Thursday, July 16, 2009

A Few Treasures and a Mild Obsession

The past couple of days, I have received several treasures in the mail and feel so loved! Just look at Heather's gorgeous ornament and those lovely note tags from Umama that I won in two Giveaways. Am I lucky, or what? Thank you!! (Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket...) They both have lovely blogs - make sure you visit!

Then, today, I received these two gorgeous postcards from my new blogging friend, Annika in Norway. She is a talented illustrator whose blog I enjoy on a daily basis! These are two illustrations of her hometown, Son, how it looks today in Winter (above) and how it looked in 1924. Thank you, Annika!!
And here is the latest postcard I had received from my friend Beth in our handmade postcard exchange. It features one of her stunning photos that she had altered digitally. It is just stunning!! And our exchange is so much fun - so special to receive something creative in the mail! I often think about that with our digital age - I still have boxes of handwritten letters from my relatives and friends and can't imagine being without those. There is something incredibly personal about having a handwritten letter from my grandmother who passed away so many years ago. But I digress...
Now, to my obsession! Barns! I just love barns and snapped lots of pictures from the car window as we were driving through Pennsylvania and New York. This goes so deep for me that I have a hard time explaining it in words, but when I look at an old farm, it speaks to my soul and tugs at my heart.

Daniel and I both feel a connection to rural America that we find hard to explain. We were both talking about this as we were driving and marveling how for the past 13 years we've lived in areas where we have not been close to the pastoral landscape we both love so much.







I might have to dust off some old photos to show you some of the farms I grew up around in Germany - some real beauties!

16 comments:

  1. I have such a thing for postcards. My father has a collection from when he was a boy. Also, have I told you that my Grandparents were from Germany. They were 'Frietag' but changed it to Frieday and then some of us used Friday. !!! Just some cool, useless tidbits! And I have a friend who built a house in a barn...you would love it. Liberty Post

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  2. I love old barns. There are so many styles and colors to admire. I am glad you have received blessings in the mail. You deserve all the best! Blessings.

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  3. Soooo glad you finally receive them... I know I was horribly late in sending them, and I have a legitimate excuse (my best friends wedding!!) but even on top of that, the snail mail is especially snailier! So not entirely my fault!! But so glad you love them! As for barns, it is a shame but none around here.. we are pretty urbanized... but those images have me dying for some rural serenity!

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  4. Congrats on your wins...now get out and buy a lottery ticket!!!!!!
    I also love your photos of the barns...I will have to send you one of my sister and brother-in-law's. I'll be heading there for a visit in less than two weeks.

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  5. Wow Silke - you really hit the jackpot! What beautiful pieces of art you received!

    I know what you mean about barns, too. I LOVE old barns and farmyards! I've been thinking the last few years that I really should drive around and document the disappearing rural landscape by taking photos of Wisconsin's barns. There once were so many, but they are slowly disappearing as farms are being sold.
    :0(
    Isn't the Pennsylvania countryside gorgeous. I LOVE it, too!

    Hugs,
    Angela

    (I can't wait to see your photos of German farms!)

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  6. Silke I love your prizes. Lucky duck.

    I had bought a painting off of Heather in the past, isn't she wonderful.

    Love Renee xoxox

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  7. Hi Silke, congratulations for your giveaway treasures, and the creative postcard, I also like very mucha all things relative to rustic, rural or country landscape and houses.

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  8. congrats on all of the goodies that you've been receiving in your mailbox....i definitely agree with your lottery ticket idea! and i LOVE your barn collection! my mom grew up on a farm and i have such fond memories of playing in the horse barn as a kid! :)

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  9. Thank you, Silke, for featuring my card on your blog! What a nice surprise to see it there. It's funny, because today I went through the photos of all the cards I've made in preparation for doing a post about them on my own blog.

    Barns! I've wanted to live in a barn since 1979 when I first saw a house made from a barn here in Maine. I have books about barns and farms. I'm ready now to live in a farmhouse with the New England-style attached barn. Maybe it has something to do with my first home having been a circa 1700s farmhouse. Whatever it is, the old farm buildings have always resonated with me.

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  10. Hi Silke...wow...you got some wonderful stuff in the mail....these are such beautiful gifts!!! and I have always loved to live in the country....we have so much space and freedom...and I do love my bon fires....and relaxing with a great view!!!

    Hugs
    Diana

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  11. Wonderful gifts that you received, Silke! Really lovely!
    Looking forward to the German farms. What area of Germany are you from originally?

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  12. Oh what a beautiful passion to have. Hope you eventually get to receive your dream and live in or nearer the countryside and maybe live in a barn?
    Thank you so much Silke for your beautiful message, and can I say, you lucky girl, the gifts are awesome!

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  13. Raina said...
    Welcome back and thanks for all the updates on your trip. I loved the pictures of Pittsburg and of your family. What a grand time you obviously had.
    Then to come back and receive some wonderful prizes and beautiful art. You deserve all of it dear Silke.

    I love the sight of farms, including barns and what they represent. They give me that down to earth feeling. The grazing cows, the smell of grass and fertilizers, the sound of tractors, etc.
    It sounds like you had a real nice trip.
    Hugs

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  14. There is nothing like an old barn, specially one that has obviously withstood the ravages of time. I hope you do post those childhood farm pictures one of these days, I would love to see them.

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  15. Thank you all for your much appreciated comments! It seems that many of us have a deep connection to the country and old barns... I love it! :) Silke

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  16. lovely creations
    Brittany
    http://www.papermoonies.blogspot.com

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