WELCOME!

From Harriette Jacobs

(isnÂ’t that official?...)

Hey YÂ’all! and Welcome to “South of the Gnat Line™” ~ my southern “blog-azine” and online column.  I hope youÂ’ll want to stop by often to read about  whatever is on my mind from our day to day escapades, the joys and trials of motherhood, an opinion or three, as well as to the “what were we thinking?” adventures of growing our farm in the rural outback of Georgia!  Occasionally, I also like to share some of my personal recipes, favorite foods and places weÂ’ve visited that, well, you just need to know about.  I can promise one thing, like our lives here at Jacobs Farm, no two days at South of the Gnat Line read the same.

For me, writing is an extension of talking and my gift of gab - so to speak.  I write about anything I would talk about on the phone to a friend or chat about with a neighbor at the mailbox.  I consider you, the reader, a neighbor at large.  But before going any further, please read my Introduction so youÂ’ll know who this sassy southern nut is that is navigating you through a tour of this blog site.

After perusing through SGLÂ’s right-hand column and its table of contents, I would like to give you a few hints of what lies behind some of the categories and resources I have pulled together over there.  The table of contents is fairly obvious, so IÂ’ll begin with explaining what all these “categories” are about.  Articles and posts that I write are categorized (Â…kind of like a filing systemÂ…) as well as archived and here they are:

1.     All Things Southern:  These are posts and articles that are related to southern lifestyle, southern-ease, we, the people who by birth populate it, and the genuine spirit and mystique of my beloved South.

2.     Baseball:  My sons eat, sleep and breathe AmericaÂ’s favorite past-time.  One son is a walking historian and statistician, while the other one claims to be a future hall-of-famerÂ…needless to say, we spend a lot of time at the ball park.

3.     Dirt Road Diaries:  Since our move to GeorgiaÂ’s rural outback, literally residing on a dirt road, the experiences have been and continue to be endless.  These entries embody some of our comical encounters with the locals as well as my enchantment with our rural surroundings.

4.     Family:  Family dynamics - they are, wellÂ…Dynamic!  One never knows what the next family event or gathering may yield.

5.     From the Typewriter:  These are columns written strictly from my journalist perspective.

6.     General:  What is there to explain?

7.     Home Sweet Home:  This is my “Martha” category.  She has her “Good Things” and I have my “Home Sweet Home”.

8.     Homeschooling:  Among many things, we are a homeschooling family.  There are times when I may post entries related to our personal homeschooling or homeschooling in general.  For the most part, however, the majority of my work that is directly related to our homeschooling can be read at Jacobs Academy over at Homeschoolblogger.com.

9.     Jacobs Farm:  HereÂ’s where youÂ’ll read the nitty gritty about our homesteading experience – more trial and error than expertise – but I share our experiences straight from the heart and flying by the seat of my pants!

10. Motherhood:  I am blessed beyond words to be a mother.  There is nothing greater and yet nothing will “gray you” quicker!  I love to share my joys and “trials that gray” of the journey called parenthood.  P.S. Â…there is NO “post-parenting”.  Think about it.

11. My Soap Box:  Try as I may to leave news and politics to the all too populated world of the “talking heads”, there are times, quite frankly, when some “thing” or some “one” has gotten on my very last nerve.  Trust me, my family tries diligently to keep this box hidden away!

12. News & Media:  These are genuine “blog” entries that highlight news items that have caught my eye and I feel are worth the read.

13. Photo Album:  I love photography and usually post a generous number of photos as they coincide with columns I write.  This section is a general collection of photographs as I choose to share them including a tour of Jacobs Farm.

14. Prayer & Praise:  These are posts requesting prayer as well as posts sharing praises to be honored for prayers answered and blessings to be celebrated.  There is never enough prayer; there are never enough humbled thanks given to our Lord.

15. Reflections:  Here I share my personal thoughts, perspectives and introspective insights related to my daily experiences, the impact and influence of our FarmÂ’s surroundings, and the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family.

16. Recipes:  While I am no Martha Stewart or Paula Dean, I do enjoy cooking for my family and special celebrationsÂ….just wish I had the “Martha clean up crew” to, well, clean up!...  I have been known to, well, um, wipe out the kitchen for days after a major feastÂ…  From time to time, I will post recipes I feel are worth sharing and, often, youÂ’ll find – there is usually a little story that coincides.

In addition to the columns I write, I have compiled a number of links and resources I hope youÂ’ll want to check out for yourself.  They encompass areas of my interests from farming and southern links, books I recommend reading, writers whose work I cherish and have gleaned much from, to news sources with the latest headlines.  Be sure and visit “Our Family Blogs”; here youÂ’ll find the blogs authored by my two sons, our familyÂ’s homeschooling blog and our literary project known as “The Adventures of Jacobs Hollow”.  ThereÂ’s a lot to see, so feel free to stay awhile!

Again, WELCOME, and I hope you will visit South of the Gnat Line again and again.  By all means, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email or three!

With kindest regards, I am

 Very truly yours,

 Harriette K. Jacobs

“Somewhere”

South of the Gnat Line™

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All Rights Reserved.