29 Apr 2020

Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone

Jeannine Kuhnell

I’ve lived in the rolling plains of North Texas for most of my adult life. I won’t tell you how many years, because you might try to figure out how old I am, and a woman has to have her secrets. I’ve seen many changes come; I’ve seen the landscape change as development met the old west. I love this area. I have loved it since I arrived from Tarkington prairie, and I cannot imagine myself living anywhere else.

A few years ago, I decided it was time for a change in the direction of my life. I have always had various interests and sought out adventures to help me grow. Because of the change in my lifestyle, a friend suggested I become more visible on social media. I accepted her challenge. For the past two years, I’ve shared my thoughts, feelings, and adventures with my friends online. What has inspired me the most is the number of private messages I’ve received from people saying how amazed they are that I am willing to engage in so many diverse adventures. They tell me they are too inhibited, scared, bashful, or unsure of how to broaden their horizons. This was an eye-opener for me. My heart aches for the women who are denying themselves and putting themselves into a box, limiting what they can and cannot do.

Because of this, I’ve decided to start a blog to chronicle and share my journey with the rest of the world. Two years ago, I would’ve been too bashful and concerned about others’ opinions of me to publicize my life. But now I want to show my female friends that we are not constrained by our upbringing, preconceived ideas of what a women can or can’t do, the political environment, society’s rules and regulations, or the expectations of others. It is time for women to show the world that we can do what men can do—but even better. Now, to be clear, I am not a man-basher or an ultra-feminist. I just want women, without trepidation, to go out and greet the world with open arms.

In my professional career, I’ve worked as a secretary, an actress, and a news anchor. I’ve been a dog handler, an employee of the FBI, and a spy hunter. I’ve worked for a major defense contractor supporting several other intel agencies, DoD and private concerns. Today, I am a roofing contractor. I like to say I know a little about everything and not much about anything. I have learned through these different professions that if I don’t maintain a work-life balance, I will soon become a one-trick pony. This is why it’s important for us to explore our neighborhoods, to meet our neighbors, to sit on a mountaintop and drink a glass of wine. It’s important to know we can do anything, that our only constraints are in our minds.

In this blog I will chronicle my activities—what I’ve done and what I’ve learned in the doing—as well as the feelings my adventures provoke in me. I hope my readers will find in my stories inspiration to broaden their lives. I am a strong, proud Texas woman with many skills, but I am also a loving mother, a proud grandma, and a follower of Christ. I love my family and the deep roots our Texas life has given me. As I’m writing, I will often look back to past activities and experiences, but my primary goal is to show you how to have fun and live in the present. So let’s begin our journey.

Today, I met with the stonemason to discuss the necessary repairs on a home that was hit by a runaway vehicle.

Runaway Vehicle

As I said before, I am currently a roofing contractor. If you’re wondering how I get on a roof, I do it just like a man does—one ladder rung at a time. After getting the necessary details and timelines, I drove from that home to the tractor supply company, one of my favorite stores. I needed a new wheel for my bad boy mower zero turn. While driving down the road, I caught movement in my periphery, so I stopped and backed up. There in front of me was a huge Tom gobbler. My first thought was, I wish I could harvest that turkey and have my ma (grandma) cook him using her secret recipe, which is my favorite! (Apologies to my vegan followers, but I am a meat eater.)

Trukey

Ma’s Roasted Wild Turkey Recipe

Ingredients:

1 – whole (field dressed and plucked) wild turkey
6-8 quartered medium red potatoes
2 – pounds of baby carrots
2 – large apples quartered
2 – medium sliced onions
2 – cups of water
1 – teaspoon table salt
1 – teaspoon seasoned salt
1 – teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 – tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 – tablespoons Catalina dressing
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 – tablespoons of ketchup

Instructions:

Place turkey in a roasting pan and place the quartered apples inside the turkey. She would then rub the whole bird with butter. (She always said wild animals are lean and have very little fat to keep the meat moist) Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots around the turkey. Pour water over the vegetables. Rub the salt and pepper and rub all over the turkey.

Combine everything else and spoon over the turkey. Cover and bake at 325° for 3.5 hours. Baste if desired.

Growing up on my Ma’s farm helped form who I am today. She held me when I cried, blew on my skinned knees to make them feel better, and told me wild stories at bedtime to help me get a good night’s sleep. Sorry fellow cousins, if you are reading this, but Ma always told me I was her favorite. Life with her was an immeasurable adventure in my life.

Me and Ma

I’m so happy when something causes me to flash back on my family, because they made me who I am today.

I am a Texas Renaissance Woman who loves to laugh. I love life, my family, God, God’s artwork in nature, and my country, and I am not afraid to try anything once. I hope you will join me on this journey. We will explore the rolling plains together. I will tell you the most fabulous restaurants to eat at, the most beautiful vineyards to drink in, and the best places to commune with God.

See you on the backside!