Flippin Kinda Trippy Like a Mississippi Hippie :)

While it has almost been a week since day one in Mississippi I can still remember traveling down the roads from Tennessee to my summer 1998 stomping grounds. We left after 6 last Monday and headed straight for Mississippi, almost. We actually stopped to eat practically right away. Our dinner of choice? McDonalds. So, mashed against the car door underneath the weight of two children my Micky d's laden stomach and I slept on and off the whole way there. We stopped again in Alabama for Cracker Barrel, one of my all time favorite places, and headed the rest of the way getting there around 1am. After spilling out of the vehicle and into the house I was not surprised at all to find stew cooking on the stove just in case we were hungry. Oh sweet southern hospitality, won't you please take me home? Seeing grandma and diddy after 14 years was spectacular. I find it funny what doesn't change in 14 years. 

Tomb at the Church I went to as a child! 

Looking at their now older faces and small house  I was comforted in their familiar smiles and thick welcoming accents. I slept so hard that night! The next day we went  to drop off some corn to some neighbors down the road and visit with their donkeys  - and one gorgeous gelding named Shine. Following that little soiree we went to where we lived in Booneville, MS! 
Talk about your little southern town. I counted two stop lights in the whole place - maybe. Jason laughed because where one stoplight had been added a few years back now stood a stop-sign. I guess they realized there wasn't enough traffic to bother with a stoplight. The house I lived in with them was now deserted and falling apart, but driving down the road conjured memories of my first true love - Pepper. As we passed the houses I remembered running that puppy up and down the street whenever she had to go potty. I also remembered sneaking out of my window to play with one of the neighborhood kids and getting a whooping when I came back later! We stopped in a little antique store and headed to a corner burger place for lunch.
 After lunch [or before] we drove past the park Sandy took Randy and I to as children! What an experience, to drive through your childhood - especially that piece of time in mine. That night we had a good old fashioned southern home cooked meal. The whole family came over as we devoured corn, biscuits, cornbread, ham, green beans, egg salad, and sweet tea - yum!! Once again, as people wrapped me in warm embraces and asked about Randy I sat smiling, barely remembering these dozen or so faces surrounding me. The only memories 14 years old and barely touched. Never the less it was wonderful to see them and to remember what it was like being 8 and living in Mississippi. The following morning Sandy, Jason, Grandma, and I headed to Tupelo, Mississippi - the place where Elvis was born! 
We got to walk around his birth place and read about his life. How exciting! I was bummed I didn't get any Tupelo Honey, darn you Van Morrison! Back at the house we prepared for another round of dinner - fried chicken, biscuits, sweet tea, and all the rest. Grandma was positive it was only going to be us for supper but once again about 5 more people showed up. It was no surprise to me that we had more than enough food! 
As I sat early the next morning, sipping coffee and rocking away in the crisp morning air I mused with diddy at how beautiful the lake is with a blanket of fog. I could truly get used to the gorgeous views and calming serenity of waking up and enjoying a cup of coffee as I look out over all that God has created - with people I love. What I wonderful trip back in time :) 

Slavery and Human Trafficking.

