Pappy was a narcissist. My pipe smoking architect grandfather had good reason to walk the egocentric path, the only child of an older professional couple (lawyer and teacher). He …
Canal Street Basement | AKA Pear Relish
The first scary things in life cling like the contacts on my eyeballs which have been key for sight since 1966. I shiver to think what my plight would …
Private Art Showing | Late Summer Vegetable Minestrone
Some might say our garage is in better shape than most. Nothing fancy, it is lined with pressed board and a window and an automatic garage door opening; it …
Rural Road Wisdom | Blueberry Breakfast Tada
Encoded in my genetic hoorah is a propensity for getting off the beaten path. As far as I can tell, despite the fact that it can double my mileage, the …
Rule the Yazoo Summer Day | Marinated Cukes, Red Onions, Tomatoes and Herbs
I was a restless young one always looking for an episode. One scorching Mississippi Delta afternoon after I folded clothes from the line and helped Grandaddy pick vegetables; after I …
Sista Soiree | Maw’s Biscuit
Every Monday night for eight years, amid the hurl and burl of a small Middle Tennessee town, two women connected by marriage find their way to an extraordinary kitchen. …
Shoveling Through The Tears | The Eddie Mae Saute
“I’ll be the Daddy and you be the Sweetie,” said my granddaughter, Dalton. “But where,” I said, “Is the Mommie?” “Shoveling snow,” said Dalton. And no doubt Mommie’s voice …
Jaymi Ray Gets Her Shot | Apple-Cider Sourdough Bread
On a crest above the town proper of Lynnville, Tennessee lives a lovely soul who is baking her heart out. She got lucky during creation and was gifted with a …
Child Drama Queen Grows Up | Orange-Pecan Scones
Joyner Elementary School – Tupelo, Mississippi: I was awarded the role Queen of Hearts in a 1962 production of Alice in Wonderland. This was a misguided character assignment. I thought …
A Snowy Day with Elodie | Mama Toast
A solid 19 inches of snowfall. Treks to and from Chicago are halted. I am snowed into an urban fairyland – an enchanted zone where my granddaughter Elodie is available …