Once again, Rick Bragg has written an article that made me laugh aloud. In this particular feature, he details the subtle differences between stuffing and dressing. With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I truly believe that knowledge is power when faced with the inescapable question: What is stuffing, and why would anyone stick their hand up the back end of a raw turkey to make it?
You can keep your stuffing. My favorite Thanksgiving side is just that—on the side—and we call it dressing.
The word “stuffing” had a lot of connotations when I was a boy. None of them had anything to do with food.
Sofas had stuffing. But then again, I rarely heard the word “sofa.” We sat on “couches.” The first time I heard the word “sofa” I thought it was “Sofia,” and I never did figure out why anyone had to sit on the poor woman. Once, I heard someone say they had to restuff their Sofia. This haunts me still.
I digress. Teddy bears had stuffing for insides. Baseballs had it. We were urged to “knock the stuffing out of it.” If you caught a big fish, or shot a deer, or even a big gobbler, you could have them “stuffed and mounted.” I was mightily confused.
Thanksgiving turkeys, however, did not have stuffing, though sometimes my aunt Jo did shove a whole stick of margarine in there. Stuffing, I would be educated, was another word for dressing. And our dressing, as God intended, was cooked separately, in a shallow baking dish or pan.
It was not something the great cooks in my family were willing to debate.
“Stick your hand up the back end of a raw turkey?” said my aunt Gracie Juanita, shaking her head violently from side to side. “That is not natural.”
“Ain’t even human,” my mother said.
But the word stuffing was everywhere, come November. I heard it on the television, usually accompanied by images of a massive turkey with a golden cascade of breadcrumbs tumbling from its insides. Was I missing out? Why didn’t we have stuffing if they had stuffing on Father Knows Best?
“You ain’t missing nothin’,” my mother told me.
I would learn that, like so many things I struggled to understand, it was a Southern thing, like why a faucet inside the house was a faucet but outside the house it became a hydrant. And Southerners, especially mine, did not tolerate in-the-bird dressing.
“It was kind of like dating a Catholic,” said a very Southern friend. “Thank you, but, no.” I dated many Catholics. I never had stuffing.
I would learn it stemmed from a generational fear of undercooked poultry. How could the turkey cook all the way through, my people reasoned, if the heat could not swirl around inside the bird? Onions, lemons, butter, and other seasoning were allowed, but a thick gob of breadcrumbs was salmonella waiting to happen. But even if bacteria were not an issue, the cooks in my family would have shunned stuffing for one simple reason: taste.
Our dressing started with an iron skillet of cornbread, mixed with onion, sage, and the fatty, golden nectar from boiled turkey or chicken, usually the pieces that would otherwise be thrown away. It was baked until a golden crust formed on the top, leaving the inside firm but creamy. Too dry and it set up like cake. Too wet and it was a watery mess. It had to be perfect, and usually was.
Years ago, I stood in a supermarket, staring at a “stuffing mix” of spices and prepackaged breadcrumbs—tiny, hard little cubes. Mama, I thought, was right again. But when I mentioned that we were having turkey and dressing at my house, my Yankee friends looked confused. You mean, they asked, the stuff you put on salads?
It is a miracle we fought only one war.
All credit goes where credit is due, to the wonderful writer Rick Bragg and Southern Living magazine. I only hope that this extremely scientific approach at explaining the differences between stuffing and dressing has finally alleviated the hysteria, stress, and insanity that has plagued you ever since you learned that stuffing, to some, is not the foamy stuff in the couch or whatever is inside a baseball. May you have peace and uninterrupted sleep for the rest of your days, now that the mystery has been solved. The only stuffing that will be at our table will be the act of eating until we hate ourselves, as it should be. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
November 17, 2013
November 10, 2013
Can't
Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.
Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.
Can't is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man's purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall gain.
Can't is the word that is foe to ambition,
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and skill.
Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed 'twill break any man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: "I can."
-Edgar Guest
May we always remember we are capable of anything. Nothing is impossible for the hopers and dreamers who are crazy enough to believe their far-flung hopes and improbable dreams can come true. Go out and be brilliant.
Xx, L.
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.
Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.
Can't is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man's purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall gain.
Can't is the word that is foe to ambition,
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and skill.
Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed 'twill break any man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: "I can."
-Edgar Guest
May we always remember we are capable of anything. Nothing is impossible for the hopers and dreamers who are crazy enough to believe their far-flung hopes and improbable dreams can come true. Go out and be brilliant.
Xx, L.
November 3, 2013
OneHeart
“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies.”
-Mother Teresa
Here at Camp Beau + Luci, we are driven by two things: a passion for music, and a desire to help those in need. So much has been given to us that we feel it is only right to give back to the community, whether local or global. Because of this, we have sought out a way to tie our music career with the chance to change lives. A lot of brainstorming and long discussions later, we found our starting point: The OneHeart Organization.