Yesterday was a day for God. We got up and headed to church around 10 - taught Sunday school, went to the adult service, and then had lunch. Since Sandy's friends were leading the afternoon service we decided to stay for that one as well. Normally that service is called the "JOY" service but yesterday I guess they had a change of heart. We crowded into the pews and sat, listening to the band play the first song. After they had sung, the two youngest members came forward and told us about something call Passion 2012. Each year there is a national convention for 18-25 year olds, called Passion, which hosts a different subject each year, this years subject was slavery and human trafficking. After explaining what we were about to watch I observed as Sandy's face turned to dread as she pondered whether her children were ready for what they were about to witness. We decided together that the video portrayed something very real and that ignoring it didn't mean the children wouldn't learn about it later, and making them leave would cause them to become more curious. So, nervously, we sat and watched the movie and the kids faces as they focused intently on the screen in front of them. Minute to minute we heard the stories of three people - each a slave in one form or another. We heard their struggles to find jobs, their shock when they realized they weren't going where they had intended to go, the abuse endured during the long hours of day. Teary eyed we listened in horror to their broken words and tattered stories. Stories of loss and fear, stories of utter betrayal of humanity. And stories of redemption, as these three people came out of slavery with the help of various different agencies present all around the world. Agencies outlined in the thank you video accompanying the Passion 2012 Freedom video. We watched as these people came to learn who Jesus is, who God is, and the faith they've developed upon being saved. While I sat there, teary eyed and heart broken I watched their daughter turn around in her seat and exclaim that she wanted to go home. I watched as another little girl clapped her hands against her fathers face, laughing, and my heart became so heavy with sorrow - as well as happiness. There are 27 million people in some sort of slavery today all across the world. That is more than the entire African slave trade. My sorrow came from the idea that there are children and adults all over the world who cannot turn around in their chairs and tell their families they want to go home. It came from the idea that children all over the world cannot clasp their parents in their arms and laugh uncontrollably for no reason. Ironically that is also where my happiness came from. I am so happy to be living here today, to be with people who love me and whom I love. So happy to be so blessed by God. The movie really tore into me, in some of the deepest depths of thought. So much so that I hope to someday help in one of the various countries. Not For Sale in Cape Town, South Africa really caught my eye. I'll continue to pray to God for guidance, not only for myself but for the millions of people who have no voice right now. I've included the full video, including the thank you video outlining some of those involved in Passion 2012. 2013 brings Freedom 2013 - an attempt to draw more attention to slavery around the globe and what we can do to stop it. 


Movie: Passion 2012 Freedom Film
Passion 2012 Thank You Video
Christy Nockels - Passion 2012 song

Fly Fishing and Cow Kissing

So I know it's only half way through the day but I have had such a great time! I have been lake fishing, and I have been ocean fishing, but now I can add river fishing. Which, might I add, is the hardest. Not only do you brave trecherous rocks and cold water but the gear required [ which I suppose ocean boats cost more ] is extensive. I waded in my bathin suit and tennis shoes most of the time but the water was so cold that you could no longer breath once you got deep enough. I never caught a fish but I did break the group leaders fishing pole in TWO PLACES when I fell. To add injury to insult I found out it was the pole he got for his birthday last year and had never used. All that and I never caught a fish! But I did learn about how to fly fish and traveling up the river was so much fun!
Not to mention the new friends I've made. I really had such a wonderful time - next time they said we'd go on a canoe trip or horse back riding! No way!!!
When I got home I saw some of the neigbors cows had come up by the fence so I went to see the little cream colored one - she/he [ I didn't check ] came right up to me and was licking my hand and arm haha! I never new their tongues literally hooked onto things, or that they felt like cats tongues. I ran in to get my camera and when i came back to take a picture the cow licked me right on my face!!! As I walked away he watched me as if he were sad to see me go, I think i've made another new friend :) Hanging out by the pool now - taking in the day. I am so blessed.

I'm gonna live where the green grass grows!

This morning I got up bright and early to help Jason build the new fence around the pasture. After making coffee and heading out into the crisp morning air I went to work attaching the fence stretcher to the fence in order to pull it tight with the truck. We moved the fence posts and measured 8' spaces between each fence pole. Standing there, listening as the post driver angrily thudded against the top of the pole, I breathed in the cool air and stared out over the rolling hills as the sun came peeking through the trees and into the pasture. Once we finished up Jason had me go feed the chickens. I fed them out of my hand for a little bit this time! Walking back toward Jason all the sheep came frolicking [correct spelling surprisingly] down through the pasture to investigate the changes we had made. I could do that for the rest of my life. I just love this little farm life. After Sandy and I dropped the kids off at day camp we headed out for a little shopping trip. I bought two pairs of shorts, two dresses, and one strapless jumpsuit thing. I loooove them!! All that for 60 bucks! [70 with TN tax - Heather, you're not in Minnesota anymore] ha! Later on we moseyed over to a barbecue one of the local businesses was throwing for it's customers, delicious. Sandy asked me if they feed everyone in Minnesota like they do here and I told her that they do it a liiiittle differently - in Minnesota, you are given free range to peoples kitchens but don't expect them to cook for you all the time [except Avery's house - they cook for me all the time :) ] Once our tummys were happy as can be we went over to watch the kids play water games at day camp. They had two water slides out and all the kids stood in single file lines to go down them - it was sooo funny!! It brought me back to when we'd put a huge tarp down the hill in our back yard and squirt laundry soap on our stomachs to go flying down the now blue river running down the hill. I miss those days. When we were leaving, Forrest, one of the local guys told me that he saw my post on facebook and that a group of people from the church were going fishing tomorrow!! I guess it's free fishing day in Tennessee, where you can fish without purchasing a lisence - sooo excited!! After we got home the kids got into a huge argument over a PENNY! Sandy gave new meaning to the term "hug it out" when she made them stand in the hallway for ten minutes hugging. I LOVE it. They were giggling with eachother and totally over their fight within 6 minutes - but they still had 4 to go. What a great punishment. I love this little peice of paradise out here. I cannot wait to have my own little farmette/ranchette some day :)

