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Warm Winter Punch…

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It would be difficult to imagine the South’s celebrations through the years without a Punch Bowl…either Silver or Cut Glass- there was always some sort of Punch for Weddings, Afternoon Teas, Retirement Parties, Dances, Anniversaries, Graduations and even Kindergarteners were celebrated with Punch. Summer’s Fancy Ice Rings, blocks of Creamy Sherbet and Floating Citrus Slices gave way to Winter’s Hot Spiced Tea, Holiday Eggnog and Spirited Punch- highly spirited if you know what I mean. Winter Punch was always a hit. Along with Punch Bowls, Silver Urns for Coffee and antique Silver Tea Sets stood proudly on sideboards or buffet tables ready for any and all occasions. When someone was asked to serve…yes it was an honor, however, the most delicate of all serving- was ladling the punch! Oh my, I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard- ‘Ok, I’ll help serve, just don’t ask me to ladle the punch!‘ Ladling the Punch meant-

  • Not getting a drop of punch on the starched white tablecloth,
  • Wielding a big silver ladle over delicate punch cups,
  • Lining up the cups as quickly as possible.
  • No one wants to be in a long punch line!

Just try to keep that sticky punch from dripping on a fancy dress, a whole party could be ruined with punch stains! Dry cleaners were surely horrified when asked to remove stains from silk, chiffon, lace or velvet.  Of course anyone who was the proud owner of a Punch Bowl was invited to every party- a surefire ticket to any occasion of importance. Now, times are changing… a dear lady exclaimed to me,

‘Ah have two large silver punch bowls that belonged to mah motha’ and grandmotha’ and not one of mah children wants them!’

I suggested she donate them to a church- you never know! Occasionally, you still see a punch bowl at Weddings or Tea Parties, even the rare Eggnog Party at Christmastime.  And while we might not drag out a punch bowl at home, we do still love icy or warm punch depending on the season.

When a chill fills the air and a light dusting of frost nips the garden’s Turnip Greens, Cabbages and Collards- Fall and Winter have arrived. Even the air smells different as the sap runs down. Pine Cones have fallen, bright Rose Hips, Nandina and Holly Berries are showing off as we Southerners, who complain most of the year about the heat and humidity– when the weather begins to cool off, we shiver and sniffle and turn indoors for warmth. We put out Blankets and Throws, drag out our Slippers and Pajamas, pull out Scarves- wool, fur and silk. We make big pots of Soup and Chili- with what else? Cornbread! And we want our houses to smell festive. Warm Winter mugs of Hot Chocolate, fragrant Coffee and hot lemony Tea help chase away the chill. For me, nothing makes a house smell Inviting like the warm spices of the holidays- Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg and Ginger in the oven baking or simmering on the stove. One of my favorites is Warm Winter Punch… not highly spirited, though I guess you could improvise. This one is so easy I’m almost ashamed to write it down.60C479E6-BF7C-4529-B21C-225E750BC7F6

 

Camellia’s Warm Winter Punch

  • You will need-
  • Bottled or Canned Pineapple Juice- approximately 6 cups
  • Bottled Cranberry Juice approximately 6 cups
  • 5-6 Whole Cloves
  • 2-3 Cinnamon Sticks

In a large Dutch Oven, combine Pineapple Juice and Cranberry Juice. Toss in  5-6 whole cloves and 2-3 cinnamon sticks. On medium low heat, bring juices and spices to a simmer- do not boil. Ladle up Warm Winter Punch in your favorite mug and enjoy all winter long. It’s hard to believe just four ingredients can do so much- the house smell glorious, it’s warm and satisfying without being overly sweet  and festive enough for a Christmas Party, yet makes everyday seem like a Holiday! You don’t even have to drag out the Punch Bowl!

Love y’all, Camellia

*photographs are obviously mine.

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Green Bean Bundles…

75DF340B-0D30-4F46-9930-7B952284028EThe first time I ever tasted Green Bean Bundles was at a wedding reception. The  food had been prepared by the finest cooks in the county- well, at least in a twenty mile radius of Methuselah Baptist Church. The groom was Brother Joe’s boy- they had the same coloring- honey blond hair that waved just right. Brother Joe had done right by the boy, he’d had a good wholesome life. The bride was a striking redhead with bright blue eyes; both the bride and groom had that fresh scrubbed look- pink cheeks, sparkling eyes- corn fed and well bred.

