This week, someone posted pictures on Facebook from their
wedding earlier this year. There was a picture of Ole Jus and me dancing. It wasn’t long before I received a text
message from a friend saying, “You got Justin to dance?!?!?!?” So without
further ado, I’d like to welcome this week’s top ten list…things you may not
know about the mister…
10. The dude can dance. His last name is Matejka of Czech origin;
it makes up 50% of his blood to be exact. Therefore he came from a family of
beer drinking and rug cuttin’. Between
family weddings, anniversaries and other celebrations of the sort he likely
learned to dance before he could tie his shoe.
I, on the other hand, am not much of a dancing breed. Although my
grandfather was an award winning Square Dance Caller, my dad was adopted. As far as I know, my people come from a
faraway land where you were punished by flogging for tappin your foot.
Yes…that’s it. As a result, our “first dance” at our wedding concluded before
the song wrapped up. Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace the fact that my
hubs can dance and wants to dance
with me. So now, I let him lead
flawlessly and I follow poorly. So maybe the text should have read, Justin got you to dance?!?!?!“ Not only a dancer,
but a guitarist could be on his resume. He picked it up about 5 years ago and
plays for the kids every night at bedtime.
9. He is also an excellent chef. I tried for years to have dinner ready when
he came home, and half of the time I was successful. The other times I brought
out my culinary skills it was too salty, burnt, undercooked or just gross. I
should also add that he would eat the bottom of my shoe if I had cooked it and
put it on his plate. He never made me
feel bad about it and always choked down whatever I served…burnt, salty or
gross. It didn’t take long for me to
catch on to the fact that every item I fixed for our meal he took and “fixed”
again. He would add some seasoning, make some gravy, and sometimes turn my meal
into something completely different…and more delicious. These days he does 90%
of the cooking around this household. He enjoys it and excels in it so I spend
my time making sure he has all the ingredients within his reach to feed this
family. I even prompted him recently, “Since I’m home more now do you want me
to cook a few times a week?” His answer? “No. I’ll keep doing it.”
8. Back in the olden days when we had kids to bathe every
night, we would take turns doing the dishes and doing the bathing. Eventually,
he decided he would rather bathe our flatware than our little people every
night. We got into that routine. Some things have changed. I don’t have to
bathe our little people anymore because they aren’t little now, but he still
does the dishes after dinner every night. Lucky girl…I know, but he won’t touch
a bit of laundry.
7. He doesn’t like
deer hunting and fishing so much. If you find him in a stand or on a boat doing
either of these, it is likely because he is there to accompany one of our kids
on the expedition. He likes any type of
hunting that involves dogs; like hog, squirrel, and raccoon. Sounds to me like
he isn’t big on sitting still. Too bad ‘cuz I’m not real big on squirrel
adorning my dinner plate.
6. If I supply a
book, he will read it. I tend to stick
with be-a-better-man and be-a-better-christian when I’m out book shopping for
him, but I’m pretty sure he would read just about anything I laid in front of
him. I have to be careful though. The
homeschool idea came from one of those books, so I try and study the contents
well enough to know if it will require any effort on my part for him to “be a
better man”.
5. He owns more pair
of shorts now than he has in over 30 years.
His wardrobe of choice (for the last 25+ years) consists of Wrangler
jeans and wrinkle free button down shirts. I guess that’s what real cowboys
wear. However, I think he looks awfully attractive in a khaki pair of cargo
shorts. Last summer when we visited Disney World, I pumped up his wardrobe with
a pair of shorts for every day of the week. I think this will constitute a
lifetime supply for Ole Jus.
4. He can draw. He can’t paint, color or be overly creative,
but given a pencil and paper he can sketch out anything you can imagine. His
specialty would be farm animals I suppose.
Just last week in church I drew a horse and asked him to add a cowboy
atop the mount. When he was done I said, “You made my horse look bad.” His
response, “Your horse is bad.”
3. He thinks a good
chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes can cure any illness you may develop.
Cold? Chicken fried steak. Flu? Chicken fried steak. Stomach virus? Yep.
Chicken fried steak.
2. He gets really nervous in traffic or crowded parking
lots. In the event, he makes an anxious throat-clearing grunt sort of sound to
which I always react with a gentle verbal reassurance and comforting pat on the
arm. Not! I make an imitating inflated version of the same sound then usually
laugh hysterically.
1. He did not take
one college class. He is my amazingly sexy man’s man who knew exactly what he
wanted to spend his life doing and worked his way to where he is today. I am so thankful for his hard work every
minute of every day. It is a huge blessing to spend my life with a man who has
a passion for cattle and agriculture and be able to support his family by
living his dream. That’s the stuff of real true life…FROM THIS SIDE OF THIRTY.
