Mothers, just say ‘no’ to the swimsuit!

Swimsuit season starts early in the South. By the second week of February, my Mother would drag me to Gayfers to ensure I had first choice of the sturdiest of all the Jantzen suits. She knew if we waited too late, the selection would be picked-over and I’d have to settle for a flimsy suit…

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The Joy Choir

In addition to some first-class Holy Rollers, Southern churches have also produced some mighty fine musicians, with many of the big-time stars giving credit to their religious roots for introducing them to the basics of music. But it doesn’t matter how many Grammys these stars have won, nor how many thousands of screaming fans their…

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Cornbread with a side of love

This story can be found in my book, “The Majorettes are Back in Town.”  It wasn’t the flowers, candy or twirling me across the kitchen floor that earned my husband a gold star on his romance chart. Instead, his most romantic move was when he scared the bejibbers out of our son. First of all,…

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Finally!!!

Here’s the big news I’ve been waiting to share with you . . .   Starting soon, I’ll be a weekly columnist with the Press Register! For those of you who live out of our area, the Press Register is a great newspaper based in Mobile, Alabama and is owned by Alabama Media Group, which…

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Good Grief! We love Tiny Trees

Good grief! Charlie Brown’s Christmas has now been poked by politics as President and First Lady Obama gave their interpretation of the true meaning of Christmas. Just before the 50th Anniversary broadcast of the popular cartoon, the message from the first couple was aired to millions of viewers.   Mrs. Obama  – “The (Charlie Brown…

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I Wish for Gayfers

When the mistletoe’s hung and the smell of silver spray paint floats through the air, that’s when I miss Gayfers Department Store the most.   I could stop right here and not bother to say another word because most of you just fell off your chairs with screams of, “Me too!” Just mentioning Gayfers launches…

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Criminal Minds

In the last six weeks, I’ve been in two stores at the precise moment they were robbed. Not the old fashioned, “stick ‘em up” kind of robbery with nose covering bandanas, but the more modern version of a “grab and dash” operation. Both incidents took place in large department stores, one in Spanish Fort and…

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Granddaddy ain’t no haint

The book was first published in 1969, but it didn’t become widely known until several years later. I remember my Daddy sitting with his Daddy and brothers beneath the pecan trees, passing it around, each reading for a few minutes, then with exasperated looks, shaking their heads and passing it on to the next person…

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Your will be done . . .

I’m still recovering from a super busy week, so while I get organized again, here’s a story for you about how I’m NOT a control freak (wink-wink).  Hope you have a happy Monday!   For the past 19 years, I’ve prayed for one young lady in particular, then 16 years ago, I started praying for…

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It’s just a matter of time

  Houses reflect the people within, so it makes sense they are in a constant state of growth and change – whether we like it or not.   In our first house, my husband and I crawled around and installed safety plugs in all the electrical outlets. We wired the house for monitors and bought…

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