Do I Dare??

   One of the banes of living on this property is the overgrowth of Smilax.  Those thorny vines are everywhere and can grow about a foot every day if left to their own doings.  Son has dug out so many of the large root balls that it has become a sort of standing joke when I find yet another vine engulfing a tree, building or garden.  The things are relentless!  They seem to have an undying desire to take over the whole place no matter how hard we try to keep them in check.

  This morning, I found that the goofy vines have taken root in the marsh and have made their way up into the live oak trees that line the property where yard meets marsh.  Just a mere five years ago, I had cleared this area after Hurricane Zeta ruined the tree line.  I carefully cleared everything down to the marsh edge and was a happy camper with my work.  Then one thing or another got in the way of my keeping it nice and tidy.  This morning's discovery also gave sight to the billion or so berries that are soon to drop as seeds.  More smilax.  More aggravation.  So...there was nothing to do but research these plants a bit more.

  While I knew that the roots and new shoots of the vines were edible, I had no idea the extent of uses of its parts.  Supposedly, the new shoots taste a lot like asparagus and the roots can be boiled, roasted or used to make a flour.  Those roots are also the base of Sarsaparilla.  Come to find out those lovely berries are also edible and are used to make jelly.  Who knew??? I sure did not!  

  Now the question...do I dare?  With close to a thousand jars of home-canned goodies (including jams and jellies) on the shelves, it seems pointless to add yet another batch of jelly...but I am curious.  Will this taste good?  Have I been missing out on a delight that has literally been handed to me time and time again?  Perhaps I should stop looking at the Smilax as a curse and see the gift that Mother Nature has been trying to give to me.  Smilax jelly may be in the works this week!  Now to figure out how to pick the berries while avoiding the wicked thorns.  Wish me luck!

*Update:  It appears that I got this wild hair of Smilax jelly a bit too late as the "berries" are already past their prime.  Obviously, I needed to pick them in the late fall. I shall try again in 6 to 8 months...if the hurricane season plays nicely and I do not get sidetracked by cleanup.  I shall post again then about the adventures in Smilax as a foodstuff!

Hurricanes, Petunias and Pop

  A friend recently told me that it was refreshing to listen to me babble since I seem to be able to find at least some small bit of good in just about anything.  I replied that it was for my sanity.  If I, like most people now, only see and spread the bad, this old world is a goner from my standpoint.  According to even a lot of my family members...everything is bad and they have no problem stirring the pot by posting stuff (even things not true because they are too lazy to verify) on social media.  This merely gives them a sense of self importance as obviously, there is nothing else to occupy their time.  Methinks they need a hobby of some sort other than trying to get folks riled. 

   But, back to my original statement of how I tend to look for blessings instead of curses.  I was out watering the gardens when a lone petunia bobbed its head sweetly at me.  "Good morning, beautiful!" I said.  I figured flowers, at least, are not troublemakers so having a conversation with one is a good thing.  The visit was nice but the dialog seemed to be a bit one-sided.  However!  However, that tiny petunia sure made me think of how blessed I am.  

  Years ago, Hurricane Katrina just about devastated the entire Mississippi Coast and that included my little Bayou.  The tidal surge covered everything in sight and wormed its way into the Little Bayou House.  Winds rattled and shook the house until I thought sure we were soon going to be on a roller-coaster ride northward.  The seemingly endless storm gave us all a renewed look at how precious life really is and how it should not be wasted.  After the winds subsided and the waters receded, the place was in such disarray that we were in shock for days...weeks...months.  We had no running water, no electricity, no way of exiting the Bayou area...nothing for two months.  The place had been ravaged so what did we do?  We pulled up our bootstraps and set to work  Around here, you do not wait on handouts or go around expecting help from anyone.  It does not happen.  Starting at the house and working outward, we cleared the ten foot deep piles of debris from against the house until finally we had a meager yard!  Oh, happy day!  

  It was after clearing a bit that I began to notice tiny plants sprouting where not even a sprig of grass remained.  Watermelon plants!  Cantaloupe plants!  Tomatoes!  Squash!  Beans!  The yard was virtually a huge garden!  Seeds washed in from parts unknown were now sprouting and flourishing in the yard!  The Good Lord was providing food for those in need!  We were able to share our bounty with those who came to the Bayou to ask for a meal.  We had plenty.  Then hundreds of flowers started blooming...everywhere!  Our yard and my brothers' yards were a sea of purples, reds, yellows and pinks! Those were given as food for the spirit!  It was an amazing incident that will not soon be forgotten.

 While the vegetables and many of the flowers were seasonal and never appeared again, the little petunia was a remnant of the blessings of that year.  Now, it serves as a reminder that out of devastation, beauty can appear.  It is there.  The little volunteer petunias show up each spring and earn a place of glory in the gardens.  To me, it is only fitting that the petunia was chosen to be representative of the glorious Hurricane Garden.  Pop always loved his petunias and had just this kind in his gardens.  His guidance still floods through in the form or memories.  "Always look for the good.  It is there.  Sometimes you have to wipe away the grime to find it, though."

