fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our family dynamics, traditions, and if there's such thing as a 'perfect family.'
The Old Red Barn of Pa's
Entire generations of Webber families must have used the now rickety old red barn that sat on the property line’s very outskirt and had a rather falling down roof, as a sort of soul dumping ground. All of the old toys like the eyeless and once-hawked as porcelain dolls were there with the outgrown children’s clothes, all aside assorted hopes and dreams; conglomerated, safe from the eyes of the outer world perhaps, but not from gnashing teeth of the extra-large rats who enjoyed more than their fill of options for food and nesting fodder.
By cora lynnish5 years ago in Families
Miracle barn
MIRACLE RANCH We had just got married when we bought this place back in 1945. It was a little run down but we were going to fix it up. We were the proud new owners of fifty acres. It was just a small cabin from the 1800's and needed some fixing up. Down the way past the big oak tree was an old barn with a hay loft. There was 30 acres of pasture and the rest was thick woods. Down in the trees was the most beautiful waterfall and creek that ran through the property. After we fixed up the house we built the chicken coop. I loved to watch them and see all of the beautiful colors in thier feathers glisten in the sun. We enjoyed them so much, we decided to get more animals. But first, the old barn needed some work. Your grandma and I loved sitting on the porch swing and watch the sunrise and sunsets. By the time I had the barn finished, it was almost our anniversary. I built a tower lookout on top of the barn with an old porch swing and windows all around. Youre grandma loved it and before long we spent alot of time up there in that old barn. It was so serene, and we would go there to pray. The deer and turkey would come out from the trees with the sunset that only the good Lord could paint. We eventually got some goats and cows. We eventually built a nice heard of brahman cattle. The bull would lay out in the pasture at the edge of the trees and call. They were so gentle, just like big puppy dogs. We eventually had a garden and orchard so abundant it was an eden. We had our acreage, we were surrounded by beauty and it seemed we had everything we could have dreamed of. We never actually knew how special our little piece of paradise was until the summer of 1950. We started to notice that alot of our neighbors crops were not doing to good and thier animals were not doing too well. We were in the beginning of the worst drought I had ever seen. As we watched life around us seem to dry up and wither away, our farm still thrived. One of our cows got out of the fence, by the time we found her days later she was weak and barely walking. Not knowing if she was going to make it through the night, we brought her into the barn. We stayed with her as long as we could then went to bed. Expecting to loose her overnight. The next morning we woke up and didnt even have our coffee before going to see her. To our suprise, she was just fine and not only just fine but better than before. She gad put on weight and was instantly the healthiest looking cow we had. The neighbors and people in town asked about her and shocked how well she was doing. They started wondering why our farm appeared unaffected by the drought and how we had a miracle cow while thier livestock was dying. After word got around, a girl and her mom showed up with a dog. It had been hit by a car and they asked if they could just sit in our barn with him. We lit a lantern for them and me and your grandma went to the tower to pray. We had been up there for just a few minutes when we heard "oh my God !!". The dog was completely healed. Your grandma and I were just as amazed. Well as you can imagine, there was no keeping that a secret. Another year went by and as the drought continued, we found out your grandma was pregnant with your mom. We were so excited to have our first child on this beautiful thriving farm. When the doctor delivered her, she wasn't crying. The doctor said she was still born. We were devastated. We took her home to bury her on the farm. But grandma wanted to sit with her for a few minutes to grieve and say goodbye. She took her up to the tower. The cows must have sensed something because they all came running to the barn. Just then, I heard crying. Not sad crying and not your grandma. It was the baby, she was alive! God had come down to visit the miracle barn that day. To this day the Lord blesses us and that farm and to Him be the glory for that miracle barn. That precious little child you now know as mom.
By Levi dotson5 years ago in Families
Staying Behind
Hi, I’m Jimmy. I was born into farm life. I always loved everything about my upbringing. My best friends were the pigs, horses, chickens, roosters, our cats and dogs and every bird I laid my eyes on. My favorite pastimes would be to sneak into our old barn and talk to the horses about my secrets, my dreams, goals, and aspirations. I always felt like they understood better than any human I knew.
