Pear tree lane Farmhouse

~Welcome home~

This blog is dedicated to my dear family who live many miles away, and to you dear ladies , who have a heart for keeping the home fires burning. You, who love and cherish your family, and have a desire to create a home that says "Welcome, you are loved and cared for."

My desire is that when you leave that you will be encouraged and know that you too are loved.

Sue~

~OH! how I love this house~

Written by Sue, Wednesday, April 25, 2011       cool, partly sunny, a beautiful day, temps. 50's

A few weeks ago we decided we would drive by and see how "the old home place" was doing. My grandmother, a widow, bought this home and farm the year I was born. At the time my dad was stationed at a nearby military base, and we lived with her and her brother, my great uncle, a veteran of WWII, who worked the farm with her. My great uncle never married, it seems while he was overseas, he got a "dear John" letter from his fiancee, telling him she had married someone else. I know "very sad."

I spent so many wonderful years at this home, my grandmother and my mother both had a kitchen of their own, ~smile~ someone was very smart! Probably my dad. lol, but most of the time we ate together like the Walton's, I think one reason I enjoy the Walton's series so much is that I relate to them in so many things, my mother and grandmother did the household chores together, though my mother didn't milk the cow, nor feed the chickens, that was my grandmothers job, with us children's help.~wink~ They churned the milk and worked the gardens, and did laundry together.
The memories I have would fill a book.
See the tree trunk... My dad planted this tree, and 7 more by the driveway, they had just been cut down. boo hoo



I remember so many times following my uncle as he plowed with his mule, (he later bought a tractor) trying to step in his foot prints.I can just smell the freshly plowed soil, and hearing my uncle call to  his mule to "Gee", means turn to the right, "Haw" turn to the left, or Whoa!,we all know what that means. lol Many times I brought him cool water while he was working.My siblings and I used to play under a big oak tree in the back field while my grandmother and mother weeded and thinned the cotton.

Eventually my dad was transferred to another base in Georgia, that was one of the saddest times in my life. But when uncle Sam says "GO", you go. When he was sent to Korea we went back to live with them. As I grew older, and after living at different military bases, we finally settled in a county nearby.

When school was out for the summer, we spent those summers on the farm, working and were willingly paid well to buy our school clothes. Did I jump for joy about working, no, but it taught me a work ethic that carried over into adulthood. And for that I am most thankful. It also afforded me the opportunity to spend quality time with my grandmother, and my great uncle who was just like a grandfather to me.

Look at this big oak tree, it was there when I was a child, I was so happy to see it.


To see how well preserved and taken care of this "old home place" is makes my heart so glad. I would give a jar of my strawberry jam to be able to go inside and take a look see. lol
Jeremiah 29: 11~ I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
I am writing this today for several reasons one being to say how important I think family farms are in this country, and each year for one reason or another family farms are becoming obsolete.
Another important reason is  sharing a few memories, and to re-interate the importance of spending time, and making memories with our children, and grandchildren, here is an example......

Early one morning this week, I woke before day, just lying there meditating, when I heard one of our roosters crowing, I was immediately brought back to this "old home place", and of long ago hearing another rooster crow,all the while piled high under so many quilts that I couldn't turn over, ~smile~, and smelling coffee, not brewing, but boiling on the stove, as my grandmother was making "home made" buttermilk biscuits.  
I smiled,  pulled the covers up tighter and just lay there relishing those memories. A great way for me to start my day.

~The same chimneys are still there~ ahhh! memories
 I wish I had the time to talk about all the memories of time spent at this "old home place", memories that I have stored in my memory bank, and of how special I was made to feel, no matter how busy the adults were here, they always stopped, gave us lots of hugs, answered our questions, explained what they were doing, and why. You see memories like these will carry us through the "GOOD" and the "Not So Good", times. 

Sometimes we can get so overwhelmed with life, and a memory will come and we reminded not to worry that everything is going to be alright.
You see the other morning as I was awake, I was thinking about some stressful situations  in my own life, and after praying,mediating and reviewing this memory, everything seemed to take on a better light.

To be continued.......
Love,
Sue

~Why do we love certain houses,
and why do they seem to love us?
It is the warmth of our individual
hearts reflected in our surroundings.~

T.H. Robsjohn_Gibbings

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful walk down memory lane!

When you described the smell of the coffee it brought me back to childhood memories of waking up at my Great Grandma's and smelling the coffee cooking and hearing the mumbles of conversation going on downstairs that you couldn't quite make out.

Thanks for sharing your precious memory.
hugs,
Tania

Carol said...

I enjoyed reading about your memories of the old home place. It's such a pretty house.
My maternal grandparents had an acreage where they had a wonderful garden, orchard & blackberry patch. We helped them plant, harvest & can the bounty. Thank you for stirring up my memories of those years! I think I need to write a blog post about that memory in the near future.

Smiles,
Carol

Debbie said...

Oh how I enjoyed traveling back in your memories with you! I think it would have been soo neat to have grown up on a farm, and with your grandmother and uncle as well. I am sure you have soo many to remember. The place looks really good. I have so many wonderful memories of my grandmother too. A certain food, or smell, or place can transport me back to those times in a moment, and make me smile. I am really wanting to build those memories for my grandkids too because I soo agree with you. They are more important than I think we know. Thanks for sharing some of yours! Hope you had a good day!

