Hungry Games

Ever body 'round here is piling into their cars and heading to the nearest picture show what is showing The Hungry Games. It come from a book what I ain't read and so I don't know exactly what it's about. But we had a thing a while back what we called the Hungry Games. Bilbo Wilkes and Ashmont Barnes, two hunting buddies, was always arguing when they come in out of the woods 'bout which one were the most hungriest. What they figured were the one what could eat the most food had to be declared the hungriest and the prize were a box of shot gun shells. Dorothy helped out by making Dagwood sandwiches and other big food items for the two pals. We all gathered around and watched them stuff they selfs. Bilbo won more times than he didn't 'cause he were bigger and had a bigger belly. But the last time Ashmont won 'cause Bilbo run out of money and wouldn't nobody loan him any. Not 'cause we is selfish, but 'cause we needed for Ashmont to win now and then; just to change things up a little, don't ya know?

Keen Wa

Quinoa

Don't it sound like a Indian chief or something? Well it ain't. It are a food what Dorothy's got hung up on since she's on this healthy eating kick. I always have ate a lot of vegetables, but was real partial to what Dorothy calls heavy carbs. Them is things like potatoes, white rice, grits, sugar and flour. That pert much tell what I ate ever day of my life. And Dorothy still cooks them things; just not all the time. One of the things we has a lot of now is this quinoa (keen wa.) I can't tell you how many different ways Dorothy has found to cook it. And believe it or not I kinda like it. Never would have thought so. And you know me, I had to go to the Harper Library and look it up. It are a food what the native peoples of Peru started to growing for food. It have a lot of protein and not a lot of them heavy carbs in it. And it kinda fills me up so I don't keep running back to the kitchen for a snack. That way when Dorothy or Myrtis, her helper woman, mops the floor it got time to dry 'fore I walk across to the ice box.

A New Kind of Hunter

When we was all growin' up there were a kinda unwrote-down law what said hunting with guns or bows and arrows were good. Hunting with clubs or baseball bats were not good. Most all of us followed the rule. Hemmel Bladderworth, unemployed factory man, broke it in full fashion t'other day. A old farmer down the road, name of Wiggins, started raising gooses on his land. Well you know you can't keep no birds from running around on you somewhat, and some of his gooses got out and was crossing the road, I reckon to get to a neighbor's pond. Exploring, don't you know. And here come Hemmel in his '92 GMC with that little rear seat behind the main seat. I were watching and seen he had room to miss 'em. But he didn't miss 'em. He, on purpose, run into one of 'em, screeched to a stop, got out and picked up his road kill, and throwed it in the back. That night we got a phone call from Hemmel. He wanted to talk to Dorothy. When I asked her what he wanted, she said he asked her if she had any good goose recipes. She said she didn't but told him the only goose she knowed about being cooked were in The Christmas Carol. So I asked Dorothy if that book had a recipe in it and she said it did not, but it wouldn't hurt Hemmel to read something besides them comic books he reads while swinging in that hammock on his front porch.

Some Things (not many) Just Need to Be Changed

As y'all probably figured I ain't real big on changing things. But I come across something the other day what I figure ought to be different. One of Willie's great granddaughters were over here with him the other day and she brung out her crayolas to color with while we was talking. I noticed she were coloring the peoples faces a color what were like her own skin color. Me and Willie was talking about that and admiring how good her coloring are. Then I got to looking at the names of the colors and one of 'em were named FLESH. Now that just ain't right. It may be right in Sweden or Norgeway but it ain't right here in Mississippi. I figure the simple thing would be just to change that one name to something like KINDA WHITISH PINK or something like that. Otherwise they would have to make a whole bunch of different FLESH colors for all of the world and several of 'em for right here. Beside Hollis tells me the word flesh in German means meat. I know they ain't but it makes them German peoples look like candybulls.

