Hooked on Homeworthy

(And a Fairhope House Tour!) My hot entertainment for the moment is the YouTube decorating fix, Homeworthy. It’s a runaway success that has surpassed the likes of old-guard design shows on HGTV and PBS. Airing on social media platforms instead of traditional television, it provides a format for everyday people to give tours of their…

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A gathering of writers

Above, you’ll see author, editor and publisher, Sonny Brewer, and his little friend Bobby, along with singer/songwriter Grayson Capps and the 2025 Truman Capote Award winner, Suzanne Hudson. And yes, they are all from Fairhope. I’m not sure who took this photo – I found it on Suzanne’s facebook page. My pictures weren’t so great…

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Cooking Class

My husband is impossible to shop for. He buys most of his own clothes and loves good electronic gadgets, but he’s the expert of those, so I have to leave it to him. Socks? Boring. Books? He likes to read them on a glowing thing-a-ma-jig. But guess what Mr. Know it all doesn’t have?  The…

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Dear Northern Friends, I apologize

This story first appeared in Lagniappe News, Mobile, Alabama. South Alabama is usually as hot as the hinges of hell and plagued by hurricanes and humidity, but now our yards are covered in nine inches of glistening snow. It’s one of the prettiest and most unexpected things I’ve ever seen, and it’s made me realize…

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Still – a little bit of Christmas?

My Christmas decorations are packed away except for this framed 12 Days of Christmas collection. I love it so much that I think I’ll let it linger a little longer. Is there a rule against that?  The cards depict the original wooden 2 by 4-foot “cards” that were designed and painted by local artist Mary…

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The Pig and a Jacket

Yes, I’m hugging a pig, but not just any old swine. This is a special pig we all love. I understand why Southerners have the reputation for being just a tad bit crazy. We aren’t insulted by the label because we recognize our bizarre ways and actually delight in some of the weirdness. Not only…

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We Don’t Push in Fairhope

So, what’s this book about?  In We Don’t Push in Fairhope (launching October 8th), you’ll find stories about proper casserole dishes, fairies dancing in fields, dogs in costumes, a house built for a friend, praying for alligators, a pilgrim costume, and a school bus that walks. And hold on to your hat; did you know gravy comes…

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It’s never too late for new friends

You may remember my friend Jule. It’s pronounced “Julie,” but she said her mother thought it would look more interesting without the “i.” I’m helping plan a 104th birthday party for Jule in a few weeks. Still quick-minded and funny, Jule recently wrote a poem about her assisted living facility giving her canned green beans…

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Shirley said, “slow down”

We get a lot of slow-motion tourists in Fairhope, who drive at the speed of sleep so they can see everything unique our town has to offer, like stores and trees and stop signs.  When I’m impatient with their slacked pace,  I try to remember my friend, who loved Fairhope, and asked her husband to…

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Beep – Beep Cowboy

When we beep our horn, it means, “hey, how ya doing?” But outright heavy-handed honking,  means, “I wasn’t raised right and have no patience with any of you people from this small hick town.” At least, that’s how I interpret it.  We often hear the gentle “beep-beep” on one of our less-traveled side streets when…

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