McCreary’s Irish Pub

Another Franklin Adventure

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I think my new motto should be “pet all the cats.” That seems to be whatever I find myself doing whenever I’m anywhere near felines.

I found one lounging outside a small record shop I’ve been meaning to check out in the downtown Franklin area. Unfortunately, the store itself was closed (even though it was still 10 till 6 and the sign said they were open until 6), but the cat was friendly.

From there, I made my way over to McCreary’s Irish Pub, my favorite place to eat in the entire world. I had a most excellent meal of corned beef and cabbage, replete with sweet iced tea (this being the South and all).

I put in a fair amount of walking (and profuse sweating and possibly a touch of wheezing) up and down the sidewalk in the July humidity for which I rewarded myself with some most excellent double peanut butter pie ice cream from Kilwin’s.

I took my usual stroll down my favorite street, fantasizing about what it would be like to win the lottery and to be able to live in one of the houses on this street. Every single house is like something out of Anne of Green Gables combined with a George MacDonald fairy tale.

I ended up with over 17,000 steps. My feet hurt a little, but I’m the good kind of tired. I’m thankful that I’m able to walk that far (and hopefully burn off some of the delicious calories I consumed).

I’m thankful for yet another day that I lived to see and to tell the tale. Never again will I take for granted that privilege that is denied to many. I’ve known way too many who died way too young to still buy the illusion that I’m guaranteed anything beyond today.

Thank you, God, for this life, and forgive me if I don’t love it enough and live it with unending gratitude.

Amen.

A Good Night: Special Wednesday Edition

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“Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

                                       Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse” (Walt Whitman, O Me! O Life!).

I did an abbreviated personal tour of Franklin this evening, hitting up all the usual haunts — McCreary’s Irish Pub, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and Frothy Monkey.

The reason I chose Wednesday for my tour is simple: I had a ticket to a singer-songwriter benefit concert for Preston Taylor Ministries. The main four were Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird, and Lori McKenna.

I was already smitten by the music of Lori McKenna going in to the concert, but I was floored by all of them. These are people who know how to write good songs.

On a side note that has absolutely nothing to do with anything else in this post, I figured out one of the main reasons I can’t abide the current country music scene. Most of the songs are about as authentic as the fake twang that a vast majority of artists in the country music industry seem so fond of these days. I know I’m an old fogey. Get over it.

Still, it’s always a pleasure to witness four of the top songwriters doing what they do best. Generally speaking, I’ve found that it’s always a joy to see any kind of task done well by experts who love what they do, no matter what the field.

That’s what a watching world needs from you. They need to see you doing something that makes you come alive (to borrow from something Howard Thurman said), something that you are uniquely gifted to contribute– your verse to the great ongoing play of history.

 

One of Those Nights

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“When trouble surrounded me, I cried out to the Eternal;
    He answered me and brought me to a wide, open space.
The Eternal is with me,
    so I will not be afraid of anything.
    If God is on my side, how can anyone hurt me?” (Psalm 118:5-6, The Voice).

So here I am at 10:30 with a mild headache and absolutely no idea of what to write about. It happens on occasion. So I supposed I’ll just make stuff up as I go.

It was a good night. I visited my usual favorite places in Franklin: McCreary’s Irish Pub, Kilwin’s, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. I got my 10,000 steps in. I took in all the fresh night air allowed by law and then some.

In St. Paul’s, I set the timer on my phone for 15 minutes of silence. I didn’t check my Facebook feed or any of the NCAA scores. I prayed some and sat in the dark some. It still amazes me how long 15 minutes can seem without some sort of distraction or amusement.

I walked down my favorite street and once again wished I could win the lottery or run into an inheritance so that I could buy one of those old houses. I just love old houses with character. Plus, I’d be so close to all the aforementioned favorite places.

It’s comforting to know that there’s nowhere I can go where God is not already there. There’s nothing that I can confess that He does not already know. There’s no fear or regret that He isn’t already aware of. There’s no future possibility that God can’t turn to my ultimate and lasting good. There’s not a time even in the darkest places and the loneliest times where God does not see and know where I am.

That’s a good thought to end this Saturday night.

 

 

 

Taste of the Goodness of God

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“When I needed the Lord, I looked for Him;
    I called out to Him, and He heard me and responded.
He came and rescued me from everything that made me so afraid.
Look to Him and shine,
    so shame will never contort your faces.
This poor soul cried, and the Eternal heard me.
    He rescued me from my troubles.
The messenger of the Eternal God surrounds
    everyone who walks with Him and is always there to protect and rescue us.
Taste of His goodness; see how wonderful the Eternal truly is.
    Anyone who puts trust in Him will be blessed and comforted.
Revere the Eternal, you His saints,
    for those who worship Him will possess everything important in life.
Young lions may grow tired and hungry,
    but those intent on knowing the Eternal God will have everything they need” (Psalm 34:4-10, The Voice).

