The Queen of Country Music….
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m an absolute Loretta Lynn fan! A woman who brought so much inspiration into my life, would again inspire me, but in a very different way. A woman, who came from the most humble beginnings, stumbled upon her gift, which then became her passion. The grief she experienced from the loss of her father, would be what catapulted her successful music career, and to become The Queen of Country Music! One catch though, her and her husband Doolittle Lynne would have to sacrifice their time, work a full time job, burning the candle at both ends, living out of their car while traveling across the USA from radio tower to radio tower, to finally make a name for herself, and the rest is history!
We were “ALL IN”….
In December of 2020 we made the transition from our home to our farm. After a marathon fall, and the stress of it all, we were able to exhale and enjoy the stillness of our first winter on the farm. It was very much “Little House on The Prairie” style with oil lamps, a woodstove, brothy soups, reading books and watching the snow fall. It felt AMAZING not having anything we had to do, or had to be…..we could just exhale, dream and talk about all of the plans we had for our house and farm. At that point in time we were two people stepping away from the familiar and into the unknown. We left the comfort of our tidy home on the river, cashed in our retirement and left our 20yr careers all in the name of passion and purpose. There was a sense of excitement and optimism which was terrifying all at the same time, we were “ALL IN”!
Things were about to get REAL….
As winter drew to a close, we were ready to hit the ground running on building our house and barn. The way we had it all mapped out in our mind, we would be moving into our home by fall, I mean we’ve built several homes, this should be straight forward….”should be”. Sometimes our plans don’t match reality! Reality started to set in that spring with soaring lumber prices which made building our home unachievable even though we were doing 75% of the work ourselves. This meant things were about to get real! Since there was nothing at the property other than the old dusty hay barn and a disheveled well shed, that meant we also didn’t have any power. Summer was coming and food stays a lot colder in the snow than in the sunshine. We found our cozy “Little House on the Prairie” vibe waning exceptionally fast.
“I remember well, the well where I drew water”
As spring turned into summer, our days were filled with running generators 24/7, doing dishes, laundry and showering in a shower house and hard work in-between. Remember that tidbit about no power? Oh yes, all of those simple tasks that would take 5 minutes traditional home; now took hours and carting a generator around. It honestly made everything so much harder when there’s a massive undertaking to accomplish. Our power company required progress to run the line, but the lumber prices were through the roof. We decided to focus on building our agricultural barn as that was in reach, and pray for the right timing on starting on the house. The heat of the summer came, and after working a long laborious days, longing for a shower, warm food and some cooler air, we were faced with sleeping in the heat and humidity….or at least trying to sleep all while sticking to your sheets. These conditions can start to make a person grumpy. Especially one who prefers the neat and tidy! I found myself grumbling one morning as I was trying to do laundry, the generator wouldn’t stay running after pulling it over for 5 minutes straight, and I was hand pumping and water for the 100th time. Ever carry 5 gallons of water around? Try it sometime, just for fun then pretend that you have to do that every single day for 2yrs. I was so ornery I could barely stand myself. Music is at the core of who I am, and has a way of helping my mood and focus. As I pumping water, I started singing Coal Miners Daughter and thought of Miss Loretta, “I remember well, the well where I drew water, the work we done was hardat night we’d sleep ’cause we were tired”. Right then and there I thought to myself, such a true statement and “If Loretta can do it, I can!”. There were days ahead I wasn’t sure if I could, but I often thought back to Miss Lorretta as inspiration.