Where The Green Grass Grows - Tim McGraw

Make God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans

Clearly "inconsistent" is one of the many words that many people use to describe me. So, with that, I bring you my inconsistently written blog! Yesterday was one of the best days so far! Why? Because not only did I get to skim the pasture and pick up garbage so Jason could mow - but while picking up scrap metal I carried a piece of metal fifteen feet and handed it to their little girl before noticing a giant wasps nest CRAWLING with wasps. Get this, not a one of them stung either of us! Thank you God. After cleaning up, we got to take down the fence and help Jason rebuild the new one. I was a hardware removing queen! Anyway - the reason I loved yesterday was because I have been wanting to do work on the actual farm. I love collecting eggs and feeding the chickens, sheep, and dogs - but I really miss working on the farm back home. I'm looking into shadowing some large animal veterinarians around here so I can figure out where I want to be in life. Which brings me to my next point - church. Today, after preparing for Jason's fathers day gift all day, we went to church. Sitting in a group of about 6 people we watched a movie called "God's Story" or something. After a narrator read part of the segment of a book provided with the movie, a person came on to explain the significance. The story was about king Cyrus and his generosity to the Jewish people when he sent them out of Babylon to go to Jerusalum in order to rebuild the temple. Cyrus commanded people from everywhere to provide  silver and gold for the project. After starting the temple the people got distracted and began building up their own houses, businesses, and so forth - forgetting the temple for 16 years [I may have some facts wrong, bare with me!]. After a while a pattern began. No matter how much food they grew, they remained hungry. No matter how much money they accumulated, they could always use more. No matter how much they drank, they remained thirsty. They tried to solve their problems with their own solutions - forgetting to look to God. Anyway - somehow we got to the point that we often times forget to look to God and instead look to ourselves to solve our problems. Not only that, but when something goes right we attribute it to ourselves rather than to his grace and blessings. I have noticed lately that I am lost - lost about going back to college, where I want to live, and what job I may want to do in the future. Funny thing? I wasn't lost three months ago when I handed complete control over to God. I knew exactly where I was and what I wanted. For a while I began to think how funny it was, the impact a roadtrip and not having a job could have - but now I am wondering if the roadtrip has nothing to do with it. If it's actually that I started making plans again, that I started looking to myself to solve problems. Now, the same guy also said that we cannot attribute every set back to God - that some set backs are the result of our own decisions - but never the less, it got me thinking. I have not fallen away, nor have I made any bad decisions but to cure my confusion I know where to look, I know who to look to - God. Because the plans God has for me are so much better than anything I could plan for myself.  
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Sunday Sermon and Hiking Happiness [ha!]

