Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Welcome back to the porch! I've been parked here on the front
steps looking for y'all since early this morning. Scouts
honor--our visit is the first thing I think about when I open
my eyes on Thursday morning. (I know the early bird is supposed
to get the worm, but, if it's all the same to y'all, I think
I'll pass.) ~smile~
I've been scanning this week's emag while I was waiting for
everyone to get here. Even though I'm the one that puts it
together, I'm always a little surprised with the final product.
For instance, this issue is just peppered with chickens, crickets,
catfish, puppies, and biscuits, as well as a reference to Elle
May Clampett. Heck, there's even a proclamation for Confederate
History Month. One thing is clear. It's certainly not hard to
tell where we are!
I hope you have a lot of fun today at Coon Creek. I'd love to
hear what you think! Now come on, let's chat about our food,
our people, our home. Let's celebrate the South!
Hugs,
Shellie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Chuckles~~
"It's all in the Translation"
A Mexican bandit made a specialty of crossing the Rio Grande
from time to time and robbing banks in Texas. Finally, a reward
was offered for his capture, and an enterprising Texas ranger
decided to track him down.
After a lengthy search, he traced the bandit to his favorite
cantina, snuck up behind him, put his trusty six-shooter to the
bandit's head, and said, "You're under arrest. Tell me where you
hid the loot or I'll blow your brains out."
The problem was the bandit didn't speak English, and the Ranger
didn't speak Spanish. So, the Ranger asked a local to translate
his message, giving the bandit a choice to come clean with where
the money was or die.
After hearing the Ranger's translated message, the terrified bandit
blurted out, in Spanish, that the loot was buried under the oak
tree in back of the cantina.
"What did he say?" asked the Ranger anxiously.
The local answered, "He say he no afraid to die!"
(Thanks to Dude Halley for this week's chuckle!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~A Taste of the South~~
"Spicy Southern Chicken"
• 4 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 16 ounce jar thick chunky salsa (choose mild or hot to taste)
• 1 (2 and 1/4 ounce) sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Beat chicken breasts to uniform thickness. Spray nonstick
frying pan with olive oil flavored spray. Saute garlic over
low heat. Add chicken and cook over low-medium heat until
golden, turning once. Add salsa and cover. Continue to cook
over low-medium heat 30 to 40 minutes. Good served over rice.
Top with olives. This is four servings.
(Porchers, Joyce Ray from Louisiana wants me to ask you if
anyone has a recipe for Hot Dill Pickles. She seems to remember
her late mother-in-law soaking cucumbers in salt water for about
a week, but she isn't sure! Could anyone help? Thanks!~Shellie)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Please forward ALL THINGS SOUTHERN to your friends and family!
(You can also email them the parent site by going to
http://www.allthingssouthern.com and clicking on the link that
says "email this site to a friend.")
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~Spotlight on the South~~
SPOTLIGHT ON THE LATE LEWIS GRIZZARD
Lewis Grizzard was born with a special gift; he made us laugh.
In return, we made him famous. We laughed at his jokes and bought
his books. Like Mark Twain before him, Grizzard took scenes from
his youth and spun tales with a lot of fact and a little fiction.
We embraced them because they were our own.
Maybe we each knew the people by other names, but our lives were
populated with Grizzard's characters. We recognized the strong,
quiet man, (his maternal grandfather "Daddy Bun," a farmer and
school janitor who was the inspiration for Grizzard's famous
"Definition of a Redneck"), and the steely Southern woman who
bends but does not break, (his mother, beginning life anew at age
40 after Lewis Sr.'s departure). We feared the same school
authority figure (O.P. Evans, principal of Newnan High School)
and if we weren't the girls he talked about, (Kathy Sue Loudermilk
and company) we were the girls that talked about that type of
girl. Lewis often told interviewers he was raised "poor, proud,
and patriotic." We understood.
Some of Mr. Grizzard's most memorable columns were rants against
those that dared challenge his Alma Mater, the University of
Georgia. One of the greatest feats in syndicated newspaper history
is attributed to the simplicity of Mr. Grizzard's column the day
after his beloved bulldogs lost to rival Georgia Tech. With a
stroke of brilliance, Lewis typed one sentence above several
columns of white space-"Frankly, I don't want to talk about it."
Once, during Mr. Grizzard most prolific years, Hollywood came
calling, looking for someone to play a "very southern role".
When they turned him down because he was "too Southern" we took
it personally. We adamantly agreed when Lewis told the world,
"Too Southern? "Why, that's an oxymoron. There's no such thing
as being "TOO Southern."
Lewis Grizzard was conservative, eccentric, hilarious,
controversial, sentimental, kind, testy, gifted, troubled, and
brilliant. In short, he was family. Born with a faulty heart
valve, Mr. Grizzard died on March 20, 1994, at 10:45am, a little
more than a year and a half after his third open heart surgery.
I've read that fans still drive to Moreland looking for him,
leaving notes or flags or little toy bulldogs by the stone,
which reads, "A Great American." We'll never know what Mr. Lewis
would have said about such a serious homage--but I bet it'd make
us laugh.
~Shellie
Click here to buy the book "Down Home Grizzard"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578660386/qid=1018319961/sr=8-4/allthingssout-20
Click here for the CD "The Best of Lewis Grizzard" (When you get to
Amazon, don't forget to scroll down for the sample audio clips!
