heritage

From TV to Reality: Our Unforgettable Trip to Laurel, MS

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Around the beginning of the year, I told my sister Clarissa I was ready for a road trip. We hadn’t done one in forever and I thought we should plan one to celebrate her upcoming birthday. I gave her the choice of destination and she immediately chose Laurel, Mississippi, the home of Ben and Erin Napier and origin of HGTV’s popular Home Town.

I’d never seen an episode at that point, but she took care of my lack of education, and I was immediately hooked. I’ve always been a sucker for revitalizing historic areas, love the show, appreciate the atmosphere you pick up on in their episodes, and was really looking forward to the experience. After the fact, I’m here to say that, of all the vacations we’ve taken together, this was one of the best!

Big picture: Although we did plan for travel to other cities, we focused primarily on the historic part of Laurel, which is where the Napiers and their businesses are, and from the beautiful architecture to the quirky streets to the phenomenal people, we truly felt right at home. Admittedly, this is an area rich in tourists, so obviously the businesses are going to focus more on customer service than the average checker at the big box store. Still, we weren’t the only tourists commenting on how friendly everyone was; I overheard several such conversations. Too, as a Christian, I was delighted by how many of the stores played Christian music.

We did make one major mistake, and I’ll share it right now so you can save yourself the frustration. We planned our trip for Saturday through Thursday. What we didn’t realize is that some of the places we would specifically end up wanting to go are only open Thursday through Saturday. We still had a fantastic time, but it would have been better if we’d done more research. We’ve already decided that, were we to go back, our trip would start on Wednesday.

We also could have attended church Sunday morning if we’d planned ahead. Honestly, it’s amazing what you don’t think about.

We arrived late on Saturday, so that day was a wash as far as Laurel was concerned. Then, on Sunday morning, with almost everything closed while people were in church, we parked downtown and started walking. It was a beautiful day, and we were able to ogle the gorgeous old houses and buildings to our hearts’ content because we pretty much had the streets to ourselves. By the time we got hungry, we found the one place that was open: Grits and Some. If you go to Laurel, plan to eat a meal at Grits and Some. I don’t remember what Clarissa ate, but I had some truly excellent biscuits and sausage gravy (more than I could eat), and the price was good. I paid around $7 before the tip. We fully intended to eat there again later in the week. That didn’t happen for two reasons: We failed to pay attention to their hours of operation, and we found something different for “breakfast” the next morning.

Enter Forever Nutrition. I’d heard of loaded teas before, but didn’t know what they were and this place sells them (and many other things). Since we were alone in the store the owner took time to fill us in on loaded teas and… well, a lot, really. By the time we left on that first day, we felt like we’d found a friend. From that point on, Forever Nutrition was our first stop in the morning. A healthy breakfast? Maybe not so much, but it sure tasted good, and we seriously enjoyed getting to know the owner a little better and hearing her thoughts about the town, and the Napiers.

Speaking of Ben and Erin, we saw them that day at lunch. At our new friend’s suggestion, we went to Wilson’s Commissary (southern cooking), which is what I think of as community dining. Instead of individual tables, you have long rows of tables. It’ an efficient use of space, allowing them to serve quite a few people in a small room, and it’s clearly a popular destination; they need all those chairs. At one point, while I was looking around, I caught a glimpse, only a glimpse, of a woman whose haircut matched Erin’s and who, even more telling, was using her hands the way Erin does when she talks. With people between us, I couldn’t be sure, so I texted Clarissa, who was sitting across from me. (Community tables, remember? I didn’t want to say it out loud and have the local beside me think I was a stalking fan.) She was able to see not only Erin, but Ben sitting beside her.

Did we approach them? Definitely not. We are fans, but not that type of fan. We just thought it was cool that we’d seen them in their normal habitat, so to speak. Interestingly, it seemed like Ben intentionally stuck around for a few minutes after everyone else in their party left, just to make himself available to people. I can’t be sure if that was his purpose, of course, but it was nice to see him shaking hands.

In talking to the owner of Forever Nutrition (Can’t believe I never got her name!), we learned that what we’d expected…hoped…is true. The town is very protective of this family. She didn’t tell us a whole lot, but did share one story that made it clear just how dangerous fame can be and how the town comes together to have their backs. All of which is another reason we had no intention of approaching them.

