About Me

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I have been married to my childhood sweetheart for 42 wonderful years. I have been blessed with one daughter who is grown and gone! She and her hubby have blessed us with a precious grandchild, Darbee Rae. She is eight years old and the sunshine in our days. I have always been a stay at home maid, cook, doctor, babysitter, taxi, wife, mother, and grandmother. I enjoy crafting. My interests include primitives, vintage and colonial styles. I love decorating my home. I enjoy traveling with my hubby and friends, reading, and trying different recipes. I am a Christian and enjoy activities within my church. I hope you enjoy reading about my daily adventures in crafting, shopping, and enjoying life thru the eyes of my darling grand daughter.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Once Upon A Time

 
 
Once upon a time I just imagine this was a thriving old home place.  Can't you just vision an old wood cook stove in the kitchen, and fragrant smells welcoming all who entered through the door? 
Mom and the girls might be sitting around stitching on a quilt.  Depending on the season the man of the house could be found tending to the land, working in the garden, or cutting fire wood for the stove and for heat.
 
Children could be seen running around in the yard playing ball, hopscotch, or just playing fetch
 with the family dog.  If they were old enough, you might find them in the barn feeding the animals or doing chores along with their Dad. Yes, these were days long before computers, Ipads, and all the electronic games that are so popular among the young folks today.

 
I would so love to have a place like this to slip away to on the weekends.  Oh if these walls could talk.  The stories they could tell.  Times of happiness, maybe when a child was born,  birthdays, Christmas times, weddings, and of course days don't go by without sadness, maybe the loss of a close loved one, hard times when crops were not good, and just surviving was a challenge.  But despite all of the above,,, it was a loving home to someone.
 
 
Rarely do you see an old home place that you don't see a barn close by.  Barns were essential to a working farm back in the days.  I just love old barns.  Here are a few to share with you.
 
 

 
Beautiful these old barns are. Yes, they have served their owners well over the years.  They have seen many hard winters, when the snow, ice, and winds have beaten down and taken their toil on the building, yet it still stands.   Hot summer sun has faded the paint and turned the wood a wonderful grey.  A color that only God's season can produce.  I would so love to have some of those boards.  Yes, primitive at heart.
 


 
Another story here. The old rusty car under this part of the barn.  Who drove it last, and did they know once they had driven it in to its safe spot that it would no longer be driven again?  How many trips did it make while in use around those narrow, curvy roads into town. I can imagine not nearly as often as we jump in and go into town today,  I can see it being maybe once a month maybe to get supplies from the dry good store. This only being items that was not grown on the farm itself, Maybe the lady of the house wanted material for a new dress or apron, or the makings for a new quilt to warm them in bed the following winter.

 
Oh the goodies that you could see still inside this old barn. Would have loved to stepped inside and rambled.  You could see stacks of old tobacco baskets stacked inside. Just waiting to adorn a wall in a warm cozy prim home. All kinds of rusty farm equipment  waiting to be rescued and brought back to life in some one's home. Oh the joy it would be. 
 
 
Look how close this one is to the road.  Although not a working barn any longer, it still has color to it. If you click  to enlarge, you can see someone went to the trouble to hang beer cans from it's wood on the left side.  No doubt teenagers out having fun.
 
This morning, I find myself relating to some of these old barns.  Don't laugh,,,, you too will get to this point if God allows you to live long enough.  How, you might ask?  Well, as we grow older our outward beauty fades like with these old barns.  The beauty one sees comes from inside. The years of weathering the storms of life, the mistakes we have learned from  mold our beauty and wisdom from within.   With age and health issues, I don't stand as tall and proud any longer, there are times I too lean, Whether it is on a cart when shopping or walking after sitting for a long time.  Life and age has stripped my hair of its once brown color and now it is weathered and silver grey.  Yes, just like the barn wood that is so desired for its natural beauty. 
 
Some day in the future, some of these special barns could
 become re purposed  to walls in new homes, made into furniture that we would so desire, or become something as simple as birdhouses  that someone will buy with pride. 
 