The Fine Art of Needling

Right off I gotta say this ain't exactly gonna be about tattoos. Not exactly. I heard a fellow say the other day he were a expert in the fine art of needling. He just loved to get peoples all riled up. The problem with that thing, it ain't no real good way to end it. Ever time you come up with some smart aleck remark then the other fellow feel like he gotta outdo you. So a real good needling just goes on to that divinity place they always talking about. There were one particular fellow what this needling fellow liked to get into it with. Man, if they was ever together in the barbershop I high-tailed it out of there. Well the needler finally lost out to the needlee when the needlee went to New Orleans and got a tattoo put on the palm of his hand what said, "Kiss mine too." And ever time the needler said something the needlee just held up his hand like he were saying, "STOP" That did it 'cause the needler were real afraid of needles. It's what they calls Iron Nick.

Spring is Sprung

It ain't official, but it sure seem like it. Ever where there is signs of spring. But you know what I reckon we has more cold weather ahead. We got down here what they call the Easter Snap. A lot of years it gets a little chilly right around Easter. Some peoples think it's a gift from above so womens can wear their fine new coats one more time. Spring is always welcome. In fact, we usually welcome all the seasons. The colder winters gives us chance to sit around the fire together. Spring brings us out to remeet all our old friends what are getting out too. The hot summers give us days to go swimming, fishing and work our gardens. Although we does have to mow the lawns at least twice a week. And fall hands us plenty of times to get together for Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities. Yep, all the seasons is good.
PS. If you clicks on the picture I think it makes it bigger.

Judging

Now before I get started I know some of y'all is gonna say I are judging others just by saying what some peoples do. Guilty. I accept I am guilty. But I'm gonna say it anyway. Ever day I runs into peoples what holds their head up in the air and looks down on others what they think is not as holy as they are. Just listen to them politicians on the TV set. You'd think some of 'em ain't never done no wrong the way they is talking about others. The politician motto ought to be: Sometimes right, sometimes wrong, but always certain. I'm talking about both parties. A real easy answer to all our problems might be to elect peoples who is willing to sweep around their own doorsteps before they go to telling other peoples to break out their brooms. But you know what, I don't reckon they could get elected 'cause most peoples want to believe in what their side is blaming on the other side. Now there I go again, finding fault with others. Reckon I better get my own broom out. See how unsimple all this is.

Law Suits

I reckon I told y'all one of Willie's boys are a lawyer in New Orleans. He is one of them what advertises on the television set. Me and Willie were taking about some the things what peoples is suing one another for and Willie knowed of a case where this fellow down in Louisiana were suing the BPOE lodge in his town 'cause they would no longer allow peoples to bring walkers onto the dance floor. This fellow complained he wouldn't be able to dance without the aid of his walker and were real sure he were being descrimerated against. He come to a agreement with them Elks before it went to trial when they had a designated area set aside for walkers. Or I reckon I should say for dancers with walkers.

Guilt

Guilt are a good thing. If it warn't for guilt I would probably still be drinking and running around with loose womens. But ever thing need to be taken upon with moderation. Me and Willie was out fishing this morning and we started talking about our friendship. Willie, as you may remember, are my AfroAmerican friend. And has been since we was young kids. Back when all the rough stuff were going on down here in the South we decided that we warn't gonna let nothing get in the way of our feelings about each other. We has stayed friends for all these years and will be until one of us dies. But there never were no guilt involved; for either one of us. Willie told me one day that it warn't no need for me to be worrying about how my grandfather or even my daddy had behaved. It were enough to take the blame for my own actions. And the same for him. That's the way Willie are. I ain't never seen him walking around without his head held up high. He's always smiled and greeted peoples,  of all colors, as if they was the same. And you know what, peoples tended to treat him the same way. The peoples what mattered, anyway. So I ain't gonna let guilt butt in on what ball player I pulls for, or who I votes for, or nothing like that. If I have a conscience it are Willie. If I go wrong it ain't his nature not to tell me.