If you’ve been reading here very long, you know that one of my most favorite things to do is to get in the car and drive aimlessly on back roads. Fortunately, I have a family who is patient with that quirk of mine and don’t blink twice at me heading out for a couple of hours of meandering time. There are few things that soothe my soul like a back road.
Sadly, there hadn’t been a freeze yet in Wisconsin and so the tree colors were not as brilliant as they might have been. But the red barns, green grass, and blue sky still flaunted their beauty so I didn’t have too much to complain about.
On Thursday of our week away, we drove over to Ruth’s for one of her lovely lunches. The grape juice was made from her own grapes and she also grew the raspberries.
Who is lovelier? The flowers or mom?
Sorry, flowers. I think Mom wins this one.
Eighty-seven years old and still shining!
In contrast to Mom’s serene beauty, here is Steve’s bemused face.
We went outside after lunch to enjoy the balmy weather.
I happened to catch a glimpse of mom in a mirror Ruth had hung outside and thought it made an interesting photo.
And then Debbie got one of me.
From there, Ruth took us all off on a pontoon adventure.
Mom was in her element, surrounded by family and nature.
Three of my favorite women in the whole world.
And also . . . my favorite husband in the whole world.
On the way home from pontooning, we drove by an ancient schoolhouse.
My family knows that I LOVE old buildings. Every time I drive by one I say to myself, “Oh, how I wish I could see inside that building.”
Well, wonder of wonders, Ruth pulled up outside the building and said, “I know the people who own this. We can go in.”
Be still my heart.
Look at the size of that stove!
Who knows how old this nutmeg is? Such a cool can.
Ruth and Debbie discovered some old books and ledgers.
This one is from 1881. Look at the penmanship. It’s like a work of art. (Unlike my penmanship which is very unartish.
It was such a privilege to be able to wander through the past for a few minutes and think about how things used to be.
We have the simplest kinds of vacations but they are priceless beyond words. Homemade grape juice, mirrored pictures, pontoons, old schools, family, country roads, and nature.
Who could ask for more?
What about you? Are you a backroads kind of person (like me) or more of a get there in a straight line person (like Steve)?
If you had a choice between living in a modern, new house or in an old house with plenty of character that had been remodeled, what would you choose?
What is (or was) your favorite thing about your mom?
Beautiful photos, Becky!!! I love old buildings and interesting places and I love adventures and exploring. We are hoping to drive to BC for my cousin’s weddingin the spring but COVID is still really really bad here so it all depends on if it’s safe to travel (last month our ICUs were at almost full capacity and they were really close to implementing protocols on which people would not qualify for life saving care). But God willing the situation improves here and maybe we can even travel again in the spring.
I love houses that have stories in their walls. (Metaphorically).We live in a house built in 1912 which for Edmonton is petty old as Alberta didn’t officially become a province till 1905.
Your mom looks lovely and it looks like you had a wonderful time.
Jenna,
I’m so sorry Canada is still experiencing high COVID numbers. So discouraging. I hope that you are able to travel to your cousin’s wedding in the spring; it would be so much fun to get to see some favorite folks!
“Stories in their walls” is a great phrase. Every time I drive by an old house I especially think of the woman/wife/mother who used to live there and her daily tasks and her sweeping the porch and calling her family for dinner. Stories, indeed.
How cool to live in a house that is over 100 years old! From the pictures I’ve seen on FB, it looks lovely!
Becky,
Your photography “eye” is amazing. I love these pictures so much and it makes me want to break my real camera out instead of just using my phone all the time.
I’m a “get there” girl when we’re going on a trip but I’m a “backroads” girl when we’re coming home. If the old house has closets and bathrooms and good HVAC then I like an old house with character (I’m a little peculiar myself). One of my favorite things about my mother is her positivity in any situation.
Have a wonderful
Suzanne
Thanks so much for the photo compliment! I actually did take those photos on my phone, an iPhone 11. So much easier to travel with it. Although I’m like you, I get the hankering every now and again to pull out my big camera and just wandering around with it.
