Plan Your Arkansas Vacation

Have you picked up the 2012 Arkansas State Parks Guide?

Grab one, plan your vacation and then let me know what state park you are visiting and when. We might just run into each other.

There are 52 parks to choose from with diverse landscapes, natural and cultural resources, park facilities, and programs. Yes, I have some favorites, if you want recommendations of where to go and when, I can help you out. Just call me the Arkansas Kiplinger Gal or your Travel & Leisure Liaison, well,  in reality my life is more of a Travel Zoo kind of existence. At least I don't live on Lonely Planet (I can not even go to the bathroom without someone calling for me, lonely I am not, thankfully). Alright, I am done.

Oh, cool, I know that family on the cover of the guide.

Get outside and enjoy!

Your Trip Advisor,
The Park Wife

Watch Out Clapton

Musical talent? Um... I play the radio, that is about it. I thought I sang pretty well in the shower, then I married Big Buckaroo and he squashed my dreams of being the next Beyonce (plus, my hips don't move like hers). Yes, he confirmed what my mom tried so nicely to tell me as a child, I am completely tone deaf with no musical ability whatsoever. Nope, I will not be headlining at a karaoke bar anytime soon.

Growing up, I was a cheerleader, gymnast, took dance classes, and let's not forget those two horrendous pageants that I entered (thankfully, we did not put in fake teeth, hair extensions, nor did I wear more make-up on my face than clothes on my body, I guess you get that I am not a big fan of Toddlers and Tiaras). Plus, I played some sports, so music and band did not make it on my completely over-scheduled calendar. Yes, I blame my mother, no really, I am sure she knew early that was not my niche.

Now.....we have moved to a town totally focused on music, yep, fish out of water, but, I am rolling with it. The Buckaroo's decided to try playing an instrument, I am all about introducing them to new things to see if they like it (the kale chips did not go over too well, win some, you lose some). Little Buckaroo decided on the fiddle, so I took him for a first lesson, kaboom, the boy picked it up and loves it. Littlest Buckaroo, who spends his days working on training for Marine Corp boot camp, yes, he is 6 and can do more pull ups than me, said he did not want to take lessons. Then, he saw a banjo and thought it was sort of a guitar and a drum... a drum, huh, he rethought his position and is now playing clawhammer banjo.

Then, hold on to your hats, someone told Little Buckaroo that you can not live in this town and not play an instrument, sweet mercy he took it literally. He was afraid they would make me move since I can not even play Name That Tune.

Mrs. Shay is the boys extraordinary music teacher who the Buckaroo's adore. She does not want me to have to move out of the city limits without my family and does not believe the impossibility of me being the next Eric Clapton (o.k. she really does know that is not going to happen), so she is forcing me to learn a few chords on the guitar.  I laughed at her for a few weeks and then gave in to "learning just a few chords". Aside of it hurting my fingertips, it is pretty cool.

So, maybe you will see me headlining somewhere in the future, it will probably be at a senior living center since by the time I learn a song or two that is where I will be living.

I should probably just play Guitar Hero,
The Park Wife

The Gypsy in Me

Growing up in Meridian, MS, I heard many tales of a band of gypsies that had traveled there to bury their Queen. In 1915, the sudden death of beloved Gypsy Queen Callie (Kelly) Mitchell brought an estimated 20,000 people to my small southern hometown to attend her funeral and burial.



After birthing 15 babies, I am not sure
Queen Kelly's waist was this trim.

The Queen of the Gypsies of America and her tribe were camped near Meridian when the Queen died during the delivery of what was believed to be her 14th or 15th child. Sweet mercy, she was probably tired from wearing all her bling, traveling from place to place, telling fortunes, and taking care of babies and toddlers. I guess I should not complain, my life is not that hard. However, I would not mind some her precious jewels.

Queen Kelly's burial at Rose Hill Cemetary turned the cemetery into one of the main Romani burial grounds in the Southeast. Her husband, Emil, King of the Gypsy nation, her successor, Flora, and numerous other Gypsies have been buried alongside her.

If I would not have bounced out of there to head off to college and never return, I would be a seventh generation Merdianite. I just know that somewhere in my family history, one of those gypsies married a chicken farmer or even more taboo, had a tryst with a young dairy farmer resulting in a branch on my family tree. Makes me giddy just thinking of the jeweled, glittery decor on that branch. In reality, there is probably not any gypsy blood in me, but……maybe…..

