I had the day off on Friday!!!

I hardly ever take a personal day just for doing something fun!

But I did on Friday.

I woke up and felt like I was playing hooky. I knew it was going to be a great day when I heard,”Da Turdy Point Buck,” song on the radio as I started the car. That song cracks me up every time I hear it. Click on the link and take a listen….you will laugh too!

I was heading to the country with my parents and brother to the old farm house my great grandfather built.

My Mom’s family call it, “The Old Home Place.”

My Mom’s family lived in this house for several years while she was growing up. There is a pond, that they call the “goverment pond.” There is also an old barn, chicken house, ice house and  old turkey house. In a sudden decision, my grandfather sold the house and farm and moved his family to a nearby town. He always regretted it. My Aunt Lily, rents the house now for the family to enjoy. My uncles and aunts, Mom and Dad have been fixing this house up for the next generation to enjoy.

I guess that means me, my brother and sisters and my 50 to 60 cousins. I come from a large country family.

Today, I get to help decorate the house for Aunt Lily’s annual family Christmas party. There will be some cleaning to do too. We also have to tell the mice that they are not invited.

To get there we have to open the cattle gate and drive down a narrow road through the cow pasture.

My oldest daughter let me borrow her Jeep Cherokee even though she hates driving my car. We needed her tall vehicle and maybe four wheel drive to get through the pasture. I am so glad my brother is driving. If something happened to her car I could always blame him. Sorry, Robert! No worries, we made it, past the ditch, the washed out road, the cow patties and safely to, The Old Home Place.

When we got there and opened the door Aunt Lily was already at work.  I wanted to run back out side!  The inside of the house smelled like something had died in it! My eyes where even burning. Yikes! Get me out of here and open the door. Aunt Lily told us that the refrigerator had quit and everything was spoiled inside it. That fridge had to go.

Thank goodness my little 6 ft 2 brother came with us. He had the fridge out in no time. At least that was after he almost had to take the door off, move a table and take the door knob off the door to get it out.

There is it! PEEEUUU

Now all the men just have have to fix the door and the knob. (Brother Robert, Dad and my cousin)

It was time to decorate and get in the Christmas spirit. I tried to sing, Pretty Snowflakes, as I was sweeping little mice droppings.

         

Here is a picture of the original wood logs at the bottom of the stair case.

         

The narrow stairs lead to the two upstairs bedrooms.

             

Time to go back downstairs and decorate!

         

We worked pretty hard all day.

         

Mom cleaned out the fancy two-seater outhouse. Dad cleaned out the shed.

         

Aunt Lily was busy decorating.                                                              Brother Robert was needed on Christmas lights.

We were starting to get hungry!

Mom made us cooked turnips, Aunt Lily made stew, I brought some  store bought cookies for lunch.

         

We also had garden tomatoes and cucumbers with a few hot dogs.  We put ice in a bowl from the cooler for our tea.

We had a feast!

Two hours after lunch, this is what it looked like when we got it all done.

                

          

         

         

 the Christmas plates are out now.                                                    Sitting down for a much needed rest.

It was about time to go.

Mom, Dad and I walked out to the jeep to leave.

We waited!

And waited!!!!

Finally Brother Robert showed up.

He got locked inside the fancy two-seater outhouse.

OOPS!

I was trying not to laugh.

I was laughing all the way to the cattle gate. Dad got out and closed the gate.

It was the end to a wonderful day at, The Old Home Place!

I just wondered who turned the outside wooden latch on the door of the fancy two-seater outhouse while Robert was paying it a visit.

My guess, it was the mice!

HEE HEE!

Thank you for letting me share my day playing hooky with you!

Becky