The Writers Porch

IS America In DEEP S#%T ???????????

2012-01-16T01:22:00.003-06:00

As we barrel into 2012, a year of Presidential Election, political guns are blazing and there is much debate about where our nation stands on many different issues. We are NO longer the United States of America........we are as divided as it gets on many levels. Mainly it has turned into a fight between Christians and the Politically Correct. Don't get me wrong, I'm FAR from an expert on politics. What I am is an American and a Christian who is free and independent enough to have my own beliefs and values and mature enough to make my own decisions.....
I heard the expression this week that we may be in Deep Sh#t.........

Yes.....I do think we are in real trouble if not deep sh#t..... We are so busy trying to be politically correct our nation is sinking fast. It reminds me of the house being on fire, the dead bolt is locked and you can't find the key to get out! I look at my FaceBook page everyday and shake my head.
It's like we are all a bunch of dummies without brains, being judged by family, friends and neighbors by our political choices. If you don't believe in abortion, you are against a woman's right to choose! Maybe you are against it because you feel there are thousands of couples out there who yearn for a child and could give this child a life worth living. If you are against Gay marriage you are homophobic! Could be you just think that marriage descends from the bible and because you believe the bible is the word of God, you believe that marriage IS for a man and a woman. I really don't care who chooses to love whom, my job is to love you, not judge you, but it doesn't mean I'm wrong and your right! We are all supposed to be unique individuals but then we want EVERYONE to think alike or they are wrong. If you don't want to follow Christianity that's your right but don't tell me what to believe. Don't tell me that if I'm a Christian I have to vote GOP either!

I do not believe for one minute,( I'm talking my belief not yours here) that any of these clowns running for office are True Christians! I'm sick of the GOP using Christianity to run for office!
Let me also add that President Obama has in no way shown me that he is a True Christian either. What I do believe is, that Christians should wake up and realize that the FIX is not found in Politics and they need to stop being exploited for political gain.

Haley Barbour, the outgoing Governor of Mississippi is a perfect example! I thought Haley had been a great Governor for the past 8 years and might be a good candidate for President in the future till he turned loose a slew of cold blooded murderers and rapist and gave them full pardons! If that wasn't appalling enough, he then gets on TV and claims "WE" believe in forgiveness and second chances. I'm assuming by "WE" he meant himself or the people of Mississippi. First off, he nor the people can offer forgiveness to these criminals, only God and the families of their victims have that right. Second, it was a slap in the face to the Justice System in which jurors had already done their duty!

Then we have the "politically correct" photo below.....
A wonderful young man has gone under a vicious attack for showing his faith on the football field! Yes....people we are in DEEP when we feel the need to verbally attack a young man who has done EVERYTHING right in his life! Yet we think it's OK in the "name of Freedom of Religion" for a religion like Islam who clearly is Hell bent on destroying our nation, to do as they please?
YEP.....we're in Deep Sh#t, blind as bats(bats really aren't blind) stubborn as mules and about to be Gone With the Wind if we're not careful!

This... is what good role models inspire in our children! If you want to get honest with yourselves think about our children, the future of our country. Parents and teachers are no longer allowed to discipline our children it's child abuse. God and prayer has been stripped from our schools and now teachers are being attacked and cursed by 1st graders! The juvenile courts are overloaded and young kids are being tried as adults for murder of other kids and in some cases their own parents and grandparents! Deep sh#t doesn't come close, we are drowning in it!

Where is Christianity in this picture? I would say that the true Christians are in the background on the left, feeding these starving children. Yet the right side portrays the ones who appear to be celebrating the birth of Christ? I am by no means maintaining that I am some holier than thou Christian. What I am is a Christian who is in agony over the state of our nation and fed up with politics! Fed up with seeing on a daily basis people who claim not to believe in God posting over and over about it, downing those who do believe! If you don't believe WHY talk about about it so much, instead of talking about WHAT you do believe ?

NOW.........I want you to meet two people WHO TRULY define what Christianity really is!
This is Chris and Donna Speagle. They operate a food pantry near here called The People's Pantry. They feed those who fall through the cracks. People who work minimum wage jobs and don't qualify for food stamps or those that don't get enough food stamps to feed their family. Children, whose parents spend the family income on drugs or alcohol leaving them hungry. The elderly on fixed incomes. In other words, they emulate Jesus Christ by taking care of the forgotten. They do what they do because they believe that Jesus Christ has given them a calling to do this. They can tell you stories that will break your heart. They can tell how they sent numerous people to churches for help and the churches refused because the husband drank or the mother did drugs. I was so inspired when Chris said; "Jesus didn't tell us to clean them up but instead just to show them love" ! This couple does most of their giving from their own pocket. These two people are my heroes, my role models, my definition of a Christian!

I guess what I'm trying to say here is.......
Because I profess to be a Christian, do not put me in a political category. Do not tell me how to vote. Do not quote scripture to me when you don't even believe in the scripture, the word says the devil can quote scripture! Tell me about your life, your dreams, show me pictures of your family and what excites you. Stop cramming politics down my throat because the truth is.....
Not one of those people in Washington can relate to you or me and they could care less where this country is headed. They have their own political agenda and it has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with money.
Wake Up People... We really are up Sh#t Creek without a paddle !!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see how many FB friends delete me after this..............

ONE WRITER'S COUNTRY ESCAPE...............

2011-12-11T01:43:00.001-06:00

When you're a writer who lives in the big city of Mobile and you need a quite country escape, you find an old farm with an old barn on the Mississippi/Alabama line and turn it into an awesome country home/writer's retreat!

Then...you put up a Christmas Tree and have a House Warming/Christmas Party to make all your friends go ooh and ahh!

That's just what my friend Misssissippi author RC White (Ruth) and her husband Greg did!

This is a Chandelier Greg made from a table rim and antique glass insulators !! What a talented man! That's Greg in the plaid shirt. That's my hubby standing.

Ruth and Greg have lots of wonderful friends who showed up to celebrate their hard work!

Good food, great conversation, a wonderful time was had by all !!

Ruth is a former English teacher turned novelist and her books are great reads and can be found on Amazon !!!

Have a great week everyone! Get your shopping done and remember why we celebrate this season!!!!! XOXO

" My Motto"

2011-11-15T01:19:00.002-06:00

You All Know................

During my recent 2 week stay in the mountains I read these 3 books.......
All are set in the mountains and all 3 were really great reads.......
I love Ron Rash and Silas House is a new favorite as these were my first reads from him!
These were all delivered while I was gone and I'm having trouble choosing where to start...
Have any of you read any of these and if so give me your thoughts ???

On a farm note.....
A friend gave us a cooler full of Pecans yesterday and we took them to the feed store to get them cracked. Turned out to be 45 pounds! Hubby has already shelled 2 gallon bags full and hasn't made a dent!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE and THANKS FOR STOPPING BY !!!!!!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

2011-11-09T07:25:00.017-06:00

There is nothing like Autumn in Appalachia so when I started to plan my escape to our Townsend house for leaf peeping I noticed that one of my favorite authors and blog friend Vicki Lane was having a book signing for her new book "Under The Skin" in beautiful Sylva, NC at City Lights Book Store on October 29th ! So I put my plan in motion. Our mutal friend author Gary Carden lives in Sylva so I e-mailed Gary and arranged to meet him for lunch @ LuLu's on Main. It turned out that he was going to be interviewed in the City Lights Cafe by some university students for a documentary at the same time of Vicki's presentation.

This is a picture I found on the internet of Sylva in the snow............

I wish I'd gotten a picture of the Surprise on Vicki's face when she looked up and saw me........

Vicki's reading and discussion was so interesting ................

It's so awesome to hear the author read from from their work.........

I took this picture as I was leaving of Gary being interviewed downstairs.......
I really enjoyed getting to spend time with both of these extremely creative authors!

Speaking of SURPRISES.....
I got one myself on the way to Sylva. It had snowed in the higher elevations of the park!

It had rained the day before in Townsend but higher up the rain became Snow!
From Townsend through the park to Gatlinburg the leaves were just brilliant and I felt like I was driving through a painting.........

After turning toward Cherokee to climb the mountain I drove through a breath taking winter wonderland and the temp was 26 at New Foundland Gap !!!

My passion is reading and I'm so grateful to the authors who provide me with hours of pleasure and it is such fun to be able to support my favorite authors and the book stores that host them!
If you haven't read Vicki's " Elizabeth Goodweather Series you are missing out and it's time you treat yourself! "Under The Skin" is the 5th book of the series !

Thanks For Stopping By !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ghost On Black Mountain" by Ann Hite

2011-10-23T01:39:00.004-05:00

This debut novel....will blow you away!
I recently got a real good laugh when I read this comment on FaceBook by a well known author:
"these days it seems anyone with a keyboard thinks they can review books"

I was born in the "land of writers"...Mississippi is a who's who of Southern Lit.........
William Faulkner, Eudora Welty,Willie Morris,Ellen Gilchrist,Barry Hannah, Elizabeth Spencer, Shelby Foote, Alice Walker, Walker Percy,Tennessee Williams, Richard Wright, Nevada Barr, Carolyn Haines, Charlaine Harris, Greg Iles, Melinda Haynes, John Grisham, Kathryn Stockett and Donna Tartt are just a fraction of the list.........

Having read everyone of these authors throughout my life along with countless others from the south yes,
I think I and my keyboard are qualified to review books.
Being qualified and doing are two different things my Mother would have said. I read lots of good books but I only review books that leave me feeling loss when they're over. Books I consider worthy of remembering not only the book but the author as well. When a true book lover reads a book she or he wants everyone to read, they've found a treasure !!!!!

I found treasure this week in this debut novel from Georgia author Ann Hite! I was so blown away by her prose, I lay the book down, went in search of Eric and said;
" this woman has channeled William Faulkner as her muse, she's a female Faulkner"
Throw in a dash of Ron Rash, Sharyn McCrumb, Flannery O'Conner and Sue Monk Kidd and you have.... ANN HITE !

"Ghost" is set in Black Mountain, NC, Asheville, NC and Darien, GA..............
Told though the strong voices of 6 women linked together forever by the love,betrayal and evil deeds of one handsome, dastardly mountain man Hobbs Prichard................

