Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Hello from All Things Southern! Please, my porch is your
porch--have a seat and let's chat.~smile~
The weather is simply beautiful here. I wish I could bottle
the smells around me. It's impossible to aptly describe the
aroma of freshly turned dirt with its lingering scent of wild
garlic. It's a smell that makes me nostalgic, taking me back
to my growing up years and the heady promise of summer the
first of May dangled in front of our school desks.
Speaking of fun, I believe there's a squirrel reunion going
on in my neighborhood. Just this morning my son and I counted
eleven in our front yard alone, running and scampering and
chasing one another. Monday morning I was watching a similar
scene when this gray and white bird chose one unfortunate
party-goer and began to harass him like he'd stole a plank
off the white house. Miss Bird chased that squirrel, screeching
and squawking the whole time, all over my front yard. If he ran
up a tree she flew up beside him and yelled in his face. If he
ran down the tree--there she was. I'm telling you I felt so sorry
for him I thought about breaking it up myself.
And then, yesterday, I was blowing leaves off the drive when I
noticed a bird's nest lying barren at the base of a tree. Maybe
that's what Mr. Squirrel's crime was. It looks like he might've
been messing around where he didn't belong. Maybe he deserved
that tongue-lashing after all. I'm glad I didn't get involved. :-)
By the way, last week when we met on the porch, I was muttering
about "tomboys" not being a good enough name for us non-girly
girls. It just doesn't do the breed justice. Well, I love the
suggestions y'all sent in. I thought "tomtom girls" was my favorite,
until someone suggested "bullrunners" (from the Bull Run Road Gang.)
It has a certain flair, don't you think?
I'm going to let you get on with this week's Dixie gathering
now. Have fun! Oh, yeah, Boudreaux's back in the Chuckles
section. I hope that crazy Cajun makes you smile.
Hugs,
Shellie
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~~Chuckles~~
"Back Seat Drivers"
Boudreaux waz driving down de road de udder day wit his
wife, Marie, and his mudder-in-law in de car.
Every couple hundred yard, de two women would take turns
tellig him some'hing. "Slow down!" "Watch de udder car!"
"Don't drive so close to the line!" "Look out for dat
curve."
After awhile dis started to wear on Boudreaux. He slams
on de brakes and pulls onto de shoulder of de road.
Turning to Marie, he say, "Look, who's driving dis car?
You or your mudder?"
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~~A Taste of the South~~
"Fried Dill Pickles"
Sometimes I substitute sliced jalapeno peppers for the
pickles in this week's recipe. Either way--hot peppers or sour
pickles--you'll find they're habit-forming.
"Fried Dill Pickles"
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 3 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 qt. sliced dill pickles
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
Combine milk and egg in a bowl. Put the flour in a freezer
bag and add salt and pepper. Dip drained pickles in egg mixture
and then shake in flour. When pickles are coated well, deep
fry in oil until they turn golden brown and float. Enjoy!
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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.")
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~~Spotlight on the South~~
SPOTLIGHT ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
SPOTLIGHT ON THE WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2002
A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
May 2nd, 2002
Since our Nation's founding, Americans have turned to prayer for
inspiration, strength, and guidance. In times of trial, we ask
God for wisdom, courage, direction, and comfort. We offer thanks
for the countless blessings God has provided. And we thank God for
sanctifying every human life by creating each of us in His image.
As we observe this National Day of Prayer, we call upon the Almighty
to continue to bless America and her people.
Especially since September 11, millions of Americans have been led
to prayer. They have prayed for comfort in a time of grief, for
understanding in a time of anger, and for protection in a time of
uncertainty. We have all seen God's great faithfulness to our
country. America's enemies sought to weaken and destroy us through
acts of terror. None of us would ever wish on anyone what happened
on September 11th. Yet tragedy and sorrow none of us would choose
have brought forth wisdom, courage, and generosity. In the face of
terrorist attacks, prayer provided Americans with hope and strength
for the journey ahead.
God has blessed our Nation beyond measure. We give thanks for our
families and loved ones, for the abundance of our land and the
fruits of labor, for our inalienable rights and liberties, and for
a great Nation that leads the world in efforts to preserve those
rights and liberties. We give thanks for all those across the world
who have joined with America in the fight against terrorism. We give
thanks for the men and women of our military, who are fighting to
defend our Nation and the future of civilization.
We continue to remember those who are suffering and face hardships.
We pray for peace throughout the world.
On this National Day of Prayer, I encourage Americans to remember
the words of St. Paul: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God." The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended,
has called on our citizens to reaffirm the role of prayer in our
society and to honor the religious diversity our freedom permits
by recognizing annually a "National Day of Prayer."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim
May 2, 2002, as a National Day of Prayer. I ask Americans to pray
for God's protection, to express gratitude for our blessings, and
to seek moral and spiritual renewal. I urge all our citizens to
join in observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies,
and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth
day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
National Day of Prayer's Website
~Shellie
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~~It's Been Said...~~
"There is as much dignity in plowing a field as in writing
a poem."
