Hearth & Home
By Cheryl Harwell Bailey

I felt as tho I were living during the time of Jane Austen today. I opened a brand new box of "Jiffy" cornbread mix, dumped it in a bowl, and behold,........ BUGS. Unlike "Mrs. Bennet" in the novel, I am not, "perfectly able to keep a cook." I must do it myself, like everybody else in 2010. Fortunately, I have a passion for cooking. I HATE  finding bugs in my cornmeal. For 6 years, I have loved most of the charms of Southern living. With this ambiance comes humidity, & bugs. This is not a problem in my former hearth & home, sunny California. Mr. Darcy says "sweetheart, we will buy all our bake goods." I am a stubborn born girl, so I have fought this battle, looking for a way to stop these tiny bugs. I will not stop baking, and I will not use pesticides.What to do? What to do? Glory, Glory, I have found a way to win over tiny adversaries. Today Mr. Randy installed a precious little refrigerator, in our "Pantry." All the brand new shiny dry goods are nice & cool in their new home. Enemy defeated! 

Cheryl Harwell Bailey

age 5

"We're the Good Guys"
By Cheryl Harwell Bailey

As a little California girl, I was surrounded by a posse' of  "Cowboy's!"

I'm not talkin'  "Drugstore Cowboys," but the real deal.

David and Gary Harwell with "Star," and her colt.


 One of my earliest memories is sitting on a saddle,
 ridin' with my daddy 
in "Kern Canyon" through a thunderstorm.

 To this day a "cowboy community"
 and some wide open spaces exist in my hometown. 

We all sat on the fence watchin' my Daddy break horses.
 Yes, we had a "Snubbin' Post."

 I was still, a very "Girly Girl",
 even with the peer pressure to read "Zane Grey" & "Louis Lemoure."
 I also had to endure the cowboy horse opera's at the movies, on the radio, and T.V. 
The only interesting character to me was "Dale Evans,"
 Roy Rodgers sweetheart, although I adored "Trigger" & "Buttermilk." 

The common thread in all these stories, 
the good guys, verses the bad guys.
 The good guys, always the victors defeating evil.

Garland Bailey

Did you know?

"The Red Cross," 
" The Salvation Army," 
" The Y.M.C.A.," 
" A.A."
 and many more are, "Christian" organizations?
  We're the "good guys! Everyone knew that,....until now.

 I wonder how many people realize,
 we touch, 
 "Jesus,"
every time we open a "first aid kit."
 Isn't it interesting, this is the symbol on every medical triage transport,
 mash unit, or field hospital, in every single corner of the globe. 
The "Red Cross,"
 represents "Jesus Christ," and the blood He shed, 
as he died on the cross 2,000 years ago.
 How can such an ancient religion be everywhere,
 if there's nothing to it?

"Who were the Abolitionist's?"
"Christians!"
What was "Mother Theresa?"
A "Christian!"
Who stands up for Israel? Always!
"Christians!"
What group stands up against the killing of the innocents?
"Christians!"

"We are not "the good guys," because we are good!"
"We're the good guys, because "HE" is good!"
"Cheryl Harwell Bailey"

Randall Bailey with grandson Caeden Gerry

Chick Flicks

1. Young Victoria
2. Ever After

3. An Affair to Remember

4. Enchanted April

5. How Green Was My Valley

6. The Princess Bride

7. Pride and Prejudice

8. Witness

9. Fried Green Tomatoes

10. The Searchers

"Our Back Porch"
By, Cheryl Harwell Bailey

Our back porch is a universe unto itself.

The window boxes, clay pots, and hanging baskets 
are overflowing with fragrant flowers.

Neon mountain bluebirds, bright yellow warblers,
 red red cardinals, big fat robins are nibbling seed
 from the hanging feeders.

 Hummingbirds are feasting from the flower nectar,
 and emptying the feeders on the hour.

 Baby chicks, (Chickadees) have hatched 
in one of the birdhouses.
 Mama is flying in and out with baby food (worms).

The birds are taking turns in the little birdbath.

 Sophie, our 20 year old tea cup poodle is napping
 in the sunshine. (that is 147 in dog yrs.).
 Jake, the 14 month old German Shepard 
has his big head stuck in the tiny doggy door,
 begging for a bone.

 We eat most of our meals at our big table,
 weather permitting, under the umbrella. 
We grill on this porch, what we eat, 
as all God's creatures look on us with hungry eyes,
 even though all their little bellies are full.

I could live and sing forever on this porch!....

 Oh I forgot,
 at night moonlight & stars.