Other than a lap full of puppies and dirty feet, my favorite thing to play was, “house.” An incomplete set of chipped Wedgewood dishes, an old orange rug, one small table and two little chairs were in the playhouse I loved. The house was absolutely perfect as far as I was concerned, and I knew…
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Yes ma’am, there actually are rational, common-sense reasons we teach our children manners here in the South. It has nothing to do with tradition and everything to do with making society a more civilized place. And before you think I equate “civilized” with “moonlight and magnolias,” hold your horses — please and thank you. You…
Read MoreSomeone needs to have a little chat with the smarty pants engineers who are designing the self- driving cars of the very near future. These brainiacs may have solved the problem of traffic jams and the stress associated with them, but they haven’t given one thought to the new problem they’re creating for parents. Sure,…
Read MoreOur last name is very rare, so I always have to spell it, and then everyone says, “Oh, just like it sounds!” We did some research, and found that “Tarabella” is even a rare name in Italy. In fact, most Tarabellas in Italy live in a 3 kilometer area in and around the beautiful…
Read More*A version of this story is included in my book, The Majorettes are Back in Town. This year, my husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day like a boring mom and dad, instead of dreamy eyed lovers. Earlier in the day, our son had his wisdom teeth extracted, so we spent the evening dishing…
Read MoreMy brother, Robert Harrison — not to be confused with my son, Harrison Robert, or my husband Robert, threw a party dedicated to the well loved church casserole. Robert (the brother) is single, and he’s always looking for a way to get women to bring him food without making any kind of commitment, so the…
Read MoreIf you want to see a force that rivals a hurricane, just watch the power of, “the ladies of the church.” Like most fundraisers, the project started with someone saying, “You know, we should do something to help.” Julia Crow of Pensacola, saw a need and decided several local charities could use extra funding,…
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