Willett Or Won't It

September 3, 2016

Jason and I woke up early to set off for our random and much needed trip to Bardstown, Kentucky. It has been a very emotionally trying week and a difficult year for us, so this trip (more than most) was one we couldn't wait to set out for. We ate some breakfast, showered, dressed, and finished packing. Jason and I dehydrated some strawberries and apples for the road trip, which Jason collected before we left. He also was kind enough to make us matcha, just to start the day off right. We needed it, as our air conditioner had gone out the night before. Again--a much needed break. Below are pictures of the special treats.

A few weeks ago, Jason and I popped into the Spice Market and found some strawberry soda. I haven't had many, so Jason reminded me to grab one for the road trip. We put the dehydrated strawberries in it, which made it all the more sweeter. 

We stopped at a quick trip up the road to get drinks and fill my tires up with air. Jason grabbed some cheese-- nothing goes better with dehydrated fruit. We listened to Beirut on the way to quick trip--perfect way to start an adventure.

Filling up the tires...

After quick trip, we officially set out for Kentucky. Jason amazingly bought us an ipod and filled it with music and audio books for the trip. We decided to begin "The House of the Seven Gables." I started reading it a few weeks ago, but decided to wait so I could read it with Jason. We both love reading books together and discussing them afterward. It was a slow book. The story was good but the plot was not as active as most stories. It's a tale of a family's redemption, told through an old woman's struggle for relevance in a changing world. Although slow and difficult to focus on at times, it was a story I think we both could relate to rather well. This year especially, since our smalls worlds have been changing rapidly.

Part way to Kentucky, we decided to stop for a restroom break. We found a Loves and went in. We were originally going to grab lunch here, but it didn't feel right. The food didn't sound good. We hopped in the car and resumed our book. An hour later or so and we found ourselves needing gas and lunch. Jason pulled off at a Kroger gas station, conveniently located nearby a CookOut. Soon we found ourselves eating a scrumptious (to quote Jason) "Dogs of various types." Jason's bacon and cheese dog, along with my corn dog. Perfect lunch.

Back on the road. We returned to our story. I snapped a couple pictures of us enjoying the journey.

In no time at all, we were arriving to our destination. Jason and I looked up a few distilleries we wished to tour, but we realized that many might be closed on a Sunday.  Before arriving, we learned that Willett Distillery was open until 4p.m. today. We decided to hurry and make it before closing. It was 3:35 when we finally arrived in Bardstown. We didn't even check into the hotel first; we went straight to Willett Distillery. Below are pictures.

Just in time. We parked next to someone who drove the exact same type and color of my car. Twinsies! We walked in to purchase tour tickets, but were saddened to discover they were "booked up." She said they were also booked for tomorrow. Looks like Monday morning will be our only chance at seeing Willett. Turns out it was a "won't it." We were sad, but determined to make the most of the beautiful day that was set out before us. The weather was perfect--sunny but breezy. Blue skies and fluffy, white clouds as far as the eye could see.

We headed toward the hotel. As we walked in, a little person made his way toward us. A small boy no older than the age of 3, wearing a full on suit. He was adorable. We checked in and made our way to the room. We relaxed a while from our journey, regrouped, and then planned our day. Jason mentioned that he saw free cookies in the hotel lobby--how I missed that is beyond me!  We quickly went down and grabbed our oatmeal raisin cookies.

We decided to walk down Bardstown's squares and visit shops. We popped into "Bourbon Marketplace." We browsed but purchased nothing. Below is a picture of Jason in the shop.

After walking a little up and down the street, we decided to grab dinner at our favorite restaurant, Talbott's Tavern. This is the same place Lincoln, Washington Irving, and Jesse James stayed at. Beautiful spot with amazing food.

We were seated and met our waiter. We hoped to try their Pappy bourbons, but they were completely sold out. Jason ordered a Blanton's instead. It was very good. We both ordered Kentucky Fried Chicken. Also very good.

Pictures of the welcome center.

After eating, we decided to go to a nearby park that we've always wondered about. It turned out to be a golf course, but it was a perfect place for walking! Just beautiful. We walked up and down the hilly landscape and enjoyed the lovely weather and the cool breezes.

The next few pictures I'm super proud of. This was not on the golf course's property. For the first time in my life, I threw caution to the wind and jumped the small barrier to go see it. I as super proud of myself. Below are pictures.

Below are a few more pictures of the beautiful walkways. We left shortly after this to head back to the hotel.