The self-proclaimed gypsy in me has taken me all over the South; I have lived in several towns in Mississippi, in Memphis, Austin, TX, a Summer in Destin, FL, and since marrying Big Buckaroo, a few place in Arkansas. Even though I have strong bonds with people in each of the places I have been, I am always up for a new adventure, not so much the packing and moving furniture (at least there is U-Haul and I do not have to pack a wagon), but the excitement that comes with a new town. And, boy we have landed in a dandy.

I watched all seven seasons of The Gilmore Girls, oh my, I love me some Gilmore Girls. If you have watched the show (if not, come out from under your rock and start, you will love it) it takes place in the fictional town of Stars' Hollow, a town populated by an eclectic mix of dreamers, artists, and everyday folk, well sistah friends, I have found a real live Stars Hollow. And, I get to live here!

I have found the people in our new town to be wonderful and kind; some quirky and eccentric, some reserved and quiet, and everything in between. I am sure I will learn more of the dynamics as time goes by, but so far, everyone has been warm, welcoming, non-judgemental, and friendly.

I am happy to unload my gypsy wagon and lay down roots in this town. And, thank you to my parents for giving me strong roots and beautiful, fearless wings. I hope and pray that we will be as successful in giving that to the Little Buckaroos.

Gypsy Princess Wanna Be,
The Park Wife

The Park Wife Hillbilly

I can not believe it has been so long since I interacted with my bloggity friends on here. Did you miss me? Um, did you know I was not around? Don't answer that, the answer might send me into the corner with leftover chocolate dipped strawberries from Valentine's Day and hours of browsing Pinterest for cool things that I will never get around to doing.

See, I have been a bit busy. I know, aren't we all. Not only have we re-launched Arkansas Women Bloggers (which thankfully, I have had some fantastic, heavy-lifting done by Julie at Eggs and Herbs), but we finally were able to move back to the mountains.  Woohooooo (insert boisterous cheers here)!

I first fell in love with the beautiful mountains in Arkansas after I left Memphis, married Big Buckaroo, and moved to Petit Jean State Park. We loved it there - the beauty, the people, what an extraordinary place. Then, we moved to a historical park in a flat, sandy area. Great for gardening, but no mountains. I had many wonderful friends there and (watch out, about to gush over the love of my life) Big Buckaroo did an extraordinary job with that park. He definitely left it a MUCH better place than he found it.

I have spent the last month unpacking boxes in a beautiful new home, exploring our incredible new town that for all you Gilmore Girls fans (if you haven't watched it, start tonight, one of my favorite shows EVER) is just like Stars Hollow, getting kids settled into new surroundings and being there for Big Buckaroo as he has taken on managing a huge park with many facets. Oh, and I watched all nine seasons of As Time Goes By. Love me some Judi Dench.

I have also been fighting Internet connection issues. Let's just say it is not pretty when a blogger and social media gal is not connected to the web consistently for a month and a half. Hand over the chocolate sistah! Actually, although frustrating at times, it has been good as we transitioned. The time I allot for the computer each day has been added to extra games of UNO with the Buckaroos, decorating the house, visiting cool shops in our town, and cooking a little more. So, my disconnect has not been all bad, well there is the increased number of dirty pots, but, alright, not all bad.

Watch out, The Park Wife is back and oh mercy, what tales I will have to tell in this extraordinary place I live, with three of the most incredible guys, and a fish. (we no longer have our horse, chickens, goats, nope, no farm animals at our new place). But, just wait and see what we do have, I can not wait to share this next chapter of our life with you.

Hillbilly with awesome boots,
The Park Wife

Ask The Park Wife: Not From Scratch Cookies

Is making cookies from a bag (like Betty Crocker's sugar or choc. chip) qualify for homemade? Upnorth

Dear Upnorth,
I would have to say NO. But, that does not mean that they are not tasty and completely acceptable to serve. You could doctor them up a bit or if you are taking them to a party, put a few minutes into the presentation.

But, as with everything in life, be upfront and honest. When I get compliments on pre-made food, which just has to happen sometimes when you have kids and 3,248 other things to get done in a day (I hear all my foodie friends GASPING ), I say,  "I was up all night making that". Then I say, not really, and tell them what brand it is.