He came and rescued me from everything that made me so afraid.

Those were the words I read as I sat in solitary darkness in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on a very autumn-esque Friday evening.

I could not have asked for a better night after a long week of working and not sleeping well. It was refreshing to breathe in the October night air and take in the sights of one of my favorite places to visit.

I managed to hit all my usual haunts– McCreary’s, Kilwin’s, St. Paul’s, and Frothy Monkey. I even took a stroll down my favorite street and donated a few books to the very tiny portable library.

It’s now 10:02 pm and I am pooped. Maybe that means I’m old. At this point, hitting all the clubs and bars until 3 am doesn’t appeal to me in the least. It never has. Not even when I was in my early 20’s.

My most appealing fantasy right now is the thought of being able to turn off the alarm and sleep in tomorrow. No 5:30 am wake-up call, no setting off for work in the dark, and especially no rising before I am good and ready.

So there you go. My life is good, because God is good.

The end.

The Long and Winding Road

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“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to” (Bilbo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings).

I had another good night in Franklin. I hit all the usual places– McCreary’s Irish Pub, Kilwin’s, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. I had to cut it short when it started to rain.

I also had to improvise a bit for my drive home. Franklin Road going north was blocked off for the Pilgrimage Festival, so I tried a new way. More accurately, I started to try a new way and resorted to GPS when my way led me into unfamiliar territory.

When you’re not sure where you are, i.e. lost, nothing feels better than finding a familiar landmark or street.

When I turned on to Berry’s Chapel Road, I knew I was finally heading in the right direction. It was literally the long and winding road that led me back home.

The faith journey often takes us into unfamiliar territory. Usually, God does that to increase both our awareness of dependence on Him and to grow our faith as we discover new aspects to God’s ability to come through in the clutch.

Sometimes, I’ve been guilty of viewing God as my GPS, a sort of last minute back-up plan in case my own way of getting home fails. Too many of us have prayer and God as a last resort after every other effort has failed.

The lesson from tonight is to start off with prayer. It involves less stress in the end. It also will save you from a lot of heartache and disappointment and distractions that your own “short cuts” inevitably lead to.

One other note: I’d have probably done better if it hadn’t been dark and raining. I probably missed a street or two from not being able to see street signs very well. I think sometimes when you’re tired and frustrated, it’s best not to figure things out because you can’t always see everything properly. And definitely hold off on those emails and posts until you’ve had a good night’s sleep. Just FYI.

 

For a Limited Time Only

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puckettsGro

Yes, that’s right. The guided tour is back.

I will be your personal tour guide through the streets of Historic Downtown Franklin. Here’s a brief overview of how a typical tour would go.

mccreary-s-irish-pub

1) We start off at either McCreary’s Irish Pub or Puckett’s for some fine dining (as well as some exquisite people-watching). Those are my two favorite places to eat in Franklin.

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2) We head on over to The Frothy Monkey for iced or hot coffee/tea/chocolate beverages and more people-watching.

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3) From there, we trek over to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where I expound on everything I know about this Civil War-era building (which takes all of two minutes). I recommend finding a nice quiet spot and sitting still for a minute or two. There’s also a lovely courtyard between the church and the old fire station as well as a garden on the side of the building.

friendlycritter

4) We walk around the block to Fair Street, which is currently my favorite street for admiring old houses and catching the ambiance of Franklin (as well as meeting and greeting any friendly critters that cross our path).

5) We can always walk up and down Main Street and gawk at the stores that sell stuff that I can’t afford. I can offer some almost entirely inaccurate historical facts about Franklin, like how Mr. Benjamin Franklin himself founded the Franklin Theatre way back in 1936.

6) I’m open to any further additional whims or ideas you may have. There are additional old church buildings and older homes that are worth seeing (as well as my very favorite house directly behind St. Paul’s on Fair Street).

For a limited time only, I’m offering half-price tours. That’s right. Half-price tours. Of course, half of $0 is still $0. You  can always offer to pick up my dinner and I will offer only mild resistance.

I do think that everyone should see what a perfect slice of small-town Americana looks like at least once in their lifetimes. Preferably on a day when it’s not 110 degrees in the shade. If you are really and truly interested, please reply to this blog or hit me up on my facebook page.

Lucy the Wonder Cat appreciates your business. And mine.

 

Generic Blog #1,814

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franklincat

I couldn’t really think of a clever title, so I went with what you see above. Not my finest moment ever, but it’s better than having an Untitled Blog.

I made my usual trek to downtown Franklin. I visited all my usual haunts– McCreary’s Irish Pub, The Frothy Monkey, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (or as I like to refer to them, the perfect trifecta).

