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On Sunday we spent some time outside
in the garden.
Mom had Grace planting herbs
and Jacob planting cucumbers.
Ethan was busy hammering together
another wooden garden frame.
I find my mom inspiring.
I did a little weeding
but spent most of the time
wandering around with my camera.
I enjoy how she has little personal touches around.
Like this “My Garden” sign
and the birdbath.
And this clever way
to keep track of the garden gloves.
These old wagon wheels must’ve
come from the farm and are now propped up by the shed.
She loves her garden shed.
She even has a little twin-sized bed in it.
Dad and Mom take naps there sometimes.
Just for fun.
An old enamel tub had pototoes in it,
waiting to be planted.
And I found this old piece of iron
on the fence post that helps
contain the concord grape vines. . . . .
all these things say to me
“Mom’s been here! Mom’s been here!”
Almost like her signature was signed
with a flourish all over the gardens.
“The more things thou learnest to know and enjoy,
the more complete and full will be for thee
the delight of living.”
Phalen
Good to be Home 
Those are great pictures! Thanks for posting them!
Shan, I love this blog. I love Mom’s gardens too! ~Dave
Hey Shanda,
I grew up in farm country too and I was near tears reading about your grandparents farm. I can so relate to the smell you couldn’t exactly describe, the milking barn and the farm experience. I would be so sad to see the farm we grew up on sold. I didn’t actually live on that farm, but I was there a lot and it was home to me. When my older girls were little I took them back there for the opportunity to learn Dairy Production. In exchange for teaching them all about the dairy farm, the girls fed calves for Joyce…..who is like a 2nd mom to me. They loved it. Joyce let them name all of the calves and she taught them so many neat things. After our lesson each week I took them out to the barn I used to play in and they got to ride on the big rope swing I rode on as a kid. It goes out over the cow poop where the cows like to roam when they’re inside but not being milked. We used to build forts with hay bails in there and I remember screaming in horror a time or ten when we discovered a dead mouse in that hay. We used to hunt down the newborn kittens and mother them to death. There were always kittens there……and often there were puppies too. I loved to stomp around in my barn boots. The bigger the mud pile the better for me.:):)
Yep, you sparked some memories for me here. I really enjoyed your walk down memory lane, although I sensed a feeling of melancholy for you.
Your Mom’s gardening pictures are beautiful. How special. I’m so glad you got the opportunity to spend time there with her.
Have a blessed week,
Jana
What a neat little spot! And I love the little “bed in the shed” idea. I’m glad you got to spend some time at your mom’s~
Such nice pictures!
I so enjoyed wandering with you around your mom’s garden. Have a blessed day dear friend
Methinks you are a lot like your momma! You know how to create beauty and “cozy hominess.”
Lovely pics
Oh….I want to visit.
A truly great garden is one that has the marks of it’s owner. Great pictures! And I love the quote at the end
Lovely… just lovely.
Great pictures and memories! What a wonderful place for you to have grown up! Even more special that you can share it with your own children now!!
hugs
after your children are grown i am thinking you should go into photo journalism full time… you have SUCH A GIFT!!!!
I continue to enjoy your creative photos.
How very lovely!
“Mom’s been here” ~ precious!
I love the pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!
I want a book of your pictures to sigh over on lazy Sunday afternoons. I’d flip through the pages and think “Oh, how I’d love to walk there”, or “maybe I could try that”. What a blessing it would be.
Oh, what a beautiful garden your mother has!! š
Hi Shanda, I always enjoy visiting here – your pictures have such a peaceful quality about them…~Colleen~