Yes, an old house would definitely need some modern improvements for me to enjoy it but like you say, they have SO much character. Love old buildings!
All my answers replicate deb’s… Precisely.
As always, your pics make the story/blog come alive. Life surrounds us with so much beauty…
Praise be to God
Ruth
Ruth,
Glad to have two precisely replicating sisters. 🙂
Beauty in life. Everywhere. Indeed.
Oh, I loved this post!! It made me think of my hubby’s dear aunt that passed away a couple of years ago.. they lived in High Point, NC but she was from Mt. Airy, NC and she inherited her mom and dad’s old place years ago, which is within walking distance from my house. We had chicken stews there every year for 25 years until she passed away. There is an old pack house that she made into an old “museum”, full of antiques and things she collected over the years. There is even an old tobacco stick twiner with real tobacco hanging on it and two tobacco barns that still have the smell of curing tobacco in them. When Aunt Lou turned 80 she climbed up in the rafters of one of those barns as she always said she would do. She gussied up the old farmhouse and it looked like a dollhouse. She and Uncle Bill would come up on weekends sometimes and stay in there. My hubby and I used to live in that old house without a bathroom, while we were building our own home down the road… this was back in 1973. Our family loves old stuff and back roads, just like you do.. it is sad when the older folks pass and we lose so many of the good memories they shared with us. Your mom is still so beautiful at her age. She must be like an old history book with many great tales to tell. Thank you for sharing this post!!
Kaye,
I so enjoyed the pictures you shared with me on FB. You have such a great heritage of remembering and honoring the places and people of the past. You are blessed, indeed!
And good for your Aunt Lou for climbing the rafters of the old barn. Not many older women can say they have done that. Kudos!
For 20 years, we lived in a black and white Tudor farmhouse with beams from old ships of the 15th/16th century. It was a very beautiful and unique house, and I am glad we had that time there, but it had far too many dusty old corners and let’s just say we were not always ALONE in the house – wildlife of many different kinds occasionally joined us for a little, uninvited stay… so I much prefer my beautiful, light, airy, clean (well it was when we moved in) MODERN house! I’m very definitely a ‘backroads’ gal.
Your Mum is beautiful, I love her skirt and I’m glad you all had such a good time. The pontoon looked so much fun!
That schoolhouse is amazing isn’t it? I have read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books many times and the heater she described in her schoolroom was surely just like that one (I notice it says SMITH system on it!) How wonderful that it’s all been preserved and that you got to visit it! xxxx
Teresa,
Oh my. Beams from the 15th century? What an absolute treasure of a place in which to live. However, the wonderful beams would be canceled out just a little by the uninvited wildlife. Eek. I am not an uninvited wildlife type of person. 🙂
Yes, we grew up on Little House on the Prairie TV and have the book set. I could just picture Laura and Mary sitting in that old building with Nellie across the aisle. Such a great experience to get to see it. (And yes, I DID notice the Smith name on the heater.)
I prefer living in a modern house, but visiting historic ones. That schoolhouse is so cool – how neat you can still read the Watkins label on the nutmeg. The mirror pictures are great and any time spent on the water is so enjoyable to me. I’ve never had homemade grape juice, but I bet it was delicious – even more so, since it was made with homegrown grapes. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Sue Ellen,
That’s a good compromise; enjoying the old stuff but living in the new!
I sure enjoyed visiting that old school house but was definitely grateful to get back to the modernity of my comfy house back in Manteo. 🙂
Your pictures are beautiful! The sky is so blue in mist of them.
I probably lean more towards Steve’s way, primarily because I usually don’t feel like I have time to wander.
I would probably go for a newer house unless everything in the older house has been replaced. Furnace, A/C, plumbing, electrical, etc. Too many things to go wrong in an older house.
I think the thing I most appreciate about my mom is that she made sure I learned how to cook and that both she and my dad instilled a strong work ethic in me.
Phyllis,
It’s such an important thing for a mom to teach a child how to cook, even it’s just the basics that they can start building on. And a strong work ethic is huge, too. You have been blessed with great parents.
