2014

With another year ending, and a new one on the rise I usually get a little sad. I don't want to leave the current year so quickly and get nervous about what the next year may hold. This year is different, I am welcoming 2015 with open arms, party hat and giant kazoo. The truth is, 2014 was the worst year of my life thus far. 

I teach youth in Sunday school and this past Sunday one of the questions were "What has 2014 taught you?" My answer was simply, "patience". 

Wallace, Alabama Winter 2014

Our home, Winter 2014

With spending the year realizing that the past 6 years of my life spent in school for a degree that there are currently no positions open for was quite disheartening. Even though I had a feeling it would be the case, most days I feel like I am wasting a part of myself. 

Atlanta, Winter 2014

I had two miscarriages which I have to admit changed a giant chunk of my whole being, and lost my beloved grandmother. 

My grandmother, girl in front right. 

To say the least it was not a happy year, but in the same year, I found this woman that I never knew was there, one who doesn't give up, or feel that I need something right then and there. We live in a world where when we want something, all it takes is a click or two. Instant gratification for material things can roll over to important things in life. I laugh at the idea of making plans for my life because God seems to show me a different path. 

Visiting Hank Williams' grave, Summer 2014

Best moment- The Head & the Heart, Mobile, Alabama Fall 2014

Another thing 2014 taught me is to appreciate the little moments. Instead of taking advantage of little times with friends and family, lately after every moment  I snap a little mental photo of the lovely cherised time I have with them. 

Jeb and I, Summer 2014

Spoons. I feel in love with this after the first miscarriage I had. If you ever go through a loss, in some odd way you can turn it into something positive. I became obsessed with shaping and sanding a block of boring wood into something beautiful and functional. The monotony of te sanding and rasping becomes almost spiritual in that your brain empties out and becomes quiet, which is a wonderful experience. My art instructor at UWF called this getting in "the zone." 

I also became so in tune with nature, spent hours staring at flowers, succulents, bees, the clouds, the moon. Open up your eyes in take in all the beauty around you, it's incredible.

Moon, summer 2014

Succulent Bloom, summer 2014

Lastly, 

2014 brought my husband and I closer together. I think going through hard times either pulls you apart, or joins you together. I can't say enough about how amazing he is to me. I am still learning so much about marriage but it is incredible how you know what each other's needs are without saying a word. So many times I wanted to just lose it, but he, God, and family and friends kept me going. 

Shannon, Orange Beach 2014 summer

So now that I've talked about things that aren't all peaches and sunshine, I wish you all love and happiness in 2015, may it be our best year yet.

-Meg 

Soul Stew

The temperatures are unusually cold here in south Alabama...so that means it is time for something warm to eat!  This recipe is so good and has been adapted from a few that I have merged together.

Ingredients

1-2 cups of cooked greens ( I used collards, but turnips taste great also)

1.5 lbs. smoked sausage

3 slices of bacon

2 yellow onions

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes (as mild or hot as you want)

1 can dark kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

2 cans black eyed peas

1 can navy beans

2-3 cups of low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

1. Begin by slicing sausage julienne style.  Add sausage and 3 slices of bacon to a large pot on medium heat.

2. While sausage and bacon are cooking, chop onion and garlic, then add to the pot.

3. If you are using fresh greens, if they aren't already washed and chopped up, now is the time. (Frozen work just fine, but I have an endless supply of fresh greens from my Dad's farm).



This is a whole sink full, but they magically cook down to not many at all.



I peel away the stems and just rip the green with my hands into bite sized pieces.  This is the way my Mother and Grandmother taught me.  The stems can taste bitter, but I am sure I am probably throwing away all of the actual nutrients.

 Hold the leaf with one hand folded in half, and just pull the stem away with the other.



 4. Add the greens to the pot, stirring the sausage, bacon, onion, and garlic mixture.  They will cook down significantly. 

Now, I put the rest of the steps in a crock pot, in that I had to leave for half of the day, but you may finish out the rest on the stove.

5. Open, drain, and rinse all beans. Then add to the crockpot.

6. Add greens mixture to crockpot, along with rotel tomatoes, and chicken broth.

7. Add salt, pepper, and whatever seasoning you like, I added a little Slap Ya Mama which is just a blend of red pepper, garlic, and salt.

Check out my organized spices!

Let the stew cook until the greens turn dark and everything softens. I would say at least an hour. Then, enjoy with a big slice of cornbread!



Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

-Meg



Weezy.

I have attempted to write this a couple of times, only to start over and push it aside because it didn't quite feel right yet. My grandmother passed away this summer, and it still seems like I just haven't been by to see her in a while. She was very sick, and as much as we all hated to see her go, we hated seeing her suffer even more.

