That was a loooong weekend

On Friday night our internet went out. Then our phone followed. Calls to our cable/internet/phone company revealed that indeed, there was a "problem in your area". When things still weren't fixed 8 hours later, another call was made. Oh so sorry, we'll get someone out withing 24-48 hours.

Don't they know that I have a farm & city to run? Status messages to giggle over? Email that needs my immediate attention?!

Apparently they do know but just do not care.

It would be Tuesday before our phone & "interwebs" were up and running.

Tuesday I went to a local hotel with lots of other collectors because these guys were in town. I gathered up my Whiting & Davis mesh bag collection (well, 6 of my bags) as well as the Italian mosaic jewelry that I used to collect. I got to the hotel, signed in with the roadshow & sat with the other collectors who were hoping for the chance to make the "OMG, grandma's tea pot is worth WHAT????!!!!" happy face. I was number 31 & when I sat down, they were on number 16. A lot of people had coins as the ads specified, they were looking for gold/silver. Several collectors were very knowledgeable about their collections. We started to notice that there were very few "OMG grandma's tea pot is worth WHAT???!!!" happy faces coming out of the evaluation room. In fact, some people were coming out with very sour expressions. Some told us that we shouldn't waste our time waiting to be seen. Hmmmm. One of the more talkative gentlemen with coins was called several numbers before me. When he came out, he told another gentleman to leave as he was offered face value for his silver coins. Not market value on the silver, but face value. Hmmmm

Finally I was called in & met with one of their "evaluators". I realize that it's very difficult to have an expert in everything travel the country, but surely they could have people with maybe coin expertise, one with jewelry, books, etc. My guy looked at my collection as I explained the different types of mesh used & how it indicate the age of the piece. What styles I had (cathedral frame with sapphire cabochon, picadilly, an el-sah, dresden mesh, sunset mesh) & which were the more rare pieces. He'd type something on his laptop & when all was said & done, I was offered a price that would have paid for 2 of my bags. I realize that they're not going to offer top dollar, but come on. First they offer face value on coins that are worth much more, then they offer me an amount that is more than half of what my bags are worth? Um, no thank you. If you see them coming to your town & you're thinking about having grandma's tea pot appraised---don't have it done by them. Find a reputable antique dealer, do research on your own, do something but avoid these guys.

And lastly, Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss! It's also Read Across America Day. I went in to school this morning to read to Sunshine's class. We read Green Eggs & Ham, The Gingerbread Girl (one of Sunshine's favorites) & While The World Was Sleeping. It was a very fun way to take part in such an important day.

Reading was very big deal in my family. Still is. Some of my earliest memories of going out with my mom involve going to the local library. I remember they had a collection of Peter Rabbit & Babar books that were made for very little hands. I'd spend forever sitting in the children's section looking at the pictures before I was able to read the words. If you ask my mother, she will very proudly tell you that I had my own library card when I was 2. Ironically, my very first job would be at that library as a page/librarian's assistant. I was the only 13 year old who knew the Dewey decimal system by heart.

We began reading to Sunshine when she was a baby---probably 2-3 months old. I knew she wouldn't understand the word, but the pictures would eventually prove to be entertaining to her. When she was 3, she had Green Eggs & Ham, Good Night, Moon & Make Way for Dinosaurs memorized. I loved listening to her "read" these books with me when we were snuggling in her bed. It was really amazing when she learned to read, would sound out words & was really reading on her own. I'm glad we're raising a reader.

The quote for RAA Day is obviously a Dr. Seuss quote that I love: "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child."

I hope that today you're wacky & wild when you read to a child---they'll love it & you'll find you will too!!