Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Hi Porchers. I'm glad you made it. I miss you when you're
gone. ~smile~
Our little farming community is in high gear with everyone back
in the fields trying to get their crops out while the weather holds.
Although my men have just finished harvesting the last of the rice,
a lot of our area cotton farmers have just begun.
The site of cottonpickers rumbling down the field and cotton trailers
on the side of the road makes me plum nostalgic. I'm tempted to offer
my "packing" services free of charge. My sisters and I spent many fall
afternoons packing cotton for our Papa. Okay, packing might be a
stretch; we did more playing than packing. Until we saw Papa's hungry
machine coming our way--then we got serious about stomping the scruffy
cotton as far down as we could so he could dump one more load before
Mama headed to the gin with the trailer. I don't know how crucial we
were to Papa's operation, but he managed to make us feel important.
I'll never forget the combined smell of freshly picked cotton and
stinkbugs. Sidenote for the uninitiated: stinkbugs leave a terrible
odor on anything they touch. They're kind of like mosquitoes. I'm sure
God knew what he was doing when he made 'em, but I can't help wondering
what He was thinking.
Before I take the cap off this week's southern celebration, I want to
give you an update on my father-in-law. GrandBuzzy is recovering very
well from triple bypass surgery. He is supposed to be coming home
today, (Tuesday.) My sincere appreciation for everyone who wrote in
with Get Well Wishes and prayers for GrandBuzzy. My porchers are the
best folks in the world.
That's enough from me. I'll be right here on the porch if you need
me. Go on now, and enjoy yourself. ~smile~
Hugs,
Shellie
P.S. Late update: You might notice the time and wonder why I'm on the
porch so early this morning. Welll, Jessica Ann, (my sophomore at LSU
for the new porchers), was in a car accident last night in Baton Rouge.
She's okay, but it gave this mother quite a scare when she called from
the ambulance on the way to the hospital. That's not a cool phone call
when you're three hours away. Making a long story short, she has ended
up with only a broken foot, Praise the Lord! Still, I'm headed down to
lay my eyes on her and I'd appreciate the prayers of the porch. Have
a great day! :-)
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~~Chuckles~~
"Vermont Meets Texas"
All right, porchers. Y'all know that I've tried to keep the regional
squabbles to a minimum here on the porch. Well, it has been brought
to my attention that I said I'd poke fun at us southerners every now
and then just to even the plate and I haven't yet. On that note, I
offer you the following story. Enjoy it, I don't know how many of
these you'll see...
Did you hear about the Texas rancher visiting New England? After
touring a Vermont farm with his host, he asked how large the farm was.
"Well, said the Vermonter, "see that big tree over there? That's
one edge, and then down to the rock wall down there, and over just
past that red barn in the distance."
"That's it!" exclaimed the Texan, "On my ranch you'd have to drive
all day just to get down to the southernmost border!"
The Vermonter nodded solemnly and said, "Yeah, I had a truck like
that once."
~Special thanks to Duane from Florida for this week's chuckle.
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~~A Taste of the South~~
We're just beginning to enjoy some cooler temperatures here in the
Delta, and I love it! One of my favorite things to do this time of
year is stirring up a container of spice tea. I love the brands in
the store, but I've found that I can mix it up myself for a fraction
of the cost. Besides, it's pretty sitting on your counter in a glass
jar and it also makes a good gift for a friend.
"Extra Special Spice Tea"
• ½ cup instant tea
• 2 cups Tang
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 2 and ½ cups sugar
• 2 small pkgs of unsweetened lemonade mix
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ready? Don't blink or you'll miss this one! Combine the correct
amounts of instant tea, tang, sugar and lemonade mix in a large
freezer bag with your spices. Shake it together well and store it
in a tightly closed container to keep the spices fresh. When you're
ready to share a cup with a friend add 2 heaping teaspoons to a cup
of boiling water and enjoy.
~Shellie
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It's Porch Day! Are you wearing your ALL THINGS SOUTHERN T-SHIRT? I am!
http://www.allthingssouthern.com
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~~Spotlight on the South~~
SPOTLIGHT ON MULE DAY IN CALVARY, GEORGIA
The first Saturday of November
We're shining our southern spotlight today on Grady County, Georgia.
This little town in southwest Georgia is going to be bursting at the
seams this weekend. Word is-they're expecting close to 75,000 people
to show up for the 26th annual Mule Day. They'll sip on home made cane
juice and browse some 500 booths of crafts, goodies and wares from
all over the south.
