grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Drained of words but ’bout to get my shine on…

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In the here and now I feel tired and drained of words because I’m a homebody who hasn’t been home much lately. Home is my recharge place. I need home the same way I crave quiet. And there’s no place I’d rather be right now than where I am at this moment—sitting on my back porch listening to the birds with nothing much to do for the next few days. I’m not complaining, just explaining why I haven’t blogged lately.

It takes words to blog.

And time.

Balancing all the things can be tricky.

Why is that?

Once upon a time, I was better at juggling.

I know with a little down time, a little garden time, a little sleep-in-my-own-bed time, my words will be replenished. In the meantime, for the next ten days, I’ll be a full blown stay-at-home hermit. I’ll be reading. Pulling weeds. Thinking. Watching brainless television. Catching up on emails. Getting ready for my next events. Doing a little Florida dreaming.

Did I mention I’m going to Florida?

Beach, please. I am.

beach, please

Here’s what’s on my agenda after my hermit week…Continue Reading

when I think of Alabama…

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When I think of Alabama

When I think of Alabama, I think of Carlene, my mom’s college roommate, and her son Gary, and how we visited them a long, long time ago, and while I want to say it was summer it couldn’t have been because of the clothes we wore. Those memories are preserved forever by faded polaroid pictures. I thought their house was amazing mainly because it was two-story.  We took turns riding up and down the street in their neighborhood in Gary’s go-cart which was a new experience for my sister and me. Big wheels keep on turning…

When I think of Alabama, I think of Roll Tide and Bear Bryant and his houndstooth fedora that classed up the sidelines every Saturday and college football for years. He was born in Arkansas, you know.

I think of Harper Lee and Monroeville and Scout and Atticus and Boo and Dill and the tree that held gifts.

I think of Hank Williams.

And Alabama Shakes, my new fav.

gulf coast

I think of the trip we made that summer, Continue Reading

my Little Free Library runneth over with books!

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Little Free Library Books!

What timing. A couple of weeks ago, I returned from Austin to find my Little Free Library almost completely empty. Sometimes the “take a book, leave a book” idea leaves my library out of balance, and that’s okay because—think about it—if you go for a walk and happen upon a Little Free Library that contains a book you want to read, you may not have another book with you to leave in its place. Understandable. It’s all good in the end because there are other times my book supply runneth over from donations from friends and neighbors.

Here’s where the good timing came into play… I also returned to find an entire box of books in my mail—a donation to my Little Free Library from my publisher. (So yes, I’m required to tell you I received free books but all opinions are my own.) The books were those published by SYP Publishing over the last few years. The variety is great, from fishing tales to suspense and thriller and every genre in between. Many are award-winning books from the Florida Authors and Publisher’s Association. (SYP is located in Tallahassee so that ‘splains the Florida connection.)

Of course now I have a dilemma because I want to read each book even though I already have a stack of books waiting for me.Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!