by Carol Mowdy Bond
Photos courtesy of Cecilia and James Martin
About five years ago, Cecilia and James Martin brought a 6-week-old Shih Tzu into their family, and they named her Tess. At the time, they were the fourth generation of Martins living on a historic central Oklahoma homestead that once belonged to James’ great-grandfather.
Even as a puppy, Tess gardened with Cecilia. She explored the plants and played with wild rabbits on the farm. She also chased the family’s chickens off the property.
“Tess had one acre that she wandered on,” Cecilia says. “We had no fence, but James walked the boundaries with her several times. There were times I’d look out the kitchen window to see her trotting off into the woods, and I’d have to go and get her. She didn’t realize that she was small, and a hawk might snatch her.”
Even though Tess is wired for inside living, she’s always been enthralled with the outdoors. “She loved the 12 deer that lived in our pasture,” says Cecilia. “One deer took a big liking to her, and the deer and Tess played together under the mulberry tree and were good friends.”
Origins of Outdoor Living
Gravitating outside comes naturally to the Martins. Cecilia’s childhood centered on a rustic Laura Ingalls Wilder-type upbringing. As a girl, she caught turtles and wild bunnies and kept them in the yard where she played in the dirt.
James grew up on his family’s Edmond farm. But he and Cecilia met at age 7 because his grandparents lived down the road from Cecilia and her family in Arkansas. Whenever he visited, the two hunted rocks, played games and rode horses. By age 12, they were pen pals. But life happened, and they went their separate ways before they eventually married in 1979.
From the Farm to the City
The Martins lived in several locations before moving to their historic farm about 40 years ago. They recently relocated, buying an older home with a one-acre yard in an Oklahoma City neighborhood. But the land was in rough shape, requiring about six months of hard work. James and Cecilia worked on the soil and removed shrubs and plants, while contractors hauled off truckloads of rocks.
Cecilia brought tons of flowers from the farm to their new location for planting, planted lots of climbing roses, and James built a greenhouse from a kit.
High octane and always ready for adventure, Tess stays in the middle of everything. When Cecilia is outside, Tess either stands guard close to her, sits and watches, wanders up and down the sidewalk, chases squirrels, or just sniffs around everything. She’s known for checking the greenhouse for mice.
But Cecilia says, “Once in awhile, Tess sneaks off to smell a few mailboxes in the cul-de-sac. Then she gets a good talking-to about staying close and that she will have to go inside if she sneaks off again.”
On top of it all, Tess is known for barking at delivery people and strangers. “She’s had 6-foot-tall grown men run from her,” says Cecilia.
Still, she has James wrapped around her paw as the two share a close bond. He understands her doggy language and caters to her whims. A daddy’s girl at heart, she is very particular and will sit only beside him each evening for TV time.
Organic Gardening and Cooking
Navigating her own autoimmune issues is a challenge, but it shapes how Cecilia gardens, cooks and eats. She is a dedicated organic gardener. If need be, she’ll even dig up weeds by hand.
Those closest to her follow Cecilia on private social media platforms, where she shares her gardening, home decor tips and her organic, minimally processed approach to cooking. Her menus center on fresh vegetables, quality meats and fish, with a focus on lower-carbohydrate meals.
“I feel better and my medical lab reports improve when I eat that way,” Cecilia says. “For the most part, people will not find fried foods, casseroles, chips, candy bars or takeout foods on my posts.”
During the winter, Cecilia keeps the greenhouse humming, growing a wide assortment of greens that she uses in salads or lightly boils before finishing with balsamic or apple cider vinegar. She also raises a variety of root crops during the colder months, which she eats fresh or lightly cooked.
Every March, Cecilia begins flower seeds in the greenhouse, growing them there through the summer. Tomatoes and peppers also start from seed in the greenhouse before being transplanted into the raised beds James built outdoors.
As empty nesters, the Martins stay active at home and in the community, often with Tess close at hand. Their seasonal routines of gardening, cooking and eating provide plenty to keep them engaged, and Tess is a constant companion along the way. At the heart of it all, the three of them share a love of the outdoors that anchors their happiness.
