Bonjour from Campagne Maison
October
The first week of October 2006, remodeling began here at the farmhouse. One of the first things we did was strip down wallpaper, paneling, and old sheetrock plaster taking the walls down to the original tongue and groove boards. My niece and I were opening up a section of the living room wall when we made a fascinating discovery. In October 1935, some seventy-one years earlier, the house had been wallpapered with copies of the Knoxville Journal. That was not an uncommon practice at that time. Times were hard and a person did what was necessary to keep warm. For whatever bit of insulation that newspaper made, I am sure it helped keep out some of the cold East TN winter winds.
I made the comment to her about how strange it was that we happened to be REMOVING the newspaper the same month, October, that they were PUTTING it up. When we looked further, both our jaws dropped as the issue that was staring us straight in the face was dated October 11th. That was her father/my deceased brother-in-law’s birthday. He was actually the former owner of this property and the only reason that our family, native Arkansans, ever heard of Sweetwater, TN (long story). He loved this farm!
Then, the next date we saw was October 21st, my deceased father’s birthday. We went on to find October 1st, my eldest child’s birthday. All these dates had some sort of family connection. Was this fate? Was this destiny? Or, was it, as I firmly believe, a confirmation of Proverbs 16:9, orchestrated by the hand of an all-seeing, all-knowing God who was directing our steps?
I saved as much of the newspaper as possible and have several ideas of what I am going to do with it. I know that it has to remain a part of the farmhouse's history as well as a constant reminder to me that I am where I am suppose to be at this time in my life.
That is just one in a set of many circumstances, co-incidences, or otherwise unexplained occurrences that have made me a firm believer in Divine Providence. If you have an opinion and would like to leave a comment, please do so that I will know you visited with me this morning.
Au revior,
The first week of October 2006, remodeling began here at the farmhouse. One of the first things we did was strip down wallpaper, paneling, and old sheetrock plaster taking the walls down to the original tongue and groove boards. My niece and I were opening up a section of the living room wall when we made a fascinating discovery. In October 1935, some seventy-one years earlier, the house had been wallpapered with copies of the Knoxville Journal. That was not an uncommon practice at that time. Times were hard and a person did what was necessary to keep warm. For whatever bit of insulation that newspaper made, I am sure it helped keep out some of the cold East TN winter winds.
I made the comment to her about how strange it was that we happened to be REMOVING the newspaper the same month, October, that they were PUTTING it up. When we looked further, both our jaws dropped as the issue that was staring us straight in the face was dated October 11th. That was her father/my deceased brother-in-law’s birthday. He was actually the former owner of this property and the only reason that our family, native Arkansans, ever heard of Sweetwater, TN (long story). He loved this farm!
Then, the next date we saw was October 21st, my deceased father’s birthday. We went on to find October 1st, my eldest child’s birthday. All these dates had some sort of family connection. Was this fate? Was this destiny? Or, was it, as I firmly believe, a confirmation of Proverbs 16:9, orchestrated by the hand of an all-seeing, all-knowing God who was directing our steps?
I saved as much of the newspaper as possible and have several ideas of what I am going to do with it. I know that it has to remain a part of the farmhouse's history as well as a constant reminder to me that I am where I am suppose to be at this time in my life.
That is just one in a set of many circumstances, co-incidences, or otherwise unexplained occurrences that have made me a firm believer in Divine Providence. If you have an opinion and would like to leave a comment, please do so that I will know you visited with me this morning.
Au revior,
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