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

Capital Hotel, Little Rock.

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Capital Hotel, Little Rock. Perfection.

If you have an opportunity to stay overnight at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock, thank your lucky stars and do not hesitate for even a half second. This is a no dilly-dallying around decision. The Capital Hotel, called Little Rock’s front porch, oozes classic southern charm from your first step onto the sidewalk out front until the moment your head melts into the Chaz Stevens pillowcase that will surely carry you to dreamland.

No detail is left unattended.

Built in 1872, the hotel has seen all sorts of greatness. You can bet political careers were made inside the oak paneled bar. And many a bride and groom have walked beneath the soaring stained glass ceiling of the lobby. Throughout history, the Capital Hotel has hosted an assortment of VIPs, including President Ulysses S. Grant.

John and I are just regular folk, yet during the weekend of my Little Rock book signing, we sure experienced the luxury VIP treatment. What a special place. 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
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