She didn’t look it, but the bride was a few years older than Brother Joe’s boy, John Roy. John Roy had fallen in love at first sight of Babs in a sequin suit twirling her fire batons.  He was a freshman in high school and she was a senior- a high school majorette- Babs didn’t even know John Roy existed. She went off and got her education and he got his… One evening he pulled up at church and there was the pretty fire twirling majorette- except now she was leading a step sing at Methuselah Baptist Church. One thing led to another… John Roy and Babs decided to get married.

It wasn’t a big church but not too small either, big enough to have an active Deacon Board, WMU, quilting circle and even an Altar Guild led by a local florist who kept a pretty bouquet there every Sunday. The church was one of those sensible red brick buildings with clean white trim, Brother Joe made sure the grounds were neat as a pin.  The church folks were thrilled John Roy had come back home- he had a steady job as production manager at the local plant; Babs taught the pre-school music program, was majorette sponsor in addition to her teaching job. The ladies of the church wanted to help with the wedding reception to be held in the paneled Fellowship Hall, kept fresh with lemon scented polish.

The bride was a cream puff of tulle and lace- the groom was as solid as sawmill timber. The wedding was simple but sweet as could be. The reception was a spread, I can tell you now… The Deacons supplied the Ham, the Bride’s family furnished the wedding cake, bowls of roasted pecans and one of the church ladies specialized in wedding mints. Every once in a while when I’m washing my devilled egg plate I think of that wedding reception still. Egg Plates in every hue came out of the little church kitchen- amber and green pressed glass, a pretty white ceramic with pink roses and at least two white ones- were swapped out as each was emptied of devilled eggs. Sitting beside the egg plates were long casserole dishes, too delectable to name…7E36CE03-19FC-4510-961E-E270DE515553

with the exception of the unforgettable Green Bean Bundles … glistening with spices and oven roasted bacon. Now, all of these years later, I think of that wedding reception every time I make Green Bean Bundles … It’s the kind of dish that elevates even simple Roast Chicken, Fried Pork Chops or Meatloaf into an occasion! I’ve adjusted the recipe over the years and made them my own but they still take me back to a sweet wedding at Methuselah… Here’s how to make ’em-

Camellia’s Cottage Green Bean Bundles

  • 1 lb. package of frozen whole green beans thawed (fresh may be used if in season, ends trimmed and blanched quickly- some use whole canned green beans as well)
  • 8-10 slices of uncooked bacon- cut in thirds
  • 3/4 cup of Italian Dressing- Use your favorite bottled brand or -Blend 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, I teaspoon of garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons brown sugar,1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup oil- preferably olive oil
  • Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take small bundles of green beans and wrap with portions of uncooked bacon. Line the bundles up in an ungreased 8×8 glass baking dish until filled. Drizzle Italian Dressing Mix over the bundles. Bake for 30-45 minutes until bacon is done. Serve warm. Makes 4-5  servings. Recipe may be doubled or tripled to fill larger glass baking dishes.

Do not make these when you are alone- you’ll eat the whole dish! Over the years, I’ve eaten at many similar gatherings- dinner on the ground, potluck suppers, family reunions and Holiday Dinners…and the romance of a small country wedding reception at little red brick church- put on by the best cooks in a 20 mile radius!  Oh me, like all Southern tales- this one is part truth, part fiction and part outright lies, but those Green Bean Bundles are the real deal!75DF340B-0D30-4F46-9930-7B952284028E

Love y’all, Camellia

* Let me set the record straight a bit. The bride, groom and Brother Joe are fictional, embellished for humor! The details of the wedding have long  since been forgotten, though typical of many sweet small weddings I’ve attended throughout my lifetime. Methuselah Church is fictional as well- though the description fits so many ‘neat as a pin’ small churches throughout Alabama that I have loved. However, the recipe for Green Beans Bundles is real, the places they’ve been served including a wedding reception are real too. The devilled egg plates at all of these gatherings always amaze me! The 20 mile radius? Well, let’s just say, I don’t have a good sense of direction- but I’ve heard that term my whole life- and somehow, in some places I think it surely must be true!