I deviated a bit from the usual routine. I decided to explore the street that has my favorite house in the world, Fair Street. I stopped over at the garden area of St. Paul’s and took a picture of their St. Francis statue. I don’t know why I like his statues so much. Maybe it’s that I too am a fan of all creatures great and small.

It was a bit like that scene from the movie Forrest Gump, only instead of running I was walking (although in the thick Middle Tennessee humidity I probably sweated the same amount).

I walked up to the end of Fair Street, cut over on 11th Avenue South, and continued up West Main Street all the way to Big Shakes Chicken and Fish. I don’t know how far that is in terms of mileage, but it felt like at least a mile and a half, maybe two.

I met a friendly grey cat who was very social and liked very much to be petted. For a brief moment, I considered abducting said cat and bringing him (or her) home. I’m sure the owner(s) would not have been pleased.

I saw several houses where I could be very comfortable (including one fixer-upper opportunity that would probably require someone more handy than me). I sweated a lot.

I met a few people actually out in their yards or sitting on their front porches. I waved and they waved back. We exchanged pleasantries. It was so Mayberry.

I think I’m over any desire to live in a big fancy house with all the amenities. I’d be very happy in a small cottage with a front porch and a small yard. And maybe a statue of St. Francis in there somewhere.

franklinhouse

Summer Nights in Franklin

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“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19, The Message).

I love those summer nights, partly because of that song from the movie Grease and partly because that’s when the humidity becomes slightly more bearable. Plus, there’s something about the nocturnal breezes that stirs up a multitude of memories for me.

I visited all my usual Franklin places– McCreary’s Irish Pub, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and the Frothy Monkey. I walked up and down Main Street and noted that there were three houses for sale, though one has a contract pending.

It was about being in the moment, not anxiously obsessing over an unknown future and possible scenarios that may or may not come to pass. I remembered that God’s love, while it is omnipresent, can only be experienced in the present. I can’t plumb its depths or rise to its heights if I am dwelling on the past or focused on the future. Especially not if my head is buried nonstop in my smart phone.

God knows the future, because He’s already there. It’s not like anything that happens to me is going to take Him by surprise. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the plans He has for me, and that they are good plans. I can trust not only those plans but also the Planner with full confidence.

I still prefer autumn. With the way I sweat in all this humidity, I’m sure everybody around me prefers it, too.

 

An Aborted Night in Franklin

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rain

First of all, my tour of duty as dog-sitter has ended. At least part one has. Part two is next week.

It was a lot of fun and I met some interesting neighbors and their even more interesting pets, including one Golden Retriever who likes to carry her favorite tennis ball in her mouth when she goes on a walk and two very tiny Yorkies. And the people were nice, too. Everybody seemed to love Millie, the dog I was taking care of and they all wanted to pet her and talk to her.

My cat Lucy was so overjoyed to see me that she climbed in my lap and fell asleep. Apparently, that’s how she does excitement. But at least she purrs whenever she sees me. Unless her food and/or water bowls are empty. Then not so much.

Of course, to celebrate another week survived I went to Franklin. Unfortunately, the weather got a bit snippy so I didn’t stay as long as normal. There were the torrential rains and the thunder that sounded like cannons. There was me in my increasingly wet sandals. That was not a good combination.

The good news is that I did not melt and I did eventually dry off. I got my McCreary’s fix and even got to visit my favorite  church building. There was even a lull in the rain, so I was able to walk around a bit.

The older I get, the more I think that the riches that really count are the experiences you get from living, from going out and trying new things and taking risks and sometimes from simple things like walking in the rain. Those are what you look back on with fondness more than any degrees or business accomplishments.

There. That’s my big moral of the day. Nothing too philosophical or theological. Just some stuff I’ve been learning lately.

 

 

 

 

A Small Sign

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image

I went to downtown Franklin for the Main Street Festival. I visited all my usual haunts: McCreary’s Irish Pub, Frothy Monkey, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

While in my favorite church, I prayed that God would lead me to the person or people I needed to see that night. Or something like that. I don’t remember exactly. I prayed I would see at least one familiar face that night.

I did. Toward the end, I ran into a friend I haven’t seen in a while. It was a short conversation, but it was a good reminder: God hasn’t forgotten me yet.

It’s funny how God sends little signs like that all the time. I confess that most of the time I miss these little signs in my quest to find the ultimate sign from God.

But God is always patient with me, more so than I deserve. There’s a verse in 1 Timothy, I think, that says that if we are faithless, God will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.

I’ve claimed that verse many times for myself when I felt faithless or just full of doubts and fear. And never once has God proved to be anything less than 100% faithful to His promises to me. Oh, and to me, too.