Getting on to that time of year....

  A bit of a cool spell eased in on the Bayou the other night and brought with it just enough rain and cooler temperatures to start the ripening process of the citrus fruits.  The last freeze we had in the spring ruined a good many of the blossoms so the crop is skimpy but what is there will be enough.  I always look at things as plenty regardless if others see it as a "bad" year.  Pop taught us that we should always count our blessings and figure out ways of making things work better for the next time.  The oranges will be enough...and I am happy.

  Actually, the navel orange tree is the only one that has a goodly number of fruits.  The satsumas, lemons and grapefruit are scarce.  With the early cool spell, it makes us wonder if this is to be a hard winter.  Extreme cold for more than just a few hours can do major damage to the wood of the trees.  If the bark splits, the tree almost always dies. Hopefully, this will not be the case and next year will find us with trees heavy with fruit.  If not, we will still be blessed with plenty.  Always are. 

Counting Them All

  There are a lot of phrases that are spouted by those well-meaning folks who give ill-timed and not well thought out advice.  People spiel out some platitude that they think will cure all problems.  These things don't.  At times, they make things worse.  Things like "No one said life was fair." or "This too shall pass." are a few that come to mind.  While perhaps given in good faith that all will be well afterward. it is not often the case.  At this point, I fully admit to using a lot of platitudes myself but not often as advice to others.  Giving out advice is not my strong point. My use of these is more as a way to kick myself in gear.  And one of my favorite things to tell myself comes from Pop..."It will all come out in the wash."  I keep telling myself that and, well, it usually does.

  Today's platitude (which, for those who are not up on the word, is an overused moral statement) for myself is "Count your blessings."  Yep.  I guess we all should do this but rarely do we.  It is one of those things that we throw out there when things are starting to be a bit daunting.  It is supposed to make us feel better knowing that we have "things".  So, with the current struggles here on the Bayou, I found myself thinking that I should do just that.   To start with, I could rattle off the ones every person does when faced with the question of daily blessings.  House...check.  Clothing...check.  Food...check.   Family...check.  Yeah, this was getting a bit redundant. All of these are things to be thankful for but, at the same time, I needed something that made me feel better in the moment.  

  As I wandered about in my miniature hiking area due to the old dog's health, I pondered what my blessing for the moment was.  I have seen this area a thousand times or more in the past year alone,  It is hard to decide what is earth-shaking enough to be listed.  Then it occurred to me that earth-shaking is not necessary.  It just had to be something that was there only for me...at that time...at that place.  And it was. 

  At that very moment, the clouds separated and the sun peeked through.  I was graced with the view of a perfect sunrise over the Bayou.  A small opening in the tree row near the marsh allowed me to be witness to this phenomenon.  Had I been a few steps to either side, I would not have seen it.  Had I been deep in the woods near the creek bed, darkness would have still surrounded me. Had the old dog, Mr. PJ, not felt better this morning, we would have never made it this far down the hill.  This was my sunrise.  IT was my blessing for the day.

  Although we sometimes overlook things because we see them on a daily basis, they happen for a reason and they happen just for us. The timing, placement and thoughts all had to be perfectly aligned for me to see the sunrise in a new light.  (Yep, pun intended there.)  This lifted my spirits and gave me strength to face the day.  

A Time to Think...

  Ok, so Halloween is so yesterday!  Yep, my favorite holiday has come and gone now I am ready to move forward to my next "favorite" holiday, Thanksgiving.  While this holiday has a tendency to slip by unnoticed by many who whisk away the Halloween decorations only to burst headlong into Christmas, I celebrate it.  While I may not transform the entire house as I do for the flanking holidays, I do, indeed, decorate for Thanksgiving.  Why not?  My style decorating is easy!  Way back in August, I will start putting out "fall" decorations.  Along about mid to late September, Halloween things start appearing throughout the Little Bayou House.  Then by the time October rolls around, everything is in place.  It has to be this way as more time is needed to prepare for the clue hunt than to decorate for Halloween.  But...the day after the holiday, everything remotely Halloween is removed and we are back to strictly fall.  Add a few pretty Thanksgiving knickknacks and within an hour, the house has gone from one holiday to the next!  

  One thing that does get a complete redo is the large china cabinet.  I have dishes for about every holiday so as one bunch is removed the others go right in place.  This morning as I was pulling black and orange plates and replacing them with my grandmother's turkey plates, it occurred to me that Thanksgiving would not be the same without the mishmash of items collected over the years.  Grandmother's turkey plates are a fine example of tradition.  The plates were actually a Christmas gift to my grandparents from my folks.  Times were lean and Mom was aghast that Pop spent a whole $5 on one gift!  He had gotten the plates and a huge platter from the hardware store!  The plates were used at every holiday meal after that Christmas.  I suppose you could say that it was money well spent for all the use that the dishes have seen.  Using the plates year after year makes me thankful that I had the childhood that I did.  We may have been dirt poor but, then again, we were rich beyond our wildest dreams.   Sitting next to the plates are the small candles that portray a pair of praying pilgrims and a huge cornucopia.  Those candles have been around forever as well.  They never have missed a Thanksgiving meal since I was a child.  Even though they are candles, no one in the family ever made the mistake of lighting them.  The candles were there to remind us that, like that cornucopia, our blessings were huge.  