Nellie; " he looked so far off I was afraid he might never come back"

Josie; " it's a weakness trying to keep our daughters from making the same mistakes. But I didn't make one bit of difference, I didn't stop one thing"

Shelly; " we was the only Negroes on the mountain and that made for a mighty lonely life. All I had was Faith Dobbins who made me her baby doll until I got old enough to be her maid "

Rose; " she was prettier than me. If I had to compare myself to this girl, I was an elephant dressed up in ribbons and satin to disguise my tough hide"

Iona;" it would take me years before I came to understand that every thought that came out of my head had rolled downhill from something she tried to instill in me for better or worse"

Annie; " a mother has no business living with her daughter. I might tell some important secret when I start to lose my mind"

Hobbs Prichard's evil deeds cause spirits to roam Black Mountain and these women are the ones they haunt!!

Below is a trailer for the book set to Mississippi Delta Blues which I have no doubt pleases Faulkner............ :)

Saturday Hodge Podge

2011-10-22T01:51:00.003-05:00

It's been an interesting week......leaving me dragging!

But...........hope has risen! I'm headed for my Smokies this week for a MUCH NEEDED vacation!
I'm so pepped... I'm thinking I'll make the hike up to The Walker Sisters Cabin while I'm there!

This is the view from our Townsend cabin taken by my daughter a few weeks ago....

I'm hoping it has or will change to this while I'm there!!!!

And when I return to the farm, maybe this view..............

Will look like this..............

Spinach ............this went in the freezer

I put up Turnip Greens too this week! I was going to go the freezer route but decided they'd be worth the extra trouble and canned them!

The Prison Chicks are doing great! We have eggs out to you know what! We started with 9 hens and 1 rooster. We now have 16 hens and 2 roosters! That's Queen Vicki keeping her distance and posing! She lays an egg big enough to be a double yolk!

Oscar Wilde is head warden and keeps a tight rope with his 4 inch spurs! He has yet to jump the young one named Bragg ( named after Rick Bragg) but I'm watching for it!

Can you believe we have been running 10 degrees cooler than the mountains this week!
33 night before last and 37 last night! They caught up today! Foggy Mornings too!

Took this pic of a "volunteer" yellow Squash plant in the pastures edge the other day.
It had blooms but I bet the cold got em!

My faithful Rosemary bush!

My Butterfly Weed keeps on keeping on! Waiting on the Monarchs?

This is a Double Bloom Hardy Hibiscus! It doesn't bloom till fall..........

Ahhhhhhhhh the Roses! This is the front bed.........

One of the back beds..........

And some I gathered this morning....I froze my patooty off too!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND YA"LL.......XOXO

" UNDER THE SKIN " by VICKI LANE...TRULY OOLY De'Vine

2011-10-15T08:05:00.020-05:00

The Wait Is Over ! It's Tuesday October 18, 2011! The 5th book in the Elizabeth Goodweather Mystery Series by Vicki Lane is here!

It's hard to believe that it's been 3 years ( June 2008) since Vicki Lane left us all on a cliff in " Dark Season"! So long in fact, I had to re-read "Dark Season" recently to remember what cliff I was on in preparation for being honored with an ARC of " Under The Skin " !!
Those of you who visit this blog know: " I Am A Connoisseur of North Carolina Authors and their works "! I've read them all! They are a special breed, right up there with MISSISSIPPI ( you know we have Faulkner,Welty, Morris, Grisham, Stockett to name a few)
and... Vicki Lane is a "blue blood" among her NC peers!

" UNDER THE SKIN " .....WOW!
In my opinion her best yet...

" Of Two Sisters....One is always the watcher.. One the dancer".....Louise Gluck

" Rivalry adds so much to the charms of one's conquests"...
Louisa May Alcott

In " Under The Skin" we delve into the relationship of Elizabeth and her only sister Gloria. Rivalry comes front and center as Elizabeth the "watcher" is sucked into the vortex of Gloria the "dancer"....
As with all Vicki's books, we are treated to then and now of Western NC which I love!
" Then" being Hot Springs, NC 1887 where The De'Vine sisters are perpetrating a "medium" scheme of bringing forth the dead in their much sought after seances....
" Now" being not only Elizabeth's home, Full Circle Farm but also present day Hot Springs where Gloria has taken the reluctant Elizabeth for their own seance with the departed!
Gloria has come from her home in Florida in hopes of hiding out from her current(3rd) husband whom she's convinced is trying to kill her, landing full force in the middle of Elizabeth's wedding planning, where she causes chaos and resentment to take over Elizabeth's life.
The reader is treated to not only a great mystery but an up close look at the complicated bond that exists between two very different sisters from two very different eras.

It was 3 years ago yesterday that I discovered the works of Vicki Lane! I was fortunate that she already had written 4 books in The Elizabeth Goodweather Series and I ordered all 4! We have become good friends and "sisters of the written word"in these past 3 years and she is one of my VERY favorite authors. She has that "rare " ability to capture place so well.........you have to see it for yourself!

She made me fall in love with Western NC and last year I was blessed with the opportunity to visit with her@ Full Circle Farm and enjoy a wonderful meal I still remember well !
Above is a collage of pics I took on her gorgeous farm while there........

Below you'll see my complete collection of Vicki's wonderful books!!!!!
If you haven't read them.... shame on you! You are missing out!

AND.....Vicki, please tell me I don't have to wait 3 more years to visit with our girl Elizabeth!!!

" THE BEACH HOUSE " by Mary Alice Monroe

2011-10-13T01:08:00.002-05:00

Several months ago one of my friends recommended a book " Time Is a River" by Mary Alice Monroe to me and though I had never read any of her work I agreed that it sounded like one I'd enjoy. I loved it, so I purchased 2 more! "The Beach House" and it's sequel "Swimming Lessons".

I wasn't sure about "The Beach House" because it was centered around a woman named Lovie Rutledge who was a Turtle Lady. The Turtle Ladies are a group of women on the Isle of Palms, SC who protect the Loggerhead Hatchlings. Now I love nature in all forms but I'd never given Loggerheads much thought. Now, they will never leave my thoughts!

Mary Alice Monroe is a readers dream author! Not only is her writing superb but she has something many writers lack, the ability to"capture place" so well you are THERE while you're reading and dying to GO THERE when you get to the books end!
Another endearing quality of her work is , whatever the theme in the book, (in this case Loggerheads) you are in love with it at the end. I wanted to learn to Fly-Fish after reading
" Time Is A River "!
I was up till 12:38 am finishing this book last night. It takes a awesome book to keep me up past 10:00 pm ! When it was over, I bawled like a baby!
"The Beach House" is a wonderful Women's Fiction read. Trust me, you will fall in love with the books characters, with Isle of Palms, SC and YES, you will LOVE those endangered Loggerheads with all your heart and want to be a Turtle Lady yourself !!!!!

This is an Ariel view of Isle of Palms. We have planned a trip in the Spring to Myrtle Beach, Folly Beach and Charleston, Isle of Palms is now a MUST see also! Can't wait!

I probably won't get to see a Mother Loggerhead lay her nest of eggs......

OR...watch the hatchling's when they "boil" out of the nest and head to the ocean...

BUT...if I'm lucky I will get to stay in this beach house while on the Isle...In the meantime...

I'm going to read the sequel and see what's going on with Carra, Brett, Toy and Little Lovie!!

Thank You Mary Alice for writing this AWESOME read!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE !!!!!!!!! XOXO

First Fall Finds.........

2011-09-27T01:18:00.001-05:00

Even though we are only 70 miles from the Gulf of Mexico....it's feeling like fall today!
Cool, dark, windy and stormy looking....

The Chick Prisoners are out and browsing around so I thought I would browse around too...

Found this patch of Mushrooms under the Pines.....

Maybe they are edible as it looks like someone has been nibbling the right one...

A Butterfly?
A Flower Petal?
You're guess is as good as mine....
DON'T EVEN......

Strange find....this Wegila is supposed to bloom in Spring....beats me!

White Rose of Sharon(Althea) is pretty.....

Hardy Hibiscus is 10 foot tall and only one bloom on it...........

Ahhhh Gardenias....heavenly smell

Green Garden, turnips, collards, spinach and kale....we'll be eating this soon!

Have a great rest of the week !!

My Birthday Present !

2011-09-22T13:32:00.001-05:00

Woke up to a Foggy Morn Birthday...........

Love the look of the Mexican Petunias against the fog.....

Hubby asked me a few days ago"what did I want for my B'DAY"
I replied; " if we could redo the guest bath, I'd be a happy woman"....

So that's what I got for my birthday, a remodeled bathroom!
Now I don't have a picture of before....but it was not pretty!
Palm Tree wall paper from ceiling to floor.....
A Jungle shower curtain...
An open space behind the door which was 4 ft deep and 17 inches wide....
A ceiling light but none over the plain mirror....
I had NOTHING to do with the decor....it was that way when I moved in!

Now it has Wainscoting( I call it bead board) and chair rail.....

A light fixture over the now framed mirror we framed with molding....

A border with Magnolias and books.........

And that open space is now a closet with shelves.........

I had to order a special tension rod to fit that 17 inch wide opening and a 94 foot long curtain..
So I'm happy with my new to me bathroom...

We are going on a trip too......
If we ever agree on a place! I want to stay at Bocage Plantation on the River Road in Louisiana but Hubby is terrified it's haunted....

This is the room I picked out!

Hubby wants to stay here at The Cajun Village Cottages in the same area and take a daytime tour of Bocage! HA!

This is the bedroom of the cabin we picked out.....
I'll probably give in to him since he got so spooked at that New Orleans Mansion we stayed in last year on his birthday. However I told him these we old slave cabins and they might haunted for sure! :)

What ever the outcome......I'll share it we you guys!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND !!!!!!!!!!!!

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ?

2011-09-18T01:38:00.000-05:00

Earlier this summer we watched the TV program Who Do You Think You Are?It was a show in which several famous celebrities researched their family tree. Of course it was expert genealogy searchers who did all the work for them. We saw about 8 episodes which included Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashely Judd, Kim Catrell, Rosie O'Donnell to name a few. It really is a fascinating show.

Last year on the blog I posted about receiving this photo of my Great-great-great Grandmother Mary Ann Elizabeth Broughton Thames from a cousin. I could tell from the photo that she was indeed from high society so I decided to research the Broughton line of my family after watching the WDYTYA show. Was I ever in for a surprise!!

This is Broughton Castle outside Oxford, England built in 1300 by Sir John De Broughton!
I am a direct descendant of this man! I also found down the direct line from Sir John I have a (many times over) great grandfather named Andrew Broughton who was the Chief Justice for the trial of King Charles I and was the man who sentenced King Charles I to be executed! This plaque on his house in England contains the word Regicide which means " Killer of Kings"

You can see the plaque on the wall of his house Broughton House in Kent, England.