The OneHeart Organization was built around the simple mission to Create Hope, Inspire Joy, Encourage Faith, and Share Love. We hope to use The OneHeart Organization as the basis for our own humanitarian foundation in the future, but for now, we will be getting involved in several grassroots that offer aid, encourage creativity and a passion for learning, emphasize the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle, and touch the loves of those in need, both in the local and global community.
We have been lucky enough to develop a partnership with some really incredible organizations already, and have a number of events coming up. The first organization is a local charity called Angel Arms Missions (https://www.facebook.com/angelarmsministries?fref=ts or http://yarbroughministries.weebly.com/angel-arms-backpack.html), which provides clothing, school supplies, and weekend nourishment for children, as well as clothing and nourishment for the homeless and those living at or below the poverty level. Angel Arms Missions is dedicated to meeting the basic needs in the community and providing both spiritual and physical resources for people in need. We will be helping with the Backpack Program, which provides food for kids who don't have the assurance of regular meals when school is not in session. Angel Arms Missions also partners with Bethesda House, which is a non-profit organization created to address the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of broken people (http://www.bethesdahousewaycross.org/).
Another organization close to our heart is the Friendly Express Charitable Foundation (http://friendlyexpress.com/Community). Friendly Express operates with the mindset of giving back, not only to their customers but the community as a whole. They have recently launched the Feeding Families on Friday campaign, donating a portion of all fountain drink and coffee sales made on Fridays to local food pantries such as the Mary Street Mission, Manna House, St. Joseph's Loaves and Fishes, Tabatha's Place, and the Sycamore Tree. They also have a drop off location at each store to collect non-perishable food and toiletries, which are then donated to those in need. We will be working at the annual Friendly Express Invitational Golf Tournament on 7 November, and all funds raised through the golf tournament will be donated to Kingdom Care, Dreams Come True, and Hospice Satilla, as well as many other organizations and foundations devoted to caring for the community. Friendly Express is also hosting a 5K Turkey Run on 16 November to benefit the Marry Street Mission Thanksgiving Dinner, which we will help serve. If any of you guys in the area are interested in taking part in the Turkey Run, you can find the registration form here (http://myfriendlyexpress.com/Files/TurkeyRunRegistration2). Please take the opportunity to be a part of this cause. For $25 dollars, you will not only have a blast but get the satisfaction of helping others and making Thanksgiving special (and getting in that run you've been meaning to go on for the past, oh, five years or so!).
Everyone remembers their first bike, right? Unfortunately, some children never have the chance to experience the joy of riding a bike. Bikes4Kids, an organization created and operated by Competitive Road Cyclist extraordinaire Crash MacDuff (http://rxmacduff.wordpress.com/), who has competed in various European and Americana multi-stage cycling events including the Tour of Austria, Tour of Italy, Tour of Spain, Tour of Poland, and Tour of Venezuela and will be racing in the Toronto 2015 PanAm Games and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Crash delivers bikes to children who would be unable to have a bike otherwise. We are raising money to purchase bike helmets, so that every child given a bike will be able to enjoy it safely. Crash has also launched a new branch of his organization, No Kid Hungry, to donate meals to children and families in need, ensuring that children are able to enjoy their bicycles and have enough to eat at the same time. Crash is not only a friend and a huge encouragement to us but a humanitarian that we hope to work with in a larger capacity in the future. He encourages a healthy lifestyle and offers the resources to achieve one while giving a child the fun of a bicycle, and we are thrilled to be a part of such an incredible organization.
A fourth organization that has been a fixture in our home for many years is Operation Christmas Child (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/). Franklin Graham has dedicated his life to meeting the needs of people and proclaiming the Gospel around the world. As the CEO of the Samaritan's Purse, he has grown Operation Christmas Child since 1993 into the massive movement it is now. In the 20 years Operation Christmas Child has been active, over 100 million boys and girls in more than 130 countries have experienced the love of God and the joy of Christmas through a simple shoe box filled with gifts. We will be packing our own shoe boxes to be sent off in National Collection Week (18 - 25 November). We encourage everyone to get involved in such an easy project. A little time and a $7 donation to cover the shipping of each box can do so much more good than any of us could imagine.
Staying true to our roots, we will be performing at Blackshear Church of God's "Sunday Night Show" (http://www.blackshearcog.com/) on 15 December, which will benefit BCOG's music ministry. We are looking forward to it, all of the events we've mentioned thus far, and the ones we will be be involved in over the next few months. Pursuing a career in music has opened many doors for us to be able to help those in need, and there is no feeling greater than the one you get when you know you've done something to make someone's life a little easier. We are dedicated to leaving the world a better place than it was when we arrived, and we are so excited to really get involved in the charities and foundations through The OneHeart Organization.
