(I haven’t been posting here as much as I’d like because I’ve been working on a few other projects. Maybe you’ve seen this piece I did for It’s a Southern Thing on bean pie and how I learned there’s more to it than meets the eye … or mouth, as the case may be. Or…
Tag: featured
Bonjour, Gizzard Salad!
The minute I saw it on the menu at Les Vapeurs in Trouville, I knew I was going to order it. I like to try new things when I travel, things I can’t get at home, things that are unique to an area. And on this particular night that thing was candied gizzard salad. After…
The Woods
I come from the woods. The woods is where I grew up running down trails slick with pine straw, where I explored through brambles and thickets, where I climbed higher higher higher on pine trees laid low by hurricanes and criss-crossed like so many pick-up sticks. Baw and I rode our horses through the woods….
Hurricane Memories
Brother and I huddled under the heavy, oak table on the old red corduroy chaise lounge cushion. It was a little more than a week before my tenth birthday, and he was only three and a half. We hadn’t been able to bring much, but I had my favorite teddy bear and Brother had his…
The Commencement Address — or — How Not to End in Bitterness
This is the season for graduations so I was wondering to myself the other day what I would say if called upon to give a commencement address. Now I’ll be honest. I can’t remember who spoke when I graduated from the University of Montevallo. Not a clue. Can’t remember if it was man, woman,…
Debunking Myths about the South (Part 3)
Betcha thought I was done debunking myths about the South with Part 1 and Part 2, but we still need to set the record straight on a few more. Excuse me for a minute while I pick this bit of ham hock out of my teeth with my pocket knife. Ok, that’s better. Now, let’s…
Debunking Myths about the South (Part 1)
Y’all, it’s time to dispel some myths about the South and Southerners. We’ve all fielded the questions, as dumb as they are, but enough is enough. Every single one of these misconceptions is a real-life example of something I, or someone I know, has encountered when they ventured either north or west. That’s why I’m…
The Coup
In The Bank Robbery, I told y’all how my granny went from the farm to business school and survived an armed bank robbery. If you missed it, go read it now before you go any further. This is the second half of the story. After the robbery, Granny kept right on working at the bank,…
The Bank Robbery
March is Women’s History Month. That’s why I think now is a good time to tell y’all a little story that I’ve been saving for quite some time. It’s the story of how my granny rose up from farm girl to bank president and nearly died along the way. Audrey May Rowell was her name,…
Sick as a dog and other Southern sayings for when you feel like poo
A bout with a sinus infection, fever, bronchitis, and all the yuck that goes along with being sick has me thinking about Southern sayings again. I’ve definitely used several over the last few days. And as I sit here under my favorite afghan surrounded by a pile of Kleenexes (both used and not) sipping on…