grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

that time I visited Apalachicola, Florida

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Apalachicola, Florida

Last June (as in 2016 not yesterday), I spent a few days in Apalachicola, Florida, a small port town located on the gulf and at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. Of all the places I visited last year, Apalachicola was one of my favorites. There’s something extra special about a port town and shrimp boats and folks who live and breath by the tides. The whole experience felt very “old Florida” to me. Nostalgic and dreamy. On the peaceful end of the relaxation scale.

I wanna go back.Continue Reading

Grace Grits Reads: June 2017

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Book Reviews June 2017

June Book Reviews:

My June reading adventures began in Iceland (literally), where I traveled to Belize (figuratively) in a beat-up, broken down car with a character named Ray Midge. Mid-month, because of my trip to Iceland, I became absorbed in the Mid-West, primarily in a one room schoolhouse in rural Iowa with brief escapades to Venice. And June moved on from there. Arkansas blogger / author Jerusalem Jackson Greer took me inside her head, heart, and home in Little Rock. I visited a Catholic home for unwed mothers and enjoyed a gem of a romp in England with Benedict Stone. Trust me when I say throughout the entire month of June, I spent a ton of time at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson’s daughter. In all, June proved to be a fun and busy month. And because of my book adventures, I hope you’ll add a few more volumes to your summer reading list.Continue Reading

Summer Favorites: Porch Time!

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Porch Time!

This is the first in a series of posts (irregular at best) about my favorite summer things. I’m starting with PORCH TIME!

I think of our porches as additional rooms, the best rooms, rooms that provide extra space and extra peace, whatever we need in the moment. A bit like Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement. In case you truly have been living beneath a rock, the Room of Requirement only appears when someone has a true need. It stands to reason that porches are always there because we always need a spot to rest and read, write and think, and watch the world go by.

See how that works?

I like my porches to reflect each season and holiday, and Independence Day is one of my favorites. Fourth of July is the brightest spot in summer, the top of the Ferris wheel, the cherry on the hot fudge sundae, the pre-party to my birthday shindig. And in my patriotic opinion, a splash of red, white, and blue goes with everything. Seriously, there’s no better place to drink coffee in the mornings and wine in the afternoon. Continue Reading

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