The Story That Clotheslines Tell ~

You could always tell what was going on in a family's life

by observing their clothesline.

This is the clothesline - see it dimly near the bottom of the photo?

that once stood behind our family's Kansas farmhouse.

It is gone now - and so are most of the trees around it.

But it would have told you a lot about us -

and what was going on at my grandparents farm!

I loved hanging the laundry on the line for my Mom when I was growing up -

first running a wet cloth over it so the dust wouldn't stain the freshly washed clothes -

then hanging things "just so" -

sheets, towels, and blankets on the outside -

"unmentionables" on the inside!

And everything "shared" a clothespin with the item

on either side of it!

I sure do miss having a clothesline!

The Beauty of Old Barns ~

There is a certain unique beauty in old barns.  Whether still in use, or dilapadated and falling down, the colors of the weathered wood, the lines and angles, have always fascinated me.  Old barns - in their own peculiar way, all have a story to tell.

Their silos - that held the fruits of so many, many wheat harvests.  They also provided a place where Grandpa could rest for a few minutes in the shade on a hot summer's day after a grueling day on his tractor in the fields nearby.

Their cattle chutes and lean-to's - providing guidance and protective shelter to numerous cattle, mules, and - on Grandpa's farm - mama pigs and their new little litters of baby pigs - so precious!  One of my earliest memories of our farm is of going with my Mom and Uncle Bertus into the barn, and getting to pet a brand-new little white baby piglet - oh how he squealed!  And oh how much I enjoyed that!

Yes, if you look just beyond the surface of things - which to many people may not be appealing - you can "see" a beautiful story, if you have the eyes to perceive it!

Old Roses By The Farmhouse Porch ~

These lovely old-fashioned roses grace the porch and steps at my grandparents farmhouse.

There is just something charming about them -

and about the old steps -

they've always been a favorite of mine.

I guess it's because of the precious memories they invoke -

I have such happy memories of our family farm -

and of gatherings on the porch with

loved ones.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, my parents -

and of course our "four-legged family" -

Old Shep - a sweet collie who was my Grandpa's farm and cattle herding dog -

and Old Susie - a three-legged dynamo of a hunting dog who was also guardian, adventurer, and bestest buddy to me all rolled into one!

So, what places are special in your heart?

Would love to hear about them!

Look What Popped Up In My Yard!

Pinwheels!!!!!

Lots of 'em!!

This cheery sight greeted me one morning
a few weeks ago

 when I first peeked out my livingroom window!

(I could sooooo get used to that!!)

And no - I didn't plant any wooden sticks that

sprouted "blossoms" overnight - or

plant some plastic flowers that "bloomed" - tee hee!

Our local grocery store had a fundraiser going -

 a fun one!

You could choose someone to surprise with the pinwheels

being "planted" in their front yard.

 Then, for a modest donation to our grocery store

(for much-needed new equipment there) -

they could;

1.  Find out who put them in their yard, and

2.  For a little more $$ - they could pass the pinwheels on to someone else!

The whole little town got involved -

and we all had lots of fun surprising our neighbors and friends -

and yes - raised a lot of money for a good cause, too!

Down a Country Road . . .

It's such a lovely, sunny day out here today . . . so what say let's go for a drive?  Let's go exploring down a lazy country road . . . and see what we might find!

We might pass the old one-room schoolhouse my Grandpa attended as a boy . . .

We will probably see lots of cattle - out grazing in the fields!

My Grandpa raised Herefords - so I'm rather partial to them!

We'll see lots of cheery sunflowers alongside the road . . .

And rosebushes blooming beside an old farmhouse.

. . . and a simple, white cross . . .

pointing the way to a little country church.

Yes, we'll see lots of country goodness as we ramble along today . . .

down a lazy country road . . .

and when we return home . . .

won't you join me for a nice, hot cuppa coffee as we reminisce about what we saw along the way?

That would be an especially nice way to end our journey, don't you think?

Thank you for coming along with me -

this has been such fun today!!!