Moisturizing Cream

This stuff really is the best. I loathe lotion. I do not like the act of having to apply lotion head to toe and I don't like feeling all greasy. I don't know when you are actually supposed to apply the stuff anyway. I am always cold and don't want to stand around nekkid waiting on lotion to dry. If it is actually hot out, you don't really have dry skin and need the lotion. It's really only in the winter when it's cold. So lotion frustrates me. If you get dressed too soon you get it all over your clothes, if you wait too long to get dressed, you freeze to death...it has happened. So given that application is important, and that lotion is at times a necessity, I recommend the oldest, most predictable, most reliable one out there...Eucerin. My eczema ridden friends, whose names I will withhold, all recommend it. This Eucerin in the little tub is the best ever. It is fragrance free and non irritating. I even use it on my face, now that I am using Retin-A as a self inflicted face peel. It is really thick and because I am obsessed with application I like the way you just open the jar, get what you need and immediately apply it to the desired area. With other lotions you squeeze or pump and a buncha not so thick COLD liquid comes out. And most of the time it can be irritating and has lots of chemicals and perfumes in it. As much as I love the soothing scent of cucumber or shea butter or rose petals or lavendar, most of the time it is just a buncha perfumes and junk. Yes, we all know Oprah doesn't wear perfume and she smells amazing because she coats her creamy chocolate skin in pumpkin ginger bread lotion every day and washes her hair in honey extract. But I say, stick with the Eucerin, it does the trick. If you wanna smell like Oprah, but some vanilla flavoring behind your ear.

Dessert- Laura's Skinny-ish Cake

I thought for sure I had already posted this. Laura and I made this cake during one of my visits. I think we ate the whole thing in just a few days, choosing it for breakfast too. It is lower in fat, contains zucchini and applesauce. It has a tofu topping that I love! But don't tell Catherine and Gracie, they won't eat it if they know it has tofu in it. This recipe recommends Cool Whip Lite. I don't. All Cool Whip products are made of hydrogenated fats. There are organic alternatives out there and even ReddiWhip is more "natural", containing heavy cream, nonfat milk and sugar.

The actual Recipe belongs to Sandra Lee. I don't know her, but Laura refers to her like a family friend. http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Ingredients
For Cake:
1 large zucchini, finely grated (about 2 cups)
1 (1-pound and 2.25-ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker Super Moist
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup applesauce
For Mousse:
1 (12-ounce) package soft silken tofu
1 (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate fudge pudding (recommended: Jell-O)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8-ounce) package whipped topping (recommended: Cool Whip Lite)

Garnish: Chocolate sauce, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat with cooking spray the bottom only of a 9 by 13 inch glass cake pan.

FOR CAKE: Set grated zucchini in a mesh strainer over a bowl and lightly press with a spatula to release water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, eggs, egg whites, nonfat yogurt, and applesauce. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Fold in drained grated zucchini. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. When cool, invert cake onto a large plate or platter, and cut cake into 12 large squares with a clean, sharp knife.

FOR MOUSSE TOPPING: While cake is baking, combine tofu, pudding mix and cinnamon in a bowl. Using an electric mixer beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Fold in the whipped topping with electric mixer on low speed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, cut each cake square in half diagonally to make 2 triangles. Use a spoon to decorate each plate with chocolate sauce, set 2 cake triangles on each plate, sprinkle generously with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder, and dollop with chocolate mousse.

Dessert

Look what I found! Cupcakes with Goat Cheese and Chocolate Ganache! Can this be? I love this whole website and so will you. http://www.bakerella.blogspot.com/

Check out these cupcakes!! Oh, I am afraid I will have to break down and buy a muffin tin...or pan? I am gonna have to do a lot of runnin' to justify eating these...but oh how good they look!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes filled with Chocolate Ganache and Topped with Creamy Goat Cheese Frosting Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa, natural unsweetened

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 cup shredded zucchini

3.5 oz. Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped in chunks- I bet Lindt works well too
Preheat oven to 350º F
Line cupcake trays with 18 baking cups.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
Cream butter with a mixer in a large bowl. Add sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour)
Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chunks until combined.
Fill baking cups 2/3 full and place in oven immediately.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Creamy Goat Cheese Frosting

5 oz. Ile de France goat cheese- Sweet Grass might would be a good substitute

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups confectioner's sugar, room temperature1/2 tsp vanilla
Sift sugar and set aside.
Beat the goat cheese, cream cheese and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy.
Gradually add the sugar, mixing and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl in between additions.

