At Considerable Cost

Today I threw open windows in my home as the first crisp morning of autumn arrived.   It took me back. Rough, harvest gold and forest green verigated shag carpet beneath my tightly-crossed legs, clad in shorts for the first time since winter truly settled in.   Chalky, textured dry-wall against my back.   An attic fan, mounted in the hallway ceiling outside my bedroom, spun its massive blades and whined, drowning out the everyday evening sounds within our home and the new noises outside my opened window.    The first whirs after the flip of the switch were what I imagined a helicopter would sound like and the sudden intake of air from the opened windows around the house were so strong the house seemed to inhale and gain some momentary altitude.  That intense pull created my favorite spot of refuge, my temporary hiding place that I could only enjoy for a only a few weeks of the year.   As long as the...

I'm a Southerner, but not a Southern Belle.   I was never presented to society at a white-gloves-and-ball-gowns-cotillion.   I was never the princess or queen of a small-town festival.   I only drink unsweetened tea, whether hot or iced.   My parents wanted to see if they could raise me on only unsweetened tea, so I wouldn't like the taste of the sugared variety and it worked.   Mama always made two pitchers of iced tea.   And, though I can appreciate the cast and technical achievements of Gone With the Wind , I'm telling you, if I had any state secrets, I might give them up if forced to watch that film on an auto-loop.   Ashley sure wasn't worth all those ripples of misery and by the end, the only three people I could respect were Big Sam, Mammy and Belle Watling. But whenever I am once again close to the waters of the Mississippi River, my pulse seems to adjust itself to the undulations of the ...

The final Sunday of Advent turned out to be such a special one for me.   I chose to drive past our home parish to attend 5:30 mass at a chapel owned by another parish as part of its school complex.   It was once the building for a large Baptist congregation.   The Catholic parish bought the building when the Baptist church built a bigger building.   It has since been decorated, blessed, and dedicated for Catholic worship. There's something about this chapel to which I strongly relate.   Maybe because it, too, has been reborn for a Catholic life and purpose.   It still holds remnants of its Protestant, or non-Catholic, past.   The Crucifix hangs in what seems a striking blue frame to some.   To the knowing eye, the crucifix hangs above what once served as the baptistry, the pool where baptisms as public signs of accepting Christ, not sacraments of regeneration, occurred.    The baptistry is now framed by the crucifix, a symbol and t...

A confusing menu item for visitors to the deep south is macaroni and cheese.   Well, it's not the item itself that is so confusing.   It's the placement.   You will often find macaroni and cheese listed as a "Vegetable" choice.   I have two recipes I use, but the kids like this one best.   I usually use sharp Cheddar and whole wheat pasta.   Skim milk works well, also. 1 (8 ounce) pkg. dried elbow macaroni, cooked 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 2 large eggs, lightly beatedn 1 1/2 cups milk 3/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper Freshly ground black pepper (optional) Layer one-third of macaroni in a lightly greased 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.   Repeat layers with remaining two-thirds macaroni and 1 cup cheese, ending with macaroni layer.   Reserve remaining 1 cup cheese. Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring with a wire whisk or fork until blen...