(Not) The greatest generation

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 21, 2016 /

T-Anna and I were making floral arrangements for our Ladies Circle luncheon when her daughter, D-Anna called in a panic. Apparently, the 25 year old college graduate was experiencing great angst because she couldn’t assemble a new bookcase. “There’s a nail with little swirls around it and a plus sign on the end, and I…

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Which comes first, the column or the blog post?

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 15, 2016 /

Well, usually, the column comes first, then I share it here on the blog. But this week’s article for al.com came about a bit backwards.   My column appears in the Sunday edition of The Mobile Press, The Birmingham News and The Huntsville Times and after it appears on the al.com web site, I finally…

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Pretty (big) ‘ole blueberry pie

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 11, 2016 /

What to do with all these lovely blueberries from Robertsdale? Hmmm. I think I’ll make PIE! The recipe itself isn’t important. You can find any blueberry pie recipe on the internet. (There’s a link to the version I based this on at the end). I wanted to do something really pretty for my family’s 75th…

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Zucchini: the gift that keeps on giving

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 7, 2016 /

Southerners are the givin’est bunch of people you’ll ever meet. Anytime we visit one another, we always want to “take a little something.” And even though the “little” is often quite small, it’s truly the thought that counts. Unless of course, it’s zucchini.   No one wants to look out their window and see you…

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Time to choose the gift wrap

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 1, 2016 /

I realize we’re celebrating Independence Day, but as a good Southern woman, I have to get my act together and decide on a wrapping paper theme for this coming Christmas. Last year, I foolishly believed my husband when he offered to take care of wrapping the gifts, and as God is my witness, I ended…

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To be 16 in the summer

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 28, 2016 /

Summer in the South for a 16 year-old consists of parents who bother him more than the heat, and days filled with friends, food and future adventures waiting just around the corner. Too old to stay home with his mama, but not yet old enough to be set totally free, it’s a summer for finding…

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True love found in the cafeteria

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 24, 2016 /

My college son returned home for the summer and I could tell he’d found a new love back at Samford University. It was a shock to realize he’d actually become quite fond of not one, but several ladies on campus. It’s true. The cafeteria staff has stolen my son’s heart.   It’s difficult for me…

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A Father and a (Southern) Gentleman

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 14, 2016 /

If your father is a gentleman, consider yourself blessed. And if he’s a Southern gentleman, you won the big prize. But more frequently, we’re seeing a new kind of Southern daddy. One who migrated here from parts unknown.   I was introduced to a regular, run-of-the-mill gentleman when I was in my twenties and first…

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Modern brides love Mason Jars more than fine crystal

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / May 31, 2016 /

As the calendar of civility marches on, I can tell by the stack of invitations on my desk that we have now entered my favorite time of year . . . wedding season. But even though these once scrawny babysitters have grown into beautiful brides, something makes me fear for their futures — you see,…

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Memorial Day — The Meaning of Taps

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / May 27, 2016 /

Memorial Day will be celebrated this weekend with ceremonies across the United States. Often, the traditional “Taps” will be played signaling the somber end . . . the end of the day, the end of soldier’s lives. The origins of the song are mingled with legends and folk tales, so it’s difficult to find hard…

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