Do You See the Mystery?

"A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible."

~ Welsh proverb ~

Lately, meals have been English cheddar cheese, Honey Crisp apple and Pumpkin Seed Cheddar crackers. A pint of Smithwick's or Harp would be wonderful but probably not going to happen in this rural burg. However, if I'm wishing...I'm wishing for Tom Crean's and time for another trip to Ireland, I'm thinking.

Today has been justly spent...laundry, reading a novel, cleaning the humming bird feeders, a Ranger ride or three, Sam, driver's seat, and Sadie, riding shotgun while I'm forced to drive from the middle, during this day of incomparable beauty.

Then again, aren't all days pretty grand when one wakes above ground?

The milkweed is blooming and seeds are ripe for the gathering. I adore milkweed although I'm surrounded by folks who despise it, consider it a weed and spray to rid fields and road sides. It's the Monarch caterpillar's only host plant and this site says Monarch butterfly population has dropped by 90% in the last twenty years. I can certainly see a difference in this valley and it's frightening to think such beauty could be lost. I've yet to identify the variety found on the farm but if you're interested in planting seeds, I'm willing to collect and send them to you. Let me know in the comments so we can get together with addresses, etc. I'll send to as many people as I can while the seeds may be found and gathered.

During WWII children were put to work (gasp!) gathering milk weed pods to be used in life vests which were called "Mae West's". Later, in the 1970's the suggestion was made to change the name to "Dolly Parton's". Today, that's probably not politically correct; as to working the lil' darlin's...that's probably against some child labor law somewhere. God forbid the lil' darlin's actually earn their keep or do something for the good for others...we mustn't damage their frail psyche's. I say teach them the benefit of good, honest work; to love God, family and country then get out of their way so they can become productive members of society.  There are any number of farm kids who, at a tender age, are working cattle, sheep, goats and other livestock (vaccinations, castrations, trimming feet and all the rest) all while learning responsibility, math, training their eyes to recognize potential health problems, etc. Yeah, I'm all about farm kids!

Canada geese are here in droves...must be hundreds and their call of the wild cascade the valley morning and evening. This low tech granny is trying to get video and sound but my skills are less than geeky. Unless, of course, we're talking churning Jersey cream into butter.

One reason for today's ride was to see the highway departments scraping job. They've been scraping both sides of our dead end road and I'm only hoping they don't put those hideous lines on the sides or middle. There's room enough for two vehicles to pass and there are only a handful of folks living on this road...we all know how to drive and visitors come and go...thankfully...lol.

This lovely old building belongs to a neighbor and every time I pass it, lust after it. I can only imagine the beautiful floors or even another building that could be made from those logs.

Just look at those mortise and tenon joints...incredible! Around here, a lot of the older homes were made using those exact joins, notched with Roman numerals.

This lane goes to the house where Lassie was filmed and it still tickles me to say, behind the boy and dog on the DVD/video cover, is my farm and the same poster hangs in my living room.

That's my Saturday, a good portion of it anyway, and where I live never fails to bring contentment and happiness. Yes, we're closing in on winter; yes, it's going to be physically difficult; yes, I'm getting older (thank God!) and yes, with His help it'll be just fine.

One reminder: if you've not read Mag's account of my Belfast visit, click here. After arrival home and talking with Dad, it seemed to me he asked somewhat wistfully, "Would you consider moving to Ireland?" I said, "Dad, if I didn't have family here, I'd move there in a blink of an eye." So, for the foreseeable future, everyone is safe...lol.

Today is bittersweet...another day of rare beauty and the fifth anniversary of Dave's death. I believe the Bible, "absent with the body, present with the Lord" when believers have made their peace with God. Which Dave did; only five days before his death, he made his peace with God which means I also have peace. It's both blessing and gift.

Ponder this ~ "you are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts."
~ Daniel Patrick Moynihan ~

Martin Luther, Grounding, This Little Light of Mine...

His parents wanted him to become a lawyer but Martin Luther, in order to seek God, became an Augustinian monk, but eventually became disillusioned with the Catholic church. On today's date in 1517, his 95 Theses attacked the Catholic Church for selling "indulgences" to absolve sin. The 95 Theses (click to read a former post at Thistle Cove Farm blog) have two central beliefs: the Bible is the authority and salvation is obtained by faith alone and not by works. This sparked the Protestant Reformation, divided the Catholic church and forever changed "religion". If you're of the Protestant faith, you have Martin Luther to thank. Additionally, he wrote many hymns and one of my favorite is A Mighty Fortress Is Our God .

This Autumn has been glorious! Even though we're in dire need of rain, the colors are saturated against brilliant blue skies.

Sunday afternoon, Sam alerted me there were strangers on our road! How dare they! Sam is such a comical little feller; he's a good guard dog but will stay in our driveway while he's barking, barking, barking. When I acknowledge him and told him it was all right, he calmed down; all the while, Sadie is right beside me, making sure no one gets close.