  A lot of folks probably look at my place in disgust because I do have a tendency to collect oddities.  I like it this way.   I like the memories that these items evoke.  They are good memories.  While it would be nice if these things were cherished by my kids and would find a home with them later on, it does not bother me if they do not.  It is not a matter of what they like. This is what I like.  Personally, I feel comforted by surrounding myself with the"Ghosts of Christmas Past" or of Thanksgiving, Halloween or any other holiday past.  Right now, as the wind is howling out over the Bayou and the windows of the Little Bayou House are rattling, my heart is full of peace. I can ramble about the place and be whisked back to a time when folks showed more gratitude for what they had and for the blessings that were bestowed upon them.  There, I can visit the memories of Grandmother donning her hand stitched apron to snap a huge bowl of green beans,  of Mom using the old rolling pin with the broken handle to bake the best pumpkin and pecan pies ever tasted, of Granddad whittling a whistle for me out of a hickory branch and of Pop hauling another bushel of sweet potatoes off the back of his old truck.  I can bask in the memories of relatives and neighbors who came to share our bounty, of playing hide and seek in the old barn with dozens of cousins and of the smells of delicious, home-cooked foods and sounds of laughter, chattering and someone playing the old upright piano.  In my mind, if some item can jog a happy memory from a time long past, then so be it.  Memories can take us back to a time long forgotten but one that should be long remembered.  Yep, I will celebrate Thanksgiving and be appreciative of the treasures that surround me.

Gifts From Nature

  Pop always used to tell us that we needed to make sure that we could find sustenance in nature.  To him, it was highly important that his kids could find food in some place other than a grocery store.  "Grow it, catch it or hunt it." was something that I remember him drilling into my head at an early age.  One of my earliest memories was going hunting with him.   Afraid that I might dally along the path, he used to tell me to hang onto his belt loop.  It was a far reach for a toddler to reach waist-high on a man that was well over six feet tall but I knew that I had better do as I was told for fear of being lost in the woods.  He showed me how to spot trails on the ground, markings on and under trees and to listen...always listen.  Then, later, I was allowed to hunt on my own and felt comfortable doing so.  I had learned from the best.  Fishing was much the same.  I was allowed to go to my grandparents' pier before I was even school.  With a canepole and can of worms in hand, I fished for whatever bit.  Once a catfish was hauled onto the pier, it became crab bait.  A piece of string and a fishhead could lure more crabs to bite than any other bait or trap!  Nary a thought was given that I might hurt myself or that an accident could happen.  If I had learned my lessons well, there was no need for fretting.  

  For the past week, I have become more aware than ever before that food is there for the taking.  There is really no reason for hunger if you only use your head.  As I wander about the Bayou and surrounding hillside, it astounds at the bounty given to us.  Just this week alone, the empty crab pots provided meals.  Three mullet, a trout, a croaker, a sheepshead and a shellcracker were all pulled from the empty (non baited) traps.  Had I thrown the fishheads back into those pots, plenty of other fish and crabs would have ventured inside to dine.  Actually, I had no intentions of using the traps to catch fish but the water provided.  Not only did the crab pots provide fish, a baited line and five minutes of time found me catching a nice sized trout!  Many more could have been taken but the one was plenty as a meal.  The point is...fish are there for the taking.

  Besides the fish, food also was obtained from the waning garden.  The last remnants of the summer/fall garden rendered enough vegetables to round out meals. (The winter garden is now in the process of being planted.)  Then, there are the wild plants that can be added to the plate.  With just a proper identification, many of what are never considered are plants that can be eaten.  It is not uncommon for me to gather wild plants to add to our meals. There is really no reason for hunger.  Grow it, catch it or hunt it.  Too many folks have never learned any basics whatsoever. Yep, we are blessed with more than we can imagine if we would only use what is given.  The gifts are there...sometimes we are just too blind to see them.

The Bayou Awakens

  Rising early is something that I have done since a tot.  Back on the farm, it was a matter of necessity.  During the summer months, mornings were a far cooler time to be out in the fields. Most of the weeding and planting were done early in the day.  During winter, rising early was important as my siblings and I had to help Pop harvest crops before we headed to school.  The days were just not long enough to get everything done!  It is still that way but my reasons for the pre-dawn rising has changed.  Now, I love being outside while most of the world is still in a slumbering state.  Sitting on the pier or hiking the hillside, the quietness of the early morn engulf you and wraps you in peace.  Seeing the nocturnal critters off to bed for the day and hearing the birds awaken gives one hope that the day will be exceptional.

