There's a place I'd like to go where I can hear the cotton grow.

My sis took this the other day. It's our farm. Which is basically perfect. I've come a long way from age 4, standing on the pond banks, bopping bucketed brim on the head with a stick when they came up for air. I always will be a confused vegetarian...

I love my job. I do, I promise-cross-my-heart. Every day something happens and I look up at God and grin because life's so cool. And adventures are my favorite: plop me down in the middle of uncharted waters/random cities/towns where I know NO one and I get a natural high off of figuring things out.

But sometimes I wanna get flour all over me and between the granite tiles in the kitchen. Pull something outta the oven. Stir sugar in a pot of steeping hot tea over the stove. Split a Diet Coke with Mama while we dance-party around the kitchen. Make a sandwich and prance out barefoot to the backyard for herbs to dress it up. Iron with ESPN football on in the background (I don't think I've ironed anything since like, July.). Paint and/or sketch. Sack out on the upstairs couch for 2.5 hours. Sit in a deerstand with Daddy and whisper about life. Run in my sister's room and pounce on her bed and run my mouth. PLAY. WITH. MY. BIRD. DOGS.

Here's what I want to do: Be domestic for one day.

Photo courtesy of Garden & Gun. I think I'm just ready to get a dog. Six months, six months, six months...

(This notion launched by this Garden & Gun album. Look at it. It's all huntin' dogs . i.e. the kind of dog I have and will always own for the rest of my life. Nope, see ya Yorkies/Bichons/etc. Gimme a dog that likes to go chase down dead animals and I'm sold. Thanksgiving break--hurry hurry!)

p.s. I also just picked out a new dog name for my future love: Gauge. Loves it.

Good dog.

This is Ellis. We'll confuse their baby pictures one day.

So the thick, crisp June/July issue of Garden & Gun arrives in the Stallings house mailbox yesterday. With hungry eyes and rush of anticipation (I'm a journalism major, hence glossy magazines = crack-cocaine. And this magazine is definitely top shelf. Or whatever the druggie equivalent of top shelf is.), myeyes lilt from teaser to teaser: Alabama's New Quail Trail, Athens, Ga., beaches...

"A Letter from Harper Lee"

My eyes land on this line. First thought? "My DOGGIE! Wait, why is she in the magazi...? Huh?" Yes. For about .2 seconds, that was my unfortunate, idiotic train of thought. Granted I am the family ditz, I'm still not okay with this.

This is a travesty.

The dogs have innundated my psyche. I'm a card-carrying member of the Nerd Club and my book-strewn, "oh, I'll take that class for fun" world has tumbled. I thought of MY DOG before I thought of the world-famous Southern novelist.

Anyway, check it. A little while ago, y'all were so sweet to help in the naming of our new pup. And here she is! A super accurate pedigree would boast her six name changes on Day 1, but we ended up sending in "Ellis" to the Boykin Spaniel Society registration.

So here's Ellis. And Harper Lee Stallings, of course.

Here, Harper explains the basics of bird retrieving to our young friend.

When training sessions get too intense, Harper moves on to explaining basketball/frisbee/etc.

Harpie loves life. Ellis still doesn't get life, hence we get this weird blank stare a lot.

Obsession? Maybe. But then again I am the type that will hang oil paintings of my bird dog in my house one day. I'm a hopeless case.

Julep.

I'm a 21-year old

pearl-wearing

thick-Southern-drawled

hunting-alongside-Dad

tailgate-mastering

Southern girl.

But I got zero clue what a mint julep tastes like.

Shouldn't I amend this issue soon?

I mean, if nothing else, in premature honor of that little horse race up in Louisville, right?

So when a latest Garden & Gun email in my inbox gave the mint julep recipe from Tipsy Parson in my beloved New York City, my mouth watered a tad. It tinkers from the original julep (horrors? nah.), running more along the lines of a frozen drink.

And duh--anything that resembles a Sonic cherry slushie gets the green light from me.

Concord Grape Mint Julep (Serves 4)8 oz. bourbon 

4 oz. lime juice, freshly squeezed
4 oz. mint simple syrup*
4 oz. Concord grape reduction**
4 cups ice
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Blend all ingredients in blender until ice is broken up and drink is uniformly smooth. Serve with a small bouquet of fresh mint sprigs.

*Mint Simple Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 bunch mint

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, add whole mint sprigs, and simmer for ten minutes. Strain and cool.

**Concord Grape Reduction

1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cloves
1⁄2 tsp. black peppercorn
1⁄2 tsp. white peppercorn
1⁄4 tsp. anise seed
1 quart Concord grapes
1⁄2 cup water

Make a sachet with all dry ingredients. Simmer sachet, grapes, and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat until grapes are broken down and soft (about 45 minutes), gradually adding more water if needed. Remove sachet, and strain the reduction to remove seeds. Cool uncovered in the refrigerator. Reduction may be kept refrigerated for up to a week and works great with many other applications (pork, duck, cheesecake, gelato, etc.).

If I came back as a magazine...

Garden & Gun mag:

thick cultural chronicler

of my sweet Southern world.

G&G, you read my mind--just last week I despairingly cursed Facebook's finicky search engine. Little did I know, you did not have a fan page. Become a fan of G&G on Facebook.

p.s. My apologies, Facebook.

And you know G&G has weekly email newsletters, right?

Photo courtesy of Garden & Gun