Whenever I get a stomachache, I think back to my Pops and his big strong hands, rubbing my frequent childhood stomachaches away. He had a way of making everything better, and I was sure he was some sort of superman. Well, he was actually. When I discovered a scorpion under my bed, he was there in an instant – and like a flash, his hand shot out and smashed it gone. He taught me to skin logs of their bark, ride a motorcycle, and to dig ditches to divert the water on our 3 mile-long dirt road. And I was stronger because of it.
One afternoon, I heard my dad’s truck pull up and I instantly knew something was wrong. When he opened the door of his truck, his face was swollen and bloody and he was in a tremendous amount of pain. “I took a tree in the face”, he said. And as I rushed him to the doctor, I knew I had to keep it together. Be strong. Be strong, I told myself. Keep it together for Popsy. And I did.
Although his jaw was broken and he’d lost several teeth, he never lost his smile. Someday, I’m going to be just like him, I thought. And over the years, through the good times and the bad, I’ve learned that it all turns out in the end, and just like him, I’ll never lose my smile.
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
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