Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Welcome back, folks! I've got a great week of All Things Southern
planned for you. This here is just a little aimless musing from me
to get things started. So don't go looking for anything deep. ~smile~
For the record, I hate buttermilk. My Papa invented a game that
amused him when I was a little girl. Milk was a staple at our house,
both sweet and buttermilk. (Back then, 2% and low-fat were unheard of.)
Papa was the only one that drank buttermilk. Sometimes, while we were
saying the blessing at evening meals, he'd swap his glass of
milk-gone-bad for the glass of one of his three easy marks, Cyndie,
Rhonda or Shellie. The moment he loved came when his victim reached
for a refreshing sip of ice-cold milk and got a big swig of buttermilk
instead. Gag! Have you ever noticed that even good stuff doesn't taste
right when you're expecting something else? Mama always scolded Papa
about his little game, but she could never break him of the habit.
Speaking of habits, I seem to have the type too fast and don't
proofread kind. Trish from Cottageville, South Carolina wrote in last
week to say, "I hate to be the one to bring it up, but there are only
3 beans in your four bean soup!" Now, wasn't that a sweet way to alert
me to my mistake? Thanks, Trish! (In case you're interested, that recipe
has been corrected in the archives. I had forgotten the kidney beans.)
I've recently been alerted to another little problem. Evidently, the feedback
form on my website gets hiccups sometimes. A couple of folks have told me
about feedback forms they've sent me that I've never seen! The first time, I
thought it was an accident, now I think it's a great left wing conspiracy
to keep us apart. ~smile~ Here I am saying that I always answer every
email and folks are thinking, "no, she doesn't." Alas! This is horrible!
Please, if you've sent me a feedback form and I didn't respond, the system
hiccuped! You can "test" me by sending a regular email and see if I don't
answer. That's about it! Have a wonderful week and enjoy your southern
celebration!
Hugs,
Shellie
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Oops! My gator supply ran out and the new ones aren't in. So...this
month's winner is going to get an ATS t-shirt. I hope this makes you
happy Yolanda Casey, from Fresno, California. You're the lucky winner!
Give me a holler and let me know what size you'd like. ~smile~
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~~Chuckles~~
"On Second Thought"
Dear Rodney,
I've been unable to sleep since I broke off your engagement to my
daughter. Do you think you could forgive and forget? I've been way
too sensitive about your Mohawk and the tattoo and I've gotten used
to your nose ring. I now realize motorcycles aren't all that dangerous,
and I was wrong to criticize you for never holding down a job. By the
way, I'm sure there are some very nice people living under the bridge
in the park with you, too. So my daughter is only 18 and wants to
marry you instead of going to LSU on full scholarship? That's okay.
You can't learn everything about life from books. I sometimes forget
how backwards I can be. I've now come to my senses and you have my
full blessing to marry my daughter, Mary Ellen. Sincerely, Your
future father-in-law. Dale
P.S. Congratulations on winning the lottery! You deserve it.
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~~A Taste of the South~~
Grab those aprons. Let's get cooking, porchers! We southerners
are a creative bunch of people; give us a can of fruit cocktail
and step back.*grin*
"Creamy Fruit Cocktail"
• 1 (17 ounce) can fruit cocktail with syrup
• 1 (3 ounce) package of strawberry Jello
• 1 (3 ounce) package of creme cheese, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) carton of Cool Whip
Today, we're making a family favorite, Creamy Fruit Cocktail! Take a
package of strawberry Jello, mix it with a large can of fruit cocktail
and bring it to a boil on the stove. Next, add a package of crème cheese
and stir it in until it melts. Fold in your Cool Whip and refrigerate
until well chilled. Voila! You've got Creamy Fruit Cocktail. Now,
remember, you can print this recipe out at my website,
allthingssouthern.com. Oh, and if you want to call me when it's ready;
I'll be glad to sample it and let you know how well you did. Awww...I
know, what can I say? I'm just a simple little southern girl always
thinking of others...
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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 THE MOONPIE
One day in 1917 Earl Mitchell Jr., an employee of Mountain City Flour
Mill from Chattanooga Tennessee was visiting one of the stores that
carried his company's products.
Mr. Mitchell recognized a golden opportunity as he witnessed groups of
coal miners coming and going from the store. In what could have been
the earliest "focus group" known to marketing, he began to ask them what
they might enjoy for a snack. Simple, enough! The men said it had to be
something they could put in their lunch pails, and it had to be filling.
