grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Food
  • Garden
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter
  • SHOP!

hometown charm

February 9, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner 10 Comments

small town charm

It feels surreal to be home, home on the farm (cue Home on the Range) and see my picture plastered all over town and all over the house. There’s some hometown charm going on, and I owe a big thank you to Jason Stark of Osceola Printing for the eye-popping posters and flyers. Not only did he create the design, he handled the project from start to finish in a matter of hours during a time when I couldn’t think straight. Sometimes the right person appears at exactly the right time. And, yes, a professional makes all the difference.

Being from a small town is a great thing.

Yesterday, I stood in a long line waiting my turn at the post office. The postmaster handled each customer’s business while chatting about grandchildren and Star Wars and all sorts of things. Everyone knew everyone.

When my turn came he said, “You’re the author, aren’t you?”

“Yes sir.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling  a little stunned that he recognized me. I handed him one of those yellow claim slips, and he promptly placed a heavy box on the counter. This is for your mother. Wrong address, but it has her name on it. It has to be for her—there’s only one Barbara Tate.”

Truth.

I laughed and marveled that the box with the completely wrong address wasn’t lost forever in the mail universe. Small town miracle.

“Your picture is on the front door,” he said, “unless someone stole it.”

“Yes, I saw it.”

He grinned. “I told Ms. Tate it’s against the law to hang posters at the post office, but she said where’s your tape?” So I helped her hang it.”

Hometown charm.

After our trip to the post office, Momma and I ate wonderful white beans and fried okra at Sandbar Grille. With cornbread, of course.

Sandbar Grille, Osceola, Ar

My picture was on the window there, too.

Surreal, I tell you.

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Small town charm, gotta love it! @Osceola_AR @ThatBookstore #TheAccidentalSalvationofGracieLee #mustread[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:
Maddie & Tae, Downside of Growing Up

 

Filed Under: Arkansas, Farm, Home, Life, Memories, Reading & Books Tagged With: Delta Creative, Mississippi County, Mississippi Delta, Northeast Arkansas, Osceola, Sandbar Grille, small town living, Southern, Talya Tate Boerner novel

Wanna receive my monthly Newsletter? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Barbara Tate says

    February 9, 2016 at 8:20 am

    Sometimes a small town is the best kind of town. What fun we are having!! The rest of our gang will be here soon.

    Reply
  2. Gary D. Henderson says

    February 9, 2016 at 10:16 am

    The best thing about small towns is that everyone knows everyone else.

    The worst thing about small towns is that everyone knows everyone else.

    🙂

    Reply
  3. Bryan says

    February 9, 2016 at 10:48 am

    Awesome! Good song to go with it too!

    Reply
  4. Julianne Thompson says

    February 9, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Your momma sounds like quite the character. The part about the sign at the post office had me grinning. Gotta love that small town welcome!

    Reply
  5. Ken Johnson says

    February 9, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    Maddie and Tae remind me of one of my favorite Trio’s “the Dixie Chicks”

    Reply
  6. Kelly H says

    February 9, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    Small towns are wonderful! Your mom is a hoot!

    Reply
  7. Dorothy Johnson says

    February 10, 2016 at 11:23 am

    What Gary said, plus I’m so excited for you. I’m loving the book.

    Reply
  8. Donna says

    February 11, 2016 at 8:31 am

    Makes me homesick. I love anytime I get to go back home, but this weekend is going to be the best! Cannot wait to celebrate with you!

    Reply
  9. Lee Veasman Rose says

    March 15, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    Just finished reading your book and loved it. Haven’t lived in Keiser in years, but it jogged loose lots of memories. At 83, we are generations apart, but some things are common of humanity.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      March 18, 2016 at 8:02 am

      Thank you, Lee. I’m so happy you enjoyed my book. Yes, we all have much in common.

      Reply

COMMENT: Cancel reply

Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Baylor graduate. Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Oct '22)

Click to BUY NOW!

Buy Now
Gene, Everywhere

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Receive my not-very-regular Newsletter?

Most Popular Posts…

  • How to harvest Coneflower Seeds
  • Yum Yum Cake - old southern recipe!
  • Homepage
  • How to Create a Certified Monarch Waystation
  • How to Make Pumpkins from Recycled Books

Most Recent

  • Sunday Letter: 07.31.22
  • Book Reviews: July 2022
  • Sunday Letter: 07.24.22
  • Sunday Letter: 07.17.22
  • How to Make Botanical Confetti

Grace Grits index

Prior Posts

Search Categories

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday
Follow on Bloglovin

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2022 · Web Hosting By StrataByte