Columns

Spring Cleaning (Body, Home, and Spirit)

Spring cleaning has a reputation for being loud and exhausting. It shows up with trash bags, checklists, and the pressure to do everything all at once. But the season itself tells a different story. Spring doesn’t rush. It unfolds slowly, one leaf at a time. That’s why a gentle spring cleaning makes far more sense.

Start with the home, but don’t declare war on it. A few small things will be enough to begin with. Open the windows and let the fresh air do its work first. Sunlight has a way of showing us what truly needs attention—and what doesn’t. Instead of tearing through every room, choose one room, or if time is short, one small space each day. A single drawer. One shelf. Clear out the catch-all basket by the door that somehow holds everything and nothing at the same time. When you work slowly, you finish lighter instead of defeated.

Southern 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 blow 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.”

Handmade, Heartmade

There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from fixing something instead of replacing it. You don’t really notice how rare that feeling has become until you experience it again — needle and thread in hand, hammer tapping a loose board back where it belongs, or fingers working dough, fabric, or yarn into something useful.

Making things with your hands changes your pace. It forces you to slow down just enough to pay attention. And maybe that’s why it feels so grounding.

For generations, handmade wasn’t a hobby — it was just how life worked. Clothes were mended because you needed them tomorrow. Blankets were pieced together because winters came whether you were ready or not. Bread was made because somebody had to feed the household. No one called it “handcrafted.” It was simply necessary.

In March I planted four hills of watermelons. The day I planted them it rained well that afternoon. Most folks received one and one half to two inches of rainfall. We arrived back here at Bruce’s apartment on Cotile Lake.

I studied I Samuel from the birth of Samuel to the anointing of Saul to becoming King. (I Samuel 1 – 10) I then called a number of friends to check on them.

It is raining good today. It is now 4:00 p.m. and has rained pretty much all day today.

Bruce came back from his work at 5:00 p.m. He fixed supper (Lasagna and green beans) and they were so good.

I went to bed a little before 10:00 p.m. and up at 7:30 a.m. Bruce had gone to work at 5:30 a.m. Had a good night’s sleep, and ate a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast. I watched a game of basketball on television. I called Helen, but she wasn’t feeling too good.

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 KJVAAE Many people are living like Jesus is not returning again to rule and to judge. The truth is that Jesus will return to the Earth. We do not know the month, the date nor the hour. Only the Father knows the moment of Jesus’ return. In the Bible, Jesus told the disciples there are signs that will happen to let us know that He will be returning sooner rather than later. Now the question is, where will you be when Jesus returns? What will you be doing when Jesus comes again? How will Jesus find you when He returns? Many have preached and taught about Jesus’ return. Some have claimed to know the season or the date of His return. We are still waiting.

As this writer has stated many times in the past — History can take many forms. Today’s article primarily concerns a man that few in DeSoto Parish know or remember, Travis Spears. He and his wife were born here in the early 1900’s and he went to work in the oil fields in the 1930’s for the Standard Oil Co. After working in the drilling or production end for 15 years he was sent to Standard Oil’s South American Division in Venezuela. There he worked his way up to management in production. He and Mrs. Spears moved back to Mansfield with their 5th grade son, Travis, Jr. and they built a nice home on Hwy. 84 West near where Jeff and Jill Heard presently live. Travis, Jr. later became an M.D.

A Simple Lemon Tea Bread (A Recipe for Spring Days) There’s something about spring that calls for lighter baking — not fancy, not fussy — just something cheerful to go with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. Lemon tea bread fits that bill just fine. It’s the kind of recipe you can make with what’s already in your kitchen, no special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients required.

This is a simple country recipe — straightforward, forgiving, and meant to be shared.

Lemon Tea Bread Ingredients: 1 cup sugar ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter) 2 eggs 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup milk 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled) 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, but nice if you have a lemon) For the glaze (optional but recommended): ½ cup powdered sugar cup powdered sugar 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard loaf pan.

Resurrection Sunday Now What?

Resurrection Sunday (Easter) is one of the most attended church services each year. It is the only day, other than Mother’s Day, many people will attend a church service. Many of these people call themselves a Christian, a Believer of God and even will say a Follower of Jesus. However, the only service they will attend is Sunrise service or Resurrection Sunday service and won’t be seen in any Christian fellowship until the next year. That got me thinking, most will only attend church again if there is a funeral ora wedding in the family.

“Know you not that you are the Temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is Holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:116-17) Oh the things of this world that we allow to come into our minds and bodies! Shameful things, filthy things…alcohol and tobacco! “Know you not that your body is the Temple of God! (vs.16) If any one defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is Holy, which temple you are.” (Vs. 17) I was pastor of the Baptist church in Barberton, Ohio. It was a beautiful church inside and out. I had not been there too long when one day I needed to step out for a few minutes, so I left the door unlocked when I left. I had an errand to run but I would be right back. When I came back someone had written filthy words all over the walls of this beautiful church, had overturned furniture and files in the office.

Cute, compact and classic: It’s Teddy Bear magnolia

With a name that calls to mind cuddly childhood toys, it’s hard not to love the Teddy Bear magnolia.

This Southern magnolia cultivar, which was found as a chance seedling, derives its moniker from the deep rusty brown, fuzzy undersides of its glossy, green leaves. But there’s a lot more to like about this tree than its adorable name and teddy bear-esque leaf texture.

One of its most delightful attributes is its compact form — offering a perfect solution for those of us who enjoy Southern magnolias but don’t have the yard space to accommodate traditional, sprawling cultivars.

Classic Southern magnolias can eventually grow to 40 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. In some urban developments, the spread of a mature magnolia tree would take up nearly the entire width of the lot!