Graduation, Strawberries and Church Pews

Good evening. Ya'll come on in and have a seat and let me share our great news. Now my grandson is going to kill me but I am the GRANDMOTHER and I have to brag. Jimmy graduated the past Saturday from the University of Georgia and it was a big day for us. He has done really well and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. We enjoyed the beautiful day with the sunshine and great breeze to keep us cool. So, if you don't mind I will share a little bit about the day.


I found out that UGA is the oldest state supported college in the United States and has a great and proud history. It was chartered in 1784 and was established on 40,000 acres of land. Rather than take up too much of your time I have added a link to it and let you read it. I was most impressed with the buildings and grounds and of course watching Jimmy graduate was an awesome experience even if we couldn't see him.

These are the graduates which marched and we all know there were many who didn't. It took about an hour for them to march from the stadium seats to the field where they were seated. The fun part was looking at the tops of some of the caps. One had a green balloon taped to the top, a pine tree decorated another, and of course there was glitter and many "Thanks to Mom" adorning others. Often wondered why daddy is not thanked for I bet you a dollar he came with a lot of that money. We saw many, many, extremely happy dads celebrating the fact that now their paychecks could stay at home.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/alton-brown/bio/index.html

We thoroughly enjoyed the speaker for as you can see above it was Alton Brown who is a chef on Food TV. He is a graduate of UGA, author and chef and gave a good speech. It was interesting, funny and certainly not boring like many of the speakers can be. Jimmy didn't even know who he was before he Googled him for he is not a food network junkie like the rest of us are. He did comment that winter graduation had the Sec. of Defense and they had a chef but I know I had rather have Alton Brown any day. I know a politician would have been booooring as heck and we wanted to celebrate not be bored to death.

It was great to have 4 generations present. This is Jimmy, his parents and nephew and we grandparents were taking the pictures. Noah, his nephew, had to come without his mom for little sister Josie could come at any minute now and we really didn't want her to take the chance. This energetic 2 year old was such a good "little man." Not sure he knew what was going on but he sure enjoyed all the attention he got. I think it was fantastic to have the 4 generations for lots of families are not this blessed.

It was a great day and now he can get on with the life he wants after a few obligations to the Army National guard like summer camp and some additional training. Jimmy, we are very proud of you.

Well I hope you enjoyed a little family chat but I did want to share the pictures of the strawberries we froze today. Roy went up to Rutlands, just below Tifton, GA, to the strawberry farm and bought a flat. They are so sweet and we just washed, stemmed, sliced and put them in freezer bags or at least the ones I didn't eat. I had to sample them along and along to see if they were sweet, didn't I?

Now I will use them for strawberry compotes, bread, quick toast spreads and thawed and put on pound cake. I have a recipe I posted last year and I changed it a little and thought ya'll might enjoy it.

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Strawberry Yogurt Pie

2 (8 oz.) containers strawberry yogurt
1 container low fat, sugar free, Cool Whip
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Mix yogurt, lemon juice and Cool Whip together and fold in strawberries. Spoon into the chocolate Teddy Graham pie crust and smooth out. Place in freezer for at least an hour. Before serving, place some sliced strawberries on top and sprinkle with chocolate cookie crumbs. Slice and serve. You can keep it in the freezer for a frozen pie or refrigerate for a softer pie. We like it frozen.

Chocolate Teddy Graham Crust

2 c. Chocolate Teddy Graham crumbs (you can use any chocolate cookies for this or the plain graham crackers).
1/2 stick butter

Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in food processor. Cover bottom of 9 inch pie plate with mixture and press against sides. Put in refrigerator while making pie. Notice I do not add sugar for the chocolate crumbs are sweet.

You can also buy graham cracker plain and chocolate pie crusts, but they have sugar.

It is light and refreshing and you can make it the same way and use sliced peaches or blueberries.

We plan to get a couple of more flats of the fresh strawberries for I use lots of them during winter. I much rather get them from a local farmer than the grocery store any day for not only does it support our farmers but it tastes much better.

We are removing the pews from and old sanctuary at our church and after reading these 2 articles I thought why not use one for a bench at the foot of our bed. We don't have a foot board and we needed somewhere to sit and put on shoes or for the cat to sleep and this is what we did. We had it cut to fit at the foot of the bed but left some room on each end so we wouldn't bump it as we passed by. I put the baskets underneath to store Roy's shoes which have been housed under the chest of drawers. Look much better. I placed a long pillow across the back but may remove it. Have to think about it.

