It was a short walk up the little dusty lane to the old farmhouse. Majestic Maple trees lined both sides of the lane and had grown so thick that a canopy almost covered the dusty little path. In fact the canopy was so thick the sunshine barely reached the dusty road. After about an eighth of a mile a little turn to the right and you were there. The grass was usually quite tall unless the old folks turned the two goats loose and let'm "mow" the clover. Two big straight backed rockin chairs set on the front porch along with a chain suspended wooden swing. The porch railing was hand hewn from boxelder, hand fitted and hand finished. It served the purpose of a neat footrest while swingin or rockin. Visitors were ALWAYS welcomed to this simple country home by two of the finest people I've ever known! Godly people who would excitedly share the Gospel with anyone that asked. He was a smallish old gentleman standing not much over 5 1/2 feet tall and weighin about 150 pounds. He had one eye missin and was hard of hearin but still not too bad for a man in his mid 80's. His wife was a little taller and a whole lot heavier than he. About the first thing they said was "Come set a spell"! The next words spoken "Have ya'll eat yet? Ya'll'll stay fer supper?"

The front porch was set on concrete piers that was also used to set barns on back then. Dogs, cats and whatever else would lay under the shade of that porch in the summertime--that is if they weren't on the porch want'n petted! Wintertime wasn't much different--they laid under the porch for protection from the elements--except in the worst weather and then they were put in the barn amongst the horses, cows, goats and chickens. Lots of warm hay to lay in.

The big front door on the porch led straight into a large kitchen with an old Home Comfort wood cookstove. It was alongside the west wall with a window on the right end of the stove. In the center of the room was a long wooden table, also hand made from oak, with benches on each side of the table. At each end was a straight backed, cane bottom'd chair. An old Arkls Servel kerosene refrigator was alongside another wall, the pantry door and cupboard. Cast iron pots and pans hung from a hand hewn beam above the cookstove for easy access. A woodbox was also alongside one end of the stove. Kerosene lamps graced two handmade wooden shelves. The sweet odor of sassafrass smoke had smelled up the kitchen years before and was still present. Wallpaper was an old design with large purple-ish flowers on a white background.

Walkin through the pantry door into the large room [about 8' X 12'] was always a delight for a young kid. Shelves loaded so heavily with canned fruit, vegatables and cold packed meat that they actually sagged under the tremendous load. On the floor set several lard cans full of ---well---LARD! Some also held flour-freshly ground-some cornmeal and some wheat, rye and even oat flour.

The old wooden floor was worn slick after 100 years of feet walkin on it. Clean enought to eat off of if one desired to do so.

To the right was another doorway leadin into the livin room. A large couch on the right side of the room, several chairs end tables, coffee tables and of course the ever present "Florance" wood and coal heatin stove. It had it's place of prominence and was also well taken care of. Those big chrome plated foot warmers was as clean and sparklin as the day it was uncrated from Sears and Roebuck. The coal bucket sat behind the stove with a couple chunks of coal and some smaller sticks of firewood. On a large wooden table set an Alladin lamp and also a gasoline lamp that was nickel plated.

An old console Atwater Kent battery radio was also settin along a wall to the right side of the heating stove. The outside "aerial" could be seen through the window--stretchin to the tall cedar tree in the back yard. Up about 20 feet and about 50 feet to the tree. That thing would pull stations in from half way around the world.

Second "hitch" when we get back in a week.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever"! If He has the power to save He most certainly has the Power to HOLD! Ole hoot. Luke 6:31

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), June 22, 2001

Answers

Hi Hoot,

That story brings back memories of when I was growing up and we would visit my gramma. The house was said to have tunnels from the underground railroad and in fact there were some remnants of tunnel that led off of a crawl space. so who knows!!! My mom and Dad were married in that house and some of my fondest memories happened there.

Anyway, the things I remember most is the big horse chestnut trees that grew in front of the house as you entered the kitchen and the daffodils that grew all over the hill behind the house. In the side yard were old peach trees that were unkept and we would salvage what we could of the peaches.There was an old stone buggy step next to the driveway that us kids would play on.

My gramma always had cookies in the cookie jar and candy in the candy dish in the parlor. It was always the same kind, you know the white nouget stuff with bits of red and yellow jelly like stuff mixed up in it.

