Library
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Several years ago Mom asked me to take her to visit her twin aunts Pearl and Cordelia. Mom only drives to church, the library, the bank, and Rose’s. Any other place she goes, she sits in the passenger seat. All that to say - I got to take my mom to see Pearl and Cordelia. It wasn’t terrible and we only had to make one stop because they lived next door to each other.

This was my mother-in-law’s favorite recipe and Hubby’s favorite dish. I’ve changed it just a little (improved it, actually), and Hubby still loves it, so it’s okay. (I just wasn’t dumb enough to tell my mother-in-law I had improved her recipe!)

This is a good end-of-summer recipe because if you have a garden, you are probably looking for ways to get rid of all that zucchini. Your neighbors and co-workers still have that last batch you gave them.

Last Saturday I went armed with our tax records and a recent electric bill to prove residency in our mountain county. And of course, when I requested a library card, the first question was: are you a resident? Not really, but I am a taxpayer. They probably love hearing that, but it worked...

I consider myself a live and let live kind of person. All the animals on our property are welcome as long as they stay in their territory and leave mine alone. The bears, coyotes and bobcats don’t bother me. They know their place and it isn’t close to mine. I’m okay with that. This little bird didn’t know her place...

To be brutally honest, I despise Jello. I have hated it since my youth. My mom used to make it for dessert at least once a week with a can of fruit cocktail in it. I would pick out the fruit and leave the Jello. It’s a texture thing. Jello feels alive in my mouth. I want whatever goes in there to be totally dead. But this Jello recipe is different...

Hubby has finally retired after several decades of teaching math and/or computer science from junior high level all the way through college and in the business world. During this time he has had some interesting conversations with his students (and a few parents). Here are some of the best...

When I was a little girl (back when I had a crush on every single one of The Beatles) the 7-Up Float was a big deal. This is very simple to make and there are no measurements, because it really depends on the size of your glass. Hint: use a big glass.

A while back, I went shopping with my daughters to our favorite used book store. This was going to be fun. It was on a weekday, and I had just retired. I could be out having fun while everyone else was at work. At the bookstore, I headed toward the Agatha Christie section, and I saw the girls going in different directions (we all have our favorites, but mine are the best)...

Our family loves deviled eggs. This is the dish I am always responsible for at family gatherings, probably because it is extremely hard to mess up. This recipe comes somewhat straight out of my Betty Crocker cookbook from 1973. The white pepper was my idea. It makes a prettier egg. I mostly follow the directions. The secret, in my opinion, is the use of dry mustard. It makes the yolk nice and fluffy.

The other day, as I was driving home from the grocery store a message popped up on the dash: "Low battery on key fob" I am just now learning to call it a fob. Not that long ago, I was still referring to it as that fat key thingy. I am so not into technology. I still don’t understand all the little buttons running down the side of the calculator I bought in 1997.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains, we call these soup beans. They are cooked to death with pork, then break apart, forming a thick, creamy broth. They are delicious served with chow chow, stewed tomatoes, and cornbread.

I graduated high school, graduated after school daycare, and graduated from Fern’s life. I don’t think she noticed and I certainly didn’t give it much thought. Several years went by and Hubby ended up teaching at the very church school where I had once worked. It was his first teaching assignment and he loved teaching algebra to some pretty cool kids. And then it was time for the annual faculty Christmas party. Spouses were invited.

When I share a recipe, I always try to give credit to the cook from whom I stole it. If I didn’t, I would get indigestion or something. But this cornbread recipe is totally mine. It developed from years of trials and testing to get the perfect taste and texture. Credit goes to Hubby and the backyard birds for helping me with the tasting and testing.

One sunny day last fall, I met Bea at the mall and we had a fun day shopping for items to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. If two young girls had as much fun opening their boxes as we did filling them, those were two happy girls. Bea and I have a tradition of doing that every year. It is one of my favorite Christmas activities and makes the holidays much more meaningful.

Don’t make these unless you are dedicated because once you share them with family and friends, you will be expected to bring a double batch to every function!

One beautiful autumn day, Cousin Norman and his wife Alma were joy riding along the interstate with plans to have a picnic at the state park. Joy riding means that Alma does all the driving so that Norman can enjoy the scenery or take a little snooze. A picnic at the state park means that Alma packs a large basket of sandwiches, chips and cookies, a large cooler of soft drinks, and an enormous blanket for Norman to rest on under a shade tree and watch the world go by.

I never cared much for sweet potatoes, but I run to the store at the beginning of autumn just to make this recipe. It is delicious. Feel free to adjust the measurements. You know I always do.

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

Recently, my grandson Cedric got married to a very lovely girl. They had an outdoor wedding and I needed a nice dress to wear. As grandmother of the groom I knew I needed to up my game from my regular attire. Khaki shorts just weren’t going to cut it, even though they would be a lot cooler.