A "Normal" Summer Day in the Life Of....

I am NOT a morning person.  NOT.  Can't do it and I'll be the first to admit to it.  

But I married a farmer and sometimes "that's just part of it".  And I knew I was going to have a #GreatAmerican Day so....I woke up before my early morning riser husband to "take on the day" as he says.

Even though I stayed up too late watching the news and a CNN special on The Sixties, I was still motivated to get up the next morning to celebrate my husband's hard work and to relax after a full week.  

Saturday we did things that we normally would do on Saturdays in the summer, but this particular Saturday we combined it all into one and it was fabulous. 

We did as many farm couples do on each morning and "got up with the daylight".  We headed east to Batesville, Indiana where our meat locker is located.  The boys had taken some cows there the week before to be butchered for some of our grass-fed beef customers.  I was pretty excited because we no longer had enough ground beef for ourselves and I had been craving tacos!  

(As a side note I do not buy beef at the grocery store, I find it in my freezer or one of our many deep freezers.)

After a routine stop for our only-made-on-Saturday blueberry cake doughnuts from Schmidt's Bakery, we headed across the town square to our butcher, French's Locker.

Our family has used the same, local butcher for a number of years.  They provide great service to us and to our customers who order the beef directly from us and provide their beef requests to them, the butcher.

And they meet us before the store opens on Saturday mornings......that is saying something after a long week and knowing a bustling Saturday is coming in the butcher shop for those customers that want a successful and tasty afternoon cookout or BBQ. 

We had delivered 4 cows to French's that week and picking them up for our customers who buy the meat directly and for our customers that we sell to at the farmer's market filled up the bed of the truck.  

This is one cow that is custom ordered in various cuts that a customer has ordered or that we sell at the farmer's market for those that may be interested in grass-fed beef.  

After unloading the boxes at the farm and meeting a customer for his delivery, we headed downtown to the Columbus Farmer's Market.  When we arrived to the market it was busy with purchases from loyal customers and questions from potential new customers.  The market is always a great way to educate people about our beef, the agriculture industry and our farm life.

After the market we headed west this time to our favorite date night location, The Brick.  There are a few things to know about this place before you arrive.  

1.  No cursing.

2.  You should be respectful and drink your beer out of a glass.

3.  There are no plates, only parchment paper for your greasy burgers.

Don't go there expecting to smell like roses and sunshine upon your exit.  But do know that you will experience a #GreatAmerican establishment where a date costs 20 bucks and you don't have to talk, just listen to the old-timer stories and the classic country in the background.  

After leaving the Brick, Brett and I headed to the lake where it was peaceful, and I napped as soon as we arrived (remember, I don't do mornings and when I do I need a nap).  

After a nap, two magazines and a 3 mile walk around the lake, I found a summery tray to fit our sort of planned meat and cheese tray that my farmer husband had suggested for our evening, lake-side meal.

It was perfect and delicious with 3 different meats, 4 different kinds of cheese, fresh bread from the market, nuts, some stuffed peppers, fig ham, horseradish sauce and some good 'ole German stone ground mustard.  It wasn't that difficult to put together and the presentation didn't take long.  After our doughnuts, butcher pick-up, the farmer's market, The Brick, our walk and our nap, we were ready for this....for our fancy meal in the country with the mosquitoes biting our ankles.  A perfect Indiana summer night in the life of this farmer's wife and her farmer.  

Oh and just in case you were concerned, I slept in the next morning.