That being said, we are thrilled to to announce the kickoff of The OneHeart Organization t-shirts, which will be released shortly. All proceeds will go towards funding the events and projects we've mentioned, as well as ones we haven't even found out about yet. Just like a baseball or football team wears jerseys to identify themselves, we will be building a team of people dedicated to helping others with and through The OneHeart Organization. We are beyond excited to be a part of such an awesome opportunity and remain humbled and amazed by the continued support, encouragement, thoughts, and prayers that have been sent our way! Let's band together to make a difference. By ourselves, we can do very little, but together, we can do anything.
Lots of love,
Beau + Luci
-Mother Teresa
Here at Camp Beau + Luci, we are driven by two things: a passion for music, and a desire to help those in need. So much has been given to us that we feel it is only right to give back to the community, whether local or global. Because of this, we have sought out a way to tie our music career with the chance to change lives. A lot of brainstorming and long discussions later, we found our starting point: The OneHeart Organization.
The OneHeart Organization was built around the simple mission to Create Hope, Inspire Joy, Encourage Faith, and Share Love. We hope to use The OneHeart Organization as the basis for our own humanitarian foundation in the future, but for now, we will be getting involved in several grassroots that offer aid, encourage creativity and a passion for learning, emphasize the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle, and touch the loves of those in need, both in the local and global community.
We have been lucky enough to develop a partnership with some really incredible organizations already, and have a number of events coming up. The first organization is a local charity called Angel Arms Missions (https://www.facebook.com/angelarmsministries?fref=ts or http://yarbroughministries.weebly.com/angel-arms-backpack.html), which provides clothing, school supplies, and weekend nourishment for children, as well as clothing and nourishment for the homeless and those living at or below the poverty level. Angel Arms Missions is dedicated to meeting the basic needs in the community and providing both spiritual and physical resources for people in need. We will be helping with the Backpack Program, which provides food for kids who don't have the assurance of regular meals when school is not in session. Angel Arms Missions also partners with Bethesda House, which is a non-profit organization created to address the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of broken people (http://www.bethesdahousewaycross.org/).
Another organization close to our heart is the Friendly Express Charitable Foundation (http://friendlyexpress.com/Community). Friendly Express operates with the mindset of giving back, not only to their customers but the community as a whole. They have recently launched the Feeding Families on Friday campaign, donating a portion of all fountain drink and coffee sales made on Fridays to local food pantries such as the Mary Street Mission, Manna House, St. Joseph's Loaves and Fishes, Tabatha's Place, and the Sycamore Tree. They also have a drop off location at each store to collect non-perishable food and toiletries, which are then donated to those in need. We will be working at the annual Friendly Express Invitational Golf Tournament on 7 November, and all funds raised through the golf tournament will be donated to Kingdom Care, Dreams Come True, and Hospice Satilla, as well as many other organizations and foundations devoted to caring for the community. Friendly Express is also hosting a 5K Turkey Run on 16 November to benefit the Marry Street Mission Thanksgiving Dinner, which we will help serve. If any of you guys in the area are interested in taking part in the Turkey Run, you can find the registration form here (http://myfriendlyexpress.com/Files/TurkeyRunRegistration2). Please take the opportunity to be a part of this cause. For $25 dollars, you will not only have a blast but get the satisfaction of helping others and making Thanksgiving special (and getting in that run you've been meaning to go on for the past, oh, five years or so!).
Everyone remembers their first bike, right? Unfortunately, some children never have the chance to experience the joy of riding a bike. Bikes4Kids, an organization created and operated by Competitive Road Cyclist extraordinaire Crash MacDuff (http://rxmacduff.wordpress.com/), who has competed in various European and Americana multi-stage cycling events including the Tour of Austria, Tour of Italy, Tour of Spain, Tour of Poland, and Tour of Venezuela and will be racing in the Toronto 2015 PanAm Games and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Crash delivers bikes to children who would be unable to have a bike otherwise. We are raising money to purchase bike helmets, so that every child given a bike will be able to enjoy it safely. Crash has also launched a new branch of his organization, No Kid Hungry, to donate meals to children and families in need, ensuring that children are able to enjoy their bicycles and have enough to eat at the same time. Crash is not only a friend and a huge encouragement to us but a humanitarian that we hope to work with in a larger capacity in the future. He encourages a healthy lifestyle and offers the resources to achieve one while giving a child the fun of a bicycle, and we are thrilled to be a part of such an incredible organization.