One of the miners looked up towards the rising moon, framed it with his
giant hands and said, "About that big!"
When Mr. Mitchell got back to his company's bakery, he found workers
dipping graham crackers into the marshmallow crème and laying them on
a windowsill to harden. He was inspired! Instead of the reprimand they
probably expected, he asked them to add another marshmallow-coated cookie
and dip the whole thing in chocolate. The Moon Pie was born--the response
was phenomenal--and the snack still thrives today! The next time you have
a RC Cola and a Moon Pie, remember you heard it from All Things Southern.
~Shellie
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~~It's Been Said...~~
In the south, visiting, eating and storytelling go hand in hand. When
I was small, Sundays were all about storytelling and visiting. First
the Sunday School teachers took their turns, after that the preacher.
Then, when church was over, we went to someone's house to eat and visit
or had company over to our house. The food was always fantastic, but I
liked the socializing best because that's when all the great stories
were told! If you're from the south, you'll identify with this quote by
author, Shirley Abbott. In it, the author talks about the country
hospitality of her Arkansas youth.
"...People just showed up and were always made welcome. To stay less
than an hour was an insult, and there was always a meal...and nobody
was ever let out of the house without the goodbye ritual..."
--Shirley Abbot
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~~Southern Comfort~~
"A Winning Tip!"
Speaking as an athlete, I love a good, fair game. But there is one
rigged playing field I want to warn you about.
Let's say a new job opportunity has opened up for you. You've been
praying for something in this field and now you feel like the Lord is
leading you to take it. Enter the opposition-that enemy of your soul,
Old Slew Foot. "What if," he says, "your kids don't like the new school?"
Your comeback is strong, but he doesn't relent. "What if you don't like
it, after all, and you can't go back?" This time, your answer is slightly
weaker. Now, he circles in for the kill. "What if you move your whole
family and then lose the job?" Ah, ha! He's got 'cha. Now you're second-
guessing yourself and you can't remember if God's in this thing or not.
Can I tell you how to win the game of "What If"? Don't play it! Just
don't play. Slew foot has had 2000 years of practice playing this game.
He's better at it than you are. It doesn't matter how many "what ifs"
you answer--he'll always have another. If God has given you direction,
listen to Him and Him alone. Stay focused in what God is doing today.
Tomorrow isn't guaranteed anyway.
~Shellie
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~~Southern Exchange~~
Your letters:
Dear Shellie,
I think your web site is "just to die for" and I say, "Well, Bless
Your Heart" for sending it every week. I wish I could receive emails
like yours on a daily basis.
I was raised in Durham, NC - However I was born in Ozark, Alabama and
ALL my people are in LA (Lower Alabama) Though some have migrated south
to Florida and a couple West to Texas, we still get together under that
beautiful sky in GOD's Country every so often.
I thought I would brag a little and send you a picture of my 2 Southern
Belles. Lauren D'Ann is 3, and Alexis Laine is 17 months
Hopefully these angels will make you smile. I've given all of my people
your web address and information on your book--so hopefully you'll receive
more contacts in North Carolina.
Gina Cobbler
North Carolina
(Dear Gina, I so appreciate the letter, and the photos. Yes indeed,
your little angels made me smile! I put their pics on the web site for
the others. Oh--thanks for spreading the word. If everyone would tell
345,239 of their closest friends, *grin*, we could start a real southern
revolution! ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Dear Shellie,
Greetings from the Big Apple! My name is Virginia Coon, and I live in
Manhattan, NY. Until this past July, I lived in Louisiana my whole
life. (Alexandria, then Monroe for college/work.) I got married in June
and my husband's new job moved us north, out of my "Southern Comfort"
zone. I love the city, but I know I'm a southern gal at heart. The
things I know I'll miss most about the south are football games and
the smell of burning leaves in the yard. I guess I'll just have to
settle for Central Park in Fall! :-D
I'd like to hear from any other "porchers" living in NYC. Keep me up
to date on how everything is down south, and I'll let y'all know how
"real snow" looks this winter.