One last thing on food. We ate well while we were in Mississippi, but our hands down favorite restaurant was the Bird Dog Cafe. This is one of the locations Ben and Erin had worked on, which is why Clarissa knew about it and wanted to go. The atmosphere is phenomenal, but oh, the food! Oh man, the food! I just can’t! They have a great menu with fancier choices, but I opted for a meatball sub that beat every other sub I’ve ever had. My receipt says I also had a salad, and I’m sure it was awesome too, but that sub left an impact. I was so full that I almost didn’t order dessert, but I had a feeling their chocolate peanut butter cheesecake would be equally amazing. I was right. So, if you go to the Bird Dog cafe, get dessert too!

Moving right along, I’m sure it won’t surprise anyone that one of our favorite things to do when on vacation is shop. Even if I don’t have much to spend, as long as I have something budgeted for shopping I’m happy. With that in mind, some of the places that got my money were…

Office Products Center & Gifts
Yes, it’s an odd name. I didn’t ask, but suspect it started out as an office supply store and someone was smart enough to start adding gifts. It’s about half and half now, and though there were many things I liked, I settled on long-sleeved, Laurel-themed, Christmas Ts for the two of us. Clarissa found a gorgeous leather purse and a few other things. We were there for a while and had a blast visiting with the owner and other shoppers. It’s what I referred to earlier; even with other shoppers the feeling in downtown Laurel is one of community.

The Remnant
As soon as we heard about this resale shop, we knew we had to go, because its profits help fund housing for women and children who are going through truly hard times (think domestic abuse, recovery, etc.). Walking in was a nice surprise, because you don’t get a resale shop vibe at all. I suppose I would call it a resale boutique because they’ve done a beautiful job with the decor, and their staging of the antiques and similar items makes you feel like you’re in an antique store. They also sell clothing, and I did buy some.

The Plaid Pecan
Also a resale shop, this one netted me two sweaters and two tops, one of which was new with tags, and even the new top only cost $10. I left happy.

The Scotsman
Fans of the show know The Scotsman is Ben’s company. It sells a wide variety of both leather and wood items, as well as other very cool gifts. We shopped there two different days. The first day, I discovered absolutely adorable child-sized wood items: My youngest granddaughter got a maple cutting board, “knife,” and rolling pin for her birthday. They are made for a child, but are adult quality and I can see her using them for a very long time. The children’s section was a definite challenge to my self-control, and it was only one corner in a fabulous store. We spent a lot of time oohing and aahing that day. Then, after he learned about the leather items they offer, my brother-in-law had us go back the next day to shop for him, and we hit the Home Town fan jackpot.

One wall of the Scotsman is a huge window that lets you see into the wood shop where they film episodes. And they were filming! We got to speak with one of his team members while we watched, and learned some really interesting things – like just how grueling the shooting schedule is. We also shopped, and I bought one little thing for me, a leather business card holder. I couldn’t leave without something to help me remember the experience and, besides, I needed it.

Scent Library
I tried hard to resist the temptation. The Scent Library is another place we went twice, and the second time was because I could not get the memory of one particular candle out of my head. The Scent Library is Erin’s brainchild. Their tag line is “Every scent tells a story,” and the shop is set up accordingly; it looks like a library. The scent I couldn’t pass up is Leiper’s Fork. It makes me think fall and Christmas. Here’s its story.

On trips to visit friends outside of Nashville, we spent most of it at the hearth of a wood burning fireplace in Leiper’s Fork. After gathering firewood from the dense woods around their house, spending a cold night fireside in flannel pajamas was the best ending to the day. – Erin Napier

Since I was already buying one candle, it didn’t take much for the “Blind Date with a Candle” display to suck me in. One description sounded like it would fit me, and the discounted price was enough to bring me back to that table for the third and fatal…I mean final… time. I ended up with Ouida’s Garden, a luscious floral that I’m really glad I bought.

Hellfighters
This place is amazing! At first glance it looks like it would be a motorcycle shop, and it is, but it’s much more. They do custom work on bikes and Jeeps and have quite a few bikes in the showroom/store. They carry a little of everything from clothing in a variety of styles to accessories to fun and funky gifts to… Well, everything. They also have a motorcycle history museum upstairs that we both enjoyed visiting.

