The weather was warm. Again. Coming from the super-dry Colorado air, Missouri’s humidity hit me harder than it used to, and by the second or third mile of the race, I’d already sweat more than I do in Colorado after running twice as far or more. The wind was strong, I was allergic to just about everything in the air, and I’d only been able to sleep for 1.5 hours the night before.

It was a recipe for a ugly race.

Still going strong at around Mile 7

By mile 8 I had IT band issues for the first time in my life. I ran, walked and limped my way through the last five miles of the race, determined not to stop short of the finish line. I was slower than I’d expected to be, but managed to beat my very first half marathon time despite my leg and knee pain.

Thank you SO much to Dr. Craig and the other medical staff and physical therapists who supported GO! St. Louis. I could barely walk by the time I reached the med tents, but after support from the PTs at the finish area, I was able to get through the St. Louis airport that evening, limping with my suitcase onto my flight.

Post-race with taped-up knee

Also, congratulations to the GO! St. Louis race organizers for yet another well-organized race. I’ve run their 5K (2009), their Halloween 10K (2010), and their Half Marathon (2011 & 2012), and have been impressed by the overall race experience at each event. The organizers make safety a priority, provide good post-race water and snacks, engage the community in fitness and health, and even manage to provide consistently cool finisher medals and race shirts.

L-R: Little Sister (Fuji), Big Sister (Nikon)

In Missouri, I did a significant amount of freelance writing and photography work for other blogs, and also for local and state-wide print publications. While my eye was strong enough to be hired as a second shooter on professional magazine shoots, I quickly learned that my camera was not.

I found that while my Fuji technically had the capability to the basics I needed it to, it was too slow to shoot RAW images quickly, and that its low-light capabilities (it didn’t have the ability to add external flash) were rotten. I realized then that if I wanted to continue to improve my photography, I would need to invest in better equipment — beginning with a better camera.

Smalltowngirl's Growing Family

The old Fuji has sentimental value to me: I bought the Fuji in 2006 on Camera Street in Hong Kong while participating in a year-long Asian fellowship program, and it was my first big purchase after finishing graduate school. I’ll hold onto it for the sentiment and as a backup camera, but the Nikon is my new baby. I can’t wait to start taking photo walks with it, but I admit – the new camera makes me miss my old favorite subject matters; St. Louis and rural Missouri.

I didn’t have to know him personally to hurt for his brother, who reached out to me when I moved from New York City to Small Town Missouri in 2009 and was a good friend to me. I didn’t have to be close with him to wonder how a family endures a tragedy of this proportion twice in a little over a decade.

So was I close friends with him? No. But because I grew up in a small town, I don’t have to know someone intimately to feel that their passing is a tragic loss to a community that – at one time – was the only community I knew. He didn’t have to be a close friend for me to realize the impact that he had on the lives of other people I’ve known and been close to at various times in my childhood and young adult life.

My thoughts and prayers go out to people from my hometown who are mourning today. Our paths may not have crossed in months or years, but they’re still part of my home town and my childhood, and I so wish that they didn’t have to hurt right now.

Farmington Fall Fest 2009, Photo by MilligFunk

Guest Post by Jody McDowell

The annual Farmington Fall Festival is happening downtown this Saturday, the 24th, from 9:00 to 3:00. West Columbia street will be lined with festive booths featuring handmade arts and crafts from local artists, and delicious eats.

Downtown Farmington, Missouri, Photo by MilliGFunk, 2009

There is sure to be something for everyone! Animal lovers can attend Pet Fest at the courthouse square at 11:00, sponsored every year by First State Community Bank. Music fans will be in for a treat all day with live performances at Bauhaus Kaffee from 9:00 to 11:00, and The Vault is hosting more music in front of Long Memorial Hall from 11:30 to 3:00. Kids can hang out with special guest Diego and participate in activities by Parents as Teachers and the Farmington Public Library. Throw in a quilt show, sidewalk sales from some of your favorite downtown businesses, beautiful Missouri fall weather, and you get small town charm at it’s finest. Hope to see you there!

***

Jody Mcdowell is a crafter and artist from Farmington, Missouri with a passion for photography, local history, and treasure hunting for vintage supplies. Learn more by visiting her blog and Etsy shop, Peach Parlor.

Shryocks Callaway Farms Corn Maze, photo credit: Brie Romere

Guest post by Brie Romere

I hail from the 4th largest city in America, so it may seem strange for me to write about small town living. There’s more than meets the eye though.

