Girls Write Out
Friday, December 16, 2005



GREEN ACRES
"You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl." These were my husband's words the other day when it finally clicked that I am NEVER going to enjoy life in the middle of nowhere. The people are fabulous here, the school terrific, the house perfect, but I cannot stand being in the middle of nowhere (which for me is 25 minutes from a Starbucks, and 45 minutes from Nordstrom.)

One of my best friends called me tonight, and said that her husband was going to buy a Mercedes. She called to vent. To me!! This was her first mistake. Baby, go out and buy the man a car! Because I have been hearing him talk about that car for years!!
You can take the car away from the boy, but you can't take the dream away of how he sees himself. He can afford it and he is a truly generous man who deserves the car he's dreamed of. We just are who we are.

I am a typical, shallow American housewife. I like Whole Foods, where they prepare healthy meals FOR ME. I like a minivan with all the creature comforts of a REAL car, restaurants that EVERYONE goes to, and corporate coffee. So sue me.

And don't bother telling me you live three hours from a Wal Mart. I'm glad for you. Pleased as punch there are people who enjoy the quiet life. It's just not ME and it never will be! I miss different cultures, and tattooed, pierced people. I miss food I can't pronounce and bubble tea. So I'm here to say, the hunt for our future begins... As Captain Picard would say, "Make it so."

P.S. To Bethanie: my attempt at a Pavlova was pathetic. I bought a premade angel food cake, and dumped cool whip and kiwis on it. My son had to explain how it wasn't even CLOSE to a Pavlova in his report.
Anonymous  
posted at 10:49 PM  
  Comments (11)
 
 
Delicious Delicious
11 Comments:
At 11:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

kristin! that is so sad. so, when i come to california next (whenever that may be) i will have to teach you!

 
At 11:38 AM, Blogger Rachel Hauck said...

Great post. I hear ya. While I enjoy the quiet of "the middle of nowhere" if I can't jump in the car for a quick McDonalds run, my eye starts to twitch. LOL.

And bravo for your friend's husband buying a Mercedes. Good choice. I got in an friendly debate with a pastor once over the premise that IF a pastor had the money, should he drive a Mercedes.

My point: I lives simply, tithes and gives offering. His children are fed and clothed, and he meets all his needs with the church salary. But say his hobby is cars, and his great Aunt Helen dies and leaves him $100K. Why shouldn't he buy his Mercedes. He's not in hoc for it and he's not used church money or played on the heart of the people.

Oh, that pastor was so ruffled. His response? "He just shouldn't. He just shouldn't! What would people think? What about the poor?" Etc.

My answer? "They might think that God is a Father of blessings. And gives us what we don't deserve."

It was a fun lunch.

Anyway, praying and hoping for God's blessing in finding your future!

 
At 11:40 AM, Blogger Rachel Hauck said...

P.S. Nice!! Kitchen. ;)

 
At 11:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh i forgot to say... i currently live in the middle of nowhere (15 mins from a supermarket, kfc, and burger king, and a half hour from gloria jeans!!!! and the mall. which is where i work). it is sad.. you can't just go out for coffee at 2am without a long drive. or go anywhere at any time without a long drive. and i hate it. i am sooo not a country girl (living just outside the suburbs is way too country for me). but hey, i'm moving in january!!!! parents are kicking me out when they move 800miles away to the complete middle of nowhere... good for them, but better for me since i'm not going...

 
At 4:59 PM, Blogger Heather Diane Tipton said...

Yeah having Starbucks five minutes from me sucks! Oh wait.. no it doesn't. LOLOL Actually I have like 7 Starbucks all less then ten minutes from me. I'm in heaven. (And it doesn't hurt that I've already gotten two Starbucks gift cards for Christmas. LOL)

Love your kitchen!

Praying for your future... hey you should move to Texas! ;-)

 
At 8:13 PM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

Starbucks! We now have a Starbucks in Marion. I was thrilled to see it today. That's only 1/2 an hour from me. It's not a necessity because I have a great espresso machine in my kitchen, but it's nice to know there's one so close. :-)

 
At 2:23 AM, Blogger eileen said...

Austin is so you Kristin. Come on over!

 
At 7:30 PM, Blogger Camy Tang said...

Can you train your husband to become a barrista? Mine is slowly working at it. He makes a mean vanilla steamer. His dream is for me to get a book contract so we can afford to splurge on a $200 espresso maker and he can dump his El-Cheapo machine in the Salvation Army pile.

I relate to your pain. Except the days when the neighbor's children are screaming in their backyard and feeding plastic toys to my dog through the fence.

Camy

 
At 11:29 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Attention Starbucks patrons...we FINALLY got one within 20 mins of me! Okay, so it's IN the Kroger store, but I'm so not complaining! LOL

As for me, Kris, I'm such an anti-social type person that I wish I lived FURTHER out than I already do. Give me 20 acres and put my house in the very middle of it, and I think I might be in heaven.

 
At 7:59 AM, Blogger Emily said...

Talk about the middle of nowhere - I'm surrounded by over 1 billion people, yet to get to the nearest coffee shop - NOT a Starbucks :( - it's a 40 minute walk. Yes, I said walk. :) Don't get me started on the 3 aisle "grocery story" in town. I sure miss the states at times, but doing what He has called me to...now that's the only place I want to be. Please everyone go an enjoy a Gingerbread Latte for me!

 
At 2:04 AM, Blogger Elaina M. Avalos said...

Being a girl from Orange County, CA...I never would've expected that I could hack it in the country. And then after some time in DC I moved to Eastern NC.

When I moved here the nearest Starbucks was in Raleigh which was three hours away from where I lived on the coast! We now have three Starbucks in Greenville which is quite an accomplishment! And all I'll say about that is, Praise Jesus. I can have my grande, triple soy toffe nut latte whenever I want.

Anyway all that to say isn't it funny how we thrive or don't thrive in different environments? I write so much better when I'm surrounded by my favorite woods or can easily wander down to the beach or the sailing capital of NC...Oriental. But I know friends from the OC who would shrivel up and die if they had to live in Eastern Carolina! :)

 

Post a Comment

<< Home



The Authors
Kristin Billerbeck
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.

www.KristinBillerbeck.com

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.

www.ColleenCoble.com

Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.

www.DeniseHunterBooks.com

Diann Hunt

Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.

www.DiannHunt.com

Hannah Alexander

Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.

www.HannahAlexander.com

 
Subscribe
Enter your Email


Powered by FeedBlitz