A Spring Sonata

As I bid adieu to the last camellia blossoms of winter, another group of players enter the stage. 

I am filled with childlike wonder, as I anticipate the most glorious symphony of floral magnificence about to be performed.

Slowly at first, bloom by brilliant bloom, each member of this ensemble emerges, playing its designated part, until the outside of the cottage is engulfed in color as radiant as the sun.

Though the daffodils merely introduce part one of this movement, they are, indeed, cheerful trumpeters in this spring sonata.

The fragrant hyacinths and tulips are instrumental to this particular composition...

and play in perfect harmony alongside the sweet violets...

and cheery periwinkle.

The tempo of this piece speeds up, as each of the fruit trees–in rapid succession–contributes its own lyrical beauty.

Not to be outdone by the serene chords of the dogwood blossoms...

or the vibratos of the irises.

Alas, though it seems that the beautiful music has just begun,

the finale is at hand 

The dreamy sonata of this season is now reaching its conclusion.

And I must bid a sad farewell, until next year.

But, my sadness is abated as I observe a new ensemble of players taking their seats...

and another composition being prepared.

It is a masterful work I am quite familiar with.

I gladly welcome this introductory quartet to the cottage–roses, clematis and daisies.

And I now await the full gathering of the symphony of summer.

It is one I'm sure I will thoroughly enjoy–almost as much as the one before.


My floral mosaics are a perfect fit for Mary's Mosaic Monday

and Cielo's Show Off Your Cottage Monday.
I'm going to share all this outdoor loveliness at Susan's for Outdoor Wednesday.

My cottage flowers are worthy of show and tell at Cindy's place.

I'm also joining the fun at Tootsie's for Ferilizer Friday. 

Digging for Diamonds

There is a common thread connecting each of the items in the mosaic above.  Actually, there are several common threads:  

• They're all past projects for the Yankee and me.  
• I've shared a bit about them in previous posts. 
• Each of them was once a diamond in the rough, discovered while digging around the treasure mine pictured below.

 

When I shared the results of the therapy we administered to the Victorian lady–found here at Cline's–I also gave you a few glimpses of this fun place.

Your comments indicated that you were as excited to catch those few glimpses–of one of my very favorite stomping grounds–as you were to see the project transformation.

So, I thought I would make all you treasure hunters drool a tad bit more.  ; )

In many ways, this place looks pretty much the same way it did when the Yankee and I stumbled upon it almost fifteen years ago...

with the exception of the addition of a number of longbed-trailers filled with the overflow of all sorts of goodies...

and a selection of imported "new" items given a faux-aged finish.

If you enjoy a good hunt, and you love digging for unique treasure, you would be totally thrilled to visit this antique lover's / junker's haven.

The goods are in a constant state of change–almost daily–with buyers moving it out and pickers bringing new treasures in. 

And it's not unusual to bump into the owner, Don Cline, at various local auctions, adding to this already bursting-at-the-seams inventory.

What once was a very large family owned and operated farm–until 1973–is now host to such a mine of unusual, unique objects that movie studios even shop this haunt looking for props.

Barns that once housed 12,000 laying hens are now packed to the rafters with wonderful antique, vintage, and, often, one-of-a-kind treasures.

And if you can't find that special something inside, just take a gander outside, around the barns...

where you're likely to encounter loads of old farm equipment...

and

unique collectibles.

In need of a door?

A barnful awaits you–antique, vintage, and new.

Looking for an old window or two?

Cline's has a few.

How about an antique iron bed...

or two...

or three?

Is rusty, chippy metal your passion? 

Whether vintage or new...

or new made to look vintage...

you can find everything from the whimsical...

to the standard garden-variety at this one-stop junker's paradise.

Diamonds in the rough abound in this jumble of junk, if you are willing to dig them out.

And, you're sure to meet the master of ceremonies of this little show whenever you visit.

By the way, don't let his old-country-boy exterior fool you. 

This guy holds an MBA and was,

for years, 

 a college professor of economics...

before the junkin' bug bit him.  ; )

You'll most often find him lounging in the cool shade of this sixty-year-old Ash tree or tooling around the grounds in his green Kawasaki.

On colder days, he'll be perched in one of his favorite spots–

his old barber's chair, next to the vintage woodstove.

Once you've visited this fun junkin' spot, you'll want to hurry back to see what new finds await you. 

It will be difficult not to spend the entire day rummaging through every little nook and cranny–each and every time you visit–because the inventory changes so frequently...

and there are sooo many tempting treasures yet to be discovered.

Just come prepared ladies...'cause there's no indoor plumbing!

Cline's Country Antiques

11839 Highway 49 N

Mt Pleasant, NC 28124

I think I'll share my magical makeovers mosaic @ Mary's

See if you can spy with your little eye the bounty of blues to share @ Sally's

There's a vintage thing or two I'd like to share @

Where a Garden of Kindness Blooms-Part 1

Image Source: Marlith; GNU Free Documentation License

The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life. ~ William Wordsworth

In the short span of time that I have been a blogger–forty-eight days to be exact–I have experienced abundant kindness...in both word and deed.

Image Source: R Neil Marshman; GNU Free Documentation License

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. ~ Scott Adams

Image Source: User:Erin Silversmith Dec 2005

Each act I've encountered has been a sweet, fragrant bloom presented from the vast garden of kindness here in the blogosphere.

Image Source: Mr Poortom; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves. ~ Amelia Earhart

Image Source: Amanda, Jonathan & Hannes Grobe; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license

Each of you has been a cherished contributor to the mosaic of beauty here at the Brambleberry Cottage–with your sweet comments and willingness to encourage and lend a helping hand.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

xo,

Liz