As if we as women need one more thing to feel inadequate about, girl, just get that roll of dough and pop them in the oven.  Remember, it is the thought that counts and the people you want to surround yourself with in this life will be perfectly happy with Betty Crocker as long as you are there with them.

The Park Wife, who will never be featured on the Food Network

It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection. ~ The Bhagavad Gita

Ask The Park Wife: Holiday Guests

Park Wife, please help!  I have family coming in for Christmas. We drink decaf coffee, they like regular.  We use 2% milk, they like whole.  We eat cereal, they cook a full breakfast everyday.  We don't drink wine, they have a glass every night.  Am I expected to buy new coffee, milk and stock my liquor cabinet? Should I get up and make breakfast everyday? I want them to feel 'at home' and I don't want to make them mad but I still want to stick to my grocery budget. Julie

Oh Julie, you might as well readjust your grocery plan to include Ramen Noodles for the remainder of the month. Yes, if you are hosting guest in your home, you will need to make some adjustments for hospitality sake.

With that said, there are ways to make them feel welcome without TOTALLY messing up your routine or breaking the bank. I recommend that you make a nice basket to have in the kitchen when they arrive with a small thing of coffee, a nice, yet affordable bottle of wine, and make some kind of breakfast pastry so they will have something to nibble on when they wake up and you guys are still warm under the covers. I am sure you can think of a few other affordable things to put in the basket according to what you know about your guests. If all else fails, you can print out a map with directions to the nearest Waffle House, I jest.

I don't think you have to go overboard, but you will need to do your best to make them feel welcome in your home. And, that might require an early rise, some extra caffeine and a couple of wine glasses in the sink.

Happy Entertaining,

The Park Wife

Ask The Park Wife: Children's Manners

Dear Park Wife,

We have been invited to a holiday party at the home of my husband's boss. There will be a sit down dinner. Here is the kicker, they have invited our children too!!! I am worried that they will spit out the food, talk with their mouthes full or say something inappropriate. What do I do?
Shaking Like A Leaf in Missouri

The Park Wife responds:
Sweetie, Rome was not built in a day, but don't plan your conniption fit yet. You are going to be able to make it through so that your husband will still be employed by the end of the night. At least I hope, the economy is bad, so sistah start NOW!

How I see it, you have two options: 1- Tell your hostess that you and your spouse would love to come, however, the kids are quiet busy with school, sports, science project, basket weaving, trying to secure their space on Santa's NICE list, etc or 2- Have a "manners bootcamp" from now until the party time. Make it fun, but keep them focused on what is expected of them. Hit the big things like please and thank you, no elbows on table and basic dinner conversation.

The night of the party, have a pre-party refresher (additionally, you may bribe and threaten to take away their Ipad, oh wait, that was my secret). I think you will be able to limp through, HOWEVER, manners like all child training is not a one time thing, it is on-going.  They might go through a rebellious stage where they want to chew gum like a horse, don't freak, just get a bit tighter on your training regimen. A glimmer of HOPE,  I have never seen a child with well-mannered parents who grew into an adult completely devoid of social grace

Good luck and I hope they don't serve spaghetti,
The Park Wife

Tis the Season- "Ask The Park Wife" Is Here To Help

Ask The Park Wife starts tomorrow, December 1! I know, the excitement is overwhelming, calm down ladies, I am here to save the day. Bless your little hearts.

 I will spend December covering all your holiday dilemma's, like being on the receiving end of a re-gift, handling all those tough questions like Did your son really drop out of college?, declining party invitations and other answers to prevent a seasonal snafu of humongous proportion.

Silly, serious, or fun...I've got an answer for everything (just ask Big Buckaroo)! If you have a problem, I'm your girl. If by some strange reason I don't have the answer (math is not my strong suit), I will channel my inner Emily Post or ask someone from my "expert" panel (um, friends).

I will then kick off the new year with more answers to your pressing questions. I will cover well-rounded interests --- child training, etiquette, relationship advice, homeschooling, community development, simple living, gardening, what to name your kids, why Gilmore Girls went off the air, you know the important life stuff.

Ask me anything- I assure you I will always give you an answer that is heartfelt with a touch of Southern charm and sass!

In the name of full disclosure, it’s important to admit I don’t have a background in psychology, unless you count the one college course I took. Well, maybe we should not count that because I made a C. But I promise I will give you the best advice I can. I also promise to keep it anonymous. Don’t worry I would never give out your real name unless you wanted me to.

