Hey, My Darling Siestas! How’s your weekend been? You guys that keep up pretty well know that I blogged last on Wednesday while we were on our way six hours northwest to our acreage in the middle of nowhere. We are now heading back to Houston so once again I’m writing you from Keith’s truck. My man of 31 years is driving next to me, singing to 60’s music and our two dogs are snoozing in the back seat. (He just stopped me and held my hand for a minute because the song was so sweet that he felt romantic.) We got to be away for four nights. The perfect amount of time! I wish I could say it was vacation but I had to take a ton of work with me. That’s ok. At least it was from a different venue and that can help a lot.
(I just got a text from Travis with a picture on it of his youngest son who just lost two teeth. Just living a little life here. Had to stop and text back and tell Levi how cool he looks.)
My heart is full where you are concerned and full with the last four days of life out in the country with Keith. And that’s why I’m going to share a little of it with you: because I love you and love how we can share so many parts of our lives with one another. This is going to be one of those posts when the girls (Amanda or Melissa) might say, “Are you sure you want to share that? You might get hit by somebody for that.” We, the girls and I, provide checks and balances for one another. If we’ve written anything at all besides your garden variety kind of post, we usually run it by one another. Sometimes we talk each other out of an entire post because we’re afraid someone will get offended or out of sorts or just take the opportunity to be ugly or critical. It happens in the blog world which many of you know from your own blogs.
Other times we just talk each other out of a few sentences or a paragraph or two. Most of you should wish you’d seen Melissa’s original Song of Songs Valentine post before I talked her out of a whole chunk. (Yes, we did have a few little words over it. Not a fuss. Just a good, healthy discussion. All four of us are strong willed and opinionated. We just speak our minds back and forth, work through our differences, and, a whole lot of the time, end up making a private family joke out of it.) Those who wouldn’t have wished to see Melissa’s original post are the reason none of you did. (Laughing and with much love.) There was nothing wrong with it. It was just extra colorful – kind of PG13 – because the Scripts happen to be extra colorful – kind of PG14 – in that particular book.
I’m not complaining one iota. To tell you the truth, we get so little ugliness from our commenters. You guys really are so loving and encouraging and patient and understanding and leave ample room for several generations to express themselves here in very different ways. We think we have the most amazing community in bloggerville but we’re not immune, of course. Sometimes we just flat out ask for it and don’t even realize it. Other times we expect somebody may take exception but we just decide it’s worth the risk.
This is one of those times. I’m about to show you guys some pictures – poor quality ones just off my i-phone – to give you a small taste of Moore life out at the acreage our family has. I know in advance that I’m setting myself up for someone to say sarcastically “Must be nice” but I’ll just sigh when I get it and, if it doesn’t get too ugly from there, post the comment anyway and wish she hadn’t misunderstood. The thing is, I love biographies. Glimpses of people’s real lives. Parts of their stories. For instance, every time I talk to Georgia Jan, I wish I could see her surroundings so I could picture her better. Know her in her own world. Every time Mom of Eleven (actually has 12 now, we learned at the SSMT celebration) comments I wish I could see a picture of all of them. It’s one way we, scattered all over the place, take a virtual stroll through a mile or two of one another’s worlds.
Actually, the world I’m about to share with you really isn’t my world. It’s my man’s. But once a couple has been married over 25 years, you really can’t know the one without knowing the other. You can no longer tell for sure where one stops and the other starts. This isn’t land I would have chosen in a thousand years but it’s what my man chose and I chose him. SO, when I talk about us heading to what I call our cactus land, this is the kind of place I’m talking about. I’ll describe it a tad first then I’ll stroll with you through some shots.
It’s a place where your cell phone won’t work and your land line is likely not to.
It’s the kind of place where Keith and I use (or misuse) English in a way we’d never do it at home. We don’t do it to make fun. We, for those few days, say it like we mean it. Like that’s who we are. Like, for instance, just this morning on an early ride with Keith in the old jeep, I heard myself say, “We ain’t seen deer one.”
It’s a place where men are not limited to inside facilities…but I’ll not elaborate on that.
