SONGLAND...

I watch a lot of television. (duh!)

And thanks to Lilly -- I listen to a lot of current music.

Although, with young people -- things move at WARP speed...it's really hard to keep up.

Just as I was all full of myself because I could recognize a Billie Eilish song when it came on the radio -- Lilly is OVER IT.

Billie Eilish doesn't know it yet -- but she is on the has-been train, along with Miley Cyrus and the sisters from the Frozen movie...which means only "little kids" can like them...

This summer, one of our favorite shows was SONGLAND.  It was so interesting to see young songwriters come on the show, and pitch their songs to recording artists...

Last week, the band Old Dominion came on the show to find a new song for a JEEP commercial.

It was absolutely fascinating to watch the progression of this song.  From the initial inspiration of the young songwriter...it morphed into an anthem for JEEP...

 I LOVE THIS SONG...and the commercial is so good -- I wanna buy a JEEP...!!

Our Bettendorf Mansion Tour

Of course, every TMBC starts off with THE MEAL. On this special day, we met at a new local restaurant for an early lunch...The food was delicious...

THEN -- if we're lucky -- somebody has brought a SEW AND TELL... 

On this day -- it was LP.  She's still whittling away on her Row by Row panels.

This (mostly paper pieced) panel was from a local Quilt Shop.  A Riverboat, of course....

I took a lot of pictures.  EVERYTHING in this mansion is original.

I lost count of the fireplaces.

The woodworking has never been touched.

So many of the rooms reminded us of Downton Abbey...

AND THE PLUMBING..!! Imagine this luxurious china bathtub in 1909...it weighs over 500 pounds!!

But I thought the most remarkable thing about the mansion was all the original plaster...

Holy Cow!!  When you think it's over 100 years old -- it is in every room, on the ceilings, the walls, the fireplaces...and it's ALL ORIGINAL...

All in excellent condition...as though it was just finished...

Really -- we didn't learn much about the plaster in this mansion -- but I've never seen anything like it.

It made me wonder who did this work?  Was it common i 1909?  What was the process?

Is it a lost art?

And THANK GOD this mansion has remained in such a pristine, untouched condition for over 100 years...

And it never had to suffer a bad 1970's remodel...

Every ceiling in every room was different -- and SPECTACULAR...

Every fireplace had a different plaster theme...

After our tour of the mansion, I kept thinking about the plaster work.

The term "lost art" has never been more meaningful. How did we lose this art?

When did plaster quit being an option?  What happened to the artisans who did this work?  How were they trained?  Why did it stop?  Did the demand go away?  Did they not have a good apprentice program?  Why would people quit doing this?

Was it cost prohibitive? Did it simply go out of fashion? Was it replaced by a cheaper, easier process?

Did the invention of drywall destroy the plaster business?

I'm just saying...we pay a huge price for progress.

Bettendorf Mansion

For starters -- you need to read this article from our local newspaper. Barb Ickes wrote an article about a hidden gem here in our area...the Bettendorf Mansion...which I knew NOTHING about...


https://qctimes.com/news/local/barb-ickes/off-limits-places-the-william-bettendorf-mansion/article_008b7c85-4eee-518a-83aa-11f45f94760b.html

Of course -- WE HAD TO GO...

Out this window? The Mississippi River. You can see what a fabulous view Mr. Bettendorf would've had -- if only he'd lived long enough to move into his mansion...

22 acres of primo real estate...

Tomorrow -- I'll show you what I think was the MOST REMARKABLE thing about the mansion!! (I mean -- besides the fact that NOBODY KNEW IT WAS THERE..)

BEST FIND OF THE DAY..!!

Leaving Platteville, my back seat was FULL.

I bought six swimsuits for me ($6 each),Three brand new Lands End capri pants (25 cents)...a new bathmat, some books. Of course, I always shop for the kids, and I bought some shoes for Warren, two swimsuits for Lilly ($2.50)....well, you can imagine.

Deanna shopped for her daughter, Teri, who works in an office. She sent her 9 dresses, a two piece swimsuit ($65 on the Land’s End web site, she paid $1), and Teri’s swim bottoms retail for $69 (free after I purchased my $75 swim skirt for $6 bucks!).

The Bargain Nook is A.N.... A.M.A.Z.I.N.G....little thrift store.  Much of their merchandise is brand new...and it's all very organized, and sorted according to size, etc.

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN..!!

But, the best find of the day didn't come from Land's End. It wasn't NEW merchandise...it was vintage...

The little labels inside said, "Vintage Spooner" ...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

No kidding...SIX vintage glass spooners.

Every one was unique...I could NOT believe they knew what they had...