Before the shopping starts, they'll line the streets at 11:00 A.M. for
their official opening, a grand old parade comprised of old timey
wagons, platforms, mules and hitching gear. I understand that coveted
prizes will be given for the prettiest, ugliest and most ornery mules.
I'm familiar with ornery ones, we have a saying in the south about
being madder than a mule chewing bumblebees, but I'm not sure how they
choose the prettiest one. It must be in the eye of the beholder.
Regardless, it sounds like a fine southern hoe-down brewing. If you're
anywhere close to Grady County, Georgia, stop by for a visit. I'd love
for a report for the porch.
~Shellie
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~~It's Been Said...~~
Today's southern quote comes from the late Alvin C. York. In the fall
of 1918, at the height of World War I, Mr. York was fighting with the
Army's 82nd division at the Battle of Argonne Forest. This real-life
action hero reportedly killed 25 Germans, knocked out 35 machine guns,
and captured 132 prisoners, almost single-handed. In addition to the
distinguished awards presented to him by the French and Italian
governments, he was also awarded the American Medal of Honor for his
courageous actions. In today's culture, where the media makes heroes
of the unlikeliest and often most undeserving candidates, Mr. York's
quote speaks eloquently of the stuff true heroes are made of. It reads...
"The fear of God makes heroes, the fear of man makes cowards."--Tennessee
native and Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Alvin C. York
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~~Southern Comfort~~
"Are We There Yet?"
I remember one inevitable question from all the trips of my childhood.
"Are we there yet?"
My Papa loved seeing the different parts of our country and he wanted
my sisters and me to appreciate it, too. All we could think about was
the destination. Papa wanted us to relax and enjoy the scenery. He was
planning on getting us there, but he wanted us to see and learn some
things along the way. Mama encouraged us to bring books and toys to
occupy our time. Instead, my sisters and I occupied ourselves by
dividing the backseat into thirds and threatening anyone who crossed
the line with even the toe of their flip flop.
Reminds me of some Christians I've known. They talk a lot about having
their ticket to heaven, but they sure don't seem to be enjoying the
trip. Do you see 'em? That's them riding in God's back seat with a
somber look on their face, making life as difficult as possible for
people going the opposite direction as well as those traveling right
with 'em.
The Bible says, "This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice
and be glad in it." That's not just for Sundays! Lighten up folks,
we're called to reconcile the world and take others with us. That's
gonna be hard to do if we look like we're marching to Zion...with
a rock in our shoe.
~Shellie
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~~Southern Exchange~~
Your letters:
Dear Shellie,
I found a link to your site on Webshot.com today. I never dreamed of such a
heavenly site. I spent hours browsing through the recipes (I must have
printed about 25 of them), the jokes, the quotes, etc. I absolutely love it.
I am from the southeast corner of Oklahoma.....known affectionately as
Little Dixie. I was born and raised here and have never been more proud to
be a Southern Belle than right now. I am a 36 year-old housewife & mother (3
sons) and I also work outside the home. I can tell I will get many laughs
and uses out of your website. Keep up the excellent work.
Sincerely,
Dana McKinney
(Dear Dana, Little Dixie, huh? I didn't know that. I'm glad you're having
a good time exploring the porch. I hope you continue to be very happy here.
~Hugs, Shellie)
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Hello,
I found your fun site through the "Joe Photo" emails I receive. Yours was
the "interesting site pick of the day" yesterday. Brought back a lot of sweet
memories from my childhood. Born in Centralia, Illinois and raised in Florida
and Texas. The continuing family joke from my Daddy was when he would use his
fingers to pluck my nose off my face and then show his thumb through his fingers
saying, "I got your nose!" We have passed it along to my nieces and nephews
up here.
Thanks,
Nancy A. Chiavario
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
P.S. I am a local politician up here, but you can shake my hand without worrying
about losing any fingers!
(Dear Nancy, I've been on both ends of the nose joke myself. Thanks for the
memory. Now, I'm glad to see you have a sense of humor about that politician
thing. I could've gotten in trouble with that one. ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Dear Shellie,
I subscribed to the list but when I tried to click on the "confirming" e-mail
to move me off the temp list, I got a page reply that said www.bayou.com
couldn't be loaded. PLEASE put me on the permanent mailing list. I'm a South
Carolina boy who just moved to Ft. Wayne, IN by way of Dallas, TX. I've gotta
have my southern fix up here. By the way, I view my role as a missionary to
the good folks here to spread all things southern to them! Thanks. Love your work.
