Storytellers: Jen Osterday

If you have read any of the Anne of Green Gables series, you know that Anne has a phrase for that certain kind of person you meet and become fast friends with. They are the “kindred spirits.”

Jen Osterday is one of my kindred spirits. Someone with whom I share so much. We met six summers ago when we both interned for the Features department of the Dayton Daily News. In the years that followed we have shared faith, friendship, and of course… food.

I am honored to have seen Jen accomplish so much. In the time I have known her, she has finished two degrees, become a real life journalist, and started her very own foodie blog.

Jen is one of those once-in-a-lifetime people. Someone who sets her mind upon something, and hurtles toward her goals with unwavering confidence and dedication.

I am blessed by your friendship, Jen… and I am thrilled to share your talent with others!
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Emma giggled in amazement as I finished my burger, licking my finger tips in satisfaction.

I suppose seeing a 100 pound, 5’2 girl finish off a Bacon Cheddar Double at Johnny Rocket’s was quite a feat. I mean, it was a big burger for such a small girl.

However, I was not amazed at my victorious finish. I was just really happy about that delicious combination of hamburger with applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and whatever else they piled on there with that special sauce.

I remember that day distinctly, even though it was probably 8 or 9 years ago.  It was my birthday and Emma had joined me to celebrate in Cincinnati. I think the reason that birthday sticks out to me is because of 4 reasons.

1) I was outside of Dayton, exploring a new city. I love to travel and any birthday that involves stepping outside of Dayton and enjoying a new place is a top notch way to celebrate in my book. Back then, Cincinnati was a big city and a big deal to me.

2) I was with my family. Family has always been important to me and I love my parents and  brother. 

3) I was with my closest friend, Emma. I have known Emma since Kindergarden and we still keep in touch today. She began traveling a lot when she got older and subsequently got a lot busier. If you know Emma, you know she’s a busy lady. So recalling a time when Emma and I get to spend a day together for my birthday is very special.

4) I was eating a delicious burger. Of course I’ll remember that.

I know I was young, because my parents had to drive us. Although I can’t remember exactly what age I was turning. Because it was my birthday, I’m sure that’s why I ordered a massive burger to celebrate.

Johnny Rockets has since lost its magic, but I know back then I thought it was more than just a fancier version of Steak ‘N Shake. People were rolling around on skates, doing dance numbers randomly throughout the evening and creating a memorable dining experience.

I remember us sitting on the bar stools at the counter because the place was packed and there wasn’t a table for 5 available. I have a feeling since I couldn’t see my parents at the other end of the bar, I felt more gutsy to order a big ‘ol burger. When I got it, no one really expected me to finish it.

But I did, and so began a joke between me and Emma, about me being a “pig”. She started collecting cute pig things and giving them to me as gifts as our inside joke continued. Or anytime she found something burger related, she got it for me. The burger tea set and cheeseburger pillow are probably my favorites. 

Since then, the jokes and nicknames for me have grown beyond me and Emma. Little did I know that as I got older, my love for food would turn into a knowledge and appreciation for it so much that I’d even create a blog for that very reason. Anyone who knows me, understands I have this weird thing where I not not only eat food, but I talk about it and even take photos of it obsessively.

What people may not realize is that it isn’t just about the food. Really, it isn’t. It’s the memories that happen as a result of the food. Was Johnny Rockets really making that great of a burger? Probably not. But my family and Emma being there and sharing that time with me created memories while I ate that burger… and that made it awesome. 

Some of the greatest conversations with my family and friends have happened around food. Whether it’s an outside patio table at Brio with my family, or a brunch at my friend’s apartment that all my friends gathered to make, the food seems like 5-star quality because of the precious memories and people with me while I eat. 

Yes, I love good food and I can’t deny that my taste buds have gotten a tad spoiled at fancy restaurants or from organic and fresh ingredients. But at the end of the day, even if it’s a failed muffin recipe gone terribly wrong, if it was made with my friends who I love and respect, I’d still rave and talk about those muffins years later.

Jen, still enjoying delicious burgers nearly a decade later.

Storytellers: Erinne Fullam

It seems only appropriate that as I introduce my good friend and fellow writer, Erinne Fullam, I have a cup of hot cocoa by my side.

There are a few things that I always associate with Erinne: the love of a mother, the adoration of a wife, and her appreciation for hot beverages. We share those last two.

I found Erinne through her husband Gerry who works with me—and now with my husband, Chuck. Chuck and I were invited to their wedding before we were even engaged, and then we hired The Fullams to be our wedding photographers.

So in some ways, we have shared some of the most important moments in our lives. Our weddings of course, but I have also been truly blessed to watch Erinne raise, and photograph, her two boys: Shepherd and Archer.

To be completely honest, I look up to Erinne. Not only is she a devoted mother, but she is a brilliant photographer and writer as well.

I asked Erinne to pick one of her favorite photos, and to tell the story behind it. I hope her story makes your heart warm, like it did mine. Thank you, Erinne.

“Mommy, Archie spit up again!”

“Okay, honey, I’ll clean him up in just a second.”

“Mommy, can I watch Thomas? I need to watch Thomas. I need pretzels, too, Mommy! I need pretzels. I want to eat them and I am hungry for cheese stick.”

I pat my little boy on the head and sigh. I’ve had a to do list sitting on my desk all morning and I haven’t even read item number one.

“Okay, honey. I hear you. Let me change Archie and then we’ll talk.”

I finish taking off Archie’s wet clothes and lie him down in the giant naptime pillow on our couch. The sun is shining for the first time in months, and the windows are open, airing out weeks of winter dust.

I inhale the smell of melting snow. “Maybe we could watch the squirrels instead. They’re running around on all the branches out back! Come look!”

Archie seems content to go clothing-free for a little while, so I take a minute to lift Sheppy up on the back of the couch where he can press his nose up to the window and spy on the critters.

I immediately fixate on the giant mess of branches still covering our yard from last month’s ice storm. I grab my phone to text Gerry that we “really ought to clean up the debris.”

“AAAAH! A SKKKKWERRRRRRRR!”

His excitement shakes the window and I drop my phone onto the coffee table without sending the text.

The child hasn’t seen a squirrel since 2010, and he nearly falls off the couch onto his now-asleep baby brother when he realizes they still exist.

Lupa, our deer-colored dog that is roughly the same size as toddler Shep, hears him squealing and charges straight into the window to see evidence of her furry friends’ return. She scratches at the window for a few minutes and then curls herself into a neat ball, back against the screen, warming in the sunlight.

I watch the three of them on the couch for a moment. Giddy toddler, resting baby, lazy dog; and I decide not to worry about anything but the sunshine for a little while longer.

Fullam Photography
The Brothers Fullam