Weekend at the Farmhouse

Salut mes amis,
                                                                    

On Saturday, November 2nd, I packed my backpack for a special outing to the country! I'd been invited to spend the night in a historic farmhouse from the late 19th/early 20th century, something I've been wanting to do since seeing photos of my friend Violet visiting the farmhouse in her family. 

I'd been itching for weeks on end to get out of the city, breathe in some fresh country air, and admire the changing foliage. So . . . when I was invited on this outing, I sprang out of bed, dressed in an appropriate outfit, and began contemplating the many possibilities of fun that I could have at the farmhouse.

Trees! While we have an abundance of trees on our urban schoolyard, we have no trees to climb! I was so delighted to find this PERFECT climbing tree in front of the farmhouse. I climbed as high as I could, found a comfortable perch, and pretended that I was Katniss Everdeen hiding from the District 1 and 2 tributes. I pretended that I could see my friend Rue in that tree across from mine. I swore that I could see her warning me of the tracker jacker hive . . .

When I climbed down from the tree, I hopped up onto the fence surrounding the yard, and suddenly, I became Anne Shirley walking the ridgepole of the kitchen roof. Holding my arms out for balance, I walked from one end of the fence to the other without falling once!

I hopped down from the fence and decided to run around the yard, looking for signs of autumn. I thought this tree full of tiny red leaves was so pretty! I played underneath it for awhile, dubbing myself the 'Red Leaf Princess.' It was very fitting that I'd decided to wear red that morning! 

There was a little footbridge nearby that was just my size! I plopped down on it and watched the creek run past. I thought about how nice it would be to wade here in the summer. Perhaps I'll just have to make a return trip?

I found a large rock near the creek's edge and opened my backpack. I was glad I'd thought to bring along Abima, my favorite UglyDoll, to keep me company. I stayed here for awhile, pretending that the creek and the surrounding rocks were part of King Abima's kingdom. My backpack became his castle! King Abima ruled that anyone who infringed on his kingdom would be sent to the Bog of Eternal Stench (what I named the creek - yes, a Labyrinth reference!). I wished at this point that I'd brought along Ice Bat or Ninja Batty Shogun, though. King Abima needed someone to capture!

With King Abima safely stowed in his castle (aka my backpack), I went off in search of something else to do. I didn't go far before I noticed this feather on the ground. Isn't it pretty? Does anyone know what kind of bird this is from? When I was just about to play a new game of pretend, in which I was Dancing Butterfly, an Indian Princess, I was called for dinner - shucks! I quickly stowed the feather in my backpack to play Indians at another time. 

After dinner, I changed into my flannel nightgown and decided to explore the inside of the farmhouse. I found a perch on the stairs and stayed there for a while, overseeing anyone who would dare to come into the hallway. Can you see the family photos on the wall behind me? I think they only add to the charm of the historic farmhouse. Looking at the photos made me miss my family back in France! My grandparents in Bourgogne have a wall of old family photographs just like this!

And what's the best thing about stairs? Why, sliding down the banister, of course! 

When I'd had enough of sliding down the banister, I decided to explore the bedroom that I'd be staying in. It's called the 'Yellow Bedroom' because - as you can probably guess - the décor is predominantly yellow! It reminded me of a room that Kit and Ruthie would love, with the metal framed bed and the chenille bedspread.

I waved to my mirror friend, Katie Maurice! There were several mirrors in this room. 

I found another mirror as part of a huge vanity and spent several minutes brushing out my hair in front of it. I felt like I was an elegant young lady of yesteryear brushing my hair 100 strokes before bedtime! 

I'd thought that I'd be staying in this bedroom alone, but after exploring it a little more, I saw that I was mistaken. I met this little blonde girl who told me her name was Anita! Anita and I played for a while, and I introduced Abima to Bobby, her teddy bear.

Anita and I posed for a picture together. Isn't she sweet?

Then . . . I went apple-picking! Well, not really. The fireplace screen in the bedroom looked so much like a backdrop that it was easy to pretend I was Anne Shirley again, picking ever so many apples for Marilla to bake into a pie! 

All too soon, it was time for bed. I read a little bit of Saige before turning out the lights. Bonne nuit!

After breakfast the next morning, I discovered that the farmhouse had a toy room - quel amusement! Inside, I found this antique rocking horse that was just my size. So, what did I do? I pretended to be Felicity Merriman rescuing Penny from Jiggy Nye!

And, before I knew it, it was time to leave! The weekend was ending quickly. So, I packed up my wagon, and headed back to the city. Just kidding! I'm ever so grateful for the modern automobile, but isn't this wagon neat? I felt like Laura Ingalls riding in it! 

I can't wait to get another chance to visit the farmhouse! Maybe I should bring some friends? I know Nathalie would LOVE a place like this . . .

Have you ever visited a historic farmhouse? What was it like? 

Ton amie,  

Sophie

Adventures in Colorado!

Hi all,

As I'm heading off to my next host, I thought I'd update you on some of the fun I've been having with Kiki, Luci, and the girls in Colorado. After all, I do have a WiFi connection in my travel box!

Luci and I visited her town's little Miner's Museum, and I saw this pretty little doll! Isn't she neat? I'm not much of a doll person myself, but I like seeing antique dolls and imagining what lives they might've led with their own little girls.

Luci, Kiki, Mia, Eva, and I had our own little coal mining adventure. Kiki and Luci were the "breaker boys" and had to separate the coal from the rocks, Mia (with her funny mustache!) was their boss, I was the mule driver (with Starburst and Sombrita as the mules!), and Eva (not pictured) was the wealthy mine owner. It was a fun adventure, although I cannot imagine that real coal mining would be nearly as fun (much too dangerous).

Mia, Eva, and I also had another little adventure in the treehouse - a pirate adventure! We tied on our bandannas and pretended to load up our ship (the treehouse) for a grand ocean adventure. Did we see Captain Jack Sparrow? Don't I wish! ;)

As the days grew warmer, Luci led me outside to sit on the fence and just watch life run its natural course. That might sound a little boring to you, but I wasn't bored in the slightest! The view from Luci's backyard is breathtakingly beautiful with the mountains on the horizon line and the big, blue sky looming ahead. I can see why Nicki-Vicki love Colorado so much!

Before I had to leave, Kiki wanted to take me on a hiking adventure. As a city girl at heart, hiking was such an unusual experience for me. I felt as if I was on another planet (albeit a really gorgeous planet)! Silly me even tried to touch the cacti, but Kiki pulled my hand away just in time.

I've have such a great time in Colorado that I do hate to leave! I shall really miss Mia, Eva, Kiki, Luci, and Holly! Thank you, girls, for letting me come and visit. :)

Ton amie,

Sophie