A fourth organization that has been a fixture in our home for many years is Operation Christmas Child (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/). Franklin Graham has dedicated his life to meeting the needs of people and proclaiming the Gospel around the world. As the CEO of the Samaritan's Purse, he has grown Operation Christmas Child since 1993 into the massive movement it is now. In the 20 years Operation Christmas Child has been active, over 100 million boys and girls in more than 130 countries have experienced the love of God and the joy of Christmas through a simple shoe box filled with gifts. We will be packing our own shoe boxes to be sent off in National Collection Week (18 - 25 November). We encourage everyone to get involved in such an easy project. A little time and a $7 donation to cover the shipping of each box can do so much more good than any of us could imagine.
Staying true to our roots, we will be performing at Blackshear Church of God's "Sunday Night Show" (http://www.blackshearcog.com/) on 15 December, which will benefit BCOG's music ministry. We are looking forward to it, all of the events we've mentioned thus far, and the ones we will be be involved in over the next few months. Pursuing a career in music has opened many doors for us to be able to help those in need, and there is no feeling greater than the one you get when you know you've done something to make someone's life a little easier. We are dedicated to leaving the world a better place than it was when we arrived, and we are so excited to really get involved in the charities and foundations through The OneHeart Organization.
That being said, we are thrilled to to announce the kickoff of The OneHeart Organization t-shirts, which will be released shortly. All proceeds will go towards funding the events and projects we've mentioned, as well as ones we haven't even found out about yet. Just like a baseball or football team wears jerseys to identify themselves, we will be building a team of people dedicated to helping others with and through The OneHeart Organization. We are beyond excited to be a part of such an awesome opportunity and remain humbled and amazed by the continued support, encouragement, thoughts, and prayers that have been sent our way! Let's band together to make a difference. By ourselves, we can do very little, but together, we can do anything.
Lots of love,
Beau + Luci
October 27, 2013
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
As long as I can remember, I've loved superheroes. What kid doesn't? They're strong, they're brave, they're larger than life and always there when we need them. No matter how bleak the situation may be, we can always count on them to swoop in, save the day, and demolish the city. I've been an Iron Man girl for years, but there was one superhero I loved before I ever heard the name Tony Stark. It's not Superman. It's not Batman. My superhero isn't famous or rich or the owner of a spectacular suit. He doesn't have breathtaking anger management problems. He doesn't have a hammer or hair with magical properties. He doesn't have a shield that he throws really hard while wearing a suit so tight it makes everyone uncomfortable. He doesn't have an army. He's not super fast, super strong, or a master of forty-seven different types of martial arts. He probably couldn't hit the broad side of a building with a bow and arrow. But he's still my favorite. He's my dad.
When we were little, Daddy used to tell us that he could pick up houses and that he moved cars out of the way when he needed a parking spot. We believed him. Every single word. I knew that nothing could ever go wrong because my dad was there to save the day. I still feel that way. He might not be able to pick up the house, but he can pick me up when I fall down. He might not be able to move cars, but he would move heaven and earth to take care of his family. He gets up and goes to work every day to make sure we're all taken care of. He's a good man, a good father. The very best, to me. He knows what it means to make sacrifices for the people he loves. He's fair in everything he does, and if anyone said anything otherwise, nobody would believe it. There are very few people in the world as good as my dad, and I'm so very blessed to be able to call him not only my father but my friend.
My dad is an example not only to me but to everyone he meets. He puts God first in everything he does. He leads his family in a way that honors God. He made sure we were in church when we were younger, but he didn't leave it to the Sunday School teachers to tell us about Jesus's love. He preached it, but more than that, he lived it. He taught us to work hard, and he showed us what hard work looks like. He showed us that opportunities rarely drive up in a limousine, dressed in a slick black suit. He taught us to be grateful and to appreciate the little things, because in the end, it's the little things that end up looking like the big things. He taught us that love is more than a word; it's a verb, and while it's great to say, "I love you," it's even better to show it. He showed Beau and me what a Godly husband looks like, and he's set the bar high. He taught us to value ourselves and to never settle, to be true to ourselves and to remember that, at the end of the day, God loves us and so does he. He is a living example of a true gentleman, and I am proud to say that he and Mama are raising a son that is a mirror of those ideals. He is capable of handling almost any situation, but he has never pretended to be a "macho man." Daddy is quick to give out hugs and tell us he loves us. He showed us that real men express themselves to the ones they love most. He encouraged us to value our education, to love learning, and to embrace the talents, quirks, and oddities we were given. He has never tried to shape us to a pre-existing mold he made for us. He is proud of us for who we are and what we have done, are doing, and will do in the future. All he asks is that we love him, Mama, and each other, honor God, and stay away from hippie tree-huggers and Florida fans.
