If there’s one dish you’ll find doubled or tripled at any family reunion, holiday, church gathering, Southern picnic, or funeral meal it’s deviled eggs. And even then, the folks who brought them aren’t likely to go home with leftovers. Deviled eggs are such a part of our culture we give plates designed to hold them as wedding gifts. Every self-respecting Southerner has a deviled-egg plate, usually two. We have one for “fancy” company and a travel version which has a handy little lid. In the ... View the Post
Busyness from the Yeses
We had our first snow on the mountain last week. The boys were up EARLY ready to go out and play and of course, they wanted me to go out with them. My first thoughts were NOOOO....warm bed...more coffee. And, then I looked in the eyes of our baby who will be 9 years old in a few days and saw how fast it is going by. “And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And ... View the Post
I Was Taught to Dream by Chasing Fireflies
Chasing fireflies in the evening is one of my favorite childhood memories. Growing up, my mom was raising four kids (three of them boys, have mercy) pretty much alone, yet, she always made sure that our childhoods were full of happiness and good times. When my mom, aka the world’s best grandma, came to visit recently for a few weeks, she asked the boys if they had been out to catch fireflies this summer. She was appalled that I had not taken them out yet. Plans were made, jars were ... View the Post
A Visit to Moss Mountain Farm ~ the Kitchens
I had a wonderful time at P. Allen Smith's Moss Mountain Farm recently for the annual Garden2Blog adventure. I have been several times to this gardener's mecca and I see something new and inspiring every time. Allen and his team are amazing (stay tuned for the posting of a video they shot while I was there, seriously, there were cartwheels). End of the day, Allen and I were worn out, but still smiling. The Garden Home is styled after 19th Century American farmstead and may look old, but it’s ... View the Post
Bench From An Old Headboard
The previous Superintendent of our park, who is a dear family friend of ours, left an old family headboard at our house when he retired that was a total mess. He told hubby just to toss it in a fire, one less thing to move. Well, you know how I love to have pieces in our home that tell a story...... So, hubby and I got busy repurposing the old headboard into a bench for inside our mudroom. There was a lot of old varnish and gunk on the boards so the first thing we did was seperate all the ... View the Post
How Southerners Handle Winter Storms ~Welcome Cleon!
The bread shelves and milk coolers at all the stores in my area are bare. Yep, that's what happens in the South when a potential "weather event" is predicted. Be it a hurricane, potential for snow (a dusting or a foot), or help me now, an ice storm, we Southerners get all a flutter. We can not help it, the slight mention of a weather event and our lives just revolve around what we are going to do if IT hits. I have actually learned to embrace it and find humor in the chaos at the Wal-Mart. ... View the Post