grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

August

August 4, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

August is stifling, a string of one hundred plus degree days.

Plants wilt and scream to be cut back or yanked from the soil.

I open the kitchen door and heat billows. Before sunrise.

The dogs stop and sniff and stare, refusing to move from the back step. They wonder what’s going on in this place we live?

Yes, they wonder, I can tell by their cocked heads and sincere eyes.

I enjoy August, even with her sultry days bringing frizzy hair and skin damp enough to sprout seeds.

August marks the bittersweet end of summer.

Maybe sneak in one last vacation?

I anticipate fall and cotton harvest.

School supplies fill store shelves.

Number two pencils.

Clean white notebook paper.

I wait for college football and pumpkin lattes.

I wait for that first brilliant leaf.

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

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~Sam Keen

One Direction

August 2, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

photo courtesy of Heinrich Klaffs, Flickr

In 1970-something when the Osmonds walked onto the stage to a sold out crowd of teenyboppers at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, my sister and I were in the bathroom because Momma had to pee.

Story of our life.

I heard Donny’s introduction over the loudspeaker through the concrete wall behind the toilet stalls. The floor shook.

Hurry Momma!!!!!!!!!!!

Momma and Aunt Lavern endured the concert while my sister, cousin and I stood on our chairs and shrieked, singing the words to every song. On the drive home I plotted how I would marry Donny someday and return to Mississippi County only as a side trip during national concert tours.

Last week, my sister and I channeled Momma and Aunt Lavern at the sold out, estrogen-filled, One Direction concert at American Airlines Center in Dallas. My niece Taylor knew the words to every song while I sang along to the catchy refrains as I could, each song sounding like the one before.

The noise level was deafening.

The smile on Taylor’s face was worth the permanent hearing loss.

Taylor

Musical Pairing:

One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful

Do-it-yourself Home Remodeling Tip

August 1, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I’m not one to open up my messy drawers and cabinets to the blogger-sphere, but as I spring clean (a few months late…) I thought I’d share this ingenious remodeling tip.

John had the brilliant idea to lay floor tile in the bottom of the cabinets underneath the bathroom sink. Nothing fancy, just cheap white porcelain tile from Home Depot.

One of his best ideas ever.

The tile makes cleaning so easy.

If I ever redo my kitchen cabinets, I’ll lay tile under the kitchen sink too.

Cool, huh?