Earlier in the spring, I found myself wandering through one of my favorite shops…a great small-town store that has become a “must” anytime I’m nearby. Filled to the brim with everything vintage, primitive, antique, and retro, it’s nothing short of fabulous!
On one of the walls was this sign:
Something about it caught my eye…the lovely shade of turquoise-blue, the talent behind the hand-lettering, the message. Yes…so true, NEVER stop making wishes!
As much as it called to me, it really didn’t “fit” into our style. Built in 1864, I’ve tried to fill our home with things that have a sense of history…old trunks, cupboards with wavy glass, sponge-ware dishes alongside yellow-ware bowls, spinning wheels, handmade quilts…you get the idea. As cute as this sign was, it just wouldn’t work.
After wandering through the store, I finally told myself, “It NEEDS a home.” You see where this is going…yep, it did come home with me. I wrapped it in paper and tucked it away. Not sure what to do with it, but knowing it just had to be a little gift to me, from me.
Which leads me to this…no matter what, NEVER stop making wishes. What do you wish for? Dreams delayed come true every day! Just because you’re living in an apartment now, doesn’t mean you won’t be gathering eggs from your own happy hens in the country some day. Making business deals across the conference room table, doesn’t mean that you won’t be making lunches for kids, and yes, climbing the corporate ladder, can be exchanged for chasing fireflies. Here’s a little story of my “dream delayed.”
An earlier post of mine was titled Dream A Little Dream and all about the search for a vintage camper–a search my teenage daughter began–and I was determined to help her. There’s the story of the cutest little 10′ Shasta compact camper that was the $100 find of the century! Not my find, of course, but one lucky gal had her wish come true. It was so…Tiny. Yellow. Adorable.
Then there was another Shasta I drove by for several days just pondering over. Maybe? Maybe not. Okay, definitely! Peeked inside…no leaks, had potential, yes! Bring the Hubby to look over it/climb under it…let’s make plans!
Lesson learned…do not ponder too long. By the time I decided to show it to Hubby, it was gone. On it’s way to Michigan with a young family. You know, for months I found myself still looking at the spot where it sat…as if I could turn back time and it would still be there.
I kept looking in the paper and reading online auctions. Nothing was right, or nearby, or simply nothing existed at all. Vintage campers have taken off like wildfire and I could find nothing. And so the search continued…for years.
One day I sat down to catch up on a friend’s blog, I’d followed the progress on her 1963 Yellowstone camper for about 5 years. Freshly painted, with cheery fabric stitched into curtains and comfy seating, it was fun to look at the before and after snapshots.
While reading her blog I blinked…what? “I have decided to let our little trailer find a new home.” No pondering this time…I immediately commented, and then, just in case she didn’t have time to check her blog, I sent an email. I knew that the camper was well-cared for and only about 15 minutes away. In no time Hubby and I looked it over, then brought along a friend who knows all the ins and outs of vintage campers. He suggested roof repairs and a quick fix on the water line.
And you know what? That sweet little 13 foot 1963 Yellowstone Cab-over camper is sitting at our farm. The first thing I did was unwrap and hang the picture telling me to “Never Stop Making Wishes.” While the turquoise blue wasn’t right for our home, it was perfect for a camper now named Maizy! I’m dressing her up with turquoise, cherry red and a bit of lightning-bug yellow…I’m having fun putting my own retro spin on her. And you know, for someone who loves antiques and primitives, who knew I had a surprising amount of vintage goodies tucked away just waiting for someday?
I’ll share some more photos of her interior transformation…what fun it’s been for my daughter and I to camp out in Maizy…even if we never left the back yard.
So as we shortly enter 2019…remember this:
Never Stop Making Wishes!
Images Courtesy of Mary Murray
