Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Happy Labor Day, folks--and welcome back to the porch! I'm droppin'
in your box Monday instead of Tuesday just so I can share the day
with y'all. So, without further ado, find yourselves a spot on the
swing or grab a rocking chair, and let's chat. ~smile~
While today's supposed to signify the end of summer, we southerners
know we'll be sweatin' it out for at least another month, if not two!
Still, it's got me to thinkin' of how precious these dwindling days of
freedom were when I was little. I remember the last few trips to the
swimming pool in Tallulah, Louisiana--not to be confused with the Country
Club. Our heaven was a single building with boys' and girls' dressing
rooms on either side, a coke and candy machine and a less than Olympic-
sized pool.
Mama would drop my sisters and me off to enjoy her errands and grocery
shopping alone, (and we thought this was our treat.) Once our hands
were stamped at the front desk, we'd tear off our t-shirts in the
dressing room--revealing bathing suits we'd worn since early that
morning--and head for the sparkling promise of that big blue ocean.
But not before stepping beneath the overhead sprinkler and into the
murky white liquid of the disinfectant box that officially degermed
us all.
That pool's closed now, and gone are the concrete blistered toes,
sunburned skin and shriveled fingertips, but the simple joy of those
days is ours to cherish. How about you? Labor Day's a fine time to
pull out a good summer memory and let it settle in around you.
Tomorrow we'll all have to be grownups and get back to work. Why
not enjoy it while we can...
Changing the subject, I appreciate all the interest in my new
little "blogging" board. http://www.allthingssouthern.com/blog.html
It really is going to be fun to share with y'all on the current
issues. Now, a lot of folks have wanted to know if they're supposed
to subscribe to the blog. That is absolutely not necessary. Just
surf over whenever you think about it. I don't know if I'll "blog"
daily or not. We'll just have to see. *grin*
Hmmm...well, I guess that's about it for me. I had fun getting
this week's issue together. I hope y'all enjoy it. Come by and
see me when you can. Until next week...
Hugs,
Shellie
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Once again, it's time to announce a winner! Congratulations Julie
De Smith of Port Washington, Wisconsin. You've won August's Great
Gator Give-A-Way! Email me to confirm your physical address and
I'll put your gator in the mail!
*****************************************************************
~~Chuckles~~
"Savannah's School Blues"
Back by popular demand is that infamous mascot of the porch, that
outspoken belle, the one and only Savannah Grace. Our little
Savannah's growing up on us, folks. She just started second grade,
but I was talking to her mom, Julia, the other day and we were
reminiscing about Savannah's first day of kindergarten
Savannah had been looking forward to kindergarten that whole summer.
Julia said when the big day arrived, Savannah woke up early and
dressed herself before anyone else got up. All the more reason why
Julia was so surprised later that day when she went to pick Savannah
up from her classroom and found the child in a horrible disposition!
Once they made it back to the car, Savannah got in and slammed the
door.
"I'm not going back!" she exclaimed.
"But why, Savannah?" her mother asked.
"Well," Savannah said with a huff, "I can't read. I can't write,
and they won't let me talk!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tick, tock...tick, tock...Are YOU going to win a Mort Kunstler print
valued at $400? Not if you're not in the drawing! *grin*
Anyone ordering a "Best of All Things Southern" CD ($14.95) before
the last day of September will have their name put in the hat for
the "Magnificent Mort Give-A-Way"--(valued at $400.00).
The drawing will be held the first day of October. You can read about
the CD here:http://www.bayou.com/~tomtom/cd_note.html
and the limited edition Mort Kunstler Civil War painting here:
http://www.allthingssouthern.com/mort_note.html
Join the fun and help me keep All Things Southern a FREE emag!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~A Taste of the South~~
Welcome back to the All Things Southern kitchen! Even if you don't
throw these beans together for your Labor Day celebration, there's
still plenty of time left to host a couple season ending cookouts
with your family and friends. And with that thought in mind, today
I'm gonna share my mama's "Southern Beef and Beans for a Crowd"
with y'all. They'll go over big with your next gathering, I promise.
By the way, I like to serve 'em with corn on the cob and a good
green salad. My kids love 'em with chips. :-) Are you ready? Let's
get cooking!
"Southern Beef and Beans for a Crowd"
• Two thirty ounce cans of pork and beans
• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Couple shakes of Slap 'Ya Mama Cajun seasoning
• 6 strips of bacon
Brown and drain two pounds of hamburger meat. Combine with two
thirty-ounce cans of pork and beans, a cup of sugar, and a cup of
barbecue sauce in a large casserole dish. Season with a dash of
Worcestershire and a couple shakes of a good seasoning like Slap
'Ya Mama. Top with six strips of bacon and bake in a 350-degree
oven for about thirty to forty-five minutes. That's good eating!
~Shellie
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~~It's Been Said...~~
She was born in Alabama, a perfectly healthy little girl until,
at the age of eighteen months, a dangerously high fever sent her
to the hospital. The doctors were able to save her; it'd be months
before they realized the virus had destroyed her hearing.