 

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SEC tips…

IMG_3370You know summer has taken it’s last gasp, not by the Heat Index but by the First Kickoff of the SEC…Southeastern Conference Football is major in the South! In fact football season is so important to us, it considered the height of poor taste to plan a wedding during football season! No, I. Am. Not. Kidding… There are rules for what we wear on Game Day- here at Camellia’s Cottage, of course we wear Officially Licensed SEC garments, team colors and particular to the ladies, there is a lucky Elephant Necklace, that must be worn with the elephant facing left- do not ask me why- it has just proved lucky! IMG_3410

All over the SEC region, there are certain foods which are considered ‘team foods’ – here in Alabama for Bama fans- Do I hear a Roll Tide? Since the days of Bear Bryant- our lucky foods are: Golden Flake Potato Chips Barber’s Onion Dip and Co-cola otherwise known as Coca Cola™! All are made or bottled right here in Alabama!

On game days, all over the SEC- Tailgate Food is served from the tailgate of an humble pickup truck, from RV’s, all the way to an Upscale Campus Affair- with food served on a sorority’s mahogany table draped with antique lace tablecloths, complete with a Chandelier hanging from a Live Oak tree! On some campuses, you might find a crazy fraternity serving …uh, cold drinks from a casket! It’s true. The food can be elaborate or simple- but always delicious and appropriate to the home team! When we watch games at home, there’s always popcorn, parched peanuts, cream cheese, party crackers and pepper jelly, chips with dip or celery sticks and…last week we had pit BBQ baby back ribs! Now, if you’re looking for actual football tips- you might be barking up the wrong tree here! I do, however, scream and holler during the games, it’s just more fun!

SEC stands for other lesser things too! For instance, the South Eastern Corner of the United States is:

  • The only region to be occupied by the Federal Government, where handsome men have worn military uniforms for years and to this day, the South Eastern Corner of the U.S.A. can proudly boast that our folks arguably sign up more often for military duty than any other region! We love our soldiers!
  • We have a history of courageous women who opened their doors to bears, raids and standing armies, faced tornadoes and hurricanes and they helped settle farms, homesteads, taught school, kept their families strong, yet are smart and beautiful all at the same time, with possibly more beauty queens than any other part of America… though it could be that we have more opportunities to serve as Peach Queens, Cotton Queens, Mardi Gras Queens and more… is there a Bo Weevil Queen? Anyway, we think we’re prettier for sure!
  • The South Eastern Corner is where children played in the dirt with silver spoons or found arrowheads in the backyard, learned how to fish before they were knee high to a grasshopper, little girls still wear Big Hair Bows, monograms abound, sandcastle building is second nature and all of them can charm the horns off a Billy Goat any day of the week!IMG_3408
  • The South Eastern Corner had more Dry Counties than any other part of the country, but still make the best Bourbon in the world. In fact we lay claim to the best Iced Tea and the best Soft Drinks (which we never call them!) Anyone who loves Coca Cola, Royal Crown and Pepsi would agree!
  • The South Eastern Corner is the only place in America where folks actually pull off on the side of the road near a homemade sign that touts ‘Boiled Peanuts’ and are excited about it! …Okay- it’s an ah-quih-ed taste! If you aren’t from here, let’s just say you probably won’t acquire a taste for ’em.
  • In fact, put a Barbed Wire Fence around the entire South Eastern Corner and eventually it will turn into a literal Nut House….peanuts, pecans, hickory nuts so hard you’d have to run an 18 wheeler over ’em to crack the shells… But where else but the South could George Washington Carver figure out how to enrich the soil and feed the masses with peanuts in this land flowing with Milk and Peanut Butter sandwiches?IMG_3411
  • The South Eastern Corner of the U.S.A. is where Church Choirs still sing with a Twang or fill the rafters with Soul; and where Gospel, Country, Beach Music and Motown are loved in equal measure.

I wouldn’t take anything for living in the SEC, for the football, the people and the good food! I have to admit – my personal favorite SEC stands for- South Eastern Cooking Tips! Here’s to Butter Balls and Spicy Shrimp and Shells!