It’s a place where our favorite show is “The Duck Commander.” We laugh our heads off…and, perhaps most worrisome to some of you, totally get it.
It’s the kind of place with a VERY small town nearby that I have fallen head over heels in love with. It has one real grocery story, a “Super S,” and just yesterday while I was picking up a few items, as I live and breathe and without one hint of exaggeration, the woman at check-out got on the microphone for the store and said over the loud speaker, “Mr. Brown, your wife called and wants you to pick up a bag of potatoes.” Ain’t no doubt in my mind he got some. I was so happy I nearly got some, too.
It’s a place with a LOT of these, hence the name:
It’s a place where a woman (even a non-hunter like yours truly) sometimes dresses like this on an early morning ice-cold jeep ride (with no windows in it) with no make-up on:
It’s a place where, if the temperature’s right, a woman would be wise to wear snake boots like mine:
It’s a place where your man’s taller than usual and where manliness can sometimes be gaged by how old and beat up your vehicle is: (For those of you who can’t fathom it, that’s a corn feeder on the front of the jeep for feeding wild life. You guys just have no idea what my life is like at times. Or his, because of mine.)
It’s a place where your man’s favorite hot rod looks like this:
It’s a place where the gate might latch with a horse shoe:
It’s a place where that tiny one hundred year-old German farm house that I told you about in So Long Insecurity resides. My man went to great pains to restore this thing back to its original look. Every window and door in it is a century old.
It’s a place where the sunrise this morning from my little porch looked like this and this one’s not even an especially good one:
It’s a place with, I reckon, my favorite place of all tucked right in it. I swing here and think about all sorts of things and sing hymns and pet Star:
It’s a place where a woman can take her spirals and practice them loud without a single soul hearing or caring:
It’s a place I wish all of you who wish you had one, did. Maybe one day, when you’re older like Keith and me, you will. It’s a place others of you might be bored out of your mind. Maybe your wish list would be a tiny little bay house instead. It’s just all a matter of taste. Sometimes not your own.
It’s a place where my man seems to love me a lot.
So it’s a place I love to go.
Bina 
Thanks Beth! My husband and sons would absolutely love a place like that. And if they could get me into a camo outfit, they'd be in heaven. If they see that picture of you, I bet they will be buying my birthday present from Cabela's.
Beth again thanks so much for sharing your life with us. We care for you and your family and thank God for providing for all of you. We have a Christ centered drug and alcohol rehab(Rapha Christian home) in the swamp( the 1st week here 25 snakes were killed) I was thinking as I read your post the day my husband brought me to see the place and he said how beautiful it was I could not see it at all, to day it is the most beautiful place on earth, not only has God chg'd a lot of mens life here, what He has done in mine is is greater, how I love Him so. I see your catus ranch filled with so much love and life. Enjoy and be blessed.
Marilyn, Attalla, Al
This makes me smile 🙂 Thank you for sharing with us and giving us the visual of the place you talk about.
I know this is a little off the beatin’ path (and it’s really scary for me because I’ve never commented before), but I can’t tell you how much your husband is a testament to me. I absolutely adore you and have for a long time, but I just love, love, love that your husband is like he is and you have chosen to share that with us. I am a 31-year-old mother of three small children and am trying desperately to find and follow God’s will for my life. I so don’t want it to pass me by. I have always thought that I would never be good enough and my Christian walk would never be big enough because I’m not married to a “preacher.” Don’t get me wrong, my husband is a Christian and loves Jesus, but there are days when he swears he gets more Jesus in his deer stand than at church. It is so refreshing to know that you don’t have to be married to the next Billy Graham to live a Godly life. If it weren’t for posts like these, I would never believe it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
In April 2008, I loaded up the 4 kids and headed from central FL to the Grand Canyon. Hubby could not take the 18 days off a relatively new job. We made lots of stops to see friends and relatives in Texas going both ways (San Antonio, San Angelo, and Dallas). We stayed the night in Beaumont and saw the world's largest fire hydrant on the way out. We spent the night in Amarillo and saw the Painted Cadillac Ranch on the way home. I really had no idea how much of nothing there was in Texas. I mean NOTHING between San Antonio and San Angelo. Never saw so many huge dead dear. One was in the middle of a two-lane road when were headed from San Angelo to Carlsbad Caverns. We had to drive completely in the other lane to avoid it, but that's okay cause there was NO traffic! What an experience. I think I'll take the cottage on the bay, though. 🙂
wow. I can't decided what is my favorite part of this post… Humm..the pictures are wonderful… I have been wanting to see it ever since reading in the book. Thanks! I love the story of Mr. Brown! But I think the one that made me smile the most was this comment:
"It's a place where men are not limited to inside facilities…but I'll not elaborate on that. " LOL too funny!!