Hopefully one day when my time on earth is over and God takes me home, I too will become beautiful again. I will have a new body free of age and, pain, and will shine and sing with the heavenly angels above.
 
Hope you have enjoyed visiting today and taking the ride along with me to see all the old buildings.  A few weeks ago while in the Great Smokey Mts, we spent the morning riding back roads and looking at all these wonderful old places.  God's beauty was all around.
 
If you are still having nasty winter weather, please be careful and safe.  Spring is definitely on its way. Hang in there.
 
Until next time...... 
 
 
 









 







15 comments:

  1. You are a romantic! Just like me, Angela

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  2. I loved these pictures and I too,(as you would know) could think of all the wonderful as well as heartbreaking events that took place here. I could see them on the porch breaking beans, laughing and talking. Maybe one of the women spitting snuff across the yard. Oh goodness

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  3. I love to drive around in the countryside, seeking out these skeletal remains of once good life. Hubby drives and I snap pics. I feel sorry for the youth of today that never get to experience the days of hanging laundry on the line, feeding the chickens, gardening as a family, butchering our own meat, playing tag or hopscotch, exploring the grandparents attic for treasures, playing with dolls and teddy bears that Grandma made.... *sigh* Now I miss my Grandmothers and great-Grandmother. Life sure was good back then!

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  4. Life seemed to move at a slower pace back then and people had relationships that were nurtured. I remember well before we had a tv, all the evenings spent sitting under the huge trees in the yard snapping beans, shelling peas and talking up a storm. Those were the endless days of bike riding, backyard baseball or football and if we were lucky a watermelon feast for us and our friends. Being barefooted all day long and momma taking the water hose to us before we were allowed in the house. Those old home places just call out to me and I'd love to restore one to it's former glory!
    Donna

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  5. I think the way you do.... I always imagine old houses in their hey-day, and who might have lived there. Sad to see so many of them fall into disrepair... Loved looking at your pics of old buildings.... and imagining along with you!

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  6. Great photos!! I love it when we go to Tennessee and go wandering down the back roads out in the hills. Spring is coming and I think I hear those hills calling me to come visit.
    hugs,
    Cindy

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  7. I never get tired of seeing old homesteads and barns. Unfortunately some near us have been torn down. Oh the stories they surely could tell. Janice

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  8. would love to go runnin' up and down the back roads with you!
    great post, hugs and blessings!

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  9. As you said in olden days kids used to go around the houses and play many cute games. Now a days they sit in front of tv,mobiles, ipads and play the games. They don't have any knowledge about olden games.
    Old barns looks beautiful. They are the sweet memories of olden days.

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  10. That old saying 'if walls could talk' the stories this wonderful place could tell. I think each of us could make a story from this.
    It's just beautiful and I love how you told it.
    Blessings,
    Karen

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  11. I totally love this post. With age we do change...we slip into a different person. We contact aches and pains we never felt before. I am there with you. Fibromyalgia , bad back and walking are the worse. Did I ever know I would be facing this? No! We just never know. But with the Lord on our side and with us every step of the way?.....we are making it into a life that we can enjoy ....especially with my husband and our family. (We are expecting a new grandson in August!) Life does send us on different paths but we can handle it at least...I think I can! LOL Great story and the next thing I want to do is ..Move into that house...fixed up, of course! LOL

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  12. Oh boy, I grew up in old houses like that! Times were tuff and happy times were far and few. Sorry to say, when I was mobile and saw beauties like these, I didn't have happy thoughts. I do understand the wonderment of them though. Anyway, I'm ready to be refurbished anytime now...LOL.
    Blessings,
    Carol

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  13. I could have been reading my own words in your post Angela - I started taking pics of old barns when I was a teen in high school and could drive on my own. Guess my love for these old places is something I must have been born with. I imagine happy times too, but know there are places with bad juju too. Thanks so much for sharing - I enjoyed these so much! ~*~Lisa

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  14. Oh what a fun post friend.
    The stories those wonderful ole places hold.
    I love old cabins, barns and churches.
    Woolie blesssings

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  15. Wouldn't it be so neat if old walls really could talk! You can't beat old buildings that's for sure.

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