Chocolate Ganache

2 oz. Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped in chunks

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Place chocolate and whipping cream in the microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Blend thoroughly. Add sugar and stir until thoroughly combined.
Pour ganache into a small plastic squeeze bottle.

To assemble:
Insert opening of squeeze bottle halfway into cupcake center and squeeze ganache until you see it start to surface. Then, spread creamy goat cheese frosting on top with a knife or small offset spatula. Use any leftover semi-sweet chocolate pieces to sprinkle on top of cupcakes.

Kitchenware

I love these Tervis Tumblers. They don't leave rings and "reduce condensation". They've been around for forever. I have the set of mugs with handles and I love them. You can get tops for them. They sell them all over, just look for them. I don't know who invented putting a patch between the layers of plastic and sometimes the patches themselves can be just plain ugly, but they are super functional. Most seem to be beach or collegiate themed. I have also noticed that they now produce company logos for corporate gifts and such. But the cup itself is my favorite part. They are lightweight, dishwasher friendly and much more.

Recipes

I adore Laura Steen, she sings messages to me on my voice mail and cracks herself up...and me too. She recommends The Skinny Chef as a great site for healthy recipes.














http://www.skinnychef.com/

Chocolate

It's not good if it isn't chocolate. I typically don't like any kind of dessert, ice cream included, if it is not chocolate. Why waste calories on baked apples or key lime pie when you can have chocolate!? There is one tiny exception and that is sweet potato and/or pumpkin pie. However, now that Thanksgiving is over, I recommend these...they are sooooooo goood.

I like the mini ones the best. They are a perfect, somewhat low calorie, bite of dark chocolate with a hint of mint. They are a little bit like a peppermint patty, but better! I tried putting them in the freezer, but much prefer them room temperature.

Point and Shoot

I love this little Point and Shoot Camera. I had the Canon S410 Elph and Upgraded to the Canon SD 750 after the 410 died in Africa. There are newer versions out there, but this one gets better reviews, better than the SD 1000 that has been out for awhile. I am sure you can find this one for less than $200. It has decent zoom, face detection, red eye and does that thing that picks out a color you choose and makes the rest black and white. It is sturdy and has survived being slung off the top of my car and bouncing down Meredith's driveway, and being covered in chocolate syrup when I threw it in the bottom of my wicker basket with chocolate cake on it's way to Betsy's New Year's Day Come and Eat Green's and Peas Party. I would love love love a big, nice, awesome, amazing camera, but since I have a tendency to leave them on cars and in baskets with food items, this one works for now, until I can learn to be more responsible. I also love being able to put it in my pocket and go. I don't like having to check bags at the airport and like to travel light. Maybe it will be my next investment, if I ever get that Apple Macbook Pro...

Tom's Shoes

help us reach our goal: 30k in 30 days

help us reach our goal: 30k in 30 days

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The Antique Auction

Betsy, Susan and I used to have the most fun going to this! I have so many stories to tell as a result of my going there with my little blue number in hand on Wednesday nights right after work. I got a lot of amazing deals at this place. Glenda (for the longest time I kept calling her Dorothy by accident- so embarrassing) makes these amazing Southern Living recipe casseroles, salads and pies. A yummy good warm meal is about $6.00. They USED TO serve free beer, wine and cocktails. The beer and wine were completely free and obvious. The beer is Bud Light and the Wine is horrible Jug Wine, but the beer is in a large cooler and the jug wine on the counter, along with a stack of those little cups they use for punch at weddings, to help yourself. The Vodka was kind of hidden, but the regulars knew where it was and helped themselves and they had cranberry juice in the Fridge. So by 7:00 the auction was in full swing, the air thick with the smells of Glenda's casseroles and the ladies on the front row smiling and laughing with purple Jug Wine stained lips. It is fun just to watch the variety of people who go to this thing. You've got your standard junk selling people that probably came from ALA-BAMA! to buy the stuff no one else would want, to add to their Saturday morning jockey lot table where they also sell AKA registered Shih Tzu's. Then there is the way too Skinny Lady, whose head is too big for her body and smokes Virginia Slims with the hired help out front, in designer jeans buying sit-around stuff made in China for her interior design business. And then there is the lady who looks like a librarian (actually she looks just like Almonzo's sister on Little House on the Prairie) who buys the really old antique stuff, like Head Vases, hat pins and Depression glass for her antique store on the Square in Somewhere, Georgia.

