dell /del/ Noun A small valley, usually among trees. Synonyms Glen - valley My Great Granddaddy,  Jacob Thomas Logan, was half Native-American  living all alone on a lush, spread of land in Hickory Point, Tennessee.  He farmed that land all his life.  At the age of 52, he fell in love with my Great Grandmother, Elsie Lillian Winn.  Old Granny wasn’t but 26 when they met, but she fell in love with that beautiful, Native-American pretty darn quick.   He took her to a social in ... continue reading...

Native 1/8/2013   When one thinks of a prickly pear cactus, Texas may come to mind.  Believe it or not, this sharp little beauty is also a native of Tennessee.  It grows in the rockiest of terrain and you can’t kill the thing.  My neighbor, Ruthie, gave me a starter when I moved into my Inglewood home fourteen years ago.  I had almost forgotten about it, until that handsome, Texan boyfriend of mine (Pank) was admiring it one day.  He almost seemed a little home sick for that hot and dry, but ... continue reading...

  Pank and I go to the tasting room at Corsair Artisan Distillery from time to time. They have a great  $7 cocktail list showcasing all of their handcrafted spirits. My two favorites are the Corsair Gin and Vanilla Bean Vodka. The Corsair Gin is clean and crisp with a fresh botanical note sans conifer. The Vanilla Bean Vodka is one that you could sip on by itself, without a doubt. I can’t imagine why anyone would want that commercial, fake- flavored bleh, once they try vodka that has been ... continue reading...

Richard Inman Corbin married his best friend Sandra Jane Logan October 21, 1962.   Sandra had just turned 18 October 3, 1962.  Lord, they were kids!  Just look at their sweet, fresh faces.   Daddy was so little, the tailor had to take in a 21 inch wasted pants so much that his suit pants wrapped around him, on that crisp fall day of their vows.  Those kids are my Mamma and Daddy.  They recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  I once asked Mamma if they ever fought much.  She kind of ... continue reading...

Strategy for the New Year 1/3/2013   After all the intricate dishes I prepared over the holidays, it was downright refreshing to cook a pot of black eyed peas from scratch on New Year’s Day!  Soaking the peas overnight, cooking up the bacon and onions, and then the tomatoes are added and cooked down to a warming stew of sorts.   Originally, black eyed peas were planted in the south to feed livestock.   Because of its humble origin, Sherman’s soldiers ignored this little legume of expression ... continue reading...