Take Care,
Virgina Wallace
Manhattan, New York
(Dear Virginia, I'm sorry you're out of your comfort zone, but Central
Park in the fall doesn't sound so bad. Take some pictures for us porchers
that have never been to the Big Apple. Thanks for writing! ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Dear Shellie,
I just had to write in and tell other porchers one of my favorite
things about the South. It's our Southern "Snow". Today, I was
driving along one of those good ol' country back roads, you know 'em,
the ones with all the pot holes. Well, anyway, there were cotton
fields on either side of me ready to be harvested. The cotton is white
as snow and absolutely beautiful. I am truly blessed to be a Southern
girl! By the way, your radio show sounds great. I've caught it several
times and loved it, and might I add very proud!! Keep up the good work.
Amy Wiggins
Mer Rouge, LA
(Dear Amy, Your letter stole my heart. We might not get the real stuff,
but on the other hand, our snow doesn't track up the house, cut off the
electricity or close the roads, now does it? ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Dear Shellie,
Howdy Shellie, Thank you for the newsletter each week. I would like to
challenge my fellow porchers to make a pitcher of real lemonade or brew
a pitcher of real iced tea and share it with someone special. No cheating
with that powdered concentrate artificial flavor stuff. Use some real
lemons! I made some real lemonade for my children last week and they
thought that they were in high cotton.
Kevin
Lake Worth, Florida
(Dear Kevin, I posted your challenge because it was so nicely presented.
I mean, you could have called them out to a duel at dawn, right? Thanks for
writing. We'll see who takes you up on it! ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Hey Shellie,
Hi there. Did I miss an issue? You talk about your radio station
(what are the call letters) and a screen saver. Please don't be
forgetting this South Jersey boy...
Fondly,
Fred in South Jersey
(Dear Fred, Mercy, I can't my porchers! You must've slept through a
few issues. *grin* You can find the screensavers here:
http://www.allthingssouthern.com/Screen_savers.html
and the info for the radion station here:
http://www.allthingssouthern.com/atsnews.html
Thanks for your interest! ~Hugs, Shellie)
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Dear Shellie,
Hello from your Uncle Stan! Since you mentioned Paw Stone in your book,
I thought I'd write in to the porch with a story on him you might not
be familiar with.
One 4th of July we were all at the camp as usual when one of Paw Stone's
Preacher friends drove up from South La. to go fishing with him. Now,
don't get me wrong, I love preachers--until they mess up our family
holiday. *grin*
We usually have plenty fish for dinner without keeping the junk fish.
Well, the catch of the day was a 6 pound Jack Grinnell. (A fish we
always threw back. We normally ate bass or white perch at the camp.)
Needless to say, a good Cajun isn't going to through anything back!
Your dad and I was standing there watching Paw Stone and his Cajun
Preacher friend clean this trash fish when we got a big surprise. We
were standing over a yellow jacket nest and we both had our pants full
of mad stinging yellow jackets. The only thing we could do was get out
of our pants in front of God and everbody. The women thought we were
crazy when we came streaking through them headed for the shower,
although they "saw the light" when those mad yellow jackets got after
them.
I really don't remember if we ate any of that Grinnell or not.
Stanley Crawford
Natchez, Mississippi
(Uncle Stan, it was great to hear from you! Thank you for the story. I
so enjoyed the visual of you, my dad and the yellow jackets. Hugs~Shellie)
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~~A Southern Definition~~
Have you ever mixed your own shaving cream in a little bowl and
applied it with a brush? If not, I hope you had the pleasure of
watching someone who did, at least once. As a child, I enjoyed
this ritual at my maternal grandfather's side. Although, he kindly
smeared the great-smelling stuff over my face and let me pretend
to shave with his comb, I dreamed of taking it off the way he
did--one sure stroke at a time. Years later, I found shaving my
legs held little of the same appeal.
"If you found it more fascinating to watch your mom apply her
makeup than seeing your dad or granddad shave his face...you could
have been a girly-girl."
--Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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ATS NEWS and NOTES:
Thank you all for the notes and interest in the audio CD's of
my book. As soon as I get in the studio, you'll be the first
to know. ~smile~
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If you'd like a copy of the All Things Southern Radio Show, I'll
"burn" you a CD for $7.00, that includes shipping and handling although
Louisiana residents will have to include tax. Just send your check
or money order to ATS at 2007 Island Point Drive, Lake Providence, La.
71254 and let me know which one you want. There are all of FIVE
radio shows in the archive. *giggle* Until next week...
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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
My friends at Panola Pepper Corporation make the best dadgum hot sauces
on the market.If you're not cooking with Panola, you might as well call
the dogs and put out the fire--this hunt's over. 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.
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Tell 'em Shellie sent you.
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