Category Archives: Itsnotta farm

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater

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When we first moved to our old century home, the youngest definitely thought it was haunted. The previous owner had some family troubles, and although he loved the place, he just wasn’t able to keep it. The pool was a murky, bottomless pit of despair, and we kept dredging up odd objects: goggles, a glove, sunglasses, small animals. We were sure the previous owner had murdered his wife and her lifeless body would one day float to the top of our summer project.

The Latest quirky find in the yard…Any guesses?!

Then we discovered quirky things within the old house. A weird spot for a light fixture that didn’t turn anything on. A “secret” tunnel through a duct in the guest room closet. (We followed it as far as we could and only found dust bunnies and mice droppings). Then the basement storm cellar hatch was sealed off from the outside… only leaving a tiny hole. Could something other than chipmunks hide there? And what about that bullet casing we found in another closet? Could the date scrawled in black marker on it mean anything besides a first hunting expedition? How about the poor Elf on the Shelf lost in the basement rafters? A Christmas tradition gone wrong, or was he left to haunt us with sprinkles as we slept? What about the rifle-sized floor board in the porch that just so happens to be loose….

Don’t even get me started on the woods. How many half finished projects did we find out there? Just kids goofing around or were hermits living off the land in a previous life? And the rumours of the “pot house” nearby burned to ruins? Local legend? Or something more sinister? The land has been owned by the same families for generations. Whose to say our century farmhouse wasn’t akin to the black sheep of the family? One never knows what the walls would say if they could talk….

Of course, I am just kidding about all these things. We did find some quirky things left behind, but they are just tidbits and old junk. The previous owner of our property was a nice guy. Still, we love a good story, don’t we? It may be nothing more than a rumour fueled by a piece of history gone haywire. Shared secrets by the campfire, designed to frighten us just enough to keep us on our toes. So it is with Christy-Award winning author Jaime Jo Wright’s book: The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater. Finally, a “romantic” book that wasn’t gag inducing! I quite enjoyed it! Just enough intrigue and mystery to keep you on your toes, and plenty of thought provoking paragraphs.

“Those folks who’d been dealt a hard blow by life should’ve experienced the grace of God through the actions of sharing and service. This was why Kit worked at the food pantry…. People were what mattered most. Not buildings. Not even history. The here. The now. The souls whom God let cross Kit’s path to be impacted today so that in the future, their legacy would speak of healing and not brokenness. Of hope and not destitution. Of God and not a world alienated from its Creator, who wildly loved all people.”

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater pp.332-333

It’s a twisted tale of rumours steeped in small town suspicions. A parallel between two girls, Kit from present day, and the young lady Miss Greta Mercy from yesteryear. Both linked by ghosts and tales of something deadly lurking beneath the stage of Barlowe theater. Who are the lost boys? Who is the lady in white? You’ll have to read it to find out. It’s a good read. Easy enough to follow as it jumps back and forth from past to present. In the end it all comes together, of course, like a Christian version of Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. As an added bonus, the author includes her own “background story” and discussion questions. She weaves her own character into that of adoptee Kit.

” ‘Then you’re not abandoned. You don’t need anyone else but Him. That’s why I’m not afraid. Not afraid of losing my job, not afraid of people leaving me. Human nature is conditional. People, unfortunately, are conditional for good or bad reasons. But God is not. So you trust Him, you step out in faith that others will care for you in His strength and grace, and you realize that sometimes people make mistakes. They leave you. Or they betray you. Or life just sends you in different directions.’ …She hated his truth. Hated the way he’d stated it so bluntly and plainly, and yet he was right.”

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater pp.230

Overall, I have to admit that this was a delightfully creepy story that had just enough intrigue to keep you engaged, with bits and bobs of inspiration thrown in. Only a hint of romance. Just the way I like my books! Apparently, it’s also how I like my farmhouses. Eerie elegance? Perhaps that should be my next decorating style. Incorporating the left behind Elf on the Shelf maybe. Nah, I just love a good story, don’t you?