There was this one room that had all these windows and it was so bright and cheerful. There was a lot of canned goods all lined up on shelves and the shelves were hidden with handmade curtains. Us kids liked that room but we weren't allowed in there very often. Oh, I almost forgot, back then some houses had telephones with party lines and my gramma's house happened to be one of them. My sister andI I would pick up the phone and listen in these two old ladies that were always talking. We got yelled at for that. We had so much fun there.

The house has been sold several times since I was a kid and the owners have really changed it. It has lost all it's charm. The chestnut trees are long gone, the peach orchard is just part of the lawn and the old rose garden is a fenced in play yard. The valley behind the house where my dad used to have his goats is now build up with $300,000.00 houses. But like you said Hoot, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. What a comfort it is to know that I can depend on Him and He will never leave me or forsake me.

"The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever."

Kathy

-- Kathy (jubilant@ncweb.com), June 23, 2001.

Back from our little "Look see" in the Smokey Mts again. Correction to the date of this farmhouse article. The year was NOT 1945 but rather 1949. Yeah, for all ya'll that don't remember how old I am [which I DID post awhile back several times] --a YOUNG, GOOD LOOKIN, HANSUM 57! Now, ya'll don't hafta start cifer'n no more. Born in Nov. 43, I wuz. Well, I may've lied a mite about the good look'n,hansum and young!

From the livin room a short hallway and 3 doors lead'n off to 3 bedrooms. One was later converted to "indoor plumbin" as the old outhouse seemed to be movin farther and farther from the house!!

Out the back door onto the porch and lookin a little farther across the back yard, maple trees and grapeharbor alongside the garden fence was ---the garden. A HUGE plot of land for a garden. Seems I recall about 100 hills of pole beans, all stuck with sassafrass saplins, but I waarn't very big back then so I'm not too sure about that count! Mater plants tied up to sassafrass sticks too--with white strips of worn out bed sheets. Cabbage's as big as a punkin, onions innumerable and that ole Stoesevergreen sweet corn.

Sweet taters and irish taters also took up a lot of room in that huge garden. These old folks had a root cellar dug underneath the back side of the house. Framed up with oak timbers and tight enuff to keep snakes outta there, along with mice and rats.

The barnyard was across a little driveway leadin to the barn. Several hogs were penned up alongside the barn with easy access to the barn for shelter. Slop toughs were alongsidee the fence and the driveway. Nothing was wasted from the kitchen table. Slop was saved throughout the day for hog feed. Anything left over that was unedible was kept. Mixed with a little commercial feed, the slop really did have an effect on the growth of those hogs.

Chicken house was on the other side of the barn and set away about 50 ft. Big White Rock chickens that looked like they would weigh 50# each filled up the chickenyard. Of course they didn't weigh that much but they were big and healthy.

This is just a brief description of that old farmstead back in my younger days. I still remember it like yesterday but couldn't put it all down here. One thing I did not mention was the pitcherpump and sink in the kitchen. The well was just outside the kitchen and also had a hand pump in it too. Seems like back then all farms houses had a well with a pump and the ever present tin can, turned upside down on a stick driven into the ground, for folks to drink out of.

Time for the rememberin back to cease and desist I rekon. I've been accused of many things in my life and "livin in the past" is just one of the more gentle ones. Frankly, I can't see too much wrong with remberin the old folks, old ways, honesty and respect for one another. We sure could use more of it now, I think!

Country fried chik'n. Cut up a big chick---first ya'll hafta kill, pick and dress it. Mix us A EGG! [Thats like say'n A APPLE, ya'll know] Slide the chik'n parts into that egg makin sure it's kevvered. Coat with flour, salt and pepper. Fry in an iron skillet, covered until done. Remove the lid and let that raskel brown. Goes rite smart with mashed taters and gravy, green beens, sweet corn and maters. Apple pie? Sure! Why not!!!

Treat ya'lls nabors decent. They'd appreciate it and so would Jesus Christ! Matt.24:44

-- hoot, the illinois hillbilly (hoot@pcinetwork.com), June 30, 2001.

I just found this forum today. What a pleasant surprise! I read and replied to 2 posts before I read this one--seems like several of us are in the same mood today (or whenever written). Anyway, i am enjoying it muchly.

-- ruth in se Illinois (bobtravous@email.com), July 06, 2001.