Above you see Colonel Thomas Edward Broughton a later son of a son of Andrew Broughton who we met above. Thomas was the Royal Governor of South Carolina Province from 1735-1737..............
In 1714 Thomas Broughton built Mulberry Plantation in Monks Corner (Berkley County) South Carolina on 4,000 + acres. Monks Corner is 30 miles north of Charleston, SC

I plan on visiting this plantation soon to see these huge Oaks planted by my Ancestors!

It is from Mulberry Plantation that my Broughton ancestors made their way south to Conecuh County Alabama when Mary Ann Elizabeth Broughton and husband Rev. Jesse Cornelius Thames moved there somewhere before 1848 when their daughter Margaret L. Thames( my gr-gr-grandmother was born. Margaret married Charles David O'Gwynn on November 2, 1871 in Conecuh County. One year later the whole family relocated to Wayne County, Mississippi.

It was there Margaret gave birth to a son, my paternal Great-Grandfather Charles James O'Gwynn on November 16, 1876. Pictured above is Charles James and his wife Sallie Maggie Jones/O'Gwynn.

Above is the Mt. Zion Cemetery located in Wayne County, Mississippi where 6 direct generations of my fathers side of the family are buried from Mary Ann Elizabeth Broughton to my parents. Someday....I'll join them there.

SO......Who do you think you are? You might be surprised if you go in search of those who came before!

"The Lily Dale Series" by Wendy Corsi Staub

2011-09-04T01:11:00.004-05:00

You know me.......my two great passions are books and the paranormal. So when I get the chance to read a book combining the two, I'm truly in my element! I've read several nonfiction books on Lily Dale, a small town in Southwestern New York. In order to live there, you must first pass a rigorous test to prove you are a medium. In case YOU don't know what a medium is (which I doubt there is anyone who doesn't) it is someone who can communicate with deceased spirits. They actually have their own organized religion founded in Lily Dale in 1880.

What you say? You believe this hocus pocus stuff? Actually I do! Even though I adhere to the Christian belief system, I do not believe it has all the correct answers to life and death. The bible speaks of Everlasting Life. If life IS INDEED Everlasting then it cannot in my opinion, end at physical death. Having had more than one experience with Ghosts, I'm a believer that something unknown is going on here.

Meet Wendy Corsi Staub..........I just discovered Wendy's books
( she's written over 70 books) and she is now on my list of author's I love to read!I started with her 4 book Lily Dale series. It is listed as a "young adult" series, now I'm not a young adult, but I loved it! Could not lay it down!

Calla Delaney is seventeen and living in Tampa Florida, she has just lost her mother after a freak accident, her longtime boyfriend had recently dumped her for someone else, her father a Professor, is scheduled to leave for California on a 12 month teaching sabbatical, can it get any worse? Yes it can if you have to go live with your maternal Grandmother whom you hardly know in Lily Dale, NY and discover when you arrive, that everyone in Lily Dale including "Grammy" is a medium! When Calla discovers that she too has "the gift" things get riveting! If you are the least bit curious about "mediums" and what they do, this series is for you! The order of the books: Awakening-Believing-Connecting-Discovering.........

I also discovered among her list of books another book set in Lily Dale.........
I'm almost finished with this one and it is AWESOME !!!!!!!!

Those of you who TRUST my judgement on books know " if it ain't good" it doesn't get reviewed on THE WRITERS PORCH ! Happy Reading !

"THE HELP" - Dear Critics,Unless You Are From Mississippi

2011-09-01T01:59:00.003-05:00

You need to refrain from giving an expert opinion on what you think you know about growing up in 1960's Mississippi !!!!!

Recently I wrote a blog post about how people are so quick to form judgements against people saying and doing things these judgemental people don't agree with.In that post, I also touched on jealousy amongst authors. This morning I read a scathing article criticizing author Kathryn Stockett's blockbuster novel "The Help". Everyone who reads this blog knows that I LOVED this book. In fact, when I reached the end of it, I sat and bawled my eyes out for at least an hour.
The reason I bawled was....it hit my heart like a hammer! I was born in Mississippi in 1952. In 1964 when the Civil Rights Freedom Movement formed here I was a 12 year old very impressionable girl. My state, my town, became a hotbed of racial turmoil. There were protest in the downtown streets, riots, bombings, murders. Hattiesburg was a very small town at that time, full of racial hatred and bigotry. What went on here was not something you can or will ever forget.

In Kathryn's book, we don't hear much about the public turmoil that took place here in the 1960's. What we do read about is the turmoil that took place inside the mind of a young white girl trying to find the gray area between black and white where LOVE knows no race boundary.
When it comes to racial turmoil, Mississippi has NO EQUAL! Alabama runs a close second but it's Mississippi who hangs her head in shame for her unspeakable atrocities!
Kathryn came as close as any white author will ever get to capturing that shame in the written word. I left Mississippi in 1974 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. I wanted to raise my children somewhere less prejudiced. I spent the next 30 years in Tennessee but visited Mississippi often as most of my family lived here. Was it different in Nashville? It was still the south but yes, it was different. In fact, my middle son Marty played on an all black baseball team in 1982 when he was 10 years old. The coach, Marty, me and my other 2 children were the only whites on our sideline. We had a wonderful summer! This could NEVER have happened in 1982 Mississippi! There would have been a cross burning in my front yard!

Back to The Help....my maternal grandparents here in Mississippi employed a black maid during my childhood. Her name was Ruby. Of course back then...god forbid, she was addressed as none other than N----r Ruby. I cannot tell you how many times in my adulthood I have racked my brain trying to recall having called my beloved Ruby by this horrible name. I can honestly say; " I don't know" but I cringe that I probably in my childhood ignorance did. My sister Brenda and I discuss this and we are so hurt that we didn't know any better. We grieve that we never got to express our love or our ignorance to Ruby in person. Ruby adored us as did we her, Ruby Hurst was my " Abilene". One of my favorite parts of the book and movie is when Abilene tells Mae Mobley; " you is kind, you is smart, you is important".

I started trying to find Ruby around 2000 when I got my first computer. My grandmother had passed in 1980 and my mother did not remember Ruby's last name. Finally, in 2003 shortly before I moved back to Hattiesburg, my aunt remembered that it was Hurst. I went to work.
A researcher at the Hattiesburg Public Library e-mailed her obituary, she had died in 2002. I was devastated! Kathryn Stockett had the same experience with the black woman in her life. It's the reason she wrote The Help.

So this is why I say to all the critics.....some who have yet to even read the book or see the movie, unless YOU were raised in this turmoil in 1960's Mississippi, unless you were raised in part by your own Abilene and never got the chance to say; I loved you and appreciate the love you gave me back, you have know right to critic an experience you've never had. What you do have a right to say is this; I did not like this book, I did not like this movie.

I have been an avid reader since I learned to read. I've read thousands of books! I read lots of different genres. I am a good judge of well written books. I've read bad books, good books, great books and excellent books. I was one of the first to read The Help thanks to an ARC. I told Kathryn this would be a #1 blockbuster! She didn't believe me!

Now to the particular critic named Duchess Harris............

You are correct in 2 things, YOU are not her sister, You are not her help.
I do not care that you are black, that you are an award winning Civil Rights Expert, a Feminist Activist and author, You are not an expert on 1960's Mississippi!
You were raised in Connecticut. Your father was a Traffic Controller. You went to a Northern Ivy League school. You have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER what it was like to live in 1960's Mississippi from a black or white perspective.
What YOU ARE is a judgemental and jealous woman. You are jealous that a young white woman from Mississippi took her own expert experience and turned it into a fictional novel that made her rich and famous! Get over it!

I'm sure that Kathryn is unfazed by this critics opinion of her book, she's too busy to worry about it but it just infuriates me! LAWDY B ! If you read something and you don't like it, don't say anything! I never talk about the bad books I've read. The author spent their time and put their heart into it. Who am I to use my opinion to break their heart? If you can't say something good, don't say anything at all!!

After my daughter and I left the movie which we loved, I said to her; Now do you understand why I wanted to raise my children away from here and WHY I never allowed the N word to be used" ?

Spiritualist Village of Lily Dale, New York

2011-08-31T09:19:00.001-05:00

In 1974 I moved from Hattiesburg, MS to Joelton,TN ( a bedroom community outside Nashville) into a haunted house! I spent 4 days and 3 nights there before fleeing with my husband and two sons. It was not a good experience but it left me knowing that physical death IS NOT THE END!

Since then I have been fascinated with all things paranormal................

A few years ago Hubby and I were visiting a local tourist attraction Windsor Ruins which is located between Natchez and Vicksburg. While there we both saw a full body apparition of a Union Soldier!

I want to introduce you to LILY DALE,NY.....Where No One Dies!

" Never Too Old "

2011-08-26T01:49:00.000-05:00

Your never too old to learn something new! I learned a few new things lately I wanted to share.....
Spot Removal..... No I didn't buy this product. I found out that good ole cheap Hydrogen Peroxide will take out any stain and won't hurt the color. It will even take Red Kool-Aide out of carpet. If you have dingy whites....fill washer with hot water and a small bottle of HP and soak overnight and spin cycle them and wash as usual.

Fleas seem to be a big problem this year. I tried my usual Front Line, it didn't work, tried two other brands, didn't work. I decided out of desperation to bathe Bubba in Epsom Salts! Killed every flea on him, immediately! Who knew?

Hubby got carried away planting Cabbage this year. So after eating it and giving it away, I was left with 3 huge cabbages. I told Hubby I was going to try something new. We cut them up, and they filled up my large canner( holds 7 quart jars in rack). I cooked them down but not done, added a quart of homemade rotel tomatoes and some Cajun spice . I got 11 quarts of Creole Cabbage! We tried one the other day! Fine stuff!

So just call me Helpful Carol and Have a wonderful weekend !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" SUMMER 2011 "

2011-08-24T01:15:00.001-05:00

In 30 days...Fall arrives! In 60 days.....my beloved Smokies will look like this and I can't wait to see it! Summer 2011 is almost in the books and not a minute too soon for me! It has been a long, hot, and I do mean hot & humid summer in South Mississippi!

I took a walk around the farm yesterday morning to take pictures of it winding down. The flowers didn't do as good this year as they usually do, but it could be because it was just too hot to take care of them. This Hibiscus is one of the few that did thrive..............

The bees.........buzz it

The Trumpet Vine on the pond house...........

This Rose of Sharon looks like a bouquet............

This Hibiscus is at least 10 feet tall..............

This was the garden back in late Spring...............

We had NO rain in June and it really affected the harvest except for the tomatoes....

I put up 92 jars of Tomatoes..................

The "Girls" are still thriving......we get an average of 9 eggs a day.....

