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Lisa's Corner #21

A new place in Sardis called "Farm to Table Country Kitchen and Vintage Market" opened earlier this year. After the previous owner closed up shop, I figured it would just sit there as another empty building.

One weekend while driving by on Sardis Road, my husband and I were talking about what we would do it if we were able to get the building. I was thinking it would be a good place for a community center to rent out for weddings, family reunions, birthdays, etc. My husband thought it would be a great place to open a resturant and play live music. Back in the 90’s, we lived in Monticello and patronized a place called Melodies and Meals. They played live music and the owners wife cooked all the food. It was only a small place on Main Street in Monticello but the local musicians came to practice and play.

Tom Self and Carl Johnson (my dad). Taken in the mid 1980's.

My husband and I have been in the resale business for over 20 years together. I grew up with a father who would sell at the Pine Bluff Flea Market and he opened several different kinds of small shops in Sheridan. Buying and selling has been part of my life for most of my life so having a husband who also grew up buying and selling shouldn’t be no surprise to those who know me. My husband has been buying and selling since he could pull his little red wagon. He would sell turnip greens from his daddies garden. He was the youngest buyer in Southeast Arkansas at the local auction in Monticello. He was a ringman at the local auction and worked with several different auctioneers over the years. Everyone in Monticello knew him and selling is in his blood. He is also knowable in antique glass and vintage stuff in general. His auction family taught him well.

We personally know Wesley and Charlene Brown who now own the metal building next to the Dollar Store on Sardis. They are having great success. The locals are coming in to check it out even if it is just to browse. Everyone keeps asking about the kitchen. I think everyone is going to be surprised when they get a taste of Charlene’s cooking. She can cook anything. I am so glad that it was bought by them. They even have kept the Shoe tree alive that was taken down by the road department. A local painter painted a likeness of the Shoe tree on the metal building complete with shoes.

So when you have a free Saturday afternoon, take a little drive to Sardis. You will know you are in Sardis because you will see a sign that states “All Roads Lead to Sardis.” Stop in and say “hi” to Wesley and Charlene. Please feel free to browse around. They have a little bit of everything and if they don’t have it just ask. Tell them what you are looking for and they will pass it on to their booth renters. We like to know what you are looking for whether it is something vintage, handmade or new. Let us know. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

I think we have a strong community that can band together to help support our local business. Thanks again, Lisa Sanders 08/12/2018.

Safe Spaces

     From my second story window I could see the old bag lady. She pushed her wobbley Harvest Foods shopping cart across the Eighth Street Bridge. She wobbled like the cart from an old hip injury, and sang an inaudible song as the wheels squeaked. I could always tell when it was midnight because that's when I'd hear the first sign of her approach from the South. Looking out my window, I could see the library that I had checked books out from last week, and a tall apartment building for retired people blocked my view of the state capital. When the dirty, gray-haried woman's singing voice died away, I would get restless and felt the need to walk to the park a block away.
     I might as well get up. I can't sleep again tonight. I said to myself as the baby kicked inside of me. I wore the sleeveless, blue-striped dress my huband's grandmother made for me. We couldn't afford to go out and buy maternity clothes. We couldn't afford anything better than a one bedroom, roach-infested apartment in the downtown area. I grabbed my keys and slipped on my sandals with a broken strap. Might as well go the park and soak my aching feet. I descended the twenty steps easily. I was six months pregnant and, at least, I could still see my toes.
     At the bottom of the entraceway, a white aluminum door was my only protection from the bums who lived on the streets. I had my keys to unlock that thin door and the solid wooden door to our upstairs apartment but safety was the last thing on my mind. I walked South to the corner where a beer/liquor/candy/cigarette store stood. I sure to miss the sweet smell of cigarette smoke. I thought as I saw the display ad for Marlboro. I quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant in March.
     Our street was well lit but the street going East and West was quiet and dark. At the 3rd house on the left some people were sitting on their front porch. I assumed they were talking about me. I could feel goose bumps make my arm hairs stand on end. I walked faster until I passed by the cold brick house. I never felt safe until I reached that fountain. The red, yellow and blue lights under the water made the fountain indescent. The safe place had a low, five-brick wide edge for me to sit on and to feel the sprinkling of stray water hit my face and legs. I slipped off my shoes and plunged my feet into the water. The icy water felt angelic on my tired ankles.
     I wonder where my husband is tonight? I wonder if he even knows that I come here? I wonder if he even cares? This is my special place. This fountain takes away all my pain. It makes me feel that the only thing that exist in life are the two of us. My baby kicks inside of me. I lay back on the hard cold bricks that feel my frustration. I hear nothing. I see nothing. I relax to get away from my life.
     To the East, a harvest moon, like a big white ball in the sky hides behind a five-story building under contructions that has ghost like light shining through its big holes. A silver fence surrounds it and protects if from the park. A brown, haunting gazebo sits on empty barrels above the man-made, clear water pond. South of that, a high foot bridge, with wire across the top so no one, two women and three teenage boys, can plummet to their death onto the busy freeway underneath. To the West of the safe place, 6th Street is lined with crack houses and stolen cars.
     Sometimes, I would see red lights illuminating from a bedroom window or a drug deal going down on the street. If they looked my way, I would pretend I never saw a thing. I pulled my wet wrinkled feet out of the water and slipped them into the old sandals. I walked East, toward 6th Street and saw a group of men coming out the shadows towards me. I turned North. I walked faster. When I reached the corner store I heard a voice say "We'll get'r nex time." I knew it was the ninety's but safety wasn't important to me. All I cared about was getting away from the cramped apartment and finding a place where I could dream.

