The Homestead Heart
Rural Route Seven was created as a way to honour the simple lifestyle and values inherent in country living. We are grateful to have experienced a childhood steeped in the rhythms of nature and deeply connected to a place that is rich with generations of family history and meaning.
Growing up on a dairy farm meant fresh unpasteurized milk every day and hay fields and a winding stream for a playground along dirt roads bearing our maternal and paternal family surnames.
Grandma Betty’s chili sauce and pickles were hot commodities hidden in the cellar and brought out for special meals. Grandma Beatrice’s baked beans with their secret ingredient made her the queen of church suppers.
Linen tea towels, wooden spoons, second-hand china sets thoughtfully collected - all of these items are cherished for the memories they carry. Growing up, Saturdays were all about homemade cinnamon buns and clover leaf dinner rolls, eagerly torn apart and devoured hot out of the oven with a heavy slathering of butter. The kitchen was filled with heavenly aromas of Grandma and home. Little bits of dough were given to play with by her side at the table while she rolled out the dough with expert hands.
Nothing was wasted and our grandfathers always said the blessing with heartfelt gratitude.
Grandma’s hand-knit slippers, mittens, toques and sweaters were always at hand, and her quilts were stitched with a standard of perfection not often seen and which makes them a source of great pride.
Memories of home shape our lives in profound ways. My brothers and I were blessed to have grandparents who valued family above all else, and the memory of their simple, humble stewardship and genuine appreciation for the things that matter, inspires and roots us every day.
Home is the nicest word there is. ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder