I recently began blogging for GRIT magazine's online community, while there I stumbled across another like minded farm gal who blogs with humor and wit, I loved her take on life and this article that I found on her blog. I asked if she would stop over and share some of her wisdom with us, she obliged...
| Candi lives in rural Kentucky with her husband and 4 children. She is on a mission to grow, raise, process, preserve, and eat real food. She enjoys bread-making, canning, gardening, milking and home dairying. She's also not afraid to kill a chicken, make it into bone broth or use a pressure cooker. If you enjoy laughter, eating and anything country, you'll love thefarmbarbie.com! |  |
The Best Advice I Ever Got...
I have a personal affection for the older generations. I do realize that I am no spring chicken and fall into the category of "older" to many, many people. I also realize that "older" doesn't necessarily mean "wise" or "experienced." You can be old and stupid. You can also be young and wise.
Amazing insights here coming from me today.
With that being said, there are some tremendous life lessons that can be learned through cross-generational relationships. Really, they have a lot to say and we (I) have a lot to learn.
If you want to be politically correct, please the masses and get the most updated information - go buy a book. Or better yet, go to the library.
If you want the good old fashioned, unadulterated truth, go find someone who has lived through it. Amazing. What I learn from experienced folks is not usually found in books.
Things like:
Amazing insights here coming from me today.
With that being said, there are some tremendous life lessons that can be learned through cross-generational relationships. Really, they have a lot to say and we (I) have a lot to learn.
If you want to be politically correct, please the masses and get the most updated information - go buy a book. Or better yet, go to the library.
If you want the good old fashioned, unadulterated truth, go find someone who has lived through it. Amazing. What I learn from experienced folks is not usually found in books.
Things like:
- How to know when spring will arrive?
- How to get a dog to stop killing chickens?
- How to know when the last frost has passed?
- How long to bake a pie?
- How to cook a deer leg?
Candi & mamaw
Not only do these experienced folks have answers to many tough questions, they also have some excellent, life advice. Here's a few of my favorites:
- "You love what he loves."
- "Cook it til it's done."
- "If you start waterin', you're into waterin."
- "We Southern women are plump because we always eat twice. Once while we're cookin' it and the second time with everyone else."
QUOTE #1 "I can't imagine anything worse."
Some of my family members embrace the country life. Some of them enjoy suburb-dwelling. I have happily lived in both places. I chose the country now, but there are definite benefits to city-like-living.
I have an extended family member who has lived out in the country her entire life. She is no spring chicken and has plenty of wisdom and advice for all. Not only is she fully equipped with incredible doses of life experience, if you are with her, on the phone with her or happen to run into her, you will get to hear it whether you want to or not. Whether you agree or not. Whether you have time or not. Whether you like it or not.
Yes - lots of unsolicited advice. Which happens to be some of the best advice one can get.
So, we were chatting on the phone one afternoon about cows and calves and other country-things.
I have decided that once you have lived over 70 years you have earned the right to say whatever you want.Everyone I know over the age of 70 seems to live by this creed. For some it starts earlier; but it's unanimous: If you're over 70 - Go ahead - speak your mind.
This happens to be true of pretty much everyone I know over the age of 70. This also happens to be the reason why I love to be around them. They are some of my very favorite friends. If you don't have any friends over the age of 70 you need to go get some today. What they say will change you forever (and usually make your day).
They have outlived us, they have more wisdom than we do, they have more experience than we do, they know what is important in life (at least most do) and they aren't shy about telling us about it. I can't wait to be 70.....
So, back to the 70 year old. We were chatting on the phone about cows and life and answered prayers.
This is when she went into an interesting (solo) dialogue about living in the country v/s living in a neighborhood. You can probably guess where she landed on this whole debate.
Hands down, country girl through and through.
She felt sorry for all those poor children growing up in neighborhoods without pastures, livestock and creeks. She felt sorry for all those people crammed into neighborhoods, every house resembling the next. She didn't understand why anyone would want to live so close to other random people.
Then she said it."Candi, all those poor, poor children growing up in neighborhoods.... sitting on their back porches..... staring at other people's houses.... I can't imagine anything worse."Nothing worse.
Nothing worse than staring at other people's houses.
Not cancer.
Not death.
Not sickness.
Not swine flu.
Not Tyfoid Fever.
Nope - nothing worse than sitting on your back porch staring at other people's houses. "I can't imagine anything worse."
I have an extended family member who has lived out in the country her entire life. She is no spring chicken and has plenty of wisdom and advice for all. Not only is she fully equipped with incredible doses of life experience, if you are with her, on the phone with her or happen to run into her, you will get to hear it whether you want to or not. Whether you agree or not. Whether you have time or not. Whether you like it or not.
Yes - lots of unsolicited advice. Which happens to be some of the best advice one can get.
So, we were chatting on the phone one afternoon about cows and calves and other country-things.
I have decided that once you have lived over 70 years you have earned the right to say whatever you want.Everyone I know over the age of 70 seems to live by this creed. For some it starts earlier; but it's unanimous: If you're over 70 - Go ahead - speak your mind.
This happens to be true of pretty much everyone I know over the age of 70. This also happens to be the reason why I love to be around them. They are some of my very favorite friends. If you don't have any friends over the age of 70 you need to go get some today. What they say will change you forever (and usually make your day).
They have outlived us, they have more wisdom than we do, they have more experience than we do, they know what is important in life (at least most do) and they aren't shy about telling us about it. I can't wait to be 70.....