  With Mr PJ, the old dog, taking his dear sweet time doing his business, I had plenty of time to observe the critters this morning.  One of the prettiest sights to behold was a mockingbird sitting high in the old oak tree.  The morning sunbeams highlighted the bird perfectly as he sat in the near darkness of the oak branches.  His happy chirps let me know that he appreciated the warming sun on this cool morn. Soon, the bird would break out in full song as he declared that the day was his and his alone.  

  It is times like this that I fully appreciate the Bayou and all it has to give.  Not everyone has (nor wants) the opportunity to wake up with the critters.  I feel blessed with each breaking dawn.  

Just a Couple of Things

  Just a couple of things here, Folks.  First, for any of you following the story of the skink family, it ended in tragedy.  My early morning check gave me hope that the little family would survive the onslaught of bad weather brought on by Tropical Storm Cindy.  Nine of the eggs had hatched and were doing well.  One little one had perished. Mama Skink seemed happy and was trying her best to care for her family in spite of the danger that came with the storm.  This first check found the tide waters still at least a foot away from the nest under the board.  When I went down after the next torrential thunderstorm, tragedy had struck.  Mama and two babies had abandoned the nest but all the rest of the little skinks had perished.  The ground was just too saturated.  Rainwater had flooded the entire area. The nest filled with water and the little ones drowned.  With a heavy heart, I hastily gathered the remaining sixteen eggs and headed up the hill. The eggs were cold but I could not just leave them.  Halfway up the hillside, I felt something wiggle in my hand.  Two tiny skinks were working their way out of the eggs.  I JUST HATCHED TWO BABY SKINKS!  Even under a light and in a nice bed of moss, the other eggs did not hatch.  This morning, however, the two little ones were bright, happy and trying to catch some little moths that were attracted by the light.  My little ones seemed to be ok. (Sorry about the picture below.  It is difficult to take clear photographs in the middle of a gale!)

  Next, regardless of the torrential rains and high winds that ravaged the Bayou, a splotch of purple led me to the garden.  The Stoke's Asters were in full bloom!  Their bright blossoms waved in the winds and dripped beads of water but were still gorgeous!  I needed that bright spot in all of the gloom that surrounded me.  Somehow, there is always a silver lining that gives hope. Not that Tropical Storm Cindy was a bad storm but the days on end of nonstop rain had started to take its toll on my emotions.  The asters brought a smile.

  Then, in the midst of all the drippiness, the clothes dryer went kaput.  It had been going nonstop for at least three days when suddenly it gave up the ghost.  Try as they might, Mark and Son could not repair the thing. That is when I realized just how important it is to save things.  Most folks would have tossed the old clothes rack years ago but I knew that it would come in handy some day.  It did.  Towels were hung to dry in front of the open door.  The gale winds flapped the towels and I was able to do laundry without the so called conveniences.  Folks who live down here and who experience storms on a regular basis understand the value in items such as this.  When there is a need, we have something to fill that need.  Sometimes it pays to use a little logic and be prepared for whatever may come.  Just saying....

  All in all, the storm turned out to be eventful.  We had babies, found blooms, salvaged a damaged pier, endured nigh on twelve inches of rain, ate far too much and realized just how fortunate we really are.  Life is good.

The Storm Has Passed

  About midday yesterday, the storms began to pound the Bayou.  This was after three days of nigh on tropical storm force winds whipped about the place.  The storms brought much needed rain but, also, even more fierce winds.  At times, it seemed like the wind chimes were going to fly right off the arbor!  The sirens at the air base across the Bay sounded off and on throughout the late evening hours, then, as suddenly as the rains started, they quit. 

  Mark and I headed to the pier a bit later than usual this morning.  After the storms overnight, the whole place smelled and looked clean.  We are fortunate to live on a high hill above the Bayou so flooding from rain is not a threat.  Even though the tide was pushed far up in the yard, the rain waters slid right down the hillside to join the tides.  For us, storms like this are more of a blessing than a nuisance.  

  The stillness of the morn, the sparkling water of the Bay and the brisk smell of jasmine soon made us forget the ravages of the night before.  We are indeed blessed.  Life is good.

A Reminder

  I have written several times about the Yaupon berries that are decorating the Bayou this year.  It seems to have been a good year for most fruits even those that are not considered edible to humans.  The Yaupons fall in that category...nonedible for humans.  Birds, however, love them.  So much so that in a few weeks, nary a berry will be found on the shrubs.  That said, this is not so much about the berries...edible or not..but rather about the sunshine that made the berries bright and beautiful this morning.  

  After days of torrential rains (perhaps up to ten inches according to my gauges), the sun looked mighty good to most everyone...me included even though I am one that loves a good storm.  After moping about the house doing drudgery, I was delighted to be able to tromp around on the wet leaves.  A soggy day outside is far better than a week of housework..ANYTIME!  

