I went to visit Floyd & Margaret today.  When I called, I said, “Hi Floyd!, it’s Serena”.
“How’s business?”, he asked.
“It’s good”, I said, “but that’s not why I’m calling.  I have a surprise.  Are you going to be home for a little while?”
“Maybe we will, maybe we won’t”, he replied, in his standard matter-of-fact style that we’ve grown so accustomed to.
“Well, I’ll take my chances”, I said.
When I pulled up to their house, no-one was around.  When I got out of the car, I heard Margaret calling out, “YOOOO-HOOOOO!”  WE”RE DOWN HERE.”
The wind in the fields was whipping so hard it took my breath away.  By the time I reached them, I was shaking like a leaf.  But not them.  They were hard at work, feeding the cows.  Margaret stopped what she was doing and turned to me with a warm smile on her face.
I was really excited to show them the book and the story we included about them.  And after seeing their feature in the book, Floyd said with a grin, “I don’t look a day older, and I sure don’t feel like it either.  Did you know the Doctor says I have the blood of a 20 year-old?  And look at Margaret!  She’s never dyed her hair, even once.  Still the same beautiful hair she’s always had!”, he said, pointing to the wisp of hair peeking out of her scarf.
I couldn’t help but smile.  And shiver.  It was really cold.
And after a nice visit, Floyd finally said that it was time to get back to work.  Next stop, the neighbor’s hundred acre parcel down the road, where there were more cattle to feed.  And as he and Margaret jointly lifted another bale of hay onto the four-wheeler, he turned and said, “God is good, Serena.  God is good.”
And as I drove the long way home, my mind wandered, thinking about my family, my love for Colin and the kids, and hopes and dreams.  I can only hope that everyone of us can be as happy and blessed as Floyd and Margaret.

 

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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