Check ArtsyMama’s blog for some GREAT photos of the Junk Market. Here she is with the sign "Cari with a C" made for "Kari with a K"!

I made FIVE peach pies for the Customer1 and HunTel Engineering guys for lunch. Man, that’s alot of pies!

We came across this bus at the Lake. It’s an advertisement for Templeton Rye, a whiskey that was made in a small town near Carroll, Iowa, at the time of prohibition. My brother the salesman was brought up on the stuff.

The bus actually belongs to a BAND that was playing at the Lake…the Nadas. Listen to the song here.

This is the view I had driving home today. Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles of
orange
cones.
On Interstate 29. Between Sioux City and Blair.
I was on my way home to the LAST FIRST GAME!
The only reason I would leave THIS

would be for THIS

And, finally, a big happy birthday (late) to my best boyfriend. He quietly turned still a few years younger than me on August 30. Hope you have a happy year, sweetie!

un beeeeeeeee leeeeeeeeeee vable.

The Junk Bonanza was…….well……heaven.
I took my camera, but was too dazed to take pictures. I did take one of ArtsyMama at her booth and bought some of her neat flashcards. It was nice to see a familiar face in the sea of all things junk! I also saw the women from Dime Store Days in Fremont and made a new friend from Laurel. She and I had a great chat.

I started my excursion in Mankato, where I thought I’d spend a day on their downtown riverfront area, shopping and sipping coffee at a quaint shop.
NO SUCH LUCK. I did not have fun at all in Mankato. No quaint coffee shops, antique stores were few and far between, and several were closed for no reason. I stayed at a hotel there that smelled of smoke, had thin walls and even thinner sheets.

But the NEXT town…St. Peter….made up for Mankato. Several antique stores, cute coffee spot. I’d love to go back there again.

My maps worked, and I made it to Medina just as the Junk Bonanza doors were opening. The first person I met was Ki! She was very nice to me, and seemed most unflustered amid all the chaos. The big convention center was filled with the best junk ever. They also had a huge tent next to it, with lots of portapotties all lined up. (Nice touch for us girls!)

I bought lots of buttons for Megan, some great flashcards, and a few other things. I’ll take some pictures when I get home.

Some vendors made me feel very welcome, and I liked that. Some could care less that I had wandered in their booth. They paid more attention to others. That’s fine. I’ll wait my turn to purchase something……

I’m glad I went. I saw alot of stuff I liked, but didn’t really want to own.
But there are alot of really talented women out there.

Taking a little trip this week to Junk Bonanza!!!  I’m nervous about getting lost, but I’ve got maps and a pretty good sense of direction. I’m looking forward to a few miles alone! This is the best part about being a "semi-retired mom"…I have a little time to have a little fun!

I’m on the lookout for BUTTONS for Megan’s etsy store. I love finding the perfect, unique button that she transforms into a flower or pin.
I’m also collecting vintage Pyrex and other stuff that catches my eye.
I will be probably listening to the newest Harry Potter book on CD while in my mom-van…..and my David Cassidy CD’s.

See you later!