Well, I had just about the best time ever in Mississippi. It was like a big reunion, really; I saw friends from high school, from college, from my first couple of jobs after college, and from pretty much every phase of my life. I even saw my childhood piano teacher. And one of my dance teacher’s daughters. And my geometry teacher. And my 10th grade English teacher. And you get the idea.

My friend Lea Margaret was so gracious and generous to ask me to sit in her Mistletoe Market booth and sign books, and what I realized after just a couple of hours is that I would have sat there for two days with no books at all. Just hearing the Mississippi accents and listening to people make connections between families and watching grandmamas tend to grand babies while the mamas shopped – every bit of it warmed my heart and fed my soul. Combine that with the fact that I also got to hang out and LAUGH MY FOOL HEAD OFF with some of my best friends from college, and it’s easy to understand why I came home feeling like I have a lot of things to write about.

Everybody has a muse, I reckon. Seems like Mississippi is mine.

I spent most of yesterday hanging out with my fellas and getting all caught up on the last three days, and even though I miss my friends in the magnolia state, it is so good to be home. I don’t have a single travel-related anything on my calendar until the end of January – no speaking, no book signings, no nothing – and I am excited about settling down a little bit and really concentrating on the next book (it’s called Home Is Where My People Are, by the way). The stories are starting to get sort of noisy in my head (I realize that probably makes no sense), so I’m ready to type ’em out and get ‘er done.

Now.

This may be the worst idea I’ve ever had, but yesterday when I was driving home, I was trying to figure out to do with the extra copies of A Little Salty in my backseat. Since I’m not going anywhere book-related for the rest of the year, I was planning to just make a nice little stack-o-books in my dining room, but then it dawned on me that a few of y’all have asked about how to buy signed books for gifts. In the past my response has been, Well, I don’t really know – but yesterday it occurred to me that I have a few extra books + I have PayPal = I can mail out signed copies. Some of y’all have emailed me about doing book signings in places that aren’t the Deep South, and since I just can’t do that right now, this might be an option a few of you will use.

So. This morning I sat down and figured out how to set up a shopping cart on PayPal. I’m pretty sure that steam came out of my ears at one point, but I set it up and it seems to work and I am feeling a little bit like I just solved an algebra problem. I don’t have a whole lot of books, so I’m only going to leave the little order form up for a few days so that I know I can fill whatever orders come in. And there may not be any orders that come in, and that is totally fine. I’ll just make that stack on my dining room table that I mentioned earlier.

The little order form / shopping cart thingie is at the bottom of this post. If you want the book inscribed to a particular person, just list that in the box that says “Inscription.” If you order more than 1 book, just separate the inscriptions with a comma (ex: Donna, Ashley). If you just want the book signed without a specific name, just leave the inscription box blank. And there’s a place on the order form (when you check out) where you can leave me a note if you need to explain anything or if you run out of space in the inscription box.

Shipping is included in the book price (that’s why one book is $20 – to cover waterproof mailers and postage), and I’ll try my best to get books mailed out by the end of next week. I’ll leave ordering open through Friday. If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can use a debit or credit card by clicking “check out.”

All righty. That was a lot of details. I do apologize. And of course I am not trying to pressure you to order. I’m just trying to be proactive about the inevitable stack of books on my dining room table.

Let me know if you have questions. And Happy Veterans Day, everybody. I’m so grateful for my daddy and all the men and women who have served this country so courageously and faithfully (that includes you, too, military spouses).

Hope y’all had a great weekend!

Last night Alex and I were watching a show called “Blue Planet” on Animal Planet, and I was trying to brace myself because the narrator had made it clear that we’d be journeying to the bottom of the sea and I knew that THE CREEPY TEXTURES, THEY WERE COMING. For a while it was all crystal blue water and the occasional fish, but then (OF COURSE) the pressurized sea craft wandered into some lake-like area where there were all manner of creatures with repetitive circular features. There were even (I kid you not) blood red tube worms that were clustered in the shape of a chimney, and I’m pretty sure that it was the closest I’ve ever come to actually dying. I tried to shrug it off and be all, “Oh, it’s no big deal” since I would prefer not to pass on that particular ish-ah to the next generation, but I don’t see any way that God can get glory through a blood red tube worm. Don’t even get me started about the dead whale and the hagfish. I just cannot.