We are going to get another one to put in the entrance hall for seating or to put coats on. I think they are really pretty.
http://www.homesweetbyhand.com/2009/05/awesome-old-thing-church-pew/, http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/entryway/church-pews-at-home-085827

Well that's about it for today and ya'll come back to see me. Hopefully it won't be too long between posts next time. Be careful stepping off the "Net Porch" and come back soon.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach

Tuesday's Thoughts

http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP023/k0236484/

Good morning. Come on in for a cup of coffee and a fresh, hot banana muffin or slice of banana bread. I found an easy recipe using a cake mix and we'll see how good it is. If it is good enough, I will put the recipe on here for you to make. I really like cake mix recipes for after all I am the "Queen of Mixes." I just add a little of this and that and make it taste like I started from scratch.

Wow, we are in the middle of graduation season. Down here they are trying not to get wet if having it outside or trying to get graduates, family, friends and those looking for something to do in a gym. Now having worked in a high school for many years, no matter what you do some people will not be happy. That's life, get over it.

Would you believe that graduation is no longer a dignified and stately affair? The clothing issue is a huge problem for graduates and families. Most high schools have to send letters of instructions home for graduates and families on how to dress and act at graduation. You also have to inspect the graduates before they put on their cap and gowns to see if they followed the instructions. Some do and some don't. It's a shame you can't inspect the families.

They think you are torturing them by asking the girls to wear light colored dresses, white or black shoes, and that the hair be arranged so that the cap will actually fit on the head. Boys have to wear dark pants, white shirts and dark ties, dark, dress shoes, and hair must allow the cap to fit on the head. Is this torture? You would think they had been threatened with "water boarding."

We have had them arrive in cap and gown red, high-top tennis shoes, cut offs, and t-shirt. Needless to say there was a fuss when they were asked to dress properly or not march and you always here that we are hindering them from expressing themselves and infringing on their rights. What rights? The school has the diploma, do you want it or not?

We also have those who show up with hair that there is no way the "mortar board" is going to sit on the head. If you order a cap to fit your head and blow your hair up to 3 feet high and 3 feet wide, the cap is not going to fit. That is in addition to the red, green, blue and glowing yellow color and the can of mousse it has been lacquered with. Sorry, the cap has to sit on the head, not be carried in the hand just to be tossed at the close of the ceremony.

THEN, there is the family. Lord have mercy, if some don't show up looking like they are ready for the beach at Panama City, The Redneck Olympics, or the Hood. As they file in, talking loudly, hollering across the field or gym, you wonder if they got the message that this is a graduation not a hog calling contest. They holler, hoot, and blow those cotton-picking air horns.

There are also The Ladies who show up in their street-walking best. It can't get any shorter or lower unless you just want to come "nekkid." They stroll in slowly so everyone can get a good look at their "abundance" or lack of and loudly shout for the family to come on in so we can see Junior or Princess get their diploma. This is a huge deal for some families for Junior or Princess my be 19 going on 30 and made it out by the skin of their teeth. These are students the teachers give a standing ovation for they are so glad to see them go. Tears of joy are shed and they party afterwards.

The men don't help matters a lot for some of them will not pull off their caps unless they get threatened with eviction. They don't even pull it off for the Star Spangled Banner, invocation, or anything else. Where were these men raised, in a barn? I sometimes think the caps are super-glued to their heads and their hair will fall out if they remove them. Maybe they don't want us to see the bald spots they have due to wearing caps 24/7. I wonder if they pull them off when they go to bed.

At Lowndes High, we have a large, burly, deep-voiced, football coach who gives a speech of instructions before the graduates march in. In a stern, no-nonsense, tone he tells those in attendance there will be no coming and going, hats are to be removed and please do not clap, holler, scream and blow air horns after each graduate receives their diploma. He also asks if the entire family, friends and acquaintances will not exit loudly as soon as their precious child receives a diploma.

Now this is followed for the honor students to receive their diplomas for their families were usually raised by mamas who taught manners. Then the fun begins and no matter what has been said the families and others begin to praise the Lord, the teachers, and anyone else for Junior or Princess receiving that diploma. They thought they would never see this day and they want everybody to know they have a high school graduate.

Granted some of these lovely people still can't read, think, balance their checkbooks, or find a job, but you can only keep them in high school until they are 19. After all there is a limit to how many weight lifting, PE and shop classes you can take in 6 years. There comes a time, before Social Security kicks in that you have to leave the warm, fuzzy school which has been you security blanket for most of your lives. Sorry, but the world awaits you, go get it!

I have seen graduation ceremonies halted by the principal until some family members were escorted out by security for their outlandish behavior. Of course this made them mad as wet hens and threats to sue were making the air blue as they were removed. This kinda puts a damper on things for a while but it usually cranks up again and the school just tries to make to the last graduate.

Thank goodness there are many parents and friends who were raised by good mamas and daddies who taught them how to behave in public. There is great rejoicing in a mannerly way without hooping, hollering and air horns.