Steve's the auctioneer and he makes Betsy laugh with his funny little comments about each item and subtle jabs at first time buyers. So, this place is great! It is so much fun! Food's great, people are fun, you get an amazing education on all things antique and some not-so-antique. Betsy used to whisper her own description of pieces even before he brought it up, with the type of wood and estimated era of production, and the like. She loved to use the word "demilune" every chance she got. Like the "Louis XVI Cabinet" seen here:

It was so so so much fun. Until!! One night we were there and the cops showed up...the ATL P.D.! This is getting to be a very long description so I will abbreviate by saying the next thing we know, Susan starts bringing a flask, no more alcohol. We deal with this with no complaints. Then, they move. The move was a good thing because it was a larger building. But the move didn't last. Soon it was shut down altogether! Now they are in Cumming, GA. It's just impossible to get to Cumming from Downtown in the afternoon, so I don't go anymore. But, they have weekend auctions and Estate auctions all the time, all over Atlanta! So if you are in need of anything, not necessarily antique, beds, lamps, furniture of any sort, rugs, paintings, dishes, this is the place to go! http://www.fsagallery.com/

Check their site for a detailed list with photos of auction items, dates, times and locations.

Running Shoes- Deux

In a bizarre way of rewarding myself for running the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Half-Marathon, I got new running shoes. These are Brooks Glycerin 6. They have lots of support and cushioning. I ordered them from www.amazon.com and they were $100.00, as opposed to $120 in Phidippides and The Big Peach Running Co. Running shoes are just pricey, but it is a fairly inexpensive hobby. I hope these will last me 300-500 miles, so the investment is relatively small and my feet thank me. According to Runner's World (the be all end all of all things Running): "The latest Glycerin is softer. First, there is a larger cutaway section of outsole under the heel for the foot to sink into just after impact. Also, Brooks added softer foam to the midsole directly under the heel. The improved cushioning was confirmed by RW Shoe Lab tests. Another cool feature is the forefoot, which is curved slightly upward for a smoother toe-off. Recommended for runners with higher arches who want a soft, stable, neutral shoe".

Ibo Island

So this is a very far away, almost impractical travel destination. It's not just a quick boat ride away. Actually, it's a flight to Paris, a flight to J'burg, a flight to Maputo, a flight to Berra, a flight to Pemba, a rental truck and a full days drive that may or may not include an overnight tent stay in a Bush village, a 4 hour boat ride in a dhow and you're there! I am sure there must be a better way. This is without a doubt one of my top 5 most amazing, incredible, most favorite places on Earth! I wanna be a Missionary to Ibo Island. They are all Muslim. It is described as: An island stopped in time; a throw back to a time of colonialism, slaves, exploitation and silversmiths.

So I went there...and despite the extreme embarrassment of this photo and about 100 others out there of me, with no make-up, hair uncombed, no bath in weeks (seriously) and pudgy from my high carb diet of rice and rice. Here it is, me on my way to Ibo Island in a tiny dhow with a boat full of other nut jobs just like me.

There is a really long story here about how we got there and how we got the "hook-up" by name dropping (it's universal) and all about the journey and getting stuck in the sand and Bush men digging us out and sleeping on a soccer field and so much more. But to make it a Favorite Things place, I must promote it as a destination. So, google this place and read about the history and look on http://www.flickr.com/ for photos and save up your money and Go! There is a beautiful little lodge on the island. I wanted to stay there, but couldn't ditch my dirty friends, so I slept on the ground instead of crisp, clean, white sheets in a canopy bed. http://www.iboisland.com/

