Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Hey folks, it's good to see you. Do I ever need a porch break!
The first part of this week has been a killer. Someone sent me
the terrible new virus, Badtrans, and my email program sent it
merrily along before I could stop it. Now, I bet you're wondering
why I don't have anti-virus software? Oh, but I do! That's the
part that cocks my pistol. (Yep, it's a southern expression.
Sorry, Rosie, we're not ready to give up our guns down here.)
I don't know how this thing got around my shield!
Don't get nervous on me, I made sure my system was cleaned up and
retested before I sent out this issue. Still, if my program
sent this nasty thing to you before I detected it, I offer you my
most sincere apologies and ask you to please remember that I'm
innocent in all this. What we need to do is get our hands on the
people that make these viruses! I think their punishment should
start with a trip to the woodshed and after that we could take
creative suggestions from all those affected. How does that sound?
Enough of that, let's change the conversation. I'm tired of this
virus business. Of course, with Thanksgiving over, you do
know Christmas will be next week. Okay, not exactly, but you know
what I mean; time is flying! And that means the shopping rush has
started. Please consider shopping online at the All Things Southern
Store. I have some new patriotic signs I'm really excited about.
They'll not only make great gifts, but ten percent of the proceeds
will go to the American Red Cross. And my food items--you've got to
taste these southern favorites! You'll find all this and more at
http://www.allthingssouthern.com.
This week's recipe is a real oldie. My grandmother used to make it
for us kids around Christmas. Back then people called it poor man's
candy because it started with the humble potato--but try this sweet
just once, and you'll be hooked. I'd love to pack the next few
issues with your Christmas traditions, special holiday recipes,
memories of years gone by...etc. We only have four issues to celebrate
before Christmas 2001 is just a memory, so get those emails buzzin'!
Hugs,
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.")
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Chuckles"
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS
Jim and Mary were both patients in a mental hospital up
north. One day while they were walking past the center's
indoor swimming pool Jim suddenly jumped into the deep
end and sunk to the bottom.
Mary promptly dove in after her friend, swimming to the
bottom and pulling him to safety.
When the medical director became aware of Mary's heroic
act he immediately ordered her released from the hospital,
considering her mentally stable.
When he went to tell Mary the news he said, "Mary, I have
good news and bad news. The good news is you're being
discharged. Since you were able to jump in and save the
life of another patient, I think you've come to your
senses. The bad news is your friend Jim hung himself in
the bathroom with the belt of his robe. I'm sorry, but
he's dead."
Mary smiled brightly. "That's okay, he didn't hang himself.
I put him there to dry."
~Thanks June!~
========================================================
"A Taste of the South"
GRANDMA STONE'S POTATO CANDY
•1 and one-half box of sifted powdered sugar (confectioner's)
•1 small peeled white potato
•1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
•1 16 oz.jar of peanut butter
Boil a small peeled white potato (about the size of a large egg)
until it is about to turn into mush and a fork will easily go
through it and back out. Drain and put in a large bowl.
Add one teaspoon vanilla flavoring and continue to mash
with fork until it looks like a thick liquid. Begin to add sifted
powdered sugar a small amount at a time, stirring into this mix.
You'll be surprised to see that you'll use a box or more of sugar
before it reaches the desired "clay like" consistancy. Dust your
work area with more powdered sugar and roll this lump of claylike
dough out into a thin sheet. Trim edges to a rectangular shape
and spread peanut butter over the entire area. Taking your time,
gently roll the peanut butter covered dough into a "log". Wrap
with Reynolds wrap and chill in freezer for about two hours before
moving it to the fridge.
To serve, cut into thin slices. They'll look like a pretty white
confection with a swirl of peanut butter. This is very sweet--so
the thinner the slices the better; best served with strong cappuchino
or coffee.
~Thanks to Cousin Jeffrey for this week's old-home favorite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, here it is, (insert loud drum roll), the winner of this
month's GREAT GATOR GIVE-A-WAY is Betty Schaub from Allen,
Texas! Congragulations Betty, your 'gator is in the mail. Note
to all: if you haven't visited http://www.allthingssouthern.com
and filled out your registration--you can't win! :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Spotlight on the South"
SPOTLIGHT ON FESTIVAL Of THE BONFIRES
As dusk falls on Christmas Eve, the glow of bonfires light up
the sky along the east and west levees of the Mississippi River
in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Lighting bonfires on Christmas Eve
has been a holiday tradition here since the 1880's, though it's
orgin is still being debated.
