coffee, even if the coffee has to be steamed and frothed, that makes the person getting it for us worthy of special treatment.  Heck, I bought a chain for my Stihl 361 pro saw yesterday at the tractor place and the young lad who sold it to me had to risk potential injury climbing up a ladder to retrieve it off the top shelf in the parts room.  And, as far as I know, he didn't have a tip jar on his counter.  Now if anyone deserves a tip for retail/restaurant heroism, it was that young man!  Now that I think about it, I'm going to Starbucks right now to ask for the tip back I left last week so I can run it over to the tractor store kid.  And I'm not even going to wait until I get around to it:)

On lantern and tip related topics, I'll do my best to keep you posted....

P.S.  If anyone who reads this is a coffee barista or has a family member or close friend who is a coffee barista, I apologize if I've offended you.  I just feel that when you pay $2-$3 for a cup of black coffee, it's offensive to have a tip jar staring you in the face the entire 8 seconds it takes to pour your coffee.

P.S.  If Peter or Mauricio from 211 Cafe in downtown Bentonville reads this, I love you guys and will continue tipping for your services.  Dangit, there I go again:  More bark than bite!

When I Get Around To It

I used to know a guy who carried several little plastic discs in his pocket and when he heard someone say, "...when I get around to it" he'd take one out and hand it to them.  Printed on the front of the disc was, "Round Tuit".  Then he'd smile and say, "Now that you have a round tuit, you don't have an excuse for waiting."

With that in mind, the yellow electrical wire hanging from the loft support log in the living area of our cabin, has been hanging down like that for 14 years now. Eventually, I plan to hang a light fixture from it.  Perhaps I'll get that done one day, if I ever get a round tuit.  I'll keep you posted as things progress.

P.S. That reminds me of another project I need to get around to: Installing the converted oil lamp that used to hang in my Great-Great Grandparents farm house in Moniteau County, Missouri.  Now that's a project worthy of some attention.  Perhaps Klietus will be able to give me a hand on both lamp projects if he ever returns from his month long motor-scooter trip through the Rocky Mountains.  Has anyone seen Klietus?

Old Is Underrated!

Often times old is underrated!

This is a +120 year old original interior brick wall at Table Mesa; a restaurant on The Square in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.  The building that this restaurant is housed in has no doubt been occupied by dozens of businesses over the years, dating back to the mid to late 19th century.  Patrons of long ago businesses at this location would have included folks who road into town on a horse or bounced in on a buggy.  These days, this place is frequented by a broadly diverse group of patrons ranging from those who arrive by modest means to "The Few, The Proud...the $5000 bicycle crowd".

Personally, I like older "previously used" things that have character and come with a story.  I've always told my bride of 36 years that if she ever "runs off" with the neighbor's pool boy, I'd probably eventually be on the look out for an older woman, as youth is largely overrated.  Not that there's anything wrong with being young.  Some of my best friends are "Yutes".  (What movie did the lead character refer to kids as "Yutes"?)  

Regarding old and not so old, I'll try to keep you posted.

P.S. If you found "Old and Ridiculous" through the Pioneer Log Homes of BC website, welcome to NW Arkansas-SW Missouri.  If you stumbled onto it while trying to find a YouTube video on how to rebuild the carburetor on a 1955 John Deere Utility Tractor.....AWESOME FOR YOU!