Daddy gives good advice, too. When we were younger and in school, his suggestion for dealing with anything was, "Punch them in the nose." None of us actually punched anyone in the nose, but the advice was unexpected enough to make us stop crying and start laughing. That is still his favorite piece of advice, but he doesn't use it as much anymore, since we're all at that age of having such trouble trying not to become violent psychopaths.
He loves football, rock and roll music, and Phil Robertson (and the rest of the Duck Dynasty cast, but especially Phil). He's the reason we knew who Gene Simmons was at four or five, and that We Will Rock You was, in fact, not sung by a woman. He encourages listening to "good music," but despite his intolerance of "teeny bopper" music, the first thing he did when he got his new truck was program a pop station for us. He is not fazed by screaming, giggling, or the general hysteria that accompanies the mention of certain names/bands/top secret security agencies. He accepts the fact that we have to stop and admire any magazine with a picture of One Direction on it. He doesn't care if our music is so loud the entire back of our house is shaking (as long as it's good music and the Dawgs aren't playing). He puts up with three women who don't have much of a grasp on the concept of time, wear a lot of makeup, and spend an ungodly amount of time getting dressed/picking out clothes/packing. He even sat (relatively) patiently and quietly every Tuesday night from 8 PM to 9 PM while Beau and I watched Pretty Little Liars on his TV. He drove us from Georgia to California last summer without a word of complaint, for the sole purpose of letting us follow our dreams.
He's involved, too, in every aspect of our life. He and Mama are a team, and even though they have their moments, they have managed to raise three children with good heads on their shoulders, a solid sense of right and wrong, and an innate reflex that answers "Yes ma'am," "No ma'am," "Yes, sir," or "No, sir," when asked anything by anybody. He goes into the studio with us whenever he can, gives us his honest opinion about whatever we're working on, and always manages to waylay our insecurities and encourage us when we're stuck in his quiet way. If there's one thing we know, it's that we can always go to Daddy about anything. He will always listen, he will always be honest, and even if it stings a bit, he will tell us what we need to hear. He's always on our side, too, always looking out for what's best for the whole family. We can count on him to be there, no matter what. He will swoop in and save the day without ever putting a scratch in his reading glasses. When things look bad, he's at our side. When it feels like the whole world's falling apart and everyone has run away, he's got our backs. And when we can't fight the battle before us, he ties a sheet around his neck and takes care of it.
But of course he does. That's what superheroes do.
Happy birthday, Daddy. We love you so, so much. You're the best,
L + B^2
When we were little, Daddy used to tell us that he could pick up houses and that he moved cars out of the way when he needed a parking spot. We believed him. Every single word. I knew that nothing could ever go wrong because my dad was there to save the day. I still feel that way. He might not be able to pick up the house, but he can pick me up when I fall down. He might not be able to move cars, but he would move heaven and earth to take care of his family. He gets up and goes to work every day to make sure we're all taken care of. He's a good man, a good father. The very best, to me. He knows what it means to make sacrifices for the people he loves. He's fair in everything he does, and if anyone said anything otherwise, nobody would believe it. There are very few people in the world as good as my dad, and I'm so very blessed to be able to call him not only my father but my friend.
My dad is an example not only to me but to everyone he meets. He puts God first in everything he does. He leads his family in a way that honors God. He made sure we were in church when we were younger, but he didn't leave it to the Sunday School teachers to tell us about Jesus's love. He preached it, but more than that, he lived it. He taught us to work hard, and he showed us what hard work looks like. He showed us that opportunities rarely drive up in a limousine, dressed in a slick black suit. He taught us to be grateful and to appreciate the little things, because in the end, it's the little things that end up looking like the big things. He taught us that love is more than a word; it's a verb, and while it's great to say, "I love you," it's even better to show it. He showed Beau and me what a Godly husband looks like, and he's set the bar high. He taught us to value ourselves and to never settle, to be true to ourselves and to remember that, at the end of the day, God loves us and so does he. He is a living example of a true gentleman, and I am proud to say that he and Mama are raising a son that is a mirror of those ideals. He is capable of handling almost any situation, but he has never pretended to be a "macho man." Daddy is quick to give out hugs and tell us he loves us. He showed us that real men express themselves to the ones they love most. He encouraged us to value our education, to love learning, and to embrace the talents, quirks, and oddities we were given. He has never tried to shape us to a pre-existing mold he made for us. He is proud of us for who we are and what we have done, are doing, and will do in the future. All he asks is that we love him, Mama, and each other, honor God, and stay away from hippie tree-huggers and Florida fans.
Daddy gives good advice, too. When we were younger and in school, his suggestion for dealing with anything was, "Punch them in the nose." None of us actually punched anyone in the nose, but the advice was unexpected enough to make us stop crying and start laughing. That is still his favorite piece of advice, but he doesn't use it as much anymore, since we're all at that age of having such trouble trying not to become violent psychopaths.
