Personally Speaking

It's been 11 years since we left life in the suburbs,
and I truthfully have never looked back or wished we were 
anywhere other than where we are right now.


This is not the life for everyone... and thank goodness for that,
or the countryside would not be what it is today, right?
But, for me, personally, it is the only life I can imagine.


I live in a beautiful world...
a magical world.
At least, that is how I choose to see it.
(Certainly you, too, see the beauty in mushrooms growing on manure!


It's a place filled with blue skies and storybook clouds,
(unless of course it's raining... which it does a fair amount...
but that's ok, because there is magic in a rainy day as well).


It's a place where cornflower-blue chicory, daisies, day lilies,
asters, pink clover, happy Black-eyed Susans, and a myriad of other
wildflowers populate the roadsides.


It's a place where deer run free, and bears stop by for breakfast...
where all manner of wildlife has room to roam and feed,
 and clear-running streams from which to drink.


As we bike through our countryside, we enjoy a 
smorgasbord of smells :  fields of new-mown hay,
moist, loamy, earthy woods,


the sweet, heady perfume of wildflowers and honeysuckle.


Personally, though I love my people... my family and friends,
I tend to be an introvert.
Yes, really.

My soul is fed by the solitude of a quiet walk through the woods.
I find joy in immersing myself in the natural world -
and can lose myself there...
and in actuality, find myself there.


We had a perfect weekend... filled with that which I love.
Time, well spent with loved ones, little...


and big.


Time spent with our animal friends is always wonderful.


Now that it is summer, we seem to spend so much more time
out and about


enjoying all of the critters.


 We also spent time immersed in the beauty of nature...
with bike rides and jaunts into the woods,


 in search of moss-


hoping to cultivate some moss between the bricks and stepping stones of
the walkway into my shed.


I swapped out my childhood desk for this "find of the century"
secretary that I happened upon in a favorite antique store...
the dealer making me an offer I couldn't refuse.
My childhood desk was returned to our guest room.


And I took the suggestion that I needed a rocking chair 
on the front porch - and also came home with this beauty.


I would tell you that now I am finished,
but we both know that would be a fib....
always tweaking!
(and yes, that big crock has a smaller pot inside...otherwise it would
be too heavy to lift)

Here are a few nighttime shots.


There is nothing like the peace and tranquility that evening brings.


Let's bask in the glow of the oil lamps...
maybe sip a little brandy before retiring for the night...
and then sleep soundly after a good day spent in this 
beautiful world!




PS:

After much consideration, I made the personal decision, this weekend, 
to leave Facebook.
In its basic form it has the potential to be a wonderful platform for bringing
people together... for those distanced by miles to be closer.
Sadly, though, over the past several years, it has been used for rather
nefarious purposes.  We have all felt the sting of the divided
world in which we live, and Facebook has contributed to this
divisiveness in countless ways.

Because their primary motivator is profits, they refuse to be held accountable
for the proliferation of the mis-information, outright lies, and hatred
that can be found on their platform.
It's not that I have been a victim, personally...
we have all been victims.
I came to the realization that the only way I can help to combat this,
is my refusal to be part of the machine.
And so I have left.
I will miss seeing my friends, but will strive to stay in touch through other ways.

I will keep my Instagram account active (@beehavenacres).
Even though they were acquired by Facebook,
 they still remain in their original format.

If you have been reading my blog through your Facebook feed,
I apologize for the inconvenience.
I can offer you a subscription that will arrive daily in your email
if you are having difficulty in arriving directly here each day.
Please email me if you would like me to add you to the subscription list.
(There is a link at the top of the blog home page... beneath the 
Tales From The Farm title, but I have heard that it can be hard to navigate.)
I can help you with that.

It is my hope that we can continue to visit with each other,
as I have enjoyed your friendships.
Please, never hesitate to leave me a question or comment,
as I try to eventually answer all questions within the content of this blog.

I am trying to contribute to a kinder, gentler world...
as we are more alike than we are different,
and as humans we are capable of so much good and so much love.

Hugs to you!
Bev

Comments

colleen said…
Looks like you had a grand weekend. It is so good to see you and your grands together. They are growing like weeds. I think the secretary is just what the shed needed. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love the night time pictures of the shed. It is so magical to me. Everything is so perfect (until you make it more perfect) :) and calming. I keep going back and looking to make sure I didn't miss anything. You think of EVERYTHING... moss in the walkway. I don't blame you in the least about getting rid of Facebook. I find myself leaning more toward Instagram and Snapchat. As always you are my morning happy news and I can't thank you enough for your faithfulness to your Blog. xoxoxox
Anonymous said…
I too love living in the country!! The lights at night are wonderful!!
Mushrooms on manure, LOL!
Cindy said…
Much love and hugs back my loving cousin. From Cindy Funkhouser.😘
jaz@octoberfarm said…
good for you for leaving facebook. i just canceled my subscription to our local paper and got a refund. we all should be doing these things! tyler is really starting to look like a teenager isn't he?
farm buddy said…
Thankfully, I have lived in the country since I was a very small child, but I am, as you, thankful every day for the opportunity to do so. My farm is everything to me. I have never participated in Facebook, and I applaud your decision. You are doing good work!
Alex Petrov said…
Love your blog! Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures. I'm going to feature your blog next week on my site!
Anonymous said…
I'm dying to know about your lone runner duck. Is she sitting on eggs? Is she OK?
I look forward to your blogs every day. Thank you for sharing your adventures! I am vicariously living on a farm through you. Thank you!
Hugs right back atcha! My fairies should be at your place by now and I am sure they will be attracted to the lights at your shed. So if you feel something twittering around, it is probably them. Their little faces are probably blue by the berries right now and they may be able to help bring in the horses. They like to lie under the pigs and scratch their bellies.
Marcia LaRue said…
Absolutely LOVE that secretary and all the scroll work ... Wow!
The rocking chair is so right for the porch!
The nighttime pictures are so peaceful and beautiful!
The one, looking through the beautiful screen door into the lamp-lit living area would make a stunning jigsaw puzzle!
BEAUTIFUL simply describes your entire area! Thank you for sharing it with all of us!
This N That said…
A magical world indeed...yours
Junebug said…
You have the dream life a lot of us would love to have! Thank you for sharing this life so we can all enjoy!
Lynne said…
Each visit with you Is wonderful . . .
I smile at Maven Haven . . .
I think you might have to eventually build an addition.
Like your new secretary and rocker . . .
Love your little special place.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I saw you on Facebook.
I liked the ease of visiting you there but following
you through Bloglovin works great too.

Happy July!
Katmom said…
Hey Bev... I totally understand about leaving fab, Every now and then I have to take a breather from fab... to keep my sanity in tack. I luv your antique Secretary’s Desk,, We we’re gifted Gary’s grandmother’s , and it displayed some of my favorite tea cups and tea paraphernalia. Enjoy yours. Hug-n-squishes. Gracie
Katmom said…
Oops! ‘Fab ‘ was supposed to be ‘F.B’... I really should proof read before posting!🤗