Sangria Mom My mom was in court the other day, with her friend Carol. It’s not my mom’s fault. It’s not Carol’s fault, either, but the judge hasn’t determined that yet, because they got thrown out of court for not following directions. Clearly, this debacle called for a bottle of muscadine sangria. If you’re not … Continue reading Sangria Mom
Farting Around We were driving home through Virginia post-Thanksgiving, and my husband was talking about his truck's failing transmission. The garage in Virginia said it would cost $6k to replace, and he hoped a local mechanic could do better. My husband spoke of rebuilding the transmission, the hours of labor, and the possibility of a … Continue reading Farting Around
How I (Never) Learned to Surf Y’all, this is my best story, and I hate to give it away for free. Suffice it to say, you’re getting a bargain here. Considerate it your early Christmas present, a gift nearly as valuable as a shattered surfboard.The summer I was fifteen, I wanted to learn how to … Continue reading How I (Never) Learned to Surf
Breakfast Confidential I don't eat breakfast. Well, that's not true. I eat a piece of cake, a brownie, or other dessert first thing every morning. Then a banana. Then coffee coffee coffee until noon. Every morning except the weekends, when my husband cooks bacon. Then, I eat just as much bacon as I possibly can. … Continue reading Breakfast Confidential
Sensible Poetry In Leo Lionni's children's tale, Frederick, mice store provisions for winter - all except one mouse, Frederick, who doesn't work but instead gathers sun rays, colors, and words. How shameful, Frederick. You're like the grasshopper that dances and plays while the ants work. Reader, don't be like Frederick or the grasshopper. Be practical. … Continue reading Sensible Poetry
An Abundance of Curiosities When you're down by the sea, and an eel bites your knee, that's a moray... I got excited this week, reading about eel life cycles in An Abundance of Curiosities: The Natural History of North Carolina's Coastal Plain. So excited, I had to stop and draw a diagram: Larvae --> glass … Continue reading An Abundance of Curiosities
How to Make Quickles That's quickles, not quickies. Quickies are a whole other blog post - stay tuned for that one. But this post is about quickles. Quickles are pickles, yes, but this not a homesteading journal. I'm not preparing you for the apocalypse (sorry, hubbie). I'm not a housewife-gone-wild, growing and canning my own … Continue reading How to Make Quickles
Coquina Soup Last week, I came across a quote in An Abundance of Curiosities: The Natural History of North Carolina's Coastal Plain (Bolen and Parnell), that took me back to the summers of my childhood. “With a little effort, gourmands can acquire enough coquinas as stock for a savory broth or chowder.” I call baloney, … Continue reading Coquina Soup
Egg Snatcher You probably don't think much about eggs, except for that point last year when they cost five dollars a piece. Brown or white, organic or the cheapest possible, extra-large or medium. Sunny-side up, scrambled. These are our choices. Not so for oologists. I recently finished The Falcon Thief, by Joshua Hammer, an account … Continue reading Egg Snatcher
Stoneflies and Centipedes The downpour began in earnest at bedtime, which was convenient, since we were getting in the tent anyway. The tarps, over the rainfly, over the tent, blocked out most of the waning sunlight. It was dark - too dark for reading bedtime stories, yet I persisted, even as water seeped in along … Continue reading Stoneflies and Centipedes
Jessi Waugh Writer 