  Mark and I started out with the usual trek to the pier then slipped around the back of the Bayou to check for the ill-fated loon with the fishing lure embedded in its bill.  My gut feeling is that the poor bird has suffered greatly and probably has met its demise due to some irresponsible fisherman.  Treble hooks are nothing but trouble which makes me abhor the things. With the sadness welling up in me over the fate of the poor bird, finding the bright berries helped to lighten the mood. A single ray of sunshine beamed down through the tree branches to spotlight the thick cluster of berries.  They glowed like little beacons in the dismal, soggy leaves.  Sometimes it takes nothing more than a thing of beauty to convince one that the world is still a good place to be and that the Bayou is the best place to be.  Blessings abound here.        

I am Thankful....

  I am thankful for loving kids who, even though they will be out of town on the actual day, cared enough to spend "Thanksgiving" with their dear old mom.  Yep, we celebrated Thanksgiving a few days early so I would not feel neglected.  What wonderful, caring, loving kids!  

  While our dinner could not actually be described as the traditional meal shared on this day, we had plenty to eat and enjoyed lots of visiting.  Yes, we did have a turkey...sort of...as I baked a turkey breast, but we also had samosas, stuffed squash, a vegetable medley, homemade biscuits and assorted other goodies.  I guess in a way, those samosas were the only thing that set the pace as a bit different other than the fact that ninety percent of our meal was vegan.  Both Darling Daughter and I have changed our diets to include less meat.  She became a vegan years ago and health issues have just recently forced me to rethink what I eat.  I have found that being a vegetarian (other than eating seafood) has vastly improved my well-being.  So, our meal reflected the cooks' choice of dishes.  Enough said.  We all dined until full but still saved room for dessert.  AND it was that dessert that was the talk of the afternoon!

  Elizabeth had made two pies for our feast. One was a vegan pumpkin pie. Its deep rich filling was perfectly seasoned and creamy rich.  She had used honey as the sweetener and used cornstarch instead of eggs to thicken the filling.  It was delicious!  The other pie was an apple/pear pie.  This..she proclaimed was the heaviest pie in the world with the "hugest" crust!  Not so in a bad way!  Yes, the pie was heavy because I think she used a good twenty apples in it and then decided to throw in a few dozen pears for good measure.  The crust had to be "huge" to contain all the goodness therein.  The pie was delicious! Both were and I am so glad she decided to leave leftovers with us! Yum!

  While our meal was most delightful in itself, it was more the whole family time thing that made the day perfect.   We missed Mark, my oldest son, my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren but those of us who gathered today felt truly blessed...none more than me.  Happy Thanksgiving...a few days early.

Just a Good Day of Fishing

  Once again, Mark and I were on the pier at daybreak.  To be honest, this is our favorite place to be at any time of day but sunrise is always the best!  After yesterday's nice catch of ground mullet (Southern Kingfish), he and I decided to give it a go again.  There is nothing tastier than a good mess of fried fish especially when those fish are fresh!  Seafood is one of those things that he and I can eat most every day of the week and never tire of it.

  This morning started off with a bang.  He had two poles out..one with a menhaden and the other with a shrimp.  I had two..both with shrimp.  He was fishing bottom while my shrimp simply floated on top.  One good sized trout started the morning off nicely and things progressed from there.   Seven trout and one large flounder later, we were ready to head back to the house.  

  The only thing strange about this was it seems that we were the only one catching legal sized fish!  Several of our trout were in the 16 inch range, while our smallest was nigh on 14.  We were told that the other fishermen were catching small 8 inch fish which are far below the acceptable size as keepers.  I am not sure just what we were doing differently than the others but I am sure glad that the fish decided to like our baits!  Seems that the Good Lord gave us more than enough and now we have plenty of fish to share with others.  What a great day!

So That's Why!

  I am one of those weird people that ponder the most unusual things. Things like why did someone ever give a critter a name like "elephant" or "mouse" or "butterfly"?  What possessed the early folks to call a frog by the name "frog" or owl by the name "owl"?  There has to be some logical reason.  Sure, most of those are common names and the critter has some unpronounceable scientific name but why?  What gives? Sometimes there is a bit of logic, I guess...be it an appearance or action that dictated the name but others are just pure made up words.  Case in point.."aardvark" or "platypus".  Yep, I think those are there just to confuse us.  The name for today's critter is easily explained and you will see why in the photographs!

  Out on the back porch, there sits a small table and two chairs.  Mark had used these, today, as he boiled a bunch of crabs.  Obviously, he left a bit of "crab smell" on the tray and table afterwards because flies were quickly gathering.  I was just about to snatch the tray and give it a good scrubbing when I was halted in my tracks.  It is not good to disturb anyone in the midst of prayers.  A Praying Mantis was also on the tray and appeared to be praying for (or giving thanks for) its next meal.  As I watched, the little mantis actually tilted its head skyward and appeared fully to be praying.  At that exact moment, a fat fly landed on the tray next to the mantis!  Had God answered a bug's prayer?  Hey, why not? God made the bugs so who says they cannot pray to him?