Available now at Bookstores near you!

I’ll have to check out Jaime Jo Wright’s new book on BethanyHouse.com for 2024. If your interested, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater is available now at numerous locations. Happy Reading, my beloveds!

NEW

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new

/noอžo/

adjective

1.not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time. example: “new crop varieties”

2.already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time. example: “her new bike”

3.just beginning or beginningย anewย and regarded as better than what went before. example: “starting a new life”

    OXford Dictionary

    New. New outfit. New Beginning. New month, new season, new house, new experiences. Everyone knows what it is like to experience something new. Anticipation mixed with a little anxiety. Perhaps it’s a thing you’ve always waited for. A dream come true. Perhaps it’s a thing you wish wasn’t happening. A new life lived without someone special. A diagnoses or news you didn’t want to know about. “Already existing but seen for the first time.” The spring season is upon us and I am excited for all the “new” around here.

    Photo by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels.com

    I dug around in my flower garden for a bit yesterday. I have daffodils! We were not here last spring so I have no idea what may pop up. There is lots of new growth happening. I also cut back a bunch of old growth so a few new things can happen. It’s going to be work, work and more work. I think it will be worth it though. I’m excited about the possibilities (and much to the hubby’s chagrin, I have plans). A new couple has arrived in our cedar hedges: a pair of mourning doves. I am thrilled. I love their haunting cries! I hope they nest somewhere close by. Traditionally, spring is a time for “new life” and babies arrive! We’ll see what happens around here. Chicks have been ordered…. We celebrated Easter at the farm this year instead of in the city, with new traditions and family bonds. Things are different as we age. Kids grow up. Parents get older and new aches and pains arrive. Technology is ever creeping forward (sometimes quickly!) and everything seems new. We must adapt and change and keep up. Even if we don’t want to.

    I used to say I hated change. I wanted things to stay the same. I wanted things to stay within my comfort zone; in a place where I had control over them and I could feel safe about this or that. The familiar was a good thing and I didn’t want it to mutate away from what I knew. Now, however, as I grow older, I recognize that things must change. Without it there will be no progress. They say our brains get better as we go through new experiences. Our brain health improves when we learn new things and try and change and adapt. It makes our neurons fire and our brain matter grow. Just think about all those “littles” who soak up new information constantly: their brains develop at a crazy pace.

    Easter weekend had me musing about a few things, one of which was this idea of a new way of life… especially for the disciples. We got talking about Jewish traditions and the new movement of “Christianity” among the early church. Can you imagine the scene where the world as you know it gets turned upside down because of some radical who was crucified and now has been raised from the dead? Can you imagine if they had social media back then? Taylor Swift or Kate Middleton wouldn’t even be on the radar. Jesus would be all the talk.

    Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

    Yet, Christ followers would have to adapt to a whole new way of life after the events of Easter. Three years of radical existence climaxes into political upheaval, arrests, scattering and thoughts of “what now?!” Do you default to what you know? Go back to the old way of life? Do you trudge forward, taking on the risks that may lie ahead? Do you hide and wait it out, hoping things will settle down and go away? I suppose all the options were available and each one did, as we would, their own thing.

    I’m not sure there is a “right or wrong” outcome to all things new. There is no real way to approach it. Time brings change and there is nothing we can do to avoid it. Let’s embrace it, together, shall we? Join us each week here and keep up with all the crazies of our new country abode and all the changes we take on! I’m on all the social media, too, because it is important to learn new things. Like blogging, and reels, and writing, and social media. Blessings, beloveds.

    Want to see how my writing has changed? Take a journey back to the early days of mittonmusings. Here is a good one about new things!

    Burdens and Birdhouses

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    Welcome back. As I sit here, the wind is howling all around me, and our old house is creaking and complaining at the disturbance to its peaceful existence in the world. So many times I wonder why things have to change. I wonder why do we have to grow old, and why does the world not appreciate age for its wisdom and value it for its shear survival? I suppose change is good in some ways. Technology has moved us forward. We live longer. Without change there would be no seasons. No progression, I suppose. I muse, but I know better. We’ve been designed to have our moment, and then it’s over.