Butter Balls are an old French method of food preparation for enriching sauces and gravy- keep these in the freezer and grab a few – you will be surprised what this simple little ball of flour and butter will do to make pan juices silky or definitely enrich the sauce for Spicy Shrimp and Shells! (Yes! the South Eastern Corner’s Food has a strong French Influence!) I made the Butter Balls recently, while I was cooking some bacon wrapped steaks to enrich the sauce. Let me show you…

Camellia’s Cottage Butterballs Soften 2 sticks of salted butter (if using unsalted butter add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt) lightly mix Butter into 1/2 cup of All Purpose Flour, do not use more flour! With a teaspoon or your clean hands, scoop up a small bit of the butter/flour mixture and shape into rough butter balls no larger than a teaspoon, placing on a parchment lined pan. Butter Balls take no time to make, but make a world of difference in your cooking! Freeze at least 4 hours. Carefully store in a freezer safe container. Use to enrich sauces, pan juices and gravies.IMG_3271

Spicy Shrimp and Shells is a quick and easy recipe, full of flavor. This dish can be elevated to Party Status, can be stretched to serve a crowd, is wonderful served for Sunday Supper or eaten cold as a most delicious and different Pasta Salad! Add garlic bread and sliced Summer tomatoes and you have a complete meal! Most of the ingredients are pantry staples and here, we keep shrimp in the freezer all the time!IMG_3401

Camellia’s Cottage Spicy Shrimp and Shells

  • Prepare 12 ounces of Seashell Pasta according to directions.
  • Steam 1 cup of chopped Broccoli, drain and set aside
  • Drain 3/4 -1 pound of  uncooked Gumbo Shrimp (approx. 65-70 per pound) peeled, tails removed if desired
  • On low heat, combine 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet
  • Add 2-3 tablespoons of chopped garlic, zest of a whole lemon, 2-3 teaspoons of red pepper flakes, a good amount of freshly ground black pepper, add salt as desired.
  • Stir until butter has melted and spices are combined IMG_3395
  • Saute Shrimp in batches until pink- Do not over crowd shrimp.
  • Place all shrimp back in warm skillet add 1-1/2 cups of pasta water, steamed chopped broccoli and 3-4 Butter Balls-
  • Cook on low until Butter Balls have been absorbed. No more than a minute or two. (If you have not made Butter Balls, add 2-3 teaspoons of butter)
  • Squeeze the juice of zested large lemon over pan straining seeds.  (Caution- do not add lemon juice utntil the end otherwise shrimp will become tough) I often make thin slices of the squeezed lemon and add to the Spicy Shrimp Mixture, for extra lemon-y flavor.

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  • Drain Seashell Pasta. Put in large serving bowl, add Spicy Shrimp Mixture.
  • Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan Cheese, believe it or not- using the cheap type blends in best! Toss Spicy Shrimp and Seashells. Top with 1/2 cup of chopped green onion tops.
  • Wonderful with crusty garlic bread. Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry you are!IMG_3401

No matter what your favorite SEC team is, no matter where your favorite place to be in the South Eastern Corner, I know you’ll enjoy South Eastern Cooking Tips. Come back often to the Cottage for more! And always, I hope your SEC team wins unless they’re playin’ mine!

Love y’all, Camellia

*All photographs are obviously mine. Parched Peanuts are a southern term for roasted peanuts! Continued prayers for victims of Hurricane Harvey and for those in the path of Hurricane Irma.

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The Perils of Leaving Home…

vintage old car pic- jeremy 1When Southerners leave home- they face certain perils that have to do with customs, language barriers, expectations and leading a sheltered life. I’m talking about travel within the continuous United States, not abroad. It’s a given that travelling abroad brings it own set of perils. Southerners-

  •  Talk slower, our conversations have a certain twang,
  • We tend to expect good manners, we like to wave and look folks in the eye, and smile smile smile-
  • And let’s face it a Southern lady is going to flirt, unless she’s dowdy, plain and prim- even then, another region might bring out her innate abilities. I know it’s unlikely, but still, it could happen.

I love New York, Philadelphia and Boston; have been to each of them several times and would go back in a New York minute, yet I know I will face perils, fall in a trap of my own doing.  New York is always the subject of much discussion among those of us who have actually left home from time to time.