A few years ago, I crocheted (is that right...crochet or crocheted???) this rug which is used in the bathroom. Every so often it needs to be washed, then hung over the gate so it can dry. It's not the best job ever done but it brings me pleasure, and, yes, even joy, when I both see and use it.

Warm, sunny days are taken advantage of by doing a bit of grounding. I wrote about it here and Wellness Mama writes about it here. She goes into scientific jargon while I basically say, "Here I am, it works." The book is Pushing Up Daisies, an Agatha Raisin mystery by M.C.Beaton...LUV this series and the made for television series, here. Heck, I LUV the Hamish MacBeth series as well!

I love where I live but one huge drawback, for me anyway, is the lack of thrift stores. A recent thrift visit found these lovelies...the little green pitcher, with lid, is used to hold cream for coffee and the little butter dish perfectly holds one of my half pound blocks of home churned butter.

I'm not sure of the original intent, but this cut glass vessel will now be used as a water pitcher. As a wedding gift, Dave and I received a Waterford pitcher and this little jewel looks like it will work wonderfully well alongside. (Gee, how do you like that onomatopoeia thing I got going? or is it? It's "alliteration", thanks to Mags for the correction...at Late Dark Thirty last night, I knew onomatopoeia wasn't correct, but couldn't sus out what was correct.) (The Lassie movie poster, background, showcases my farm, center, just under the word Lassie...woohoo!)

This little light of mine makes my heart beat quickly. I'm so glad my 'old granny' taste is out of fashion so folks will take things like this sweet, sweet lamp to thrift and consignment stores where God allows me to find and purchase.

The upper globe can be turned on or

the lower globe can be used as a rather bright night light, or

both upper and lower globes lit here.

Do you know Mags of Fraise Lachrymose blog, here? Last month, it was my pleasure to visit Mags, in Ireland! and she's begun blogging about the visit. I'm working on a Irish travelogue and, God willing and the creek don't rise, will soon have photos and verbiage posted. In the meantime, visit Mags for the first of her four parts...enjoy!

Sara, Sweet Magnolia Farm, recently commented, "Sandra, you live a beautiful life..." and it caught me by surprise. My life is centered on food, shelter, clothing with enough excitement like travel thrown in for good measure and I'm always surprised when people like it as well. Like Pam R. who wrote, "I just love your style of writing, the words and phrases. You have such a way with words!"

Sara and Pam, thank you so much and thank you all who read my natterings and give the gift of your time to comment! I do love my life, my animals, my farm and even though Dave is missed, dreadfully, the light at the end of the tunnel is light and not an oncoming train. I work terrifically hard, keeping it all going but I always...always!...take time to sit and bask in the beauty surrounding me. I have never taken my life, nor where I live, for granted and am well aware of the blessings and gifts God has given me.

Bless you all for the gift of your time in reading and the gift of your comment...bless you all!

Ponder this ~ "I have learned that my strengths are a result of my weaknesses, my success is due to my failure, and my style is directly related to my limitations.
   I have discovered that after all those years of musical instruction, after all that practice to be perfect, after all that hard work trying to compose the right notes, I am gifted with the knack of hitting exactly the wrong notes at precisely the right time.
   This is the secret of originality. Think about it...Only you can commit a colossal blunder in your own exquisite style. This is what makes you unique. But when you are faced with solving the problem, this is what makes you inventive."
~ Billy Joel ~ 

Lassie, 1994

 In 1994 the movie LASSIE was released to standing room only crowds in....where, where????

 Tazewell, Virginia! More specifically, the Cove area of Tazewell County where, you might remember, Thistle Cove Farm is located. In fact, that's our farm on the movie poster, in the distance, behind Lassie and the boy.

Ever since Dave and I have lived here, we've had people coming by because their kin lived here or they saw Lassie. The man that lived here before us, told us he would walk into a room and see people peering in the windows. They'd bang on the door and ask, "Is this the house where Lassie was filmed?" No, it's not; that house is a ways up the road, behind a locked gate. Its roof is visible from here and the barn where Lassie jumped out is more fully visible. The scenery is just as breath taking now as then.

Lassie was filmed in our valley and region in 1995 and was a huge hit. Locals were used as extras and Clinton, my neighbor was the shepherd who worked his dog, Bullet, behind the scenes in order to make Lassie look sharp. 

Last Saturday Tom R., from Asheville, NC pulled up in the driveway. He and his two cousins are related to the Whites who lived here during the early to mid 1900's. I gave them the oral history that had been given me, both right and wrong, and they talked about what they'd been told. Tom pulled a rolled up piece of paper from under his arm and said, "You should have this." It's an original movie poster and Thistle Cove Farm is dead center, between LASSIE and the caption, "A solid family hit if ever there was one." 

Isn't that fabulous?! Tom, a bear hug seems a small payment for such a momentous gift. I'm going to have it framed with some leftover hemlock siding we used on the stables, barns, scales and other buildings. It's already a treasure; thank you, thank you, thank you for such a lovely gift!

Blessings ~ Tom R. ~ Lassie ~ movie poster ~