We went back to the hotel, but just for roughly 20-30 minutes. We had purchased ghost tour tickets earlier in the day, but it wasn't for a little while later. We rested, did some more walking to finish some steps, and then set out for the Talbott's Tavern again--where we would meet our tour guide. She was a lovely, kind, blond woman with sparkling eyes and a jolly demeanor. She was a certified ghost hunter as well. She firmly believes in ghosts and says she's been ghost hunting for numerous decades now.

She told us the story of Talbott's Tavern--who's stayed there and what kind of ghosts haunt it. Of course, Jesse James haunts it--he was, after all, shot here. She actually took us into the room Jesse James stayed at. Apparently, one night he was drunk from bourbon, pulled out his gun, and started shooting. The owner of Talbott's decided not to fix the room up, however. We actually were able to go into the room and see the bullet holes! Of course, they mentioned some things about him haunting the place and they passed a picture around as evidence. The picture was clearly one of a real-life man who had moved quickly--giving the impression of a ghostly figure rather than a poorly taken picture. Below are our well documented pictures of the room and the bullet holes.

The woman had a machine to test the magnetic fields in the room. She and her partner would stand at different parts of the room and wait for the devices to blink. They would then ask the "spirits" questions. Blinking one was for "yes" and twice was for "No." At one point the tour guide asked the spirits if any of them were little girls. She said "are there any children here." A young child being held by her father directly to my right said, "Yes!" The room laughed but the tour guide seemed irritated because it messed her story up. It was pretty hilarious. The tour guide also had a tape recorder from previous visits to the room. She played it for us. She asked the spirit what his name was, and the response was "nevermind," or at least that's what she says it was.

After visiting this room, she took us into a room down the hall from Jesse James' room. We were asked to sit while they dimmed the lights. They tried to use the lights as a way to have the spirits communicate with us. If they blinked off or on, then the spirits were talking to us. They never did anything. They also had a woman stand in front of the room while everyone took pictures around her. The tour guide asked the spirits to move toward the woman at the front. Then for the next 10 minutes we listened as everyone was discussing their "Good orbs." It was hilarious. She also recorded the room for 30 seconds and then played the recording back to us. It was completely silent in the room but when it was played back there was a man's voice. Jason and I laughed quit a bit to ourselves--it sounded like "kill everyone." Apparently we were the only ones who heard that though.

After leaving the Tavern we went to the Jailer's inn. Here she told us a story of a woman who was being beaten by her husband when he was drinking. One night she ran away, he went after her, and he killed her. He was then arrested and brought here, which was a jail at the time. He died from supposedly unknown causes while in jail (Although Jason and I think it was alcohol withdrawal that killed him, if he even exists). The tour guide said the dead wife's soul followed him to the jailer's inn and now she haunts it. Below are pictures. Also I got a picture of being locked in the stocks in front of the jail.

 After this, the tour guide took us to a cemetery behind the Jailer's Inn. Honestly we didn't really hear much of the story--at this point it was so far out there we had trouble listening. Jason also was able to grab dirt from the cemetery for our historical cemetery collection. We were pretty excited about that. At one point, we see a sign that tells the real history of the cemetery. Jason and I walk over to read it while joking about the ridiculousness of the tour. The guide was discussing her classes that teach people how to be ghost hunters, which triggered us to joke about it--not very loudly but we did. We didn't notice but the tour guide's partner was close by and heard us. Jason said she gave him the stink eye a bit. Oops. Below are pictures... caught a demon in the last pic ;)

After the tour, we headed back to the hotel for the night. What a wonderful first day in Bardstown!

The Little Things

August 21, 2016

Each time we blog we typically write about an adventure we had or a significant event that occurred. This entry is different. This one is about something small; something that appears to be almost insignificant.

This has been a hard year for Jason and I, for many reasons. It's also been a good year, filled with great adventure and with massive achievements. But, it's been difficult nonetheless. This is the first time in our marriage where Jason and I have had entirely different schedules. In the past, we've been able to come home each day at roughly the same time. We were able to spend the majority of our days together. However, our job schedules have changed recently. Jason wakes up later and his commute is longer, leaving less time at home throughout the week. In many ways the new job has been great, but this was and continues to be a difficult adjustment.

When Jason first got the job, he mentioned being worried about how it might impact our time together. We discussed ways to make sure the new schedule would not impact our marriage negatively. Being us, we also did some research. We read articles from happily married couples who have different routines. There was one article in particular that struck us. It spoke about the importance of making sure that your spouse at least knows you are thinking of them, even if you cannot be with them. A few weeks went by and honestly I had forgotten about the article. That is, until Jason did something that I will never forget. He came home a few minutes late one day and surprised me with these:

I was shocked. He spent his own spending money on flowers for me. It was odd--by going out of his way to buy these flowers, we had less time together that day. But, the time we did have was more cherished and meaningful because of his one small act. I knew more than ever how much I meant to him.

