Dovetail, Macon Symphony and Many More Projects

Well, I haven’t been so good about updating this lately, mainly because I have just been exhausted. There’s quite a bit of stuff coming up, including Tap Dogs and Cirque Mechanics at The Grand Opera House this weekend. There is also the Wine Tasting event at The Hay House, always a lovely event- I think I will make this there this week.

Yesterday still managed to be a full day, even though I TOTALLY slept in and missed my appointment to get my fill ins done on my eyelashes at The Lily Room in Bonaire (see this post for more info: http://makeitworkmolly.com/lashes-lashes-gimme-more-lashes/). I then had a photo shoot with Lee McDavid, who I worked for in high school. Hopefully, I’ll have some headshots to show yall soon! We also discussed some project ideas, teaming up with Elizabeth Grimsley of William Alexander Salon. Ohhh we’ve got some pretty cool project ideas- stay tuned! YOU might be called on to help!

After that, I met with Winsphere Jones- local playwright. Yet another project on the horizon… stayed tuned for that as well. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to meet up with friends at Eagle Gun Range. Going to HAVE to make that one up soon!

Last night, I took my mother and my grandmother out on the town. First we went to Dovetail. I had been hearing about it from everyone at work, and of course all of the social media buzz. I have the say- it lived up to the hype. Chris Horne raved about their “Put Ups”- which is a trio of bacon marmalade, lima bean hummus, and pimento cheese along with homemade bread. First- I hate pimento cheese. I like this pimento cheese, and I am pretty sure it’s the same pimento cheese they also serve at The Rookery. Bacon marmalade- I asked our server how they made it and I got a mysterious answer, the only part I understood was that they make it there themselves. It only adds to the mystic. Lima bean hummus:  I consider myself to be a hummus connoiseeur, I eat it everywhere. This had an added, not sweetness but a tanginess- kind of- I struggle to describe it. Suffice it to say this word might do it: yummyness.

Before that my mother and I both ordered one of their signature drinks: the Quarter Horse. It’s kind of like an old fashion, but less sweet. I was rather impressed that my mother would order a bourbon based drink so I jumped along as well. This might need to be my new regular cocktail. It’s made with bourbon, lime juice, ginger beer, Peychaud’s and Angosura.

For my meal I got one of their small plates: the Braised Rabbit Relleno. Mom gave me hell for eating rabbit, but whatevs it was damn good. It’s a charred tomato mole, poblano pepper, and queso fresco with rabbit. The rabbit was somehow stuffed in to the pepper. It was beautiful. Beautiful.

Next we ordered three desserts: the Sweet Tea Crème Brulee, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and I forget the other one- my grandmother ordered it because she’s allergic to eggs and it didn’t have egg in it. Sadly, I didn’t try that one. I looked like enough of a pig eating up the crème brulee and cheesecake with mom. I owe Chris Horne a big thank you for giving me a heads up about the crème brulee. Heaven. Heaven. No lie: heaven. The cheesecake was like pure sin though. OMG.

Ah- but before dessert Wayne and Mary Alice surprised us with complimentary after dinner drinks. Mary Alice is going to get me the descriptions and ingredients, it was all too fabulous and overwhelming for me to remember. A chocolate martini, some kind of blackberry concoction, and a maple something or another. We passed them around among each other, or I’d still be under the table. Wow. If Wayne ever offers to create something and for you to try it, don’t pass him up on it. I’ve been on the receiving end of his experiments before- always with success. EDIT: Here are the drinks-

Chocolate Raspberry Martini
vodka, chambord, port wine, house made chocolate syrup topped with brandied raspberry.

Berries n cream
creme de mur, dark rum, topped with batch made whipped creme drizzled with raspberry liqueur and a brandied black berry

maple creme bumbo : honey rum, Tennessee whiskey, maple creme liqueur, topped with grated nutmeg

Oh also- the chef and manager came by the table and said hello as well. I love when that happens- always a nice touch. It was also nice that they recognized me from my writer's page pic in Macon Food and Culture ;)

And we still had the symphony after this! Somehow I managed to not be in a food coma beforehand. As always, brilliant performance. This time not only did we have the opera of Hansel and Gretel performed, but the Mercer University Children’s Choir made a cameo at the end. It’s so nice to see so many young people involved in this. We have so much culture here- yall need to get out and enjoy it!

I hate to say though, I missed my friend David Quakenbush’s birthday. Happy birthday dear! It’s always a fabulous time with our group, and I hate so much I missed it.

I went to church today, and as always it was a great set of lessons and hymns. Please bear with me a moment as I get a little philosophical. Today’s church was like a moment in which both my early and recent faiths were encompassed all in one service. One of the hymns sung was one of my favorites as a child. Isn’t it funny how simple our faith was as children? So blind and so innocent and so easy. It grows harder to believe the older we get. Life’s trials and adversities cause us to question God’s presence in our lives. And why not? With so many people saying who God is and who He loves and doesn’t love. My God loves everyone- gay or straight, rich or poor. My God also loves those who are persecuted. This has become more relevant to me recently.

Some of you may know that I was recently criticized, and rather publicly so. I have to be honest, it was tremendously hurtful to read the comment from friend’s screen shots sent to me. For someone who doesn’t know me to refer to me as “the scum I wiped off of my feet today” and as a bad mother- I will admit, that hurts. I spent the better part of last Saturday on and off crying about it.

Multiple friends,  bless them, reached out to me in support- pointing out that these people do not even know me. And while this is true, it is not what has comforted me today. Today, the Old Testament reading was from Solomon:

Solomon 3:9

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like a gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.

Now, perhaps I am interpreting scripture wrong, but for me I realized something today. Yes, these words that were spoken about me were uttered by people who do not know me, and yes I have a TON of people in my corner- and I am thankful for them- but as long as I have my babies and my God they are all I need. God will bring me through whatever I am going through and make me stronger. These past few months  and years have shown me that. My faith is that much stronger and I bless all the adversity I have been through for bringing me here. So for those of you who say such mean things about me, I offer you my prayer and blessing. For one, I know you must be hurting so much yourself to say such mean things. And two, I am grateful to each of you for allowing me to be a stronger Christian, even if I am criticized for my multiple writings and bloggings and goings about town.

This is not to say I will stop writing, on the contrary, God has made me as I am. I strive to be a better person every day, although I know I will never be perfect- as God made us as sinners. God knows my strengths and weaknesses, and knows I am working on being better. I hope I can use my ability to write to let each of you know about the great things here in Macon, I see it as part of my mission in life.

Sorry to get preachy on yall! But life is so great for me right now, I just want yall to know it and I hope I can share in it with each of you.

My love to all of you!