Columns

Y’all, why do people seem to think it’s okay to post their personal business on Facebook?

I mean, look, hundreds of folks do not need to know about your colonoscopy results.

Your date night with “the best hubby ever” does not need to be broadcast for thousands to peek in on.

Nobody cares about the filet mignon you had or the sexy things he whispered in your ear.

Can you imagine, back in the 80’s and 90’s before social media, if we had gone around showing random acquaintances snapshots of us “smooching our smoke show?”

Or the print-outs of our bloodwork results?

Or the private notes written just for our eyes?

People just have no boundaries these days.

And what about all those selfies of folks snuggled up to “the love of their life” in a Broken Bow cabin?

Look, nobody needs to witness your oh-so private moments with your sixth soulmate.

with Chef Hunter Lee The Summer S’more Let’s get shakin!!!

That’s right s’mores in the summer, it’s a thing, or it could be. I’ve never been considered completely sane and with it 100° or hotter outside, I probably got ya attention. But seriously if you like them, you like them, if you have ever made them with the kiddos, you know they love them. I grew up in the country and when we were kids out at the camp, we were always by the fire making s’mores!

They are perfect for those nights out by the fire when it’s cool out, camping, and perfect for family time. Well with one of the best kitchen inventions in a generation you don’t have wait until fall to toast that marshmallow! In fact, you don’t even have to go outside.

When my youngest child finished sixth grade back in May and was getting ready to transition to the middle school side of campus, I’m sorry (but not sorry) to say that my first thought was, “Good, because that elementary car line’s about to wear me out!”

I mean, I had to spiritually prepare every day for that 3 o’clock hot mess, where pony-tailed women in minivans suddenly become Luke Duke, revvin’ the motor of that Honda Odyssey like it’s the General Lee.

Where people with Jesus stickers on their back windshield have been known to rotate their necks 360 degrees and vomit green pea soup.

It’s three lanes deep, bottlenecks twice, and causes folks to wave at each other … with one finger.

I’ve witnessed manya- Memaw wheel that Buick around, cutting off people like it’s Black Friday, horns honking and tires squealing like Christmas Eve in Manhattan.

(Editor’s Note: Encore column from October 2017. Enjoy!)

Most people do not give much thought to names but that is one of the most important things about a person. His parents gave a lot of thought before naming him as a baby. The same thing is true about a place or town. So where did DeSoto Parish get its name?

By Jann Franklin Is Some Better Than None?

I love my friend Cindy-I truly do. She is amazing and fantastic and wonderful. The fact that she would tell you that’s not true just solidifies how amazing and fantastic and wonderful she is. I mean seriously- she invented The Cup Half Full Principle.

I hesitate to even share it with you-this information is beyond amazing. If I haven’t I told you about the Amazing Life Hack my friend Kristi shared with me, it’s coming. Believe me! I feel guilty sharing this tip as well. But Cindy changed my life.

Her son is my oldest son’s age. But oh my stars! Her son is the most grateful, appreciative human being on this planet. How did she do that? Please share Cindy!

with Chef Hunter Lee The Passive-Aggressive Pineapple

Let’s get Shakin!!!! I returned home this week from a cookbook promotional tour that included Asheville, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah Georgia. It was an amazing adventure but over 2,400 miles round trip, it was a lot of driving and let me tell y’all it’s just as HOT up there as it is here.

South Carolina and Georgia are both well known for the Pineapple. It’s not just them, like a lot of symbols it’s a southern thing!

“The Pineapple” is the southern symbol for hospitality and we all know you won’t find better down-home hospitality than right here in the GREAT state of Louisiana.

There are stories of how this came to be and why, a lot of them are just myth and a lot have been lost in history and time.

Over 90 years ago on June 25, 1917 there were 14,000 U.S. troop ships that landed in LaHarve, France to join the Allied fight against the Central Powers in World War I. The United States had been reluctant to enter the “Great War”. Most Americans viewed it as a European fight and wanted no part of it. President Woodrow Wilson had won election in 1916 on the slogan “Keep US out of the War!,” but German aggression with submarine attacks against American ships soon turned public opinion. Wilson and American realized we could not stay neutral with world peace being threatened.

For the past 14 years, Molly Usrey has called the DeSoto Parish Extension Office her second home. Molly began her career with the LSU AgCenter in January 2008. She and her husband, Tom, moved to DeSoto Parish where she filled the role as a 4-H Livestock Agent. During her time with the LSU AgCenter, Molly has filled many roles. Some of which include Poultry Superintendent at the State Fair of LA, LSU Northwest District Livestock Show Superintendent, and the LSU Northwest District Horse Show Superintendent. Molly also served as Parish Chair of the DeSoto Parish Extension Office after the retirement of Mr. Chuck Griffin.

In the early 1930’s times were stressful in some ways like today but in a different kind of way. Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana, felt the need for a more jovial spirit and humor. As the Great Depression became more stressful Long started a little word battle with the Governor of Georgia and the Editor of the Atlanta Constitution. The proper way to eat cornpone or cornbread with soup or milk or potlikker. Long contended the proper way was to dunk the cornpone in the “potlikker” which you younger readers may not know was the juice from boiled vegetables like mustard, turnip or collard greens cooked with salt and pepper and fat pork. The above concoction was a favorite meal of most southern families.

WOW...these weeks sure do come quickly! Where does time go? In the blink of an eye, I’ll be living IN MNC and some other activity director will be writing about me. That’s a thought I think I’ll skip ...let’s move on from that, ha ha!

The weather...nah ain’t gonna talk about that either!!! It’s just disrespectful outside. Let’s talk about fun things! Today at MNC has been fun. We celebrate residents’ birthdays the last Thursday of each month. Today was THAT day. We had our July Birthday Party.

We gather in the cafeteria and have either sausage, cheese, pepperoni pizza, or a combo of all that. We have soft drinks, and we have cupcakes, cookies, brownies and several types of desserts. The residents really enjoy the pizza because its something they don’t get to eat often so we splurge and make them happy! We all laugh and talk as we eat all the goodies.