This was the moment I learned an important lesson--the small things are the most significant. The small things are what mean the most; impact your day the most. Those little moments are what make strong, loving marriages last. From that point forward both Jason and I began to embrace the small things.

After work one day I stopped by the chocolate shop in Downtown Newnan to buy him some chocolates, macaroons, and Popsicles. Jason and I always loved going to this shop after work, but they close before he gets home now. He had mentioned purchasing some King of Pops popsicles once, but we never got around to it. So I got him some and brought it home as a surprise. He liked the Thai Tea popsicle the best.

Twice now Jason has come home with these as surprise:

Fancy Macaroons from Le Macraoon Shop in downtown Atlanta. Jason said he went for a walk in downtown during his lunch break, trying to find a small gift for me. He walked two miles from his work before stumbling into this shop. It was a total of four miles that he walked, just for me. He went back to work with a box of lavender, rose, gingerbread, mint, chocolate, and coconut macaroons. A small gift that meant so much. I knew he had to carry those macaroons safely with him as he walked through Downtown, got on the train, and made his way home in the Georgia heat. It was so thoughtful.

Jason also made me some matcha one night as we finished off the two remaining macaroons from the second batch he brought home. In the picture below you can see the praline and vanilla macaroons. Although I didn't get a picture of the others, he also brought back basil, salted chocolate, strawberry key-lime, and black currant.

One night for dinner I made one of his favorite meals, Carbonara.

Jason and I found an app for our phones that we used to help us organize house work. Instead of us spending our limited time together discussing and doing housework, we use this app to help us clean and complete chores without wasting our together time. One of the things I try to do each day is make the bed. One week I noticed Jason had done my chore for me. Before going to work he made the bed, helping to relieve some of my tasks. It's the little things that mean the most.

Jason and I started saying "it's the small things" to each other, always during mundane and seemingly insignificant moments. I never want to forget how important that lesson is. Jason and I love each other so dearly because we work hard at it. We always have. We work hard to remember the big things--to keep our word; to be faithful to one another; to remember birthdays and anniversaries; to say we love each other; to address conflict respectfully and without insulting the other. But, we also work hard to remember the small things-- to take a second to notice how good he looks that day; to bring his wife home a fancy dessert he knows she'll like; to write him an email to tell him good morning; to talk to each other about the random part of the day that no one else would care to hear about.

One more thing before I end this entry. One weekend Jason and I ate lunch at a taco place in a neighboring town. We decided to go on a small, seemingly insignificant adventure together. We thought we'd walk around the square and maybe pop into the ice cream parlor down the street. We ended up finding the old historical cemetery down the road. We walked through the graves, noticing each name, and contemplating the lives these people might have had. We sat on a bench, under the shade of a large tree, as we talked about life and waited for the the ice cream parlor to open. Soon we were ordering a scoop of lemon ice cream and some fancy sodas we had never seen before inside the shop. It was a lovely day, one filled with small and seemingly insignificant events. Those are the moments that are important in life. Those are the times you cherish with one another. You might have a big, fancy wedding that will always be in your memory. But, that big event only happens once in a marriage. It's the every day love you give in a hug, a random gift, or a conversation--those are what keep marriages going; keep life worth living for.

I once said to Jason, "Think about what life will be like when our debt is gone!"

Jason said, "Yes, but it's important to be happy now, even with our debt still here."

What he said hit me hard, and I think he's right. No matter what difficulty we are facing, we have to find ways to enjoy life now--even with the hardship. And, I'm quickly learning... it's the small things that give life and love the most meaning.

To the small things, and to great love!

Felicem Natalem Tibi

August 7, 2016

We celebrated Jason's birthday early with my side of the family, due to Dad going out of town. We began the Sunday relaxing, sleeping in, and just lounging around the house. After getting ready for the day and playing with kittens, we prepared for a glorious birthday celebration with the McCune side of our family.

 Us, for always.

Jason and super kitty!

Below are memories from the fun evening with family. They ordered pizza from partners and they got Jason a special marble cake with Neapolitan ice cream. Mom and dad also got Jason a really nice birthday card with an elephant on it--it was super cute! Their gift helped purchase Jason's new camera lens. He was very excited! It will be a big help for our vacation and anniversary trips. 