Congratulations to all you who have reached this beginning of the rest of your lives. May you live to honor God, your family and yourself.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach

Friday's Ramblings

Good morning, 'Net friends. Ya'll come on in for a cup of coffee and some "Do you remember whens." You know you are getting up in years when the past becomes fuzzy but important and you try to recall specifics and all you get are generalities. This is when you begin to embroider the facts and it almost becomes fiction. Now I would never do that, for everything I write in this blog is most factual, no fiction, no lies, all truth. Now if you believe that, I have a swamp in South Georgia with your name on it for $19.95 a month as long as I live. Come on in the house and sit a spell.

I began the saga of our graduation from high school yesterday and today I will wrap it up for the facts have become a little fuzzy but rose-colored, for it was a momentous time in my life. After all, I had completed 12 years of school, in the same school house, with about 32 of my friends. There were about 50 of us altogether and 32 of us had traveled this journey together. We had gained some and lost some along the way but we were a pretty tight group.

Graduation meant parties which were always fun. We had a swimming party at Fire Acres in Selma, a formal tea prepared by the Home Ec classes, a fun party at a lodge down in the woods in Coy and I am sure some more that I can't remember. These would have been alcohol and drug free parties, but believe it or not, we had a great time at each of them. We would play records on the record player and dance up a storm. Remember, being Baptist and all, I could dance at school dances for they were heavily chaperoned by teachers and parents and the "Mama Police" were always ready and willing to call your mama before you got home or early the next morning. They always called everybody else in town also so your name would be "mud" for a little while. There was always someone else doing something wrong shortly so they would forget about you for awhile.

After all the partying, we got down to the serious business of the graduation ceremony. Now I mean to tell you this was serious business for this was the only graduation some of our classmates would ever experience and some would not have been there without Mr. Dickey, our English teacher. He would tutor, encourage, berate and teach again to get some of those "old boys" through high school. Thanks to him, many graduated and went on the college because he wouldn't give up on them.

Mrs. Watson was in charge of graduation and I mean "In Charge" for she was a no nonsense lady. She was the math teacher and not my favorite for I stunk in math which made me not her favorite student, so it was mutual. She would line us up for practice and not a word would be spoken unless she spoke it. 50 excited 16 and 17 year old students would stand quietly and do exactly as she said, for we had a healthy respect for her rule over us. When she spoke we hopped.

Now I have to interject a note here, for we had one student who was about 19, I think. He struggled a little, bless his heart, but made it. We used to tease him and say he would be on Social Security before he graduated. Don't get me wrong, we still liked him and was glad to see him make it. He is a good friend and looked after me a lot. Mama said that if she showed up at school to get me, he always knew where I was. Think maybe he had a crush on me or something.

Back to graduation. We had the ceremony in the school auditorium and we would be divided into 2 lines, march down the slippery, sloped floor to the front. Then we had to go to the doors on the sides and march up to the sides of the stage and sit in the chairs on the stage. "Miss Lois" Harris would be playing Pomp and Circumstance on the piano and we would walk sedately and slowly down the aisle, up the steps and sit circumspectly on the stage. We ladies would remember to cross our legs at the ankles, the mortar board hats would be perfectly level on our heads and we would sit straight and quietly during this solemn hour or two.

We would be lined up by height which meant Harry Ratcliffe and I would lead in the 2 lines. We were the shortest and the loudest in the class, which I guess meant we were trying to make up for being short by having a big mouth. We lead them in that night with great dignity, sat and listened to Mr. Benton, the principal make some long speech. I don't remember a word he said and could have cared less for I just wanted that diploma so I could go to college and have some fun.

After all the fol-de-r0l, we received the diplomas, stood and exited the opposite sides of the stage from whence we had entered. We went up the opposite aisle we had come down so all our family and friends could be sure and see their little darling. After all, some of these wonderful family members never thought they would see this moment and wanted to savor it for all it was worth.

Harry and I stood and began to march this wonderful class out of the auditorium with great dignity. Now Mrs. Watson nor anyone else knew what Harry and I had up our long, draped sleeves that night. We were very somber and dignified until we reached the back door and then we looked at each other across the auditorium, grinned and shouted Whoopee!

Now this was the first time anyone had ever made a sound going out those doors, especially a whoopee and Mrs. Watson and some of our somber classmates about had a cow. I thought several of them were going to faint from embarrassment and shame that we had ruined their great moment. Didn't matter to us, for we 2 were glad to be through with that place and on to greater things. After all, we were FREE.

Little did we know that this freedom brought responsibility but we were ready to challenge the world. Harry is now in heaven, I hope, and I know he is still grinning and shouting whoopee. We made history that night and it was fun. Graduation was a big deal, and still is, but I do think we can be tad, less formal and I do think some of the students agree.

