Birthday greetings from the caboose...

I moved back to Cumberland County in December 2009 because I was just ready to be "home." I wanted to watch my niece grow up.  I wanted to attend impromptu weeknight dinners at Mom's and have early morning, coffee time on her front porch swing.  I wanted to spend as much time with my Dad as possible. These things simply superseded any questions of jobs, friends, or activities; I would find something to do and until then, I could keep my job at UK.  Driving never bothered me. I could see some of my friends from high school again. It would be fun to catch up and get to know them as adults.  I could hang out with my family or just go to Glasgow or Bowling Green if I got bored. I told myself all of these things.  And, they were true; I worked at UK a semester and then found an amazing job at the library.  I have loved getting reacquainted with wonderful women like Misty Dubre, Amanda England, and Leslie Conner.  I am blessed with a hilarious family and hang out with them all the time. 

Two things surprised me a bit, though.

The first is a general theme of this blog. I have found a million interesting things to do in this small, rural town, a one-stoplight hamlet full of characters even the best screenwriter couldn't accurately capture. No matter where you are, there are interesting people.  Choose to be around them.  Choose to let yourself be creative.  Choose to "do" rather than just talk. Choose to be active in your own life.  Even in a place most would never consider a hotbed of art, excitement, or intrigue, I have found that I do more interesting and inspiring things than I ever have before in my life.  I love that.

Secondly, and more importantly, I have found new friendships, one in particular, that truly enrich my life everyday.  And by "enrich," I mean: a friendship that makes every day funnier; a friendship that honestly makes me want to be better, a more devoted family member, a more creative person, a more involved community member; a friendship that is consistently an outlet for the sarcastic, playful shenanigans that dance around in my mind daily; a friendship that reminds me that women aren't always horrible to one another; a friendship that keeps me grounded, reminding me that small things aren't worth the worry and that I, and my issues, aren't nearly as important as I try to make them; a friendship built on a realistic, "it is what it is" life mantra, not because we don't care about the other, but because we understand each other well enough to know empty words of comfort aren't actually comforting; a friendship shared between two people who care about our families, our friends, our community, and notions of "just do the right thing because it's the right thing," but who detest showy acts of "do-gooding;" a friendship strengthened by Pinterest projects, Minit Mart fountain drinks, and the occasional (everyday) reference to our fast track to hell; a friendship that has inspired numerous "I'm grateful today for..." entries in my gratitude jar; an unexpected friendship that has made being back in Cumberland County even more fulfilling and one that inspires me to stay. 

She is the mother I would've loved, and would love, to have if Jackie Turner weren't so awesome.  She is one half of a relationship, started when she was only a teenager, that lasted nearly forty years, a relationship replete with love, laughter, spontaneity, kindness, and a spirited appreciation for life.  She is a grandmother that creates princess-themed birthday cakes and plans weekend vacations and attends every baseball game and school play. She is the co-worker who solves the world's problems with me three days a week. She can be found at the farmers market on Saturday morning and Relay for Life fundraisers on Tuesday nights and in her kitchen at 9 pm, after an already busy day, working on mustache Christmas ornaments for all of the Turner women. 

She is the type of person I want to be, the type we should all be so lucky to have in our lives. Happy birthday to my dear friend, Terry Staley.

***

A couple of suggestions...

 

Check out The Fine Arts Bistro on the square in Glasgow when you get a chance: delicious crepes, great coffee, and a cool atmosphere.

And if you make your way to the Sparta, TN area, definitely stop by the Frangrant Mushroom Pottery Studio, where you can find hand-thrown pottery, homemade candles, original art, and local crafts (this is probably my favorite shop within a two-hour radius).





So God Made a Farmer...

I know I'm not alone in describing this Dodge commercial as my favorite of Super Bowl night. Substandard originality, however, is not going to stop me from devoting an entire post to it. This welcomed two minute reprieve from dancing pistachios and unfunny babies reminded me of my part-time job as an afternoon and weekend deejay at WKYR when I was 17 years old.  In between butchering or laughing at what people called into Swap Shop to sell, I would often play Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story," a series I've come to appreciate so much more with age than I did as that high school kid having fun on the radio. It reminded me of navy, cropped FFA jackets so emblematic of warm June nights spent exploring Louisville with Mom, Dad, Leigh Ann, and the assortment of teenage students who had decided to attend the FFA convention at the Galt House.  And most importantly, it reminded me of my favorite farmer, the man I respect more than any other I’ll ever know.

He got up before sunrise nearly every morning and fixed eggs, toast, gravy and coffee. He'd feed animals before and after school, the same animals he was willing to sleep in the barn beside if need be. In the summer, he'd spend every daylight hour working the farm he loved. He was in fact strong enough to rustle a calf, yet gentle enough to be there when his daughters cried. He tamed cantankerous machinery and could shape an ax handle. He could make about anything out of hay wire and feed sacks. He could clear trees and heave bails, but also care for a colt, calf, or pup with compassion that seemed equally natural. He plowed deep and straight and didn't cut corners. 

He was a farmer.
Luckily for me, he was also my Dad.

*For background on the Dodge commercial, see this Huffington Post or this NPR article.
***
If by some chance, I don't buy a Dodge Ram when the ol' Elantra finally waves the white flag, here are some options I'd consider...

How can you not love a hatchback? - Honda Crosstour

I think the new Kia Optimas are quite sharp.

I've always loved Mini Coopers.

I suppose I'd take a BMW hybrid SUV, too.

