As I came around the turn at Pickle Street (yes…it’s a real place!), the big red barn caught my eye. The farmhouse looks different now that they added the aluminum siding. (They had to take it off the National Historic Registry for that egregious act!) I first came to this farm as a little girl back when my aunt and her first husband owned it. It had belonged to his grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Teters. After my uncle died and my aunt remarried, she sold this farm. I was honored she gave me three of Grandma Teters crocks along with the stories on two of them. (The big blue one pulled double duty. The cream was raised in it and the biscuit dough was made in it every morning. They ran a boarding house for teamsters and there were plenty of biscuits made in that crock. The small crock held baking soda. Grandpa Teters had a “sour stomach” all the time so the bowl was filled with baking soda – or “sody”, as they called it – and he’d eat a teaspoon of it every time he walked past.) Also, I got a red child’s rocker with a woven seat and a curved front oak curio cabinet they pulled out of this barn. It hardly offers basic shelter anymore with great gaps in the wood siding. I wanted to stop and get some pictures while the place is still standing. There is a church a half mile down the road. My great-grandfather donated the bell that is in the steeple of that church. Lots of ties in this area.

I visited my aunt yesterday and she seems to be recuperating nicely. I think she is with it enough to understand she can’t live alone anymore. Actually, she seemed happier than I’ve seen her in a long, long time.

I didn’t sleep well Tuesday night. Far too much on my mind and getting excited about the trip to DC and my talk. I had my alarm set for 5:30 yesterday morning to take the trash out. I was going to pack quickly and head out but I laid down…you know, for just a minute. Three hours later I woke up. By the time you read this on Thursday morning, I’ll be on my way to Washington!!! Can you tell I’m excited???

❤️

““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