Saturday, September 6, 2008

Frankly, My Dear...

It says, "Yes! You can weigh your own produce."

Healthy and encouraging too. Exactly what I was looking for in a roadside stand. Unfortunately the doctor was not in. (Remember Lucy's 5 cent counseling fee?)

In all seriousness, I have been asking the EGE for a couple of years to build a produce and flower stand for me. Because it's not enough to have three or four children, three or four jobs and three or four horses all at once. I need to throw in a little side business selling eggs and zinnias.


Big horses.








Little girls.







If I close my eyes and breathe in and out very slowly, I can conjure that exact hot, dusty stable smell, timothy hay and clean stall shavings and horse heaven in one breath.




Although we keep a couple of horses on our little piece of land, we recently moved Maddy's horse Seven to the barn you see in those pictures. It's a mile and a half away and has a very 1940s movie set feel, with echoes of the racing Thoroughbreds it was built for. The local lore says Clark Gable had a horse there in 1955. Mr. Gable was shortly thereafter married to the ex-wife of the stable owner, and can't you just imagine that the drama was not all in the beauty of the landscape?

I just love that kind of drama... the kind that's over and done with a long time ago!



Yesterday was our typical whirlwind. The EGE was gone to Portland. (Powell's Bookstore without me. I can't wait to see the credit card receipt.) The girls had at any given point in time from one to six friends over. This is not a typo. I don't know what I was thinking proclaiming that we oughta be the hangout house. Maybe I was thinking kids are a lot quieter and cleaner (and easier on the pantry) than they actually are.

But how could I deny them a gaggle of friends when I round the corner of the house to see my grape arbor thus decorated:


It was really charming until I discovered there were eight children under there, eating underripe grapes and plotting how to catch fairies. Okay, so the fairy part is still charming. And to the other moms? I'm so sorry about the sick tummies.

I just can't get over the ghost of Rhett Butler roaming our little village. This will be bad for my Scarlett O'Hara syndrome. Mark my words. The next thing you know, I'll have a produce stand that's painted with the lettering, "As God is my witness, I'll nevah be hungry again!" And then I'll sell cute little bundles of basil while wearing a velvet gown made of draperies. It's all so dramatic and cinematic, I can hardly stand it.

Oh, why oh why wasn't I born to wear hoopskirts on a plantation? With nannies to help with the children?


9 comments:

Mrs. G. said...

Fairy hunting? Oh I miss those days. I miss little girl things.

Mokihana said...

He went to Powell's without you? And left you alone with Rhett? Oh my goodness. Visions of you getting carried up the staircase....

Toni said...

I wish I could stumble upon my kids playing in a garden like that. There's something about our thorns, rattle snakes and triple digits that just put a damper on things. Prickly pear fruit just doesn't taste the same as grapes.

I once heard that Clark Gable had serious halitosis. That could also put a damper on things.

Alexis said...

I want a farm stand too - but it would involve WORK. LOL

Amydeanne said...

lol looks like they had a great time! (even if they got sick after).. and i need a hoop skirt! i've got one somewhere... but give me the maid servants to help with the laundry b/c doing it by hand would drive me crazy!

Barb Matijevich said...

Um, maybe because of the lack of indoor plumbing and air conditioning?

Miri said...

Oh, my word, the halitosis ended it for me. I could stand the lack of A/C. But Rhett with bad breath? Eew.

Katie said...

Frankly, my dear...I dream of wearing the clothes of a different era. Maybe we should start a new trend among the locals?!

I just love your photos!

Andrea said...

A veggie stand would be great! I would love one too, but I guess I need a garden first. Then I would need people to actually drive down my road.

I love the barn! That does look really neat. It's very nice. And I too think I should have been lived back in the plantation days. But then again, they gave birth at home and that doesn't sound like too much fun.