If you did go, the Lodge would provide very comfortable accommodations, good food, a lovely pool, daily snorkel and SCUBA trips, fishing, tons of island exploration, and more. Go here to read about the history of the island...it will blow you away and just note, it is much more sad than they make it out to be: http://www.iboisland.com/content1.cfm?AgentsID=279&PageID=324

Jewelry

I can't believe I plugged GoGo and forgot to mention the jewelry of Ibo Island. This jewelry is amazing and you get to watch it being made by local artisans. Their website states, "Once lost in time...ancient traditions, dream-like designs. Handcrafted by artisans on a remote, long-forgotten island. Centries of Arabic, African, European and Indian influences exquisitely blended together to create intricate and sensual pieces, that remain virtually undiscovered, until now...".

I don't know about the senual part, but this jewelry is simply amazing. Go to http://www.ibosilver.com/ and read all about it and check out their catalogue. I got to watch men, squatting on the floor of little concrete houses, make these out of melted down coins with handmade blow torches. The backdrop of this island and this trade of making jewelry all just blew me away. Ibo Island used to be a major place of trade, of goods such as ivory... and of slaves. The island is now a ghost town, with crumbling buildings that goats now inhabit that you can tell were once grand and elaborate. It does have a very haunted feeling. The history, bondage, and cruelty that occured on that island is deep. Yet, it is surrounded by stunning crystal clear blue waters, sunsets that will make you cry, and a beautiful small village of smiling Mozambicans.

Okay, I think I get it now. If your jewelry comes with the man with this chest...it's sensual. Mine came in dirty newspaper.

Electronics Bargains

I now call my own father Papa. I have simply reached that stage in life where (because of a variety of nephews and nieces) Dad is no longer dad, but Papa. You know when you hear couples call each other "Mama" or "Daddy" and then about 25 years later they start calling each other "Granny", "Nona" or "Papa"? I don't want my spouse calling me GRANNY?! "Mama" can be kind of endearing, but still, I am not real big on that one either. Anyway, PAPA recommends these sites for deals on computers and electronics.

http://www.techbargains.com/ He complains that this one plugs Dell way too much, but it still has good deals.

http://www.dealnews.com/

Oh! And here's Papa...and Nona.

Muffin Recipe

Laura Steen sends this recipe from her sister Jill. The recipe comes from http://www.slashfood.com/. I would LOVE to bake them, but I don't own a muffin pan, or is it muffin tin? Either way, I don't own one. I could buy one, or you could get me one for Christmas. But it honestly would only get used once a year, if that. I can't eat a dozen muffins! Nor do I bake for the public, friends or family. That's Carla's job. But if you do bake them and you live inside the Perimeter, call me and I will come and eat one with you. I'll bring coffee. No, that's too much trouble. Just make it strong. I take cream.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil2 eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use mini ones)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners. Mix sugar, oil, eggs in a large bowl (you can use a stand mixer here, if you have one). Add pumpkin and water. In different bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add to wet mixture in batches to incorporate fully. Mix in chocolate chips*. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

*If you aren't a fan of chocolate, you can replace the chips with chopped nuts for a different flavor. (This woman must BE nuts! Are you kidding me? Not like chocolate? Substitute nuts or raisins or, even worse, dates or the like, for chocolate? No way.)

My Favorite Epiphyte

I love spanish moss. I took these photos on Little Saint Simons. The article was taken from the Naturalists at Cumberland Island's Blog. I love it too. http://www.cumberland.wordpress.com/

