When I was a young girl growing up in rural Central Illinois, the neighborhood grocery store was at the center of our community.  It was so much more and much bigger than the actual square footage of the building.  The Alta Grocery was a place where area residents purchased staples to survive – bread, milk, and meat.  It was the gathering place where all the business of the community was discussed.  It also housed the post office.  Our address was Box 31, Alta, Illinois – no zip code.  You could also catch the Greyhound bus from Alta to Peoria.  My sister Pam and I rode the bus many times to meet our grandmother in Peoria.

Several years ago, I was at an auction and was very lucky to purchase an old grocery cart from the Alta Grocery.

The cart was in need of some tender loving care.  I sanded the cart to remove all the rust and my husband did the painting.  I decided on spring green, to match the Hoosier-style cabinet and because that is one of my favorite colors.

The wheels could not be saved.  We replaced them, but I kept the originals.  I might find a use for them someday!  The handles on the cart and the basket are original – no sanding or paint.  We placed spring colored tissue paper in the bottom of the basket and placed colored eggs on top.  What a pretty Easter basket!

Kathi and I filled an old basket from another area business from our youth, Jones Vegetable Farm, with colored eggs.  Kathi added the adorable Boyd Bunny.

Even though the ground is still covered with several inches of snow, spring is definitely just around the corner.  This morning I heard lots of the birds singing – a sure sign of spring!

Thanks for visiting and please stop by again.

Until then, happy decorating!

Pat & Kathi