Fayetteville - grace grits and gardening

Annabelle and her Hästens bed.

August 6, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

“I don’t care where we live, as long as our Hästens bed comes with us,” said Annabelle the white miniature schnauzer.

Happy Hump Day! (& Wordless Wednesday)

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

― Roger A. Caras

spring in the Ozarks…

April 12, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Childhood drives through the Ozarks happened only in summer when our perfect lake was surrounded by fifty shades of green with black-eyed Susans dotting the roadside. Lately it seems, I spend more time in the Ozarks during fall and winter. Fall is the most brilliant time of the year. The mountains are alive, and the very landscape provides inspiration. I appreciate winter too. The grace and gray of a cold Ozark morning provides a calm, serene backdrop for writing.

But yesterday as I drove to Eureka Springs, I realized I’ve never visited the Ozarks during early spring. And I have a good reason…spring is the best time not to leave Dallas. Dallasites know to soak up spring in Texas before summer settles in, hangs on, wrings every drop of energy from every living thing. Even so, I left a breezy 75 degree spring Dallas morning and headed to the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow.

Sometimes writers need to get away to write.

My writer friend Tom from New Hampshire joined me which made the drive more entertaining. We talked about writing because we are addicted. We stopped in Oklahoma and took pictures of random things. Because that’s what addicted bloggers do.

Spring has even found Oklahoma.

We made a quick stop in Fayetteville mainly so I could lay eyes on my handsome son. Driving into our Fayetteville driveway, I received a delightful welcome back surprise from Mother Nature…tulips! In the two years John and I have owned this house, we’ve never seen evidence of tulips.

The Fayetteville I’d begun only to think of as fiery orange and red was painted the colors of Easter. Pink redbuds decorated the mountainside. Clumps of daffodils blossomed thick along sidewalks and along highways. Sprays of forsythia bloomed underneath giant oaks. It was hard to concentrate on the road. (Especially with Tom snoozing…)

We made it to Eureka Springs just in time for supper. And believe me, mealtime at Dairy Hollow is not something to miss. Our friend Dorothy (from Little Rock) was already checked in and writing. After an amazing meal, Tom disappeared to write while Dorothy and I sat on the deck overlooking a hollow (THE hollow I suppose). We enjoyed a glass of wine and discussed how blessed we are to spend time at this magical place, especially in spring.

Grace Grits and Gardening

“That is one good thing about this world…there are always sure to be more springs.”
― L.M. Montgomery

Arkansas in Retrospect.

November 8, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Saturday night when I arrived in Fayetteville, I became instantly annoyed. Our UVerse was on the brink—And.On.College.Football.Night!

In retrospect, this turned out to be a good thing, not because the Razorbacks lost in grand form but because of the UVerseless events to unfold…

I poured myself a glass of wine, calmed down, and remembered the reason we bought our cozy place—to escape Dallas, to escape constant news and noise, to rest and think and write.

At a scant 893 square feet it’s filled only with things we absolutely love such as vintage Fiestaware, second hand books, beds covered in heirloom quilts, and leather club chairs from Paris I feel certain Hemingway once sat in.

Hemingway sat here?

In reality, with only 893 square feet there isn’t space for okay or average or it’ll do. And there really isn’t room for UVerse…

With no sound other than leaves turning, I settled in to read.

I read a Margaret Atwood poem.

I finished a book of short stories by Dot Hatfield.

I read an article about Northwest Arkansas museums. Located in Berryville, the Heritage Center Museum sounded interesting with collections of pioneer and artifacts from the early 1900s. With no real agenda, I decided to make a side stop in Berryville on my way to Eureka Springs the next day. Berryville was only a few miles off my regular route.

What to read next?

On the bookcase lay an old hardback book I found last year at Long Ago Antiques in Fayetteville, a place I am convinced is as magical as the Narnia wardrobe. The sturdy cover of the book was ridged like burlap and the center bore a faded drawing of the Arkansas state capitol building. It felt substantial and important yet was small enough to carry in my bag.

Inside, the first page was tagged Arkansas Collection then stamped ‘discarded’.

Arkansas in Retrospect by William Henry Ingersoll

Clearly the book needed me.

Although I had never heard of Arkansas in Retrospect, nor the author, William Henry Ingersoll, his surname reminded me of a Donald Harington character. Ingersoll stuck with me as Harington’s characters often do.