Author Archives: Rebekah Teal

Discomfort Zones

Dang, I’m sore. It’s painful getting out of your comfort zone, isn’t it?
Have you been outside your comfort zone lately? Won’t you leave a comment and share with us how you’ve stepped outside? Or maybe you’re thinking or planning some stepping out? Also, check out the POLL at the bottom of the post. Join in!
I think it’s interesting how we each develop our own unique, personal comfort zones. Yours is different from any one else’s. Where and when we feel comfortable is impacted by our experiences and environment. It’s molded by what opportunites we’ve had and the ones we take advantage of. It’s molded by our genes: what we are inspired and motivated to do; what we fear and avoid. My own personal comfort zone is very different from say, MaryJane’s, who lived in the wilderness. Or from my Grandmother’s, who raised ten children on a farm. I’m totally comfortable with confrontation or public speaking, but I generally stay in a fairly “cushy” (and cushion-y) setting, with my feet in shoes and firmly planted on the ground.
But. This weekend I decided to step out of my comfort zone and boy! Am I sore! Actually, I decided to push my whole family out with me too.

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Claim Summer

“It’s a sure sign of summer if the chair gets up when you do.” Walter Winchell
What are you going to DO this summer? Besides stick to your chair? Won’t you share your summer dreams and plans with us?
Summer arrives officially June 21st at 1:16 pm Eastern Daylight Time, don’t you know. Yep, June 21st is summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the shortest night.
Summer’s here.
So summer’s here. Let’s claim it! Let’s make it our own the way we used to do when we were kiddos.

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Happiness Is…

What brings you happiness? Today, this precise moment? Won’t you go ahead and jump down to the comments to share? Then come back up here and let’s visit.
I stood out in the middle of my new garden this morning, surveying the result of lots of sweat, hard work, and frustration. A wave of happiness came over me. This garden, with its new picket fence around it, makes me happy.

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Creativity Challenge(d)

“If you are creative and you know it, clap your hands. If you’re creative and you know it, clap your hands. If you’re creative and you know it then your face will surely show it….”

Are you clapping your hands? Or are you sitting on them, thinking “not me”?

Before we talk about our creativity, or lack thereof, will you participate in our very own Creativity Poll? It will only take a few seconds, there’s just that one question. Here’s the link to the poll.

(Sorry, y’all, that poll only allows for 100 votes; so it’s closed already….88% answered YES and 12% answered NO)

Thanks to the CREATIVITY of reader Sara! I started a new poll. Here’s the link to the new one. Pop over and vote!

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The Spirit of Cooking

So Lisa, who is getting married in June 18th, sent such a sweet email. She wants to find a good, solid cookbook that will teach her to cook.
I’m wondering if you could recommend a cookbook for me. I’m looking for a standard, all purpose Bible. I’m very inexperienced in the kitchen. How did you learn to cook? Is there a book that taught you?”
So I do what I always do. I come to my Farmgirl Sisters! What do you think? I’m at a loss for an answer to Lisa’s question.
Her email has made me think a lot about how I learned to cook and how both my cooking and my attitude about cooking have evolved throughout the years.
But truly, I’m not sure how exactly I learned to cook.

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Bad Coffee

“Life is too short for bad coffee.”

My coffee maker “bit the dust.” It served me well for many years, but now it’s gone. And I’m on a quest for a coffee maker that makes a perfect cup of coffee every single time. Help!

So here are some Java, Joe, Mud, Café questions for you.

You like coffee? Or maybe love it? What kind of coffee maker do you have? What’s your secret for making the perfect pot of coffee?

I love coffee, good coffee, that is. My first cup of coffee is part of my morning ritual, and it comes sometime after 5 a.m.

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Your Patch of Earth

Earth Day is this month. It is April 22nd, which is also Good Friday. So today, let’s talk some earth talk. Let’s talk about the small patch of the earth we are each personally taking care of. And for you apartment or high rise dwellers, let’s talk about your outdoor space. Your deck or patio or rooftop or fire-escape.
So tell us about your patch of earth. Is it big or small? What do you grow? Do you have a lawn? Woods? Any water? Do you keep a vegetable garden? Herbs? Any fruit trees? Hey, how about critters? What kind of wildlife do you invite into your yard? And how? What kind of critters do you “keep”?
My yard? Well, mine has such….such….such….potential.

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Seriously?!

Dear Jake,

Seriously?!

You gotta be kidding me!

With Much Un-Love,

Rebekah

In my neck of the woods, springtime means flowers. Yes, as much as I complain about Georgia in the winter for its lack of winter wonderland weather, I applaud this place in springtime.

Looking down, you see gardens filled with colorful spring flowers. Purple hyacinths, red tulips, yellow jonquils.

But my favorite flowers are the ones I see when I look out and up.

Trees around here really deck out for the spring show.

Flowers, flowers everywhere.

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Spring, Green, Bean, Cool.

My four-leaf clover

Spring.Green. Wow, spring is about to spring on us. Only a few more days left of Old Man Winter. Spring officially arrives on March 20th at 7:21 EDT. WooHoo! Are you ready for your browns and whites to turn green? My brown world is already changing. We’ve had some warm weather here, and everything is changing to and popping up. Green. 

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Planting Sugar

“I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up.”  Barbara Bush

Come on now, “spill the beans.”
We want to hear about the first time you planted some sugar on somebody.
You know, your first kiss. Kiss and tell!
How old were you? Who did you kiss? What was it like?
(A note about leaving comments. Don’t be shy. We love hearing what you have to say! And don’t worry about having to give your email. It will never, ever be used for anything. If you want to, you can always use a fake one! Ta-da!)
Oh mine? You want to hear the story of my first kiss?

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