“Have You Seen My Cows?”

My Grandma Vivian and Grandpa Bill had a dairy farm. Whenever Grandpa bought her a new piece of jewelry, she never made a fuss or showed it off outright. She simply carried on with her housework and waited.

If a visitor didn’t notice her new jewelry, Grandma Vivian would eventually take them outside to “show them something.” Then she’d lift her jeweled hand toward the pasture and casually ask:

“Have you seen my cows?”

She didn’t give a damn whether they had seen the cows. She wanted them to notice her new bling.

It became our family’s little joke. Whenever one of us gets a new ring or something sparkly, we wisp our hand in front of the other person and ask, “Have you seen my cows?”

We don’t have any damn cows—but damn, look at those cows.

Farmhouse Finesse was inspired by my Grandma Vivian: hardworking women, beautiful jewelry, family stories, and just enough finesse to make sure the good stuff gets noticed.