T.S. Stribling's Book

When T.S. Stribling’s novel The Store was published in 1932, it wasn’t the first time residents of a town were upset to see their town unfavorably depicted in print. (Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward Angel, and its reception by the residents of Asheville, N.C., comes to mind).

Set in Florence, Ala., The Store is the second installment of a trilogy that traces the lives of a family after the Civil War and through post-Reconstruction years. The books explore social, economic and political injustices that existed in the South, and discuss taboo subjects such as race relations.

The book's publication caused an uproar among the citizens of Florence; they threatened a libel suit soon after the book appeared. Stribling was saddened and offered his apologies but never denied using the town’s citizens as character models. It was said the town library refused to shelf the book and citizens were forced to join book clubs to obtain a copy, or drive across the river to check it out from the Sheffield library.

The Store received rave reviews in the U.S., but like the residents of Florence, many readers in the South were not happy. Today, I believe the novel has been largely forgotten.

It would be more than thirty years before he would return to the town that was once his home. He was invited and accepted a speaking engagement at the University of North Alabama in 1965. Afterward, his novels became required reading for UNA freshman English classes.

I “rediscovered” Stribling a few days ago as I was searching for previous Pulitzer Prize for Literature winners. After reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (the 2014 Pulitzer recipient), I thought it might be neat to see how many previous winners books I’ve read.

And there on the list was Stribling’s 1932 book. I read it a long time ago – in the early 1970s -- and have mostly forgotten the story. I plan to read it again soon.

Stribling was born in Clifton, Tenn., in 1891 and graduated from Florence Normal School (now the University of North Alabama) in 1902. He lived and worked in Florence for a time, but his career took him to many other locales, During the final months of his life, when he was in declining health, he and his wife moved back to Florence, where he died on July 8, 1965.

 

You can find out more about Stribling’s life and career here and here.

To read more about the town’s reaction to Stribling’s novel, see here and 

here.

If you want to see how many Pulitzer winning novels you’ve read, there's a list

here.  I have read 14 and saw the movie of 7 others. There are several here I am adding to my reading list.

My Medicine Cabinet

Here are the foods I try to eat each week for their health benefits. Fortunately, all foods that are touted as high in antioxidants, vitamins and other healing benefits are foods I'm fond of!

Sweet cherries

Fresh pineapple. The core is high in bromelain, which has been proven to help arthritis. I cut it up and place in the blender to create a "mush," best eaten with a spoon. Canned doesn't work; the bromelain is in the core. (Supplements also are available but I prefer eating the real thing).

Blueberries from my garden!

Tomatoes and peppers, fresh in season; canned when out of season.

You know the old saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Sweet bell peppers

Green tea, four cups per day. 

I love garlic and use it in many dishes I cook.

Cucumber, to make Sassy Water, add to salads or sliced and sprinkled with lemon pepper. Cucumbers have many, many health benefits!

Black olives

Black beans and beets

Almonds

I love walnuts

Extra virgin olive oil

Honey, preferably raw and unfiltered

Turmeric, to make a tea that's good for joint health

Cinnamon in my yogurt each morning

Ginger, ground or fresh. I preserve fresh ginger in a jar with vodka. It lasts indefinitely! Add ginger to tea and some dishes I prepare.

Avocado. Leftovers placed in a jar and stored with lemon juice will keep it from turning dark.

I know this is a great number of items to work into my diet, but I'm on a mission! One is to address the arthritis I've developed in my hands by watching what I eat. Whatever it takes to get me off the NSAID I currently take. It works, but I'm concerned about being on it long term.

The other reason I'm very careful about what I eat is to avoid weight gain and potential diseases that could occur as time passes. 

Other items that a part of my diet include peanut butter, yogurt, eggs, leafy greens, chick peas and onion. A recent addition is Tofu. With my switch to a vegetarian diet, I take care to ensure I get enough protein.

So my diet is mainly Mediterranean, which is highly touted as a healthy one.

I am not obsessed with what I eat but I've just trained myself to eat without fussing about it too much. The good news is that since my husband has also gone vegetarian, I'm not spending as much time cooking meals.

What about you? Do you have any recommendations for eating a healthy diet?

What Happened at Findhorn

Often when I gather the meager offerings of the little potager garden in my backyard, imagination transports me to a remote corner of Northern Scotland. To a garden in a place called Findhorn. Where cabbages grown there weighed 40 pounds; onions 71.