They love to free range............

And Lay.........one was getting ready to "set" these..........

Lolly Pop loves that bucket twice a day..........

Cattle prices went high this summer so we sold off all but 3 momma cows and the bull...

Big Dub added a baby girl to the group..........

Paw Paw taught Molly how to drive the tractor.........

Cousin Sheila brought her nephew Brantley by for some fishing in the pond....

Last week my "baby girl" came back to spend some quality time with her Mommy before heading back to school next week. She's getting a BSN in Nursing........

We went shopping, had lunch at Olive Garden and went to the movie to see " The Help".
It was a great movie! I told author Kathryn Stockett not only do I expect it to win lots of awards, I expect her dear friend Octavia Spencer who played " Minny" to get an Oscar for her role because she stole the show!

I also did a lot of reading this summer but that is a post for another day! I hope all of you had a great summer too! COME ON FALL !!!!!!!!!

" Sunday Soapbox "

2011-08-21T01:02:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we just need to take a stand and get on our soapbox!!!!!

Then again......we may just get ourselves in a dangerous situation like my son did here!

However sometimes you need to vent just to keep yourself from blowing up!
Since I'm close to explosion, I chose to do it here............
I am truly a "live and let live" type of person. First let me say; " I am a Christian".
I was not born perfect and God knew this would be the case, so long before I was conceived, he sent his son Jesus to pay the price for my imperfection. I try my best not to judge people or their motives because I'm not responsible for their thoughts or actions and they will not ever have to answer to me for anything. I also do not live my life according to what "others" think.

" The tendency to turn human judgements into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world" author: Georgia Harkness

People judging others is one of my pet peeves! Another emotion I fail to understand is jealousy.
Awhile back I was at a function with a group of authors. One of my very favorite authors made an uncalled for, hateful remark, about another of my favorite authors. I was appalled by this behavior and so disappointed in this person. This remark was just made out of pure jealousy because the writer is as good if not better than the one making the remark. I am no longer able to read this authors work because I was so turned off by this. Why can we all not be proud of others success? Why do people feel so threatened?

I know I can't save the world or change anyone but I long to see people become more compassionate and treat each other with less judgement and jealousy.

"There are 3 great days in our life, the day we are born, the day we discover why and the day we leave this journey and find out if we learned all we should have in the school of life"

My prayer is that I can be grateful for all the blessings I've received and always see my cup as half full. Treat others like I want to be treated and keep my mouth shut about other people's lives!

I believe this wall says it all...............

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER............................................
Enjoy your day everyone!

Birthday,BBQ, Bluegrass

2011-08-14T01:27:00.000-05:00

August 6th is Hubby's Birthday......we always try to do something fun for our birthday. We had been for weeks trying to decide what to do for his. He was watching one of his favorite TV shows, BBQ Pitmasters a couple of weeks ago and mentioned how he would LOVE to go to one of their competitions. So I got on the computer to search for one. It just so happened that there was one in Dillard, GA on his birthday! Dillard is a beautiful small town in the North GA mountains only 100 miles from our place in the Smokies so the plans were made!

There are actually 7 Pitmasters on the show.....3 of his favorites were going to be at this competition.

The star of the show is 3 time World Champion Myron Mixon of Jack's Old South in Unadilla,GA . Now Myron is a character on the show! The kind you love to hate! We often discussed if he was really such a jerk in person and I'd say; " I bet it is put on cause he makes the show". I was right, you have never met a nicer guy and we really enjoyed meeting him and talking to him! Made Hubby's Day!

Another favorite is Tuffy Stone of Cool Smoke in Richmond,Va. Hubby got some great tips from him!

Last but not least....Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur, Alabama! What a super guy he is!

There was also plenty of great mountain Bluegrass music from some really talented musicians!

You should NEVER visit Dillard without enjoying some of the best food in the South at The Dillard House! We had lunch there and it was AWESOME!

Family style dining with to go boxes!

We then returned to Townsend and spent a few rainy mountain days at our little place taking in the view! It was SO Much Cooler than the horrendous heat we have endured here in South Mississippi this summer!

I know I haven't been blogging much but hopefully I'll get back to it more often now that the garden and canning are over for awhile!

Unexpected Surprise

2011-04-12T01:06:00.000-05:00

In my case, it is the unexpected surprises in life that seem to bring the most enjoyment.Since we bought the mountain getaway a few months ago we decided we wanted a new SUV with at least front wheel drive if not 4WD. The latter being so hard to come by in the deep south that you really have to order it if you want one we decided to look for a front wheel with all the bells and whistles. After spending about two months on line looking at different new cars and all their ratings we decided on the Honda CRV-XLT. Within a 300 mile radius, Pensacola Honda had the car we wanted at the best price. So off we go to Pensacola............

We decided up front we would spend the night on Pensacola Beach in a room facing the ocean!
This was the view from the room...........

Right above the pool........it was very windy and storms were rolling in so both the beach and pool were empty.....

Which made it so beautiful and calming........

Before going to pick up the new car the next morning we decided to ride out to Fort Pickens which is in the Gulf Islands National Park...........

We didn't know much history on the fort but learned that it built in 1829 to protect Pensacola Bay. During the Civil War it was never held by the Confederate Army and it was later used to imprison Geronimo. As it turned out we were there on the 150th Anniversary of the firing on Ft. Sumter which began the Civil War!

We did not take the park ranger tour of the fort but we intend to go back there and spend the day soon and we want to take it, spend time on the beautiful beach and do some fishing. This park is really a gorgeous place!

What we didn't know when we decided to go out there was....on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the awesome Blue Angels from nearby Pensacola Navel Air Station do their practice maneuvers! What a WONDERFUL SURPRISE! Be sure to CLICK the pics for close ups!

We watched for about 45 minutes and it was just stunning!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought this guy was going to come down on us!

They did so many formations and I wasn't sure I was getting any pictures because of the sun.
I would just point and shoot! HA!

After that was over we stopped by Landon Beach Pier on our way out of the park. This is a gorgeous beach with a huge pavilion, showers and rest rooms......a perfect place to enjoy the beach.

This boat was stopped out there doing some fishing..........

I thought this piece of driftwood was pretty..........

We then went to pick up the new car and drive her home. I posted on FaceBook that I needed to go to school to drive this car.....I really wasn't joking! I'm scheduled on Monday to take a class at the local Honda dealer on how to program and operate all those bells and whistles!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" Physician Heal Thyself - Part 2 "

2011-04-01T01:42:00.006-05:00

Hello April.......Welcome Spring! Our garden is in.....and up and I feel SO GOOD !!
If you haven't read PHT Part 1 Please scroll down and read it first ?

I am happy to report that my health is really really improved. On January 24th I went in to my primary care doctor who IS a DO, Not an MD which means she offers you alternative methods as well as pharmaceutical drugs to treat your illness. I was so sick( for the umpteenth time) that we agreed something had to change...soon! I did take the anti-biotic, plus a week of Diflucan since we felt I might have a fungal problem at work however it was clear to both of us that this was a temporary fix to treat the symptoms, not the problem which IS ALL Western Medicine does anyway!
I began an intense study of disease, diet, vitamins and supplements. Being a real southerner, my diet was full of really GOOD comfort food such as fried chicken, hot biscuits, mash taters and gravy, white rice, dumplings...........plenty of white flour,white sugar which = lots of empty carbohydrates! What upset me the most was, every book I read about eating GOOD wanted me to give up MILK and DAIRY !!! What I learned was....it's not the dairy products, it's the STORE BOUGHT dairy products that are harmful to us!

I also learned that " You Really Are What You Eat " and you need to scrutinize EVERYTHING you put into your body. It is not that much more costly to go Organic and if you do your research, there are great brands of Organic Pasta and brown rice that taste just as good as the "white" stuff. Let's talk about the "white" stuff! White flour, white sugar, white pasta all all very bad for you. Did you know that we all have dormant Cancer cells in our body? Did you know that Cancer cells thrive on white sugar?? Did you know that most Arthritis and Osteoporosis are caused from eating white sugar?? Did you know that nearly every processed food on the grocery shelf contains white sugar in the form of "high fructose corn syrup" ?? Check your pantry! WHITE IS OUT around here! We use honey and organic maple syrup as sweeteners now, brown rice and 100% multi-grain wheat bread and Bio-Nature brand organic whole wheat pasta, organic fresh veggies until our own garden comes in and I'm buying organic chicken and pork.
We raise our own grass fed beef that we never give hormones or anti-biotics to and we eat our own free range eggs. I have learned so much about food! Did you know you should NEVER eat meat and potatoes together ?? WHY? Because your body has two different natural en zines to digest food.
One is for meat, the other is for starchy foods, either will digest veggies and fruit. When you combine meat and starch they fight each other and neither can do it's job so you end up with heartburn and indigestion. Serve meat with veggies, when you eat starches serve them with other veggies. Did you know that fruit should be eaten alone OR first ? WHY? Because fruits digest very quickly! If you eat it after a meal, it lays on top of the other food waiting to digest and putrefies! UGH!

In one of the documentaries we watched a nutritionist says a very profound thing...................

" In America we have our priorities so mixed up! We want to live in a fine house, drive a fine car and wear fine clothes yet we NEVER give a thought to the crap we put into our body, our first monetary priority should be what we spend on our nutrition"

So....I've told you that our diet is now a healthy one but we are also taking several vitamins and supplements. We are taking 4,000 units of C a day, 1,000 units of E, a Complete 50 Plus tablet and 2,000 units of Fish Oil. We are taking this Olive Leaf Extract supplement twice a day because it is proven to rid the body of accumulated toxins and helps with many diseases such as Arthritis and Sinusitis.

We are also this Kelp for it's known benefits..............

Since we both have "bad bones "we take this supplement too twice a day...........
AND.........I refuse to give up MILK so I started trying to find RAW Milk to purchase....
Except for buying our own cow and milking it, that was out! However I came across the next best thing! Milk that is pasteurized but not homogenized..................
I am addicted to this stuff !!! The best tasting milk I've ever drank!!

This is the dairy I found close to our home and I am just elated to have found it!
Their business is just snow balling because there are a lot of people looking for this kind of milk!

Have A Great Weekend Everyone! ENJOY A Healthy Meal !!!!!
And...... REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE THE PHYSICIAN WHO CAN HEAL THYSELF !!!!!