I recall a friend telling me that she thought her taxi driver was a Sultan whose day job was to drive a cab but who surely had a bit part in the Broadway hit-Aladdin. Upon getting in the taxi, she squealed, ‘Harold Joe, ask this fine specimen of a man to take us to the Taj Mahal!’ The driver never spoke a word from airport to the hotel despite her exclamations the whole way! IMG_0266

Then, there is the issue of closet space in the hotel- there’s no room for her grandmother’s Humpback Trunk (just kidding but we do tend to seriously overpack) There is not even a hot plate for the Grits her mother insisted on sending. We need our space and our comfort food.

vintage old car pic- jeremy 2 Speaking of housing, a young friend was moving to New York with her college roommate, the girl said, ‘I’m hoping we can find a Co-Op somewhere in the Village.’ Let me tell you, where I’m from- a Co-Op is the ‘Seed and Feed, Barbed Wire, Bush Hog Parts, Bedding Plants and Chainsaw Blade Shop’ and is certainly not in a Village! Now,  why would anyone want to live in one of those? We understand the desire to go to New York to shop– however, the thought of moving there with all of that noise, sy-reens blaring all night (ambulances), underground subways- not to mention it’s cold as kraut; we cannot imagine actually living there full time! We warn our young, if they take a wild hair and want to leave home-

You don’t want to move off up there, you’ ll get mugged, lost underground on those subways, fall off the Brooklyn Bridge and not have a penny to your name to call your daddy to come get you!’

Then, we pull out the big guns and put the fear of God in them…‘It’s just isn’t done…a beautiful young lady running wild with no chaperone. It’s beneath you, I tell you- trashy.’ To be honest, if she’s got her heart set on moving, not a word we say will be heard. She will know we’re right, when those folks figure out that Mary Jim-

  •  Has to be waited on hand and foot,
  •  Stays on her high horse and
  • Flirts- Who would hire her much less take her serious?IMG_0483 (1)

No doubt the food is wonderful- just takes a bit of getting used to. Still. Take Carnegie Deli. The waiters aren’t given to dawdling while a Southern lady gets oriented, situated and tries in vain to spread out-tote bag on the next chair and coat neatly folded over the chair back- Oh no, you’re jammed in there like a sardine next to folks who would rather not be in such close quarters either. IMG_0401

At Carnegie Deli, the waiters have no patience for a Southern lady taking her own sweet time perusing the menu, either. Here’s how it goes-

  • ‘Hey Good lookin’ whatcha got cooking? (flirt) Why, don’t you look nice tonite? (cajole)  What would you recommend? Oh, Corned Beef? My daddy likes to fatten up his hogs and beef cattle with Corn but his daddy always thought Grass Fed Beef was better.’
  • ‘ Okay, lady I haven’t got all night here!’
  • Her nostrils flare, she stiffens her spine- The nerve, the very nerve, trying to rush her like that!’
  • ‘Whaddya have?’
  • ‘ I, sir, am a lady, however, I am willing to overlook your rude behavior being as how you are obviously  so overworked- I will have a corned beef- Harold Joe, are you getting loaf bread? I think, I’ll just go hog wild and get that rye bread! And sweet tea, please.’
  •  The waiter moves off in a huff, after shoving the little rack of sugar packets and yelling out near obscene language. When the corned beef sandwich is plopped down in front of her, it is huge…
  • ‘Well now, Harold Joe, how do you expect me to eat all this? I do believe there’s a whole side of beef on my plate! There won’t be room left for a slice of that gen-u-ine New York Cheesecake!’
  • The waiter sets down the bill in short order; she daintily slides over her daddy’s Black American Express Card-  He says, ‘Cash only Lady!’

She about dies. Now in the first place, unless a Southerner has established who your people are and knows a little something about your background, she goes by the looks of you;  your manners speak volumes about your character. And- Southerners get very uncomfortable discussing money…

  • He should be able to tell by her looks that money is not an issue and her credit is impeccable;
  • But to be so loud and bold about it, well.. it’s just a good thing Harold Joe has that big wad of cash in his billfold chained to his belt!
  • Determined she will not lower her standards- her voice goes up a full octave- ‘Darlin’ would you accommodate this gentleman as soon as humanly possible?’

The mode of transporting Southerners is essential, we tend to like Double Decker Tour Buses- we always ride on top so we can see everything, waving to our hearts content- just like Dignitaries and Beauty Queens in parades back home.  The peril of Tour Buses is with the earplugs– you won’t find a southern accent on any station- they offer French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese- the Southerner ends up saying, ‘It all sounds Greek to me, I didn’t understand a word he said.’

It’s perilous for folks from the Lower Coastal South to go to the top of Skyscrapers- I heard one lady tell her husband she just knew they were up higher than Look Out Mountain, Tennessee. She felt faint right before her knees buckled.

