Friday Foto Friends - Continuing the Saga of the Family Gathering

Hello Friday Foto Friends! It has been a long week for us as we continue to work through the aftermath since the loss of my mother in law. We have mostly been just plain exhausted and have been trying to rest and not do too much.  Hence, I haven't done much writing or picture taking...so I thought I'd go back and finish what I started to tell you about a few weeks ago.

So here we go:

Recently I shared with you a bit about our family gathering/reunion that we went to in North Carolina.  (Click HERE for that story)   In that post I alluded to the original farmhouse and acreage that belonged to the three siblings that had never married and who "adopted" my brother's family/and vice versa...and that after the last member of that elderly trio of siblings passed on, their house and property were willed to my brother and his family, because they had literally loved and cared for them as if they were family until the very end.  Well, today I am going to show you some of the highlights of that original farmhouse, where my niece and her family now live and call home.   This house dates back to the 1700's...and there was even an old slave cabin on the property...which is being donated to the historical society of the area for preservation...

Anyway...this is the view of the house from the outside.  Sadly, that wonderful chimney is no longer functional...but it served several different fireplaces in that old house back in the day...(I wish I had taken more pictures inside...but I was too caught up in looking to get busy "snapping")

This was an old smokehouse that has seen better days...it was built with logs, and is not very tall...

Interesting OLD tree that was apparently hit by lightning at some point in time...makes a good hideout for squirrels, raccoons, and who knows what...

This is my lovely niece giving us a the grand tour...

Another side view of the old smokehouse...definitely has seen better days...

Lovely butterfly gardens...

Part of the garage building..you can probably guess that my niece is a bit of a "flower child"...she loves colorful decorations and all things natural and beautiful...

 Another view of the garden next to the house...

Now THIS had to be my most favorite thing in the whole place...this wonderful old sink was on the enclosed back porch...a great place to wash up when you come in from the garden...

Isn't it wonderful?

I would LOVE to have an old sink like this...

This beautiful handmade table was lovingly created by my brother for his daughter...I believe it was made from wormy chestnut boards that he found on the property.  It is gorgeous...

Remember in the previous post about this story (see link above) I mentioned that the sister in the trio of siblings was crippled by polio, and that she did very exquisite needlework...Well, here is another example. This is a counted cross-stitch picture of this house, and the detail is remarkable. I was delighted to discover that my father had actually drawn the outline for this pattern for her.  My parents had visited these dear people many times on their trips up to N.C. to visit my brother and family. And so my father had taken an interest in this house and wanted to draw it...and then gave it to the lady of the house to create her cross stitch.  It truly is amazing..and quite large.

Now this is something I could not believe!  Here is original carpet that has been in that house for who knows how many years? We guessed maybe since the 1940's or early 50's, because I don't know that they made this kind of carpet pattern much after that era.  It is in one of the large drawing rooms that has never been used much, hence its excellent condition.  It is perfect for this house and is amazing in detail and color...and still feels thick and plush.

Okay...I know you are wondering about this picture...well...believe it or not, this paper wasp nest is on the ceiling of  the back porch, right above the back door.  We all went in through that door and none of us even noticed it...and we came back out that same door and the wasps did not buzz around a single head!  My niece says they just live there and never bother her or her animals as they come and go...

My niece has several dogs and cats...including THIS dog, whose name is "Happy".  And he is a very happy doggy as he belonged to the original owners of this home and has lived here since he was a pup...so my niece inherited "Happy" along with the house.  "Happy" was our official greeter and true tour guide.

And last but certainly not least, as we were finishing up our tour of the house and getting ready to leave, I couldn't help but notice this very poignant setting...my great-niece sitting and relaxing at the end of the day...

 She is a lovely natural young woman with a beautiful singing voice and a promising future using her many talents...

That's all for this post...now let's go over and check and see what's cooking at Deb's place for Friday Foto Friends...

Here is a good thought for today:

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

Give, and it will be given to you: 

good measure, pressed down, shaken together, 

and running over will be put into your bosom. 

For with the same measure that you use, 

it will be measured back to you.”

My translation: When we give and do for others without thought for personal gain, God will bless us in ways that we never dreamed possible. And that was the case in this situation. My brother's family knew and loved these dear folks who had no other family to care for them.  The two brothers had faithfully loved and cared for their crippled sister, sacrificing their own personal lives for the sake of her life. When the time came that they were no longer able to physically care for her themselves, my brother and his family stepped in and very lovingly cared for them all as if they were their own family, until the very end.  They did not do this expecting to gain anything, but God blessed their kindness by giving back to them in a beautiful way. 

A very beautiful story, don't you agree?