By Jazmine Ramzy5 years ago in Families
A Special Delivery
We hadn’t seen a house or other building for miles. The labor pains were drawing closer and closer together like the cinching of a cord. Our phones had gone silent over an hour ago and I was frantic over the idea of delivering my child in a car in the middle of nowhere. Finally, I observed a house up ahead, on a nice plot of land with an old barn in the lower field. I pushed the little car as fast as it would go on unpaved roads. My wife squealed a few times when we hit a bump that sent her airborne. While I knew the collision with the seat was excruciating for her, I was striving to get to a place that might at least have water.
By Alice Vargas5 years ago in Families
The Smell of Hay
The barn looked like something out of a romantic novel. The roof was a sliver tin roof. The walls of the barn were apple red, and the doors had been painting a bright white but was now it was a dull white due to the dirt that has accumulated. The barn was a little run down but that is what years does to everything. Lillian looked at the barn and was taken back to when it was new and fresh.
By Pamela Thornton5 years ago in Families
Rock bottom
Rock bottom My hands are so cold, they feel like bricks filled with electrical volts that shoot up my arms down my body and down my legs. My feet are beyond that point now, there is no feeling in them at all. I zip my tent closed and and light my one candle I have left.
By Leslie Strom5 years ago in Families
Empire, Nv II
George pounded the last nail on the porch swing he had just finished for Margaret. He attached the chain to a set of hooks on the broad wooden arm rests, making sure there was a place to set her Coca Cola, he made the arms extra wide. It was a beautiful swing he was excited to give it to her on her birthday tomorrow. He felt as giddy as a little a kid.
By Jan Portugal5 years ago in Families
New home on the farm
In the Summer a family of four, with a mother named Jannet who is thirty years old and a teacher, a father named Bob, thirty-five years old and an engineer and their two children son named James ten years and in school and daughter named Sarah, eight years in school and loves gardening. The family had gone on their road trip to a new home they started moving from the city to the country; they saw this as an adventure. The family was excited to move somewhere different out of their comfort zone. On their road trip, the family sang songs, played games to keep each other occupied, and bond as a family. The father then asked the family a question "what do we expect our new home to be like?" Everyone had stated what they expected from their new home; Sarah said she would like lots of animals and an old barn-like in her favourite story, Charlotte web. Sarah's family all smiled and said, that sounds beautiful.
By Tanika Stimpson5 years ago in Families
TT: “Tails” from a 128 year-old barn
Our Michigan house was a pretty old house, it was build in 1910. The barn, however, was an older structure. The barn was built in 1892 by the Johnstons. They were a big name in the small town of Rosebush. I was told that Rosebush was given it’s name because of Mrs. Johnston. Anyway, the barn was a huge Amish barn. Coming from Georgia and South Carolina, we had never seen, let alone owned, a barn like this. The barns that I saw in Georgia were mostly pole barns, little more than a tack room and a stall or two so the horse(s) could escape the elements if it chose. So, yeah, this Amish barn was an amazing sight to behold and a lot of fun to explore. The barn has two levels. The lower level has two outside corral areas, one for cattle and one for horses. Each corral led to large covered areas for the animals to shelter in. These areas could, of course, be closed off in bad weather (a blizzard). Two heavy doors lead from the outside shelters to inside the barn proper. There are four large stone made stalls for (Belgian probably) horses, and beyond that several feeding stalls, a chicken coop, and a rabbit coop. The second level of the barn had a few pens for pigs or goats, and a massive hay loft. The hay loft has to be thirty feet high at least. there are two different chutes to drop hay down to the two different sections (inside stalls and outside shelters) of the lower level. These chutes start about twenty feet from the floor of the loft. That barn had to something incredible to see in its prime. A huge loft packed deep and twenty feet high with hay, farm animals of all sorts making this huge barn look small.
By Jaramie Kinsey5 years ago in Families
Before You Try Durian...
Have you ever seen a ‘no durian allowed’ sign in a hotel? I saw it once inside a hotel’s elevator in Indonesia and it surprised me because I love the fruit a lot. Durian is banned in many countries in Asia, namely Thailand, Singapore, and Japan. This is due to its distinct and strong smell that might be disturbing for some people. Well, no wonder why durian has such a distinct smell, it is known as The King of Fruit. In fact, the shape, the taste, the texture, and everything about durian is just uncommon. Durian is the most special fruit, especially to me. Not only because of the taste that I love, but also because it wrote me lots of childhood memories that I will never forget.
By Denise Sahulata5 years ago in Families
