Lookout!

Here are some cute items found at the Lookout today. Mom saw a pretty Fenton Glass candy dish and there is jewelry and antique model trains. All sorts of interesting things.

Here is a fairy suit Judy created for a festival they had in Keating Summit.

Check out the Lookout at: http://www.thelookout.biz/


After we went to the fitness center Mom wanted to go pick up a couple jackets she was having altered at the Lookout. Cousin Judy, who has always been a phenomenal seamstress, was doing it for her. I remember when I was in high school Mom would tell me where Judy was and different jobs she had using her talent for sewing. Trying to put a zipper in during home ec. was such a trauma I was always wondering why I didn't get the same sewing chromosone....after all we were first cousins. Judy has not always lived around here. She and Bud have always done life their own way and worked very hard. I know they used to sell antiques, jewelry they made, and just general flea market items. They were doing eBAY on the road before there was an eBay on the web......they traveled a lot of miles.

She and Bud decided to settle down and bought the Lookout , which when I was a little girl was a gas station.....then it was empty for a long period of time.....then Mrs. Crane made it into a Doll Museum. (I loved looking at all the dolls...but all those little eyes staring at me sorta creeped me out. That was about 15 years ago. I am pretty sure Josh went there with me.)

Around 6-7 years ago ( I am guessing at that) Judy and Bud bought it and opened their store of unique and varied wares. The place is full of interesting collectibles Judy sews daily and it is the original home of "Cool Ties"....

You ask, "What in the world is a cool tie". Here is the explanation from their web site:

A Cool Tie is a cool wear accessory containing scientifically designed crystals that work effectively to cool the body when you work or play in the heat.
To charge your Cool Tie simply soak the dry Cool Tie in clean water for 20 to 30 minutes and it's ready for the day. Each polymer crystal installed in the tie will absorb 200 times it weight in water charging the Cool Tie. The fabric dries to the touch but stays cool and keeps on cooling by the process of evaporation, and it's reusable day after hot day. Only short soakings are necessary to recharge your Cool Tie after the initial soaking. When not wearing your Cool Tie just store it in the refrigerator or hang it over a towel bar and the crystals will dry to their natural state, waiting to be used again and again.

http://www.cooltiesareus.com/text.html

She has sewn thousands of these and they are neat and they really do keep you cool. She sends them all over the world. She made a lot of them for the last summer olympics. She and Bud were working on a shipment of Cool Ties when we were there today. I should have asked her how many she can sew in a day. I bought one for Jim with music notes on it for him to wear when he mows the yard.

Judy and Bud have a new dog, Lex. Their faithful dog, Fleck, passed on and she was so sad. She found her new dog Lex on the internet....they drove to State College to pick him up. They really wondered if they were doing the right thing. He was a former show dog and is so well trained and just the sweetest dog. He is shy and stays right with Judy wherever she goes. The Lookout is right on the highway and he has never worn a leash or a collar. She said he sticks so close she doesn't worry about him getting hit. He looks so scary until you look into his eyes and you realize there is a sweet gentle spirit behind those eyes. I am so glad they found each other.

When she looked at his papers, after they had gotten the dog, she saw that his legal show dog name is Penny....something. (I can't remember the whole thing.) Her little sister, who passed away, was named Penny so she took at a sign that this dog was suppose to belong to her. I agree. There are no accidents. She said all different sorts of pennies have a way of finding her and always remind her of her sweet sis.

Bud is N. Central Pennsylvaina's Mac repair guy. People bring them their Macs from all over. Today he answered a bunch of our questions concerning Mom and Dad's new iBook G4 Marcia gave them. Eventually, they are really gonna like this iBook when they get used to using it.

Bud is not only an expert at fixing MACs he has also totally remodeled the Lookout. They have several bathrooms now and living areas and kitchen areas. He built a balcony off one of their livingrooms and the picture above of the mountains is taken from that balcony. It really is a beautiful spot. All the new windows on the back of the building show off the view and lightens it up so much! I love looking out and seeing rolling hills all around.

Lex (Alex) was at the vets yesterday getting "fixed" and they called Judy and told her she needed to come get him cuz he was so upset....he had Mama Separation Anxiety. He calmed right down when she came.

My blog heading is a picture I "lifted" of Judy and Bud's web site. It is a beautiful fall picture from the Lookout. I am just borrowing it until I go back to Louisiana.