I grew up with my father in Houston, but split my time with my mother who lives in rural East Texas. I always felt like a half-bred country girl. I was intrigued how there was no mall or movie theater. We did our Christmas shopping at the local Wal-Mart (that wasn’t very super) and appreciated everything we had.

I went the University of Missouri; a college “somewhere up north” according to most of my Texas friends and family. Columbia, Missouri is a larger, small town, but most of the population revolves around the university. The rest of Columbia is surrounded by farm lands and Missouri wine vineyards.

One of my favorite experiences while living in small town Missouri was going to the Shryocks Callaway Farms Corn Maze, run for generations by one family. That was the best Halloween in the four years I attended Mizzou – good ol’ fashion fun in a corn field. Shryocks Callaway Farms Corn Maze has a theme each year, and this year’s is celebrating their Grandma’s 90th birthday (see their incredible maze designs here).

Although I’m back in the big city of Houston, I will always cherish the times I spent in rural communities. They taught me to appreciate (and not sweat) the small stuff, how to easily entertain myself, and how to value the loved ones around me.

Brie Romere

Brie Romere is a New Media Account Executive for a digital media agency in Houston, Texas. Prior to her move back to Houston, she worked for YMCA Trout Lodge and Camp Lakewood as a Graphic Designer and was later the Marketing Director for the Downtown St. Louis YMCA. Learn more by visiting her LinkedIn profile.

Grace in Small Things

Little things that rock about early springtime in Small Town Missouri:

1. Fresh air coming in through open car, office or home windows.

2. Spring rains pounding down on the metal roof of my cabin in the woods.

3. Yellow daffodils dotting the sides of country highways.

4. The fluffy blossoms of Bradford pear trees.

5. Longer, sunnier days.

]]> http://smalltowngirlsguide.com/2011/grace-in-small-things-gist-442011/feed/ 0 http://smalltowngirlsguide.com/2011/3310/ http://smalltowngirlsguide.com/2011/3310/#comments Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:51:53 +0000 MilliGFunk http://smalltowngirlsguide.com/?p=3310

I think it’s fair to say that the average person would assume life in Brooklyn to be far more thrilling and way more dangerous than life in a Missouri town of just over 2,500 people.  On the average day in said tiny Missouri town, the average person’s assumption might be accurate.

Today, however, was no average day.

***

Today was the first day of the month. Today was also April Fool’s Day. And today, I attempted to go to the local Wal-Mart Supercenter mid-day instead of going to Wal-Mart at my usual 10:00 p.m (or later).

My first near-miss was the tall, skinny gentleman with the little boy, walking European-like on the wrong side of the aisle. As I approached, they were walking in the center of the aisle, but as I got closer to them, they suddenly veered directly in front of me.

I’ve heard stories of deer doing this when they see headlights. Once the deer has already crossed the rural highway, it sees headlights over its shoulder, freaks out, does a 180, and leaps directly into the trajectory of the giant hunk of metal hurling itself down the highway.

Evolution eliminates the dumbest animals. If only shopping carts did the same.

My second near-miss were the two pre-teen girls who did exactly the same thing! They darted in front of my cart, ducked into the aisle to my immediate right, and slid around me as the resumed their original path.

It occurred to me that these girls were either not very smart or not aiming for efficiency.

I  paid for my things and exited the store. I used the pedestrian cross-walk to move from the building to the row where my car was parked. I noticed that a car coming down the row was beginning to move faster.

The closer I got to the intersection, the more the older lady in the red Chrysler accelerated. The woman drove out of her lane and through a parking spot, accelerating as we approached me. She whizzed past me, an arm’s length or less away, as she ran the stop sign and drove into the cross walk.

She had nearly run me over.

Annoyed, I huffed and puffed to my car, anxious to get safely to the comforts of Rosie and our cozy little cabin. I pulled out of my parking spot and headed down the row just in time for a 20-something boy to come remarkably close to ripping off the front of my car as he cut across my lane to make a left-hand turn into my row.

***

I think it’s fair to say that the average person would assume life in Brooklyn to be far more thrilling and way more dangerous than life in a Missouri town of just over 2,500 people.  On the average day in said tiny Missouri town, the average person’s assumption might be accurate.

Today, however, was no average day.

Grace in Small Things

There’s always plenty to be thankful for, though lately I keep coming back to the same things; solid employment, great friends and loving family. This week I want to push myself to find grace in things that are specific to where I am at this specific point in my life; right now, this week, on this day.