  The Praying Mantis does appear to be praying with its "hands" folded in front of it but that action of looking skyward did, indeed, make it appear that the bug believed in some higher power.  Perhaps the mantis could teach humans a thing or two about being thankful.  It seems as if a lot of us have let that go the wayside.

The Rocking Chair

  There is a little lady that I have called "Aunt" ever since I was a wee tot. She is actually my mother's cousin so I suppose that makes her more of a cousin than an aunt but it always seemed disrespectful to call her by her first name.  Now that she is pushing the young age of ninety, it even seems more disrespectful so "Aunt" it is.  Auntie had asked a few weeks ago if Mark would be opening any oysters soon and if he was, could she buy some from him.  Well, that would never do since Mark is not about to charge her for anything!  Today, I called her to tell her that we would be bringing her a quart of oysters.  She told me that she was not feeling well and could not fry the oysters so I volunteered to prepare a meal for her.  An idea popped into my head!  Mark and I would go eat lunch with her!  Within a half hour, a meal of fried oysters, scalloped potatoes, spinach salad with sauteed shrimp and raspberry vinaigrette dressing and a quick dessert of fried apples was tossed together and hauled to her house.  We brought Christmas plates and napkins so no dishes were needed.  What fun!

  This was the most enjoyable time I have had in a long while.  She beamed the whole time we were there, plus, she passed along a lot of family history.  Some of this history might be a bit skewed since her memory is failing a bit but whose isn't?  Once we finished our meal, she asked for me to look at some paintings on her walls.  These were not by some famous artists nor were they highly valuable...instead the paintings were priceless.  Most of the ones she showed me had been painted by her mother decades ago.  I listened to her stories and did a lot of oohing and ahhing over the pictures.  I really liked them!  She then gave me tags and asked me to put my name on the back of the ones I liked so they would go to me later.  This was hard for me to do since I always feel greedy!  Afterwards, she took to a back room and showed me a rocking chair.  "This was my grandmother's chair.  Later it was my Aunt Ruthie's chair." she said.  "Sit down and see if it fits."  Well, I had never been "fitted" for a chair before but I have to admit the chair was very comfortable!  "Yes!  It fits nicely!" she said.

  Later when we leaving, Auntie told Mark to put the chair in the truck. Wow!  I was just given my great-grandmother's rocking chair!  What a gift!  What an honor! This is something that I will cherish and will pass on to one of my kids somewhere down the line.  

   Had things been different and not turned to where Auntie was giving me treasures, I would still say that this was a perfect way to spend the day.  She and I had a grand time just being together.  Note to self....do this more often.  The verbal family history lesson of today was amazing. Receiving a family heirloom was priceless.  The time spent with an elderly lady was fulfilling,  The look of happiness in her eyes was a blessing.  

Some Traditions....You Just Cannot Break!

  The holidays carry with them many, many heartwarming traditions. Some have been in families for generations and nobody ever questions the logic behind the traditions, they are just merely repeated every year for "old time's sake".  Makes sense.  Maybe.  My holiday season starts way back in September.  It is then that I am preparing for the clue hunt we hold each October and for Halloween.  These are relatively new things in the way of traditions since neither were big deals back when I was a kid.  Thanksgiving, however, was always special in our household....it still is.  I always make the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal.  Mark would have it no other way.  A turkey is roasted and all of the trimmings are prepared.  The cooking actually has to start several days in advance since I would never be able to finish it all in time.  

  Today, the kitchen was a busy place.  Son and I were making pies for the big meal.  Pumpkin pies are always the required dessert for this feast and that, more than likely, came about merely as a way to use up all of those Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns.  I know that I never waste a pumpkin! Since pumpkin pies are also a favorite around here, we usually make four or five pies.  Those never go to waste either!  While we were making the pie dough and the pie filling, I asked Son if he preferred a blueberry or an apple pie as our single pie.  I know this seems a bit contrary to my previous statement and do not get me wrong here...we did make four pumpkin pies...three regular and one vegan..but there was that single pie that needed filling.  This brought up an interesting conversation between the two of us.  "Why do we always make one pie different?"  he queried. I pondered the question.  Well, I do because my mom, your grandmother, always did.  She did because her mother did.  One might reason that it was all planned.  Perhaps it was done just in case a neighbor dropped by on Thanksgiving day and it would make a nice gesture to offer something besides pumpkin pie. While this seems logical and quite the nice gesture, I think there is another deeper answer.  By this time, I was rolling out the last of the pie dough and he had filled all of the previous pie shells with the yummy filling.  "Ummm, I am out of filling." he stated. Yep!  That is exactly why there always seems to be an odd pie!  "Huh?" Well, when making pie dough and pie filling from scratch as we do, there is not a lot of way of judging just how much of either is needed.  Our pie plates are all different sizes, too, so invariably, we make too much dough. Instead of wasting the extra pie dough, Great-grandmother, grandma and I always had some sort of fruit on hand so we filled that extra pie shell with whatever was handy.  Hence, one odd pie was baked.  "Sounds good to me." he mumbled as he slid another pie into the oven.

