Chardonnay and Cowboy Boots….
I’m Annie.
My life has always had a crazy, hectic pace. I enjoy a great job, great friends, following the sports and careers of my kids, and a lot of travel.
I started this blog as a journal – as I realized how blessed I have been and how fast time and experiences fly by without taking care to share the details of the good times or really even time to fully appreciate them myself. So, this is my attempt to document the journey forward (with an occasional look back as a way to document fond memories).
My life can be crazy, so if you choose to go along for the ride, buckle up buttercup!
(This must have been a true statement when I started the blog sometime in 2015, because I had a terrible time trying to learn the “art” of the blog while keeping up with the pace of the “things” of my life, so I got off to a really, really slow blog start. But, I saved photos, scrap notes, and other ideas and artifacts that I placed into a “blog about this someday” bucket.)
I have always been independent, I was raised that way, and it appears that the older I get the more independent I become. Upon some introspection it also occurred to me that I’ve been intentional about living by a set of “Rules” — Rules I’ll share with you along the way, Rules I’ve been taught, and Rules I’m still writing.
I would say that I spent some period of my life living — conventionally. At some point in your life, if you are lucky, you kind of turn a corner and find more freedom in your choices. Now, I’m about as conventional as, well,
Chardonnay and Cowboy Boots
I’m a Pennsylvania girl! I lived in Western Maryland for about twenty years, not far from where I grew up in Southwestern PA. I have a job I absolutely love, working in Western Maryland. However, as I contemplated a move in 2010, I knew I wanted a change, and I discovered (after a lengthy search for the right property) that I wanted to go home. So, after about a year of late nights spent designing my next home – room by room – in 2011, I built a house in my hometown, on land my parents had given me years ago.
I have a boyfriend…
(who was always right beside me (or doing the heavy lifting) during this process!)
Before
After
I have two sons. Jake and Ross, and I know it sounds cliché, particularly since they are young men, but they are my everything. Jake built a house next to mine, also in 2011, where he lived until he moved to follow his career in 2017 (more details about that to come)! Ross is currently away at college where he lives to play baseball and is working on a business degree to satisfy the requirements to be eligible to play baseball.
We have two dogs. Princess Kalahan (aka Kalli, aka Bella), is a 10-year old chocolate lab and she lives with Jake, but visits quite often — mostly to use the bathroom in my driveway or on my patio. She is sweet enough and elderly enough to get away with it. And, we have a 6-year old Shetland sheepdog mix we rescued in 2009 that we named Mountie (aka Demon). Now, I know this sounds harsh, but I swear for the first year of his life his sole purpose was to reign terror on his people. To this day if you tell him you are taking him back to “Ritchie County” (where we adopted him) he knows what you mean. His behavior improved dramatically, but the name Demon just kind of stuck, and it really does seem kind of endearing now 🙂 Although, when I call the vet to make an appointment, his name is Mountie.
(Note – time has passed since the blog start in 2015 and we have suffered some losses, including Bella, the sweetest dog in the world who is waiting on the other side of the rainbow bridge.)
Bella and Demon at our old house
I work doing economic development planning. More on this later, as I have worked in my current position for over 20 years and have never really come up with a quick way of explaining what I do. On career day when he was in elementary school, Jake told his teacher that I was a journalist because I was always writing something. 🙂 I also travel a lot for my work, and I love to travel for fun. This is the inspiration for the “Where are my pajamas” page. I love visiting new places, and I would call NYC one of my favorite places to take my pajamas, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere other than in the ‘Bury. It’s a country girl/city girl thing, like, well,
Chardonnay and Cowboy Boots
Central Park for my Birthday one year
On my commute home one day
I’ve never really liked the idea of a bucket list, it seems too rigid to me, and in some ways sad. I’ve shared my Wish List with you on the “Desiderio” page. I’ve been really fortunate over the years to have been able to place a lot of wish list things in a “reverse bucket list” – an accumulation of experiences that you achieve that makes your life uniquely yours, those experiences are recorded on the “Finito” page. As I continue to age, grow and learn, I never run out of new places I want to see or new things I want to do, so the pages evolve. I believe any list of this kind has to be dynamic and able to be adapted on the fly as we ourselves and our circumstances change.
Of course, travel is always a big player in the wish list game, and I’ll share those experiences, both past and present, by posting some of the photos and timelines on the “Where are my pajamas” page.
I love to watch football. Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I’m a WVU fan on Saturday and a Pittsburgh Steeler fan on Sunday.
I spent two years studying Geology at WVU, finished an undergraduate degree in Environmental Analysis and Planning at Frostburg State University, and almost immediately pursued and completed an MBA also through the University of Maryland at Frostburg State University.
I am gluten free. Part of the purpose of my blog is to help me stay focused on a plan to be healthier. I’ve been gluten free for more than 15 years as a prescription for what I’ll call “loosely” diagnosed celiac disease. After more recent testing, it appears I am much more likely to have a wheat sensitivity, but I feel much better on the GF diet, so it goes… I’ll take you along on my daily battle with the GF diet on the “Annie vs Gluten” page.
I also love cooking and baking. (and wine!) Since I’ve been gluten free, I’ve adapted a lot of recipes to gluten free with success. They will also appear on my “Annie vs Gluten” page. Wine, however, will appear randomly! (and regularly!)
I’m trying to learn to love exercise and working out like I once did — a very, very long time ago. I really don’t have the patience to start slow, and I get frustrated very quickly when I can’t progress as fast as I’d like, so I’m not sure if the exercise or practicing patience is harder?
The home is new, but not finished. Seems there is always a project underway. I’m not very crafty, but I want to be. I’ll share our projects with you on the “Redbridge“ page.
Living in Southwest PA, I grew up with a love of the outdoors. I like guns and fast cars. I don’t like to shop. I’m much more comfortable in Pink Camouflage and boots, but I frequently have the occasion at work I when I want (or need) to dress professionally. (and I do love high heels!) So… its business suits, heels and chardonnay meets pink camo, cowboy boots and cold beer – That’s me!
Jake and I on Christmas at my parent’s house
(And yes, that is a pink camo gun!)
I like all kinds of music. My boyfriend is in a band (or two). I somehow missed the musicality gene, so I have a great appreciation for the talent he and his friends put on display.
I have a quiet faith. I am learning to surrender what I can’t control. I am also learning to accept that there are many things I can’t control, and those are the things that are placed into God’s hands. While I’ve never really been a worrier, or lost a lot of sleep worrying over things, I have learned that you can’t beat a good night’s sleep, so you can turn all those worries over to God, he’ll be up all night anyway!
I have been blessed with a full life, I have a small family but all are close by including 2 amazing young men I am proud to call sons, a lot of friends that I love to hang out with, a small circle of friends to lean on, and, yes, the best boyfriend ever. You will meet them all along the way!
I started this blog to document an amazing time in my life. This blog is a way for me to journalize the moments I want to remember, to help me realize the quality of my life, to remind me to be thankful, and to enjoy each and every day for what it is.
Cio Bella!