1. Flannel.

Yep. I’m admitting it. I really like flannel. Flannel is soft and warm and cozy on cold March nights when – against all odds – there is still snow falling from the Missouri sky.

2. Laughter.

My laugh tends to be very quiet, and because I’m usually so serious. I love to laugh though, and it’s wonderful to connect with people whose senses of humor compliment my own. Luckily for me, I have a handful of those folks in my life right now, and I SO appreciate the happiness that comes when we laugh together.

3. Running.

I really enjoy the freedom of running. I like the feeling of competence, knowing that I can run more than ten miles. What a great thing to have a body that’s healthy enough that I can train it to tackle such distances! Good health isn’t a “small” thing, but it’s one I probably don’t consciously feel thankful for often enough.

4. My Physical Therapists.

Crystal, Todd, Theresa, Karen, Bobby and the rest of the gang at Pro Rehab in Farmington, Missouri, have been amazing to me over the last six weeks of physical therapy. I’m frustrated at how slowly my foot injury is healing, but each time I arrive at the clinic, the combination of their caring professionalism and their personable outgoingness make my appointments a lot easier to manage. Even in the beginning when the pain was intense, the staff kept me positive and smiling. I’m so thankful that my foot is in such good hands as I recover.

5. Bread crumbs.

Sometimes you find (figurative) bread crumbs in your life that lead you down good paths. The bread crumbs themselves may seem small, but when you have the patience to pick enough of them up, they can lead you to great places. I’m really thankful for one specific path of bread crumbs I’ve been picking up for the last few months.

As you begin your new week, what little things are you thankful for?

Today’s the day that I admit to you that I do have a small list of must-dos and must-sees, must-eats and must-drinks while I’m calling Missouri my home. One of the things on my Missouri Bucket List is to ride the entire length of the 225-mile Katy Trail.

A few weeks ago I traveled through several small Missouri towns, including Marthasville, Dutzow and Wright City. En route, I passed a trailhead for the Katy Trail that I thought was worth a closer look.

Katy Trail State Park

Rosie (my dog) and I pulled into the Katy Trail State Park parking area and got out to explore the trail head. An old train caboose converted into an ice cream shop had been parked permanently beside the bike route. The ice cream shop was called the KT Caboose, and unfortunately it was closed for the seasons during my early-January visit.

I knew that there were towns along the Katy Trail that were home to bed & breakfasts and wineries, but no one told me there was ice cream along the path. As if I weren’t already sold on the idea of biking the Katy Trail, I certainly was now.

The KT Trail Caboose

For more information about the Katy Trail and the many small Missouri towns, shops, wineries and B&Bs along it’s 225 miles of trails, visit the Katy Trail website.

Have you ridden any portion of the Katy Trail? What part have you ridden? Would you ever consider doing something like a multi-day bicycle trip? I’m curious to hear your thoughts!

Latte, photo taken with my iPhone4

Thursday was my last vacation day of the 2010 work year, and I spent the majority of it in Fredericktown, Missouri. After a visit to the family farm where I had a photo shoot for a story in a Missouri magazine about A Small Town Girl’s Guide and my family’s history here in Missouri, I made my way to Cowboy Coffee for wireless and a cup of coffee.

Entrance to Cowboy Coffee

Cowboy Coffee is on the main street in town, just off of Fredericktown’s historic Court House square. The shop has a very standard small town storefront, and its windows are filled with farm antiques and cowboy memorabilia.

Just inside the front doors sit a well-worn armchair and couch. A small section of plaster has fallen from the wall, revealing red brick and wooden beams underneath.

Abacus, photo taken with my iPhone4

Conversation is charmingly predictable; broaching topics like this week’s East Coast blizzard and gossip about local townspeople. The tables and chairs are mismatched and rustic, making the shop feel like an ambiguous blend of grandma’s supper table, a thrift store, and the home of an antique collector.

The coffee is surprisingly good, and my “short” latte was served in a mug that must have been at least 14 ounces.  I paid less than $4.00 for this humongous latte and an icing-covered cinnamon roll. Not a bad bang for the buck, in this small town girl’s humble opinion.

The folks working in the shop seem to know no strangers. Even people walking into the shop said hello to me as if they knew me personally. On a whole, it’s been a comfortable place to sit, have a meal, enjoy some coffee and get a little bit of work done.  If you’re in Fredericktown, Missouri and craving a cup of coffee, give this little locally-owned business a try.

***

Cowboy Coffee is located at 125 East Main Street in Fredericktown, Missouri.