Spanish moss is one of the most noticed and misunderstood plants on Cumberland. Over the years, I have heard a number of unusual descriptions and interpretations of the ’strange stuff’ that hangs from the trees. I remember a commercial photo shoot on the Island a few years ago, when one of the fashion models thought a set designer had “put that stuff in the trees” to enhance the photos. More recently, a visitor said “the stuff in the trees” reminded him of women’s under garments and a walk through Victoria’s Secrets.
Just the origin of the plants name sparks the imagination as it may have been compared to the long gray beards of early spanish explorers. The truth is, spanish moss is neither spanish nor is it a moss. Instead it’s a native sub-tropical air plant or epiphyte that draws nourishment from moisture in the air, as opposed to a parasite that would feed directly on the host tree it is attached to. Some people are confused over this because they have seen trees killed by spanish moss. This is due usually to large amounts of moss shading out the trees leaves rather than feeding on the tree itself; but this is seldom seen on Cumberland where frequent windy conditions prune back the buildup of moss on most trees. On the other hand, spanish moss acts like a sponge during wet weather adding a great deal of weight to a tree. If strong winds occur many limbs can be broken off, leaving the tree susceptible to insect damage. But the reservoir of water held by this odd looking plant will benefit the surrounding forest as it is released slowly through evaporation, nourishing other moisture loving plants. Wind and air quality play a key role in the distribution and survival of spanish moss. Although it flowers and produces seeds, the plant spreads mostly by pieces that have been separated by the wind. This air plant is also an indicator of air quality because it will not grow in a polluted environment. Spanish moss hanging from a live oak, it’s main host tree, is the classic picture of the deep south. This time of year especially, with our brilliant red and golden autumn sunsets, the moss stands out in the forest, back lit by a warm quality of light that can stir the imagination, but for some reason it just doesn’t remind me of Victoria’s Secrets.

Southwest Georgia

I got to do this a few years ago and it was so much fun. It was around Christmas and all the little towns like Americus and Plains were all decorated in lights. They served hot cocoa and popcorn on the train. The Policy Analyst insider scoop is that the State may be cutting their budget significantly, so you may want to do this while it is still in operation, or at least bring your own popcorn! If you are in the Southwest Georgia area, I recommend checking out the Rylander Theater (http://www.rylander.org/) in Americus and seeing a show. Then, ride the SAM Shortline.It goes through Plains and to Archery, the boyhood home of Jimmy Carter. I loved the train ride because you really feel like you are back in time. The train goes through cotton fields, you rarely see a car and it stops in the middle of nowhere in Archery. The train stops in Plains and there are a few little antique and gift shops. It is neat to see the old South preserved like that and to have a tiny view into the boyhood of an American president. www.samshortline.com

Dining- OTP

I left the City, to go to the Country and on my way back into the City, discovered the Houndstooth Grill & Tavern. It is located in Braselton, GA. It is at the Chateau Elan exit. If coming North, take a Left...South, take a Right. Chateau Elan will be on your left. I think it is 1.8 miles from the exit to a red light where a shopping center will be on your right. Take a right at this light and an immediate right into the shopping center and you will see the Houndstooth Grill and Tavern. They have a special menu for Sunday Brunch that is served until 3:00. They have a crab cake appetizer on the menu and grouper fingers. They serve a daily quiche, a large variety of salads, seafood, steaks, sandwiches, pasta, and chicken prepared just about any way you can image. Here is a description of their stuffed grouper: Fresh Grouper Filet Filled with Shrimp, Crabmeat, Broccoli and Monterey Jack Cheese. Topped with a Shrimp Reduction Sauce and Served with Three Grain Rice and Marinated Grilled Asparagus.

They have about six desserts on the menu also. I had a HUGE spinach and mushroom omelet that looked like this:

It was served with a chilled fruit cup, a mini bran muffin and a small bowl of really yummy cheese grits for $8.95. 770.967.2225

So if you are Christmas shopping at the Commerce Outlet Mall, going to Chateau Elan, the Mayfield Dairy, my parent's house, or just north on I-85, don't go to Cracker Barrell!! Go here instead. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, outside dining

Christmas Cookies

Not So Easy But Oh So Good And Fun Sugar Cookies

Disclaimer: These are harder than they look.

Ingredients:

Publix Sugar Cookie Dough (1 or 2 Rolls)

Mini Chocolate Chips (I like Dark Chocolate if you can get it)

1 small package of cinnamon red hots or is it hearts? They are hot and heart shaped-ish.

1 package of mini pretzel twists (I recommend Snyder's of Hanover)

Cut the cookies according to sugar cookie package directions ...Use a sharp knife!

Once you lay out the cookies on your greased cookie sheet, pinch them about 2/3 of the way down to make the Reindeer shaped face.

