One whole month since we met here. It’s been a hard one . . . A month ago I thought we were right on the cusp of breaking ground on our Finally Farmhouse. A month later, I still think that. START I’m tired. The past 16 months of living in 300 square feet, driving muddy roads, cooking in a tiny kitchen, and having to go to a hotel just to enjoy a bath is getting old. You might say I’m just about over it. And if that weren’t enough, so many other areas of our life are “crazy”. Job transition continues, community work is exciting and affirmed, but there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Church leadership calls for intense spiritual focus—and ... Keep Reading...
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HIDDEN TREASURE: Antique log cabin
It was Summer 2015 when Renaissance Man and I came upon this site . . . We were looking at property, considering whether or not to purchase and restore its old farmhouse—to make it a NEW old house in the country. Hidden in the trees was this small log cabin made of hand-hewn logs. This cabin—on the oldest farm in our East Tennessee valley. Could it be the original cabin from the 18th century? We could tell it had been moved (and improperly rebuilt). It had also been used as a pig shed—and storage for junk—and the tin roof had caved in. And yet, those antique logs called our names. We didn't buy the property. The farm we already owned just across the valley had ... Keep Reading...
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MY WINDOWS TO THE WORLD: Restoring antique windows—a labor of love
As I prepared this post for you, I came across pics taken the very first time we walked the land that is now our Wild Rose Farm. It was November 2011 . . . and we became its caretakers on January 6, 2012. That was six years ago. For the first five years, Wild Rose Farm provided an oft-much-needed respite a mere 10 minutes away from the old house we'd restored in town. It served as my "window to the world", in a sense, as I spent many hours here reading, journaling, praying . . . hiking, taking photographs, even tablescaping. Over time, our hearts were drawn ever more often to this place of natural beauty, and we began dreaming about building a new "old" farmhouse. Last week, we ... Keep Reading...