" Physician Heal Thyself " - Part 1

2011-03-24T01:50:00.000-05:00

Those of you who read the bible are aware that Luke 4:23 is about NOT condemning others as you are not without faults yourself. For me it has a double meaning in that we ARE the physicians of our own body.
It was a year ago this month that I began to see a real decline in my health. If you recall I got a severe upper respiratory infection that put me on antibiotics, steroids and inhalers. That led to throat cancer symptoms which turned out to be some weird acid reflux that left me on more steroids and Nexium. After all this medication, which I am vehemently opposed to taking, I have been unable to regain my strength and stamina back. I seemed to have no immune system worth anything and the day after my Dad's funeral, I woke up with another severe upper respiratory infection! I decided that I'd had enough of Western Medicine, it was time for the Physician to heal Herself! I began doing research via the Internet, watching health documentaries via TV and Netflix and reading books!

I already believe that alternative medicine IS the way to go, have studied and grown herbs for years. Have an alternative medicine library that would rival most doctors but just didn't practice what I knew. I also did not know half of what I really needed to know!
There is a health show on Dish Network/Veria Channel 218 called The Incurables.
I set my DVR to tape it and have so far watched 18 episodes. The show is about people who have been told by Western Medicine doctors that they had incurable Cancer, MS, Parkinson's. Each of these individuals turned to Alternative Medicine, changed their diet and ARE CURED! Most were stage 4 B cancer patients and some were given as little as 4 weeks to live! Below is one of my favorite episodes about Andy Aubin. Please take the time to watch and be amazed!
Most of them can be viewed via YouTube. Valerie Mason's story is also a great one to watch!
Let me know your opinion please?

" I Am So Grateful "

2011-01-23T13:11:00.001-06:00

I want to say " Thank You " to all of you who left comments on both my blog and Facebook page. Those who called me, sent e-mails and sent beautiful flowers. I brought the gorgeous pot plants home and will so enjoy having them as a reminder of your thoughtfulness to me and my family in this sad time.
I met several people who say they read the blog but don't ever comment, I thank you and I do hope you will say Hi next time you come by "the porch". I got e-mail from 6 different countries
telling me how they loved my Dad and his music, for this I am grateful. I am most grateful that I was his daughter.

This is a picture display board depicting highlights of Daddy's music career that my son Marty helped me make. We sat it out in the foyer as you came in the door for everyone to enjoy viewing. We thought it very appropriate to place the wreath from his friends George and Nancy Jones next to it.

God Bless you all and please remember to tell your love ones how you feel~~~~
For life is a fleeting thing~~~~~~~~~

James O'Gwynn - House of Blue Lovers

2011-01-19T13:22:00.000-06:00

My father James O'Gwynn, " The Smiling Irishman of Country Music" passed away this morning @ 6:07 AM. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers ~~~~~~
Daddy you will forever sing in our hearts ! We love you !!!!

Amazing Grace in Cherokee Walela

2011-01-16T01:38:00.000-06:00

What's In Store for 2011 ?

2011-01-09T01:37:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to ALL ! I know most of you are at present Snowed In or Snowed Under !
We have Snow or Ice predicted for later today, we hope for snow rather than ice ! :)
It's been awhile ( 4 weeks ) since I posted. I never seem to catch up around here in a manner that gives me much down time. What little time I have, which comes from going to bed early, I spend reading. My Dad, who will be 83 the 26th of this month is not doing well at all. He's been in and out of the hospital for the past few months. He is there now and we are told he will probably not be able to come back home. We did not get to go to the mountain house for the holidays and don't know when we will get to go back. We did go out to eat with my brother Robert, his wife Babs and their daughter Angela last Sunday and sweet Angela took this pic of me and hubby.

Let's talk about the gifts of Christmas! This is Bubba McNair, the Maltese puppy Hubby got me for Christmas! He does NOT shed and will be our travel companion ~~~~~~~~

One of my favorite gifts was the Rhett Butler doll to go with Scarlett ~~~~~~~~~

I also got this gorgeous Crystal Beverage Server !! Can't wait to fill this with Sweet Iced Tea !

My dear friend Peggy gifted me with a copy of her new book ! I'm not much for Vampires but I'll read this one! I have heard it's really good!

Everyone knows my favorite love is books~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Did I ever get the books!

Francine Rivers is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors and who doesn't love Pat Conroy?

A couple of Civil War journals will make for some interesting reads~~~~~~~~~~~

I've never read Frank Delaney but I love books set in Ireland !!

These books by River Jordan were on my Amazon wish list ! Looking forward to these!

I discovered Robert Whitlow while on vacation in the High Country when I picked up his book Mountain Top @ Black Bear Books in Boone. He is a lawyer/author from Charlotte, NC who is said to be; " John Grisham meets Francine Rivers ". I loved Mountain Top ! I then read a wonderful 3 book series by him titled "the tides of truth " next, I read The List and got the movie from Netflix. I am now reading The Trial which has also been made into a movie.I got this 2 book series for Christmas. I really love his writing! Speaking of books made into movies, can you believe The Help has now been a top ten NYtimes bestseller for 92 weeks? The movie made here last summer will be out in August!

AND~~~~~~~~~~if I don't have enough books to read, the new Samsung Galaxy S android phone Hubby got me has a Kindle on it! HA!

I'm going to try and visit around with you guys today and see what Santa got you, I hope I DON'T get any book ideas ~~~~ I'm knee deep in the written word ~~but love every minute!

MERRY CHRISTMAS BLOG BUDDIES

2010-12-12T01:17:00.000-06:00

As of yesterday, this blog is 2 years old! My how time does fly! What a wonderful experience it has been to meet so many wonderful people from all over the world via this blog!! 2010 has been a hectic year around here and I haven't been able to post or visit other blogs as much as I'd like but I so appreciate each and every one of you and want to wish you all a Blessed Christmas Season!!
We have been doing a little remodeling at both of our homes and do to our age and aches, it hasn't been easy but is still rewarding and worth the effort. My step-mom Jeanette is at home and doing great and Daddy is much better now that he's back in his comfort zone.
We are trying to scale down our animal population so we can spend more time at the mountain house as we both love being there. Eric has been selling off some of the cattle. I prayed for and found three wonderful homes for Sadie, Jake and Patch. It was a sad day to see them go but you just cannot travel with three small dogs and Jake and Patch did not like being in a car and Sadie did not do well at all at the boarding kennel and the cost was outrageous to board three dogs.
Eric's brother-in-law up the road can tend to the chickens, Max and the cattle for us but the little dogs were another matter.
I'm beginning to understand that life is about change and adaption to the change. We decided to take this year off from decorating for Christmas. I'm not being a scrooge I just don't have the energy to put it up and take it down. It's gift cards and a quite Christmas in the mountain house for us. We know we are really blessed and just want to attend a Christmas Eve service and give thanks to God for the birth of his son!
LOVE TO ALL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CAROL

" ANGELS ON THE BLUFF " Natchez 2010

2010-11-20T01:56:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we went to Natchez to attend the famous Angels on The Bluff program held every November. This was the 11th year and I had tried and failed for 4 years to get tickets. The tickets go on sale August 1st and sell out the first few days. This year, I stuck a post it on the wall and called the first day !!! It is held in the magnificent Natchez City Cemetery. Local amateur actors portray famous people buried there and they were so good I sometimes forgot is was actors not the real person !!!! :)

The cemetery we were told contains 50,000 grave but only 15,000 markers. It had grown from the original 10 acres to well over 100.

I am a member of the Mississippi Southern Belle Bloggers. One of the other members is Christine Wright of Natchez. Christine has the blog Christine's Home and Travel Adventures

That's Christine with her beautiful smile holding her camera. Next to her is her good friend DebJani Som also displaying a beautiful smile. We all met at the visitors center to ride the school bus ( my kids called it the cheese wagon)to the cemetery.

Eric and I were all smiles about reliving our childhood experience! HA! That's Christine's hubby John sitting behind us. His hand that is~~~~~~~

First up was ~~ "The Empty Tomb"-- Alfred Bernard White was a popular baseball player for the Catholic High School in 1923. His untimely and tragic death is told by his father, Clay White, (portrayed by Sam Jones)After attending a game across the river in Ferriday,Louisiana, Bernard fell overboard from the ferry and his body was never found. He was an only child and his parents placed an empty tomb for him in their plot.

Mr. Jones kept us spellbound with his portrayal of a grieving father.

I shot this photo while walking~~~~ could those be spirit orbs all in this picture??

Madame Marguerite Justine Belhomme Marchand Benoist Mezeix " The Milliner of Natchez" You may have already seen her beautiful hats in the Henry Norman photographs but did you know this French lady and her husband were charged with secretly delivering letters to the Confederate authorities during the occupation of Natchez in 1863? She was portrayed by a family descendant. Her photo is at the top!! Sorry I deleted it during editing!

Reverend Ashley Vaughn came to Natchez in 1835 and edited the 1st Baptist newspaper. by 1836 he was the president of the Convention of the Baptist denomination of Mississippi. He went on to pastor the 1st Baptist Church of Natchez. the current pastor, Rev. Doug Broome did a wonderful job of portraying Rev. Vaughn!

After Rev. Broome finished, lights came on behind us and we turned around to see 13 year old Allison Forbes. She was wonderful with her rendition of Amazing Grace!! On a funny note, after the tour , John admitted to us that he had seen her standing in the dark shadows and thought she was a ghost but was not going to admit to seeing her!! :)
Next we have Ralph Jennings doing a dramatic portrayal of Samuel Henry Clay Owen. The prominent African American who was president of Natchez College for many years. The historic institution was supported originally African American Baptists of Mississippi and gained a fine reputation under Professor Owen's direction.

One of the many huge Live Oak trees located in the cemetery~~~~

As we walked along one of the drives we were startled by the presence of these "unknown" soldiers" standing beside the plot of the "unknown soldiers ". Later we were treated to a hearty laugh when DebJani said to Christine; " I thought they were going to speak" and Christine replied back; " they can't, they don't know who they are" !

This was really a chilling site in the dark~~~~~~~~~~~

My favorite~~~~~ ~~~~~ Mr. and Mrs. John Fleming" of The Towers in Natchez.

The Towers antebellum home on the left.

James Wesley Forde and Ginger Hyland, present owners of The Towers did an excellent job of entertaining us with the history of this supposed haunted house and it's original owners..........click on The Towers

The Towers is now a B&B and is open for tours Jan-Oct...........