Fortunately the little girl had been born into a strong family
who raised her to believe that the greatest handicap is negative
thinking. Throughout her childhood she never heard the discouraging
voices of those that limited her future, only the encouraging ones
of her mother. Still, the young girl didn't develop the positive
outlook her mother desired overnight. She recounts a day from her
teenage years when she was struggling with depression, afraid that
she'd never be able to have a normal life.
Her mother's response brings them to our southern quote. The words
not only stirred the young girl's heart that day, they continued
to impact her until the day in 1995 when Heather Whitestone became
the first handicapped woman in the 75-year history of the Miss
American pageant to wear the crown. Eight years later, Heather
continues to inspire others through her highly successful motivational
speaking career. So what were her mother's words that Heather
Whitestone held onto? I'm glad you asked and I quote,
"Remember, Heather, the last four letters in the word American are
I-C-A-N, in America, Heather, you can."-- Heather Whitestone recounting
the words of her mother.
<*}}>< ---------- <*}}}>< ---------- <*}}}>< ---------- <*}}}><
~~Southern Comfort~~
"Mature Temptations"
Okay folks, here's a true one for you. J.L. "Red" Roundtree is
91-years old, meaning this Texan cowboy has more than a few rodeos
behind him. So, you wanna know what Red's been up to in his twilight
years? A couple weeks ago he attempted to pull off what authorities
are saying is his third bank robbery in three years. Yeah, I know,
I'll give you a minute to chuckle at the visual of Red making a run
for it, whacking cops away from his scooter with a walking cane.
However, if we can get serious for just a minute, I think Old Red's
story can be helpful to the rest of us, and not because we're working
on a bank heist. At least, I hope not. Red can teach us something
about our souls. I don't know if Red has led a life of crime or if
he succumbed to the wild side during his seventies, or even his
eighties.
What I do know is that we never outgrow temptations, mature beyond
them or conquer 'em by our own will. While we're present in this
body, we're absent from the Lord. The Bible says for those that
think they stand firm to be careful lest they fall. That's a somber
warning, folks. There's only one way to be victorious over the
nature you were born with, continually submitting your will to your
Father's. For salvation and victory, don't leave Him in church on
Sundays; walk with him day by day.
~Shellie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Southern Exchange~~
Your letters:
Dear Shellie,
I enjoy your site!
I'm from the California, but I have a dear friend building his dream
home in South Carolina. He shared this site with me, hoping to educate
me about the "South". He thinks all us out here in California are a
"lost cause". Well, lately with the Governor race, I'm starting to
believe we might have misplaced our compass. :-)
Deborah in California
(Dear Deborah, Here's a promise--we won't hold you responsible for
California's circus if you won't think we're all hillbillies and
rednecks. A clean slate for both of us, how's that? Now, make yourself
comfortable. I'm happy to have you. ~Hugs, Shellie)
__________________
Dear Shellie,
I think we need to diiferentiate between Southern country and Southern
city. Let me explain.
I have a very cajun cousin in New Orleans. He's coming through here on
his way to the Orzarks. Well, he wanted to know what the odds were of
having "dinner" on his way. On top of that he called me last night at
11 PM! Early this morning as I was checking my e-mail there it was,
mail from him. "Is there something wrong with your phone? I called last
night and nobody answered." Well, as nice as I could, I tried to 'splain
how things were in farm country. First of all there has to be an explanation
of "dinner", around here that means 12 noon. Supper is the evening meal--
not dinner. Then in a nice tone I tried to explain that 11 PM up this way
was akin to the twilight zone. That means everybody is in a zombie like
state. He went on to say that if he ate with us at at night that he always
ate around 11 PM. So I explained that he could eat by himself and we
would see him in the morning--around 6 when we all get up.
So you see there is a big cultural difference in Southern city and
Southern country, a big difference! We may all be below the Mason/Dixon
but we sure do have different clocks.
Something to chew on.
John Herrington
Lake Providence, La.
(Dear John, I thought you did a pretty good job explaining the difference
without any help from me. *grin* Still, if anyone would like to weigh in
from the Southern City side, I'll give 'em equal time. Thanks for the
entertaining letter, John. ~Hugs, Shellie)
____________________
Dear Shellie,
I really enjoy reading "All Things Southern" and often share parts of it
with family, friends, and my church group. Although I don't always
agree with your opinions, I do enjoy reading them and find them very
informative. My mother's family can trace their southern roots back to
the Revolutionary War. My father's parents, however, immigrated from
Lebanon in the 1880's. It has always been amazing to me how similar the
customs of these two different cultures are. The hospitality is the
same, (don't expect to end a visit before you've had something to eat and
a glass of iced tea or a cup of coffee), and both cultures encourage
their children to be independent individuals while maintaining strong
family values and strong religious beliefs. I've been very fortunate to
be exposed to these two rich heritages. I grew up having Lebanese food
and Southern food at the same meal and quite a few dishes compliment each
other.
The most important political influence on my life was my Lebanese grandfather,
Giddie, because when he left Lebanon he was escaping a Turkish regime
which was trying to enslave the Lebanese people. He instilled in me a great
pride of this nation which sent its sons and daughters to fight and die
for freedom and democracy for all people.