--Booker T. Washington
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~~Southern Comfort~~
One day when my sisters and I were small we decided it was a
good day for hunting. We weren't particular about the quarry--
birds, rabbits, it was all the same. We didn't even want to
kill our captives, just turn them into pets. With dogged
determination we set out to build a trap like the ones we'd
seen work famously in the Saturday Morning cartoons.
We took an old cardboard box and propped it up on one end
with a sizable stick. Our bait came from Mama's kitchen when
her back was turned. We attached one end of a long string
to the stick and trailed the other to our hiding spot behind
Daddy's pump shed. I can still remember us peeking out every
second to see if we had any approaching suspects. To our
great frustration, our family cat kept upturning our box and
wrecking our hunt until she eventually wore down our resolve
and caused up to give up.
If only the enemy of our soul was as obvious. Unfortunately,
Old Slewfoot's been setting traps ever since Eve ran into one
in the garden--and he's a lot smoother than my sisters and
I were. His traps are better concealed.
Maybe you got in a fight with your spouse, and you just don't
want to be the first to apologize, again. So, it's been days
since you've spoken, no big deal, right? Or maybe you never
argue at all, but you've allowed yourself to drift away
emotionally. If you were able to see the end of that string you
might be surprised. It could be a trap for your marriage...
Maybe you've been feeling sorry for yourself. Everyone else
has it made! And you work so hard--why look at so-and-so, they
don't even try to serve the Lord and look how great things are
going for them. The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is
our strength." Hmmm...anyone after yours?
Although the naivety of our little girl trap might be charming,
the scope of the Devil's plans is anything but. John 10:10
tells us the Devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. Come on
folks, keep an eye out for those strings--especially the hidden
ones.
~Shellie
"Surely in vain a net is spread in the sight of any bird."
Proverbs 1:17
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~~Southern Exchange~~
Your letters:
Dear Shellie,
I so enjoy your ezine. Like so many others have said, it does
bring back the memories...I was raised in Louisiana in the
community of Lone Pine, out from Winnsborro and Crowville, on
the Bayou Macon. My uncle used to manage the ferry that crossed
the bayou, (before the bridge, which I helped build). Another
uncle owned a sawmill right on the banks of the bayou.
Well, my cousins and I would all slide down the sawdust pile that
was spewed out by the sawmill. To help us slide easier, we would
sometime use an old rough board. Needless to say my Mother would
threaten me body and soul when I would come home with my underwear
in shreds. What she didn't know was that half the time our feet
ended up in the water. The old saying that God takes care of drunks
and fools must be true--I was between the age of 5 and 8. So you
see, there was never anything girly-girl about my childhood. I could
probably write a book about my memories or at least supply you with
a few chapters.
Please keep entertaining us and by the way, your recipes are great
too!
Have a blessed day,
Boo Robinson
Bastrop, Louisisana
(Dear Boo, thanks for sharing your story. I'm sure the other porchers
got as big a smile out of it as I did! Hugs~Shellie)
_______
Hi Shellie and fellow porchers,
I was raised in Danbury, Connecticut. My grandparents had a two-
family home and they lived downstairs and my parents lived upstairs.
I was downstairs with my grandparents most of the time. I adored
them. They were from Italy and my grandma used to entertain me
with stories of her childhood in Italy.
I'm still in Connecticut, but my recent experiences have taught me
that the people of the South are lovely and very friendly. Some of
my next door neighbors were from the south. We became really good
friends and then their husbands's jobs transferred them back to
the south. ;-( I miss them all! (None of them liked Connecticut
anyway, or were too fond of the people here. I can't say I blame
them, people here just aren't as nice.) Southerners have a lot to
teach us up here about being friendly. From pictures I've seen of
the south it's really beautiful also.
Thanks for letting me say hello to you and everyone on the porch.
I love your newsletter and your website. I can tell you put a lot
of hard work into it!
Hugs,
Catherine
Bethel, Connecticut
(Hello Catherine! Wow, you've made my little southern heart swell
with pride. Thank you on behalf of all my southern friends.
~Shellie)
________
Dear Shellie,
Just had to let you know how much I enjoy your site. I'm a brand
new subscriber but I feel right at home. You bring a little bit
of the south to my computer and my life. It's a comfort to read
your words for that is the way I speak.
Keep up the good work.
God Bless You,
Marla Jo Copeland
Coweta, Oklahoma
(Hello Marla Jo in Oklahoma! I'm glad you found a "home" on the
All Things Southern porch. We're happy to have you. Hugs, Shellie)
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ATS NEWS:
Okay, this is what I've been thinking about our ATS T-shirts
(http://www.allthingssouthern.com/tshirts.html)... Why don't we
all wear them on Thursdays? I think it'd be fun to run into
another porcher! Better yet, why don't you scan or mail me a
picture of yourself wearing the ATS shirt and let me post it
on the website! I'll make a brand new page just for ATS porch
pics! Come on, loosen up and have fun--we're all about
celebrating the south, remember? ~smile (Watch the website for
this new page, I'll have it up before our next chat.)
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~~A Southern Definition~~
"If the only hunting you've ever done was in a mall and involved
finding that perfect outfit...you could have been a girly girl."
--Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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(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...
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