 I feel like this has turned into a cooking blog! I totally forgot to mention that Thursday was my first day collecting the eggs from the chicken coop and feeding the animals :) Yesterday I refed the chickens - not realizing that you only have to feed chickens every three days and spread corn/pebbles to keep them busy. Oops!! This morning I made ham and cheese pockets. I looked on pinterest for recipes but didn't like any of them so I decided to make up my own. I made homemade biscuit mix and then instead of making them into biscuits I spread the dough out, put ham and cheese on one side, then folded it into a pocket. Halfway through the baking process I melted butter and added salt, pepper, and italian seasoning then brushed it over the biscuits.
 They were soooo delicious!! We decided I will make them again tomorrow or Monday <<< I wrote that on Saturday, Today is Monday - talk about a slacker!!! I ended up making those delicious creations again before church yesterday. Yummm!!! Church was long - really long - but I shouldn't complain because that was the point. Every first sunday is communion Sunday and Pastor Will said that often times that is hurried and individuals do not take the time to appreciate what it means to take the body and blood of Christ - so he went slow. After service we ate lunch and Sandy and Jason brought a man from Minnesota as their guest! We talked and realized that we have lived in all of the same places! He lives only 20 minutes from me in Minnesota, in the 80's he lived in Colorado, he's living here now, and his son lives in California! Better yet, he comes from a long line of ranchers!
So we talked all about ranching and horse riding - he suggested places I should apply to work on ranches in Colorado. I will probably head to Montana whenever I decide to work on a ranch but wow! What an awesome person to know! After church we headed into the mountains to stake out a camping spot. We hiked for a little over a mile before we found the perfect one. Sandy was HILARIOUS carrying her little white foo foo maltese through the forest and freaking out when we came to treacherous terrain. 
 At one point Jason took over and dangled the dog over his back by his halter haha!! A woman passed us later and angrily exclaimed that "that was no way to pick up a dog" - he was fiiiiine!! The temperature outside was a perfect 75 degrees with a slight breeze. The sun shone through the canopy of the trees and the bugs were barely noticable. Not only that but Sandy found a small snake slithering across and path - what an adventure! I am looking forward to camping next week! I am going to try to keep up with my blog more often - if not for ya'll than for myself!! Having such a good time here but I have more words than could possibly be squeezed into this space. Maybe another one tonight ;) For now I am off to a doctors appointment!

Pinterest Recipe Queen

Since I have gotten to Tennessee I have become a regular on Pinterest, searching for recipes to make every meal super delicious. So far I have made sweet potato fries, raspberry cheesecake cups, toast cups, and I am taking on doughnuts today - since it's national doughnut day. The sweet potato fries turned out delicious. They were not as crispy as what I had expected but I believe thats due to the amount of oil I mixed them in. Crispy or not they were the perfect amount of soft sweet potato. I don't know about anyone else but my biggest sweet potato fry complaint has to be when I take a bite and all I get is pure crunch, sans sweet potato. I want a good hunk of sweet potato in my fry. I made these only two days ago. I paired them with the dip that the recipe recommends. We didn't have siracha so I used Franks Red Hot and everyone said it was perfect with the sweetness of the sweet potato. Yesterday one of the kids stayed home with me while the other went with Sandy. We decided to surprise them with a dessert for after dinner. We chose raspberry cheesecake - yummmmm!!! During the process we had to improvise a little because I thirded the recipe to only make 12 instead of 38. This meant we had to do math - school time anyone? Looking through the pantry we realized we didn't have graham crackers for the crust, so we improvised and used Animal Crackers - which works just as well!! Once the crusts were done we moved onto the filling, only to find out that we were short one package of cream cheese! Luckily I had a cream cheese mixture from a dessert I made for memorial day. After making the cheesecakes we hid them in the fridge and waited for dinner to pull them out. Success - I thought 12 would be enough but after dinner only 2 remained! I guess we'll have to claw eachothers eyes out for them - just kidding :) This morning for breakfast I made toast cups but substituted sausage for bacon. When I took them out of the oven I was nervous they werent going to be good but after taking them out of the cupcake tins and devouring all but one we all concluded they were also a success. My only complaint would be the fact that the toast on the outside didn't go all the way up the sides so the egg covered the bread, resulting in soft, not crispy, bread. I almost forgot - for Memorial Day we created strawberry bites, fruit kabobs, and fruit cups all in theme for the holiday.  Below I have posted a link to all of these recipes - I went onto my pinterest board and went directly to the link. I highly recommend doing each of them - I will post an update later concerning the doughnuts!! :)


Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Sweet Potato Fries/Dip
Bacon [Sausage[, Egg, Toast Cups
Patriotic Fruit Kabobs
Patriotic Fruit Cups


Strawberry bites: I cannot find the recipe - of course - but it consists of halving the strawberrys and cutting out the hull. Filling the strawberry with some sort of cream mixture [I used a creamcheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla mixture] then placing a blueberry on top. :) Enjoy!



UPDATE::

Doughnuts turned out amazing!! At first I had the oil too high so a few burned and at the end I had the oil too low so they got really greasy but 75% of them turned out perfect. I made a chocolate glaze, a lemon vanilla glaze, powdered sugar covering, and cinnamon and sugar coating. I also added cinnamon instead of nutmeag and a little vanilla to the original mixture :) Yumm!!

Doughnut Holes :)