Thanksgivings were always a big occasion for my family. In the earlier years, our family would load up our Pontiac sedan and leave the Wet Virginia mountains en route to Raleigh to spend the holiday with Mama Ida. In December, she came to our house for Christmas, but for Turkey Day, it was North Carolina. Mama Ida always had a huge spread with a big bird and all the sides, and I remember enjoying … [Read more...]
Shepherds and Gnomes
It’s the holiday season and I’m at my usual job – hustling my latest publications. Two years ago, I wrote a small booklet called While Shepherds Watched. It’s a short story about a young shepherd boy who was watching over his sheep when the Angel of the Lord appeared, announcing the birth of the Christ Child. I printed enough to get the price down to $5 each, including a festive red envelope. They … [Read more...]
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
I am coming to rely more and more on my Emeril Agassi Air Fryer. It’s great for toasting bread, heating up meats and veggies, cooking chicken wings and most any chore you can assign. Recently, I saw a recipe for Fried Chicken in an air fryer – perhaps the ultimate test. I was not optimistic, but I bought a half dozen bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, my favorites for real fried chicken, and the air … [Read more...]
Aldi’s Sausage
As most know, I am a huge fan of Aldi’s. Their prices are hands down the lowest anywhere. Even Wal-Mart, and I like their products. One especially. Their sausage from Appleby Farms. I am a sausage lover. I prefer Gunnoe’s over Jimmy Dean, but if it’s sausage, I’ll eat it. One thing I’ve noticed about inexpensive sausage is that it’s full of fat. Fry a half dozen pieces and they float to the top … [Read more...]
Mom needs you to come over and fix whatever she did to the TV
A Flock of Sober Cedars
As I pulled in the driveway one day last week, I saw a flock of unfamiliar birds splashing in and drinking water from our goldfish pond. There were 16 or 18 cardinal-sized birds, and I noticed flashes of yellow. Then I knew. It was a flock of Cedar Waxwings. I see these lovely birds once or twice a year as they pass through. Unfortunately, I don’t have any plants or trees in my yard from which … [Read more...]
A Dear Deer
It’s shaping up to be a bountiful deer harvest and the Wildlife folks are encouraged. The weather has been cooperative, the rut is o and lots of deer are being checked in. Since, there are fewer and fewer hunters, and the deer are as fertile as ever, the existing hunters have their work cut out for them. My visiting granddaughter, Virginia, pitched in. On the day before Thanksgiving, Virginia … [Read more...]
Hot and Cold Fishing
Some fishing improves as the waters warm while some fishing gets better when it cools. Right now, the speckled trout and puppy drum is scorching hot, with great reports coming from the Rappahannock River down to the Rudee Inlet and Lynnhaven areas. Peak action often ramps up after sundown, when these feisty fighters prowl the shallows under cover of darkness—ideal for those who don’t mind trading … [Read more...]
Ava Meets a Gnome
I finally have complete copies of my first attempt at writing a children’s book. I had to go to a local printer, Bailey Printing, to complete the job since the first publisher I tried totally blew it. My advice to anyone considering self-publishing is to write your book, hire an illustrator, an editor, a graphic designer, a local book printer and market the book yourself. But I now have a … [Read more...]
Bleeding Madras
It was an upcoming Christmas in 1962 and there was only one thing on my wish list – a genuine bleeding madras shirt. Madras had popped up on the fashion scene as “the fabric to wear”, especially for wanna-be preppies. Madras referred to a city in India by that name where it had been traditionally worn for many years. Madras was a lightweight, cotton fabric generally woven into colorful plaid … [Read more...]
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