Both of them are veteran actors of The Natchez Little Theater~~~~~~~

What a ball we had listening to local Attorney Rusty Jenkins portray his great-great Uncle 1900s Attorney Charles Ferriday Byrnes! He was one of the most colorful characters in Natchez history. He and his wife, Roane Fleming Byrnes(from the Towers family) resided in the beautiful home Ravennaside and lavishly entertained Natchez society. One of the funny stories Rusty told about his uncle~~~~

Mr. Byrnes it seems was a man who LOVED to drink the hard stuff. His wife was often told by other ladies that he had "no manners" One day he was drunk and his wife took all his clothes ( except for his shoes and hat) and locked him in a room to sleep it off. He decided to don his hat and shoes and climb out the window! He walks down the street where he came upon a group of ladies on a front porch. He tipped his hat and said; Ladies ! A lady in the group reported in haste to his wife that he was down the street! The wife says it cannot be him, he has no clothes to which was replied; "I KNOW " ! Oh my gosh says the wife, what did he do? Tipped his hat and said; Ladies, to which the wife replied; and you always say he has No Manners!

The final portrayal was of the famous 1960s Jazz singer Marian Montgomery(1934-2002) born Maud Runnells in Natchez~~~~

We enjoyed some wonderful music as Diana Glaze sang some of Marian's songs and told about her life~~~~

As you can see~~~ we were having a really good time!

I'm not sure the why they had a bonfire at the end but the smoke made for a spooky picture of Eric, me, Christine and John !

After our bus ride back to pick up our cars, we headed down to Natchez Under The Hill on Silver Street on the banks of the Mississippi River. Here you see the Ilse of Capri Casino

Across the street from the casino is a wonderful place to eat~~ Magnolia Grill

The 5 of us enjoyed a fabulous meal before promising to do it again next year! They portray different people each year so can't wait to see who we meet next!!

Thank you all so much for the thoughts and prayers for my family! We hope that my step-mom will get to come home next week!! Have a great rest of the weekend!! XOXO

" RAIN "

2010-11-03T01:36:00.000-05:00

We are finally getting rain !! We have not seen rain in 2 months! Our pond has NEVER been this low!

It has been a very busy time for the last month. I feel overwhelmed at times. My step-mother Jeanette, had a triple heart by-pass 4 weeks ago. She did real good through the surgery but had many complications afterward. She is still not back home and will probably be in rehab for a couple more weeks. My Dad who will be 83 in January, suffers from severe COPD and cannot stay by himself, also spent a week in the hospital. My 2 brothers, sister and I have been sharing his care. My younger brother came down from Arkansas yesterday to stay with him. So I'm heading out in the morning to Townsend to spend a few days in my little mountain get-a-way.
Until things get back to normal around here(if they ever do) I'll be scarce on the web. Please keep my family in your prays ?? XOXO

" Before & After "

2010-10-22T01:46:00.001-05:00

We went to Townsend on Sunday as our closing was on Monday morning. It was an exciting day to get the keys and start doing a few things to make it "ours". As soon as we got there and got started to work, our neighbors began showing up on their golf carts to welcome us! We were shocked at how many of the full time residents are from right here in South Mississippi~~~

There is a lot going on in Big Valley Resort! On Tuesday nights they have a Pot Luck dinner @ the Club House which used to be an old barn and afterwards they split into groups and play cards, domino's and bingo. They have a non-denominational church service on Sunday morning. There is a library there(not that I don't have enough reading material for my life time). On holidays like July 4th, Memorial Day and Labor Day they have Golf Cart Parades and cook outs~~~~

We met some awesome people and just hated to leave............

I got a few things done and wanted to show you some before and after shots. There is still a lot to do and we'll take the truck next time so Eric can take all his tools. We'll be painting and putting up bead board and chair rail along with some curtain rods and curtains.

The fall colors weren't at peak but were really looking pretty~~~

BE SURE TO CLICK ON PICTURES

Mornings on the back porch were really Smoky~~~

BEFORE ~~~~~ This was the living room minus the TV looking from the front door ~~~~

AFTER ~~~

BEFORE ~~~ from dining room toward front door

AFTER ~~~~~

Before~~~~ dining area

AFTER ~~~~

BEFORE ~~~~ front bedroom~~~~

AFTER ~~~ need to hang rod for curtains that go over sheers~~

BEFORE ~~~~~ back bedroom ~~~~

AFTER~~~~~~~~

BEFORE ~~~~ kitchen

AFTER~~~ how do you like my vintage Tupperware Canisters from EBay? They will keep staples fresh longer!

Another After~~~~

BEFORE ~~~~~~~ back porch ~~~~

AFTER~~~~~~~ put the swing in the store room till Spring----

ANOTHER AFTER VIEW ~~~~~

This is a prize possession I found at an Antique place in Maryville by Tennessee's First Poet Laureate( 1971-1994) Richard M."PEK" Gunn called "Frettin "~~~~~~ It has the state seal and is signed...........

It also came with a signed 1st Edition of his book " Tales of Tumblin Creek" you see laying on the desk~~~~~~~

I'll leave you with a shot of some color from below the deck~~~~

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE !!!! XOXO

It's Finally Here!

2010-10-17T01:18:00.000-05:00

Finally..........tomorrow morning we close on our new property in Townsend !!!!

We'll be there all week so of course we'll drive through Cades Cove which looked like this 2 weeks ago!

We hope it looks like this now !!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE !!!! XOXO

" A DAY OF CHANGE "

2010-10-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

Today I visited Natalie @ Kuts & Kurls in SoSo, Mississippi for a long needed change in hair style!

I had this color change in mind.............

With this cut...............

For ole times sake..........Hubby takes a picture of my soon to be GONE hair........

Seven inches GONE with one whack of her scissors.......

OK.........the cutting is done, get on with the color...........

A finished do.............

Makes Carol a NEW Woman.............

THANKS NATALIE !! SEE YOU SOON! Have to keep this new do looking good!

" PEACE ON EARTH "

2010-10-08T01:52:00.001-05:00

Well, it has been a stressful two weeks since my birthday! I had to return to Townsend again last week. The sellers of the Peacock Ridge property had countered our offer so I went back to look at a couple of more properties along with it before deciding to counter back. We met in the middle and I think we are all happy. I know we are !!!!
On Thursday morning I awoke to 56 degrees and light rain (something we have not seen here in a month) and was in dire need of a relaxing day! I headed out early for my favorite place CADES COVE..............
I'm sure most of you have been through Cades Cove but like me, NEVER tire of seeing it. It is the setting of my novel( which I hope to finish someday) which makes every trip inspiring, so come along with me to the most peaceful place on earth!

The Smokies were really Smoke'n !

These Deer and Turkey..........were having a peaceful breakfast together......

Around the bend however I was forced to stop the car for these two Gobblers who appeared to be doing the Gobbler Tango! YES! There are two of them and they payed NO mind whatsoever to the car or me!

I stood and waited for the Tango to move to the roadside and into the woods!

A quick stop at this church which was the center of both life and death for many of the cove settlers.................

Is it any wonder why they are the Smokies ???????

Oh My Gosh !! It's a BEAR hunting breakfast ..............

While I was inside the Cable Mills visitor center looking at the books (what else) one of the employees says; "look at the Bucks" ...........

I ran to the porch and look what I saw! Bucks everywhere!

I snapped this one behind the mill............

The Becky Cable House............

Becky Cable is a character in my book so I love visiting here........

I think I have done a good job bringing the truly fascinating woman back to life in the book....

Upon leaving Cable Mills I always take a right and go down Parsons Branch Road....

This is a small rapid in Forge Creek..............

This tangle of tree roots caught my eye.............

A little way down this road is my favorite cabin in the cove...........
The Henry Whitehead place............

I think the reason it's my favorite is because it shows pioneer progress.....

Henry first built a one room windowless cabin and years later built a two story cabin with windows in front of the old one . The old one was then used as the kitchen...

The BEARS like it too! I've seen more bears here over the years than any other place in the park!

A BEARS EYE view looking down the hill...........

Next we see the Tipton Cabin...........

I love the Bee Gums! So named as they used hollowed out Gum Trees for their bee stands....

Across the road is the Cavilier Barn and Corn Crib..............

Peaceful foraging for another buck...........

Back in Townsend looking back towards Cades Cove...........

One of the reasons I love Townsend is because it is so close to Cades Cove where Peace on Earth is alive and well ..........

Back at the farm this morning it's pretty peaceful too and kinda of Smoky at the pond!

HAVE A GREAT PEACEFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE !!!!! XOXO

" A MOUNTAIN DREAM "

2010-10-02T01:00:00.002-05:00

Well..........Here it is, The Writers Porch II ! It has been my dream since the early 80s when I started vacationing in Townsend, Tennessee to some day own my own little piece of The Smokies.............

Preferably.... my own little piece of The Smokies in Townsend...........
Big Valley is the cutest little resort of manufactured homes.About half the people live here year around. Most are retired, some just come for the warm months. I had never driven into Big Valley until my birthday, Eric and I both fell in love with it. We just thought it was the cutest place we'd ever seen! The streets are all named for foul such as Flamingo Circle, Snow Goose Lane etc.

Ours is on Peacock Ridge............. YES ! We got it! This is looking across the street from the front porch.That is the red roof of a bath house located on the street below.

This is looking UP my street..............

Down my street............toward Bradley Mountain

Coming in the front door. It is completely furnished except for that Big TV ! The 4 big windows all have mountain views!

This is from the dining area looking towards the front door..........It has a gas logs fireplace.

It has 2 bedrooms, this is the front bedroom..........

This one is the back bedroom..............

Coming out from the front bedroom is the washer & dryer...........across from the double closet you see on the right just past the washer, are 2 full baths.........beyond that is the back bedroom.....

A reverse view.............

This bath is closest to the front bedroom and has a tub/shower combo.........

This one has a shower and is closest to the back bedroom. The shower which is on the left, can be concealed behind a folding door.

This is the dining area at the far end of the living area............it has a mountain view via the screen porch....the stainless fridge you see was kept on the back porch for entertaining.

This is the kitchen, it has all new appliances including a small dishwasher next to the stove.........
I love the sliding french doors and the pantry beside the fridge............

My favorite place is this screened porch with awesome mountain views everywhere you look!!

See what I mean.......................A million dollar view of Rich Mountain which is part of the GSMNP . You can access it from Cades Cove in the park and drive across it to Maryville. It is one way and closed in the winter months.

I took this through the screen...........as you can tell

There is also a side deck........which looks back at Bradley Mountain.........and my neighbors back porch...........

Down below the screened porch is a huge open deck which you can see the right edge of here.

This is my back yard......I see wild flowers in it's future..............AND you know I'm gonna be putting my touch on the inside too! HA!

We go back in 3 weeks to close.......and I'm hoping this view...........

Will look more like this.................

