Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Hi, folks! I'm thrilled to welcome y'all back to my porch for
our weekly visit. I can't say the same for these blasted squirrels.
I had just gotten used to talking over their chattering when they
started bombing my visitors' cars and trashing the place. Yeah, they
sit in my trees eating the meat out of my pecans and throwing the
shells all over the drive. I've had enough cleaning up after these
slobs. Where's my four ten? I don't guess these little furballs ever
heard of squirrel gravy. ~smile~
Have you heard about Hollywood's latest idea for a reality show? They
want to find a poor, backwards, southern family, move them to a mansion
in Beverly Hills, give them tons of dough and tape them as they discover
the wonders of the big city. Now, they say it will be funny but not at
this family's expense. Yeah, and Saddam Hussein is a sweetheart. The
sad part of all this is that some family will take 'em up on it. I hope
it's not yours.
Changing the subject, I owe all my porchers an apology. With all the
goings on, I forgot to draw a winner for the Great Gator Give-A-Way. It
sure wasn't intentional, giving y'all something back for all the
pleasure you give me is one of my favorite things to do. So, if I could
have a drum roll--that winner would be Sharon Moore from Oklahoma!
Congratulations, Sharon! Your gator is on it's way!
Now, before I let this week's celebration out of the bag, all of you
observant types will notice today that the features are different, some
longer--some shorter. It seems these radio stations are automated and
they need the features to all come in at 90 seconds, including the sponsor
plugs! Y'all know it's hard for a female, (especially a southern one,) to
say what's on her mind in a minute and a half--but I'm trying. I'm
not going to rewrite all the features, but I refuse to whittle down the
porch chat and the Exchange in our text version, (especially since y'all
tell me that reading each other's letters is your favorite feature)!
I'm still the boss around THIS porch anyway, I think...:-)
~Hugs,
Shellie
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~~Chuckles~~
"Parenting 101"
The other day, I got behind a man and his unruly young son at the
checkout line at Wal-Mart. The man seemed to be doing all he could to
deal with the whining toddler. He kept saying softly,
"Don't get excited, Albert. Don't scream, Albert. Don't yell, Albert.
Keep calm, Albert"--all the while patting his little boy reassuringly
on the shoulder.
I couldn't help but be impressed. "Sir," I finally said," You are
certainly to be commended for being so patient with little Albert there."
The man looked at me with a haggard smile, "Thank you, ma'am" he said,
"But I'm Albert."
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~~A Taste of the South~~
Let's get cooking! Surely your mama taught you how to do Busy Day
Chicken, right? Well, mercy! We can't have that! Listen close and I'll
walk you through it.
"Busy Day Chicken"
• 2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces
• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1 can cream of celery soup
Sear your chicken pieces in a little butter on the stove. Place the
uncooked rice in a buttered casserole dish and place your browned chicken
over the top of the rice. Sprinkle this with the onion soup mix. Hey-we're
almost through! Last step? Combine the celery soup with two cans of water
and pour it over the top and salt and pepper to taste. Bake in oven,
uncovered at 325 degrees for about two hours or until chicken is done.
You know, while you do the clothes, help the kids with their homework, yada,
yada, yada. Of course, your family needs to appreciate all you do, so make
sure you act like you've been cooking for hours. Well, you have--kind of.
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Have you shopped at the ALL THINGS SOUTHERN ONLINE STORE? Your
patronage helps keep this emag FREE! http://www.allthingssouthern.com
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~~Spotlight on the South~~
SPOTLIGHT ON 17TH LOUISIANA FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
Monroe, Louisiana
Sept. 14th and 15th
Okay, porchers, I've spotlighted your festivals all over the south. Now,
I want to tell you about mine. The 17th Louisiana Folklife Festival will
be held in Monroe, La., Sept. 14 and 15th. We're going to have a high old
time, and you've got about a week to get here.
The Louisiana Folklife Festival presents a variety of cultures, from
Creole and Cajun, to African and Native American, each demonstrating
their own cooking skills, stories and handicrafts. Come witness the art
forms that create Choctaw baskets, Mardi Gras masks, Caddo pots and handmade
boats.
You can hear our great Louisiana's storytellers at the Tales and Talk stage
and whether your taste runs toward blues, bluegrass, Celtic or zydeco, we
have the beat that moves you. Webster says that "folklore" is a science,
investigating the life and spirit of a people. Sounds kind of flat for the
party about to kick off in Monore, Louisiana, doesn't it?
For more info surf here
~Shellie
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~~It's Been Said...~~
"The dog of your boyhood teaches you a great deal about friendship, and
love, and death: Old Skip was my brother."
--Willie Morris
(My son loves this quote! He and Rocky, his chocolate lab, have a bond that
testifies to the loyalty and devotion of man's best friend. By the way, if
you don't think all dogs go to heaven, please don't tell Phillip.~smile~)
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~~Southern Comfort~~
"The Christian Adventure"
The other evening I took a walk with my friend, Rhonda. At one
point, when I was busy talking, Rhonda broke in and pulled me
and my right foot back just before I stepped on a ground rattler.
Together, we grabbed some nearby bricks and killed it.
