Life - grace grits and gardening

Ernest Hemingway Wrote Here

November 6, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Hemingway’s Barn, Piggott, Arkansas

I am fortunate to be attending my fifth writer’s retreat at Hemingway-Pfeiffer Educational Center, a truly magical place not only because Ernest Hemingway wrote here(!) but because of the synergy created by the writers who gather.

This spot in Northeast Arkansas is hallowed—the trees, the grounds, the barn where he wrote a portion of A Farewell to Arms and other short stories. If you know me, you are rolling your eyes and saying, “Here she goes ago again.” Yes, I’ve written about this place before. And I likely will again.

I am reminded of the reasons to attend a writer’s retreat. The benefits extend well beyond the words on the page. Each session is different, a result of the mentor-teacher and the student writers who bring different backgrounds, ideas, experiences, and voices to the table. We feel safe to share the truth and write our stories.

I imagine a swirl of creative color flowing over the room. Colors as bright as the fall leaves outside our window.

Although this group spans the nation from coast to coast with careers ranging from education, anthropology, military, and others, I am reminded of how alike we are in our upbringings, our dreams and desires, the things that touch us.

I am also reminded of our differences.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Simple Pleasures #5

November 3, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Simple pleasures. Things I can count on like one-two-three. Uncomplicated things. That’s what I’m recapping from last week.

1. Decorating for Halloween. I’ve had this string of lights forever. Knock-on-wood, they don’t make ’em like this anymore.

2. Perfect, homemade chocolate icing. Recipe coming soon…

3. New Converse. Converse tennis shoes are part of my typical “uniform”. These are Razorback red. WPS!

4. Spending time with my oldest best-est friend. Seriously. Elementary school.

5. Cool find at Dickson Street Bookshop. Yes, I “adopted” another book. How could I not? It’s about the Mississippi Delta!

Here’s wishing you a week filled with comfortable shoes, best friends and chocolate.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Count on Me – Bruno Mars

Ebola in my suitcase?

October 23, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Yes, I moved to Fayetteville from Dallas. No, I did not bring Ebola with me. Stop with the widespread panic.

A few days ago I read a post on Facebook that went something like this…Omg! I saw a car in front of me with Texas tags and wanted to scream ‘keep that Ebola in Texas’!

Really?

Of course this was Facebook, and since the rant was posted on a group site, I didn’t know the person. Although I couldn’t assess her level of seriousness—no tone of voice, no body language (one of the biggest problems with written rants/jokes/etc.), based on the many responses that followed, everyone seemed upset and concerned as though Ebola could be transported inside a Samsonite bag.

I’m not making light of Ebola. It is a horrifying disease, but thankfully it isn’t spread like the flu or common cold. Ebola can only be contracted from bodily fluids of a symptomatic Ebola victim. What constitutes a bodily fluid? Spit, blood, poop, urine, semen, breast milk, sweat, snot and tears. The risk of exposure is very very very slim. This is science.

Lack of education about the facts is scary too, and folks who spread panic do more harm than good.

Yesterday I attended a writer class. When I began coughing, the woman seated next to me whipped out a mask and wore it for the remainder of our two hour class. Of course I don’t know her situation. Maybe she has a low immune system or health problems? She never accused me of having Ebola or anything else, (and in her defense my cough did sound horrible), but when the instructor asked, “Are you okay?” the masked lady replied, “Yes, but I don’t know what’s wrong with HER!”(me).

I wanted to crawl underneath my desk.

I know I don’t have Ebola, but I decided I should go to the doctor and get something for my cough.

And I will be getting Arkansas car tags soon.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Widespread Panic, Up All Night