Our Southern New Year Tradition

Ever since I was a tiny little girl, as far back as I can remember, my family has gathered around the table on New Years Day to partake in our traditional meal of black-eyed peas, greens, cornbread and hog jowls. It wasn't just our family, but every family that we knew. I remember one year asking my Mama why we "had" to eat the same foods every year and she responded, "It's tradition". As you can imagine that didn't get rid of my curiosity. I wanted to know more, so I went to the best source I had, my grandmother. She explained to me that each food represented something for the new year. The hog jowl was for health, the greens for paper money, the black-eyed peas for pennies, and the cornbread was for gold.  I never questioned my Grandmothers explanation and even though they weren't my favorite foods at the time, I forced myself to eat them.

Time moved on, my grandmother passed away, but still every year we had our traditional first meal. Of course, my family has added other dishes to the menu like Mac&Cheese and potatoes, but we still have those traditional foods every year.  As I grew older I learned to appreciate each of the foods we ate and to respect our family/cultural traditions.

Today as I write this I am preparing for my first meal of the year. My family and I will be headed to my brothers, with hog jowls in tow, to spend the day with him. I was interested in where the traditions came from so I decided to do a little research and what I found out was very interesting. It seems that during the Civil War, when Sherman marched through Georgia, the only food he left was black-eyed peas. He didn't think they were suitable for anything but the animals. It turns out that was a fortunate belief for the southerners, it gave them something to eat over the cold winter months. It just makes sense that pork would be on the table, as hog would be salted and kept for months. Greens being on the table makes sense as they are a late crop, so they would still be in season at the beginning of the year.  When the Civil War (aka The War of Northern Aggression) ended, the south was crippled and brought to her knees, which was what the North wanted. The people had to learn to make the best out of what they had and much of the time that was almost nothing, but survive they did.

The people of the American South have always risen from the ashes and lived to fight another day. I am so very proud to say that I am descended from such an extraordinary and amazing group of men and women.

Now let's eat! 

"That's 'my two cents worth', what's yours?"

Saying Hello

Losing a pet is an extremely difficult thing to go through. It doesn't matter if you have had them a few months or many years, the loss still hurts. I often looked at our Dixie like another child and a part of our family. When she passed away I could still hear her walking through the house, laying in her spot on the couch and standing at the door waiting to get in. I knew in my heart I needed another dog and I prayed each day that God would send us just the right one for our family and within just a few weeks he did.  

 

We visited a couple of local shelters, but not a single dog "spoke" to us. It was a few days later after checking the local humane society's website multiple times a day, we saw a face that we just couldn't forget. We made a trip to visit and fell in love with a tiny little puppy they were calling Shelby. She had been dumped on the roadside , in a trash bag, with her brothers and sisters when they were a week old and had been in foster care since then. We felt like she was the perfect dog for us, but we had no idea how perfect until she settled into our family.  We decided to call her Mocha Joy because her coloring looked like coffee after creamer was added. The vet believes she is Boston Terrior/Chihuahua/French Bulldog mix, but I think she believes she is part Pit Bull. She is protective and fierce when she has to be, but loving and gentle the rest of the time.  

Why did we get another dog you may ask?

Companionship was the biggest reason for me. I really missed that little fur baby running around the house and keeping me company.  I thought it would be interesting to see how others felt about dog ownership and I found the following blog spot that explains it perfectly. 

https://barkpost.com/discover/17-reasons-why-a-dog-would-make-your-life-more-awesome/

I am so very thankful that we waited and let God send us the perfect addition to our family. We still miss our Dixie and Mocha will never take her place, but having her has made the loss easier to bear and filled that empty place in my heart (except for that tiny space that will always be for Dixie).

"That's my 'two cents worth', what's yours?" 

Saying Goodbye

 A while back I blogged on my little furry companion, Dixie. It is with a sad and broken heart that I report to you my readers of her passing away.

It was a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 2017.  We came home from church that afternoon and found her. My heart shattered into a million pieces. She had been my guard, my friend, my secret keeper. She laid by my side when I was sick and comforted me in my grief.

I remember how tiny she was when we first brought her home. We made her a bed in a cardboard box and she cried all night long. The second night she somehow managed to escape and I woke up with her sitting next to my bed howling.  She slept with me every night after that for 4 years, then she started sleeping with my daughter.

