"There’s something about the Deep South and its right of passage. The people, the hospitality, and of course the food. I fondly remember the aroma of delicious southern cooking as it drifted through the air. They were recipes having stood the test of time and proudly handed down from generation to generation. Whatever essence permeates this southern life, I am thrilled to have been part of it. With words of generational wisdom children grew, and during those awkward adolescent years of existence, knowledge of ones self became instilled.

My Daddy always said, in a most thoughtful tone, "Don’t ever take your roots for granted, because everything you are and will become depend on it." I sit here and wonder, if this piece of subtle advice have shaped my loyalties and success. I believe it has. As a young girl, life was everything it could be. But among the jubilant times there were the trying ones. Winters were cold and unbearable and slavery was nothing more than a business. It is a history full of lessons a common dread; segregation. I often took trips with my mother to Alabama. She claimed the women were softer there, more well mannered and tea times were organized correctly. At first I never truly understood why mother always referred to herself as "coming from good stock." but after seeing my aunt Wilhelmina it all made sense.

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