Yes, wandering definitely does take a little extra time and some days, when time is scarce, it’s the straight route for me, too.
Oh! I love wandering. I love wandering city streets and country roads alike. And old or new house? I bought my first house some months ago. It was built in 1925. I love the old. A few weeks ago I finally went to the County Auditors page and found who all the owners have been. One family lived here from 1942-1980. And yes, I’m trying to learn about them. 🙂 I like to imagine what the place looked like and them moving around in these same rooms as me. I love that old school house. I would have been tempted to take the nutmeg container. 😂
Brooke,
Interesting you mentioned city streets as well as country roads. I have to agree. There is so much to see in the city–people, buildings, happenings. Definitely, a great place to wander, as well.
Congrats on your first house; that’s a big deal! And built in 1925? I can just picture all the interesting features that you are finding as you get settled in. I love that you looked up the former owners; I know they left a lot of memories behind in those thirty-eight years. How much the world changed while they lived there.
Oh My — Your photos made me feel like I was just in the middle of your vacation. So much beauty to see there in Wisconsin. Our vacations are usually quite simple as well…. we prefer visiting with family, enjoying some good outdoors and just reflecting with where we’ve been, where we are going and all that we have been blessed with….
Beth,
Simple is great, isn’t it? Not saying I wouldn’t enjoy an expensive, lavish vacation but I am more than happy with the things you mentioned–family, outdoors, reflection.
I’m glad my photos gave you a small vacation; I love that photos have the power to transport us.
Your photos are very nice Becky. I especially love the ones of your Mom, the old church and the old school house. If walls could speak. My grandmother Smith’s handwriting was so beautiful, similar to the writing in the school house ledgers.
Yes, I share your love of backroads. Google map is indeed my friend and helps me find my way to small towns close to Asheville. Some of my favorite backroad trips are to Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Brevard and Hendersonville. Last Friday I was walking with friends in a Hendersonville Park. We were fortunate to see one of the ‘white squirrels’ scamper across the path ahead of us! Yes, solid white squirrels make their home in Henderson and Transylvania Counties in Western NC. There is even a ‘White Squirrel Festival’ in Brevard every year to honor this lil critter!
I am ‘in the middle’ regarding the old remodeled house versus the modern house. I love the charming floor to ceiling windows in modern homes.
I admire Mom’s appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A warm home, a good meal, ‘Mid Summer Murders’ on the television and she is a very happy camper. She was born in 1930, life during and after the great depression must have been a difficult time in the lives of many.
Gloria,
I am jealous of you living up near Asheville; a bazillion backroads available through that gorgeous scenery. I’m glad to hear you take advantage of it and get out and enjoy it.
And how fun to see a white squirrel. I’d never heard of them and certainly never seen one. I’m sure you’re just one of a few who have seen one.
I love that your mom loves life’s simple pleasures. After all that she went through during the Depression, it’s the simple things that bring the most joy and comfort.
We two (too) love the back roads – like the bear went over the mountain to see what he could see – but his trip wasn’t very exciting whereas ours has been exciting and surprising – when you get off on a road not well traveled??? Those are beautiful pictures and we have not had frost yet (could be this week), but we do have a lot of color where we live. Bless those maple trees!!! We had our townhome built and we were just talking this morning how appreciative we were to live here. Do love those old homes, but not sure I could live in one for any length of time if no changes had been made. Also love museums and all the old stuff they hold. My mom – how long do you have to listen??? She passed away in 2012 about 2 weeks before her 93rd birthday. She was a semi-pro baseball player in the late 40’s, a very funny lady, creative, painter, great cook – a lover of the Lord. Well, i will stop now. Your old place just needed the alphabet at the top of the blackboard!
Sharyn,
I really love the fact that your mom played baseball in the 40’s when semi-professional sports for women were doubtlessly rare. She was a true trailblazer! Pair that with humor, creativity, cooking and a strong faith, she sounds like a mom in a million.
