It was a cool fall day in 2016 when I walked around the farm, snapping photos of anything I could. My husband’s grandparents lived in this old farmhouse and the family was preparing to let it go after it had been vacant for ten years.
It wasn’t easy to say goodbye. His Grandfather built this farmhouse when his mother was young. The family had a lot of memories, here. I only knew his Grandparents for a short time before they passed but I loved them. They were such kind people and made me feel like I was a part of this family the first time I visited.
What was left at this point, were memories of a life once lived. Rusted farm equipment filled the buildings. A few decorative kitchen knick-knacks were left along with shelves of home-canned jars of food grown on the farm. Some of it covered in dust. Farmland once filled with livestock and crops, now overgrown. A life that still had intention when it appears to have come to a sudden stop.
The hard work and dedication to making a living and providing for family were evident. I had no intention other than taking pictures from my own angle and perspective. I’m so glad I did.
I didn’t take the perfect photos, but I took them from a place of our own understanding. I wanted to capture the outlines from the woodstove smoke, where the family photos once hung on the wall. A picture of the kitchen where his Granny worked tirelessly to prepare meals for her family. I remembered the conversation and laughter that took place in that kitchen as I photographed it. A large family filled this small space during every holiday or any other occasion the family gathered to celebrate. I had tears in my eyes just thinking about it.
I didn’t have plans of creating a photo book when I took these photos, but a year later I decided it would make a nice gift. And it was the perfect gift for my mother-in-law.
I took these photographs on a whim. I tried to brighten a few of them, but they weren’t the sharpest photos. And that’s okay.
The photos I took evoke emotion. They were close-ups of things once necessary for everyday life in the house and on the farm. The corner of the living room where Grandaddy used to sit. Detail and character you often find in a house this old. It was all where life once happened and where the family gathered. What a gift it was that I was a part of it, even if it was just for a short time.
His Grandparents were special people who worked very hard and created a life with meaning. And now we have pieces of it to remember inside this book. It sits on our coffee table for others to enjoy and a few family members have their own copy.
I had this book created and printed in my Shutterfly account. It was a lot of fun to piece it together and put this collection of photos in one place. A photo of the farmhouse with the driveway leading to it was perfect for the cover.
I hope to encourage you to do the same. Create your book of memories. Gather the photos that have meaning, even if they’re not perfect. Use them to tell a story. Share them with others.
I love photographer David Alan Harvey’s quote- “Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like.” How perfect that quote is for what was captured, here.
I wanted to remember what was left and to remind us of what it once was. Maybe it wouldn’t mean much to those who didn’t experience it, but it meant everything to us.
I added very little wording to this book. A meaningful quote on the front cover and a simple message for my husband’s mother on the second page. The photos said what was most important.
The cobwebs all over Grandaddy’s copper kettle reminded us of how long it had been since we gathered around it as he made apple butter. Their children’s old storybooks stacked one on top of the other, barely hanging on to the binding that had come loose. And here we were, hanging on just the same, though it was time to break away.
We knew it had to come to an end. The farm sold in 2018. It was a tearful day. The house and the buildings were emptied and we thought that would be the last of it. We thought sure the house would be torn down by the new owner.
I’m happy to say we were wrong about that.
Much to our surprise, the new owners fixed the house up and turned it into an Airbnb. I cannot get over what they have done to the place…it’s really amazing!
It’s called Long Run Farm and has been completely renovated. We are so happy that Granny and Grandaddy’s house is still standing, thanks to owners Paul and Marilee.
I hope to meet them, someday, and see the place with my own eyes and not just in pictures on Airbnb. We have passed the house many times on the way to his aunt’s house, which is nearby. We got to watch from the outside as they were renovating. I heard they even had a wedding inside Grandaddy’s old barn. How wonderful!
Now we have this book sitting on our coffee table. It brings back a lot of memories but is a little emotional to look through. I’m glad we have these photos to remind us of what was left just before we had to let it go.
I’m thankful to my husband’s family for being so welcoming and kind since the day I set foot on the farm. I will always treasure the time I spent here on this beautiful piece of countryside in Greene County. <3