He loves football, rock and roll music, and Phil Robertson (and the rest of the Duck Dynasty cast, but especially Phil). He's the reason we knew who Gene Simmons was at four or five, and that We Will Rock You was, in fact, not sung by a woman. He encourages listening to "good music," but despite his intolerance of "teeny bopper" music, the first thing he did when he got his new truck was program a pop station for us. He is not fazed by screaming, giggling, or the general hysteria that accompanies the mention of certain names/bands/top secret security agencies. He accepts the fact that we have to stop and admire any magazine with a picture of One Direction on it. He doesn't care if our music is so loud the entire back of our house is shaking (as long as it's good music and the Dawgs aren't playing). He puts up with three women who don't have much of a grasp on the concept of time, wear a lot of makeup, and spend an ungodly amount of time getting dressed/picking out clothes/packing. He even sat (relatively) patiently and quietly every Tuesday night from 8 PM to 9 PM while Beau and I watched Pretty Little Liars on his TV. He drove us from Georgia to California last summer without a word of complaint, for the sole purpose of letting us follow our dreams.
He's involved, too, in every aspect of our life. He and Mama are a team, and even though they have their moments, they have managed to raise three children with good heads on their shoulders, a solid sense of right and wrong, and an innate reflex that answers "Yes ma'am," "No ma'am," "Yes, sir," or "No, sir," when asked anything by anybody. He goes into the studio with us whenever he can, gives us his honest opinion about whatever we're working on, and always manages to waylay our insecurities and encourage us when we're stuck in his quiet way. If there's one thing we know, it's that we can always go to Daddy about anything. He will always listen, he will always be honest, and even if it stings a bit, he will tell us what we need to hear. He's always on our side, too, always looking out for what's best for the whole family. We can count on him to be there, no matter what. He will swoop in and save the day without ever putting a scratch in his reading glasses. When things look bad, he's at our side. When it feels like the whole world's falling apart and everyone has run away, he's got our backs. And when we can't fight the battle before us, he ties a sheet around his neck and takes care of it.
But of course he does. That's what superheroes do.
Happy birthday, Daddy. We love you so, so much. You're the best,
L + B^2
October 23, 2013
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!
...well, maybe not around here, but we are coming up on Halloween, which means that Christmas songs will start playing in stores shortly thereafter. Not that that's a bad thing, if you're like me, but if you spend the most wonderful time of the year trying to figure out a way to make Christmas music illegal, you're probably not looking forward to it. Beau's that way; she tries to eat Christmas but finds she can't stomach all the cheer and goodwill to mankind. I like to sing "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" at her, especially the part about the 39-and-a-half-foot pole (note: this sentiment is true any time of the year before 11 AM, not just during the Christmas season).
Anyways, no matter how you feel about Christmas, everybody likes free stuff, right? 'Tis the season to be jolly, and we plan on making somebody very jolly indeed. We're offering a $25 prepaid Visa card to anyone who goes here (https://www.facebook.com/OfficiallyBeauAndLuci?v=app_126231547426086&) and suggests some Christmas songs for our set in "The Sunday Night Show" at BCOG on December 15, 2013. By helping us out and giving us some ideas, you'll be automatically entered to win free money. Easy enough, right? Right. Piece of cake...er, pie.
Also, you can sign up for the email list, which will keep you up-to-date and on top of everything Beau + Luci. You might know things before we do. Who knows? You'll also know about upcoming events, prizes, and exclusives before anyone else. I don't know about you, but I like knowing things before other people. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Remember to "like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, check us out on Spotify, and share us with your friends! Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Much love,
B + L
Anyways, no matter how you feel about Christmas, everybody likes free stuff, right? 'Tis the season to be jolly, and we plan on making somebody very jolly indeed. We're offering a $25 prepaid Visa card to anyone who goes here (https://www.facebook.com/OfficiallyBeauAndLuci?v=app_126231547426086&) and suggests some Christmas songs for our set in "The Sunday Night Show" at BCOG on December 15, 2013. By helping us out and giving us some ideas, you'll be automatically entered to win free money. Easy enough, right? Right. Piece of cake...er, pie.
Also, you can sign up for the email list, which will keep you up-to-date and on top of everything Beau + Luci. You might know things before we do. Who knows? You'll also know about upcoming events, prizes, and exclusives before anyone else. I don't know about you, but I like knowing things before other people. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Remember to "like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, check us out on Spotify, and share us with your friends! Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Much love,
B + L
October 20, 2013
Praise the Gourd
I love the fall, and any opportunity to get into the season gets me excited, so when I saw that my Grandmama had the latest Southern Living magazine, all decked out with pumpkins, fall foliage, and a big "Fall Fun Guide" written across the front, I was all over that. I get a giddy feeling every time I find the newest edition, but this one was special, because when Southern Living starts talking about fall, it means that Halloween is on the way, which serves as a little jet-booster to get us to Thanksgiving and Christmas (and an excuse to eat indecent amounts of candy and pretend to be someone else without getting strange looks). Anyways, as I was flipping through, I came across a little article written by Rick Bragg that I enjoyed and decided to share, along with some fun facts about my third favorite holiday. Have a spook-tacular week!