  While this "odd pie" tradition turns out to be more of an act of being frugal, the true tradition is just spending the time together.  Yes, we were busy baking and cooking but, at the same time, we were chatting and enjoying each other's company.  This is something that the family has done for generations....traditional Thanksgiving Dinner preparation equals togetherness.  I have a lot of thankfulness in my heart.  Oh...and he chose apple!

Early Morning Ponderings

  Any fisherman worth his salt knows that to catch fish, you really should get out on the water before dawn.  This holds true especially if the tide is changing just about that time.  Those fish will be ready to feed and the fisherman should be in place and ready to make the haul. Mark and I went to the pier in the wee hours of the morn so he could head out in the small skiff.  Mark has proven that this boat is all that is needed to "bring home the bacon".  While a larger, fancier boat would be nice for visiting relatives, the old skiff works just fine for us. Granted it is small but it is also easy maintenance and Mark always manages to find the fish!  

  Once again this morning, I stayed behind on the pier.  Our sweet niece, Eva, was coming to the Little Bayou House a bit later and I wanted to make sure that I did not miss her.  As Mark eased the boat out from the pier, I was enthralled by his silhouette against the red sky. It reminded me a lot of Pop and his early morning fishing trips.  Pop and Mark were big fishing buddies and spent many an hour on the Bay. More oft than not, they would bring buckets full of fine fish home for our dining pleasure.  There were many times back in the day when we depended on those catches.  Early in our marriage, Mark's work was seasonal so fresh caught seafood and veggies from the garden fed us...and fed us well.  We still laugh about our menu during one particularly hard year.  He would come home after putting in a hard day's work and I would make the following announcement!  "We are having corn, peas, shrimp and okra!"  To which he would respond with an "Oh, yum!"  With the same scenario each day, I would merely change the order of the items. "We are having shrimp, peas, corn and okra!"  Every day saw a different order of the same four foods.  We did not complain as we were so thankful to have our bellies full.  Things have changed a lot during those early days but we are still just as thankful.  The blessings are many.  Now we have four chest-type freezers filled with seafood, vegetables and fruits.  There are hundreds of jars of jams, jellies, fruits and veggies lining the shelves. These stockpiled foodstuffs will feed not only us but any visitors to the Little Bayou House throughout the winter to come.  We are thankful.

Start the Day!

  Even though it seems that the media fills our heads with bad news, there are actually things out there that are amazing.  You just never hear of good things.  I, for one, decided long ago that instead of always looking toward the negative side of things, I would seek out the happy. Since that time, I feel freer and have a much better outlook on life. Things do not worry me near as much.  Perhaps this is merely because as I age, I find that fretting over useless things is just that...useless.  I make it a point to start my day with a thing of beauty and then count the dozens (if not hundreds) of points of beauty, acts of kindness or pure old amazing things that fill the rest of the day. We all have a tendency to become bogged down in our everyday lives and neglect to really "see" what is around us. The world is full of things that we overlook. I have found that if you start seeking, you will find that blessings are abundant.  

  My first image of the day was quite by accident.  Mark was heading out fishing before daybreak and asked if I wanted to walk to the pier with him.  The sun had not even started to brighten the eastern sky so I declined.  I had no desire to walk back up that hill in total darkness. The coyotes have been frequenting the yard and since Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, is aging beyond a good tussle, I have become a bit leery.  I grabbed another cup of coffee and sat near the window.  It was not long before I noticed the horizon beginning to redden.  Oh, my!  It was going to be a gorgeous sunrise.  Ok!  That did it!  I was out the door in a heartbeat and was hustling down the board path to the pier.  Ms. Ez could barely keep up with me!  

  I was right!  Taking a deep breath, I watched in amazement as the morning sky blazed with a thousand different shades of red.  Wow! Yep, here was my point of beauty to start the day!  I just knew that today was going to be wonderful!  

  This evening as I am sitting here, I figure that I must have found nigh on a hundred things that were equally awe inspiring as the sunrise. Most of those were not nearly as photogenic as the sunrise but they were all things that make me thankful.  Things like that first cup of coffee, the hummingbird outside the window, a pail of bell peppers picked from the garden, a walk with the old dog, fresh fish for lunch, a sweet husband who does not mind running to the store for groceries and then picks up a store-bought pie as a treat, chatting with my daughter, the small garter snake in the marsh, dried leaves that crunch with each step, fresh cleaned laundry and so many things that would probably bore most folks.  I am happy.  I know these are all blessings.  I keep counting.

Is it still Thanksgiving if no one comes?

