Part 1, JoAnna’s reflections on grit, perseverance, lessons in self-sufficiency, and character traits passed down to her by her Father. For better or worse. Editor’s Note: This story will be presented in 2 parts (watch for the second half in September). I vividly remember reading this story about her father the first time JoAnna published it and I’m pleased that she chose to share it with our Empress Tea community. Enjoy! ~ The Empress I – Scratch and whip Your father taught you how to overcome boredom by taking you to the racetrack. On long Sunday afternoons you and your younger brother yelled at each other in the backseat of your father’s brown Hyundai. The car always parked in the shadiest spot on the lot with the windows cracked enough the smell of horses and popcorn would waft in on the breeze. He often promised to return after ten minutes but usually disappeared for half an hour or more. You lost your shit the time ten minutes turned into seventy—when two-fifty rolled into three-thirty and, lazily, became four. By then you no longer looked at the clock because you knew you would scream if you had to sit there, compliant, for […]

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