Monthly Archives: December 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 – New Year’s Eve Eve

As we begin looking back to 2020 and looking forward 2021…

For Christmas Eve dinner my family and I had chicken and dumplings. They were particularly good. But have you noticed when you mention chicken and dumplings someone always says, “but they were not as good as so and so’s.” In, our family it was Nellie May Buckalew. Many say, “my Grandmother made the best ever or my Mama made the best.” Chicken and dumplings make memories that last.

While Nellie May’s dish was a family favorite, there was another lady from Magnolia who made outstandingly delicious C&D!  Here is the recipe from one of the sweetest women you would have ever meet if you attended the Magnolia Methodist Church – Faye Abney Neely.

From the 1970 Magnolia United Methodist Church Cookbook

Favorite Recipes from

The Magnolia United Methodist Church Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS)

President: Nancy Purvis

VP: Judy Levassar (?)

Secretary: Mildred Rickett

Treasurer: Inez Dupree

Faye Abney Neely’s Chicken and Dumplings

One hen or one large fryer

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. shortening

2/3 to ¾ cup of milk

Cut up chicken, cover with water; add seasoning and cook until tender.

Sift together dry ingredients; cut in the shortening. Add milk to make a stiff yet rollable dough. Roll out ¼ inch thick on floured board. Cut into 1×3 inch strips. Remove chicken from broth. Drop in dumplings a few at a time, continuing until all added, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the chicken, which has been picked off the bones.

Thank you, Faye and to all the WSCS women. Here are a few names of contributors you might recall: Joyce Rickett, Grace Moore, Mildred Ricket (Love her recipe: Bo’s Turnips!), Betty Carraway, Nina Ricket, Louise O’Neal and of course, My Mama, Doy Duffey and many others.

Let me know if you remember/want any of their recipes.

I plan to make chicken and dumplings in the coming days. I will let you know.

Wear your mask! Stay safe! Good things are coming in 2021!

Monday, December 21, 2020 – Robbery in College Station

Bonnie and Clyde could not have robbed the Aggies any better than the College Football Playoff Committee did.

Ohio State? Six Games? I hope Clemson beats the stuffings out of you and that all of the players and coaches have jock itch until Easter!

Notre Dame? Your schedule included Wake Forest and Georgia Tech! The Two top 20 teams you beat were Clemson (which you had to go to double OT – even with the Clemson back-up QB) and North Carolina. I hope the Alabama Crimson Tide rolls over the team, the Leprechaun, Brian Kelley, the Gipper, the Four Horseman, Knute Rockne, Ronald Reagan (when he was an actor, not a POTUS), the Victory March and any other of your traditions. I want Bama stomp you like an elephant and that Alabama and Nick Saban score so many points it becomes unsportsmanlike and three digits won’t fit on the scoreboard! ROLL TIDE!

Kirk Herbstreit? If I ever see you in Bryan or College Station, I will kick your biased butt from College Station to Hearne and back. And there will be 12 others waiting to do it again. You did not even give Texas A&M a comment! One would think you used to play for The Ohio State University! I hope you have an uncurable strain of jock itch!

BTHO North Carolina

Friday, December 11, 2020 – Snarky Friday aka – The Vaccine Cannot Come Soon Enough

This week’s SNARK goes totally to the COVID-19 Virus. Over 118 NCAA DI college football games have been cancelled this year. I am not going to waste time and energy trying to find who is not playing this weekend. I know the Texas Aggies are not playing due to Ole Miss COVID-19.

You can start your morning with a heavy side of bacon when Alabama rolls over Arkansas at 11:00 on ESPN.

There is Baylor and Oklahoma State on ESPN at 2:30. A game strictly to be played for pride and recruiting. Wait! If the Cowboys win, they go to Big 12 Playoff! Doesn’t matter. The Big 12 Championship Trophy does not reside in a trophy case in a Texas Institution of Higher Education!

If there is interest, Tennessee and Vanderbilt play on the SEC Network at 3:00. See how hot the coaching seat gets for Pruitt!

During the evening on ESPN there is LSU and Florida at 6:00. It will be a long ride from the swamp back to the bayou. Kyle pads his Heisman stats.

Auburn goes to Starkville to Mississippi State on the SEC Network at 6:30. Let the cow bells ring!

