Treasure Hunt

Yesterday morning Travis and I were awakened at quarter to six by a brusque knock on the door of the guest bedroom at my sister-in-law's house. It was his dad, telling us it was time to get up and get ready to hit the road. What warranted such an early start? The Elkhorn Antique Flea Market in Elkhorn, WI. My in-laws came into town for the weekend ostensibly to visit their kids, but really to be closer to the big event in WI on Sunday. My in-laws are big into antiques and invited Travis and I to come along. It was my first antique show, whereas as a kid, Travis was compelled to attend countless of these events with his parents, whether he liked it or not (he didn't). Time changes you, though, and having a wife and a home gave him a new perspective.

What helped us both enjoy ourselves yesterday was that we were on the hunt for a specific kind of treasure. Since settling in Oak Park, we've had the idea that we'd really like to hang a stained glass window pane in our home as art. Oak Park and Forest Park have their share of antique shops, but the windows we found were rather pricey, and none of the designs "spoke to us" loudly enough to warrant shelling out that kind of cash. An Elkhorn veteran herself, Travis' sister assured me that if we were going to find a window we loved at a more reasonable price, the Elkhorn Market was the place to find it.

After wandering through what felt like an endless maze of booths and displays spread out all over the fair grounds, and seeing many different stained glass windows of various colors, designs, and prices, we found the one that "spoke to us." It said something like, "Well now, would you look at me? Ever seen anything so fine? Check out my colors, my framing. I'm even ready to hang! Hold me up to the light and see the sun shine through. Wouldn't I look great in your living room? Take me home!" We listened to the compelling pitch, considered her superior beauty and finishing, and conferred amongst ourselves. Then Travis bartered, we made the purchase, and brought her home. Here she is in her new environs, followed by a close up so you can appreciate our treasure in detail.

 

The other thing that helped us enjoy ourselves? Fair food. BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, roasted corn on the cob, cheese curds, and bakery-fresh cream puffs and eclairs. Yum.

(What does it say about me that I carried my camera around an interesting venue for over 6 hours, and the only thing I felt compelled to photograph was the pastries?!)