Author: cococrimson

I have never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. My uncle had one strict rule, no guests allowed on Mardi Gras because he wanted to party without the burden of entertaining family looking for free accommodations on this day (my words, not his). He always dressed in style and joined in the revelries of … Continue reading Riding on the City of New Orleans

Labor Day is approaching indicating the end of summer; we move into the “ber” months that take us to the end of the year. So, we put away the white shoes, watch the spider lilies pop up in un-mowed lawns, get out the lunch boxes carrying bologna sandwiches, and celebrate our labor force which we … Continue reading Life is Good

              A Star was born on November 1, 1915, but I always believed the star was born at 12:00 midnight on October 31st. I thought the midwife concluded it was too hard to record that time, maybe she had not wanted to bring a child into the world at the witching hour on Halloween. … Continue reading A Star is Born

            I am not a cook - definitely not anywhere near the class of a chef. My son liked certain foods that I prepared, primarily Hamburger Helper and canned green beans; not gourmet delights, but filling. When he decided that he wanted to be a chef, he asked me to teach him to cook. After a … Continue reading Truckin’

As a young child if I didn’t feel well, Mama would look at me say, “You look puny.” Upon hearing that phrase, my first reaction would be to run far, far away. I knew that puny meant a small square of ersatz chocolate known as Ex-lax, her go-to remedy for fever and puniness. If I … Continue reading Asymptomatic Punniness

Last night, I watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Show on PSB. I have fond memories of this enjoyable cartoon about manipulating friends inviting themselves over for the festive celebration. Charlie Brown was not able to deny them the meal as he complained to Linus, “I can’t cook a Thanksgiving dinner. All I can make is … Continue reading Thanksgiving means Peanuts

Forty-one years ago, I had a baby boy and my life totally changed. Two weeks ago, he died unexpectedly and my life totally changed. Forty-one years of memories continuously play through my mind each moment of everyday trying to assuage the grief by offering solace and comfort to no avail. At this moment the empty … Continue reading Because I Knew You

In my humble opinion, my first assignment in English 101 at the University of Alabama was senseless; write a five hundred-word essay on a pleasant memory, a fond memory to be exact. I spent my elementary school years living in fear of the Soviet Union and the shoe-banging Nikita Khrushchevwho was going to bury us. … Continue reading Crimson Roots

  If you can trace your roots by culinary preferences, there may be no need for ancestry websites. My family stories and memories tell me that my lineage stems from Scotland and acquired some American Indian prior to marrying the mixed bag of a Spanish/Irish-Scottish descendent. Testing any DNA content in my genes might only … Continue reading Southern Witches Don’t Need Capes

A can of corned beef was a staple food in our house when I was growing up. Used in a variety of ways, the can was always on hand for a meal. The amazing thing about the can is that it comes with a key and is somewhat tricky to open. Voodoo helps. This fact … Continue reading The Amazing Can of Corned Beef