Calming Thoughts

Okay fellow country girls, now that we're getting into the full swing of the semester, we're starting to feel a little bit stressed. As the "country girl in Chicago," my stress is heightened by the uber fast-paced city. If you're a country girl at heart and are trying to live in a busy city, you know how I'm feeling. You're trying to keep up with everything, but even on a semi non-busy day, you end up feeling so exhausted.
That's because we're used to going back to a house in the middle of nowhere, petting our dogs, kicking our feet up, maybe relaxing by a fireplace. We're used to being able to sit down and vent to our moms, sisters, dads, grandmas, anyone. Here, when we go home, we're still technically at school, and that's doing nothing for our over-used minds.
What is it that calmed you down at home? For me, it was just putting on my Carhartt, a pair of boots, and just walking. I lived literally in the middle of nowhere, and walking meant through fields, by water, on back-roads, maybe gravel or dirt roads, and always with friends or dogs. Even in the dead of winter, I'd step out and go on a walk. As soon as I'd step out of the house, my dogs would meet me. Then, anywhere I went, they'd be there. And I could just walk, and think, and sort things out.
Here, walking isn't the same. It isn't an adventure like it was at home. Granted, it was a very uneventful adventure, but taking a walk in the city isn't the same. Here, there are cars, other people, and my dogs aren't with me. So how on earth am I going to calm myself down?

One: Call my mom. Any time I'm having a bad day, even hearing about home makes me feel better.
Two: Go to the quiet room in the library (or in my case, the quiet floor. I'm sure every university has one), and stare out the window and sort out my thoughts. This helps a lot!
Three: Take a nap. Even if it's only for 20 minutes, I still feel like I've had a little break from all that work.
Four: Clean. Country girls most always had chores at home, so why not simulate them here. Also, it gives you a little break from tasks at hand.
Five: Call my sisters. When all else fails. Talk to my best friends! Things will always look better when I talk to them!
Six: Read for fun. At home, I had a huge library, and would read a lot. So reading takes me back to that happy place.

There you have it. My tips for how to calm the mind of a country girl.

Keep it classy. Keep it country,
Gretta Patrick <3

10 Things Men Should Know About Women

Having seen many of these lists around the internet, I've decided to compile my own list of "the 10 things all men should know about women"

1. Please call before coming over! Especially if it's summer. Women tend to waltz around in their underwear and believe me, it's not cute!

2. Just because we like to watch sports, doesn't mean we know exactly what you're saying. Sometimes the smile, nod, and "yeah, okay, yeah" mean absolutely nothing! Don't be offended, we're girls!

3. No matter how many times you tell us how cute we are without our makeup on, it still doesn't outweigh the "Wow, you look great!" we hear when we do. So we're still wearing makeup 99% of the time. 

4. We don't like to take compliments. It doesn't mean we don't like it when you give them, it's just we feel weird taking them. 

5. If we say "I had a really bad day," That doesn't men we want space, it means "Hug me now you idiot!"

6. If we get angry and say, "We're not speaking," it doesn't mean we're never going to speak again, it just means, "I need to figure out how exactly to strategically plan my next move so that I'm in the right." 

7. If we say, "don't tick me off this week!" it means, "I'm PMS-ing and you need to be sympathetic." 

8. Let's be perfectly clear, we don't dislike action movies, we just like chick-flicks better!

9. If we get you a gift, we put some freaking thought into it. You people are extremely difficult to buy for, and we probably spend 10+ hours just thinking of something meaningful. 

10. Just because we flirt with other men, doesn't mean we're interested in other men. Flirting is just an instinctual thing! Promise!

Keep it classy. Keep it country,
Gretta Patrick <3

Fashion Police Officer Gretta Has Spoken!!! (and really needs to vent)

There are some girls who need to realize that wearing clothes that fit is so much more attractive than trying to look skinny!
I'll be honest, I wear a size 4, I would like to wear a size 2, but that doesn't mean I should buy size 2 dresses and expect to look good in them. Nobody cares if you are a 2,4,6, or an 8. That is, unless you wear clothes that are too small for you, in which case people WILL judge you.
You're going to look beautiful no matter what size you are, so wear clothes that show off your beauty, not clothes that should be showing off someone else's, because they're doing nothing for YOU.

That being said, ladies, please cover up when you go out! Honestly, unless you're looking to get paid for sleeping with someone, there's no excuse for dressing like a prostitute. Trust me. You'll find some WAY more respectable men whilst out on the town if you leave it up to their imagination.
I honestly got more compliments on my attire when I wore long sleeves, a black pencil skirt, and black tights than I did when I was wearing a short skirt and a scrappy top.
So it really comes down to how you want to be seen. Would you rather be seen as beautiful, or as a piece of ass? If you have any self-respect, you'll say the first, and put some clothes on.

Keep it classy. Keep it country,
Gretta Patrick <3