IMG_0238Times Square is perilous too- there’s so much going on it’s hard to concentrate, not to mention the half naked traffic controller. He might have on patriotic skivvies and cowboy boots (Harold Joe is convinced he’s an undercover cop), but really! No self respecting Officer of the Law would be caught dead in a get-up like that in my part of the country! Broadway Shows are where we really shine…

  • Since a Southerner will pay an enormous amount of money for tickets to an SEC game-
  • Tell them they can get 50 yard line tickets (ahem, front and center  Orchestra theatre tickets) They will pay whatever the price…
  • We might not understand the ‘will call’ issue but we do love the playacting and the crazy characters on Broadway…Time's Square

After all, given the choice, we tend to love the most Bizarre Plots and Twisted Tales especially when a Skeleton clatters out of a Closet!  We will always  favor the Eccentric Aunt or the Crazy Uncle- Every. Single. Time!  Yes, there are perils associated with leaving home… then again, we subject ourselves to it over and over again! Now, you know I’m gonna say this… Like all good Southern tales, this one is part truth, part myth and part outright lies! Hopefully, good for a laugh or two!

Love y’all, Camellia

P.S. I love Philadelphia, time would not permit my southern experience with ordering Philly Cheesesteaks! I love Boston- it makes me laugh to hear those folks say- ‘Get in the CA’… not too estranged from a Southern accent- Hah-vahd Squah…just slays me! And, I truly love New York! One of my very dearest friends lives in New York ! Hello and love you Elizabeth!

And…I have mourned, truly mourned the closure of Carnegie Deli, but hey, there’s always Katz’s!

*Photographs are obviously mine (excuse the mixed tones!) However, the two beauties by the car, and the one in the driver’s seat- belong to Jeremy Miniard- I love those vintage pics Jeremy! http://www.jwminiard.fineartsofamerica.com Go say hey to Jeremy!

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Home Going…

IMG_3292My father in law would have loved his funeral last week… I know, I know…he was ‘absent from the body but present with the Lord’.  Still. If he could have been in the body, he would have loved his Home Going – all of it. But then I’m getting ahead of myself… Wallace Wyatt, Sr. was my father in law for decades, he lived to be 93 years old- he had a long, well lived life. He was born in Cool Springs, then made his life just a few miles over in Beaver Valley- in his beloved St. Clair County. A county older than the State of Alabama, where he served the people for 14 years as their Judge of Probate. I remember he told me once that being Probate Judge was the closest thing to the role of a pastor within our government- with duties ranging from adoptions, marriages, guardianships and of course the end of life business with wills and estates. He said that a good probate judge needed to know and love the people he served. He did. He passed this on to his son- ‘To know and love the people he served.’ This is the motto of a true public servant.

He was surprisingly well travelled for a home body. I recall when he and my mother in law went to Israel, they were in their sixties but both of them rode camels, one of the camels thanked him by spitting in his eye! For their 50th anniversary, one of his daughters asked my father in law if he had gotten their mother a gift- he replied, ‘Well, I bought her a pre-paid funeral plan!’ Of course he got her more than that! On their 60th anniversary- if you can believe it- the two of them went for a little anniversary trip to Cheaha State Park, the highest point in Alabama.  She would die less than two years later. I still miss her every day. Two days after his funeral, would have been their 73rd anniversary, he went to a far higher place to spend it with her. IMG_3249

Always a generous man, when he worked for Alabama Gas Corporation, he ran up on a young girl who was blind, her family told him she was learning Braille. He couldn’t get it out of his mind; so he talked to his Union Brothers about her. Those men raised enough money to buy her a Set of Encyclopedias written in Braille!

Mr. Wyatt was one the Tom Brokaw’s ‘Greatest Generation’– a World War II veteran, who got lost from his unit in France… it was an experience he rarely talked about. Someone at the funeral told me that- lost from his unit in a foreign country in the middle of a war was frightening enough but my father in law ran up on a Mortuary Unit. They fed him and furnished him a place to sleep with the living and the dead. The next morning, the soldiers told him he was welcome to join up with them, he graciously declined saying- ‘Well, you boys sure are nice and I appreciate what you’re doing; a mighty fine job of it too- but if it’s all the same to you, I think I’d ruther be at my own duties then do yours!’ Can’t say I blame him.

