Years ago, I taught in the Pre-Kindergarten program in an inner-city public school, and realized the students were confused when we read stories about Santa Claus. I finally grasped that it wasn’t the Jolly Old Elf who puzzled them, but the concept of a fireplace was totally foreign to a group of children who lived…
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We’ll take Dixieland Delight First printed in Lagniappe News, Mobile, Alabama To my friends who cheer for the University of Alabama, As a longtime resident and native Alabamian, who is also a graduate of Florida State University, I’ve come to collect the spoils of battle. Don’t panic, all I’ll take is a one-year lease on…
Read MoreHere’s another replay from 2018 for all of you sending your darling off to college. Attention all parents who are planning on launching a child off to college next fall — if they don’t already know how to do their own laundry, make a basic pot of mac and cheese and sew a button on…
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Here’s a replay from my 2019 column for everyone taking a daughter to college this month. Whether it’s grandma’s silver gumbo spoons, a tiara or a spinning baton, Southern girls have always been drawn to sparkly things. That’s why the trend to “bling-up” the dormitories of co-eds around the South has taken off like wildfire.…
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Here’s a quick note to tell you about a few upcoming author events and a short – temporary leave of absence. First of all, if you are in the area of Fairhope, Alabama this coming Saturday, June 21st, you’re invited to attend my writing seminar at the Eastern Shore Presbyterian Church Arts Atelier – From…
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Even those who are unfamiliar with my hometown of Fairhope, Alabama, may find this story about efforts to save The Poet of Tolstoy Park’s house interesting. It’s a strange house with a unique literary twist. And of course . . . our small town is abuzz! There’s always something stirring in Fairhope, be it fact,…
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The quote below from Andy Andrews’ Instagram page reminded me of a story about my cousin, Dr. Kenneth Harrison, who passed away last January at the age of 92. My father’s first cousin, Kenneth Harrison, was raised on a farm, then attended Florida State University where he earned a degree in chemistry and later enrolled…
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It’s official: the government has found more artificial coloring in our beloved Southern Red Velvet Cake than in the entire soprano section of the Methodist church choir. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy has vowed to rid American food of toxic ingredients, which is noble, but it seems Southerners may have to…
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It rained the day of my second-grade Easter egg hunt, so our room mothers hid all the eggs inside the classroom. This was back in the day when we called it an “Easter Egg Hunt,” not a “Spring Fling” or other such nonsense. Only one child won a prize for finding the Golden Egg, and…
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I wrote this story in 2016 for AL.com newspapers. Happy Easter! The Easter Quilt It was Christmas day 1998 when I took the scissors and cut my grandmother’s quilt into pieces, but looking at one of the remaining scraps now, always brings to mind the beauty of Easter. The quilt was originally started by my…
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