Hear Mr. Grizzard himself explain the difference between "nekkid"
and "naked".)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000154P/qid=1018319961/sr=8-2/allthingssout-20
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
~~It's Been Said...~~
"The greater part of our happiness depends on our disposition
and not our circumstances."
--Martha Washington
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
~~Southern Comfort~~
For some time now, my habit has been to spend a few minutes
in each of my kids' rooms each morning, praying for them.
One Monday morning not too long ago, I was sitting on Phillip's
bed praying about the knee surgery he was scheduled to have that
coming Wednesday. About the time I said the word "Wednesday",
I heard these words in my heart, "I'm already in Wednesday."
I don't know if the thought was mine, or a whisper from the
heavens, but it brought instant comfort.
I know, it's not exactly a news flash. You already knew He is
the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End. You know He
isn't constrained by time. But, do you take this awareness and
wring out all the good you can from it?
When I was a little girl, riding the bus home from Transylvania
Elementary School, I looked forward to seeing Mama's face at
the carport door. It didn't matter if I had a belly-ache
and a ton of homework, it always felt better knowing Mama was
already there, waiting on me.
The next time you find yourself dreading something in the future,
I encourage you to dwell on the truth that God is already there.
It feels good, try it.
~Shellie
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
~~Southern Exchange~~
Your letters:
Hi Shellie,
I'm recently unemployed and have found great laughter reading
your ezine. Now, I have a true story for you.
Back in December my friend, Sara, called me from the animal
clinic where she works. She wanted to know if my five-year-old
son, Tim, could adopt an abandoned puppy. The clinic workers
had nicknamed the pup, "Stinky".
When we stopped in to see the puppy, Tim told Sara that he
thought "Stinky" was an awful name. So, Sara asked him what
he would call the dog? Tim's answer? Biscuit!
"Why on earth would you name her "Biscuit"?" my friend asked.
Tim replied, "Because she looks just like mom's biscuits,
black on the top and brown on the sides!"
Needless to say Biscuit joined our family for Christmas and is
living happily ever after.
Thanks for the smiles,
Romona Johnson
Green Pond, Alabama
P.S. I guess you can tell that I went to the Elle May Clampett
school of cookin'.
(Dear Ramona, You're very welcome for the smiles. Thanks for the
story . Please give "Biscuit" a hug from all of us. Shellie)
________
Dear Shellie and fellow porchers,
Just wanted you to know that Gov. Mike Foster has declared
the month of April Confederate History Month in the State of
Louisiana. If any of you would like to see the proclamation
go to this web site: www.lascv.org
Thanks for all you do,
Todd Owens
Ruston, LA
(Dear Todd, I'm proud to help get the word out. Thanks for the
information. :-) Shellie)
________
Dear Shellie,
I'm a new one to the front porch and I'm just enjoying myself
silly. I just read the note from Sandra Thomason. I'm from
Anderson, SC, too. (Actually I live in the big metropolis of
Starr--population 162 until Margie has her baby).
In addition to the Chitlin' Strut in Salley and Freedom Weekend
Aloft that Sandra spoke of, we Upstate South Ca'linians enjoy the
Spitoono Festival every August. Put on by the Redneck Performing
Arts Association, Spitoono began as a way to Southernize the
uppity (and clearly non-southern) Spoleto Festival which takes
place in Charleston every year.
I appreciate the love of the South that you work so hard to share.
Thank you, thank you for all you do!
Cricket Jenkins
Starr, SC
(Oh, my gosh, Cricket! The Redneck Performing Arts Association?
I've never heard of it! You can bet I'll be looking into this
and reminding the porchers about it when August gets closer.
~smile~ Shellie)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
ATS NEWS:
All Things Southern will be at the Catfish Festival in
Winnsboro, Louisiana, this Saturday, April 13th. I'll have my
memoir, "Lessons Learned on Bull Run Road", on sale along
with some other southern goodies! I'm excited because my sisters,
(the original members of the Bull Run Road Gang) are coming home
to be with me in the booth for this one! Look for us at Booth #81.
Oh, and the ATS t-shirts are in. I'll have them with me. If you
can't make it to the festival, I hope to have them in the online
store in the next few days. I hope to see you Saturday!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~A Southern Definition~~
"If you've never pulled on your hair to straighten out the
ringlets your mama put there...you could have been a girly girl."
--Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(pssst) I'm hard at work on WHAT SOUTHERN MOMS TELL THEIR
DAUGHTERS...If you've been thinking about sending in your mom's
wisdom, it's time to quit procrastinating. You know she wouldn't
like that. :-) Here's the project description again:
WHAT SOUTHERN MOMS TELL THEIR DAUGHTERS...
About love and marriage: "It's just as easy to fall in love
with a rich man as it is a poor one!" Do you remember your
southern mom's advice about love,marriage, relationships and
life in general? Then join the fun; this project is exploding!
Write me at tomtom@allthingssouthern.com to have your mom's
advice memorialized in my new book: WHAT SOUTHERN MOMS TELL
THEIR DAUGHTERS...
===========================================================
To SUBSCRIBE :-) send any email with SUBSCRIBE in the
subject box to: tomtom@allthingssouthern.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE (Please don't go, we'll miss you!) send any
email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject box
to: tomtom@allthingssouthern.com
===========================================================
Home
Advertise • Archives • Policies • Terms of Use • Email Shellie and All Things Southern • Link to All Things Southern • Eternal Help • Email Promotion and Sales
