grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Drive, Pray, Love

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drive pray love

Once upon a time I stumbled out of bed, drove the kids to school super early, and made it to work on the opposite end of the city by 8:00 a.m. For several years, Kelsey and Tate attended school at two different campuses making the drive even crazier. On lunchroom duty days, or when there was a school meeting, I spent more time in the car than at home. All I seemed to do was drive, pray, and love.

Many mornings I walked into the bank not remembering the drive, in a dream state.  I wished for a fairy godmother.

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Clear Blue Sky

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September 11, 2001
Tribute to 9-11.

Remember that morning we were all jolted wide awake and abruptly reminded of the world’s reality? It began as a typical September morning. We dropped the kids at school, stopped for coffee at Starbucks, and drove to work…. We were thankful for a break in the hot summer temperatures and glad to have Monday behind us. Perhaps brewing ominous storm clouds would have better set the tone for the tragedy to unfold, yet the skies were clear and Crayola cerulean blue, a perfect over-the-rainbow kind of morning.

In that moment, life was fleeting. And fragile.

Numb and shell-shocked, we were reminded of those things most important. We cried for what was lost.

I remember the clear, blue sky on September 11.

No birds sang, no airplanes flew.

A fog drifted over the country.

A War-of-the-Worlds sick feeling settled down deep where we live.

We held our babies and dreams closer. We proudly flew the red-white-and-blue, and came together in prayer and meditation no matter which side of the aisle we claimed.

 

Never forget the morning we were awakened. Always remember those blue skies.

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


“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Turning Gay in Dallas

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Setting: Expensive Dallas Hair Salon – Shampoo Room
Characters: 
Myrtle – shampoo lady
Lottie – shampoo lady
Me – customer with dark roots
Ms. Bettye – customer with gray roots

gay

Myrtle:  How’re you today honey?
Me:  I’m good. How are you?
Myrtle: Thanking the good Lord to be alive.
Lottie: She’s crazy as ever.
Myrtle: Lottie you hush your mouth. Baby, you just sit right back and let Ms. Myrtle take good care of your hair.
Me: Ok.
shampoo ladies chatting during my shampoo….
Myrtle: Margarita lost that baby bless her heart.
Lottie: Oh girl no she didn’t!
Myrtle: Um-hm. Been bleedin’ all night.
Lottie: Bless her heart but she done got seven chil’ren.
Myrtle: Lord’s way of telling her.
Lottie: Poor chile.
Myrtle: Um-hm.
glancing to door…
Myrtle: You mean to tell me Joe’s done fell again?
Lottie: Oh lordy mercy I guess so.
Myrtle: That poor man.
Lottie: Um-hm.
Myrtle: Joe you done fell again?
Joe: Yup, using my old cane.
Together: Well bless your heart.
to Ms. Bettye being shampooed next to me….
Lottie: Ms. Bettye I looooove that necklace. What’s that stone?
Ms. Bettye: Oh Lottie, I don’t remember. I’ve had it for prob’ly forty years.
Lottie: Myrtle, you see this necklace?
Myrtle: (Myrtle drowning my head to look.) That is very beautiful Ms. Bettye.
Lottie: You driving again Ms. Bettye?
Ms. Bettye: Oh no, my friend drove me. We’ve been friends for forty years.
Lottie: Isn’t that nice.
Myrtle: Ms.Bettye, did you know Joe done fell again?
Ms. Bettye: Oh no. Bless his heart.
to each other during my rinse….
Lottie: You know Hector done turned gay.
Myrtle: No! How you know?
Lottie: Margarita tole me.
Myrtle: ‘fore she lost that baby?
Lottie: Yes ma’am. His wife done throw’d him out.
Myrtle: Lawsy what’s wrong with him?
Lottie: Don’t know. She said one day he was fine and the next day he turned gay right after work.
Myrtle: What’s this world comin’ to?
Lottie: Sinful.
Myrtle: Bless her heart.
Me: Coughing. Gagging.
wrapping up my wet head in a towel…
Myrtle: There you go honey. You all done now.
Me: Thank you. Myrtle, you know people don’t just turn gay. Right?
Silence. Pin dropping silence.
Me: Seriously. People don’t turn gay. It’s genetic. You either are or you aren’t.
Myrtle and Lottie exchange quick knowing looks.
Best friends and co-workers for fifty years, they share the same thoughts.
They have one mind.
Lottie: Honey chile’ I think Myrtle done got water up in your head.
Myrtle: What’s this world coming to?
Lottie: Sinful.
Myrtle: Bless your heart.

Laughing. Hysterical laughter. At me.

turning gay

Grace Grits and Gardening

Musical Pairings:
They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Napoleon XIV

Homer Simpson to Bart: He didn’t give you gay, did he? Did he?

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!