Memories at the old meeting room

Yesterday we had an adventure day. The day was overcast, humid and warm. Rain was sure to come but was taking it's time. We headed out to the lake to weed, plant more lettuce and water a little before heading to a friends farm for lunch. It was one of those days that just unfolds as it goes even though you have an idea of a schedule. We ended up stopping at a few interesting places, one being the old family homestead...another story there though. The last stop before heading home was to this little old far meeting room. (church)

It was cloudy and moody, rain was trickling by this point and the place looked so forlorn and almost spooky. As I drove up to the now way overgrown parking lot the memories started to flood back. The breeze blowing through the open doors with the sounds of crickets and birds chirping and sheep bleating in the background as old hymns are sung from the heart. The musty smell of the old structure mixing with the smell of wild grass and flowers in the fields and on bushes are still fresh in my mind.

My thoughts were then interrupted by Kaitlyn stating that she needed to pee

so we headed off in the direction of the old out house.

Trudging through thigh high wet grass with massive mosquitoes swarming up around us was not so fun and I distracted myself with thoughts of the old mown lawn and beaten little path to the same door.

I should dig out a doodle that I did as a kid of this same out house. Drawn up one Sunday morning as I sat on the wooden chairs swinging my bare feet and day dreaming. I was so good at day dreaming and doodling and paying little to no attention to what was going on in the meeting.

The door to the outhouse was ajar when we approached and this creeped me out just a little as thoughts of what kind of creature might be lurking within filled my head. (One too many scary movies are filmed in this dreary kind of weather in remote places and I happen to be stupid enough to have watched them and let them creep me out)

I pushed the thoughts aside and squeaked the door open.

Out jumped a.....

just kidding;-).

Inside the roof was caving in and there were leaves and bird dropping everywhere. An old toilet paper roll hung covered in cob webs from an old hat hook and the old wash bowls and a comb still stood on the counter. After peeking into a stall and seeing that the toilet hole bench was covered in the leaves and the rain was dripping down through the leaky roof we headed back out to find a corner in the grass.

Back to the truck to get Ethan out and check to make sure Hudson was still napping before going into the old hall. Ethan was sure he didn't need to go to the washroom and I was glad. The men's out house was back in the bush and I was done with out houses for the moment.

Mind you Ethan is quite fine with going behind a tree so I didn't really need to think about it anyway.

We opened the door and stepped into the meeting room.

More memories.

The old wood and cement floor was always cool to the touch and so inviting on a sticky humid Sunday morning. The smell, oh the smell. Musty, dusty and earthy. I love smells at this stage in the pregnancy, especially earthy or woodsy smells. I remembered this earthy smell so well.

We explored the few rooms and I answered questions the kids had about Sunday school, what I learned, who taught me and who my friends were.

I gazed out the old wavy glass windows and remembered sitting and staring out watching the wheat as it danced in the wind like waves on a lake. The sound of the wheat swishing, the birds, insects and sheep chirping and bleating, the hymns....intoxicating.

The mirror for ladies fixing their hats still hangs. It is a little goofy now and I don't remember if it always was or not. I was never tall enough to see myself in it.

Sometimes I wish this little old meeting room was still in use so my children could experience the same quiet country meetings that I did.

Though it wasn't very often that I got to go to the country those memories are etched in my mind as very special times.

Time and weather will continue to slowly erode this place but I hope to keep the memories fresh for a long time.