Update on my Life

     I want to update everyone who has read any of my post on things I have previously written but it seems I never have time. Well, I think I am going to start making time. Things are better than they used to be. We own our own land. We have good jobs and things are going good but as I watch things on YouTube, I get down because, well, it seems life could be over in the blink of an eye.

     What am I referring to? Besides the left and the one world government trying to take over? Well, it is Yellowstone National Park, It is Hawaii and the vulcano. It is the strange weather we are having and others in the world are having.

     It feels like things are looking up for us in our personal and financial lives but the world is crumbling down around us. They don't immediately effect us and our lives on a large scale but they will on a small scale down the road.

     I would like to write about exciting things - like telling you I have been abducted by aliens or that I had a near death experience and I saw Jesus and God - but I can't. I haven't had anything extraordinary happen to me nor my family. Even my mother-in-law who is getting older, survived colon cancer and mostly bed bound seems to be perculating right along.

     No, things aren't bad in my life (except for the fact that I can't lose weight.) 

I hope to find all my stories and post them on this blog and get them updated because I didn't know Triond is gone so all my writings went with them. But I do have them written down in a book somewhere so that is another plus. And I also want to tell you about my mom. She wrote things down in a diary but I don't know if I should be putting them on here for the whole world to see or not. I kind of want to but then again I don't. Let me know what you think?

Until next time, have a good day. Lisa

Chopping Block

I have some scrap wood from a house being built.

This is one of the smaller boards.

This will be the bottom.

I have sanded it down super smooth.

I have some scrap carpet that I am going to glue onto the bottom part.
I am going to use vegetable oil on it and I have an engraver.
I am going to engrave my name on it.
I will post the final pictures when I get it all done. I have several more blocks. I have an electric sander so when I get the right sandpaper for it, I will sand them down. I am thinking about giving them as Christmas presents. If I get real good, I might make more and try to sell them.

Homemade Compost Bin

Compost Bin made from wood pallets.

I started Sunday with only 4 pallets.

I used 3 for the sides and one for the bottom.

I used wire to keep the ends together.

I had mosquito netting which I stapled along the bottom.

And I stapled more of the netting around the bottom to hold in the compost.

I filled it with dead leaves, wood and grass from the yard.

After filling it

Since I do not have another pallet

I am using a board to block it off.

Peanut is our little brown dog on the left. The neighbors dog is on the other side of the fence trying to dig a hole to get out on the left.

I have my green bucket which I filled with water

I poured the water over the grass and

covered it with a peace of black plastic to it will get hot.

Marinating.

August 27th 2016 Small project at home

This is what we did today. It took us all day, my husband and I, but that's okay. We have to do things for ourselves.

 We put two peaces of plywood down for a floor to keep them off of the ground.

I don't know if they have taken advantage of it yet.

We are going to get some straw and enclose this front side that you see. The left side is the North side and I am hoping it keeps out the cold winds.

It may not be perfectly square or plumb but when I asked the dogs to raise their hands if any of them objected - we didn't get any hands up.

This is how it works.