The good news, however, was that I sat through the entire TV show without having to jump up and leave the room. I’d call that progress. I also learned that a blue whale’s tongue weighs as much as an elephant, so maybe that little tidbit-o-knowledge will come in handy should I ever find myself in an impromptu “Jeopardy!” tournament. AS YOU DO.

(Just a little while ago we were watching a bunch of sardines move upstream, and the sight of all their little mouths wide open – the THOUSANDS of them – sent cold shivers down my spine.)

(I may need some counseling.)

Anyway. I actually have a question (well, three) to ask y’all. I’m working on a little something – mainly trying to flesh out an idea. So, if you don’t mind and aren’t too busy and I’m not interrupting you at a critical point in a Netflix marathon, would you answer these three questions in the comments, por favor? Answer anonymously if you want – or just make up a name.

1. On a scale of 0-5 (0 being not at all and 5 being LIKE CRAZY), how much do you struggle with comparison in your life?
2. Do you ever feel competitive as a result of the comparing?
3. In what areas are you most likely to compare yourself to other people?

Kind of serious, I know. But it’ll help me a bunch if even 20 people answer.

Thanks in advance for your help, y’all. Remember, if you’re at Mistletoe Market in Jackson, MS tomorrow afternoon or Friday, come see me at the SoDelta Candle booth. I imagine that we will have lots of time to visit.

Hope y’all have a great Thursday!

Well, I don’t know if it was the weather or the time change or the fact that we didn’t have much on the calendar, but we had the best weekend. Friday night we went to a high school football game (even better: our team won), and Saturday I went to the grocery store and then worked on the new book for a few hours while the fellas enjoyed a little father/son time. I made a big batch of Ree’s beef stew with mushrooms, and Saturday night our friends the Hamptons came over with a big pot of chili and the most delicious corn muffins I have ever eaten (better than Jim-n-Nick’s, Birmingham people, and you know that is saying something). Sunday morning I woke up at 5:45 but didn’t even mind it; I’m just so happy that it’s cool outside and the trees have turned and IT’S TIME TO WEAR SWEATERS AGAIN, AMEN.

I’m heading out of town in a couple of days to do a little speaking and a little book signing, and I feel like I have a million things to do before I’m ready to leave. So, just in case I don’t get to post much this week (I know that there are some people who plan their posts and write them in advance and schedule them a month ahead of time, but I can’t even pretend to be that organized), I want to go ahead and share a few links before I commit all my energy to a hidden object game in a fit of procrastination and forget all about the internet goodness.

– Over the weekend someone on Twitter (I think) linked to one of the most beautiful testimonies I’ve ever read. I’m a little proud of myself that I read it in spite of the FoxNews connection (my parents always have FoxNews cranked up to stun on the TV, so between the volume and the bang! wham! zoom! graphics, it’s a channel that I tend to associate with sensory overload). However, Kirsten Powers’ story is so compelling that I might be willing to give FoxNews another try. Maybe. If I keep the volume turned way down low. :-)

– Yesterday our pastor preached on suffering, and while I know that’s not typically a topic that makes people think, “Oooooh! I can’t wait to listen to that!” – it really is so worth your time, especially if you’re dealing with some specific hurts or challenges right now (or if you love someone who’s going through a difficult time). Just scroll down to the bottom of this page, and the audio link should be there sometime today (I’m posting this Monday morning, and the file isn’t there yet, so I’m trusting that it’ll be posted pretty soon).

Edited to add: here’s the direct audio link.

– One of David’s co-worker’s sent him this video Friday morning, and I haven’t listened to much else for the last three days. You can download the song on iTunes – it’s a mighty good use of $1.29. Sometimes the simplest lyrics are the best.