The last years of his life were spent at beautiful Veterans Home in our county- the Colonel Robert L. Howard Veteran’s Nursing Home. When he died, his body was prepared…then- while ‘Taps’ was played, his flag draped body was rolled down a long hallway lined with fellow Veterans- standing or in wheelchairs, gave him a final salute- some with arthritic hands.  This is called ‘The Walk’ and is a fitting goodbye to an Old Soldier; he would have loved it.FullSizeRender

His firstborn child was a ‘war baby’, Wallace Jr.(above) -Next, were his pretty girls- following soon after his son, Carol Jane, the next, Eleanor Kay was born 6-7 years later, the last was a late in life baby, Vicki Lynn. Then there was me, his favorite daughter in law. Really.

The first time I went to their home in Beaver Valley, newly engaged- I got ‘The Talk’… He explained, ‘Our family doesn’t believe in divorce, you’re in it for the long haul, just so you know.’ Sort of put the fear of God in me with his bright blue eyes- I nodded in perfect understanding. He restored perfect harmony by playing a stereo record – It was his favorite gospel music group- The Swanee River Boys. swanee river boys

I should say right here that I knew nothing about gospel music- does ‘Michael Row the Boat Ashore’ count? As the Swanee River Boys sang so smooth…I could not believe my ears! Mr. Wyatt alternately sang-All Four. Parts…

  • Bass,
  • Baritone,
  • Tenor and
  • High Tenor, have you ever?

Well, I can tell you now…I still have never heard anything like it.  What I was about to find in this huge family that embraced me… they all could sing or play. In fact I was told, if a baby was born Tone Deaf in the Wyatt family- they pinched their heads off at birth!

Can I just say right here? They (the entire clan) told me stuff like that all the time, for the shock value I guess or maybe they had detected I am practically tone deaf.  I’ll have you know, my children have perfect pitch! Needless to say, there was music at the Funeral for my father in law, last week- just enough and just what he’d like and I tapped my foot a time or two.

A full blown Wyatt event, family reunion, wedding or funeral closely resembles an Ant Bed, occasionally a Fire Ant Bed, depending on who’s there. Pine Forest Baptist was the host of the Ant Bed last week, for decades my father in law was a Deacon there. For the record he would have loved having so many members of his family and the folks that he claimed kin to at his Home Going. vintage women's shoes

He would have loved the ladies in sensible block heels, flats (me), cowboy boots and four inch heels- especially if they were toting a Crock Pot or a Casserole Dish- Oh my! He would have loved the food, do I need to describe it? Groaning Church tables loaded with Food were Begging for Mercy. That’s the most poetic way to describe it. The only thing that was missing was my mother in law’s Coconut Custard Pie.

Pine Forest Baptist is a small Rock Church nestled in a piney grove, the smell of pine always permeated the dinners on the grounds, surrounded by beautiful farmland. Then there was a growth spurt and a fine Trade School was built across the road….Several sent out directions to the funeral service- my favorite was:

‘Head north on 231 toward Ashville, at the crossroads right at the Trade School, turn right like you’re going to Rainbow City, Pine Forest is beside Dollar General on the right.’

Pine Forest was at capacity, there were fine suits and designer dresses, Versace ties, denim and sequins, work clothes and a few in Military Uniforms- My father in law would have loved it all.  His youngest nephew, Danny- the only one who has become a member of clergy was lined up to preach the funeral, three Nieces were asked to sing a favorite gospel song- ‘Unclouded Day’ , his Grandsons were the Pall Bearers and a handsome group that was! This is a family that can put on a funeral at the drop of a hat. My father in law would have loved-

  • hearing his Nieces sing for him one last time,
  • he would have loved Danny’s sermon,
  • he would have loved the Masonic Funeral Rites which were done in such a moving way by Brother Talley.
  • Mr. Wyatt would have loved hearing Taps at graveside and-
  • that the Flag which had draped his body was given to his son.

Yes, he would have loved his Home Going- but most of all- I know he would have loved hearing the recording with his old friend Buford Abner of the Swanee River Boys- the foot tapping upbeat- ‘When I Wake Up That  Morning’

Who knows? He might have been singing along- All. Four. Parts.  As his favorite daughter in law, I would have loved that. There will never be another like him. For sure. William Wallace Wyatt, Sr. was greatly loved. He will be greatly missed … May he rest in peace.

Love y’all, Camellia

*Okay,  I know you want to hear it- take it away Swanee River Boys! https://youtu.be/CVFWDnJtV88