He taught me not to worry about which political party a candidate belonged
to but to vote for the man or woman and what he or she stood for. He had
a great deal of pride in his family in the old country and his family here.
However, he was extremely proud of being an American and being a Virginian.
He was proud of two sons who served their country during World War II, one
with General Mark Clark in some of the fiercest battles in Europe. Giddie
taught me it is okay to disagree even in politics as long as respect was
shown for the other person's beliefs. This is integral to a free nation.
He was very Jeffersonian in his beliefs without realizing it. I have a
great love for this country but at the same time I see things which can be
corrected. That is what freedom is all about. We grow in that freedom
instead of stagnate in it. We evolve in our understanding of each
other's views, again, even though we may disagree. If we don't acknowledge
our own flaws, how can we point out the flaws of others? We stand for
something that no other nation on Earth stands for. We have a history of
lifting up our conquered enemies and helping them reestablish a viable
government which is unique in history.
No one else sought to establish former enemy nations as free and independent
nation states before we did. Other nations conquered and colonized. We
have been criticized for our lack of patriotism and then again for showing
too much patriotism. Our independent natures puzzle and offend other
countries. Our willingness to point out our flaws and discuss them puzzle
others. We can love our country fiercely and support her and at the same
time point out her mistakes. We are also unique in this. We recognize
our imperfections because only then can we correct them.
These things have made us the greatest nation on Earth. As the old saying
goes, I do not agree with your opinion but I will defend to the death your
right to express it. Although none of us likes the thought of America's
sons and daughters dying in foreign countries we support our troops because
they are acting out what we have been taught to believe -- we must fight
for freedom in order to stay free. We get tired of being the guardians of
freedom and then getting kicked in the teeth for it. If not us, then who?
If we were not involved in World War I and World War II most Europeans
would be German speaking peoples today. They would live under a tyrannical
regime. It has fallen to us and we don't like it. However, what choice
do we have if we are to remain free? We cannot maintain our own freedom
in America if we don't support freedom elsewhere. Thank you for constantly
supporting our troops.
Mary Louise Nackley in Virginia
(You're welcome Mary Louise, and thank you for those eloquent thoughts!
I hope the other porchers enjoy it as much as I did. The rest of y'all
drop by when you can. ~Hugs, Shellie)
__________________
Hi Shellie,
Reading about the 'gravy incident' stirred up, (pun intended), a memory
for me, too.
When we first married in June of '55, I had very little experience in
cooking. After all, being the youngest of three sisters and having the
best cook in the world for a mother, I never HAD to cook.
Being married sure changed that. My hubby has always had a big appetite,
so learning to fix what he/we liked was vital to our marriage! ;-)
The first time I prepared roast beef, I used my new Betty Crocker cookbook
and followed the recipe to the letter. When it said to "wash roast
thoroughly", I used soap! Instead of lean meat, we sure had CLEAN
meat!
Keep those ATS newsletters comin'...they literally make my Tuesdays!
Ann Kendrick
Lumberton TX
(Dear Ann, Thanks! And I loved your story! By the way, the first time
you were instructed to whip the eggs, can we assume you took some sort
of disciplinarian action? :-) Just joshing-- thanks for droppin' by. I
really did enjoy the humor. ~Hugs, Shellie)
__________________
Dear Shellie,
Thank you so much for forwarding my cousin's e-mail address. She is
my fourth cousin, that's getting real close to "dawg kin" but the love's
the same and I haven't seen her since my Poppa's funeral in October of
2000. It'd been years prior to that and due to the circumstances we
were unable to do much catching up. I've already sent her a big "Howdy"
and am anxiously awaiting her reply. You're a doll. Here I was trying to
find one set of cousins and you set me up with a whole other part of
the family!
I grow to love your site more and more each week. Let me tell you how
you've assisted me in getting word to my husband Joe in Iraq through an
e-mail address on the Yellow Ribbon Gallery. I had gone days with no word
from my Sweetie and I e-mailed Sgt. Hull listed on your site. He isn't
in the same part of Iraq as Joe, but the next time the Lieutenant came
through he sent the word that he needed to holler at us back here at home.
It took a little while, but just as soon as he was able, he called with
a giggle that only I could track him down half-way across the world. I
couldn't have done it without you.
May God continue to bless you and your efforts and may He also continue
to bless the South and these United States of America.
Love from one true Southern Gurl to another,
Stacy in Arkansas
(Dear Stacy, Thank you for all those kind words. I'm honored to be a tiny
part of you staying in touch with Joe, but you're the impressive one. :-)
Never underestimate the resolve of a steel magnolia, huh? Maybe we should
put you on Sadaam's trail. Bye for now. The rest of y'all drop by when
you can. ~Hugs, Shellie)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
ATS NEWS AND NOTES:
With the new format, if you see your letter in the exchange, that means
it was also in the radio show this week, (although sometimes condensed
to fit the time frame.) If you'd like a copy of the show, I'll "burn"
you a CD for $7.00, and that includes shipping and handling. (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 show you're interested in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
All Things Southern Sponsors:
Please do business with my sponsors. If you enjoy All Things
Southern on the radio--or by internet, let my sponsors know.
They're so important to me. ~Thanks,Shellie
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