– Last night one of our next-door neighbors sent over some pumpkin praline cake that was out of this world, and after I talked for fifteen minutes about how delicious it was, I started searching for other pumpkin recipes because, well, ‘TIS THE SEASON. Based on the last post (and oh my word – your comments cracked me up), I think it’s pretty obvious that I won’t be cutting into any real pumpkins, but I am all for a recipe where canned pumpkin is an option. Anyway, I found a great list of 23 Pumpkin Recipes on SouthernLiving.com. I think that the pumpkin crisp might be next on my cooking to-do list.

Happy Monday, y’all!

I rarely mention anything even vaguely political here on the blog because conflict makes me nervous – which is why online discussions about politics typically make me want to set my hair on fire and then crawl under the covers. That doesn’t mean that I want to crawl under the covers while my hair is on fire because, well, HOME HAZARD, but the point is that politics make me want to do a fair amount of screaming and then find somewhere to hide and maybe even sleep.

This is a very mature perspective, obviously. It’s no wonder that I speak so frequently at local political rallies and also debates.

(I just rolled my eyes so hard that I wondered for a few seconds if the right one was stuck.)

Anyway, this week I’ve followed the news a little more closely because I’m trying to keep up with what’s going on in Washington, and I have thought over and over again that I am REAL glad that I’m not the Health and Human Services Secretary or a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Those hearings have STRESSED ME OUT.

That’s one reason why I took some extra time to stare at the sunrise this morning.

Isn’t that just something else? Seeing God at work in that big ole sky has a way of putting things back in perspective.

Anyway. Tonight is Halloween, which is probably my least favorite of all the holidays because COSTUMES. I do not enjoy costumes. I do not enjoy making them, or wearing them, or trying to make conversation with other adults who happen to be wearing costumes. It’s totally irrational, I know, but I just prefer a holiday where I’m expected – and lo, even encouraged – to show up in street clothes. I think one of my issues with costumes is that I don’t like to pretend, so it throws me off if I see someone I know wearing a wig and talking in a funny voice and pretending to be Katy Perry. Because no, you are not Katy Perry. You are Rhonda. Hypothetically. Because I’ve never actually had a friend named Rhonda who dressed up like Katy Perry. But if I did, there’s no question that it would freak me out.

(I’m totally fine with kids in costumes, by the way.)

(I think that kids in costumes are adorable.)

(Can you tell I’ve been a little punchy this week?)

(I’ve been a little punchy.)

A little while ago I was thinking about how adults in costumes can make me feel uneasy, and then I got tickled because IRRATIONAL FEARS, I GOT ‘EM. I’m not scared of snakes and spiders and normal things. I mean, I don’t like or watch scary movies, but if I did, I don’t think they would play into my fears. Because my fears are weird. For example.

1. I am completely grossed out by and terrified of clusters of raised circles or clusters of holes. I found out earlier this year that it’s called trypophobia (I mentioned this in a podcast), and I can totally work myself into a dither about it. It really does cause great anxiety when I get a mental image of some sort of cluster-y something that I can’t shake. And I think it all started in botany lab when we would watch videos with up-close images of things like insect eggs. Okay I have to stop talking about it right now STOP IT.

2. Honeycombs. Forget it. Instant nausea. Please see #1.

3. Pictures of tumors or cysts. Just NO. Because you know those people who will put a picture on Facebook and say, “I was so surprised when the doctors removed this from my arm” – and then THERE’S A PICTURE OF IT? That picture will cause me to take a nerve pill. Because while that cyst or whatever is unfortunate, and while it’s good the doctors were able to remove it, THAT IS YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESS.

(I seriously just walked in my kitchen and wondered if I have any nerve pills on the premises. I’m getting a little worked up.)

4. The insides of pumpkins or cantaloupes. It’s the combination of stringy/slimy and seeds. Can’t do it. Totally gives me the shivers.