    Many of you know I am a thrifter. I love a good second hand store. Partially, because of the simple fact I am “frugal” and refuse to pay retail. I suppose the environmental impact influences me as well. Recycle, reuse. Rednecks recycle because they’re cheap though! ๐Ÿ™‚ I love a good find… especially if the store doesn’t know the item’s value and it’s reflected in the price tag. Other times I wonder where on earth the staff pulled their number from. I’ve yet to be a “professional” though. I wait for the day that I walk out with a piece that I can envision on one of those road side antique stores where diamond rings are encrusted into the back of some obscure framed piece of cats drinking tea. Turns out it was painted by some turn of the century artist who died tragically, mauled by his tea drinking cats, and his works are now worth millions. Never happens to me.

    Nevertheless, sometimes a thing just strikes my fancy and I want it. The hubby often laughs, because occasionally I pick weird stuff. Old “junk” that I hope will be used and transformed into something beautiful. (Like an old century farmhouse in the middle of no where… just teasing!) This was the hope at a recent thrift visit. I found an old wooden bird house on the shelf. The wood was well weathered. The paint irrefutably peeling and well worn. It was five bucks. I hummed and hawed. I walked around the shelves some more. As I placed it on the check-out counter, I asked the cashier if she would consider a lower price. It was clearly some redneck farmer’s excuse for firewood. She could not negotiate, she says. Five bucks. It came home with me.

    Was it worth the $5??

    I can clean it up and fix it, right? Old farmhouse deserves a weathered old birdhouse, right? It was crusty — but the back was held on by a secret hatch — I pulled out all the remnants of a past inhabitant and scrubbed and sanded and dumped all the dirt and debris. My craft room lacks descent lighting, but after it was all dry I hiked upstairs to give it a fresh coat of paint. I wanted to keep it “rustic”, so it isn’t perfect. I thought I might add flowers or something to brighten it up, but old wooden snowflakes worked better… so it’s going to turn in to a winter ice palace for the birds!

    I’m sorry to say the project isn’t completely finished yet, so I can’t show you a “before” and “after” only a “before” and “work in progress”. Perhaps it will draw you back to visit us again… I have several bird feeders and houses around the property. Some were here, some I brought with me, some we’ve purchased. Others we thrifted. I’m hoping all the birds will come to my yard. A pair of mourning doves have been hanging around. I haven’t seen them before, so I am thrilled. I hope spring brings some nests! And baby birds to share with you!

    “Work in Progress”

    Are you a bird watcher? I miss my big picture window of the old house. I still can see the birds and squirrels here, but I have to go from spot to spot to catch them all. Warmer days will find us on the front porch where we have a better view. Not that the birds need my help. I marvel time and time again how teeny tiny little fragile bodies survive our harsh Canadian winters. Bird bones are fragile. Bird bodies are full of air. You can literally crush them with your hand. And I worry about my bunnies under the heaters all winter.

    Oh my beloveds, may these thoughts be encouragements to you this week. Things change. Things get old and are different, yet there is still value in the change. We must embrace it, encourage it, with a splash of new paint and wishes for more time to be used by God. Maybe things are not the same as they were, and we creak and moan with the annoying wind, but we stand firm. We are sheltered by His hands from the harsh realities of life. We appear fragile and worthless. Easily crushed. And yet all our needs seem somehow provided for.

    Sometimes we get a little help from others. And that’s okay. We are a community and we must look out for one another. The wind is gonna be fierce some days. Perhaps you need to just hunker down for a bit and wait it out. Perhaps you need to seek shelter or be the one who creates it for someone else. I don’t know where you’re at today, but I’m thinking about you. May you sparkle like my new (old?) ice palace birdhouse!