She hated cold weather and loved to lay in the sunshine. At times she drove me crazy, but I loved that dog with all my heart. She was twenty-five days shy of her 13th birthday when she passed, but she loved us more in her 13 years than most humans can love in a lifetime. Right after she passed away I discovered this story. I touched my heart because it described my Dixie perfectly.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life - - like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

I don't know if all dogs go to heaven, but Pastor Billy Graham once said, ""I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there (in Heaven), I believe he'll be there."I pray every day that God will let my Dixie be there in heaven to meet me when I cross over.

  "That's my 'two-cents worth', what's yours?"

My Return

I hope this short post finds my readers well, if any of you are still hanging around. This year has been full of adventures, life milestones, college for two living in this house and just everyday living. I am hoping to get back on the blogging wagon in the upcoming year, but I don't think it will be a regular part of my life. As I continue in college, with two internships coming up in the next year, I can only hope to get a little time for blogging. I have a few things I want to work on in the coming year and goals I want to work toward. I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and that you are looking forward to the new year to come. I look forward to doing more writing this year and sharing our adventures and misadventures with y'all!

 As always, "That's my 'two cents worth, what's yours?"

      

My Big Decision

Well, I guess y'all  have noticed that I have been absent from blogging for seven months. I can't believe it myself, seven months. It really didn't seem like that long until I looked back and realized I had not blogged since May. Boy, do I have a lot of catching up to do. There have been some good things and some sad things that have happened in the last seven months, but I am going to start off by telling you about my big decision.

Nine years ago I graduated from a local community college with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I wanted to transfer to a four year college and continue with my education, but was told that all my credits would be lost and I would basically be starting over. I was devastated! I didn't want to do that, so I just decided to stay home, raise my kids, do a little babysitting and give up that teaching degree dream.

Fast forward to March of this year and I decided to look into school again, just in case something had changed and to my surprise it had.

I discovered that I could transfer almost most of my credits and go into the school at almost junior status. I thought why not apply, so I did and I was accepted. The next few months were a whirlwind of paperwork, financial aid headaches and advisement meetings. In August I started my first semester at one of our state universities and it has been one more exciting semester. I only registered for two classes, per advice from my adviser, and I can tell you I am glad I did. I spend so much time each week reading, working on papers and discussions.

I have been stressed to the max!! 

One of the things I love best about it is the that all my classes are online. I don't have to drive all the way to campus and I can do schoolwork in my pajamas.  I do miss one thing about being in a classroom, raising my hand to ask a question and getting an answer right away. The thing with online school is emailing your professor and then having to wait for a reply.

This week is finals week for me and thankfully one professor has decided not to give us a final exam, because of all our hard work this semester, but I do have to study for the one tomorrow, then the semester is over. I get a few days off and then go right into a mini-mester for the month of December, it is going to be a wild and busy month.

This new journey I am on is both exciting and scary, but anything worth doing is.  

  "That's my 'two-cents worth', what's yours?"

The little things

The other day I got to noticing some things I had never really taking the time to appreciate before. They were not big things, not major events, just little small things that I had noticed, but never really paid that much attention to. Each one brings me happiness in it's own special way and I wanted to share just a few of these things with you.

1. I love how my youngest daughter automatically takes my hand when we walk side by side:
It never fails, just as soon as we start to walk anywhere if she is beside me, she will reach out and take my hand automatically and I am going to enjoy it while it last.

2. I love how my little dog Dixie looks up at me with such love in her eyes:
I just love so many things about my Dixie, but the love in her eyes is so real and true. Humans can fake or hide their emotions, but dogs do not have the ability to do that. There have been many days that her love and comfort have seen me through difficulty and I hope to have her around for a very long time.

3. I love how my husband always holds my hand as we are driving down the road:
I hardly ever drive anymore, unless I just have to. I like being able to ride as a passenger and just watch the world around me. You see so much more when you are not driving, but I like holding my hubby's hand the most. There is just something solid and comforting in knowing that he is there and taking care of us. 

4. I love how my oldest daughter and I can sit just reading together without saying a word:
So many times we feel the need to fill up our days and the days of our children. It seems as if everyone's kids have sports, music, and all sorts of activities planned each week. I am so thankful for the quiet nights at home when we just sit around with our books, not feeling the need to talk or go everywhere, just content to be at home and share our love of reading.

5. I love how all the kids around call me Tink:
Eight years ago a little boy named Hunter came into our family and since them I have been known as Tink. It is a nickname that is short for Tinkerbell.  All the little ones in my family and some in my church call me Tink.  It just seems so natural that they all use that for my name. I am so glad to have so many wonderful little ones in my life.  I was privileged to finally meet "myself" on our most recent Disney vacation. I have to say I was very impressed.