Beth, this is my favorite type of post! Please don't hesitate to share something like this. I can't imagine anyone saying anything other than good things in response to you opening your life to us. 🙂
My father-in-law founded Super S Foods!!! (w/ a partner) What a hoot!
Beth, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and small bits of your life and wisdom with us (I appreciate your girls' sharing too!!). My life is a rather big rough patch right now, and this blog is a great encouragement, and reminder of truth. I love the idea of your little place (i'd pick somewhere a bit more mountainous and woodsy) and I hope someday I am blessed enough to have one. The idea of it makes me miss my childhood home, a small little property in the woods of Pennsylvania, where we cut wood for the woodstove, took care of our horses and cats and dog… a much simpler time. I also really appreciate your example of marriage… being a single girl, when all my friends are married and having babies, hearing how you love Keith and he loves you, is a great inspiration to me… to hold out for a good guy. One day maybe. Well I continue to pray for you and all your family and staff, that God would bless you for your ministry to all of us out here in blogville. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lyndsey 🙂
It's a place my sweet family would LOVE! Once, we looked at a 30 acre farm. The house was in really bad shape and really needed to be bulldozed. However the land was so beautiful that one of my six children said with delight, "The house doesn't matter! We'll be outside all the time anyway!" Love that perspective! Right now, we've sold our property in a subdivision and are prayerfully looking for land. We are renting. One of my sweeties (ages 13 down to 2) said recently, "Momma, I think anywhere we're all together feels like home." Thank You Lord!
Lori
Rock Hill,SC
I love your pictures. My husband isn't a hunter, and that doesn't hurt my feelings at all. He is an artist in his past-time and in my wildest dreams I would have never thought I'd paint a picture. But, I have, and the peace that comes with painting is something I would never had experienced if it weren't for JB.(my DH)I do love your swing, and the solitude I grew up in a hollow back in the hills, with a swing that hung from an apple tree. Brought back wonderful childhood memories. Thanks Beth for sharing your everyday life with us. please keep me in prayer, I have been dealing with a second bout of intestinal (sp) problems with in 4 months. I learned through the first bout that Jesus walks with me through all storms, and this time I know my Redeemer lives.
Bless each sister here, and Beth thanks for being our friend.
Thanks for sharing and helping us to know you better! Makes me happy to see other peoples' "happy places!"
I loved this post!! It helps me so much when I can picture things, and I've often wondered how it looks out there on the cactus ranch. Thanks for sharing! And you are too cute in your camouflage! Glad you got some time away. 🙂 I actually love a man who hunts and fishes and wears camo, etc…, so this would be right up my ally! Have a great week! 🙂
p.s. Oh.. I know what you mean by talking like you want to at times. I say "I ain't know" sometimes when someone asks me something and I've learned I can only say that around certain friends. Some friends look at me like I've lost my mind. Haaaa!
Thanks Beth I loved your post and for taking us on the journey. Now I can picture "Ranch" for real. I am reading SLI and week 4 of Breaking Free. You are a living doll. Thank you for being you. You are an inspiration to us all.
:))))
Siesta Maddy
Made me laugh out loud to see you in your hunting clothes 🙂 Loved it. Glad you have been given a place to run away to and rest. God is good! Thanks for sharing.
