the charm of childhood

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” 

~ Mary Oliver

When I was a small girl the world held unending fascination and magic. Everything was new and unexplored and my great-grandmother had a farm near the river valley where I occasionally spent summers. Those days remain etched in my memory even now.

Those early summer days seemed endless. I chased the chickens and gathered their eggs, I wandered through the fruit trees, and stood in the fields of the wild Missouri flowers that would wave in the warm summer breezes. I picked the black-eyed susans, queen annes lace and gathered the indian paintbrush for bouquets that I offered to my grandmother. At night I slept in her big featherbed, touched every single trinket she owned, and looked through old classic books that struck my curiosity even more.

Those summers spent on that farm shaped me. Today I have an unexplainable love for old farmhouses and barns. They hold a certain charm that beckons me. Back then I had no cares. I ran in the fields, played in the creeks and caught fireflies after dark. These were some of my first impressions of the world and what it held in store for me.

I took the picture above not long ago. It is in an old farm house on my father's property. It is in the last years of its life and the plan is to tear it down and re-purpose as much of it as we can. This house has always had an undefinable charm to me and this spring I am shooting my last series of photos there as a personal testament to my early years and upbringing and also to the family who lived there.

Tolly P's photo also reminds me of my days as that young girl. Both photos evoke a charm that we hold as children and our wonder of the world. To this day I wander down these midwest country roads and stop to admire the farms and the land that surrounds them.

~ Veronica of Life In Pictures

wonderland...by tolly p

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Thank you Veronica for guest musing with us today! Veronica blogs about the world and her experiences at Life in Pictures. You can also find her work on Flickr. 

If you are interested in a future guest muse role, please email us at mortalmuses9 [at] gmail [dot] com.