Betty's Journal (Piper Anderson Bonus Material) (The Piper Anderson Series) Read online

  Betty’s Journal

  Danielle Stewart

  Copyright Page

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locals or organizations is entirely coincidental

  An Original work of Danielle Stewart

  Betty’s Journal Copyright 2014 by Danielle Stewart

  Cover Art by: Ginny Gallagher

  Website: Ginsbooknotes

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  Dedication

  To all the Bettys of the world who know sometimes humor and straight talk go hand in hand and believe unconditional love is more powerful than any obstacle.

  Table of Contents

  April 14th

  April 15th

  May 18th

  May 30th

  June 15th

  June 30th

  Did you enjoy Betty’s Journal? You can see where it all started with Chasing Justice

  April 14th

  When you hold your baby girl in your arms and you dream about her future, you don’t account for the mistakes she might make. You don’t assume that the road she takes might be winding or that she might stray off of it completely. You don’t realize in that moment that she might break your heart hundreds of times. All you know, as you rock her late into the night, is that you love her.

  But today when I saw my daughter wed, I felt like I was finally watching her meet her destiny. That’s not to say her life from here on won’t have trials. But now Jules has a husband, a partner, to face them with.

  This day isn’t at all like I had envisioned it, but still I’m delighted. I didn’t think my child would be just about to deliver her own baby on her wedding day. I didn’t think her dress would have to be altered and then altered some more to account for her ever-growing belly. But she looked stunning all the same.

  I also had always imagined my husband Stan would lock arms with my daughter at the head of an aisle of a big church and march her down to her groom. But none of that happened.

  No Church. Instead we were outside, but in my eyes it was still a place of God. We all sat before an arch, and all done up with flowers near an old twisted oak. It was more beautiful than any church I’ve ever sat in. The man giving my daughter away, though not Stan, was still a man I love.

  Bobby’s arm linked hers lovingly as they walked down towards us, and it was like life coming full circle. There was a time not so long ago I thought Bobby might be her groom. That he would be the one Stan would be handing her off to someday. But now I realize this is exactly how it was meant to happen. Bobby was put in our life for a reason and this was it. I can’t think of a better man in the world to escort my daughter to her future.

  I also never imagined the man she would marry would be considered an agnostic at best, though I’m learning God is not always found in the walls of a church or in the heart of a religious person. Sometimes it’s enough just to be able to watch someone grow, to see the blossoming of love in his heart. That’s enough to tell me he is a worthy man. Michael is kind to my daughter, patient even when I cannot muster the serenity to put up with her. He is made for my daughter solely by the fact that he finds her stubbornness charming.

  And, finally, I never imagined the woman standing up with my daughter, as her Maid of Honor, would be a person so weathered by the world she almost didn’t survive. If you’da asked me if someone could come back from all she’d been through, I’da told you it wasn’t likely. I watched Piper looking over at Bobby, the man she loves, and it warmed my heart. Knowing she’s there for my daughter through thick and thin gives me peace.

  When Stan died I believed I would find a way to go on, to exist without him. But I didn’t truly believe I would find happiness, or at least not to the level I had when he was alive. But I feel as though I am on the verge of it. I sat watching this wedding take place in front of me and then suddenly a hand slipped into mine. Clay has changed me, even before I knew I needed it. Our plan to start our own restaurant has given me new purpose in my life. More than that though, he regularly keeps me in check. When I find myself on the verge of losing my cool, I feel his hand on my shoulder and I take an extra minute to think before I speak. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it means to the world to me that he tries.

  I am thoroughly exhausted now as Clay and I sit here in bed. I had two jobs at this wedding. One was to make sure I didn’t blubber so loudly during the ceremony that people couldn’t hear what was going on. I’m not sure I held up my end of the bargain there. The second job was to fill some bellies. Clay and I were in charge of the food, as always, and happily so. With Jedda’s help we prepared traditional Southern fare and fixin’s. With the whole wedding being a surprise to the bride and groom, a trend I’m sure will be catching on soon, I had to think of what food they would like best. I surprised her with Carolina style beef brisket, corn on the cob, baked beans, and some of her other favorites. I’m tucking the recipes in here, just in case one day she decides to learn to cook a decent meal. These books will be hers someday, and though she may not like all my life lessons, I know she liked my cooking. This is not food you’d normally eat while sitting in a formal gown, but hell, that’s what they make napkins for.

  As the sun set over the large white tent making up a reception area, I looked at my handiwork. Empty plates all around. I realize if God put me here on Earth for anything, it might very well be this. Making people so content that anything they might be worried over disappears for a little while.

