grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

These Students at Blytheville Middle School…

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Accidental Salvation at Blytheville Middle School

Y’all, these students at Blytheville Middle School…this is what it’s all about. You never know where this crazy life will take you, and how one decision can change you in ways you never anticipated, but that’s how writing has been for me. The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee has led me to doors I would have otherwise never opened. Beyond those doors? The road I almost completely missed. For me, it’s about so much more than the book itself. It’s about the people and the relationships and the surprises along the way.

My own accidental salvation…

I was invited to Blytheville Middle School by Amy Harmon who teaches there. She’d been reading Accidental Salvation to her class and they were enjoying it. Literacy is my thing, so I was happy to go and provide a few books for her classroom. I read from a particular chapter I thought the students might relate to—Gracie Lee was at school, bored, unable to concentrate on her assignment, thinking about how she’d been grounded at the end of summer. We’ve all been there, right?Continue Reading

Dear April,

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Dear April,

Dear April,

March was a whirlwind (literally and figuratively) and now here we are. April One. Winter is gone. Spring is here for real.

April reminds me of Easter, even though this year, Easter has already come and gone. Some of my favorite flowers bloom in April—tulips, daffodils, iris.

tulips
Continue Reading

Your Top Five People

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the people we become

Have you ever stopped to think that your perception of everything is shaped at least in part by the company you keep? For a few moments, think about the five people you spend the most time with. Or seven people. Pick a number. Now consider this—you become the people you spend the most time with. 

I heard something similar months ago, and my brain latched on to it as one’s brain does. I think it’s a powerful concept, and to a large extent, I think it’s true.

Everyone is filled with a certain energy, whether positive or negative. The essence of those you spend time with becomes part of you. Slowly, so slowly you won’t notice at first, or maybe you never will. But how could such a thing not happen?Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

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