6. I love snuggling up on the couch with the girls for movie night.
My husband doesn't really care for the whole cartoon thing, so if the choice for the night is a movie of the toon variety, my hubby just lets me and the girls do our thing.  There is always fighting over space and the last bag of popcorn, but I love our time anyway.

7. I love how my youngest daughter "plays along" with our pianist at church:
Every service as we are singing in the choir I look down to see my 10 year olds little hands playing right along with Ms. Sherri.  She gets so upset if she has to stand in a different spot and can't see Ms. Sherri play.  I am so glad that she has a talent for music and I pray that she will use it her entire life.

8. I love how a cool breeze is just what you need on a hot day:
Southern summers can be hot, but not just hot, they are humid.  Sometimes you can just stand outside and not be doing a thing and the sweat will just be rolling down your back and legs.  Then all of a sudden the Lord will send a nice cool breeze along your way and it is like instant air-conditioning.

9. I love how the acoustics in our church bathroom are perfect for speaking whale.
Really, I am serious! I guess it comes from watching to much Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, but the way that bathroom makes your voice sound is perfect. Speaking whale is so cool!!







10.  I love older television shows:
I know it sounds strange, but I just love to sit back and watch old tv shows from when I was a kid.  When I say older I mean they were in reruns when I was growing up.  I am so glad to have the chance to introduce shows like, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Little House on the Prairie, etc.  That was when television, was good and decent.



You see, the little things are important. They are the things that we never really notice or we do, but just don't appreciate.  I am going to start trying to find the little things around me each day and to appreciate them even more.

   "That's my 'two-cents worth', what's yours?"

Why I Adore Country Living!

I have traveled some and been to some pretty big cities and I love seeing new things, but there is no where I can imagine making my home than in the country. I know a lot of people would absolutely hate it. They would ask, "How can you be so far away from everything?". You see the thing is I don't see myself as being far away from everything. Sure the closet town to us only has a population of about 2500 and I have to drive at least 30 miles to get to a fairly good size city and that I have to travel at least one and a half hours to get to a major metropolitan area, but I like it that way. The way I see it, I am close enough if I want to get there I can and far enough away that I don't feel the "big city" creeping in.

I know there are good things about city living, I can't deny that, but let me share just some of the reasons I adore living in the country.

1. The quiet: I know this will not be a plus for some people, but I absolutely love sitting on my back porch listening to the quiet, peaceful sounds of nature. You can always hear the frogs at night or the birds during the day. In fact lately we have a mockingbird who has decided that singing at 3:30 in the morning is an appropriate thing to do. I remember my trips to the big city and it always stuck out to me that even in the parks and natural places I couldn't hear nature. All I could hear where horns honking and people yelling.  I much more prefer my quiet little country oasis.

2.The wildness: This sort of goes along with the first point, but expands it some.  When I say the wildness I mean the actual wildlife.  I really enjoy watching the kids chase frogs and toads across the driveway and catching fireflies on a hot summer night. I enjoy those cool autumn mornings watching the deer drink from the pond as I have my morning coffee.  I know that these wild animals have started making their way into the more populated areas, but there is just something magical about seeing them in their own environment and being able to share that with my children.

3.The people: It seems to me that most people see us country folk as rednecks, hicks or backwoods people. I have heard all the stereotypical terms used to describe us and to tell you the truth those words don't really offend us. We might go at a slower pace, talk a little slower and do things differently, but we are a true, loving and compassionate people.  I don't think you can really appreciate the country without knowing it's people.  We are kind and would give you the shirt off our back if you needed it. We live, laugh and love just like city folk, but yet we are looked at as if we are ignorant and backwards. I admit some people do fit that bill, but for the most part you can't find a better group of people anywhere else.

4.The lifestyle: I think that I have already covered this some in my previous points.  Living in the country is just a slower, more laid back lifestyle. We have a different way of living and being. I am thinking about one thing in particular. My Daddy wanted to buy a hen from a man. He really wanted this hen, she was what we call a good sitter, which just means she would be good for raising baby chicks. The man didn't want to sell the hen, but was willing to trade her off for a turtle. Yes, you read that right, a turtle. His plan was to cook and eat said turtle. Yes, we do eat turtle around these parts. So, my Daddy has spent the last week trying to catch a turtle to trade for a chicken. I just had to laugh and say only in the country.

I know that our way of living may seem strange and foriegn to a lot of people. but I hope that after reading this you will have a better appreciation for the country and maybe you will even want to visit it some day. It will be somewhat of a culture shock, but come on over! We'lll brew up some sweet ice tea, bake a pound cake and sit on the back porch visiting and enjoying some country living.

"That's my 'two-cents worth', what's yours?"