Glad you’ve gotten some color; I LOVE maple trees and their brilliant beauty.
Your pictures are just spectacular! Your trip sounds perfect! I like to get to where I’m going as quickly as I can (follow that straight line!) so that the fun can begin. However….I really do like the back roads road trips too. The peacefulness and serenity away from the hustle and bustle are so nice.
Our house is about 90 years old and has been extensively remodeled. By us. It has been an ongoing project since we got married. I, personally, like the more modern and contemporary look. My hubby likes the more rustic look though. We will be searching for a different house in the next year or so and I can’t help but wonder what we’ll end up with.
My mom was so smart and it seems she always had a good answer for EVERYthing. 🙂 She also could play a pretty mean piano. She already knew how to play, but took lessons as an adult to learn to play by ear. She inspires me still. We played piano duets quite often which I really loved. I miss her so much.
Lee Anne,
When I saw the words “extensively remodeled” followed with “by us” I immediately tipped my virtual hat in your direction. People that know how to upgrade and modernize homes amaze me. And it’s not just doing the work; it’s living in the house while that work is going on. I’m sure you have developed a strong store of patience and learned how to be flexible. It will be fun to see where your differing housing opinions lead you when you get a different house.
I admire anyone who takes music lessons as an adult, especially when it’s to learn to play by ear. In other words, she was always looking to improve, which was a great quality. I’m glad you can look back at making music and memories together.
I love the backroads when I have time to enjoy the sights. When I am short on time and want to be somewhere, then I take the fast route. I love your eye for the angle and lighting of photos. I tend to point and shoot and not think about angle and lighting.
I would love to live in an old house. My dream is a renovated schoolhouse or church. I almost bought an old schoolhouse in Kansas back in the 80’s. It wasn’t fancy, but it did have charm. After we moved to MI a renovated church came up for sale. I often wished it would have been for sale when we bought our house, but 11 years and some arthritis later, I am glad we didn’t as it is full of stairs.
My favorite thing about my mom is that she sometimes had a funny sense of humor and out of the blue would have us laughing.
Patti, where in Kansas was the school house? We lived in Leawood at 135th and Mission and there was an old red schoolhouse on the corner, it was slated for demolition but the town got together, raised funds and it was moved intact to a local park where people can tour it. There was also one in Gardner/Edgerton that was open for tours, it was fascinating to see how and what they learned.
I love back roads but my husband is a just get there guy! One year though ,we drove to Florida from Kansas and I convinced him to take a more scenic route through Mississippi and Alabama….it was so interesting to see big southern mansions and small towns that hadn’t changed that much in 100 years. My favorite things about my Mom were her love and her sense of humor. We moved to KS in 1997 when our kids were 8 and 5, up to that point, we saw her almost every day and now that she’s gone, I really regret the time we spent apart.
Dale,
My heart just gave a flutter at the words, “scenic route through Mississippi and Alabama, seeing big southern mansions and small towns that hadn’t changed in 100 years.”
Oh my. THAT is my happy place. I’m glad you were able to talk your husband into it; I hope he enjoyed it!
A sense of humor is an important “mom thing.” I’m glad yours was blessed with that quality.
Patti,
The best advice I’ve discovered on taking photos is to always look for different perspectives; I do a lot from way down low because I love the look. But holding a phone over your head and pointing down is cool too, as well as shooting through things (gates, tree branches) to frame the shot.
A renovated church as a home would be the COOLEST thing. I can only imagine all the nooks and crannies full of interesting stuff.
Glad you were blessed with a mom who made you laugh. That laughter makes some wonderful memories.
Backroads, old house, her steadfastness and humor. (answers to your questions 🙂)
I loved seeing some of the pictorial results of your backroad forays! Your photographic eye is truly amazing.
I don’t love that you guys are gone again. 😟 So lovely to have you here. ❤️
Love, Deb
Deb,
There are a lot of qualities that I have that I get from mom. Thankful, indeed, they were passed down.
Glad you liked the photos; sad you are sad we have left.
I’d come back every week if I could!