So, back to the 70 year old. We were chatting on the phone about cows and life and answered prayers.
This is when she went into an interesting (solo) dialogue about living in the country v/s living in a neighborhood. You can probably guess where she landed on this whole debate.
Hands down, country girl through and through.
She felt sorry for all those poor children growing up in neighborhoods without pastures, livestock and creeks. She felt sorry for all those people crammed into neighborhoods, every house resembling the next. She didn't understand why anyone would want to live so close to other random people.
Then she said it."Candi, all those poor, poor children growing up in neighborhoods.... sitting on their back porches..... staring at other people's houses.... I can't imagine anything worse."Nothing worse.
Nothing worse than staring at other people's houses.
Not cancer.
Not death.
Not sickness.
Not swine flu.
Not Tyfoid Fever.
Nope - nothing worse than sitting on your back porch staring at other people's houses. "I can't imagine anything worse."
QUOTE #2 "Men Can't see."
I'm going to have to wholeheartedly agree with Mamaw on this one.
If you need someone to go to the basement and grab a jar of jelly.
Or go to the outside refrigerator and get a jar of pickles.
Or go to the barn to get you a shovel.
Or walk into the kitchen and get your phone.
Or open the pantry and hand you the peanut butter...
Don't send a man.
Not an old man
Not a young man.
Not an 8 year old man.
Why?
Because they will be back in 3 minutes to tell you it isn't there.
It is there.
Send a girl and you will be holding said item in 1 minute.
Send a man and you'll be going to get it yourself.
Don't waste you time sending a dude.
Men can't see.
If you need someone to go to the basement and grab a jar of jelly.
Or go to the outside refrigerator and get a jar of pickles.
Or go to the barn to get you a shovel.
Or walk into the kitchen and get your phone.
Or open the pantry and hand you the peanut butter...
Don't send a man.
Not an old man
Not a young man.
Not an 8 year old man.
Why?
Because they will be back in 3 minutes to tell you it isn't there.
It is there.
Send a girl and you will be holding said item in 1 minute.
Send a man and you'll be going to get it yourself.
Don't waste you time sending a dude.
Men can't see.
QUOTE #3 "They should have asked me."
One of my many talents is saying things I shouldn't say and talking when I should shut-up.
"Caution - Mouth operates faster than brain"
Ugh.
By the time I'm 70 I should be really good at speaking my mind since, unfortunately, for reasons beyond my control, I have been at it a while.
It was pineapple.A pineapple flavored biscuit.
They said it was a, "Scone." I had never had a, "Scone."
The only scone I've ever tasted came from an un-named, over-priced, coffee shop. I had never eaten a scone in my life. The display was so pretty. The assortment was so inviting. They just looked delectable. The one on the end was golden and had bits of sugar, fruit and goodness mingled within the danish. It was sure to be buttery, sweet, moist and delicious.
I said, "I'll take that one."
Then I took a bite of my over sized, over priced pineapple "scone."
Worst mistake I've ever made.I'll never do that again.
It was not buttery.
It was not juicy.
It was not moist.
It was not even sweet.
What is a scone anyway?
It was a dry, dry, dry, crumbly biscuit with bits of pineapple in it. No amount of butter in the world could fix this dehydrated, horrid excuse for a danish. And I'm pretty sure it was unhealthy, full of calories, fattening and bad for me. AND did I mention it was horrible.
Why, oh why do people eat scones? Gag.
Sorry, if you like scones.
Sorry, if you know how to make a scone that is not like eating uncooked flour.
I'll never eat a scone again. My oldest child said, "Mom, I think they're supposed to be like that."
I said, "Well, they're terrible."
He said, "I guess they should have asked you when they invented scones."
I said, "Yes, they should have. Then they would not be parched, stale, pineapple biscuits. They would be sweet, moist and buttery."
They should have asked me.:)
"Caution - Mouth operates faster than brain"
Ugh.
By the time I'm 70 I should be really good at speaking my mind since, unfortunately, for reasons beyond my control, I have been at it a while.
It was pineapple.A pineapple flavored biscuit.
They said it was a, "Scone." I had never had a, "Scone."
The only scone I've ever tasted came from an un-named, over-priced, coffee shop. I had never eaten a scone in my life. The display was so pretty. The assortment was so inviting. They just looked delectable. The one on the end was golden and had bits of sugar, fruit and goodness mingled within the danish. It was sure to be buttery, sweet, moist and delicious.
I said, "I'll take that one."
Then I took a bite of my over sized, over priced pineapple "scone."
Worst mistake I've ever made.I'll never do that again.
It was not buttery.
It was not juicy.
It was not moist.
It was not even sweet.
What is a scone anyway?
It was a dry, dry, dry, crumbly biscuit with bits of pineapple in it. No amount of butter in the world could fix this dehydrated, horrid excuse for a danish. And I'm pretty sure it was unhealthy, full of calories, fattening and bad for me. AND did I mention it was horrible.
Why, oh why do people eat scones? Gag.
Sorry, if you like scones.
Sorry, if you know how to make a scone that is not like eating uncooked flour.
I'll never eat a scone again. My oldest child said, "Mom, I think they're supposed to be like that."
I said, "Well, they're terrible."
He said, "I guess they should have asked you when they invented scones."
I said, "Yes, they should have. Then they would not be parched, stale, pineapple biscuits. They would be sweet, moist and buttery."
They should have asked me.:)
