Forgive my selfishness

I have been dangerously selfish this morning. As a strong Christian woman, I should feel some remorse for my thought, but I don't. As I smelled the aroma of the fruits of a new recipe waft in my kitchen, this tiny whisper of a thought took root:

I am not going to share this.

Uncouth, I know. What woman would find such a treasure and refuse to share it? After all, Pinterest is just screaming for this recipe. But, no, I will not. And I will tell you why.

A woman just needs to keep some things to herself. A woman's secret is to be honored and treasured. How, thus, am I supposed to wow people with my recipes, crafts and writings if I divulge every treasure I find? How, I ask, am I supposed to dazzle guests with homemade delicacies if I just shared the recipe with them days before? No, I will not. I will rise to the challenge of Martha Stewart (minus the crazy), if it kills me.

I blame Pinterest. I adore it, don't get me wrong, but a blame it nonetheless. I pin an incredible idea for my keeping. But my friend sees the pin and pins it too. And her friend pins it, and her friend pins it. Before I know it, my incredible find has become the norm. I don't like the norm. I like "wow, this woman is amazing. How does she do it all?"

I searched the verses of Proverbs 31 - the Wife of Noble Character - and found nothing condemning me for not sharing some of my finds. Though, if I am being honest, I might want to start memorizing my scripture on the cost of Pride.... but that is for another post.

So dear friends, and random strangers, nothing to find in the recipe section today. Just these sage words of advice: Want to appear to have it all together? Treasure a few secrets of your own.

Valentine's Day

Cookies for H's preschool class? Check. Valentines for H's class, friends, and family? Check. Valentines for my two sweet little boys? Check.
 Hmm... seems to me, on this day of love, there has been someone largely overlooked in this family. Who could that be? Oh, right... my man!
So, the other day, we were skimming the Plains Dealer, and noticed a section devoted to romantic quips from lovers placed in the advertising section. Most featured some type of poem - and believe me, I use the term poem loosely. Nevertheless, it got me to thinking. After nearly seven years of marriage and two kids, I haven't given enough attention to making sure my man knows how much I love him. Thus, the following "POEM." Keep in mind, I am no Whitman.

Ode to Cory

I love your inaccurate speech,

and the way you chomp on the food that you eat.

The same old t-shirts and the jeans worn thread bare-

still add to your charm - though laundry is a scare.

I love your giggles when watching late night TV,

And the way you hold our boys on the end of your knee.

Pawn Stars, Gold Rush and Wipe Out are a bore,

But I'll watch them for you, because you I adore.

You work tirelessly to provide for you little family,

I'll love you forever - my darling Cory.

A lesson in baking

I had every intention today to post in my recipe section. I was so excited about a new pie crust recipe I learned while watching the Food Network this weekend - a recipe which included the word "easy."
Well let me tell you what, I will NOT be posting anything in the recipe section today. Instead, I will be listing the do's and do not's of pie baking. These are tried and true, believe you me.

Do Not's
1. DO NOT believe a from-scratch pie recipe is ever going to be easy. The people who tell you this will have to answer to a Higher Authority for their lies at a later date.
2. DO NOT bake when young children are awake and in your hair. No loving words will come out of your mouth.
3. DO NOT plan on impressing anyone with your pie - enough said.

Now for the Do's
1. DO have a couple (or a dozen) frozen, from-the-store pie crusts hiding in your freezer.
2. DO, if you insist on from-scratch recipes, plan on doing a lattice-work top crust. It hides flaws and can be assembled in pieces that have broken off of your crust.
3. DO - and this one is VERY important - have a bottle of wine and a straw on hand. VERY IMPORTANT.
4. DO - no matter how hard it was - tell people it was easy to make. It makes you look like Martha Stewart when they cannot themselves make a pie to save their lives.

That concludes my lesson in pie baking today.

Oh, and Bible Study group: I have a delightful homemade apple pie I am bringing for our treat tonight. It was SO easy to make. I just followed the recipe. I didn't throw a fit while I made it, didn't yell at my children - no, no, no. I had it all together. 

Yeah, I wouldn't believe it either.

And the road begins....

A friend of mine, and fellow blogger, suggested that I take up blogging this week - after she insisted I learn to quilt. As I can barely thread a needle, I thought this was the logical first step.

To sum myself up quickly, I am a Dirt Road Diva. I live on a rather large farm - which boasts land rich in corn, alfalfa, and wheat, and is home to a couple-hundred head of cattle. My nearest neighbor lives over a mile away, and the only noises I hear at night are the howlings of coyotes and the occasional moo of a cow.

A far cry from my upbringing it is. I was raised a towny - where I could get Sonic ANY time I wanted, and the closest Walmart wasn't 40 miles away. I was what one may call preppy, and a tad spoiled. One might refer to me as a Diva. Hmm... mention that.

Now, I am a fish out of water. I roll my eyes at the old adage "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." I did, and He laughed. I told Him I wanted a career where I could wear pencil skirts and pumps - instead, he made me a country wife and mom. Thank God for unanswered prayers.

So, through this blog I hope you will join me on the road of life - a little dusty, sometimes a little lonely, but always leading me home.