Friday, November 15, 2013

Barns, Oaks & Journals

When I returned home from swimming on Wednesday I was struck with the way the evening sun was lighting up the barn, the red pin oak and the orange chestnut tree - so when I entered the driveway I veered off into the pasture in my Explorer and snapped this shot before it was gone.  Our farmhouse is nestled off in the trees to the left of the barn.  I do so love having some ground around me.  I showed this photo to Dayle and said maybe we should plant some shrubs along this end of the barn.  I also suggested he add some windows on this end of the barn.. we have a stack of them in the barn for just that use.  Oh, and he needs (or someone) to paint the trim on the big window there - it really illuminates the hay loft.


Wednesday was sunny so when I walked out to the car I thought this would be a good time to take a photo of the red leaves against the blue sky.  And sure enough, yesterday was rainy, stormy and windy, and a lot of these leaves are now on the ground.  


Blue sky.. how I love thee.. let me count the ways.  Yesterday it was awful weather but my sister Denise and I volunteered at Multnomah Falls and we still had a good amount of visitors from all over the world.  We trained a new volunteer - a retired police captain - and he's going to be great!  I didn't get any photos as it was just gloomy.


I have a story to tell about this leather bound journal.  My 2 sisters and our mother and I went out for lunch right before my 50th birthday and were window shopping around this cool place called John's Landing and we were in this cool stationery shop and I saw this journal and just flipped over it.  My sister Roberta said - "Would you like us to go together and get this for you for your birthday?"  I was overjoyed!  It's made by this neat company called "Oberon" and it's luscious leather heavily embossed with a pewter knob on it for winding a leather thong around to keep it closed and safe.  Of course this design I love because of the sailboat and lighthouse.  They make the pewter items too.


Anyway.. last Spring Dayle was outside and came in carrying my beloved journal and it was sopping wet and the book inside was drenched and had been for some time.  Apparently I'd taken the journal on one of our trips in our trailer and when bringing things back into the house it had been dropped.  It had laid there in the rain and maybe even snow for who knows how long.  I tried to read some of the journal entries, the ink had bled and washed away.  I'd inscribed in the book with who gave it to me and when and had some nice memories of my mom in there.  There were also many notes left for me as on my 50th birthday on my houseboat, I'd asked all the guests to write something.  I tore out the pages with writing and saved it.. somewhere.. and I just got around to ordering a new book to put in the journal and bought a small bottle of Bickmore leather conditioner.  It arrived yesterday and I cleaned and conditioned the poor dried out leather and put the fresh new book inside and I'm ready to go.


Isn't the button knob cool.. a wave.  Do you have a special journal?  

I'm off to swim today.  I must say, it's so much harder to leave the fireside of my cozy home when it's storming outside.. especially to jump in a pool of cool water.  But I will.  I hope you have a super good weekend.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 

14 comments:

  1. Gosh, your pictures are how we all imagine the great American outdoors, your barn is gorgeous! What a heartbreaking story about your journal, but you sound quite sanguine about it and hopefully it is as good as new now. F xx

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  2. Your photos are beautiful, I love your big red barn. It's so picturesque, exactly what a barn should look like. I'm sorry about your journal but I'm glad you're trying to salvage it. I think it will work out fine. I have had lots of different notebooks and journals throughout my life but I don't really have one currently. I've been thinking about that lately, actually and I should remedy it.

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  3. The photos of the barn and the beautiful leaves are just stunning. Well you know how jealous I am of where you live! Love the story about the journal, sorry you lost some pages but it looks as good as new.
    Hugs to you and have a great swim,
    Meredith

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  4. Love your journal Teresa, I have one too. Oberon is a lovely company, the quality is superb. Love the pewter buttons too. Your photos are lovely, all our leaves are down now. I feel a long winter ahead. Good for you to swim in the cold weather too. I have to make myself get out for my walks with Jack in the freezing weather!! Have a great weekend, xoRobin

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  5. Your barn looks awesome with the trees and sunshine. So pretty indeed. The journal was the perfect gift for someone who loves to sail in her boat. I am sure it was terrible to find that it had been lost out in the bad weather, but good that it was found and refurbished, good as new. Sorry you lost a lot of the written pages. Maybe when you take it with you again it would work out to keep it in a zip-lock bag....just in case, wink, wink!
    (((HUGS))) Susanne :)

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  6. Teresa, that journal is fabulous! I am so glad you were able to restore it to it's original luster. I have kept journals since I was a young girl. I have dozens of them. Some are simply spiral bound notebooks, and others are pretty books. I love to read them back. I also kept a journal with each pregnancy. How neat that yours holds special memories of your Mom as well. So special.
    The photos of the barn and red trees are gorgeous!!!
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  7. I just love your barn! Living on a farm surely is not complete without a "big red barn". Really loving your autumnal country living these days...it's so pretty! So sad to hear about your journal but I am glad you could save part of it. You did a good job making it look "new" again!
    xx, Shari

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  8. What a beautiful barn! I always love light that I see in the afternoons. The golden hour!

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  9. Thanks for sharing the wonderful photos of the beautiful barn and the oak trees around it, Teresa. I was so involved in admiring you special journal that I gasped when you described it getting drenched! You did a great job restoring it. I especially love it's lighthouse design and wave button. I am not familiar with the company you purchased it from, but I am going to check it out after typing to you :) I have a shelf full of journals, a couple plain leather ones, and many spiral or hardback bound ones. This last year I have been journaling on my iPad about my thoughts concerning Scriptures I read, but I miss pen and paper!
    Gracie xx

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  10. LOVE red barns! I have a variety of journals that I have kept over the years, but no special one. Have a great weekend--stay warm :)
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  11. I'm glad you were able to restore your beautiful journal. All those memories would be so special - great that you were able to retrieve those pages to put in your new book. The tree pics are very nice. I hope you have a good weekend - I'm suffering what I think must just be a cold as I always get a flu shot each year so it can't be flu. Serves me right for going where there are lots of people (and obviously germs). xoxox

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  12. Beautiful barn and photos Teresa.Glad you were able to restore your journal. I don't keep a journal though have often thought about doing so. Hugs Anne x

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  13. What a lovely post, Teresa. I love your barn. Well done for rescuing your beautiful journal. :)

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  14. Hi Teresa, Glad you could save the journal cover!!! Your barn is just so beautiful standing there, highlighted by the rays of light and all the colorful trees around it!!! Have a super happy weekend!!!
    Love
    AMarie

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