GREEN ACRES...

 

I was never what you could call

 a Farmer's Daughter. 

 Back in the day 

my dad owned and ran a saw mill.

  My grandfather was closer to a farmer

 than anyone else in the family

 but still the property that

 my sister, brother and I

 spent time on as kids

 was always called "The Ranch".  

There never were large gardens or crops that needed to be tended, 

just an old barn where the

 milk cow and barn cats shared space,

 a chicken coop, a few rabbit hutches, some old knarly fruit trees

 that gave us sweet plums, cherries, apricots and loquats, 

Bachlor Buttons, Sweet Williams and Pinks

 planted by the kitchen door 

for endless bouquets for the tables,

 and a small garden

 that produced everything 

we could ever want 

on our plates.

Although my immediate family 

didn't actually live on the Ranch, 

when we were younger

 our dad built us a house 

about two miles down the way,

 we were always within walking distance.

 As we grew older,

 on any given summer's day,

 we could ride our bikes

 down the country road, 

 through the neighbor's cherry orchard, 

over the bridge, up the hill, past the barn,

 and invariably end up 

with a bowl of strawberries

 and fresh cream 

served by my grandmother 

under the shade of 

the old chestnut tree.

My dad's saw mill 

was on the Ranch property 

and he and my mom planted corn

 in a lower field beside the creek. 

 We had fresh

 corn on the cob, in season,

 for most of our dinners

 and I remember it always being

 very sweet and my folks discussing 

how much water was used 

or how much less would be used

 for next year's crop. 

 Between the rows of corn

 there grew some green plants. 

 My mom would harvest them

 at just the right time and 

they tasted wonderful piled high with 

butter, salt and pepper! 

 She called them Pigweed 

and, in fact, 

they really were just weeds,

 but I have never tasted anything

 so good.

As I started a family of my own,

 I was always interested in decorating. 

 When we first had a home,

 Danish Modern furniture was all the rage.

  A lot of orange, turquoise

 and bright blues and greens were used.

  We had it all. 

 Later on, I started using 

whatever was considered "country".  

We went through two homes 

using that decorating theme 

and started incorporating

 American antiques into the mix.

When we moved to the Cottage,

 I wanted to fulfill her roots 

and brought the Victorian influence

 into my realm, 

selling most of the country items

 that I had left over. 

 Although I had been surrounded by

 the farming community 

while I was growing up, 

I didn't see the potential 

that it could hold for me 

in the aspect of decorating.

  What I saw were 

always clean and neat rooms 

with pretty colorful pieces 

and an abundance of store-bought items

 usually ordered through catalogs such as

 Sears & Roebuck and Montgomery Wards,

 or "monkey wards",

 as grandma called them.

 No on-line shopping then,

 just perusing the catalog,

 phoning in (or sending

 in an order form with a check).

 As neither my mom or grandma drove 

and the menfolk were always working, 

they were at the mercy of 

someone with a car

 who could drive them into town 

to pick up their orders,

and they weren't even living through 

a pandemic at the time!

Truthfully,

 I didn't pay much attention 

to what is now called

 "Farmhouse" decorating

 until we moved to an area

 that featured HGTV

 and I started blogging. 

 Looking back, 

when we were first renovating the Cottage,

 I wish I would have covered her 

in shiplap and white paint

 with natural and painted wood pieces

 but with very colorful accessories.

  It is too late now

 as that time has come and gone 

and without a "willing" partner

 that will never happen...

...and so,

 I have turned to living

 the farmhouse lifestyle

 in my imagination 

and in my kitchen. 

 Last autumn,

 I read a post

 put out by (Sarah)

 where she decorated

 a beautiful table with 

black and white placemats. 

I apologize,

 but I don't remember 

the name of the company. 

 I just knew that 

they would be perfect 

for my 

kitchen Christmas table. 

 Last month, (Kim), 

showed just a sliver of 

the sweetest plates 

on her pretty kitchen table

 and I fell in love. 

 She gladly shared with me

 where she got them 

and I was off 

on-line

 to Target.

  Thank you, ladies,

 for your kindness 

and your wonderful taste.

  Had it not been 

for the two of you, 

I probably 

wouldn't have realized

 that these separate objects

 would be a match 

made in heaven...

...these dessert plates

 are just a small portion 

of what this line offers...

...there is service 

for eight available...

...along with 

the teapot, cups 

and other matching pieces.

  I wish I could 

have them all 

and maybe someday I will,

 just not

 all at once.

Now, with these pieces

 in my collection,

 I can imagine all I want to...

As an afterthought: I covered up the red Cardinal and holly center of this Christmas plate from Tuesday Morning with the dessert plate. How cute that edge looks alongside the black and white cow.

  ...and

 outside my windows,

 I may not see 

endless Green Acres

 but when we 

sit down at the kitchen table 

the memories are

 all right there.

Have a wonderful week...

Stay Smart

Stay Well

Get Your Vaccines

and

Wear Your Masks.

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda