Hilton Head yard sale--home of the bamboo headboards


Sunday's Cooks and Books event at the Shelter Cove Mall on Hilton Head was great fun. Chefs from some of the best restaurants on Hilton Head offered their yummiest dishes for an Iron Chef competition, and eight authors--including myself, my friend Patty Callahan Henry, and lots of others, signed books. All the proceeds went to the Low Country Literacy Volunteers.

What's on my bedside table these days? Oh, you know. Some hand lotion. The earrings I wore to a party Saturday night. Some shelter magazines. Like the latest issue of HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, which is a total rhapsody in blue--my favorite color.

I do try to let go of magazines, but this issue is never going away. And books. Lawwwwd, I do have stacks of books. But here are three very new books which I enjoyed very much, and which I think you'd enjoy too. Coincidentally, they all have Southern authors or themes, although I certainly don't limit my reading to any one region of the country. The first book I want to tell you about is SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT.

Rheta Grimsley Johnson's new memoir


Starting out life as a foot-washing Baptist growing up in small Southern towns, graduating from journalism school at Auburn University and a life spent chronicling the everyday and the odd for a string of newspapers fortunate enough to hire her, Rheta Johnson's eye for detail and her ability to make both the comic and tragic come alive make for a wonderful memoir. Her tales of starting a weekly newspaper on St. Simon's Island, of meeting and marrying a journalism professor, and her ill-starred stint at the AJC had me from the get-go. Hers is a clear-eyed but affectionate look at a region she loves. There's lots to love in this memoir--except for the book jacket. But don't let that put you off. This is really a Valentine to a life in the South that's rapidly disappearing. Which brings me to the third new book on my bedside table.

Molly's "in the pink" centerpiece

Her Missouri grandmother's dear friend Kaye hand-crafted the most amazing confection of a frilly, lace-frosted christening dress and cap, just for Molly. It will be a family keepsake, and Molly was honored to be the first to wear it.

Well, we're officially a month into the New Year. The national news reports say that Punxatawney Phil has predicted another six weeks of winter. But down here in Georgia, we're choosing to listen to our own resident groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, who says spring is just around the corner. But back to those resolutions. How're we doing? In January, I ran a contest in my newsletter asking readers to tell me what you were resolving to change for 2010. I wanted to know because I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with resolutions over the years. I figured maybe my readers could teach me a thing or two.

And you did! This was by far the most popular contest we've run yet, with triple the number of entries from the previous contest. But as the entries came in, I started to worry that we were all being a bit too self-critical. Because really, who doesn't hate the size of their butt? Okay, maybe Kate Moss, who famously said "nothing tastes as good as skinny looks." Hate her! But then I got an entry from Beth, who said her goal for the year is "to try not being so hard on myself." Amen, Sister Beth.

Your responses ran the gamut from heartfelt to funny, and inspirational. Of course there were those entries about wanting to shed extra pounds. Kimmy sent me an itemized list--1. Lose weight. 2.Be more patient. 3.Get through school. We can all relate, Kimmy. Just be sure to be patient with yourself. Speaking of patience, several of you told me of your desire to keep calm and carry on, as the saying goes. Charity is hoping for "A Return to Graciousness," and thanks to Heather's resolution to "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick," her kids now know she means business when she does NOT raise her voice. A couple of readers wrote me very personal notes about challenges they were facing. Jane is looking forward to getting involved with her step-grandchildren now that their mother is in jail, and mourning the loss of her mother to the end stages of Alzheimer's Disease, so she's vowing to savor each moment of the day while she can. Elizabeth has ended an abusive relationship and is planning to treat herself with a trip to Savannah. After losing one pregnancy, Mandie is overjoyed to be looking forward to the birth of her first child in May. A couple of you told me you're reinventing yourself after job losses. I've reinvented my ownself more than once, so I can tell you that this is such an exciting (and scary) process. My niece Sarah told me that she and nine friends came up with "Ten for 2010"--a list of resolutions that involves trying new things--and reading new books. Love this idea! I gave her HISSY FIT to start off with.

There were a couple resolutions I couldn't get behind, however. Restrict adult beverages to weekends? Clean more? Read less? Not me! Given the choice, I'd rather go with readers like Antoinette and Vivian, who resolved to make no resolutions at all.

So, who's the winner? As usual, I could not pick just one. So two of you will receive autographed copies of BLUE CHRISTMAS. Martha Quinn is so tried of failed resolutions that she is picking twelve from past years and tackling one per month. Martha, do let us know how you make out with your dirty dozen. And then there's DeDe Woodling, whose resolution gave me a much-needed laugh on a chilly winter day. DeDe has resolved to be more like her dog. We can all take something from her goals: to love unconditionally, forgive easily, feel the sun on her face, and run like the wind while she still can. Go, DeDe, go! Congratulations to Martha and DeDe and happy reading to you and everybody else.

Finally, I'll leave you with one last resolution from a reader named Carolyn who simply stated, "Laugh more, worry less." Words to live by, indeed.