And best of all, which we didn’t learn until we checked out, they support Mission At The Cross, a home that helps recovering addicts find victory. We were told that pretty much everyone who works there is someone who has been going through their program, so they’re also being prepared to re-enter the workforce. Definitely pay this place a visit!

You’ll find street after street of shops and places to eat in Laurel. These are just the ones I can remember because I still have the receipts. There are other things to do as well. They have multiple museums, and the visitors center is a must. Not too far down the road is a living history museum that our poor planning kept us from experiencing. As I said earlier, there were several interesting places we missed because of our scheduling mistake.

They also have events throughout the year, and I’m sure the place is beautiful at Christmas. Clarissa is already talking to Brother about going back at some point during the holidays for that very reason. If you’re looking for a road trip, here’s your sign.

EXEMPLARY PIETY.

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

I’ve pored o’er many a yellow page
   Of ancient wisdom, and have won,
Perchance, a scholar’s name – but sage
   Or bard have never taught thy son
Lessons so dear, so fraught with holy truth,
As those his mother’s faith shed on his youth.
                                                            George W. Bethune

A lady in the district of Beaufort, South Carolina, at the age of seventy-six, anxious once more to enjoy the society of all her children and grand-children, invited them to spend a day with her. The interview was permitted and was very affecting. It “was conducted just as we should suppose piety and the relation sustained by the parties would dictate. She acknowledged God in this, as well as in every other way. Her eldest son, who is a minister of the Gospel in the Baptist denomination, commenced the exercises of the day, by reading the Scriptures and prayer. The whole family then joined in the song of praise to the Giver of every good and perfect gift. This service was concluded by a suitable exhortation from the same person. Eighty-five of her regular descendants were present. Forty-four children and grandchildren, arrived at maturity, sat at the same table at dinner. Of that number. forty-three professed faith in Jesus Christ; of the four surviving sons of this excellent lady, two were preachers of the Gospel, and the other two deacons in the Baptist church.

“Two of her grandsons were also ministers of the same church. When the day was drawing to a close the matron called her numerous children around her, gave them each salutary advice and counsel, and bestowed upon all her parting blessing. The day was closed by her youngest son, with exercises similar to those with which it commenced.

“Mrs.—- lived eight years after this event, leaving, at her death, one hundred and fifteen lineal descendants, in which large number not a swearer nor drunkard is to be found.”*

*Jaber Burns, D. D.

______

Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women
(Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls)
Edited by J. Clement
——
With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney
Illustrated
BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers
Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851,
by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York
______

A FAITHFUL MOTHER.

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

-Her pure and holy spirit now
Doth intercede at the eternal throne.
                                                Miss Landon.

The following anecdote strikingly illustrates the strength of maternal love, the beauty of faith, and the efficacy of prayer. It was related by a blind preacher:

“When I was about eighteen years of age, there was a dancing party in Middleboro, Massachusetts, which I was solicited to attend, and act, as usual, in the capacity of musician. I was fond of such scenes of amusements then, and I readily assented to the request. I had a pious mother; and she earnestly remonstrated against my going. But, at length, when all her expostulations and entreaties failed in changing my purpose, she said: ‘Well, my son, I shall not forbid your going, but remember, that all the time you spend in that gay company, I shall spend in praying for you at home.’ I went to the ball, but I was like the stricken deer, carrying an arrow in his side. I began to play; but my convictions sank deeper and deeper, and I felt miserable indeed. I thought I would have given the world to have been rid of that mother’s prayers. At one time I felt so wretched and so overwhelmed with my feelings, that I ceased playing and dropped my musical instrument from my hand. There was another young person there who refused to dance; and, as I learned, her refusal was owing to feelings similar to my own, and perhaps they arose from a similar cause. My mother’s prayers were not lost. That was the last ball I ever attended, except one, where I was invited to play again, but went and prayed and preached instead, till the place was converted into a Bochim, a place of weeping. The convictions of that wretched night never wholly left me, till they left me at the feet of Christ, and several of my young companions in sin ere long were led to believe and obey the gospel also.”

______

Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women
(Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls)
Edited by J. Clement
——
With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney
Illustrated
BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers
Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851,
by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York
______

Tiny House Part 22: Get Ready & Go

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

We’re nearing the end of the official tour with only this, the headboard wall, and then my bedroom area. I will continue to make occasional posts as I change things or implement new storage solutions I want to share. 

