grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

there’s no place like home

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There’s no place like home, that’s for sure. And oh my goodness, so far my week back home in Mississippi County has been so much fun and a whirlwind of activity. I was invited to speak at the Osceola Rotary Club on Tuesday and they fed me very well. They made me promise to return each time I publish a book, so I best get busy with my next one. Books = Rotary Spaghetti with a side of homemade blackberry cobbler, and that’s a yummy thing.

Osceola Rotary

I met lots of people and saw a few folks I hadn’t seen in years, like my high school guidance counselor, Mr. Rogers Ford.

Rodgers Ford and me

And speaking of high school, I returned to mine (Rivercrest High School, go Colts!!!) to present a book to the library. That was very cool because I spent so much time in that library.Continue Reading

hometown charm

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small town charm

It feels surreal to be home, home on the farm (cue Home on the Range) and see my picture plastered all over town and all over the house. There’s some hometown charm going on, and I owe a big thank you to Jason Stark of Osceola Printing for the eye-popping posters and flyers. Not only did he create the design, he handled the project from start to finish in a matter of hours during a time when I couldn’t think straight. Sometimes the right person appears at exactly the right time. And, yes, a professional makes all the difference.

Being from a small town is a great thing.Continue Reading

My 1,000th Blog Post: GIVEAWAY and book signing NEWS!

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That Bookstore in blytheville book signing The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee

News and a Giveaway: Today marks my 1,000th blog post. That’s so crazy to me. I wrote my first post in January 2012 while sitting at the Osceola Public Library. I had recently left my Dallas banking job and was thinking about writing a book. And just so you know, there’s lots of “thinking about writing a book” that occurs before the book actually gets written.

Fast forward to today. I was already planning to blog about my upcoming book signing at That Bookstore in Blytheville when I noticed that yesterday’s play dough post was #999. What perfect serendipity. My #1,000th blog post should be about the book I was “thinking about writing” back when I wrote post #1. So perfect, in fact, that I’ve decided to celebrate with a giveaway. Details of the giveaway can be found at the bottom of this post, but first…

If you live in Northeast Arkansas, the bootheel of Missouri, or simply think the time has come for a road trip, consider attending my first official book event at That Bookstore in Blytheville scheduled for Saturday, February 13 at 1:00. I hope to see lots of school friends, family, teachers, blog readers, people I’ve never met but who know Momma, and complete strangers who will soon become fast friends (I feel certain). Don’t expect a typical book reading. Expect more.Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!