It also looks like a place where you could eat food out of a can and no one would notice….or you could fry your fish in oil and no one would count calories!….Maybe one could even add a green onion for breakfast! I LOVE IT! We all need our secret (now public) hideaway!
Just PRECIOUS!! Thank you…that blessed my heart.
I wanna something kinda like that for me and my man too!!
enjoyin your blog here in
eden nc
Dear Beth, We did chp. 4 and 5 in bible study today.Revelation. Cold wind is blowing had to crawl up in bed under a quilt with my bible and my work book and reread the whole thing. I nearly feel off edge of my seat in bible study,nearly feel off the bed at home. The majesty of it all just floors me. now chasing my kids around the house reading it to them. Man have we got someting to look forward to or WHAT!!!
Uhm….why am I crying. The end.
*Thrilled for your time there 😉
Oh Beth…I feel I know you even better than the day before! I can so totally relate to all the pics you shared! My hubby has a deer lease in Texas (Brady, TX) that he LOVES and loves for me to go with him!! I laughed when I saw your swing…we have one too…close to the fire pit and the place we like to take pics of they hunters kill! His 'vehicle' has a little more 'character' than Keith's…it's probably older!!! It's amazing how happy it makes my hubby when I go with him!!! And last Thanksgiving we took our precious Granddaughter for the first time…she cried her heart out because she had to leave and couldn't stay 'another night'!!! What precious memories we have on the TG!! Thanks for sharing…makes me want to go back with him for the Turkey hunt!! 🙂
Too cool!! Thank you so much for sharing. My housband is fromW,Va. & would love to be there. I love the beach & the mountians of Va.
Thanks Beth for lettin' me visit you a bit. It so made me miss my small country hometown where you can just be you and if you forget something someone will remind you w/love. Does make you miss the simple beauty God brings in the country when you live in the city. This journey is hard but travelin' w/sweet sisters makes it so much bearable. Thanks for being you.
So sweet, Beth! Thanks for sharing this with us. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at bible study! We missed you last week!
I think that is one of the beautiful things I've read in a long time. I feel very blessed to have a man who loves me like yours loves you. Thanks for sharing a small part of your life with us.
Melissa, I am very grateful that you deleted a negative comment, especially by "anonymous." I am very glad I did not see it, but I can tell you one thing, it takes a lot more courage to post a negative comment under your real name.
Heather
shokan
OK, I feel totally dumb here, please forgive me ahead of time…
Beth, you can be SO funny and even sarcastic at times, I can't tell if this is one of them…when you wrote that we might say, "It must be nice." Did you mean it for real? Or were you being sarcastic?
I'm looking at all the, the, the, dirt (NOT BEING UGLY…I'm LOL) and I wouldn't want that for a million bucks…now your kitchen in Houston, THAT'S another story. Yet, your writing like you REALLY like it. I can't tell. Please clarify. You like it because Keith likes it, right? (SMILE).
Would someone please tell this East Coast city girl- what are snake boots? Are they made out of snakeskin or are they for (gulp!) stompin on snakes? Love the cabin-looks like it was plucked from New England!!!
It sounds like the land around where I grew-up. Out on I-10, one grocery store, and my parents knowing everything I did on Friday night before I would get home. It is definitely a beautiful place-cactus,snakes, and no phone service. Thanks for sharing!
Love it. Love you. God Bless.
have a place in Potter county, Pa and it is one of my most favorite places in the world to go. It sounds very much like the place you go, with one grocery store, a Dollar General, and a post office. The cabin is surrounded by mountains and streams. When I am there, I can hear God so clearly! I feel so close to him surrounded by His beautiful creation. I look forward to our times there.
Beth, thanks so much for sharing
these pictures. Now I can picture
this when you mention going there.
Mary in SC
Us women have to wear some funny clothes sometimes when it means doing something special with and for our man. I dressed in full on hunting gear and sat out in the freezing cold while my Sweetie was right next to me, just to fill his love bank. So I loved and "got" the outfit, Beth. Thanks!
