Thursday, December 31, 2009

Final part of the series on Southern Expressions that will take the rag off the bush

The series Southern Expressions that will take the rag off the bush is finished with the publication of part 22 at this link
http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/part-22-southern-expressions-that-will.html

See the left sidebar for links to all of the parts of this series.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Help needed with name of old road in SW Monroe County

For the past two years I've been trying to get usable photos of an old roadbed with a canopy of trees that is located on either side of Alt 45 near the Clay-Monroe County line. Two photos of that road are posted at http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/old-road-in-southwestern-monroe-county.html

If you can help with the name/history of that old road, I'd enjoy hearing from you.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

A drive along the Mississippi River

Yesterday I drove south of New Orleans on the river road. Following the west bank road, LA Highway 23 to its end, we turned around went back north to the ferry at Pointe a la Hache. There we crossed the Mississippi River by ferry and took Highway 15 and then Highway 39 north along the east bank.

Along the way we saw citrus groves (tons of satsuma ripe on the trees), sad evidence of the almost complete destruction of some areas during Katrina, reassuring evidence that rebuilding is taking place, and we visited two important historical sites in American history, Fort Jackson and the National Battlefield Park at Chalmette (Battle of New Orleans).

For an account of this river road drive, click here to read http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/following-mississippi-river-south-of.html
Part 21 of the series Southern expressions that will take the rag off the bush is posted at http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/part-21-southern-expressions-that-will.html

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

A Poem for Hill Country

The Sunday series, A Poem for Hill Country, resumes today with Longfellow's Christmas Bells. Here is the link to the article written for an Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in 2007 (click to read) http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/poem-for-hill-country-christmas-bells.html

Saturday, December 19, 2009

A Hill Country Hootie Hoo colum resumes: HAPPY TIME

After several weeks of no "hootie hoo" from Hill Country, the column resumes today with a notice about "happiness." Take a look at the article (click to read) --- and follow the links to see how your state ranks in happiness.

Friday, December 18, 2009

More Southern Words and Expressions

Part 20 of Southern Expressions that will take the rag off the bush is posted at http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/part-20-southern-expressions-that-will.html

Links to the earlier posts in this series can be found in the left sidebar.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

A historic dish made simple: Baked Chicken Pudding

A traditional American dish often served in the Old South was the labor-intensive Chicken Pudding. Cooked slowly in the oven of a wood-burning stove (or earlier in the hearth), this dish makes its own "crust" which browns like a Yorkshire Pudding. But more than looks, this dish is delicious, hearty, filling, and with the new recipe so easy to prepare and serve.

Here is the link to two recipes for making Chicken Pudding the old-fashioned way and one recipe for making Thideosia's Baked Chicken Pudding the new easy way:
http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/thideosias-baked-chicken-pudding.html

My Sweetie prepared Chicken Pudding today --- it was our first time to eat this traditional dish --- and it was delicious!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

More Southern Words and Expression

Part 19 of the series "Southern expressions that will 'take the rag off the bush'" is posted at link
http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/part-19-southern-expressions-that-will.html

For the earlier posts in this series, look to the left side-bar for links.

My dearest and oldest friend, Forrest Underwood, a native Mississippian, now lives in Pahrump, Nevada. He has been reading this series and sends this hill country "put-down/insult for small brained individuals" from his childhood memories from Baldwyn, Lee County, Mississippi: "A childhood friend used to say, 'I could put your brain in an ant's backend, and it would rattle like a peanut in a wash tub.'"

Now that is a small brain indeed!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Book review: A PLACE CALLED HOME

Bob Franks' A PLACE CALLED HOME: Itawamba County Mississippi is reviewed at http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/place-called-home-itawamba-county.html

I'm giving a copy of A Place Called Home as a Christmas present this year --- and highly recommend you take a look at Franks' excellent coffee-table photo-book. A link is provided in the review to the Blurb Bookstore from which the book may be previewed and ordered.

Terry Thornton
Fulton, Mississippi

More Southern words and expressions

Part 18 of Southern expressions that will take the rag off the bush is posted at the following link: http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/part-18-southern-expressions-that-take.html