Carefully break the mini pretzel twists in half to make antlers and press into the top of the cookie. This is completely trial and error. You will mess up and you will eat a lot of pretzels in the baking of these cookies, or at least I did. If so, be sure to eat a fingerful of chocolate chips alongside the pretzels, they are better this way, trust me. Bake according to package instructions. Remove and cool for a few minutes, then add chocolate chips and red hots. There is a science to adding the chips at the perfect time, not to melt but to adhere to the cookie. Good luck with that.

Blog Updated

This is Aunt Grace...for whom I was named and my favorite aunt. She never married. I am nothing like her, so don't even think it! She died in 1994. She always rolled her hair all around in what they called a "Rat"...whatever that is. She made ambrosia. I hated it. I always felt like I was supposed to be spitting something out, but it was just coconut. Blech. She was funny and so active. She worked in "The Mill" so Granny Davis could go to college. She took care of her mother until she died and then took care of her bedridden brother who had stomach cancer. I remember about 1998 or so my Dad was eating a fried apple pie over at my Grandmother's and he asked who made it and my Grandmother said, "Aunt Grace". I watched to see if he'd spit it out, but he didn't. I know four years in the freezer is not all that bad, but just something about it struck me as odd. She was great. She was a servant and selfless. She gave up a chance to marry( his name was Garrett) to take care her mother and always put others first. So, I guess that means she is first in all things in the Kingdom and is wearing a crown of many, many jewels. To read more about the family and life as me check out http://jgracedavis.blogspot.com/

Books- Kaye Gibbons

She is one of my all time favorites! I first read Ellen Foster in high school, read a few more in college and then a few years ago started reading everything she has ever written. I kind of get them all confused because I read a lot of them all at once, getting them from the East Point Library about two years ago. I think this is the full list of what she has written and pulled some reviews to help identify them. They are all so good, except for her latest one. Gibbons is from North Carolina and was born in 1960. Wikipedia describes her as suffering from bipolar disorder. One of the characters in Sights Unseen suffers from this disorder. The book certainly takes you there and you feel a bit like you are going a little insane yourself. They are set in the South and about characters you feel you already know. She makes me want to write about my life experiences in the South and the characters I grew up with. She reminds me of Harper Lee.

Ellen Foster (1987) This one is the most popular, it's on the Oprah book club list and was made into a television movie. Review: "The voice of this resourceful child is mesmerizing because we are right inside her head. The words are always flawlessly right....Thus does Gibbons persuade us, as few writers can, that even a terrible childhood can be a state of grace." The New Republic

A Cure for Dreams (1992) Synopsis: A story that traces the bonds between four generations of resourceful Southern women through stories passed from one generation to another.

Charms for the Easy Life (1993)

I think this one was made into a movie as well. Publisher Comments: In the verdant backwoods of North Carolina, in a sad and singular era, the Birches are unique among women of their time-living gloriously rich it decidedly offbeat lives in a private world abandoned by men. And though misery often heats a path to their door, headstrong Sophia and her brilliant daughter Margaret possess charms to ward off loneliness and despair-thanks to the uncompromising strength, uncommon wisdom, and muscular love of a remarkable matriarch and self-taught healer who calls herself Charlie Kate.

A Virtuous Woman (1997) This one also made the Oprah book club; The Publisher comments state, "When Blinking Jack Stokes met Ruby Pitt Woodrow, she was twenty and he was forty. She was the carefully raised daughter of Carolina gentry and he was a skinny tenant farmer who had never owned anything in his life. She was newly widowed after a disastrous marriage to a brutal drifter. He had never asked a woman to do more than help him hitch a mule. They didn't fall in love so much as they simply found each other and held on for dear life. On The Occasion Of My Last Afternoon: A Novel (1998)- set in 1842 in the South, is about racial tolerance and strong women

