Appreciating the Aging Process

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There are a lot of things about aging that I don’t understand. But there is one thing I have figured out the reason for, and it is the eyesight thing. Y’all over 40s know what I am talking about (don’t look like you don’t!!!) Hey, I was one of those who thought that whole “you turn 40 and your eyesight changes” stuff was a bunch of bunk….then my husband turned 40! The man who never needed any kind of glasses began to hold menus way out in front of him when we went out, he didn’t notice things right in front of his face…the list could go on and on and (but I am kind, and stuff, so I will stop there). Anyway, he started having to buy reading glasses to be able to do detailed tasks. Of course, at first, I didn’t understand this phenomenon (because I didn’t turn 40 near as soon as he did) and I didn’t really have any great appreciation for it…until…I figured out why it happens!


God, being a loving and merciful God, provided this little aging gem for our good! Yes, He did! He created this aging far sightedness to save marriages! YES! He gave us all a way to not be able to see how our partner ages in great detail! Heck, when these “over 40 eyes” come along you stop being able to see the crows feet staring back at you! IT is  a built in TV filter (like Martha has on her show)…but for the rest of us! So, the next time you lament how things aren’t looking as lovely as they once were… just remember the closer you stand the less your “over 40” eyes can see!





Southern Lit., Pick of the Week: Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

Hey girls! I might be a little late to the party with this week’s review of Shellie Rushing Tomlinson’s, Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters the Rest of Y’all Should Know Too , but all I have to say about that is, better late than never!

I have been a follower of Shellie for several years, even before her first book hit store shelves (and she just happens to be a member of Southern Mommas!). I found her originally when I was living “up nawth” in New York and was desperate for some southerness. While roaming the internet I found her “porch” at All Things Southern, and her very first eBook. She was like a breath of warm, humid southern air to my cold, snow-blind self. Well, the Shellie I came to know and love online has a wonderful book full of sweet, southern wisdom! She writes, “Our Southern Mamas have filled our lives with important values and silly little lagniappe, all woven into the fabric of our lives so subtly that it takes a discerning eye and a determined focus to bring them to light. Like a sentimental add-a-pearl necklace, each gem symbolizing an important event or a milestone, these mother-daughter jewels all have a unique value. It is up to each of us, the daughters of the South, to take the time to thread them into beautiful heirlooms worthy of bequeathing to the next generation.” So if you haven’t already read Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! I encourage you to get yourself a copy and read it quickly, because in May, Shellie’s newest book will be hitting store shelves!

Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy: The Belle of All Things Southern Dishes on Men, Money, and Not Losing Your Midlife Mind will debut in just a few short weeks, and I am already lining up to read this one: “Guided by principles from the ancient Belle Doctrine, the host of radio and television's All Things Southern offers down-home advice on everything from health and fitness-managing thy caloric calculations without going Straight Running Crazy and surviving the Raging Inferno Syndrome (aka hot flashes)-to the Southern art of handling your man (Bubba Whispering). Whether giving business tips or debunking the Big Boned Theory, making political observations or celebrating the inevitable resurgence of big hair, Shellie is an adviser women can relate to and laugh with regardless of their age or which side of the Mason-Dixon they call home.”

Now, how can that one not be a winner?

This post was written as a member of Southern Mommas Writers

Please Check out the Southern Sisterhood at Southern Mommas

(and you don't have to be a Momma!)

Wordless Wednesday

Linking to Flip Flops & Pearls

Serious Sunday

BlackShear Place Baptist Church

WARNING: today I am feeling serious (I am just giving you a heads up, in case you aren't in the mood).

Why so glum?  Because we have been in our "new" town since last summer and still have not found a church home.  We have visited quite a few and always find something positive about each one (well, there was that one....but, I won't go there). Some have friendly faces, some have a beautiful sanctuary, some have wonderful music, some have a great history...but we haven't felt led to become part of any of them. 

It is a strange feeling because we have always been very involved in our church and it is truly an integral part of our family life.  I, we, miss that.  It is difficult finding the right fit that includes everyone in our family.  I have been surprised that we have found it so difficult to find a church home, as it seems there are an abundance of churches.  We have moved a lot, so we have done this a time or 10.  Why is it so hard this time?  Are we being too critical?  Are we looking for too much?  I just don't know. I am feeling discouraged.

We have started visiting again, through the churches we have already visited (well, except that one...but I won't go there).  Today, I am home with my youngest who is battling a cold that I don't feel the need to share with others, but my DH and oldest DS will be visiting a church that we previously visited.  We attended on a Sunday when the regular minister didn't speak so we feel the need to go back.  I do miss our GA church very much (can ya tell?).  It  is a vibrant, God loving church that has just the right blend of traditional worship and contemporary without sacrificing the Truth.  There was a place for all of us (from the youngest to the oldest) and we all felt plugged in. There was an abundance of ways to serve and be involved, whether you were a new Christian or a seasoned veteran.  It was home, and we need a new one!

Cold Weather Comfort Food

All seasons have their own special comfort foods, but none more than the long, cold winter months.  This winter has been particularly long and particularly cold ,so I have found myself reaching for my beloved local cookbooks a lot, searching for something to take the dreary away.  This week my DH had a cold, so to help him feel better I made his favorite Homemade Chicken Pot Pie. 

I have been using this cookbook consistently for over 20 years (can't you tell with all the stains and worn cover?).  It has served me well, with the secrets of the wonderful cooks of Hartsville, SC. I love local cookbooks! I feel like I am getting tried and true recipes that are reflective of the heart of the area. 



Click to enlarge.

 This is truly the easiest of recipes. *The only change I make is that instead of 1 can peas and carrots, I use one can of mixed veggies (i.e. Veg all).  The crust is to die for and simple.  It is also an easy one to double for a larger crowd. This recipe generously feeds 5-6. 

I serve it over white rice (a great frugal way to stretch the meal even further). Serve with a green salad and you have comfort food at it's best!

Yum...this will keep the chill away!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Southern Lit, Pick of the Week: I Love You - Now Hush by Melinda Rainey Thompson & Morgan Murphy

Don’t you love a good mixed gender dinner party? You know the great ones, where you sit around the table and conversation flits to and fro, full of hilarious, truthful, and sometimes surprising perspectives? That is what reading I Love you - Now Hush by Melinda Rainey Thompson and Morgan Murphy is like. When I finished this book I felt as if I had been sitting around having a wonderful party with friends.

These two authors dish it up in a comedic blend of “she said/he said”. Both are true Southerners who feel the roots of Southern culture deeply. They have a ball discussing how Southern culture impacts gender relations. I mean, there are even opposing essays on swearing! See, I told you it was interesting.

Melinda Rainey Thompson has written 2 other books, SWAG: Southern Women Aging Gracefully (see my review here: SWAG: Southern Women Aging Gracefully) and The SWAG Life. She loves her a little Southern with a big side of sass. Morgan Murphy has written for Forbes, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and was formerly on the editorial staff of Southern Living). He is a true Southern gentlemen with a dry wit and is the epitome of what we would all like our little Southern Gents to become. I knew he was my kind of man when he wrote, “Casual Day. Those two words denote the ruination of our civilization, the collapse of all that is good and decent in our land. The unknotting of the necktie will be the unraveling of our social threads, mark my words.” Just makes me swoon!

This post was written as a member of  Southern Mommas Writers

Please check out the Southern Sisterhood @Southern Mommas

(and you don't have to be a Momma!)