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From the book, The Findhorn Garden Story:

A miracle occurred over 40 years ago in windswept and barren sand dunes in the far north east of Scotland. On a small plot of poor soil around a thirty-foot caravan trailer the most wonderful flowers, vegetables and fruit grew to an enormous size. This remarkable event occurred with very little assistance from external sources – or so it seemed.

With an absolute faith in the art of manifestation Eileen and Peter Caddy, together their three sons and their friend Dorothy Maclean, had followed Guidance from God to set up home and garden in this place. Their discovery of how to contact and co-operate with nature spirits and devas made the seemingly impossible possible: the Findhorn phenomena had begun.

Credit

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Now whether there's such a thing as garden nature spirits, devas, fairies and the like, to which the Findhorn pioneers attribute their gardening success,the fact remains that something magical happened at Findhorn.

If you want to read the complete Findhorn story, visit theQuantum Agriculture/Findhorn  page. It's a detailed story, much too long to tell here.

I read this book shortly after it came out in the early 1970s. It's available through Amazon and other sources.

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By the way, I don't believe the magic of oversized vegetables being grown there still exists today. What happened?

Findhorn has evolved into a foundation -- a spiritual community, ecovillage and an international center for holistic education, helping to unfold a new human consciousness and create a positive and sustainable future.

Perhaps I should begin talking to my plants and try to summon forth the fairies and devas. Couldn't hurt!

Happy Independence Day

How are you celebrating the Fourth of July?

Parades, flying of the flag, picnics, cookouts, eating watermelon and vacations at the beach are part of this national holiday. 

Firework displays are another. Large, professional fireworks displays are common in cities large and small. But many people choose their personal displays at home. Each little town might offer them for sale at stands such as this. 

Fireworks may be illegal in some states/cities. How about where you live? If you live outside the U.S., what are the traditions and rules?

This booth was set up in the grocery store parking lot in my town. Yesterday they were conducting a booming business (this phot was taken earlier in the week when no customers were present.)

However you choose to celebrate the day, here's hoping you have a blast!

The Survivalist Movement

Survivalism (definition from Wikipedia)

“A movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists or preppers) who are actively preparing for emergencies, including possible disruptions in social or political order, on scales from local to international. Survivalists often acquire emergency medical and self-defense training, stockpile food and water, prepare to become self-sufficient, and build structures (e.g., a survival retreat or an underground shelter) that may help them survive a catastrophe.

Anticipated disruptions may include:

Clusters of natural disasters, patterns of apocalyptic planetary crises, or "Earth Changes" (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, solar storms, severe thunderstorms, floods, tsunamis).

Anthropogenic disasters (chemical spills, release of radioactive materials, nuclear or conventional war, oppressive governments).

The general collapse of society caused by the shortage or unavailability of resources such as electricity, fuel, food, or water.

Financial disruption or economic collapse (caused by monetary manipulation, hyperinflation, deflation, or depression).

A global pandemic.

Widespread chaos or some other unexplained apocalyptic event."

There’s a television series here in the U.S. devoted to people who belong to this group. I tried watching it once, but it’s mostly too much for me!

I mostly think these people, at least the ones featured on the tv programs, are a bit off-balance and secretly HOPE for a catastrophic event that will take us back to the Dark Ages.

Why? So they can demonstrate how clever they were to have planned ahead and how good they are at defending themselves and their stockpiled supplies (read GUN nuts).

Yet, I know a few people who believe an emergency could occur and they would need tools and supplies to survive for an unlimited amount of time. I sympathize with this point of view “somewhat” and have thought about it more after reading two books:

A very readable book. Well written. Highly recommend.

From the cover: A story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war that sends our nation back to the Dark Ages.

A war lost because of a terrifying weapon, an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP).. that may already be in the hands of our enemies.

Months before publication, One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read. It has been discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a realistic look at EMPs and their awesome ability to send catastrophic shockwaves throughout the United States, literally within seconds. EMPs are a weapon that The Wall Street Journal warned could shatter our nation. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail-Safe and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end.

And this book:

Not as well written as the above book, but interesting nevertheless. 

From the inside cover: "In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to the age before electricity, ...."

"...Yesterday's world is gone."

*****

So I'm caught between wishing to live a minimalist life on the one hand, and preparing for an emergency on the other.

So I have to find a balance. Keep enough food on hand to eat for a while. Know a source for water and have a way to purify it. Anything beyond that is too much to think about.

The survivalists tell us that we must have guns to defend ourselves, that the people who are hungry will kill us and take any food we have. That we must kill them before they kill us.