This area, my “get ready & go” space, is by the door. So, for perspective, here is a shot I took while standing in my open front door.

The teal blue curtain covers the closet, and the four hanging photos are on the closet’s end wall. This blue lingerie chest, which I’ve had for years, was kept firmly in mind when determining the size of the closet. There is just enough space between it and my open door. Truly, we made every inch count.

Every time someone sees a photo of it, I’m asked about this lingerie chest, which is obviously a great solution for small spaces. This lovely thing is a relic of the 70s. I picked it up at auction and had a talented friend repaint it from its original ivory and gold. The drawers seem small, but it holds an amazing amount of my clothing. An amazing amount! This is where I put sweaters and other knits I don’t want to hang, shirts that don’t have to be hung, shorts, pajamas, lingerie, socks…even my electric razor simply because it fits. This is one of the most important pieces in my little home; if you can find one, you’ll love it!

As you look at this picture, it becomes quickly obvious why I call it my get ready and go corner. Getting dressed, putting on makeup, and even tossing on what little jewelry I wear and a spritz of cologne all pretty much happens right here. There are three pegs under the yellow shelf. Two of them always hold these two bags; well, they’re there unless I’m using one, which happens a lot. The third, middle peg, generally holds my little crossbody purse so I can snatch it up on my way out the door.

The lighting, which is the same inset LED fixture you find throughout the apartment, is perfect for makeup application. This is such an “obvious” solution for my makeup that it seems ridiculous how long it took me to come up with it. If you remember the bathroom tour, you might recall that I started out doing my makeup in there.

Here you get a better understanding of my makeup storage, as well as a glimpse at the front door and wall. The little colored basket things you see are rubber. I picked them up on clearance at Hobby Lobby years ago, and they have served in a variety of ways ever since. They fit perfectly here, leaving just enough space for me to slip eye shadow palettes around the edges.

The mirror is a heavy brass piece that I picked up cheap at an auction and spray painted one of my favorite colors. The yellow shelf is yet another offering from my decorator friend. It is a wonderful thing, having friends with gifts like hers!

I only recently “finished” the top of this chest. In fact, it was knowing I would soon be writing this post that pushed me to get on the ball. (Motivation is a good thing!) It needed that final “something,” which ended up being this burned wood tray. I wanted unpainted wood, because one of the beautiful things about this apartment is that they finished it with a lovely variety of woods, and I felt this vignette lacked that touch.

I found the Phirkcraft 12″ Round Wooden Serving Tray with Handle on Amazon. Of course.

I’ve mentioned before that it’s important, especially in small spaces, to surround yourself with things that have meaning for you. This corner does that in spades. The large print on the wall is a photo I took (with my iPhone 5, believe it or not) of an old bridge right down from the family cemetery. It has meaning on so many levels!

First, I have a thing for pathways. To me, they represent the unanticipated adventures that lie ahead. You never know what’s around the corner. Even if you can safely guess, you don’t know for sure until you get there. I see pictures of pathways and I dream of what they’re not revealing.

But there’s a lot more going on with me and this particular photo. 

Two of the greatest people I ever knew were my mother’s parents. Their home, on their 76-acre farm/ranch, was my absolute favorite place in the whole world. Over the years of visiting and staying with them in the summer, and even one year spent living right up the road from them, we traveled a lot of country backroads and went over many of these scary bridges. Yes, I said scary. I was a cautious child, and driving over those one-car bridges without safety rails made me nervous every time.

But the memories are still good, because any time I expressed concern Grandaddy would lovingly reassure me that we were perfectly safe, and he was always proven right. (He was proven right when he assured us the dogs would keep the howling wolves away from the house too.) So, in a kind of twisted way, this bridge also represents security and a grandfather’s love.

And then, there is the fact that this exact bridge was right down from where he and so many other members of my family are buried; it should be no surprise I have it on my wall. That old wooden bridge is gone now. I found out from relatives in the area that it was replaced with a modern construct shortly after I took this photo. I’m so glad I didn’t miss that opportunity!

