Columns

South ern Folklore Is A Combination Of Beliefs, Myths, Charms, Superstitions, And Many More Things. It Has Been A Way Of Life In The South For Many Years. Southern Folklore Usually Deals With The Unsophisticated Folks, A Category That Most Of Us Fit Into If We Were Truthful. The Sayings Varied Some From One Region In The South To Another As The Older Generation Came Up. Some Say That It Is A Dying Art.

An Old Saying About Folklore Is “You Can Get A Southerner Out Of The South But You Can’t Get The South Out Of The Southerner.” Imaginary Tales Are One Form Of Folklore. One Old Man Used To Tell About The 1949 Tornado The Came Through Western And Central Desoto Parish. He Said, “The Twister Was So Strong It Pulled The Water Well Right Out Of The Ground. It Blowed So Hard It Made The Road Straight And Scattered The Days Of The Week So Bad That Sunday Didn’t Come Around Until Late Tuesday Afternoon.”

Drying the Harvest: The Low and Slow Way

Dehydrating is like the tortoise in the race — it may be slow, but it gets the job done with quiet confidence. While canning often steals the show with its bubbling pots and dramatic pressure gauges, dehydrating works in the background, quietly tucking away the harvest for another day.

It’s one of the oldest preservation methods we have. Our ancestors used sunshine, shade, and patience. These days, we’ve got dehydrators, oven trays, and even air fryers that get the job done faster and with a bit more precision.

If you’re new to drying foods, start small. Apple slices are a good first project — they dry beautifully and taste like candy without the guilt. Bananas, strawberries, and even zucchini chips are easy wins too. A little cinnamon or sea salt can dress them up, and suddenly, you’ve got snacks that rival anything in the grocery store aisle.

The Lesser-Known Crop—Louisiana Blueberries

Let’s get shakin!!!!!

When you think of Louisiana you think of cotton, sugarcane, rice, even corn, but how about blueberries?

Absolutely, especially if you are over 40 years old and from DeSoto Parish Louisiana.

It conjures memories of the Blueberry Festival, half the town covered in Blueberry signs, teens picking blueberries in the summer for extra money, and even the Blueberry Cafe.

Those days are all but memories now, or at least for most, but all is not lost. Louisiana and parts of east Texas still produces amazing blueberries and have blueberry farms, several in DeSoto Parish like Hillcrest Blueberry Farms in Gloster, Louisiana. Hillcrest was even featured in Southern Living Magazine.

Blueberries have a short season, and we are sadly coming to an end for this season but if you hurry fresh ones are still available for another week or so and even after that you can get them frozen.

It’s hay season in and around DeSoto Parish and that means that motorists will see an increase in tractor and hay equipment traffic for the next few months as producers move from field to field. Motorists are asked to please be respectful to our farmers and ranchers while sharing the highway with the increased presence of farm equipment. Please keep in mind that most tractors reach their maximum highway speed at around 18 to 20 mph. Motorists should only pass farm equipment when it is safe and legal to do so. Producers should always use flashing caution lights and all equipment should have the slow moving vehicle emblem displayed while traveling on public roadways. Please be careful and share the roads this hay season. The operator of that tractor that is slowing you down is working to put food on your table and they would like to go home to their family at the end of the day as well. Safe travels!

History is much more than dates like 1492 or 1776 or 1843. As important as these and other dates are to us they do not represent history in its entirety. Several years ago a lady asked me to write an article on Hopscotch since as a young girl she enjoyed many hours playing that game with her girlfriends and she had forgotten some of the rules and details. A game that young boys played in the 1930’s which has apparently disappeared today is marbles. Youngsters played two games with marbles and after giving some thought an attempt will be made to reconstruct the rules as I spent many hours enjoying playing these while in grades 3 to 6.

Hydrangeas: A colorful springtime staple for shady Louisiana gardens

Hydrangeas have long been a staple of Southern gardens, and it’s no wonder why. These beloved flowers, with their unique clusters of delicate blooms, offer a late-spring and early-summer splash of color to shaded areas — something that’s not always easy to find.

Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs. Like most shrubs, it’s best to plant them in the fall. But you can appreciate their beautiful blooms right now — or soon.

There are many species of hydrangeas out there, but in Louisiana, you’re most likely to encounter three. Each has its own unique characteristics, care requirements and bloom times.

History is much more than dates like 1492 or 1776 or 1843. As important as these and other dates are to us they do not represent history in its entirety. Several years ago a lady asked me to write an article on Hopscotch since as a young girl she enjoyed many hours playing that game with her girlfriends and she had forgotten some of the rules and details. A game that young boys played in the 1930’s which has apparently disappeared today is marbles. Youngsters played two games with marbles and after giving some thought an attempt will be made to reconstruct the rules as I spent many hours enjoying playing these while in grades 3 to 6.

“Let the glory of the Lord endure forever; Let the Lord be glad in His works;” Psalms 104:31 NASB1995 We have experienced a life-changing move of God at HMBC thus far in May. Beginning with our 141 year anniversary celebration to open the month through our four day revival series ending last Wednesday. The people choosing to come within the walls of Hunter Magnolia Baptist Church are experiencing the presence of God and the mighty work of the Holy Spirit.

A request has been made that a concise short history of Louisiana and DeSoto Parish be made for reference when needed. A prominent Mansfield person wanted to be sure his grandchildren knew this information. The Louisiana Territory was a large area with New Orleans as a valuable port near the mouth of the Mississippi River. President Thomas Jefferson realized the need for the U.S. to own and control it for its western growth. He sent a representative to France to buy the N.O. area but Napoleon needed money badly to finance the wars the he was waging. He offered the entire La. Territory, which composes about one third of the present U.S. for $15 million. Also the U.S. paid $5 million to U.S. citizens who held claims against France bringing the total to $20 million.

South ern folklore is a combination of beliefs, myths, charms, superstitions, and many more things. It has been a way of life in the South for many years. Southern folklore usually deals with the unsophisticated folks, a category that most of us fit into if we were truthful. The sayings varied some from one region in the South to another as the older generation came up. Some say that it is a dying art.

An old saying about folklore is “You can get a Southerner out of the South but you can’t get the South out of the Southerner.” Imaginary tales are one form of folklore. One old man used to tell about the 1949 tornado the came through western and central DeSoto Parish. He said, “The twister was so strong it pulled the water well right out of the ground. It blowed so hard it made the road straight and scattered the days of the week so bad that Sunday didn’t come around until late Tuesday afternoon.”