"I bemoan the day the zombie usurped the pumpkin as the unofficial mascot of Halloween."
Halloween used to be simple. You got a punkin, cut off its top, gouged out its stringy orange insides, and carved a face on it that looked like your brother. But that just wasn’t good enough for some folks.
I realize this may mark me as one of those people who resurface every October, hollering about the perils of Halloween. Not me. I have been quietly celebrating it a long time and have never been moved, no matter how many bushels of candy corn I consumed, to run off and worship the devil. But I fear this holiday has lost its soul.
I blame the zombies.
Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed, what with all their moaning and lurching and…well, I guess moaning and lurching is all they do, if you don’t count standing around looking walleyed and gnashing their bad teeth. You can’t swing a dead black cat this time of year without knocking a few down like bowling pins, which is not hard to do, considering they move at the pace of a box turtle, more nuisance than fright. Anything I can walk briskly away from—and that list gets shorter every year—is unlikely to strike fear in my heart. I figure I should still be able to outsprint a zombie when I am a hundred and fifteen. That is, if they don’t annoy me to death first.
I should not care so deeply about them, but there are so many rubber-legging around these days that they threaten to become the iconic image of my favorite time of year. Halloween has always been, to me, a time to smile at things that frighten us, to watch the night sky for witches but encounter them only as they walk down the street on the way to Ruby Tuesday. I used to be afraid of vampires, but how can you fear one 3 feet tall, squinting in my porch light, trying not to swallow his drugstore fangs when his mama smacks him upside the head for forgetting to say “thank you” for the Sugar Babies?
Mostly I love Halloween because it is the orange-and-black beginning of a season that tumbles into Thanksgiving, which tumbles into Christmas. And zombies just seem a little out of place in that. Thanksgiving should have nothing to do with armies of the shuffling undead. Don’t get me started on Christmas. The only undead at Christmas should be Jacob Marley, wailing about greed.
The iconic image of Halloween should be, as God intended, the punkin. The punkin, carved into faces that are scary only because we want them to be, winking from every front porch. The punkin, cast in plastic, swinging from the hands of knee-high princesses, leering back from department store shelves, until it gives way to tins of butter cookies.
But I fear for the punkin. How long before he is kicked down the street by zombie hordes, booted into obscurity? Young people tell me that no one—no one—wants to dress up like a punkin anymore. All a punkin does, they say, is sit there, and glow.
This may be true, all of it, but try to make a pie out of a zombie and see where that gets you.
Fun Facts About Halloween:
1. The first Jack O'Lanterns were made from turnips.
2. The word "witch" comes from the Old English wicce, meaning "wise woman." In fact, wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on Halloween night.
3. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
4. The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl's call meant someone was about to die.
5. According to Irish Legend, Jack O'Lanterns were named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance to both Heaven and Hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from ther paths.
6. The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993 with an 836 pound pumpkin.
7. Stephen Clarke holds the record for the world's fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds, smashing his previous record of 54.72 seconds. The rules of the competition state that the pumpkin must weigh less than 24 pounds and be carved in a traditional way, which requires at least eyes, nose, ears, and a mouth
8. Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.
9. “Souling” is a medieval Christian precursor to modern-day trick-or-treating. On Hallowmas (November 1), the poor would go door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes.
10. “Halloween” is short for “Hallows’ Eve” or “Hallows’ Evening,” which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1. In an effort to convert pagans, the Christian church decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.
11. Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.
12. Dressing up as ghouls and other spooks originated from the ancient Celtic tradition of townspeople disguising themselves as demons and spirits. The Celts believed that disguising themselves this way would allow them to escape the notice of the real spirits wandering the streets during Samhain.
13. Comedian Lewis Black has a theory about candy corn: "All the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1914. They never had to make it again. We never eat enough of it. We only eat two or three or four pieces apiece. So, literally, after Halloween the candy corn companies send out their minions. And they go from garbage can to garbage can and collect the corn and throw it back in the bags. And it appears next year."
(All credit goes to Rick Bragg, Southern Living, Mindfloss, and Random Facts.)
"I bemoan the day the zombie usurped the pumpkin as the unofficial mascot of Halloween."
Halloween used to be simple. You got a punkin, cut off its top, gouged out its stringy orange insides, and carved a face on it that looked like your brother. But that just wasn’t good enough for some folks.