BIG SNARK to the Big 10 – Change the rules from six to five so Ohio State can play. Let’s have a big cheer for Northwestern in next week’s (hopefully) Big 10 Championship. Go You, Northwestern!

Because there is little football of interest, I have noted a few other “sports” that I have found while channel surfing. Perhaps these can fill your need for sports, especially football.

Of course there is the ever popular game at tailgates (remember tailgating?) of cornhole. Participants throw bean bags into a hole on a tilted wooden slab. Yes, there is actually a National Championship in this so called sport with a take-home prize of $20,000.

Then there is frisbee golf. This is where participants toss a plate looking disc through trees toward a metal structure. The 10 minutes I watched noted there was a prize of $20,000 for the winner. I do think frisbee golf is a great game. It is one where you can drink and smoke and still toss the disc.

There is log-rolling. I was unaware that it had become a middle school sport. I wonder why we didn’t do this at Stephen F. Austin. We are the Lumberjacks!

https://youtu.be/524ALMgwABY

BTHO COVID! STAY SAFE! WEAR THE DAMN MASK!

Monday, December 7, 2020 – My Monday After College Football Musical

As you will note there are no awards for college football because quite frankly no teams deserve an honor for anything. Be happy you were able to play and that you have a W in your column. However, not to disappoint you I am sharing the opening songs of my new musical which I am calling The Assterick College Football Playoff Musical. Ready?

The opening number features the Texas Aggies of Texas A&M pleading to the College Football Playoff Committee.

Of course there must a retort, so here we have the College Football Playoff Committee singing to A&M.

Go Big Blue – BTHO Ohio State!

WEAR YOUR MASK and BTHO COVID!

Monday, November 30, 2020 – My Monday After Saturday College Football Awards

Of course the first award is the Susan B. Anthony and Bela Abzug Kicks Like a Girl Award and it goes to Vanderbilt and Sarah Fuller – first woman to kick in a Power 5 Conference football game.  Ms. Fuller, of the Vanderbilt soccer team, kicked off to start the Third Quarter in the Vandy/ Missouri game. Many were disappointed that it was a perfectly placed kick with no return as opposed to a power kick with possible return. If you follow the Vandy team, you know that they tackle like grandmas (score was 41 – 0.) so a placement kick was warranted. Perhaps Sarah can play other positions. And maybe Vandy could bring in some of the big girls from basketball.

I award The University of Texas the Nursery Rhyme Award for

Oh dear what can the matter be

Oh dear what can the matter be

Oh dear what can the matter be

BEVO is only just fair.

Texas comes up short, again!

This guy dragged yours up and down the alley.  I am giving THE University of Texas The Righteous Brothers Award because the Texas Exes are singing this to the coaches:

You’ve lost that loving feeling,

whoho that loving feeling,

Now it’s gone, gone, gone wohohohoho Yeah

Coach Herman. Nashville is a lovely city. Check Vanderbilt’s coaching needs.

Baylor, wearing all school bus yellow, kicked a last second field to break their loosing streak and win over K-State. 32 to 31. Sic ‘Em Bears! Let’s give the Bears the Donovan Award and call them Mellow Yellow Baylor.

I am giving Mississippi State and Mike Leach a Good Try Certificate. When receivers can catch, it really makes a difference.  To Kiffie and Ole Miss I give the Dan Quale Award for the Potatoe Bowl victory of 24 to 31.

In the Iron Bow, the Tide went Sabanless but it really did not matter. Nevertheless the award for Best Substitute Coaches goes the Alabama coaching staff. Auburn 13 Alabama 42.

To Kellen Mond and the Aggie Offense I award The Oil Can Award. You looked as rusty as the Tin Man. Auburn and Gus left Tuscaloosa very unhappy. So grease it up Aggies and grease up early because the game is the dreaded hour of 11:00 in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Coach O? You receive the Rainy Night in Kyle Field Award. It poured a steady rain, sometimes heavy rain throughout the Aggie/LSU game. While all of the other coaches were in rain gear, from top to bottom, Coach O wore his khaki pants and purple polo. Rain don’t bother a real Cajun!

The Non-Participant Award goes to Ohio State and Illinois for their canceled due to COVID contest.  Is there a possible forthcoming rule change? You don’t really have to play, let alone win six games, we’ll just add you because you are Ohio State?

WEAR YOUR MASK! BTHO COVID!