One of the biggest fears for anyone who has food intolerances or allergies is eating out. I eat out a great deal because I have three children involved in activities here and there. In my hometown, I've memorized all the restaurants where I can eat safely. Traveling halfway across the country is another matter. On our two week vacation, I was completely out of my element, but I found ways to cope with the uncertainty because I don't want to stay home for the rest of my life. I will share a few of my strategies, but I want to make it clear that this is what I do. I am not suggesting it will work for everyone, especially if they have full blown Celiac disease. Like the Boy Scouts, be prepared and take food with you. Assume you will be on the road and unable to find a suitable...

Have you ever wanted to own a historic garden, one created by someone who'd made it and herself famous? What would it be like? If the gardener were deceased, would any of the garden remain? Would you ever feel like it was yours? Could you make changes, or would you only want to preserve it? Once I finished Beautiful at All Seasons, I felt like I knew Elizabeth Lawrence's garden, but I wanted to experience it. A week ago, we were 160 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, the closest I would ever get. Not expecting anything, I emailed The Friends of Elizabeth Lawrence, now the Wing Haven Gardens, explained about how the Garden Bloggers' Book Club was reading the book, and asked for a tour. The next day I heard from Lindie Wilson, the owner of the home and one of the editors of the book, who very graciously agreed...

The Poppy By Francis Thompson (1859-1907) SUMMER set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flush'd print in a poppy there; Like a yawn of fire from the grass it came, And the fanning wind puff'd it to flapping flame. With burnt mouth red like a lion's it drank The blood of the sun as he slaughter'd sank, And dipp'd its cup in the purpurate shine When the eastern conduits ran with wine. Till it grew lethargied with fierce bliss, And hot as a swinked gipsy is, And drowsed in sleepy savageries, With mouth wide a-pout for a sultry kiss. Pretty erotic stuff for nineteenth century poetry. Oh, yeah, it's about a flower. Right. To read the rest of the poem, go here. I was inspired by the red poppies I found at Monticello. All around the grounds at Thomas Jefferson's estate, I felt honored to be there. So...

Amazon.com Widgets Riding down the highway, from Tennessee to North Carolina, listening to the car tires hum against the pavement, I finished our Garden Bloggers' Book Club selection for April/May. Halfway into it, I sent up a prayer of gratitude for Ann L. Armstrong and Lindie Wilson, who worked so hard to bring us another work of Elizabeth Lawrence. Together, they poured over and discussed 720 columns that Miss Lawrence wrote for the Charlotte Oberserver and included the most relevant 132. I'm also grateful to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for creating the Garden Bloggers' Book Club. Otherwise, I might never have read Beautiful at All Seasons because I didn't know it existed. Previously, I read A Southern Garden and Through the Garden Gate also by Lawrence, so I was familiar with her intelligent and accessible writing style. Garden Gate was the first compilation of Lawrence's columns edited by her...