The Story of Elsie

This is the story of Elsie.

Saturday, November 16th, the whole family went to an estate auction just a handful of miles west of us.  The widower had passed away and everything in the house and outside buildings were being auctioned off as part of the estate.  Josh was interested in some things and the kids and I went just to get out of the house for what we thought would be three or four hours of an auction.

As it turned out, the auction was packed (PACKED!) with just about anything and everything one would ever think they would possibly find in a house.  Every kitchen utensil, appliance, décor item, towels, tools, a couple of vehicles and even a three wheeler.... I mean just about everything! There were even two complete magazine collections from the 50s (I believe) that I'm sure someone made a very pretty penny on!  The "three or four hours" turned into an all day ordeal.  It also provided an opportunity for me to not only bid on, but win, my first auction item.  Two items actually!

The first was an old oil lantern to add to my small, but growing, collection.

The small one there in front is one that my mother's mother gave me many moons ago.  The one farthest on the right was given to Josh and I by his Uncle Arlin and Aunt Donna for our wedding.  The one in the far back is the one I won at the auction.  And the big bowl one in the front on the left is one given to me by Rhonda. 

If anyone has any oil lanterns they want to get rid of, you know where they could find a good home.  :-)

The second item I got was a cute little holiday sled decoration.  They started the bid at, like, $3.00 or something and no one wanted it.  They eventually dropped it down to $1.00 and I figured for being such a cute sled, I'd pay a buck. 

See?  Cute.  Not bright or flashy or modern... just old and cute.

I bid, but they didn't see me.  Oh well, I thought.

But its a good they didn't see me because their overlooking my hand was how I eventually ended up with Elsie!  After not getting a dollar for the sled, they bundled it with a yard cow.  I don't know what else to call it besides a yard cow.  It turned out to be kinda cute, but not something I ever would have considered putting any kind of money towards.  So they bundled the yard cow and the sled and still asked for a dollar. 

I bid.  They saw.  I won.

And the fluke win of the yard cow thus began the story of Elsie, which she was so named after becoming a Van Zante. 

Elsie has been a running joke here on the yard since she arrived.  I've placed her in random places for Josh to find as he's choring or just getting back on the yard after being gone for the day.  She's been tethered to a hut and tarp strapped halfway up our grain bin. (I climbed as high as I could before my ungloved hands began to freeze).  She's met him at the back door, been stuck in the middle of the yard and also greeted him at the lower drive in the middle of a rainstorm.  (And let me tell you, that was a COLD November rain!)  So, she's been a running... well, um,... moooooooving joke in our family.  (Get it?)

One night, I had a yard cow epiphany.  The next day, I gathered some old International red spray paint, an old can of white paint, an old Christmas wreath and asked Josh to cut me a board for the sign.  And voila....

Elsie now wishes those who pass by our house a "Moooorry Christmas!"

I'm the wife of a cattle man and therefore it should not surprise anyone my grand epiphany would have involved a yard cow and a catchy phrase.  I think it's entirely appropriate!

She's found a permanent location, at least for now.  After Christmas, I'm sure she'll start surprising Josh again.  I've got some grand ideas in mind just where she's going to end up one of these days!