Food – Author of Southern Women's Fiction

Hey, Y’all! Welcome to the Front Porch Quarantine! Yeah, grab ya some sweet tea, cause you’ll be gettin’ mighty thirsty after we cut this rug.

There are so many things beyond our control, especially during these times. And it’s hard to stay inside when we wanna go out, or when we have things to do. You know the old sayin’, “We always want what we can’t have.” Yep. We sure do. One thing we can control is our attitudes. Well, I say that, but I AM a redhead. LOL. Seriously though, we can find reasons to be thankful. This is a great time to spend with our families or get caught up on chores we’ve been putting off.

I’ve been writing, homeschooling, and dancing. Yes, dancing around the house is helping me to get some much-needed exercise. These old bones do get stiff, and I end up with a catch in my git-a-long. So, the dancing helps loosen ’em up. LOL. I’ve enjoyed playing board games with the family and watching some Netflix. Robyn Carr’s Virgin River is absolutely awesome. If you haven’t watched it, give it a shot. It will be a chance to start something new and have new episodes to look forward to.

I’ve found that I’ve spent more time pondering all the things I’m grateful for. I have a funny little story I want to share with y’all.

This was back when I was a young girl on the farm. Now, we had three houses on the property. My Grams lived in one, we lived next door, and my Aunt Mac lived in the house past ours. Grandpa stayed outside mostly, working in his shop, where he built birdhouses, porch swings, and yard decorations. He especially stayed outside when all of us women were in the house. There was never any tellin’ what we might get into. Grams, Aunt Duck, Aunt Mac, Mama, and I were in the kitchen canning peaches the entire day. We were hot and tired. Aunt Duck was Grams’ older sister. Aunt Mac was Mama’s sister.

Back then, we didn’t have Instant Pots. We had the old pressure pots you used on the stove. Well, Mama set that thing on the stove and let it do its thing, while we prepped more peaches. Next thing we knew, we heard a rumbling, and then a loud bang. I mean to tell ya, it sounded like Grams had done blasted her shotgun in the house. We all hollered and took cover under the table, except for Grams and Aunt Duck. Grams just stood there, with her little hand on her hip, shaking her head and looking up at the ceiling. Yep, that lid shot off straight through the ceiling. Aunt Duck could do nothing but howl with laughter.

Gramps came running inside and saw all of us under the table and Grams still standing there shaking her head. “You ladies okay?”

We all came out one by one and started laughing, in spite of our trembling.

Anyway, when we finished up canning those peaches and making ice cream (the old-fashioned kind you have to crank), we weren’t fit to cook supper. So, Mama suggested we all go to the cafe down the road for some burgers and fries. Grams said, “Y’all go on ahead. We ain’t cookin’ nothin’ else in here, today. At least, we have some air conditioning.”

Mama asked, “Mom, are you coming with us?”

Grams stubbornly sat down in her easy chair shook her head, muttering under her breath, “I tell you what. I’ve been askin’ for an air conditioner for nigh on ten years. And, all it took was gettin’ all my girls in my kitchen cannin’ some peaches. We have it now, and I’m gonna sit right here and enjoy it.”

Mama asked, “Mom? You’re not coming?”

She shook her little head and said, “Nope. I ain’t doin’ it.”

We left her sittin’ there and went to eat at the cafe. When we got back, I asked her, “Grams, are you okay? We brought you a burger and fries – extra crispy, just the way you like.”

She hugged me and said, “Little sister, I’m just as fine as I can be. I’ve been sittin’ here thankin’ the Good Lord for finally havin’ air conditioning.”

Gramps reached above the door, grabbed his cap, plopped it on his head, gave us all a kiss and left. He came back about an hour later and backed up to the side of the house. We all went to see what he was doing, and he brought out a saw and cut a hole in the wall. We thought he’d lost his mind. But, no, he was installing Grams’ brand new air conditioner. Then, he fixed the ceiling and roof.

Grams reached into the pocket of her housedress and handed Gramps something shiny. And then, reached into the other pocket and pulled out a couple of spoons. I knew what that meant, so I pushed all the furniture back and rolled up the rug. Gramps put that harmonica in his mouth and began playing. Grams and Aunt Duck accompanied him with the spoons. The rest of us danced. We were all thankful for some air conditioning. Good times!

What are y’all doing to take advantage of this free time? Just know, I’m thinking of all y’all, and keep you in my prayers. Faith gets me through hard times. Stay safe and I’ll see you next time on Tales From The Front Porch Swing.

Shayla McAnn XOX

Hey, y’all! Welcome to my little home on the web. I thought for my first post, I’d share a little about me. Although, as I write this we are all being mindful of social distancing at home. I have several Autoimmune disorders and must practice caution during normal times. These times are far from normal.

What I’d love to be doing at the moment, is driving to Galveston Island for a week or two. I will, as soon as this Covid19 mess is sorted. For now, I have plenty to keep me busy, such as preparing some content for you to read. When I’m not working, I am reading, while listening to ambient sounds of the ocean. That is as close as I can come to the beach for now. It is more important to keep everyone safe. Below is a picture of our last trip to Galveston in 2019.

I enjoy crocheting blankets for my family and friends. The most I made in one year, was thirty-two. Yes, that is a lot of crocheting and they were all twin-size or larger blankets. I follow some patterns and also create my own one-of-a-kind patterns.

I love to cook! Yes, I am a true Southern Woman. I like homecooked meals, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, shoot! If it’s fried, I like it. I also love to cook gourmet meals. I am nearly a vegetarian-pescatarian. I do eat meat on occasion, but not often. I eat a lot of Mediterranean foods, Asian, and Tex-Mex. These are the foods I cook most often for my family. I do believe in balance, though. So, I still cook their favorite Southern foods a few times a month. I don’t believe in strictly adhering to a particular diet. Instead, we follow the “anything in moderation” rule. Below are some photos of me teaching my grandson how to roll out dumplings and a banana pudding pie from few years ago. Recipes passed down to me from my Grams, and hers before.

The men in my family can cook as well as women. Grams always wanted to be sure to teach her boys the same as her girls. Grams didn’t follow with the whole Patriarchial ideology most men of the South do with the “man’s role and women’s role” nonsense. She considered cooking basic survival. She began teaching me to cook when I was four years old on her wood-burning stove in her living room. By the time I was six, she was teaching me on an open fire outside. Then, I graduated to the kitchen. I have baked cakes outside as well as I have inside an oven. She taught the girls to chop wood, build fences, and animal husbandry. Grams expected the women she raised to be strong enough of build and character to provide for ourselves and maintain our homes. Mama and I continued that tradition. Both these ladies are gone, leaving me the Matriarch of the family.

That’s all I have for you today. I will see you next time at Tales From The Front Porch Swing. Be blessed, y’all! xox

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