The hard part is going to be deciding which ones I MUST buy...!!

Then -- I realized this important fact...

THEY WERE ONLY $3, $4 OR $5...APIECE...

EAT YOUR HEART OUT, NANCY..!!

I decided to buy FOUR of the spooners.  Best not to be greedy, eh??

Platteville TREASURE

Okay -- so I am still basking in the glow of our wonderful day in Platteville, Wisconsin.

After our DELICIOUS downtown lunch, Deanna and I hit the huge consignment store across the street.

Platteville has some wonderful thrift stores...but, by far our BIGGEST HAUL OF THE DAY came from the wonderful Bargain Nook.

In Wisconsin, the Hodan Center provides services for disabled people, senior programs, employment etc. -- and their thrift stores are located in many beautiful little towns. Mt. Horeb, Mineral Point, Darlington -- and, hey -- PLATTEVILLE..

This store, of course, played a big role in WHY WE SELECTED PLATTEVILLE for our annual meet up.

They receive a lot of merchandise from another Wisconsin business -- Land's End...

The big sale on this day?? LANDS END SWIMSUITS....Already on sale for the unbelievable price of $12...you get TWO for that price!!

I bought this suit (full disclosure -- this is not me...)

i bought this suit in two different colors...(again, not me)...

Tomorrowo -- the biggest treasure of the day!! Brace yourself...

Deanna Day, Part Two

Platteville was the perfect place for me and Deanna to have our Summer Hook Up. One of the things we look for is a cute little "downtown"...

And Wisconsin is LOADED with these adorable small towns.  Deanna and I have met in Fennimore, Mt. Horeb, New Glarus, Mineral Point...well, you get the idea.  I actually think we could close our eyes and choose ANY RANDOM TOWN in Wisconsin...

That's how cute this entire State is...

Downtown Platteville did NOT disappoint

After two very successful forays into a couple thrift stores -- it's time for the MAIN EVENT.

My favorite picture of us!

I was encouraged by the creative light fixtures.

OF COURSE, in Wisconsin, cheese curds are a "side dish" choice!! 

My Deanna Day!!

ROAD TRIP..!! 

Deanna is coming from Beaver Dam -- and I'm driving from Princeton, Iowa. We always try to pick a town that's about halfway for both of us. this year -- Platteville was the lucky winner!! It's less than a two hour drive...and we had a PICTURE PERFECT DAY

Of course, if you're planning a Road Trip -- the first thing you have to do is line up your supplies....

My basket has: cellphone, CD books, purse, money, AAA card, a gift for Deanna and a GARMIN.

First stop?  CASEY'S, OF COURSE.  I could pretend I wanted their delicious coffee...

BUT WE ALL KNOW A ROAD TRIP REQUIRES Breakfast Bacon Pizza!! The perfect road food...

It was a stunning day.  I was listening to a wonderful book...Tess Gerritsen (she writes the Rizzoli and Aisles series)...the book was "The Silent Girl"...and it was a wonderful mystery.  I LOVED IT.

After about an hour in the car, I was crossing the Mississippi River into Wisconsin.

Deanna arrived about 10 minutes before me...so she had a  headstart with the shopping...

Aunt Adda's 90'th Birthday Party

Jackie came back to Iowa for her Mom's birthday. Even though it was at Aunt Adda's house -- she didn't know her daughters had actually put together a big surprise party.

OF COURSE THERE WAS CAKE..!!

We gave her our quilt...

It even had a special occasion label...

We were thrilled to give her such a special gift.

Aunt Adda's Quilt

Every Tuesday, I have breakfast with my girls. We call ourselves the TMBC...which stands for "Tuesday Morning Book Club". Although, nowadays, it's much more of a Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club...and, we all love to sew -- so we are often the Tuesday Morning Block Club...

Oh, yeah -- this great pic from 2012!! I picked it because it was taken at a lunch at Aunt Adda's house.

Adda is the connecting lego of the TMBC.  She is the mother to Linda K. and Jackie...she is an Aunt to me (she married my Dad's brother)...and she is an Aunt to LP and Sandy (she is a sister to their mother).

Aunt Adda was having her 90th birthday this summer.  We decided the perfect gift would be a ragged edge t-shirt quilt.

Of course -- it was MY JOB to gather up 30 pithy t-shirts...

As you can imagine, this was NO PROBLEM for me...

We went to Sandy's house to preview the available shirts...this one says, "Favorite Aunt"...

Then, we rented our favorite room at the library.  $5 FOR THE WHOLE DAY...!!  And all that great light...

We made short work of this quilt, I'm telling you...!!