Our Christian lives are a lot like this snake adventure. There're
many reasons why the Lord said not to forsake the assembling of
yourselves together. For instance, sometimes if you're distracted,
a friend in Christ can help you see the danger you're headed towards
and "pull" you back through prayer and wise counsel.
Even after a passing car ran over our dead snake, his nerves still
allowed him to coil into a striking pose. Guess who else is defeated,
but roars around like he's not? Want a hint--he took the form of a
snake once, too. Right! You know, our Savior defeated Satan for us,
but we can't take part in His victory without kneeling at His Cross.
Once you've knelt at the Cross, don't neglect Christian fellowship.
You won't regret it and you might find it comes in handy.
~Shellie
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~~Southern Exchange~~
Your letters:
Hi Shellie and fellow porchers,
The letter from Mr. Reeves about his son, Caleb, prompted me to
send something my Mama cut out of a magazine for me about two years ago.
The following message of faith is very simple, but eloquent. "Faith is
like a bird that feels the light and starts to sing in the dark before
the dawn." The author is Rabindranth Tagore.
When I'm feeling overwhelmed or burdened, I take solace in these words.
Often times I feel that life and the events that occur while living it
are closing in and making me feel surrounded in darkness. When I
remember Tagore's words, I know that the darkness won't last forever.
I also know that I've waited too long to take my burdens to God,
forgetting to trust HIM to handle what I can't.
Living our day-to-day lives has a way of consuming us, if we let it.
In our hurried world it's easy to forget to seek quiet time to nurture
our spirits and to both talk with and listen to God. So, taking a
lesson from the bird, I sing. I sing praise songs in the car by myself,
and I talk out my worries, knowing Someone IS listening. Then, I wait
for God to answer. Usually, by the time I arrive at my destination, my
spirit has been up-lifted and I feel much better. And, not only do I
feel the light, I see it. Faith. If it can move mountains, why should
I worry?
Wanda
Conyers, Georgia
(Dear Wanda, What a beautiful letter! I whole-heartedly agree. I believe
the sacrificial songs of trust we offer in the dark, before our problems
are resolved--are sweeter in God's ears than those of praise we tend to
offer when it's all over. Thanks for sharing. ~Hugs, Shellie)
________
Dear Shellie,
I loved your parenting e-book that came with my emag! I just wish your
way of thinking were more prevalent. We just took our kids out of our
local school because the staff didn't want to "damage" anyone's self-esteem
by disciplining the kids. You wouldn't believe the complete lack of respect
shown to the teachers. I'm passing on your radio stations and web site
to my friends.
(Dear Sarah, Thanks for writing. Sounds like no one taught the grownups
at your school that discipline and respect are just like sowing and
reaping; you can't have one without the other, can you? ~Hugs, Shellie)
Sarah
Canada
__________
Dear Shellie,
I enjoy reading your weekly ezine. I'm a local who lives just up the
road from you on beautiful Lake Providence! Today is Monday and I just
didn't have a chance to read last week's ezine until today. I was taking
my time enjoying what you and your readers had to say when I heard a
strange sound outside. I opened the curtains, looked out and saw that it
was raining cats and dogs! Lo and behold, my sheets were hanging on the
clothesline, soaking wet! Guess I'll have to get sheets from the closet
and save my fresh-smelling sheets for next time!
Becky Lensing
Lake Providence, La.
(Dear Becky, Uh-oh! Sorry about those clean sheets, but hey--I bet they
smelled rainwater fresh when they dried out. Right? *giggle* I know, I
sound like a commercial. Thanks for writing. ~Hugs, Shellie)
___________
Dear Shellie and fellow porchers,
Please allow a proud grandmother to announce the birth of John Fisher Jeane,
born Aug 28, 2002 to Justin & Jayme Jeane, Conway, Arkansas.
I wanted y'all to see the baby's room. The tree and gator here were painted
by Gwen Belcher from Little Rock before the birth. Gwen is a friend of my
daughter. We had all agreed that if the baby were a girl she would paint
eyelashes and nail polish on the gator! How's that for a girly-girl?
By the way, the bedding was made by my son-in-law's mother and grandmother,
Ivy and Hazel Jeane from Leesville, LA. Leesville is where Justin grew up.
This is one lucky child, don't you think?
Jimmye Porter
Conway, Arkasas
(Dear Jimmye, Bragging on the porch? Allow it--why, we absolutely encourage it!
Congratulations to Justin and Jayme. Kiss the baby for me and tell Gwen, Ivey
and Hazel they did a fine job with the room. Thanks for writing. ~Hugs, Shellie)
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~~A Southern Definition~~
Before I forget, we have some unfinished business with Linda in Louisiana.
Linda, your fellow porchers had mixed feelings about your question last
week. My emails from Tamara in North Carolina were typical. At first she
said, "Carrying a purse on a combine? Sounds like girly-girl stuff to me."
But then, she wrote, "Hey Shellie, did Mrs. Louisiana wear heels on that
combine? I started thinking, she might not have had a place for her cell
phone, and you know how things can slide around in a bumpy combine."
Bottom
line, Linda, the vote was tied. Still, it's great that you're helping with
the harvest, girly-girl or not. Join me for another look at those who
were and those who weren't.
"If your mama wasn't always reminding you of the things little ladies did
and did not do...you could have been a girly-girl."
--Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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**************
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