The Frothy Monkey

For a Limited Time Only

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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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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.

 

Downtown Franklin Recommendations

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I may have mentioned it a time or two, but I love me some Historic Downtown Franklin. I could very easily see myself living there (or some place very nearby). In fact, I have offered my services as a (very) unofficial tour guide of all my favorite places. In case you can’t afford my exorbitant fees, here’s a list of some of the places I love to visit when I’m there.

1) McCreary’s Irish Pub: I list it first because it’s my favorite. It’s a small place, but I love the vibe. Also, the people who work there are fantastic and will make you feel like you’re at home. I recommend just about everything on the menu.

2) Frothy Monkey: It’s a hip and trendy place to hang out in your North Face jacket with your MacBook sipping on hip and trendy beverages. I almost feel hip and trendy myself when I’m there. When the weather’s good, the best place to be is outside on their upstairs patio or on their front porch.

3) St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: It’s open 24/7 and makes for a good place to go and pray or meditate or just be still for a few moments. If you’re quiet long enough, you can almost hear the ghosts of old parishioners walking up and down on the old creaky floorboards.

4) The Franklin Tea Room: I just discovered this little gem of a place. It’s a great place to have tea and read a good book. I chose cinnamon spice tea and The Great Gatsby. It does close early, so go there first thing.

5) Franklin Theatre: It’s a beautifully restored old movie theater where you can still catch a classic movie (or a more recent one), hear a concert, or see a live stage play. I always try to see at least one Christmas movie there during December.

There are lots more places to check out, like Grey’s on Main or Puckett’s. There’s even St. Philip’s Catholic Church that has a breath-taking old chapel that used to be the main sanctuary. I recommend walking up and down Main Street, taking in a few of the antique stores, satisfying your sweet tooth at Sweet CeCe’s, and (most importantly) bringing your camera to take lots of scenic pics.

There may or may not be a sequel to this blog. I haven’t decided yet. I think I’ll need to put in some more research first.

Friends, Frothy Monkey, and Franklin

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A lady I work with remarked that the only good cats were dead ones. Obviously, she’s not a fan of cats. Lord, forgive them for they know not what they’re missin’.

I had another great night in downtown Franklin. I had a spectacular roast beef and provolone sandwich at my very favorite place to eat on Earth, which as you should know by now is McCreary’s Irish Pub. Seeing as I chose to eat at the optimal senior citizen dining time of 4:30 pm, I got prime seating on the patio on a picturesque Autumn afternoon.

Later, I ran into one of my favorite friends who always makes my heart happy when I see her and never fails to encourage me and make me smile. She and her dad were headed over to Sweet CeCe’s for some fro-yo (that is frozen yogurt for the novices out there). I recommended the pumpkin pie flavor, which is exceedingly delightful.

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I had a sweet potato pie latte at Frothy Monkey and sat on the patio while I sipped my little cup of heaven and reveled in just how very blessed I am. If I counted all my blessings, I’d easily surpass the 1,500 I came up with in my Things I Love series. I’d lose count before I ran out of blessings.

I got treated to an organ concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Well, it was more like the organ dude practicing and me showing up at the right time. I prayed a bit, sat still and silent for a bit, and just tried to be in the moment. A girl sat directly across from me, deep in prayer. I still don’t know who she was or what burdens she carried, but I did my best to intercede for her and agree with her in prayer for whatever she was asking from God. It felt like genuine New Testament Church.

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I had ol’ Hank Williams (Sr., not Jr.) providing the soundtrack to my ride home. With the windows down and the volume cranked up. It was magical.

Now I’m sitting here typing this on my iPad while my cat reposes in my lap. To many people’s great and lasting disappointment, she’s not dead. Only very sleepy. Probably dreaming of tuna again.

 

Things I Love 14: Back to Life, Back to Reality

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OK, I confess. I’ve slacked off from reading the book that I said was so amazing, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It’s still amazing, but I’ve been distracted from reading by a multitude of things, mostly involving my ADD. So I do plan to resume reading the book at some point, but I continue with the list currently, starting at #322.

322) Those of you who are old enough now have that song by Soul II Soul stuck in your head, thanks to my oh-so-clever subtitle.

323) Grabbing coffee with friends at the multiple coffee locations around town (and I would love to meet any of you for coffee and conversation, preferably at The Frothy Monkey or The Well, but Starbucks works just as well).

324) When the Word of God comes alive to me and speaks to my life in powerful ways.

325) Fellow cat-lovers who understand that cats aren’t dogs, but can be very loving in their own ways.

326) Finally being able to speak the truth in love and not have the co-dependent, approval-addicted part of me worried sick about losing the friend.

327) Orange popsicles.

328) Still getting a kick out of trying to type out a word and accidentally typing the word “poop.”

329) The people who get my weirdness and love me anyway.

330) The honesty and vulnerability of the teaching pastor at Kairos, Mike Glenn.

331) Singing along with Stevie Wonder in the car (well, not actually Stevie Wonder, but his songs).

332) That Stevie Wonder is not driving the car while I’m listening to his music in my car.

333) I’m officially 1/3 of the way through my list of 1,000 things I love.

334) Really small Bibles.

335) God loving me when I’m most selfish and petty and whiny.

336) When friends have every right to write me off, but choose to give me grace instead.

337) Recognizing a thought for the lie that it is and taking it captive through the power of Christ in me.

338) One-hit wonders from the 90’s.

339) The Cheesecake Factory.

340) The Mall at Green Hills (even though parking there is a nightmare).