  Though the night ended with an unwelcomed guest and some excitement, I know that is not what we will remember when we look back. No, this isn’t how I imagined this day would be all those years ago when I rocked my daughter in my arms. It was more exciting, more emotional, it was more everything. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  The Stunning Bride (from the belly up at her request of course)

  Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cooper’s Wedding Feast

  Mint Julep

  Prep time 10-minutes

  Cook time 5 minutes

  Servings: 1

  Mix 2-4 Tablespoons Bourbon with 1 Tablespoon of Mint Syrup. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve over crushed ice.

  (You should taste test at least two of these to make sure they are potent enough! No one likes a weak drink.)

  Mint Syrup

  Prep 5 minutes

  Servings: 48

  1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh mint, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; cover and cool completely. Pour mixture through a wire strainer into a bowl; cover and chill thoroughly. Makes 3 cups.

  Fresh Lemonade

  Prep time 10 minutes

  Servings: 8

  (Perfect for any bride who may
not be able to partake in the mint julep at her own wedding. That’s not a judgment, just an observation)

  1 ½ cups sugar, ½ cup boiling water, 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons), 5 cups cold water. Combine sugar and boiling water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and cold water; stir well. Cover and chill. Serve over ice.

  Beef Brisket

  Prep 30 minutes

  Cook 6 1/2 hours

  Servings: 12

  1 6-7 lb boneless beef brisket

  3 teaspoons paprika

  1 teaspoon white pepper

  11x9 inch roasting pan

  1 cup of water

  Hickory chunks

  Sprinkle brisket with paprika and pepper; rub over surface of roast. Don’t be stingy about this. Roll up your sleeves and really get in there. Pretend you’re giving that thing a massage. Put roast in pan. Pour in a cup of water and cover with aluminum foil. Soak hickory chunks in water for 30 minutes. (Don’t be impatient and try to skimp on the time trust me.) Then drain. Wrap chunks in foil, and make several holes in foil. Light your grill (Let Michael do this, I’ve seen you with the grill, it’s not pretty). Place foil wrapped chunks directly on hot coals. Let grill preheat for 10 minutes. Place pan with brisket on rack above the hot coals. Smoke 6 hours until tender. Turn brisket every hour, adding additional water if needed. (But don’t keep opening the thing to peek. It’s fine, let it be.) Remove brisket from pan, reserving 1 cup of drippings to make sauce (Don’t forget this, I used to always forget). Coat grill with vegetable oil cooking spray; place rack over hot coals. Place brisket on rack; grill, covered with grill lid for 10-15 minutes for each side. Slice brisket diagonally against the grain into thin slices. (Doesn’t sound like a big deal? It is.) Mix with sauce you’ve made. (If I see you buying a jar of barbecue sauce, I’ll disown you.)

  Strawberry Spinach Salad

  (Because apparently people are vegetarians now and we’re required to feed them.)

  2 tablespoons sesame seeds

  1 tablespoon poppy seeds

  3/4 cup sugar

  1/2 cup olive oil (a good one, not the cheap one)

  1/4 cup white vinegar

  1 tablespoon minced (like real small) onion

  10 ounces fresh spinach (Mary Olivares grows the best I’ve ever tasted if she’ll spare some from her garden)

  1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced

  1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered (optional –but don’t cut corners you can tell the difference.)

  In a bowl (I use my big orange one) whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and onion. Cover, and chill for two hours. Combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss.

  Down Home Cornbread (Great-Grandma’s)

  Prep 10 minutes

  Cook 25 minutes

  Servings: 10

  1 ½ cups cornmeal

  ¼ cup all purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 large egg

  2 cups buttermilk

  1 cup of cracklings (That bacon stuff I showed you how to make)

  Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them up good. Then add egg and buttermilk. Don’t beat it to death, you just need them combined. Stir in cracklings. Here is the key, heat the skillet in a hot oven for five minutes before you do anything. Then pour batter into the heated, well greased (If you miss a spot it will stick) 10-inch cast iron skillet. Stick the skillet in a 450 degree oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

  Grilled Corn

  Prep 12 minutes

  Cook 20 minutes

  Servings: 6

  6 fresh ears of corn

  1/2 cup of butter melted

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon pepper

  Remove and discard husks and silks from corn. (Make sure they are good and clean.) Brush corn with melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each ear with foil. (Make it tight) Grill over medium coals. 15- 20 minutes, (They’ll be hotter than two bunnies in a wool sack)

  Baked Beans

  (Your Pop-Pop’s Recipe)

  Prep 20 minutes

  Soak 8 hours

  Cook 4 hours

  Servings: 10

  1 pound dried navy beans

  2 quarts of water

  1 small ham hock

  1 bay leaf

  1 large onion, chopped

  1 small green pepper, chopped

  2 cups ketchup

  8 ounces tomato sauce

  1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

  3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  2 Tablespoons molasses

  1 tablespoon mustard

  Sort and rinse beans; place beans in a Dutch oven. Cover with water. (All the way.) Let soak over night. Drain and rinse. Add 2 quarts of fresh water, ham hock, and bay leaf.