I'm assuming there is no TV. Do u cook?? HaHa
Beth,
Thank you so much for these glimpses into your life! I love to see them! My husband would love a place like that…maybe someday!
You give me so much hope and inspiration not only in following the Lord, but in my marriage and with my parenting as well!
I love that you can be real with us on this blog! Thank you for sharing…it's beautiful!
I LOVE this post!!! Beth, I also love to see pictures of other people's everyday lives. This was so interesting to me and it was cool to be able to put a picture with the place I read about in your book! Thanks for writing this…I totally "get" it:)
Love you! KT
It means the world to me that would leave your darling self wide open to be criticized to share this part of your life with me. I love you so much Beth.
Love, Bethany
I loved seeing a glimpse of your real life Beth. Thank you for sharing sweet one. 🙂
"You truly are an inspiration and a cross between Annie Oakley & Betty Robinson! Thanks for sharing what true love can endure in camouflage…
Oh Beth, it's truly LOVELY!! I totally get it. Thanks for sharing.
I just read Warm in Alaska's comment and I can't say it any better Beth!!! I love you and your girls so much it really makes me mad and makes my blood pressure rise to think about ugly comments. I honestly can't even imagine how Melissa and Amanda must feel at times… BTW…the last two sentences were my favorite.
Thanks for sharing your pictures. West Texas cactus land wouldn't be my first choice either (the hunt country of Virginia does it for me). However since my son and his family call Brady home, I've learned to appreciate it. Keith did an awesome job on the house!
THANK YOU! I loved seeing this special place that you have described so often. How special of God to provide a quiet spot for the two of you out in the middle of nature.
This is the sweetest post. Its real and its genuine. Who cares what people say? It seems like such a rugged and humble place, I can't imagine someone needing to judge. I think your man really loves you.
I watched Duck Commander once and have never been able to find it again. If anyone knows when it comes on please post. It is the one and I mean ONE hunting show I have ever liked,at our house we watch a lot of hunting shows :). Great post.. when I go to our camp I walk our giant schnauzer Frank the Tank and talk out loud to God.
My place is where I live everyday. I call it my little farm or ranch-house in the middle of Phoenix. It has a fence kind of like the one you posted and a huge patio/bigger than the house. I'm listening to Young Lifers right now out on our patio having a ball and praying many will be drawn to our Lord. I love your place!
Dear Beth,
I loved this post so much. I don't comment too often, but I just had to this time. I LOVED how you stopped doing what you were doing for a few minutes to respond to something that was important to your friend (Travis) at that moment in time. I'm thinking you must be a good friend. 🙂
It sounds like you had a great few days with your hubs. It's fun to get a small glimpse into your "downtime life". We have close friends in the ministry and enjoy so much the times we get to spend with them as, well, everyday people. I've often heard that leadership is lonely, and I'm sure there are things that you deal with that I can't begin to understand, but you have managed to gather great, godly friends around you and the Lord has blessed you with a beautiful, down to earth family, so I'm thinkin' your GREAT times far outweigh the bad. Thanks for sharing this part of your life! It makes me smile!!:)
Sweet Beth.so love your sanctuary in the cactus fields!! I have an old family home on a river in Virginia and just love it. There's no place like home. Unfortunately the home there is no longer habitable- (Keith may like that since there are no indoor facilities- you dont have to make an excuse for not using them!)
My prayer is that one day there will be even a double wide there so it will be easier just to run down to the dock and catch crabs. With a string and a chicken neck!
Lots of love
Michelle
Love (and feel privileged) that you would allow us a glimpse into your "real" life. Makes what you say about God and his promises more authentic and attainable because you are. Thank you.
So fun. We're blessed to live on acreage with lots of wildlife and a log "garage" with swinging doors and a big barn. But we're on the edge of the city, so get the best of both I guess. It is perfect for our four boys and a dog to run wild on…and I love seeing that picture of you, Beth. Until today, I could not even picture you not perfectly made up. 🙂 It is nice to see that particular "real" side of you. 🙂
Thank you Beth for sharing that special part of your life with us. I feel so privileged and blessed to be able to be a part of it.