grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Archives for September 2012

Don’t be late!

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Our State Fair is a great state fair. Don’t miss it don’t even be late. Rodgers & Hammerstein
The top 5 reasons I go to the State Fair of Texas….
5. Pig Races
4. Car Show
3. People Watch
2. Crazy Mouse Ride
1. Corn Dogs!

I’m counting down the days to September 28…. when people from all walks of life and all corners of the state and beyond, eagerly gather into a hay-filled rodeo barn sitting side by side squealing for their favorite pig like its the Texas-OU football game. Big-haired women, mullet-haired men, even Oprah was there a few years ago to feast on the deep fried butter.
The parking lot is crammed with expensive tiny foreign cars and dirty farm vehicles driven in from Groesbeck, but once inside the hallowed fairground gates everyone is reduced to the lowest common denominator, standing in long hot lines for piles of tornado taters. People come together. Totally non-partisan.
The presidential election should be held during the nation’s state fairs. 
Crazy Mouse ride!
Talya, Taylor, Zach, Staci 2011
Each year there is a contest for the best tasting and most creative new fair food to feed the famished fairgoers. This year’s winners, Deep Fried Jambalaya and Fried Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. Another new food for 2012, Chicken Fried Cactus Bites, proving people will eat anything as long as its battered, deep fried in lard, and served on a stick.
Don’t even be late!
fried margarita 2010

talya

Musical Pairings

State Fair – 1962

Porch People

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I love walking in our new Fayetteville neighborhood. So much to see. Rolling hills, stone walls, old trees, yard art. Flowers barely glimpsed in Dallas’ early short spring are still blooming here… A row of pale pink geraniums(!) flourishing beside autumn sedum and spider lilies stretches my mind beyond normal. One of these things just doesn’t belong… 

In Dallas by the 4th of July, I pull up burnt geraniums and plant plastic American flags… They are amazingly drought tolerant, completely disease resistant and provide a burst of color throughout summer. Xeriscaping at its finest.

The houses in Fayetteville are historical and charming, much like our Dallas neighborhood, but the porches are not perfectly aligned nor are the yards evenly edged. It takes me a day or so to breathe it in and unwind. Natural and peaceful expands my boundaries as well.

As I stroll I think I am completely incognito. Invisible. But probably not. They likely know we are those people from Texas… only here part-time…. who let their yard grow up between mowings…. probably Republicans.… Longhorns?! 
It is very strange to be the ‘new people’. I don’t know which vehicle goes with which neighbor. We don’t even know the dogs’ names yet! 
Yesterday I walked pass a lady, and we exchanged hellos as I restrained an over-exuberant Annabelle. I wondered if we would become friends?

I can’t imagine another neighborhood as cool as Munger Place, with wine walks, New Year’s crawls, Harry’s porch. But I do think this could be porch party community. Maybe they just need someone to be the first host. Plus I need to buy a Razorback flag immediately.

talya

Musical Pairings:

Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds



No Robots!

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Just a friendly announcement – I changed my settings (thanks Pat!) so now there should be no need to enter crazy letters and numbers to prove you aren’t a robot… Hopefully it will be easier to comment on the actual blog. Yay.


If a bunch of robots start commenting, I will need to reconsider.

The picture above has nothing to do with anything. Just thought everyone needed some chocolate pie this Sunday morning:)

T.

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!