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND YA'LL............ GO TITANS !!!! XOXO

A Smoky Mountain Birthday

2010-09-26T01:08:00.001-05:00

ALL Pictures are Courtesy of The Internet or Realtor Websites ~~~~~

We drove up to the Smokies last Sunday to celebrate my 58th birthday which was on Wednesday, September 22nd.

We rented this cabin on top of Bradley Mountain in Townsend, my favorite place in this world!

We knew that we would spend our time up there looking @ property for sale as I was to get my OWN place in the Smokies as my Birthday Gift! :)

On Monday morning we drove to Del Rio, Tn on the border of North Carolina to look at this place which sits on the banks of the French Broad River.

It was a beautiful setting but the cabin was a glorified camp, meaning it had NO electricity or
running water except for a cistern. It had a fancy out house as the only bathroom. The whole downstairs was screened in and the steps to the enclosed bedroom upstairs was also outside. It would have taken a good deal of money to make it comfortable............ Nix this one!

On Tuesday we went to Seymour which is between Sevierville and Maryville to look at this one. We did not like the location. Nix this one!

On to Gatlinburg! This one was in the Arts Community of Gatlinburg which is an area I love but it needed LOTS of work meaning LOTS of additional money put into it. Nix this one!

On Wednesday it was looking in Townsend. Liked it ,but the 1/4 mile gravel road that was in need of some serious work turned me off and there were NO mountain views at all! NIX!

This little house sits in Townsends Historic Kinzel Springs area on the Little Pigeon River. It was WAY overpriced and needed serious updating! However it was on the short list with one more.

It had a wonderful balcony right over the river..............
The winner however was the one least expected! I knew from years of visiting Townsend, about the Big Valley Resort but had never driven up in it. We were just in awe and loved it!

It is a gated community right off of the main drag, Hwy 321 in the heart of Townsend. Just a beautiful drive in..........

It has 2 swimming pools, a 9 hole Golf Course..............

A stocked fishing pond............

That is just gorgeous.............

With a cute picnic area...........

A real nice Club House.........

A playground for the GRANDS............

Tennis Court......

We found a place we love in there! This is one of the views from the screen porch across the back!

Do I see myself sitting out here reading? YES ! I DO!

See the barn down there? Eric and I got married right down the road from that barn!

We put in a offer on this place and are waiting to hear from the seller! I hope to hear tomorrow!

If and when we get it, I'll show you the inside~~~~~~~~`wish us luck ???????????

3 hours and 30 minutes till my Titans play !!! Have a great weekend and I hope your team wins unless you are a Giants fan !! HA! XOXO

" DUMPED" In The High Country

2010-09-10T01:51:00.002-05:00

Actually~~~~~~~ I was the the ONLY one left standing in this scenario, it was the other three who got dumped~~~~~~~~~~~

My 10 day trip to the High Country of NC started on Sunday which was spent driving 11 hours. On Monday I went to Valle Crucis (a later post). On Tuesday I joined Peggy Poe Stern and 3 of her writer friends from The High Country Writers for a lunch outing to the famous Shatly Springs Family Restaurant way out in the country. One of the writers, Ree Strawser (not pictured) wanted to take a picture of the rest of us near the OLD farming equipment on display.

As I helped Peggy up on the seat, I remarked that I hoped it would hold her and the remark was not about weight, it was about age & rust! Take the picture Ree, we are all ready! Left to right, Me, Peggy on the seat, Bart and Grace. Notice how Grace has her legs out and relaxed?

TAKE THE PICTURE REE, THIS THING IS MOVING !!!!!!!!!!!!

See me falling backward? See Grace's foot put back trying to brace herself ?

OMG! PEGGY FELL ON TOP OF BART !!!!!!!!!! LOAO!!! The thing collapsed!

Every one's down but me!

I Swear I Tried To Catch Her !!!!!!!!!! :)

BART ?? ARE YOU HURT ??? He was actually straddle of the iron tong. OUCH !

This was hilarious............

I laughed till I cried, had to remove my glasses to wipe the tears..........these guys are soooooo much fun!!! I had such a good time with them!

After we recovered, we had a fantastic COMFORT food meal at this place!

Here you see fried chicken,relish, beans, cornbread, biscuits, gravy & stewed blackberries.

Along with yams, corn, coleslaw, cabbage, mashed potatoes, green beans and tea......

These are some of the shops next to the restaurant.............

I believe you can rent these cabins and fish in the lake to the left of them.......

This was a wonderful day that left me wishing I could be a member of this group !!

Thanks guys for letting me in on the fun!! XOXO

" Almost Heaven "

2010-09-04T01:02:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday, September 1st, I arrived home after an 11 hour drive from spending 10 days in one of the most beautiful places in this country! The High Country of North Carolina! I learned that I was actually staying a top the Eastern Continental Divide. I visited Beech Mountain ( a later post) that is the highest incorporated town east of the Rocky Mountains. My FAVORITE visit however was on Friday August 27th! HERE WE GO!!

Wool Branch~~~~~~~~~~~~ A private road...............

Going up, up , up the mountain~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes Indeed! I went to see Vicki Lane @ her GORGEOUS Farm!

My two favorite authors!! Am I blessed or what?? I'm standing on this porch, on this mountain, taking a picture of my two favorite authors and looking out @ one of the most beautiful views in the world! It "don't get no better" than this! Vicki Lane and Peggy Poe Stern !!

I got to see scenes from Vicki's books~~~~~~ like Little Sylvie's Cabin!

Can you imagine sitting on your front porch in a rocker and looking at this?

Vicki can and does !

Looking down the drive~~~~~~~~~``

Vicki served us a fabulous lunch! The salad was outstanding and the cheese bread.......let's just say I wanted both recipes!! You cannot imagine the view from this table! We were viewing the top of a loaded Crab Apple Tree! Doves and Hummers landing all over it!

Cool mountain breeze coming through those windows! Zero humidity!! We had coffee and Ba's Pound Cake for desert, fresh baked!

I got to fraternize with Vicki's dogs after seeing their pictures for so long! As I took Maggie's picture, who by the way didn't want to be bothered ~~~~~~

William was banging his tale against the couch and posing for his ~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Molly was happy to pose for hers too!

What a wonderful day it was and I'm not exaggerating when I say;

It Really Was Almost Heaven !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVERYONE !!!!!!!!

" Headed for the Highlands"

2010-08-21T07:48:00.017-05:00

Today I'm as antsy as a caged Monkey looking at a banana tree! Come daylight tomorrow, I'm headed to The Highlands of North Carolina!

I'll be spending 10 days in Foscoe ( which is between Boone and Banner Elk) seeing the sites with my friend NC mountain author Peggy Poe Stern!

We are going to Blowing Rock................
Plan to visit all the shops!
We are going to Valle Crucis to the Mast General Store.............
and to see St. Johns Church...........
Can't wait to get to the Blue Ridge Mountains!!!!
Before I go, I want you to see my latest blooms...... Yellow Angel Trumpets
Pink Angel Trumpets
Tropicana Rose............
Holly Hocks..........
Holly Hocks......
Glory Bower.......
I'll be back September 2nd with LOTS of pictures............XOXOXO

" The Day of Small Things " by Vicki Lane

2010-08-12T13:37:00.007-05:00

As a follower of Author Vicki Lane's blog Vicki Lane Mysteries, I have watched and waited for the birth of this book, due to be released on September 28, 2010. Even though I have the book pre ordered on Amazon I was thrilled to get a chance to read a galley of this book beforehand!

What a thrill is was too! Miss Birdie the protagonist in this book, was a much loved character I was introduced to in Vicki's wonderful Elizabeth Goodweather mystery series however this book is a stand alone novel and can be read without having read the mystery series.

It begins with the birth of a tiny girl in 1922, deep in the mountains of Marshall County, NC.

" It'll always be the least un, fer there won't be no more. Recon that'll do fer a name - call it Least"

The story of Least is a mesmerizing one. Her father and brother having just been killed in a logging accident leaving a grieving widow/mother, she being the ninth child born to a woman already bitter from the birth and loss of children, Least doesn't stand a chance of having a normal life. Her mother Fronie views her as a worry and a hindrance and labels the child as simple minded thus keeping her hid from people as was the custom in that era.

However Least is far from simple minded, in fact she is a gifted child, a descendant of Cherokee Indians who is endowed with the "power" of Cherokee Magic. At nine years old Least is blessed when her maternal grandmother comes to live with her and Fronie. Granny Beck has the
"power " too and teaches Least how to use her gifts. As we watch Least grow from a neglected, unloved child into womanhood and become Miss Birdie, we are taken on a historical journey of the mountains of Appalachia, on a spiritual journey of the differences in the beliefs of the mountain Holiness people and the Native Americans. This is a poetic tale of the strength of the spirit to survive and the battle between good and evil from two entirely different cultures..............

I could not lay it down ! It is story you will not want to miss told by a brilliant story teller....................

If you haven't yet read Vicki's Elizabeth Goodweather series you are missing a real treat!
You will fall in love with Elizabeth !

To learn all about Vicki and her great books go to this site

Have A great weekend and read a good book!!

" Taking It Easy In The Big Easy"

2010-08-08T01:39:00.002-05:00

Some of you might recall that we received a gift certificate @ Christmas for a stay in this New Orleans Bed & Breakfast..............

Friday was Eric's 65 th B'Day so we went down to New Orleans on Thursday to celebrate........

Located on Pyrtania Street in the Historic Garden District the mansion was built in 1858

We enjoyed our morning coffee on the lovely front porch.......

This is the entry hall.............

The Dining Room.............

The Front Parlor..............which would have been the Ladies Parlor...........

The Chandeliers and Crown Molding are simply gorgeous..............

This entry hall is probably 50 feet long.............

This is the front end of the ladies parlor............

The furniture in this mansion is just exquisite.............notice the Lion Heads on the chair arms

I was amazed by the crown molding throughout this place.............

This column molding divides the front and middle parlors.............

Ladies Parlor Chandelier...............

I would love to have this piece at the foot of my bed...............

We had booked this room which is called The Moulin Rouge Suite and is on the 2nd floor...

However.........after seeing the staircase to the second floor which I kid you not looked like it went strait up 30 feet, we opted for a 1st floor room.......

We had already decided these front steps were more than enough climbing for us..........

We DO NOT do stairs as well as we once did.........HA!

So we stayed in the 1st floor Napoleon Room.............

I love this armoire.......... Now this B&B is reported to be haunted, I'm not sure just what has been seen or heard, but Eric thinks he heard a ghost! He says that in the wee hours of Friday morning he was awakened by heavy footsteps walking back and forth overhead. He said a few minutes later the footsteps came down the entry hall by our room heading for the front door.