Well, let them have at it. I don't want to live in a world as depicted in these books above.

(If you aren't familiar with this subject, do go to the Wikipedia link above for more information. It's fascinating! And scary...)

What to Wear?

My shopping excursion last week was not a huge success. The goal was to find "something" for an upcoming high school class reunion. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for and believe me, I found nothing.

Yes, there are many choices out there. The current style seems to be blouses large and sloppy enough to hide any flaws one chooses to; short and wide tops, many in the most outrageous prints. Oh, to be sure, there were a few in soft linen and nice colors but I can't get past the largeness of them.

These ridiculous tops are paired with equally large skirts with uneven hemlines. This is not my style or preference. Or one could choose pants, usually capri-style, which I also don't like.

So....what shall I wear? 

I imagine I'll pull out one of my LBDs. Boring? Perhaps. But it is, after all, my favorite look and I think it might work for the occasion. There's to be no particular dress code for the event, and I'm sure there'll be no shortage of looks on display -- everything from casual capris and tees, to church dresses/suits, to swinging chiffon numbers.

I could wear my LBD with a rounded neckline

Or the one with a V-neck

 I might accessorize with my classic strand of real pearls

or jazz it up with my clunky costume pearls

 Or would this be better?

Of course, I might make my large pearl studs the only jewelry and throw on the white linen scarf which also serves as a wrap in coolish rooms

Oh dear, and what about shoes?

Do I wear the classic black pumps?

And speaking of shoes, the shopping expedition last week wasn't totally unsuccessful, as I bought summer espadrilles. Not for wearing with LBDs, but will serve me well with jeans and summer skirts.

Wait, I also bought a second pair, something soft and comfy but still somewhat stylish

On second thought, maybe I'll just ditch the jewelry and pin a creamy white gardenia on my shoulder......or in my hair.

 I don't fret about clothes and outfits all that much these days. But for some reason I'm giving extra thought to what I should wear to the reunion.

Doilies Done Up and a Surprise!

I took photos of the doilies I "did up" after my little soiree last week. There are quite a few here. I made them for my own use, but decided to show them to you after at least one follower asked that I do so.

You may get bored with one picture after the other of items that are no longer in favor, but follow me to the end, as I think you'll be surprised with what a person of the male gender is capable of!

Leading off with this one because it's so colorful. Purchased it at an antique mall.

Crochet, made by mother

Crocheted dresser scarf, as they were called back when.

I think these were popular in the 1950s; cotton or linen center with heavy crochet edging. I have tons of this kind.

Crochet; pineapple pattern.

A long cotton scarf with crochet edging. These were used on buffets or tables.

Embroidered dresser scarf, part of a set that includes two smaller ones. 

Another set of dresser scarfs. I left these on the ironing board a few days and the ends curled; they will flatten out when stored away.

Crocheted scarf. Due to its shape, I think they were used on the arms of chairs with a larger one for the back of the chair.

Crocheted centerpiece. It's blue, but for some reason doesn't show up as that in the photo.

These dresser scarfs made with the variegated crochet cotton were popular in the 1950s. Mother made tons of these and I have more than a few!

One of my favorites; crocheted centerpiece made by my grandmother.

Pillowcase with elaborate crochet edging, made by one of my aunts.

Same pattern as the red one above, but done in all white. The bottom portion of the photo is in shadow; it is all the same in color/tone.

More of the dresser scarfs with a combination of cotton/crochet.

The following is not part of the doily series but wanted to show you what my father-in-law does. He pieces quilts and quilts them by hand. He entered this one in a quilt show and won third place. He sent it to my husband as a thank you for fixing his computer. Log cabin pattern, two pillow shams to match. (Note the crochet edging on the bed sheets; done by my mother, of course!)

My husband does not "take after" his father, My father-in-law is an expert quilt maker and cake/bread baker He apprenticed as a tailor in his homeland of Germany, and had a career in that field after he came to the U.S. in the early 1950s.  The wall hanging above the bed? I made that.

And here's an example of my mother-in-law's handwork. Applique embroidery.  

Another applique embroidery tea table scarf with a Christmas theme made by my mother-in-law. The back of her handwork is as pretty as the front side. Once she looked at the backside of a needlepoint piece I was working on and said, "messy." True, but I'm not the perfectionist in my handwork as was she. 

Close up of the above scarf. It's beautiful and I treasure it.

And finally, one of my favorites - a crochet centerpiece by my grandmother.

Thank you for visiting my blog, and for your comments.