Being a Country Girl

Sixty Six years ago, I was born to parents who lived a country life.  We lived in rural central Wisconsin.  My mother worked hard as a stay at home mother while my dad worked hard as a factory worker and then a truck driver.  The both worked hard all the time at home also.  Our play, my brother and I, was helping them work when they were working, and working some when they were not, doing our chores, and then much fun and simple play.

Playtime, well, consisted of biking, but mostly playing with our animals, walks in the woods and fun playing in the creeks and pond.  We did some fishing.  Our wintertime fun was snowshoeing, ice skating, and making snow forts.  Sometimes our mother would come out and help us make an iglo, yes, with a top and door.  We also made snow horses and would ride and ride for hours, out west, on the plains, in the woods, wherever our minds would take us on our pretend travels. Always indoor play was sewing, drawing, playing with clay, and jacks and games.  

Country life was work, family and simple pleasures, which still remain to be good pleasures.  I learned to knit when I was 12, and now at 66, am still an avid knitter, having even taught 4 H classes and adult classes in my home.  Currently I belong to a knitting group that meets once a week, just knitting, exchanging conversation, caring about each other's lives and checking out their projects and them checking out my projects....giving each other lots of ideas.  We share our fondness of knitting, but just as quilting bees did years ago, we also share our stories and laughter and concerns, and even some tears.

Other things I learned as a country girl growing up, was that I knew in my heart of hearts that I wanted to live in the country.  Sometimes I had to live in the city, but still keep my country spirit, with plants, walks, going to parks and trips to the country.  I would decorate country and think "country life".  It really does sustain a person if they have to live in the city.  

I have lived in the mountains, on the plains, in the woods, just on the edge of small towns, and people saying..."You know Katie, she lives in the last house before you leave town, the one with the large garden, many flowers and all the trees".  That was me, and people would like to come visit and I would share garden produce, a boutique of flowers or some seeds.  We would also tell stories and visit about the weather, politics, school stuff or church gatherings.

It seems through my years, I have, of course, gotten older, but things are not so much different.  I have trees, flowers, large garden, a pond, and a creek, and farm crops, and animals.  I have taught my children and grandchildren to enjoy it all.  We have walked together and I currently walk with my Daisy Mae Foxhound, enjoying the outdoors and the country life.  If you live in the city, or if you don't, and are a country girl, come visit and walk with me in my rural Missouri.