They did not go out the door nor return back down the hall past our room to the stairs at the back of the hall. I slept through it! :)

On Thursday evening we had some of the best food we've ever eaten @ this very famous eatery on S. Carrollton in Uptown...........

They are well known for their amazing Po Boys..........

This a Shrimp and Fried Green Tomato Po Boy.....

Eric had a 12 inch Po Boy( half shrimp/half oyster) and I had the dinner special which was grilled Mahi Mahi on a bed of real mashed potatoes, topped with a creole crab sauce and a bouquet of grilled Asparagus.......

It was "oh my God" wonderful!

You can't visit New Orleans without a stop @ the Cafe DuMonde in the French Quarter....

This is a fantastic street entertainer............

Coffee and beignets for breakfast...........

Our daughter-in-law met us there and gave Eric an autographed copy of New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees new book "Coming Back Stronger". He has nearly finished it and says it is awesome!!

We then shopped at the French Market and took a stroll thru the French Quarter.........

This a typical French Quarter Residence............

These Morning Glory's were gorgeous on this fence..............

Another eye catching French Quarter house............

We had the famous Central Grocery Muffalattas for lunch..............

I bought 2 quarts of their Olive Salad so I can make them @ home...........

We had a wonderful time but it was Hot & Humid so we'll wait till it cools before going back for more of that great food @ Ye Ole College Inn! :)

Now, let me congratulate my son-in-law Randy Hogin for winning the popular vote and being elected to County Commissioner 12th District of Dickson County Tennessee on Thursday!
Good job Commissioner Hogin !!

Here @ home on the farm, my hard work keeps paying off too! This is my Glory Bower which has it's first bloom....

It will have to be moved in the fall though as it grows huge and will need more room!

And..........my Hollyhocks are looking prettier everyday.............

The one about to bloom on the right looks like it will be red..........

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!

NOW Click HERE and visit my Book House Blog to find out about some great reads I've read recently !!!!!!!!!

"Hang'n In"

2010-07-31T01:07:00.001-05:00

We went under an extreme heat advisory yesterday that will be in effect till Monday! Our humidity is out of site and our heat index is supposed to reach 111 to 113 !!!!

I guess there's more than one way to cool off a baby huh?

After humpteen years of trying to grow Holly Hocks I finally succeeded! I got my first blooms yesterday! I took a few pictures of different blooms around the yard and made a collage.........

I loaned out a few of the books I'd read recently so they were not in the last post. I wanted to add them though because they were really good. This book " New Orleans Legacy" by author Alexandra Ripley was wonderful!
She was the author chosen by Margaret Michell's estate to write "Scarlett", the GWTW sequel.

I am also enjoying Karen White's writing. I read this book " Lost Hours " set in Savannah on a horse farm! It is really good!

Another Karen White book, "The House On Tradd Street". It too was an excellent read and I have the sequel, " The Girl on Legare Street" in my TBR stack . These two are set in Charleston!

I am curently reading this book, " Creeker, A Womans Journey", by author Linda Scott DeRosier. Linda's account of growing up in Appalachia ( Two Mile Creek, Kentucky) is turning out to be a wonderful and revealing read!

This is the TBR stack I'm working from. There are all kinds of books here inclucding a couple of Pulitzer's.

Someone sent me this pic in a e-mail. I thought it was so cute, I wanted to share it! I don't text, I don't know how to text and DO NOT intend to learn! HA!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE! STAY COOL AND READ A GOOD BOOK!

" RELIEF "

2010-07-26T01:12:00.001-05:00

WHEW! What a time I've had the last few months!If relief from this heat wasn't enough of a problem, being ill on top of it was beyond misery! As you all know I was under the weather ALL of Spring and the first part of Summer with both my back and what had been diagnosed as severe sinusitis and asthma due to a wicked virus.First let me say; the shots in my back were a waste of time and money except that I learned my main problem is a arthritic facet joint in the center of my back and I don't need surgery. In mid June I lost my voice, was experiencing ear pain and a sore throat that would not go away. I still had severe sinus problems also. I googled ear pain, sore throat and laryngitis and came up with throat cancer!I made an appointment with my ENT . When I told him I was there to rule out throat cancer and explained my symptoms....

He said; "I know what the problem is. You have Laryngopharyngeal Acid Reflux (LPR)." My response was; I don't have heartburn, indigestion or reflux." He then went on to tell me that this particular form does not have these symptoms and is therefore hard to diagnose. LPR occurs when gastric contents travel up the esophagus and into the upper throat and voice box. This usually occurs while you are asleep and unaware. He then when through my nose and down my throat with a camera . My vocal cords were full of blisters and my throat was raw. I was put on Nexium for 15 days and I am totally well of all problems! I also began trans dermal magnesium therapy and my back is much better! :)

I have done a lot of reading the past few months, these are SOME of the books I've read.

I had my daughters 2 children here for 10 days and what a joyful time that was!

Molly loved riding Lolly Pop!

Of course the garden could care less how you feel, it still comes to harvest! This is my new Dehydrator I bought mainly for drying herbs.

I did dry 5 quarts of peaches in it though. I also put 15 quarts of peaches in the freezer, along with blackberries and blueberries, squash, okra, & peppers.

On the canning front, I made this Pepper Relish.I also canned Pepper Butter, Pepper Sauce, Tomatoes, and Okra & Tomatoes......

I made Peach and Wild Plum Jelly too..............I think this is the Peach.

My flowers have kept me busy........

This is our Purple Crape Myrtle. We have a smaller one out front too. It must be a rare color as everyone who comes here says they have never seen one this color.

I'm on my way to achieving my courtyard feel. Next year it should really look good!

The Cannas are really growing.............

This bed has not done so good except for this Angel Trumpet...........

You've heard of The Apple Dumpling Gang? This is The Watermelon Gang !

The eight peeps we raised are now pullets and doing good. Queen Vicki also sat 21 days and hatched the 2 little peeps you see here. We now have 18 chickens and get an average of 6 eggs a day!

Now that my health is back, I'm wishing I could look like this. Can you believe she will be 70 years old on Sept. 5th? This is a recent picture too! I would settle for this hair style if I could find someone who could do it!

After all the HEAT we've had I'd settle for a few days in this scene too! I will be going to the Highlands of NC in late August for 10 days and I can't wait! Coming to see you Vicki !!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!

MEET LOLLY

2010-06-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

This is my new baby girl Lolly Pop! That yellow streak is a tall weed and the dark spots are wet spots as it's misting rain.....................

" Time Marches On "

2010-06-03T01:51:00.001-05:00

Well Hello There ! I think most of you had given up on me ever posting again, it's been a month!
A full moon has come and gone!Let's see, where do I start? Remember back when we planted the three "courtyard beds" ? It was on Friday, April 23rd. I didn't mention it in my last post on May 1st but I was REALLY in bad shape! The morning after all the planting I could barely move, a disc in my lower back bulged, pressed out on my Sciatic nerve and stayed there for three weeks!

Now I was already suffering from pain in my center back and shoulder which was limiting my time on the computer but this was a whole different ball game!

I'm talking so bad I had to use a walker! I had never experienced Sciatica and I hope I never do again! So I went through 2 MRI's, lots of X-rays and some physical therapy. In the course of it all it was determined that my center back pain and shoulder pain was from a nerve caught in a facet joint. This past Tuesday I had a shot of Lydocaine injected in the facet joint which stopped the pain for about 5 hours and it has not yet come back full force. On June 13th I will get a epidural injection in it that should deaden it for about a year! YEAH! I have also cured my Sinus problem on my own with MEGA doses of Vitamin C ( 3,000 mg a day)

I really haven't felt like blogging as the everyday chores around here have kept me busy and exhausted!

Time marches on however and I can't believe the garden is starting to come in! It seems like yesterday I was canning, canning, canning! This is my sweet potato bed.

Cucumbers....................

We have, as my granddaughter would say, a gazillion tomatoes on the vines!

Potatoes, Okra and Onions.........................

The potatoes are doing great!

TA DA !!! Yesterday's harvest! We have been eating squash,onions, potatoes and peppers for over a week. We've gotten 3 ripe tomatoes and we'll have fried green tomatoes tonight.

This is my Herb bed................

My flowers are doing great also. This is my Hydrangea...........

One of the Oleanders...............

LOVE those Gardenia's...................

I've got beautiful roses everywhere!

The Hibiscus bed is my favorite of all!

The plants are full of blooms..................

This bloom was 9 inches across!!

It will be next year though before they fill in and make a wall against the fence. :(

JUST BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Elephant Ears are coming along................

As are the Cannas.........................

My Grandmother grew gorgeous Hollyhocks! I've tried many times, seed, plants, but was never successful. These I started from seed in the greenhouse then transplanted to this bed and they are thriving! YEAH!

My Banana Trees................

Red Verbena and Mexican Petunias....................

This bed has petunias, foxglove, lilies and angel trumpets in it...............

The Rose bed is doing good..............

The Pond House is gorgeous!!!

We still have all 8 of the peeps who are now full fledged biddies! Here are 3, it's almost impossible to get them all in one picture!

Let's hope another Full Moon doesn't come and go before I post again. I'm walking, doing Yoga,

and reading,reading, reading trying to do a lifestyle change for health reasons so I won't post as much as I once did but I also won't lose touch with all of you either. By the way, I'm down to 163 lbs. from 180! NO size 16 for me! HA!

I plan on doing a post later at the BOOK HOUSE blog about all the books I've been reading so check in there! Have a great week everyone! XOXOXOXOXO

" May Flowers "

2010-05-01T01:24:00.001-05:00

As you know ~~~ April showers bring May flowers! We had lots of rain in April and the flowers are wonderful ......
This Rose is bowing from all it's blooms ~~~~~

This bed just takes my breath away!

I'm always amazed by the different colored roses a Joseph's Coat turns out !!

The Pond House Amaryllis are just beautiful ~~~~~

WOW !!

I forgot to show this in the last post, we had also planted a Pomegranate Tree

I think that may be fruit bursting out of this bloom ~~~~~~~~~~~

Max is on guard watching the girls free range ...................

Yesterday, my dear friend author Carolyn Haines, picked up her "Harper Lee Award" at a luncheon during "The Harper Lee Festival " in Monroeville, Alabama! This award recognizes Alabama's Distinguished Writer of the Year ~~~~~~~~~

She also was presented a signed copy of " To Kill A Mockingbird " !!

OMG !! I would just be stepping high over that !!!!!!

That's OK Carolyn ~~~ You can live MY dream!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!