The most popular explanation for the custom contends the bonfires
were set ablaze to light the way for Papa Noel, the Cajun version
of Santa Claus, as he paddled his pirogue to deliver gifts to the
good Cajun children. Another theory suggests the fires were used
as navigational signals to help guide religious travelers to
midnight mass. Though the locals might continue to disagree on
it's orgin, they all agree on one thing--the tradition has turned
into quite a celebration! On November and December weekends, entire
community families gather to construct the massive bonfires. For weeks
before the bonfires are set ablaze, thousands of visitors walk the
levees, eat good spicy food and enjoy the family-style Cajun Christmas
Celebration.
Once few in number, the local bonfires began as a neighborhood or
family activity. Now, as a result of national television coverage
and features in metropolitan newspapers and magazines, the bonfires
line the levee for miles and attract thousands of visitors.
Neighboring Ascension and St. John the Baptist Parishes have a
scattering of Christmas bonfires, but by far the greatest
concentration is in the St. James Parish communities of Lutcher,
Gramercy and Paulina. Surf to http://www.festivalofthebonfires.org/
for more history, a schedule of events, and area map and tourist
information.
~ Special thanks to Wendy Peytavin for this week's content.
*************************************************************
"It's Been Said..."
"My sister says Southerners are like other people, only more so."
--Blanche McCrary Boyd
**************************************************************
Tired of the media's negative news reports about the Delta?
My memoir "LESSONS LEARNED ON BULL RUN ROAD" trumpets the
blessings of growing up southern and country! It's
available at http://www.allthingssouthern.com/books.html
Won't you visit and check out the FREE sample chapter?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Southern Comfort"
How's the world treating you? Need the shoulder of a good friend?
I'll share my friend with you--He's the best!
In John 15:15 Jesus said, "Henceforth, I call you not servants,
but friends. For all things I've heard of my Father I've made known
to you."
I believe it's crucial to our relationships with Jesus for us to
believe He wants to be our friend. If we don't believe He is
sensitive to our problems, we won't turn to Him in prayer.
Most of us have acquaintances and friends. We don't call our
acquaintances with our problems because although most of them would
listen politely, we know they won't really get involved emotionally.
But we do call our FRIENDS--people we know will immediately respond
to the hurt in our voices and offer their heartfelt support! We ring
these folks up without a second thought.
Our relationship with the Father works the same way. Only when we
truly believe "God is near to all that call upon him," Psalms 145:18,
will we bear our hearts to Him and realize His comforting presence.
~Shellie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Southern Exchange"
YOUR LETTERS:
"Hey everybody! I've been excited about meeting y'all ever since Shellie
told me about the front porch group the other day at Piggly Wiggly's.
Permit me to introduce myself, I'm new to Coon Creek. I live about
a mile down Greenbriar Road--bought the old Turner place. Kinfolks call
me Uncle Billy, but y'all can call me Bill.
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was...well, different. It seems
it was only yesterday when my granny fixed a big, traditional Thanksgiving
dinner for our large family. Unfortunately, there aren't too many of us
left around. Most have gone to their final resting-place. But, I don't intend
to spoil this splendid autumn afternoon with sad talk. I'm sure everybody
here on the porch has experienced heart-breaking losses of some kind.
Seems like sorrow slips in the back door while we're sweeping out the
front door...The trick is to remember there's always something to be thankful
for. Take me, I'm in pretty good health for my age, except for some dog-gone
arthritis and a little eye problem. Every morning, no matter how I'm aching,
I say to the good Lord, 'Thank ya' for letting me have another day on your
green earth. Please help me make the most of it.'
Would you look at the time! I better run. It's been fun visiting on the porch
with all of you gentle people. I'd love to chat about Tennessee Vol Football,
but I might start a riot out her on the porch with all of you LSU, OLE MISS,
and BAMA fans. Now y'all come and see me, ya' hear? Remember, I'm just down
the road a piece."
Bill
~surf to http://www.allthingssouthern.com for the rest of this week's
Southern Exchange and meet Stanislav Zenov, our new porch neighbor from
Russia! (On second thought, maybe we'll have to call it an international
exchange. ~smile~)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHAT SOUTHERN MOMS TELL THEIR DAUGHTERS...
About marriage: "You should marry for love and not for money.
But if you're gonna marry for money--make darn sure he's got
some!" 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...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Check out the following ezine. I think you'll like it.
~*~ Homefires Hearth ~*~
We're the weekly zine and community for Christian homemakers!
Each Tuesday you'll receive your issue packed with creative, fun,
and useful homemaking helps, such as tips, advice, ideas, humor,
recipes, cleaning hints, web links, inspirations, and more. To
subscribe, visit www.homefireshearth.com or send any email to
homefireshearth-subscribe@homefireshearth.net.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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