Farm Girl said...

I am so glad that whomever lives there is taking good care of it. It looks beautiful.
I love that you have so many memories of that place. I am so glad you got to live with your grand mother. I think that is so important in the life of a child.
So glad you went and visited.

Vee said...

So glad that this one is a "to be continued."

Debbie said...

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your precious memories with us. I can't wait to hear more. I can smell that coffee (I really think it used to take better when percolated slowly on the stove or campfire) and I can taste those good homemade biscuits.
I didn't have any grandparents but I always dreamed of having some and they owned a farm! :D
Debbie

Debbie said...

PS, Sue, that 'take' better should have said 'taste' better. I got so excited I messed up!
Deb

Debbie said...

I loved this post. I felt the same about the house where my grandmother lived. My mom grew up there, and her own grandmother lived in party of it, with her own kitch to boot.

If we could just recapture the whole spirit of those days gone by and those houses, the world would be a better place.

Barb said...

Hi Sue!

I love this post! I cried through most of it, because it was so beautiful . . . the memories, the house, the story . . . loved it!

I have such fond memories of my grandparent's home too, I wish it would have been taken care of as well as yours... :0(

I so agree that these good memories can get us through lots of tough times - thank you for sharing such a wonderful and fun part of your life!

Hugs,
Barb

Trish said...

Oh Sue..this is just precious to read!
So very lovely.
I never had grandparents around me.
Dad was an abandoned baby and mum's family lived far away.
We were a very happy family..but I longed for grandparents.
I wish I had one week of the memories you have shared with us here.
Your childhood sounds so beautiful!
A sweet blessing for you - and now for us too, as we "remember" along with you :-)
love..Trish

Bernadine said...

Beautiful reminiscence. I too, feel its such a sad thing about dwindling family farms. We decided to buy local produce and even meat to support our farmers. Thanks for your post.

Angela said...

I love these kind of posts! Part of why I want to keep a blog is to write down these things. I used to live in SE Georgia and I miss seeing houses like your grandmother's. I'm so glad for your happy memories!

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

This is just priceless and precious...your roots have made you who you are and that is revealed each time you blog. Yes, so sad to see farms being sold...and yes, someone preserved your old home place...priceless. I bet they would let you in for a jar of jam...I once asked to walk on my grandmother's yard...they let me.

I am so God walked you down memory lane in order to remind you how faithful He has been in the past and how He will be faithful now also.

Thanks for sharing...a blessing that very few of us have.

Susan B said...

Oh Sue,
Such a lovely post! What a sweet home of your memories. How precious they must be to you. Thank you so much for sharing them. :)

I feel that way about the home I grew up in. It was also out in the country. It's about two hours south of us, and sometimes when we are in that area we drive by the house to see it. I sometimes wish that we could have bought that house when my parents sold it...but it wasn't meant to be. I do have some lovely memories of growing up there, and I'm glad my daughters were able to visit their grandparents there also. Thank you again for sharing Sue. Have a very wonderful weekend! :)

Cheryl said...

Sue, what a beautiful trip you have taken us on as you have walked down Memory Lane! These stories are precious!
Please do continue...

{{Hugs}}

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Beautiful post, Sue!

I love farms, though I grew up in the city! I love having a few animals here....Our farms are so important, we need them!

Deanna

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

I loved this so much! I could just feel your heart as I read through your memories. Girl, write those memories down. Don't let them go. Fill those pages with your heart. I, for one, would love to read each and every one of those memories!!!!

Cheryl @ TFD said...

This is still a very beautiful home! Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories. Loved this post!

Christine said...

You brought back memories of my childhood but mostly, I want to run over and give each of my grandchildren a hug!
Memories.... ah sweet memories!

Elena said...

Such a beautiful post. It made me think of my childhood home. My dad had to sell it when I was 32. Now I live a few miles from it. The house is near the cemetery where my mom in buried. So, when we go to her grave to decorate it with flowers, I always drive by our home place to show Mary where I grew up. So many fond memories flood into mind when I do that. Bless you Sue and have a wonderful weekend!

no spring chicken said...

This was beautiful Sue. And I'm so glad that you ended it with... to be continued! :)

Blessings, Debbie

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Just read your newest post about the freezer with my husband and wanted to say what a beautiful one it is and a great application to the verses you shared. Sorry about your loss but I like that you forgot about it and moved on.

A joy stopping by!
Kindly, Lorraine

Katherines Corner said...

Although your comments are off for a quick visit above. I wanted to mention how much I enjoy my visits to your beautiful blog. I appreciate this lovely post too filled with memories xo

Lois Christensen said...

That was beautiful, hearing about your childhood home! And we had something similar happen in our garage when someone accidentally didn't close our refrigerator. I have since put a big note to remind everyone who goes in there to make sure the doors are closed. Hubby keeps his soda out there, so he's been much better in keeping the doors closed! Enjoy your day!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's wonderful when you can go back. Beautiful memories of happy times!