Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Yellow Dance by Wanda Stricklin Robertson When spring was new,  winter still lingering beneath the budding trees;  the soil cool and full of worms,  we planted the tiny seeds. We wanted the dance. Seed must be sown;  without the sowing, there is no harvest.   There can be no dance. A spoonful of tiny seed,  some sunlight, some water.  Some pulling of weeds  while the sun burned our skin. We waited with patience,  knowing they would come  Home with the equinox,  ready to do their dance. And now we rest, rewarded for our work.  Tender butterflies with wings of sun dance from blossom to blossom,  and the dying is sweet.

Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, is one of my favorite cooks.  I have found that combining some of her recipes with Paula Deen's recipes can make some tasty food. On Sunday afternoon, I made the Pioneer Woman's  Seven Can Soup  .  It is super easy to make and so good. These are the cans of food I used:  Chili Beans (she used Pinto beans; I didn't have any in the house), black beans, corn, kidney beans, 2 cans tomatoes with peppers, and a can of Chili with no beans. Open the cans and dump them in a pot. How hard is that? Keep dumping. Stir it all together.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer at least fifteen minutes. Just before it is done, add about eight ounces of Velvetta cheese.  If you are a cheese snob and refuse to use Velvetta, you can use whatever you desire.  By the way, we paid $5.99 for two pounds of Velvetta; we bought 2 pounds of good cheddar for $4.99 at Sams. Velvetta is no longer cheap cheese, unfortunately. Add to t

The  Lord  is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters . He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the  Lord  for ever. Psalm 23

The Natchez Trace Parkway is our favorite place to drive.  It is always beautiful, but especially in the fall. Hub and I traveled the Trace to Summertown, Tennessee, late yesterday afternoon,  If you look hard, you can see a hint of the riot of color that will be there in two weeks or so. Happy Fall, Y'all.

Photo from Wikipedia It is the birthday of William Faulkner ( September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962).   I wrote about him  here  earlier this year. Mr. Faulkner didn't comfort us or pretty things up, but he did stir our emotions and taught us things about our Southern  selves.  Looking for a week-end read?  Try As I Lay Dying  by  William Faulkner .

 It is the birthday of Jim Henson ( September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) , creator of the Muppets. He was raised in the small delta town of  Leland, Mississippi, where we found this museum with many of his creations. My sons loved Sesame Street when they were small. They can still sing all the songs they learned from Kermit, Bert, Ernie and the others. The Muppets are now entertaining a new generation of children, and they are still as loved as they were forty years ago.

Thirty days hath September , April, June, and November; February has twenty-eight alone, All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting leap-year, that's the time When February's days are twenty-nine. Google sites Mother Goose as the author of this poem/jingle. I think it probably predates Mother Goose, but that's just me. We learned it early on in elementary school, and I learned it well, apparently. I quoted it to myself this morning while I was planning some things to do before September ends. Do any of you do this? A big Thank You to the teacher that insisted we memorize this.

Sunday afternoon, we went to Isom Orchards in Athens, Alabama, because the apples are ready. We met Baby Boy there and got to spend some time with him.  We sampled some apples and brought a few home with us. The apples are so good!  I think I'm tasting sunshine. . .

These things I have spoken unto you, that in  me ye might have peace. In the world ye  shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;       I have overcome the world.   ~ Jesus John 16:33

On the last day of classes, I ask my students if they want to be really, really smart.   Turns out, some of them do.   Here's my advice: 1. Travel 2. Read books 3. Slow down and listen  There are other things, of course, but these are the three that will work for anyone.  Trust me. I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for  travel’s  sake. The great affair is to move. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

I wrote about persimmons  here  a while back, but here is another perspective, surely more accurate than mine,  on  winter predictions using persimmon seed . Or, if you don't trust persimmons,  the trusty  woolly bear caterpillars  might tell you how high the heating bills will run. An infallible guide could be as simple as  watching your cat. I don't know what winter will bring, but here is a prediction I'm pretty sure about: it won't get here until after we have enjoyed October.

  Beauty doesn't always come early. Beautyberry ( Callicarpa ) would not catch your eye in the springtime, like the bright jonquils or forsythia. It doesn't send out a fragrance like our beloved lilacs and roses. In fact, the blossoms are so unremarkable, you might pass right by it at the nursery. The tiny blossoms turn into clusters of tiny green berries that continue to go unnoticed. Ah, but in late summer and early fall! In late summer, when there is that first hint of coolness in the morning air, the berries ripen to a beautiful purple that practically shouts, LOOK AT ME! If the berries remain until frost kills the leaves, they are even more striking. The birds who visit me like them so well, the berries are usually gone before the leaves. Planting beautyberries is just one way of rewarding the birds that brighten our summer days.   Yesterday, I walked out on the deck and saw four cardinals in this bush.  Fantastic! ....and the man