I realize this may mark me as one of those people who resurface every October, hollering about the perils of Halloween. Not me. I have been quietly celebrating it a long time and have never been moved, no matter how many bushels of candy corn I consumed, to run off and worship the devil. But I fear this holiday has lost its soul.
I blame the zombies.
Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed, what with all their moaning and lurching and…well, I guess moaning and lurching is all they do, if you don’t count standing around looking walleyed and gnashing their bad teeth. You can’t swing a dead black cat this time of year without knocking a few down like bowling pins, which is not hard to do, considering they move at the pace of a box turtle, more nuisance than fright. Anything I can walk briskly away from—and that list gets shorter every year—is unlikely to strike fear in my heart. I figure I should still be able to outsprint a zombie when I am a hundred and fifteen. That is, if they don’t annoy me to death first.
I should not care so deeply about them, but there are so many rubber-legging around these days that they threaten to become the iconic image of my favorite time of year. Halloween has always been, to me, a time to smile at things that frighten us, to watch the night sky for witches but encounter them only as they walk down the street on the way to Ruby Tuesday. I used to be afraid of vampires, but how can you fear one 3 feet tall, squinting in my porch light, trying not to swallow his drugstore fangs when his mama smacks him upside the head for forgetting to say “thank you” for the Sugar Babies?
Mostly I love Halloween because it is the orange-and-black beginning of a season that tumbles into Thanksgiving, which tumbles into Christmas. And zombies just seem a little out of place in that. Thanksgiving should have nothing to do with armies of the shuffling undead. Don’t get me started on Christmas. The only undead at Christmas should be Jacob Marley, wailing about greed.
The iconic image of Halloween should be, as God intended, the punkin. The punkin, carved into faces that are scary only because we want them to be, winking from every front porch. The punkin, cast in plastic, swinging from the hands of knee-high princesses, leering back from department store shelves, until it gives way to tins of butter cookies.
But I fear for the punkin. How long before he is kicked down the street by zombie hordes, booted into obscurity? Young people tell me that no one—no one—wants to dress up like a punkin anymore. All a punkin does, they say, is sit there, and glow.
This may be true, all of it, but try to make a pie out of a zombie and see where that gets you.
Fun Facts About Halloween:
1. The first Jack O'Lanterns were made from turnips.
2. The word "witch" comes from the Old English wicce, meaning "wise woman." In fact, wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on Halloween night.
3. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
4. The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl's call meant someone was about to die.
5. According to Irish Legend, Jack O'Lanterns were named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance to both Heaven and Hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from ther paths.
6. The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993 with an 836 pound pumpkin.
7. Stephen Clarke holds the record for the world's fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds, smashing his previous record of 54.72 seconds. The rules of the competition state that the pumpkin must weigh less than 24 pounds and be carved in a traditional way, which requires at least eyes, nose, ears, and a mouth
8. Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.
9. “Souling” is a medieval Christian precursor to modern-day trick-or-treating. On Hallowmas (November 1), the poor would go door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes.
10. “Halloween” is short for “Hallows’ Eve” or “Hallows’ Evening,” which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1. In an effort to convert pagans, the Christian church decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.
11. Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.
12. Dressing up as ghouls and other spooks originated from the ancient Celtic tradition of townspeople disguising themselves as demons and spirits. The Celts believed that disguising themselves this way would allow them to escape the notice of the real spirits wandering the streets during Samhain.
13. Comedian Lewis Black has a theory about candy corn: "All the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1914. They never had to make it again. We never eat enough of it. We only eat two or three or four pieces apiece. So, literally, after Halloween the candy corn companies send out their minions. And they go from garbage can to garbage can and collect the corn and throw it back in the bags. And it appears next year."
(All credit goes to Rick Bragg, Southern Living, Mindfloss, and Random Facts.)
October 13, 2013
The Pale Blue Dot
I don't know how many of you are familiar with Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot," but it is one of those unassuming works of art that leave you breathless and covered in goosebumps. I first came across it in a Creative Writing class, in our section on media and videogaphy, and my initial reaction was, "Ugh. Videos. I hate videos. I want to read." About ten seconds in, I was interested. By the time the video ended, I was on the edge of my seat and filled with such pride and love for our pale blue dot that I watched it again. We all know the Earth is our home. I mean, duh. Toddlers know that. First graders definitely know it. To most of us, the Earth is the largest object we will ever personally know. It's where we live and eat and sleep and raise our families. It's where we were born and where we will die. It's where we laugh and cry, and serves as the great stage upon which the grand drama of the human race is played. All the heroes, all the villains, all of us as are "but dust and shadows," and we live upon a "mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam." What a spectacular world.
“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”
-Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”
-Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
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