Brian Foster
Ft. Wayne, Indiana
(Dear Brian, Don't worry buddy, you're in! I love your enthusiasm. From one
southern missionary to another, I say, go get 'em. ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Hi Shellie,
I wrote to you requesting your book (which I loved). The other day, I
went by a friend's home out in the country to borrow some old photos
from school days, and her neice was giving her a home permanent in the
kitchen. All of her sisters, neices and her mother were all sitting around
in kitchen chairs watching the complete process from start to finish!
It brought back lots of memories to the days when most of us could not
afford beauty shop perms. Seems "watching" someone get a home perm was
the highlight of the day back then. I don't know if this girly-girl perm
has been used before, but since I experienced it this past week, thought
I'd share it with everyone: If you've never sat in a room with several women
neighbors/family watching someone get a home permanent...then you are not
a girly-girl.
Jeannie Williams
Picayune, Mississippi
(Dear Jeannie, I'm glad you enjoyed the book and I just love the girly-girl.
Although I always tried to stay out of mama's way when she had those perm rods
handy, I've got the pictures to prove that she caught me a couple of
times. ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Dear Shellie,
Just read your newsletter and I really like it. Keep up the good work.
I found your website on the Webshots site. They show a daily link to other
websites and when I saw the word Southern that got my attention. Did y'all
get any of that dog gone hurricane? We sure did 2 times in a little over
a week. Be the good lawd willing and the creek don't rise I'll be looking
forward to your next letter.
Carol
Foley, Alabama
(Dear Carol, We got mostly water out of the girls that came through. Phil
is just now getting back in the field. I'm glad you found the porch! Thanks
for droppin' me a note. ~Hugs, Shellie)
____________
Hi Shellie,
Being from Lake Providence, I'm sure you are already aware of Mr. Davis's
death. F. C. was a dear friend of mine. He was a christian man, a pillar
of the community and very active in the Masonic Lodge. He has held every
position in the lodge. I guess he was almost a land mark, I know his
business, "The Friendly Barber Shop" surely was for Lake Providence.
Don't know when he started there but it has been there for as long as
I can remember. He will be missed as a leader and a friend.
Thanks,
Carl Coleman
Alabama
(Dear Carl, I loved Mr. Davis, too. I thought your letter was a fine tribute
to him and I wanted to post it for the others. By the way, Mr. Davis trimmed
up four generations of Tomlinson men, (Phil, Phillip, GrandBuzzy and GrandBuzzy's
daddy). He once told me that they all had the same cowlick. ~Hugs, Shellie)
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~~A Southern Definition~~
Hear ye, hear ye. I know there are exceptions to every rule. Having
protected myself, let me go on to say that the teachers' pets I knew
growing up looked and acted a lot like Nellie Olsen on Little House on
the Prairie. You remember the type. They sat by the teacher at recess
and talked about--who knows--I never sat by the teacher at recess. Their
homework papers were always neat and clean, never smudged and crumpled
like some people I know. (She clears her throat. ~grin~) Which brings
me to Today's Southern Definition, which reads...
"If you were ever the teacher's pet, instead of her personal challenge...
you could have been a girly-girl."
--Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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ATS NEWS and NOTES:
I had a lot of fun today! A sweet lady from "The News-Star World" in Monroe,
Louisiana came out to interview me for the paper. Looks like everyone
wants to know what is happening here on our porch. Their photographer had
me pose on top of Phil's tractor. ~grin~ If you want to read the
article, it's supposed to be in Sunday's paper. (That would be the 20th.)
You can find the paper online: http://www.thenewsstar.com/news/accent.
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All Things Southern Sponsors:
If you enjoy All Things Southern on the radio--or by internet, please
let my sponsors know. ~Thanks,Shellie
Panola Pepper Corporation, where great hot sauce is just the
beginning. If you're not cooking with Panola, your stomach might be
full, but is your mouth satisfied? You can find Panola on the web at
http://www.panolapepper.com or give them a call at 318-559-1774.
Their plant is also available for tours at 1414 Holland Delta Road
in Lake Providence, Louisiana.
**************
Let New Attitudes Hair Design and Boutique blend all your fall
shopping needs into one beautiful style that flatters your
distinctive personality. Stop by 710 Florida Street, Delhi Louisiana,
and tell Sheila that Shellie sent you. ~smile~ 318-878-3397
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