341) Because of Jesus goodbyes are only temporary.

342) Feeling God’s pleasure over me when I run.

343) Learning more about Jesus from faith-traditions that are different than mine.

344) The spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A.

345) The steak bowl from Chipotle with Smoked Chipotle Tobasco sauce on it (to add a little extra kick to the flavor).

346) Food in general.

347) My $5 polarized sunglasses from Savannah, Georgia that I still somehow have not managed to lose yet.

348) Being able to use the suffering and hardship in my own life to help someone else who’s going through something similar.

349) Little baby shoes. Even though I don’t have kids yet, I love how they can make boots and sandals and tennis shoes so small.

350) That I’m now going to start calling my tennis shoes “tenny runners” just to be different.

A Great Night

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I had a fantastic night.

It started off in downtown Franklin, where I went to see a friend play at Merridee’s. I had my dinner at McCreary’s Irish Pub, just because it’s my favorite place in the world to eat. I followed that with my usual trip to The Frothy Monkey for the last White Monkey Mocha they had. Talk about divine timing.

The guy I went to see, Travis Hunter-Brown, was fantastic. I suggest you go to iTunes and check out some of his music. 

Speaking of divine, I ran into a friend of mine. He introduced me to this guy who obviously had the gift of prayer and who prayed over me exactly what I needed. It was uncanny. No, it was a divine appointment. I was meant to be there exactly at that time to receive that blessing.

From there, I ventured out to Centennial Park, where I had a great time swing dancing, especially with one good friend of mine. We even tried a slow dance song where neither one of us knew what we were doing, but had fun anyway.

I don’t know what will happen next. I do know that I love what God is doing in me. I love seeing his fingerprints all over my life and seeing the old wounded places finally starting to heal.

C.S. Lewis got it right when he said a joy isn’t fully complete until it is remembered. I realize just what a fantastic night I had and how much more blessed I am than I could ever hope to deserve. Of course, I could say that about any other night in my life, whether it went how I wanted it to or not.

And to my friend (if she is reading this), hopefully we will get a better picture of us in better lighting one day. Maybe in downtown Franklin. 

 

Things I Love Part 2: The Most Unimaginative Blog Sequel Title Ever

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In continuation of a blog I wrote earlier called “Things I Love,” I present you with the horribly titled follow-up called ‘Things I Love Part 2.” I think I stopped with #32 so I’ll start with #33. How very creative of me.

33) Being able to enjoy moments and relationships for what they are and not constantly worrying about what they may or may not become in the future.

34) The smell of freshly-cut grass on a Saturday.

35) Candles and potporri around the Christmas season that always make me remember my childhood and relatives who are no longer with us.

36) Really old books that have that musty smell and have worn covers from being read so much.

37) When a plan comes together, like on the A-Team.

38) Being able to rejoice for my friends when they finally find their true loves.

39) The feel of soft grass on my bare feet at night.

40) Unexpected and encouraging texts from family and friends (all the more since my love language is words of affirmation).

41) My nephews and my niece.

42) Sand volleyball with good friends on a Sunday night.

43) Knowing deep down that I am forgiven and free from any condemnation.

44) Watching my cat curled up in my lap and sleeping soundly.

45) Any episode at any point from the TV show Friends.

46) Actually stopping and smelling the roses wherever I find them.

47) Knowing that in a world of constant change and turmoil Jesus Christ is truly the same yesterday, today, and forever.

48) Audrey Hepburn.

49) Singing a favorite song and turning on the radio to find the same song playing in the spot where I was just singing.

50) Being able to encourage a friend with just the right words whether through text or in person.

51) Breathing in the crisp cold air on an idyllic autumn day.

52) Bonfires and hotdogs and smores on a chilly autumn night.

53) Sitting on the patio of The Frothy Monkey in downtown Franklin, sipping on a White Monkey Mocha, and watching people all around me engaged in all sorts of conversations.

54) A good hike around Radner Lake.

55) The salty smell of ocean air when I’m near the beach.

More Things I’m Thankful For

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If I took the time to focus on what I have instead of what I lack, I’d be so much better off. I really do have so much that I take for granted and what I think I need probably won’t even matter to me in five years– or five months.

So here’s another list of things I’m grateful for:

1) Beautiful Spring nights where the air has a hint of people grilling out.

2) Baseball games where the home team wins.

3) Good friends to share the night and the game with.

4) Another day to be alive.

5) That God is still in me and with me and for me.

6) Driving home with the windows down and good music playing loud.

7) That God’s future for me is so much bigger and wilder and more amazing than my little mind can yet imagine or conceive.

8) Friends who show grace instead of judgment and give second chances instead of shutting me out.

9) For those moments of serendipity when I run into friends old and new and remember how blessed I am to have them in my life.

10) For Sweet CeCe’s and more specifically their flavor, Southern Sweet Velvet (formerly known as Red Velvet).

11) For that amazing gluten-free chocolate chip cookie that I had last night at The Frothy Monkey.

12) That I’ve lost 31 pounds despite eating the above foods.

13) That I’m actually in better shape than I was when I was in high school.

14) That I care less what other people think of me and much more of what God thinks of me.

15) That my Abba Father is still very fond of me and still chooses to call me his Beloved.

16) For therapy sessions with my cat Lucy sleeping in my lap.

17) That there is absolutely nothing that will separate me from God’s love, nothing he hasn’t overcome by the cross, and nothing that he can turn into something beautiful and glorious.

 

9) For good coffee drinks and friends to share it with.

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