From the cow pasture....

It's 59 degrees this morning, blue skies, no humidity, it's just a perfect morning in the country! We're visiting Ryan and Lindsay in Versailles, and I'm writing from the back deck. I have a mug of Sumatra coffee, the M&M's are sitting by my side, both well on their way to recovery, and I'm just..... basking...

It's idyllic, I can hear the cows mooing in the distance, the neighbor's fat tabby cat is stetched out, sunning itself in the back yard, birds are singing, the crow is cawing, As Time Goes By is playing softly from somewhere in the house... Ahhhh, it's just perfect, girlfriends.

Flashback to childhood, staying overnight with Aunt Idalene in the country. Up at dawn, a dash to the outhouse, then off to the barn to watch them milk the cows, slop the pigs, for real they did slop those pigs with leftover milk and food they didn't eat, then on to the chicken house to gather eggs.... Breakfast was usually fried pork shoulder and country cured ham, freshly gathered eggs, cow's milk, fresh out of the separator, homemade jam, and baking powder buttermilk biscuits. Some of you are probably thinking, a separator??? A separator is an electric machine that you put the cow's milk in and it spins the milk and separates the cream from the milk. Fresh cow's milk is really foamy, and the taste.... It's GODAWFUL, ladies. HORRID. OMG, I detest fresh cow's milk, you would, too, I imagine. It tastes nothing like a carton of milk from the grocery store, it has a really strong, raw taste before it's pasturized. Fresh churned butter, however, is amazing...

The difference between then and now, that was work, HARD WORK, this is just FUN!!! Works for me...

We'll be on our way back to Heavensville soon, but this was a great little getaway. Hands down best morning of the summer for me, well except for that early Starbuck's run to downtown Franklin in John's convertible, that was pretty great, too...

I'll be in touch...