My momma’s kitchen, unfortunately dementia has stolen her ability to make both mine and my husband’s favorite meals.

My favorite meal she cooked for me was cubed steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and English peas.

I loved momma’s fried okra. Sliced thin, battered lightly in flour then fried in hot oil till crunchy crisp.

My husband’s favorite was her fried chicken. Bless his heart I don’t fry chicken. His second favorite was her chicken dressing. Now, fortunately for him my momma taught me how to cook it exactly like she did.

Every New Year’s Day she served up black eyed peas, collards, ham and all the trimmings.

I guess by now you realize we are extremely southern.

Yes, and we are extremely happy with our restaurant menu!

I wanted to be my Aunt Helen!!!

She was beautiful, glamorously stylish and I wanted to look and dress like her.

To this day, red lipstick is my favorite.

I love cold crisp weather without any rain or snow.

I love being able to walk briskly and freely with comfortable freedom.

I love the energy the cool air brings to me. It fills my lungs and heart with ambitious determination.

It makes me as happy as a pug in a blanket!

Slow down and just relax. Life truly doesn’t have to be so stressful.

I am learning this and I find it extremely refreshing.

So what if the clothes don’t get washed every Wednesday. The dirty hamper will still be full on Friday or Saturday? Relax.

The line is long at the grocery store. Breathe and play a silly people guessing game instead of getting your underwear all in a bunch. Relax!

Let it go! Just relax more.

Oh, I hear my front porch swing calling me…..

I have always been a bear. So, I am not just the typical mother bear. Something within me longs to help others when I see them struggle.

I will put them on my back of prayer and will provide encouragement. I will fight to keep them safe and to provide what they need.

I give huge bear hugs and pats on the back.

BUT, yes there is always a but, I don’t tolerate an unwillingness by anyone to help themselves. There is only so much anyone can do for another person without it becoming an enabling of poor choices or destructive behavior.

I will love and encourage, but I will also call you out. Tough love some call it. I call it accountability.

Geesh! Unless you are independently wealthy we are all going to be heading to the local grocery store for a spending spree!!!

My mother named me Rita Elaine after my beautiful Aunt Rita from England. I went by my middle name all through my childhood and still am called Elaine by family and friends.

Thirteen months after I was born my mom and dad brought home a brother for me. His name was Dewayne Clyde appropriately named after my father Jesse Clyde.

Now bless my dad’s heart he was named after his grandfather Jesse so he went by his middle name also, Clyde. It’s almost as if names were meant to be completely confusing!

It really isn’t though. Think about it! Elaine Rita just doesn’t roll off the tongue as captive as Rita Elaine.  Clyde Jesse sounds decent, but Jesse Clyde the sequence of names demands more attention.

So I understand why the position of names. It’s all in the way the names sound together in my family. Which explains Momma calling me and my only sibling rhyming names Elaine and DeWayne. Only in the South!