| Thought for the Day |  | I am not afraid of the storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
Louisa May Alcott
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Pup of the Week
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This week's pup is Arnold, a super sweet and affectionate Toy Dachshund. Arnold was very thin due to an upper respiratory infection but is well on his way to a full recovery now.
If you would like a small companion - Arnold only weighs about 7 pounds - please consider clicking here to learn more.
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Our Customers Say It Best | |
"Just wanted to thank you for the great plant material and for making the whole process so easy."
EB, VA | |
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Green & Growin' Show 2011
 It's a shade past mid January, the Atlanta Falcons have gone home for the season, the professional tennis tour is kicking off the year with the first Major at the Australian Open down under, and I'm about to head out for my third winter trade show. Some things never change.
I am pleased to report that in spite of the disagreeable weather last week, I managed to slip and slide my way to the Atlanta Airport where flights were back on track, and I was able to make an  appearance at The Green & Growin' Show in Greensboro, NC. I am even more pleased to report that the show turn out was very good, and the mood was again upbeat as we anxiously prepare for the light at the end of the tunnel, otherwise known as Spring, which will put us all in a better frame of mind when it finally arrives.
Although the show traffic was bustling each day, I did manage to escape my booth a couple of times to get some shots of friends and customers with my trusty Droid. If you would like to see more photos from the show, just click here.
And PLEASE come see me next week, Jan 24-26, at CENTS in Columbus, OH!!! Booth 1248. Twist my arm and I will escort you across the street to Barley's and buy you a brew! |
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Lucky Black-Eyed Peas
 Visit any grocery store in the South between Christmas and New Year's Day and you will see shelves stocked with bags and cans of black-eyed peas. At no other time of year do retailers display these beans so prominently.
Having black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is a tradition in many southern homes and it's said to bring good luck. And like so many other traditions, there is an interesting story behind it.
During the Civil War, General Sherman's Union troops captured the city of Atlanta. On November 15, 1864 Sherman began marching his troops from Atlanta to Savannah. The Union troops cut a swath of destruction across Georgia during that infamous march to the sea. It was, after all, a war, and Sherman's goal was to leave no supplies behind for his enemies.
The Union troops burned crops, killed livestock and generally wreaked havoc as they went, while many who lived in the army's path went into hiding. Sherman's army finally reached Savannah on December 22, 1864.
By the time New Year's Day came around, most of the victims had come out of hiding and found they were facing certain starvation. The Union troops had destroyed everything edible - except for silos filled with black-eyed peas.
Black-eyed peas were mainly used for cattle feed, and since the cattle had been killed, the peas had been left. People from Atlanta to Savannah were lucky to have black-eyed peas to eat that New Year, and a tasty southern tradition was born.
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Poe Mystery Continues
Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe's resting place is located within walking distance of the Baltimore Convention Center? I can vouch for that, as I have always been intrigued by this mystery and made it a point to visit the site one year.
 For about 60 years, a mysterious visitor, dressed in a black coat, wide brimmed hat and short white scarf, has gone to the grave of Edgar Allan Poe after midnight on January 19 - Poe's birthday - to leave 3 roses and half a bottle of cognac. No one knows exactly when the visits began but they were first noted in the press by the Baltimore Sun in 1949.
Last year was the first year the mysterious visitor did not make an appearance. There are many theories as to why, from a flat tire to the fact that 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of the writer's birth. When the mystery Poe Toaster, as he is known, did not arrive this year, speculation that he had died ran rampant.
Read more about the Poe Toaster at MSNBC.
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