  My grandmother, Nancy Louise Emmons lived a pretty amazing life. She married my grandfather, Floyd Emmons at only 15, and went on to have 6 children with him.  She dealt with his drinking and love of women, let's just say he and Hank Williams Sr. would have made great buddies. The funny thing was is that they loved each other, and couldn't stay apart. He died of a heart attack at only 39 years old, just 2 weeks before my mother and father wed. 

My grandmother then married again a few years later, became a loving stepmom and wife, and as life would have it moved out of that relationship eventually on to another. 

She then married Dan, who was her love until the day she died. She experienced the death of one of her children, and two grandchildren. What's funny is when someone you love dies, to me at least what sticks out about that person are the memories you made with them and the things they taught you throughout life.

My grandmother taught me many things, and her life was so much more extensive than the events listed above, but to keep from writing a biography I will stick to the lessons I learned from her life. 

1. Do what makes your heart happy.

Numerous times I would stop by and visit with her, and she always supported me, even when my life wasn't so impressive. 

She always told me to choose the path that I was most happy with.

2. Laughter is not an option; its a necessity.

She made me laugh until the day she died, even if it was not always with her but at her, she never lived a day without it, even at her worst.

3. Your heart is more important than your head.

My grandmother loved a man that many didn't agree with.  Funny thing is she never quit loving him. Her heart made decisions for her, which is odd in that so many of us seem to try and silence our hearts, and only listen to our heads, especially with age.

I hope that this shined a postive light on the amazingly charming, beautiful, loving, and passionate person that my grandmother was. She was loved by so many. We have such a huge family, and she has impacted every one of us in a positive way.

For a while she was in the nursing home (which she absolutely hated) claimed they hosed her down to give her a shower and never wanted to go back. She had a notebook there, and created many drawings. To me, they are incredible, maybe I am biased in that they are hers. 

What's interesting about them to me is that I imagine the drawings the same as they would have been if she had drawn them in high school. So, to not keep these to myself, I want to share them with you.   I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

"Dear God what a life. Be glad and praise God for letting you live through the broken bones." 

"A promise is great, as long as you keep it."

I can't wait to see her again one day. 

-Meg

My Generation

   The world is quite a different place than it was during my childhood; I assume many generations before me probably felt the same when they hit around my age or even a bit older. The world is always changing and evolving and much of that can be a good thing.

   What is odd though is I'd say the world has changed more in the past 10 years than it did the first 17 years of my life. Most of it having to do with technology and what happened the day of 9-11. Something as simple as communication has changed forever, we do not have to actually speak to each other anymore, we simply type. It's sad that picking up a landline and actually having a conversation seems nostalgic to many of us.

   It kills me to go to a restaurant and see families staring at their cellphones like drunk zombies instead of actually engaging in conversation. Yet, when horrible things happen we wonder how and why? Though, when we do not even talk to each other, how are we supposed to know what's going on in each other's lives? 

   Notice I keep saying "we", I am just as guilty as anyone else, though I do believe there are certain places cell phones shouldn't be; the dinner table, church, funerals, etc.There is also no need for wonder anymore, simply type in your question and you have the answers, which is a blessing and a curse in the same

   Living before  9-11 is included in this because I see the constant fear our country lives in and all the crazy precautions and regulations there are now. Kids who lived or grew up post 9-11 will never know that sense of calm which saddens me.  

   Another issue that scares me is the amount of crazy people in the world. I roamed the neighborhood on my bike during the early 90's...now if I had a child I'd be terrified. There are constantly stories of kidnap, murder, lurking sex offenders, it's frightening. 

   I loved and still love The Wonder Years growing up, which depicts a typical American family in the late 60's early seventies. What's odd as a kid I related to the show so much, and what the world was then didn't seem much different than the one I was living in the 90's. I'm sure that many kids now can't relate to that image anymore.

   My generation grew up with the idea that we could become anything we want; go to college, get a degree, become a millionaire, superstar, heck whatever you want. So we did, we went to college, got degrees, then worked at a local restaurant to start paying back our debt. Granted, this was not the case for everyone, but I know many friends who ended up going back to college for a 2nd degree because all of the "jobs" we were promised growing up were no where to be found.

   The cool thing about my generation is we have had to find our own way. Many of us crave the nostalgia and comfort of the world as it used to be, so we bought record players, because we know they actually sound better than any mp3. We grow our own garden, because we know eating things from a paper bag are actually bad for us. We make things from old materials, noticing there's a reason things like wood and glass outlast plastic.

  Many of us are dreaming of our past, our childhoods, and a time when relationships were stronger. The goal for my generation is to not leave the former world behind, to incorporate things built well, into the current world. Maybe we were taught that the world could be ours, what's so wrong with that? 

   To all generations out there, a little advice: read books, educate yourselves, plant something, put down your phone for candy crush and pick it up to call someone. Listen to a record on vinyl, and compare it to your iPod. Make something from scratch vs. out of the box.  See the beauty that is still left in this world.

The world can be yours, as long as you can open your mind.

-Meg