I look forward to your questions, send them to theparkwife@gmail.com!
 
Welcome to the party,
The Park Wife


**** The Park Wife, does not accept any responsibility for what might happen if you accept or attempt to follow any of her advice. Unless of course you have a financial windfall, then I would like to get a cut of that please.

The Giving POW WOW

A Tradition Worth Sharing, you still have time to do this!

Hello, I am The Park Wife and I am a tradition junkie. (Let me hear you say "Hello Park Wife"). I was raised in Mississippi with many wonderful Southern holiday traditions and have added a few as I married and started my own family. However, I found out that there is such thing as tradition overload.

I live on a state park, love the simplicity of my life, and am trying to keep the holidays from getting out of hand, so I have chosen the traditions that speak to our family and have thrown out the rest.

A couple of years ago, I started a tradition with our two little buckaroos that is wonderful for character training, a history lesson (we are homeschoolers), and it helps to de-clutter before the holidays. Now that is a win-win tradition that fits our life perfectly, it is THE GIVING POW WOW.

In Native American culture, true wealth comes from sharing with others instead of amassing material wealth. The gesture of giving illustrates selflessness while it strengthens the community bond. The gesture is more important than the value of the gift. Now, that is something I want our boys to understand and embrace.


Last year, we invited some other families to join in on the fun of our Giving Pow Wow. All the kids cleaned out their closets of toys that were still in good shape and brought them to our volunteer fire station/community library wearing full Native American regalia. We sat in a circle around the treasures we would donate to a local charity and the festivities began. The children were given a history of pow wow’s and of the tribe’s from our area, that fulfilled history class for the day. Also, several of the children shared what they know about the Native American culture from sign language to the meaning of face paint colors. We then all held hands and prayed for the recipients of our gifts, that their lives would somehow be better from our act of generosity.


Plan your Giving Pow Wow today and give your children a shared past that they can pass on to future generations, a tradition that embodies the qualities of the person you hope them to be.

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness,
and Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
--Iroquois

In everything, give thanks,
The Park Wife

Raising Warriors That Protect Their Hearts

Raising two warriors is a bit overwhelming at times. My brain gets tired answering questions like how do rockets work, what years did King Louis XVI live, why don't worms have legs and so on. In response to the elevated sense of wonder as they progress in age, I have had to beef up my tool bag. In addition to the crayons that are always in my purse, (along with some organic suckers when I get really desperate) I keep a dictionary in my car, yes one that is paper and bound, so I can throw it in the back seat when Little Buckaroo asks me the 50th question of the day and what it means and a Bible to seek answers in God's word. I am all about teaching them to find the answers.

But, with their hearts, I am holding on tight, not allowing to go with the flow. The condition of our sons hearts determines the course of their life and that is HUGE, I will not waver.

Every Saturday at the soccer field, the kids on the team I coach tell me about their girlfriends/boyfriends and who is "going out with" whom (which yes, is amazing since they are 8-years-old and can't drive, so I am not sure where they are going, ha).

Last soccer season, Little Buckaroo observed this and I watched peer pressure happen right before my eyes. On our way home after a game, Little Buckaroo said he likes kicking the soccer ball with Jordyn, so should she be his girlfriend. All I could think at the moment was, HERE WE GO......

I did not get married until I was 29, so I was in the dating world for a while and know how it all works, yes, all to well. I want better for our guys, I want them to save their hearts for the one God has purposed for them, but how can they do that if they give up pieces of their heart along the way?

So, here is how I explained it to Little Buckaroo. I grabbed a piece of bread and told him that is his heart. I began to pull pieces off a little at a time telling him that was him giving his heart away to a girl. When I was done, there was only a small circle of bread left. I told him that if he gave his heart away piece by piece that when he is older and found the girl God had planned for him, he would only be able to give her a piece of his heart and she deserved better than that. Does it sound like a hard thing to do this day and age, you bet. On the flip side, do I want him to end up with a girl that at 6-years-old began repeatedly giving her heart and then every other part of herself to guys. Um....no.

We hope to raise warriors that seek the face and heart of God, as they learn to wield a sword and conquer the ugly in this grand adventure called life. And, yes, I hope they will one day save the damsel in distress and treat her as the princess God created her to be.

Oh, by the way, I do find peace and humor in knowing that Big Buckaroo is charged with giving them the sex talk. I hope he is planning his tool bag for that one right now!
The Park Wife