This weekend our farm was filled with laughter, singing, a lot of wine and excitement.
The weather was perfectly perfect with blue skies, NO WIND, warm and wonderful, in fact I think the valley was sort of showing off for our guests…
20 of my sorority sisters from UCLA were coming for a reunion…
They came from all over, flying and driving and making their way here to see each other, some of whom they hadn’t seen in 30+ years…
and I being me, was a tad worried, because these were mostly city gals, a few…extreme city gals and as you know we have dust, dirt, poop in all varieties, projects half done, projects not even started and flies. I cleaned the barn, washed the fence and picked up a lot of poop, arranged for diners and help. Team Offspring was ready with freshly painted and picked up rooms and My Loving Spouse just kept saying, “Sweetie, it will be fun.”
…but it was more than that…it was a gift from our heart to them, and yet I was the one that was blessed beyond measure.
35 years ago, I was a somewhat awkward 20-year-old, insecure and often unsure…
These gals…my sorority sisters saw beyond that. We ate together, played together, sang, laughed and sometimes even studied together…and they loved me beyond my flaws…
and this weekend they reminded me of who they are…
how they see with their heart
as they came spilling out of their rental cars squealing with delight to see one another, running from one delightful aspect of our farm to another to take pictures with each other, reveling at being together and being here….
They haven’t changed a bit…they see with their hearts…and I was blessed.
They found our chicken’s eggs, worried about Elsie Gump’s bad leg, laughed at our pigs, talked to our dogs and the kids and the cats. With a few renditions of the Green Acre’s theme song, I taught them how to drive Jubal and no one ran into anything or got stuck anywhere, so it was all good, it was better than good it was perfect.
As we gathered for the meal My Loving Spouse and our garden provided, we sang the grace we’d sung each night before sitting down to dinner together 35 years ago…
‘Our Father We Thank Thee’
…and the words have been rolling through my head ever since….
…what a gift this weekend was to us all….
to be together…
to laugh
to cry
and
to sing..
Thank you!
What a gift to see your friends again. Looks like it was the perfect weekend.
Perhaps it’s time for a new sampler:
No one cares about chicken poop
When you’re among good friends.
(Not to mention when you’re on a farm .. ) In addition to the many splendid and generous gifts of beauty and friendship you gave your lucky friends, I hope the weekend brought the added gift of seeing your life on Glory Farm from the outside, for all the wonder that it is. The farm is an obvious labor of love. This (relative) city girl thinks that it, and the entire weekend, could not have been more perfect.
Suz,
The pictures of all my sorority sisters enjoying our sweet place has been a deep gift to me! Leslie swinging on the swing, you on the tractor and the joy and noise of each enjoying one another at dinner….The sweet joy of being together, in this place we love so much, has touched my soul…thank you dear friend!
Ellen
What a blessing Glory Farm is to so many people. I love all the pictures you have posted.