Here’s why:

During this time of social distancing I wish I could say that I have been productive. I see a lot of my friends on social media doing arts and crafts, learning something new, exercising, or (gasp!) doing all three! If I am being honest, I have stumbled through homeschooling, slept a lot, and eaten my way through 5,627 bags of chips. This post is me saying….Look at me!! I am doing something!! (translation: there aren’t any more chips in the house ****grin)

So, about six months ago, I had visited my husband on a construction site he was working on. He was building a driveway and septic system for a new house. Adjacent to that property we stumbled upon this…an old abandoned farmhouse. This secret gem feels very poetically appropriate during these times …and I wanted to share its quiet beauty with you all.

Old abandoned farmhouses are one of the reasons Vermont is so special.

They are structures that were once loved and treasured…abuzz with laughter, idle chatter, and probably some arguments. Just like today, their job was to protect families from the harsh winters and to provide people of the past with warmth…a sense of place…a home. Now, they are just filling space—their tired bones barely holding on from bearing the weight of layered memories that no one can tell you.

As soon as you walk into one, you can f e e l time. It feels heavy and thick. It smells like pennies and dust. And although I am not one to believe in ghosts, when I walked into this one, I got an overwhelming feeling like I was not alone. It was not a scary feeling by any means, but I immediately had to acknowledge that I was a guest and this was a special moment. As I walked through the space, I treaded lightly.

So this was six months ago that I took these pics. To me at the time, I thought these images were just kind of cool. I didn’t know why I was taking them and I really didn’t know why I was holding on to them. Every once in a while I would even scroll through my phone’s photo library…and breeze right by them.

But today was different. When I look at these images now, the feelings I felt then penetrate me in a way they couldn’t a month ago. Time at home right now is abundant. It’s easy to disregard. But truthfully these images remind me that this time is to be cherished and appreciated. And, as we respect what is going on in the world and stay home with our loved ones…I hope these pictures of a home once loved will remind you how lucky we all are to have these moments. It’s not easy and a little bit scary, but maybe we might use this time as an opportunity—to build our own colorful, rich layers of memories within the walls of our homes. I promise to try this myself.

Stay safe and healthy everyone…xoxo