A visit from a friend…A tour

This past weekend I had a house guest from Pennsylvania – Linda flew in on Friday morning very early…early enough so that we could use the day to have some fun…but she didn’t expect that we’d be driving directly from the airport, for about 1 hour 45 minutes to a shop!  Yep…all the way to Ripon to A Simpler Time.  I guess I thought as long as she was here we’d go – mainly because she probably won’t be back this way again for ages.
And on Saturday we took her over to Delevan to Millie’s Pancake House to visit some shops there and see the area.
Then a ride through Lake Geneva…tons of people already in this little resort town…we drove through and headed on out…too many cars/people.
Then out to the Northwind Perennial Gardens to see all the gorgeous planting, ponds, water falls and things.
We put on lots of miles in two days!

We had a wonderful visit…and then Sunday Doug left on his golf trip and so it was just the two of us…and what did we do…NOTHING!  I think we were both bushed and also not much is open around here on a Sunday, so it was a lazy kind of day. Caught up on some things and ate – goodness did we eat this past weekend!  Yesterday I took her to the airport to go back home – I imagine she was rather glad to be getting back home where she could stay put…lol

One of the most wonderful things we got to do was visit Dan Dipaolo’s place…I kept it a surprise for her….I e-mailed Dan earlier in the week to see if I could bring her out to the farm/studio/shop while she was here. His place doesn’t open up until this next weekend but he was so sweet and generous to say yes, we could come on out.  If I didn’t know him like I do I wouldn’t have been so brazen to ask!
Well let me tell you he gave us a wonderful tour of his gorgeous home – the atmosphere and feeling you get when you are in his home is so warm and inviting – like you belong there – very comforting feeling.
Not only did he show us his home but a tour of his gorgeous log cabin studio.
The main floor is used for meetings, guests and relaxing. Upstairs is his studio…I was in awe just seeing how he created some of his beautiful work – he even described some of the process and we got a sneak peek at his newest projects.

I took just a couple photos inside his home…we were too busy taking it all in to take pictures !
 

This is Ruth…she had some burrs on her nose!

I only got pictures of the entry and dining room area

His studio log cabin

If you are in the Wisconsin area his opening weekend is May 26, 27 from 11 to 5
Check out the dates…maybe you can attend one of the fun weekends

See the sofa in the picture below…it’s on my list of things to look at on Saturday!!!!
When we were out there on Saturday it was all covered with packing paper and plastic…

Check out Dan’s blog
http://dandipaolostudios.blogspot.com/ 

Goodness I almost forgot…my brother is cleaning out my aunts house after she passed and he gave me a doll she had.
Well, the doll itself isn’t important and it could use some tender loving care BUT…the hair on it is important – it is made from my grandmothers hair.
She had very long very red hair…she was very Irish (Rook/Minick) !  She always had her hair in braids. Well one day she had them cut off…still in braids – and she put them in a drawer where they were for YEARS!  One day she was cleaning out the drawers and tossed them away…my aunt saw them and couldn’t believe she would do that – she kept the braids and had the hair put on a doll…MY BROTHER GAVE ME THE DOLL…needless to say I cried!
Isn’t that the prettiest red hair ?  She had the same color when she died at 88.  Never had it colored and it didn’t turn gray.

Guess that’s all this week everyone – lots to do so probably
won’t be on again for awhile.
I have a swap package I need to get finished and sent out to Tammy from
http://aprimitiveplace.blogspot.com/

Blessings…Karen