Southern Byways

Just a little something for those of you who really don’t care for fruit cake… although I can’t imagine why?? Anyway, here are the ingredients. Looks pretty decadent to me. Not that I’m giving up fruit cake any time soon, but when it comes to the holidays, I don’t think that you can have too much of a good thing. And just in case you are interested, this recipe won a contest!
2 cups Kentucky bourbon (no blends)
1 pound candied red cherries (whole or chopped is fine)
3/4 pound golden raisins
1 cup crasins (dried cranberries)
2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 …read more

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It seems that South Carolina is the state to be in for Christmas this year. There is something going on every single day of December. And more often than not, there is more than one Christmasy thing to do. So, get out a pen and paper and jot down everything you want to do. If you are anything like me, the days will simply get away from you and you will miss out on all the good stuff!! And one just happens to be a parade of boats. Nothing quite like boats covered with Christmas lights!
*South Carolina Christmas Trivia (Carole …read more

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Location: Christmas, Florida
History

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You don’t have to fly over to England to enjoy a Victoria Christmas. You can do just that in Richmond, Virginia!
They are offering “Victorian activities, living history demonstrations, the Maymont Holiday Shop and visits with Father Christmas and other Victorian characters. Carolers and bell ringers serenade the crowds with the sounds of the season.”
Now doesn’t that room look perfect for the holiday season? It’s almost like stepping back in time. I wonder what it would be like?
And Father Christmas… if that isn’t Victorian, I don’t know what is! And you know where I will be spending most of …read more

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Well, they certainly don’t play music like this where I live, so if I want to get a feel for all things… Kentucky, this is certainly a good place to start. From what I can gather, this music has been traced back to the 1600s and you will never guess, but the music has roots in the “dance music and ballads from Ireland, Scotland and England, as well as African American gospel music and blues. (In fact, slaves from Africa brought the design idea for the banjo–an instrument now integral to the bluegrass sound.) ”
I think that I’m going …read more

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“There are places that need no historical marker because they are haunted; haunted by the spirits of men in blue and gray, now a part of the soil they fought over. If you stand quietly and listen, you can sense the clash of arms and see the skirmish, as if the gnarled old trees can’t forget and whisper their story to your imagination…”
From “Faces & Songs”
—Barry Etris
But my favorite part of this town has to be the restaurants and Boneheads in particular. They have this special pepper that they use called Piri Piri and it makes their food in a …read more

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If you are in the Chattanooga area, you might want to check out Ruby Falls. It’s a 45 foot waterfall on Lookout Mountain and be sure that you take advantage of the fact that you can walk behind the falls. Now how cool is that? But it gets better! Ruby Falls is actually inside Lookout Mountain.
And for you trivia buffs, it is thought that the actual age of Ruby Falls is about 30 million years!
Today’s did you know…
“Tennessee won its nickname as The Volunteer State during the War of 1812 when volunteer soldiers from Tennessee displayed marked valor in …read more

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I was just looking over the list and I have to admit that there are some items that never occurred to me. No, not all of them are going to apply, but I did spot a few new items that I could include. I guess the good news is that I at least attempt a medical kit when we go on vacation. You just never know what you are going to step into (like my fire ants escapade) And then there are the migraines that affect my family. There is no faster way of ruining a holiday than …read more

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If you are a history buff, you might want to indulge yourself with a few day’s stay at the Williamsburg Lodge. You right right next door to Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area where you will find historic buildings, museums and lots of tradepeople who are more than happy to explain how life once was. And then there are the restaurants and the shopping. I still remember the peanut soup that I ordered as part of the meal at King’s Arms Tavern. And it’s still on the menu! That should tell you just how good it is! And the shops, who could …read more

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I’m still the little southern girl from the wrong side of the tracks who really didn’t feel like she belonged.
Faye Dunaway

*born 14 January 1941 in Bascom, Florida
If this interview is any indication, it seems that she has lost that “little girl from the wrong side of the tracks” persona.

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