Rest in peace, Ed and Possum. We know the two of you will watch over Mossy Creek from Heaven, keeping an eye on your old friends, both the people and the critters.
The Mice that Roared
Part Ten
Jayne
Ed Brady’s funeral was tomorrow. Another icon of Mossy Creek gone. And Possum—how I’d miss that sweet old hound. He would be buried alongside Ed.
I put down the Gazette and stared out my back window at the azaleas blooming riotously along the banks of the west branch of Mossy Creek. Their pink, purple and white flowers intertwined into a colorful mosaic painted by Mother Nature. They reminded me of my metaphor about life. It is a mosaic, every bit as colorful, every bit as fragile, every bit as fleeting as the mosaic right outside my window. The flowers bloom, they’re beautiful for a week, maybe two, then they fade and fall off.
I add pieces to my mosaic all the time. Ed Brady was one, and he’ll be remembered every time I see the shiny piece of glass he placed there.
“Ginda! Ginda!” Matt screamed with delight as the small dog chased him through the apartment, barking gleefully.
I couldn’t help but laugh. The little dog was a shiny new piece, as well. Smart and funny and opinionated and passionate.
How had I ever amused my son before she came? They ran each other to exhaustion, then collapsed in a heap of jeans and fur to sleep until their next adventure.
The day before, I’d sat on a bench on square, enjoying the warm, sunny spring day as they chased around the park. Glinda never left Matt’s side when we were out. She guarded him as if she’d given birth to him herself. She wasn’t vicious about it, but she stood on alert every time someone approached that she didn’t know. It wouldn’t be long, however, until she knew everybody in town.
Mossy Creek was like that. The people here were friendly to people passing through but very protective of their own, If you passed through and decided to stay, then you became one of their own and were sheltered every bit as much as someone born here.
I had first-hand experience of that. And so did Win.
Win.
My smile deepened down to my toes.
Our date had gone very well. We’d driven down to a fish house on a north finger of Lake Lanier and lingered over trout, dessert and coffee until the manager cleared his throat and announced they were about to close. We hadn’t even noticed the time passing, we’d been so deep in conversation, so deep in each other.
It’d been a long time since I felt that way— tingling with knowing something was just so right. I’d had the same feeling when I first visited Mossy Creek, which boded well for the relationship.
And I knew Win felt the same. Not only had he told me, but he’d been by the coffee shop every day since. Our next official date was the funeral tomorrow. Tonight he was catering the wake.
I had a sneaking suspicion Win Allen would be another bright shiny piece of glass in my mosaic. Perhaps even a gilded one.
Some people count their blessings. In Mossy Creek, I count my pieces of glass.
The Mossy Creek Storytelling Club
(In order of appearance)
Jayne & Win: Martha Crockett
Peggy & Dashiell: Carolyn McSparren
Ida: Deborah Smith
Amos: Debra Dixon
Nancy & Eileen: Maureen Hardegree
Louise: Carolyn McSparren
Sam: Pam Mantovani
Hermia: Michele Hauf
Lil Ida: Kathleen Watson Hodges
Sandy: Susan Goggins
Ed & Possum: Sandra Chastain
Recipes from Bubba Rice
Teasel’s Tuna Brownies
(for dogs and cats, if your cat will actually eat a treat!)
Ingredients:
2 six-ounce cans of tuna in oil
2 eggs
1½ cups wheat flour (use rice flour if your pet is allergic to wheat )
1½ tsp garlic powder (do not use garlic salt)
Grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Drain tuna and mix with eggs, flour, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
3. Form into a doughy ball.
4. Spread 1/4 inch think on a greased cookie sheet.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden. Cut into small squares. Size the squares so the treat is just right for your pet’s size. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze some for later.
Clay’s Summer Treat for Dogs
(makes a yummy cool treat for those dog days of summer)
32 oz vanilla yogurt
1 mashed banana
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp Honey
Blend together and freeze in either 3 oz paper cups or ice cube trays.
And you know, kids probably won’t turn their nose up at these either. Increase honey to taste.
Butler’s Apple Pie Cookies for Dogs
1 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Cold Water
½ cup Vegetable Oil
5 cups Whole Wheat Flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients and kneed together. If mixture is too stiff, add more water. (Word of warning—this is a sticky dough!) Roll out dough to desired thickness and use heart or bone shaped cookie cutter to cut out. Dogs don’t actually care so you can just cut up the dough into squares. Bake 20 – 25 minutes until browned.
For dogs with a wheat allergy, use rice flour. If you keep Goat-A-Lac on hand for nursing orphaned puppies and kitties, that makes a dandy substitute for powdered milk!
This recipe will yield a lot of cookies so you may want to start with a half-recipe to gauge the yield using your cookie cutter size.
Bubba’s Dry Rub
This one’s for people, folks!
This rub works well with just about any kind of pork barbeque. I’ve used it on ribs, shoulder and roasts.
Ingredients:
¼ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
3 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried onion flakes
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Preparation:
Combine the ingredients in a food processor or a coffee grinder and blend. This should be enough rub for about 2 – 3 pounds of meat.
Marinate the meat for at least one hour, then rub it down liberally with the dry rub before putting the meat on the grill. Remember, the secret to a good barbeque is “LOW (heat) AND SLOW (cooking).”
Bubba’s Shrimp Alfredo Sauce with Roasted Red Peppers
This is quick, pretty simple and very flexible recipe. If you’re feeling adventurous, try replacing the shrimp with sautéed chicken, fresh sea scallops or crawfish and it works just as well.
Ingredients:
1 pound 41-50 count shrimp, peeled and de-veined
¼ pound butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pint heavy whipping cream
8 ounces fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 – 12 ounce jar of marinated roasted red peppers
1 bunch of green onions, rough chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1 tsp kosher salt
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a large, non-reactive skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions and roasted red peppers. Sautee for 10 minutes, then add the garlic, salt and cream. When the sauce reaches a light boil, reduce the heat to medium low and add 4 ounces of parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese has fully melted and is blended into the sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the shrimp. Stir until the shrimp are fully covered by the sauce. Cook for another 3 – 4 minutes, then remove from heat and pour over pasta and top with the remaining parmesan cheese.
Big Fat Critter Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients:
3 lb
s.sweet Italian sausage — open the casing and form the sausage into balls, then brown in a skillet and set aside to drain off grease
4 lbs. ground beef — browned and drained
Mix the ground beef (but not the sausage balls) with:
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Large garlic clove, crushed
1 Large onion, chopped
2 Teaspoons oregano
2 Tablespoons basil
2 Big cans tomato paste
2 Bay leaves
1 Quart canned tomatoes, blended
1 Pint thick, sliced mushrooms
1 Cup white wine (the kind you drink, not cooking wine)
Preparation:
Lower heat and simmer 1½ hours. Add sausage balls near the end. If more liquid is needed, add wine.
Critters of Mossy Creek Page 26
