Country Girl

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve my Grandfather's farm and how much he and my Daddy loved that place...they taught us to do the same. We were there almost every weekend and we spent hours walking through the huge pasture as Gramps reminisced about days gone by. My cousins and I would always walk to the barn and climb the sturdy old ladder to peak in the attic. There were cattle, chickens, pigs and sometimes a horse or two on the farm, and always a nice garden. The table was always full of "home-grown" veggies and we loved it! There was a pond where we had many fun fishing sessions and actually caught some! Grandma would fry them that same day! Gramps always took us walking down the road to talk, sing and look at the "Old Place" where his childhood home had been. Mostly, I remember the feelings of peace and freedom to run and play...at night we enjoyed watching and catching fireflies and keeping them in Mason jars. There was no air conditioner in the bedrooms, so there were a lot of hot, sweaty Louisiana nights with windows open and fans on...I loved being sung to sleep by the crickets outside...absolutely undisturbed by the heat. Today, I'm not sure I could sleep like that! How I miss those days and my precious grandparents. When I miss them, my Dad or my husband will take me to see the farm and guess what? We reminisce about the old days... I'm proud to say that when the barn had to be torn down, (because it was old and about to fall down)I kept one of the weathered boards as a keepsake! Before it was demolished, I took plenty of photos and painted the barn on canvas for my Dad. Now that we live in the country, I feel like I'm finally home. On nights when the crickets and fireflies are out, I'm instantly taken back to the lovely times with my grandparents...and yes, now and then, I tell Frank that we need some baby chicks or ducks to start our own little farm. For now, we take long walks and are planning a garden...he loves this country girl!