  Thanksgiving, like all holidays, should be filled with folks, both family and friends, infused with chatter and laughter, and bustling with things to do.  It should be.  Today, the day before the big day, I spent alone. Sure there was plenty to keep me busy.  I HAD to get that turkey ready, it WAS necessary to bake pies and a bounty of other foods NEEDED to be prepared.  I did it.  Not that I particularly enjoyed it this year since I am not sure if anyone will be here or not.  It is hard to prepare a meal when you have no idea if guests will arrive or not.  I did it, though.  The turkey is patiently waiting in the frig to be popped into the oven at 4AM, the sweet potato pone is mixed and ready for the Dutch oven, dressing is made, that "all-important" green bean casserole is prepared and pies...those pies made from scratch...those pumpkin and apple pies...bake as I write this.  All of the trimmings of gravy, cranberry/citrus sauce and fresh baked roles shall be fixed in the morning along with the roasted cauliflower and salad.  Whew!  It seems like a lot.

  Yep, it does seem like a lot and to beat that, I had to make double. Double? You may be asking. Yep, double.  I made the same recipes that I have made for years but, also, an entire version as vegan just in case Darling Daughter is able to come tomorrow. Talk about your brainstorming, mind-numbing work that was!  I was good to go with the usual things like dressing and veggies but those pumpkin pies threw me for a loop! Sure, leaving out the milk was no problem.  I substituted coconut milk for the dairy and raw sugar took the place of regular sugar but I had to use a bit of ingenuity to be get the pie to "set" without eggs. I am hoping my concoction works.  If not, I may just have a nice bowl of pumpkin soup with a soggy crust.  Yum!

Tomorrow will come and it will be Thanksgiving.  Even if folks do not come to the Bayou, I will be thankful,  I will be thankful that I can set a bountiful table.  I will be thankful that I have fine family and friends.  I will be thankful that my hands can be busy,  I will be thankful that my husband saw that I was a bit down and treated me to dinner tonight!  I will even be thankful for vegan pumpkin pies.  I will be thankful.  God is good.  He blesses us with so many things that it is often hard to comprehend. Thanksgiving will come.  May each of you find heaps of blessings for which to be thankful.  From the Bayou, Happy Thanksgiving, Folks...Happy Thanksgiving.

Blue Pickerels, Bees and Small Blessings

  Meandering about the hillside today enjoying the warm weather, my sister-in-law and I noticed that most of the pond plants had met their demise with the recent cold spell.  The water hyacinths looked pretty bad indeed!  Their leaves were all shriveled and brown.  A few were obviously blooming when the temperatures dropped below freezing. The flowers were still there but were now a brown, slimy mess instead of the lovely purple that they usually are. Overall, the pond looks bad...really bad and smelled worse!  As soon as I get caught up on other chores, the thing will receive one last, good cleaning before I let it rest for winter. The dragonfly larvae will hunker down among the roots of the water lilies and hyacinths and ride out the cold weather.

  With all the brown in the garden, the lone blue pickerel bloom stood out like a sore thumb.  Why this plant survived is beyond me.  Granted it was a pathetic specimen of a bloom, it was still a bright spot in the midst of yuck! It was perfect for the occasion.  The flower was all that was needed.  On closer inspection, I found that Cynthia and I were not the only ones who found the flower.  A bee was working the pollen to find a bit to eat.  This brought up another question.  How did that bee survive the freeze?  

  These occurrences made me ponder the odds of coincidences.  That lone bee was out buzzing about the garden in search of a food source and came across the lone bloom.  How unusual is that?  It was sort of like it was meant to be.  God knew His critter would be needing a bit of nourishment and popped that flower into bloom.  Hmmm?  Yep, just like He knows when we need spiritual nourishment, it is always there.  We just need to look around. Blessings abound where we least expect.

Counting...

  Just recently, my cousin gave me a book about counting one's blessings.  The author tries to make the point that not all blessings are huge and magnificently apparent but some are almost hidden.  As I have been reading the book, it has become one of my goals in life to find beauty in common places. Those ordinary things that are usually passed by without ever a glance have suddenly become highly important to me..as they should have been all along.  It matters not if I am looking at the marsh grass, a tall pine tree or a bug.  I want to see the fine detail of things.  I want to view the beauty before me.  I want to appreciate the blessing of my senses.  I guess I am just trying to soak up everything and stow it in the deep, dark corners of my mind where I can draw on it in the future.

  This morning, my sensory titillation literally landed at my front door.  I had gone out to feed Ms. Put her breakfast when I noticed that some time during the night, a moth had rested on the screen door.  I suppose it was planning on spending the daylight hours clinging to the screen.  From my vantage point inside the entryway, the moth did not appear to be vividly colored or exotically marked but still, there was something about that moth on the door that intrigued me.  It seemed so peaceful.  I admired its color and the perfect symmetry of its wings.  The dull, brown moth was a thing of exquisite beauty even though some would think my findings quite crazy!  I appreciated the moth coming to visit.  It had brightened my day and was marked as one of my blessings for the day.  I knew there would be many more.

  In fact, there are many, many blessings that go unseen, unheralded by the great fanfare that most would think should accompany any act of God.  Perhaps we should start counting the tiny, mundane things in life as blessings so we appreciate life in general.