Originally posted on Almost Farmgirl:
? “Oh, I’ve never fallen off…” She thinks she’s bragging, but the little girl, or teen, or grown-ass woman (or perhaps man) who utters those words in the horseback riding world has failed to read the room. We are not impressed. In fact, the polite among us are trying not to laugh in her face. …
As a child, I don’t think I ever considered what life as an adult was like. The main point that I understood as a child was that adults were in charge, and that I was not. So, I basically tried to do what I was told and stay out of trouble. I guess I was so ensconced in my own day-to-day activity that I didn’t really give it much thought. My childhood days were spent running around the family farm, visiting Grandma and Granddaddy Rieley who lived next door; and, of course, my favorite pastime….rescuing any willing barn cats that were need of some tender loving care. I suppose if I really think about it, the thing that I most associated with being an adult was being busy. I grew up on a farm, and all of the adults around me were always busy doing something: Busy planting a garden, getting-up hay, watering the garden, mowing the grass, weeding the garden, picking vegetables, picking black raspberries, making jam or preserves, fixing a fence, painting the front porch or a shed roof, snapping beans, husking corn, canning beans, making a cobbler, repairing the tractor, planting flowers, pruning and grafting fruit trees, cleaning out the barn—-you get the picture. There is always something to do on a farm! I have so many fond memories of watching as well as helping my parents and grandparents perform these everyday activities. I especially loved holding […]
Home Sweet Home I enjoy traveling as well as experiencing and learning new things; however, after being on vacation the last couple of weeks, it’s really nice to be home again. I always miss Green Hill Farm and all of our sweet animals when Farmguy and I are away. Coming home to this special place fills my heart with […]
Our friends, Al and Cindy have a beautiful farm nearby. They have chickens, goats, cats, and dogs–plus, they sometimes pet sit for others (see Rosebud, the pot belly pig). Here are a few charming photos of their cute critters that Cindy graciously shared with us. I hope you enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend!
*This is simply an account of a personal experience. I shall not debate any aspect of politics, religion, or cultural issues on this blog. Disrespectful comments will be deleted. Thank you. Not too long ago, I visited a quaint town north of the Rappahannock River in Virginia—a place with lovely architecture, scenic views, upscale shops, galleries, and restaurants. One day, as I was exploring the town, I decided to go into one of the art galleries. I entered and exchanged a few niceties with the salesperson. Accustomed to tourists, she asked where I was from. “Virginia,” I answered. “What part of Virginia?” she probed. “I live between Roanoke and Lynchburg,” I said. To which she responded, “Oh, you’re from the other Virginia.” Let me just say…..I knew what she meant. Her tone and facial expression conveyed arrogance and superiority. It was a comment that carried a negative connotation regarding a particular view of the political, religious, and cultural identities of people living south of the Rappahannock River–what some historians call the “grits line.” I glanced in her direction and smiled. Because, y’all know in the other Virginia, many of us are taught the old adage: “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” So, I continued to walk around, viewing the artwork silently. As I made my way through the gallery, these questions crossed my mind. “Is she trying to be offensive? Or, bless her […]
This is the third and last of the Retrospectives on restoring my family’s home. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂 Looking back on the experience of saving my family’s homeplace, I’ve realized that not only was it a gesture of love, but more importantly, it was an act of faith. Faith, or wearing my rose-colored glasses as I like to say, sustained us through difficult times and propelled us forward. I don’t know where we would have been without it. At the beginning of this journey, shortly after my parents offered us the homeplace, my mom and I took a walk through the house. I remember walking through the dark, dimly lit downstairs hallway, the musty smell of rooms left undisturbed for too long, and cobwebs carefully covering yesterday’s treasures. I remember slowly climbing the stairs, counting each one as I went up. It made me think of Granddaddy. He once shared a story of the time his Grandmother Rieley visited when he was just a boy; she asked, “John, how many steps are there?” He quickly replied, “16!” He told me that he knew the answer because of the many, many times he had carried firewood up these very same stairs. So, after climbing all 16 steps and arriving at the top, I began to look around. Metal and plastic buckets, and maybe even a pot or two, sat strategically placed to catch any drips of water. I glanced around […]
Green Hill Farm: A Retrospective #2 — Perseverance “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~Lao Tzu (c 604 bc–c 531 bc) Tao Te Ching, Chapter 64 There’s a sign that hangs in our vestibule or small covered porch that reads “PERSEVERANCE,” and it’s been our mantra since moving to Green Hill Farm. Farmguy and I were in our early 30s when we decided to take on this project. Sometimes when we look back at pictures we say, “WHAT in the world were we thinking? Were we INSANE?!!” Whatever the answer, it was the path taken. This path has lead us on a journey that has been difficult and challenging at times but rewarding and enriching, too. Anyway, we all know that anything worthwhile isn’t easy. Which brings me to the next piece of our story. The first day we visited the house after construction started was surreal. It was a hot, humid day in June, and the grass was starting to need cutting. I could smell the fragrance of something blooming that I didn’t recognize, and the wrens were singing away–weedeater, weedeater, weedeater, tweet! As I walked toward the house and started to process what I was seeing, I felt sick to my stomach. The large, white columns that had stoically stood sentinel in front of the house had been removed from the front porch; and where they’d majestically once stood, skinny, dark, wooden […]
Clementine Kitty watching a baby bunny rabbit.
A number of years ago, Farmguy and I hosted a “shepherd day” for his clients and their families at Braeburn Farm. Braeburn Farm is a local farm, and the place where we learned about Scottish Blackface sheep. After participating in a shepherds’ weekend class nine years ago, we bought ten sheep of our own. And, because we so enjoyed our […]
I’m truly grateful for this place…Green Hill Farm. And, what I’ve come to realize is that no matter the challenges of living here, my love for this farm is constant and irreplaceable. I love it for its enduring ability to lift my spirits, fill my heart, and give my life direction. The very thought of it…is joyful. I hope […]
My name is Tonya, and I grew up on a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia that has been in my family for over 100 years. After graduating from college, receiving my master’s degree in speech and language pathology, and living and working in a small city for six years, I decided to return to the place of my childhood. Here, in this rural area, on this patch of green, where for four generations my family has farmed, gardened, and lived, I, too wanted to be a part of this continuity. As a fourth generation farmgirl, I have many interests that not only include, but also go beyond the basics of farming, gardening, sheep and chicken-keeping. It is all of this and more that I plan on sharing in this blog.
fourth generation farmgirl 