On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon (1998) From School Library Journal YA-In 1900, Emma Garnet Tate Lowell tells her life story, beginning when she was 12 in antebellum Virginia. Her father, who used brutality and fear to intimidate family, slaves, and servants, killed a slave in a fit of anger. The plantation household was managed by Clarice, a free black woman of courage and loyalty. Emma Garnet's younger sister Maureen was both dutiful and eager to learn the graces that attracted a suitable husband. Independent of spirit, disdainful of housewifely skills, intelligent and opinionated, Emma Garnet determined to escape from Seven Oaks. Details of her reminiscences are sketchy at times, but she met and married Quincy Lowell of the Boston Lowells, a surgeon and everything her father was not. Her mother unselfishly urged her daughter to take Clarice with her to help them get settled in Raleigh, where Quincy planned to set up his medical practice. Clarice never returned, but devoted herself to the Lowells and their three daughters. Emma Garnet tells her story with unflinching honesty, revealing a complex character who changed from a self-absorbed and indulged child to a loving wife and mother. She eventually opened her home to wounded Confederate soldiers and found new purpose and meaning in her life by helping others. YAs will find Emma Garnet, Maureen, Clarice, and Quincy to be fascinating and endearing characters whose flaws as well as strengths are revealed as the story unfolds. The author's picture of life in the Civil War South is vivid and unsentimental, and her characters are drawn with clarity and sympathy.Molly Connally, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA

Divining Women (2004) - Publisher Comments:
In her darkest yet most redeeming novel, Gibbons scorches us with a firestorm of despair — and then resurrects love and hope from its very ashes.
Autumn 1918: Rumors of peace are spreading across America, but spreading even faster are the first cases of Spanish influenza, whispering of the epidemic to come. Maureen Ross, well past a safe childbearing age, is experiencing a difficult pregnancy. Her husband, Troop — cold and careless of her condition — is an emotional cripple who has battered her spirit throughout their marriage. As Maureen's time grows near, she becomes convinced she will die in childbirth. Into this loveless ménage arrives Mary Oliver, Troop's niece. The sheltered child of a well-to-do, freethinking Washington family, Mary comes to help Maureen in the last weeks of her confinement. Horrified by Troop's bullying, she soon discovers that her true duty is to protect her aunt.
As the influenza spreads and the death toll grows, Troop's spiteful behaviors worsen. Tormenting his wife, taunting her for her "low birth," hiding her mother's letters, Troop terrorizes the household. But when Mary fights back, he begins to go over the edge, and Maureen rallies, releasing a stunning thunderstorm of confrontation and, ultimately, finding spiritual renewal.

Sights Unseen (2005) - "is the author at her most passionate and heartfelt best — an unforgettable tale of unconditional love, and of a family's desperate search for normalcy in the midst of madness. It is a novel of rare poignancy, wit and evocative power — the story of tragic, emotionally devastated Maggie, 'the Barnes woman with all the problems, and daughter Hattie, a child struggling to rind a place for herself in her damaged mother's heart'". This one is my personal favorite.

The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster (2005)- Carla, who is an expert on all things, didn't like this one at all. I bought her the autographed hard back edition for her birthday that year. We were both disappointed. I don't think I ever finished it. I trust my sister in all things.

Kitchenware

I bought these at the Williams Sonoma Outlet in Dawsonville a few years ago and I love them! I use them for everything...that once a year baking I do, that once a month egg beating for Saturday morning omelets, and my daily salad. Yes, I eat it right out of the mixing bowl, it's the perfect size. I don't always have room on the top rack and have, on occasion, put them on the bottom rack and they came out intact. I know these have been around for ages but, the nonslip base is an ingenious invention and the contoured lip makes pouring so much less messy, don't buy bowls without it.

"Essential equipment for cooking and baking, our lightweight melamine bowls are an asset in any kitchen. Each has a nonslip rubber ring on its base to help hold the bowl securely in place. A handle and contoured lip allow you to neatly pour batter into a baking pan or onto a griddle. And because the bowls won't react with acidic foods, they're ideal for preparing marinades". Top-rack dishwasher safe. 2, 3, and 4-qt. cap.; 9 1/2", 11" and 12 1/4" diam. Set of three. A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.

Perfume

Misty Harris Holcomb (Hey you!) wears this perfume and I love it! I have been out of a fragrance for awhile (a lot out there make me sneeze) and have been waiting to find the perfect one. I keep coming back to this one. Stila Cosmetics describes it like this: "The lovely Creme Bouquet fragrance is warm and sweet, with a delicate blend of vanilla, pink lilac, and lily of the valley. Each glass bottle is decorated with hand-pressed, dried flowers that represent the floral elements inside. You're guaranteed to come out smelling sweet". 1.7 oz. $50.00 www.sephora.com

www.stilacosmetics.com