The four photos on the other wall (Surprise surprise…2 are pathways) are from the El Yunque National Rainforest in Puerto Rico. These are from one of the trips I took with my sister, and I have to say that, in all the places we’ve stopped on cruises, Puerto Rico is by far my favorite. I would really like to go back and stay there a while, preferably exploring it with locals, as opposed to only having a few hours while on a cruise. I cannot express the beauty, on all levels, of Puerto Rico!

Finally, we have a bucket list item represented in the shadow box that sits on the chest.

I’m not a huge exercise fan, but I do enjoy walking, and for years I told myself that I was going to one day walk a 5K. That day came when wanting to support a friend who ran our local half marathon/5K, combined with the knowledge that both my nephew and son were going to be involved, pushed me into making the commitment. I didn’t get to train as much as I wanted to, but I was in pretty good shape and knew I could do it, if slowly.

My son competed in the half marathon with my granddaughter, who had trained a bit with him, but who also had to be carried part of the way. Consequently, their time wasn’t what he would have liked, but it was a great daddy/daughter experience, and I was proud of them both. (Random note, she now runs cross country in school.) My nephew walked with me, and since he had been training more than I had, it was he who set the pace. Where I might have lagged, he kept pushing, and we made it through the course in under an hour. Great time? No. But I was extremely glad I’d done it and am still proud of myself for following through on something I’d always wanted to do.

Having a bucket list or just dreams is a good thing.
Following through and doing the thing; that’s the best.
So if you do, keep reminders of your accomplishment.

Be blessed, my friends!

Celebrating Jesus,
Tammy C

Leaving an Invaluable Inheritance

Tammy M Cardwell1 Comment

As a follow-up to last week’s post, http://tammycardwell.com/2020/02/29/invaluable-inheritance/, I’d like to suggest one thing you can do to help your grandchildren learn to love the Word. But first, a question.

Do you have someone who has passed, and you still keep their last voice mail on your phone? Or perhaps you wish there had been a voice mail you could have saved?

Voices are important, but we tend not to realize how important they are until a loved one is gone. That’s why, a few years back, I did a simple but powerful thing.

I used my phone’s Voice Notes app to record The Golden Children’s Bible for my grandchildren. I then copied those recordings onto flash drives and presented them as gifts. These weren’t professional by any stretch. They were all me, just Granna reading a book to them.

I’ve begun working on something similar for them for this Christmas. I’m recording the book of Proverbs. Again – ME, with my hesitations, flubs, and even a, “Hey, Granna doesn’t always get it right.”

With this idea of preparing a spiritual heritage for my grandkids firmly in mind, I plan to follow this with chapter-by-chapter commentaries (still in Proverbs). I won’t comment on every verse, but will share my thoughts on those that I’m particularly drawn to.

So, while I only have memories of the God-led conversations I had with my grandparents, my grands will be able to hear me share the important things any time they want – even after I’m long gone. And all it requires is a simple phone app and a little time.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

Invaluable Inheritance

Tammy M Cardwell1 Comment

Psalm 119:111 (ESV): Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.”

In revisiting this verse today, the word “heritage” stands out. Your heritage is what you inherit. God’s Word is my inheritance.

Yes, we inherit it from God Himself, but I see more here. I see a spiritual application of Proverbs 13:22 (KJVER): “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”

My grandparents, both sets, left me this tremendous inheritance, an enduring love for God’s Word. I saw them love it. I saw them live it. I discussed it with them. More valuable than any money they were able to leave, it is also the only inheritance that will last forever, and I will be eternally grateful for it.

Now it is my responsibility and honor to leave that same heritage for my children’s children!

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

I did a follow-up post at https://tammycardwell.com/2020/03/02/leaving-an-invaluable-inheritance/

My Heritage Forever

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Psalm 119:111 (ESV): Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

God’s Word is the one thing I can invest in that is eternal. I know the “lay up treasures” verse isn’t exactly talking about The Word, but it still applies. If my goal is to get ready for eternity, then I should practice today what I will be doing a thousand years from now – obey whatever God says, fully and forever.

God’s Word IS my heritage forever! Unlike a trust, which can be broken and the money done away with, God’s Word will never “run out” and cannot be taken away from me. Even were armed men to come in and remove every Bible from my home. The Word I have planted in my heart is THERE, and there it will remain, providing a continual return on my investment.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C