Nuff said.

The Georgia Peach

Thursday's Memories

Good morning, ya'll. Come on in for a cup of coffee, fresh and hot. Sure is good and that first sip is like nectar from heaven. It's a beautiful day and am looking forward to enjoying it. I am going to the nursing home to see daddy while Roy is having his physical torture, oops, physical therapy. He is doing wonderfully well but I'm pretty sure they are going to bring in the real torture instruments at some point. Think I will take daddy out in the garden for a while. He will enjoy that.

Can you believe that May is almost here? This year is flying right on by and graduation day is fast approaching for our seniors in whatever level of school they are attending. That is a huge day for them for it is either the beginning of additional "schoolin", entry into a job (hopefully), or jumping off place for some more education. All of it is exciting!

Now as you can guess, it was different back in the olden days when I graduated. It was not a big deal, it was an "OCCASION." You know that down here in the South, we can make an occasion out of anything, graduation, engagement, wedding, funeral, birthing babies, drinking coffee, and on and on. It is wonderful, for you get to eat good food, have a party and dress up. I'm not knocking it, just wishing I had an "occasion" coming up.

With graduation there was a certain protocol you followed and it went something like this. You ordered your invitations and compiled your list of those wonderful people you knew would give you a gift. You checked and double-checked the list to make sure you had not left anyone out, for you didn't want to hurt any one's feelings. You began with your family, and in our case, that meant all were out of town. Even though they couldn't come, they would have hurt feelings if they didn't receive an invitation. I'm not kidding, it was a big deal, and you dared not leave anyone out. So you checked the list again for all family, close friends, distant friends, church friends, and business acquaintances of your daddy.

Carefully you addressed each envelope making sure you had the right address, stamped them and mailed them exactly 2 weeks before graduation. This date was important for the "social policies police" would be terribly disappointed in your mama if it went out before or after. Remember, in the South all we do reflects on our mama's raising of us. You carefully put them in the mail, being sure they did not have any smudges to mar the clean, white invitations or envelopes. Again, it was a terrible breach of etiquette to send smudged invitations.

The next step was to prepare a table to display the gifts. Now you think I'm kidding, no way. You put a snow white tablecloth - clean, starched and ironed - on the largest table you had to display the gifts as they rolled in. Each gift would be set carefully on the table with the name of the sender in front or on top of the gift. Hopefully you ran out of room on that table and had to set up another one. Your status in the community was graded on how many gifts you received.

Now, remember, we were "outsiders" or had moved in when I was 9 months old so my relatives and friends base was smaller than some, but I got lots of nice presents. You kept all the names of the senders in a pretty book that came with your invitations, wrote each name down and sent a thank you note as soon as possible. If the note was sent before about 5 days, that was fine, but any later and the social police was a tad disappointed in you and your mama. Needless to say, mine went out within that period for sending thank you notes for any kindness is an unbreakable rule in the South. If I miss one now, I can hear my mama up in heaven just a 'fussin.

You didn't take your gift table down until after graduation and you didn't use any of them until that date, unless it was from family and that would be alright. You were most always pleased with each every gift unless it was underwear. Displaying panties and slips were kind of distasteful, so you only put out the card. Then there was always the gifts you wondered what in the world to do with them but you had to say thank you anyway like books of devotionals, serious books, diaries and note paper. Nice, but a piece of jewelry would be better.

You see, everyone knew you wore underwear, but you didn't flaunt it. You absolutely did not let your slip hang below your dress or a bra or slip strap show on your shoulders. You checked that hemline about 50 times and you pinned those straps with a little safety pin to make sure they didn't show. If they did, some stupid boy would point and say, "ooo wee, I see your underwear." This was totally embarrassing and you would toss your head, turn around and walk to the nearest restroom in total embarrassment and re-pin that sucker. Then you walked past that boy with your nose up in the air, ignoring such a lack of manners, and give him that, "I think you are totally gross" look. They would only laugh, for being "gross" and obnoxious was their reason for being on this earth and they liked to fulfill their destiny.

I will continue the saga of graduation tomorrow for I didn't know I had so much to say. It was a big deal and graduation from Wilcox County High School was a major part of my life. From this small school in rural, south Alabama we have the treasurer of Alabama, Kay Ivey, a United States Senator, Jeff Sessions, a U. S. House of representative, Joe Bonner, and graduates of MIT, Cal Tech and other prestigious universities. There was a "Miss Alabama" several years back and countless other good people who graduated from this little school. It was a good school, with good teachers and a caring community which taught and nourished us well.

See you tomorrow for some more of the story.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach