grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

happy and carefree

January 18, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

The marketplace was too loud to read so I closed my book and watched him. He banged on the lid of the trash can, then giggled to no one in particular. As he mumbled a tune, he wiggled around hopping from one foot to the other. Probably needed to pee, I thought. He was likely at that stage where he insisted on dressing himself. Mothers learn quickly to pick their battles, and coordinating clothing is typically traded off for something more important. He was content wearing a mismatched striped outfit and playing his makeshift drum. We should all be so carefree.

Grace Grits and Gardening

“Children see magic because they look for it.”
― Christopher Moore

This was written for Write Tribe – 100 Words on Saturday – Picture Prompt

Redenta’s Garden

January 17, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

This week on Six Blocks from my house… Redenta’s Garden. Redenta’s is my go-to place for organic gardening everything. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and willingly spreads gardening love via free Saturday morning classes. (Last weekend John and I took a vegetable gardening class—timely for us with our new community garden plot.)

And if free classes aren’t cool enough, on the third Thursday of each month (5-7 PM) Redenta’s hosts a monthly Happy Hour Potting Bar. Genius!

Last night my girlfriends and I checked it out. We studied the happy hour menu for quite some time. It was difficult to choose from all the options, plus there is the added option of a “market price” creation.

Your hostess will pot your new plant in the container of your choice while you enjoy cocktails and chips and salsa. Or, you can get your hands dirty and pot your own. The folks at Redenta’s are very accommodating and fun people.

Since John had to be out of town on the night of our 15th wedding anniversary, he bought me two plants:)

Very Dr. Suess-ish, don’t you think?

Follow Redenta’s Garden on Facebook for up-to-date happenings.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Six Blocks from my house is something new for 2014. Each week or two I’ll highlight a few things going on only six blocks (or so) from my house. Maybe a new place, an event, a person, who knows? East Dallas is funky and fabulous and filled with unique history. I plan to show it off.

There’s also disparity between the haves and have nots. The hidden, disregarded and not-so-clean-and-tidy will sometimes be included. That’s part of our neighborhood too.

Fifteenth Wedding Anniversary!

January 16, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

John and I said “I do” fifteen years ago today. Wow. Fifteen years skipped by in a blur of work and school and sports and drill team and boy scouts and church and life… (Seems like) only yesterday we were buried in Barbies and Legos and spelling homework. I couldn’t see beyond the end of the week, much less envision two college students and an empty nest…

By the sheer passage of time, so much has changed, yet thankfully so much is the same.

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

P.S. I love this picture of John and my mother taken after our reception dinner. Momma changed into her robe but still wore her corsage and pearls…