5. Animals with opposite textures on their bodies. Porcupines. Hedgehogs. Turtles. Armadillos. Couldn’t touch any of them if you paid me cash money. Might have a heart attack if I had to look at the underside of a turtle while touching the shell.

All righty. That just about covers it. You’re so welcome. And now I’m wondering why in the world I just did that to myself because ICK.

Let’s look at that sunrise one more time, why don’t we?

Better. Much, much better.

So. Does anybody else have strange fears or phobias?

I think it would make my crazy feel better to know that I’m not alone. Seeing as how I just told the internet that I’m afraid of turtles and all.

I have an incurable case of The Shares. Therefore comma get ready for LINKS-A-PLENTY.

– Well.

Dave Barnes released a Christmas album today. It’s called A December to Remember, and it is fantastic (seriously – it is FANTASTIC). Somehow it’s classic, soulful, and modern all at the same time, with a great mix of standards we all grew up with and original songs we’re going to want to learn by Thanksgiving. I know it probably sounds strange, but I can’t wait to sing this album in the car with my family. It’s ’bout-near perfect.

– Something tells me that Ohio State’s band did some practicing over the summer. I loved the Michael Jackson halftime show, but I think this one is even more awesome.

– I’ll be at Mistletoe Marketplace in Jackson, MS next week to sell and sign books at my friend Lea Margaret’s booth (SoDelta Candle Company, booth #608). I’ll be there early Thursday afternoon through Friday night. My friend Elise will be there to sell books at the gala (which sounds very fancy) on Wednesday night – just in case anyone wants to buy books and then pick up signed copies later in the week. Email me if you have questions or if I’ve made this whole thing terribly confusing.

– I want to write like Angie when I grow up. You’ll understand why after you read this post. Absolutely gorgeous – and a mighty timely word.

– This looks awesome (giddy up, J.J. Abrams fans). (via)

– Cheeky Maiden Soap Co. has spoiled me rotten. I order all of my soap from them these days; it’s all-natural, affordable, and so very kind to sensitive skin. Plus, it smells like a little piece of heaven. My most recent order arrived last week, and as soon as I opened the box and inhaled the deliciousness, I made a mental note to pass along the link. Because I love the stuff.

– My friend Rosemary is in college and got engaged a couple of months ago. Her post about the proposal will make you cry happy tears.

– Last but not least.

Ree’s new cookbook released today, and it is a feast for the senses. The photography, the writing, the recipes – everything about it is engaging and helpful and fun. I’m crazy about the way it’s organized (holiday by holiday), and I can’t wait to try the recipes. I have a feeling that my copy will be dog-eared in no time.

Hope y’all have had a great Tuesday!

This past weekend I did two things that changed my whole outlook.

Well. Maybe not my WHOLE outlook. That would be a task for Jesus, I’m guessing. But these two things definitely put a smile on my face, and the fact that they were relatively inexpensive makes them even better.

So. Ready to be astounded and amazed?

1. I re-organized my pantry shelves.

I know. It’s terribly exciting. But I hadn’t touched the shelves all year – other than to throw and cram stuff on them – so I cleaned them off, threw away a bunch of stuff, bought a couple of new plastic bins from the Walmarts, and in about thirty minutes, I went from this shameful state…

…to this much more tidy state (and Mama, if you’re looking at this post, just ignore the confectioner’s sugar that spilled – I hadn’t gotten that far when I took the picture) (I know it’s making you twitch).

There’s Halloween candy in the mix, by the way. Lest you think that mini-Ring Pops are a mealtime staple.

So that was the first thing. Here’s the second thing.

2. I bought new soup bowls.

Seriously. It was a wild and crazy weekend around here, as I’m sure you can tell.

But aren’t they cute? I haven’t had new soup bowls in, oh, about thirteen years, and we were down to just a couple of our bigger bowls that are perfect for chili and stew and whatnot. I found these in Home Goods for a whopping $3.99 each, so I bought 6 and smiled all the way home. We’ve already used them twice.

Sometimes it’s the little things, you know?