Below is a video of the cake being brought out. Poor Jason was having sinus issues--hopefully he could hear all the singing. His ears kept popping.

August 17, 2016

Jason's actual birthday! We began the day like any other normal day--working. Jason drove to the college park station, then hopped on the train to downtown Atlanta, and walked to his office. I drove to my office 15 minutes away. Both of us were just waiting for time to pass until we could celebrate his birthday. We made a plan for me to drive up and meet him outside his work at 5 O'clock. From there we would eat at an Irish Pub called Ri Ra. We had eaten at this pub once before--we were dating at the time and I surprised Jason's with a special birthday dinner there. He loved it, so we thought we'd go back.

Before dinner, I had some surprises I wanted to do for Jason. During my lunch break I drove to Party City and purchased some decorations and a massive balloon. Then I went to kroger and bought the ingredients for a special birthday cake I wanted to make him. I drove home and quickly began baking the cake (I had two hours to cook it, let it cool, and decorate it before I had to leave). As the cake was baking, I decorated the house. I put up green streamers in the living room and a sign in brown butcher paper that read "It is your birthday." This was a funny joke from the show "The Office." I knew he'd love it.

I was running around the house wrapping his gift, decorating, and checking to see if the cake layers had cooled sufficiently. Finally I realized I had 20 minutes left and needed to shower. I was dressed and ready to go when I realized I had just 5 minutes left to decorate the cake. I hurried in the kitchen and began icing away--the cake was just the right temperature by this time! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to put the strawberries I wanted on the cake. I had run out of time. I left it as it was and hurried toward the car.

I drove to Atlanta an hour before Jason was to be off work. Although there was traffic and I had been running late, I arrived 5 minutes before 5. Jason had left a little early so he could meet me as I drove up. I never actually made it to his work. Jason called me as I got closer to his job--he walked toward me as I drove toward him. Eventually he saw me at a stoplight and just hopped in the car. It was perfect! We drove around Atlanta as he showed me his new job, where he ate lunch, the homeless people he met on a regular basis, etc. Then, we turned right on a street that said there was parking. We never found a parking garage but we did see a parallel parking spot that just happened to be right next to Ri Ra. We didn't even plan it--it was perfect! We parked, paid the meter, and walked in.

The restaurant was just as lovely as it was the last time we visited. Cozy, wooden benches and tables. We ordered and had a lovely meal. Jason looked truly relaxed and happy. It has been a stressful year for him especially--with changing jobs and adjusting to a new schedule. It was nice to see how big of a smile he had that day.

Our Smoked Salmon on Irish soda bread with Irish butter.

Jason's Turkey, cheese, and apple sandwich with brussels sprouts.

My potato soup and soda bread.

After dinner, we headed home. I was ecstatic! Jason had no idea about anything, other than that I bought him a gift. We drove to the College Park train station so he could pick up his car. I told him to drive slow and not drive like a demon like he normally does--he got a good laugh about that. I was hoping to get home before he did so I could put some finishing touches on the cake. I also had made a list of reasons for why I love him on some sticky notes and wanted to put them on the bathroom mirror as a surprise. Luckily, I got home about 2 minutes before he did, just enough time to add strawberries to the cake. He went to the bathroom immediately when he got back, so I was able to put the sticky notes up in the other bathroom. It was perfect.

Once settled, I showed him the cake and we enjoyed a slice. We lit 29 candles and he made a wish--he never lets me know what he wishes for. 

The surprise was the inside of the cake! I made him a matcha cake! He loved it!!

Fred was terrified of the fire!

So old I couldn't see him through the smoke!

After cake, he opened his gift. I told him to go into the bedroom for it--the cats would have ripped the balloon up if it had been anywhere else in the house.

Food dehydrator! He loved it!!

Jason's surprise sticky notes.

It was quite a successful night! Happy birthday, my love!!

I have to add--I took off work the next day so I could stay up late and celebrate with him. The next morning looked a little something like this:

August 20, 2016

Jason's third birthday celebration! Jason's parents wanted to take us out to McKendrick's Steak House for his birthday. It was just lovely! The food was amazing and the company wonderful! I unfortunately didn't get many pictures of the food, but trust me--it was amazing! Jason ordered the salmon and I the french onion soup. We also split their mac and cheese with lobster in it. All was amazing! Then they brought him out a beautiful slice of birthday cheesecake! Perfect evening!

After dinner we drove back to Pam and Jerry's, where they then gave Jason his birthday gift. Below is a picture of it... the picture doesn't do it justice--the detail is just beautiful.

Such a thoughtful and wonderful gift! Chris is so talented!