  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours. Drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Discard bay leaf. Remove ham from bone, and chop. Add ham, and remaining ingredients to beans. Transfer to a greased casserole.

  Cover and bake at 350 for 2 hours; stir occasionally. (But not peeking your head in there every five minutes.)

  Cole Slaw

  (This is Clay’s recipe, thus the coconut and pineapple. Sometimes you have to compromise – so I let him make the coleslaw)

  Prep 5 minutes

  Chill 1 hour

  Servings: 8

  1 medium-sized head green cabbage, shredded

  2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and shredded

  1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

  2 tablespoons diced red onion

  ½ cup fresh shredded coconut

  ¼ cup minced pineapple

  1 cup mayonnaise

  2 tablespoons white vinegar

  3 tablespoons sugar

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1/4 tablespoon pepper

  In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, coconut, pineapple, and onion. Mix it up but don’t be mashing it like a potato. Set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients; give it a good mix. Pour over the cabbage mixture. Make sure it’s all covered. Store it in the fridge for at least one hour.

  April 15th

  How in the world did I ever make it twenty-five years without holding a baby like this in my arms? Not since Jules have I seen a child come out of the womb with such spikey red hair. The dimple over her smile is all her daddy’s.

  Just as I expected, Michael is over the moon. How can you blame him? His strong, beautiful wife just gave him a gift he will treasure all of his years. Jules did wonderfully, and I’m flooded with pride as I think about it.

  It was a race to the hospital. We weren’t sure we were going to make it. Jules in her normal style had explained all the pain away as nothing more than false labor. Stubborn little thing. Her water breaking on my porch was the first time I think she realized this baby was coming.

  Little Françoise Taylor Cooper was born eight pounds three ounces, eighteen inches long and perfect. I know I gave Jules a hard time about that name, insisted she use it. But I had good reason. A name can carry with it so much of history and meaning that I believe it can genuinely help you later in life. My Grandmother Françoise was one of the most unique and funny people I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with. She could sing a hymn and tell a dirty joke all in one breath. She could drink you under the table on Saturday night over a game of cards but look flawlessly refreshed Sunday morning in church. Her spirit carried me through some of the tougher times in my life, and I want my grandbaby to be connected to her. Maybe it’s just a name, but I’m hoping she can channel my grandmother on the days she needs it. Little Frankie will be a force to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to see it.

  My arms feel painfully empty now that I passed her back to her Mama and headed home. She had snoozed away on me for three hours while I sang her old lullabies I haven’t thought of in decades. I told her a few storie
s about how we all got where we are today leaving out some of the darker memories and focusing on only how we came to all be a family. And she is now a part of that. How lucky she is. How lucky we all are.

  I truly don’t know how I lived this long without the sweet smell of a baby on my skin. I forgot how intoxicating it was. I’d long since gotten over any misgivings I had about the circumstances of my daughter. If this child is not the plan of God, if she is not meant to be right here with us, then I don’t know what to make of this world. We’re all her destiny and she is ours. Circumstances mean nothing, and Frankie means everything.

  I am a grandma now. As of this day, I am a spoiling machine. I am where this child will turn when she hates her mama. Not that I wish that day ever comes but I’ve been in this world long enough to know it’s likely inevitable. If I do my job correctly I am where Frankie will come to cry, where she will come to talk. She’ll knock on my door when she wants to get her way. I’ve already done the discipline and the arguing. I’ve done all the “getting them in line,” it’s exhausting. This child is going to get whatever she wants from me, and I’ll be doing it with a smile.

  Piper and Bobby are the God Parents. Perfect choices. Their own wedding will need to be planned soon. With baby Frankie’s help, Bobby pulled off a wonderful proposal. I can’t really envision what their nuptials will look like considering they are both very easy going people, but I’m anxious to see what they do. I’m also looking forward to how it may bring Piper’s newfound family, the Wheeler’s, back into our lives. I like watching the person Piper is when she is with them. A confidence and sense of belonging seems to come over her.