My friend, Debbie B., asked me a question on Friday, and I've thought about it ever since. She and her son wondered why fall colors echo the colors of Thanksgiving. Why does this holiday which is all about gratitude follow the same pattern as its surrounding clime? Why the beauty--the yellow of the Cottonwood leaves, the red of the Sumac, the oaks' burnt orange umber? At first, being my ever-practical self, my answer was that we took nature's cue and clothed our holidays likewise. This makes sense, when we consider Thanksgiving where we celebrate our gratitude for an abundant harvest with a feast of color. Think of the candied orange sweet potatoes, the golden brown of turkey skin, the paler orange squash of pumpkin pie, pecan pie's crunchy caramel, united by the green of pole beans (unless they are swimming in a creamy casserole and topped with Durkee onions.) At...

We're 100 years old, and today, we're celebrating all over the state with parades, fairs, craft shows and more. Because my little town of Guthrie was the first state capitol, where the gunshot sounded signifying statehood, we got to throw the biggest party of all. The official Guthrie Centennial Website stated that Guthrie would "host historical re-enactments of the statehood proclamation, the swearing-in of Oklahoma’s First Governor, Charles Haskell, and the symbolic wedding of Oklahoma Territory with Indian Territory." The re-enactments were held at the historic Carnegie Library where they happened in 1907. I hate to gush, but I am so proud that Guthrie still has the Carnegie Library. It's been surpassed by a more modern building, but the edifice of the old is beautiful. In fact, if you're ever able to come visit, please stop by and see all of the old buildings we didn't demolish. During the 50s...

. . . at my house on Saturday. Our log cabin "Brown, dirty snow," Handsome Hubby ("HH" from here on) said. It appears he was unimpressed with my simile. As you can see from this picture, we live in a log cabin in the backwoods. Blackjack oak (a/k/a Scrub oak) and Post oak trees surround our house, giving us great shade in the summer and lower utility bills. However, in autumn and late winter, we get two sets of leaf fall that cover our property in a brown blanket smothering the Crossfire Fescue I've planted and patiently watered. Note: we only keep Fescue around the front of the house. The rest of the yard is Bermuda and native prairie grasses to lessen the need for watering. Before I planted shade grass, I think we ignored the leaves. Then, after a conversation with a gardening guru of mine (thanks Wanda,) I...

No, dear friends, not agape, that group of Greek words meaning Christian or brotherly love. Agave, as in nectar . . . of the Gods. There is nothing brotherly about my passion for the liquid sunshine contained in this bottle. I have to thank Erin McKenna of Babycakes Bakery for introducing me to my love. She shared a recipe for a wonderful allergy free bread she prepared on Martha Stewart's show. (You can find this episode on Babycakes' website under "Press.") In this bread was agave, which at first, made me think of tequila, thus fostering bad memories of a certain party we won't discuss. Agave is related to gardening, or, at least, the plant world. Most people are familiar with agaves as ornamental plants, sometimes called century plants because they live to be very old, although not 100 years old. They are from the family Agavacae and are related...