Horse lovers are stable people. On a highway in central Alabama there is a retired dairy farm currently owned by Mrs. Ellen. She is a horse lover and she is a stable lady. She is also a writer’s dream. She has it all. She is creative, a mother, beautiful, an entrepreneur AND… can handle a horse or a cow. And she can tell a story in such a sweet southern drawl that I just may have to record her so you can get a taste of her southern storytelling.
I fell in love with her home and her the minute that we met. She invited my mom to an open house during the Christmas holidays, and soon after, I was there taking pictures.
Many bloggers today are writing articles about remodeling older homes. Well, not this time. Mrs. Ellen’s family decorated their home while she and her groom were on their honeymoon. When they returned they were ready to begin their life together as a married couple of farmers. Other than rearranging accessories, it has not been remodeled since that day.
Our childhood homes connected us long before we met. Mrs. Ellen was formerly Ellen Scott, of Scott Dairy in Mobile, Al. Her groom carried her over the threshold in a small town 250 miles north of Mobile. I was also born on February 17th and grew up in Trussville, AL. Mr. Cozi and I now own a home in Fairhope, (about 30 miles from her childhood diary farm). She lives in a small town in central Alabama and me in Fairhope – like we exchanged lives, only without the farm.
This is her lovely ranch style home in central Alabama.
This bell was moved from her childhood farm to her current home years ago. I can just hear it ringing to tell all the cow hands that it’s time to eat. Ellen wouldn’t have been far away.
At about the age of 9, Ellen is seen here holding a calf and wearing boots. This became her trademark from her childhood until today. That and a few hats. She could handle a calf from an early age, but also learned the value of dressing like a lady and she obviously learned that from her mom.
I would think living on a dairy farm, that even the girls would wear dungarees and Muddog Wellingtons. But no, her mama knew how important style was and taught her daughters to work hard, but not look like it. Going into town meant hats, gloves, dresses, handbags and Sunday shoes.
In this photo, love is visible. The child in the photo is Mrs. Ellen’s mother-in-law with her mother. This is just a peek into the lives of this endearing family.
Stay tuned to the next post, because this is just a teaser. There is so much to tell about Mrs. Ellen that it couldn’t be done in one post. Not only is she a retired dairy farmer, but she is also a mother, a model, and a wonderful friend to all who are privileged enough to spend 20 seconds with her.