Bet Ree Drummond has all her little cowpokes do gratitude jars in between fixing fences with Todd and changing their matching flannel shirts. I hate this show.

I would love to say that I've spent most of January knocking out, or at least starting, some awesome resolutions; only two posts in a month would be a little more understandable.

But....that would be a gigantic lie.

The truth is, I didn't make one official resolution for 2013 (or at least nothing specific). Maybe this is a result of being content already with the things that occupy my time...or being lazy and not wanting to write a blog post about my plans and dreams...or being scared that if I wrote something down and didn't do it, I would feel bad...or being fairly confident that the things lacking in my life are kind of out of my control and can't be sensibly put on a resolution list (ex. have a family).  I don't really know what explains my waning interest in numbered "to-do"s. I just know that I want to be happy.  I want to be kinder to others.  I want to go see more movies. 

I was reading Louisville magazine last week and came across an article on "choosing happiness."  The basic point was that we can all do small things each day that make us feel more fulfilled and content even in spite of moments of anger or frustration that will surely occur nearly everyday. Essential to the argument was one of my favorite cliches: we may not be able to control what happens, but we can control how we handle it/respond.  Some of the suggestions included exercising a few minutes everyday, writing one email or letter of encouragement/kindness daily, keeping a gratitude journal where you document something everyday for which you're thankful.

 

I've started doing all three of these.  In the picture above, you can see my "gratitude jar." I think it will be a good reminder of how lovely my life really is as well as a pity party deterrent.  I haven't written any letters this week, but I have tried to send at least one email a day that I normally wouldn't take the time to send (ex. "I thought that comment you made during the meeting was hilarious." or "I appreciate that you stopped, let me cross the street, and waved and smiled." or "Your cookies were delicious."....you know, incredibly witty and insightful emails;)). Even though I run and have always exercised some, I've started doing a 20 minute workout in the mornings that just makes me feel better: three sets each of - 20 lunges, 25 squats, 80 jumping jacks, 5 minutes of yoga.     

And the movie thing....no analytical reason for this. I just love everything about the whole movie experience.

Best one I've seen in a while:


One I'm most looking forward to:

I'm rereading F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic right now. I don't think I had ever paid attention to the dedication section of the book (if you've followed Pillow Book much at all, you know how dedications and acknowledgments are often my favorite part of any book). It reads, "Once again to Zelda"....also the title to one of my favorite collections, Once Again To Zelda: The stories behind literature's most intriguing dedications.
***
You all know that Ree Drummond's exaggerated cowpokiness drives me bonkers.  However, this giant-house-owning, giant-truck-driving, giant-and-expensive-kitchen-cooking "pioneer" woman knows peanut butter pies.  I really love this recipe...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

25 whole chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup creamy peanut butter

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

One 8-ounce package whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the cookies until they're fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into a pie pan and bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the filling: Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed whipped topping and beat until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Here is the chocolate pie recipe I used for the equally healthy option also pictured here.
***
So, in 2013, I plan to acknowledge my gratitude more often, go see more movies, cook more pies... and fall a little more in love with Silas House.

Hillbilly Solid 012113 -  In this episode, House interviews author, Ron Rash, and throws in a playlist that includes the Alabama Shakes, Justin Townes Earl, Band of Horses, Edward Sharpe and the Lumineers.

Best dog ever.

Eight days after the fact and it's still a little hard for me to write this without crying.  Those of you who have loved and lost a pet understand this.  Even though Waffle wasn't technically my dog (Dad and Adrienne having picked him out nearly 15 years ago and after I had moved from Waterview), he still belonged to all of us.  The Australian Shepard who was rarely clean, who liked to go for rides, (whether to the gas station down the road or to Lowe's to pick up a Christmas tree), who was gentle with every puppy, kitten, colt, and calf fortunate enough to call Turner Farm "home," who greeted us all when we pulled up the driveway (no matter if we had been gone ten minutes or ten years) was family.  He followed Dad everywhere on the farm, even if he had no intentions of herding anything:). He wanted to ride in the gator every time Mom started it, even if Tucker and Gabby joined in and inevitably jumped on his head.  Four days before he died, he rode to town with me and visited with the ladies at the library and may or may have gotten a biscuit at the Kwik Stop.  He loved Isabella and let her bear hug him anytime she wanted. After two accidents this summer, he fought back from near paralysis to give us seven more happy months with him (and in all honesty, if it meant we could have seven more of him feeling healthy and happy, I would spend night after night sleeping in a tent beside him).

Waffle was a fixture on Turner Farm and his devotion to us was matched by our devotion to him.  We buried him by Cotton, our beloved horse, and in the barn lot that has come to mean so much more to the Turner ladies in the past two years. On that land now rests three guys who pulled through more than they probably should have been able to and who loved this farm, and the family on it, with their whole hearts.

 

Yes, I'll take Jimmy Fallon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Christmas, please.

I like to try new Christmas candies each year. Here is a sampling of what I've made thus far. If you'd like the recipes for any of the following, just let me know. 

 

And for what it's worth...

My favorites: gingerbread biscotti and the mint shortbread cookies.

Coconut almond cookies

 Chocolate truffles rolled in all sorts of unhealthy stuff

 Mint shortbread cookies and gingerbread biscotti

 Brownie truffles setting up in the freezer

 Peppermint serving plate

 Snicker doodle blondies

 Step one of the chocolate bark

 Finished product

 Brown sugar cookies with brown sugar icing

Oreo truffles

 ***



I know they aren't carols. I know they aren't sentimental. I know religious undertones are nowhere to be found. I don't care.