Down on the Farm

When I was a little girl my great-grandparents lived on a farm in Bells, TX

When my parents divorced my dad moved us into their home. My father was a fireman and he worked 24 hr shifts and then off 48 hr's. I had a little sister who was just an infant and not even a year old. Life on the farm was wonderful. Every morning I would help my grandfather feed the cattle and the other critters on the farm.

This weekend I had the pleasure of revisiting the "Old Farm". This is the "Original" barn that once housed the hay and critters from the elements of the East Texas weather and storms. It is also the "Core" of my existence. Every wonderful memory I have starts here and the person I am today is because of this place. Funny, now it seems so small and yet at that time in my life it was bigger than life. Being able to see it again brough wonderful memories flooding back. This is the place where I once let all my granfather's cows out and I got my first "whoopin" that I can honestly remember. At one time, a wheeping willow stood in our back yard. I honestly believe that my grandfather killed it using it on me at various times in life.... (never did I say I didn't deserve them).

Even though the exterior and interior of the house has been changed, the memories of my childhood still remain. I stopped to ask the current owners if I could take a few pictures and explained to them why. They gracioiusly offered to allow me into their home so that I could see what they had done to the inside. "Today we are so wrapped up in our lives we dont stop and take time to remember." Yet these two wonderful people let a complete stranger into their home and shared a little bit of life with me and for that hour they allowed gave me great pleasure. Even though the walls have been knocked down and rooms moved and remodeled, I still remember life as it once existed. This is the house that I learned to cook in! This is the house where I learned how to pray! This is the house where I learned the meaning of Family! This is the house that I learned what love is!
Even though it is only a bunch of grass and a few bare spots now. Once this large section of the yard to the right of the house was my great-grandmother's garden. Up against the fence stretched two rows of Grapevines, followed by rows of corn, raddishes, beets, potatoes, cuccumbers, tomatos, onions, squash, mustard greens, green beans, peas, okra and the last row was CABBAGE! Yet, another butt whoopin' I remeber getting. Every day, my grandmother and I would go out and help her pick veggies for dinner or lunch that day. One particular day, I decided I would go out and pick the cabbage for dinner that night. Only thing was, I picked two whole rows of it. Needless to say, that was not what she wanted. So my job was to return each and every head back to it's home before PaPa returned home in order for me not to be in trouble. I didn't get it done in time needless to say....

The owner and I shared stories about the farm and how it once was. While telling them about the garden he asked where it stood. They told me that when they moved in the grapevines still stood and they were able to get grapes for a couple years. However, a storm blew in one day and destroyed the vines. They removed the post and wire that streched the length of the yard and the bare spot where the post once stood still remains.

While the house has changed in appearance, the love and memories still remain. The garden is gone but the barn still stands.