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Crock Pot Dressing, Whipped Sweet Potato Bake and Pineapple Fluff Cake My sister and I grew up with a  mother who enjoyed cooking and was a wonderful cook. She taught us the importance of presentation and taste. During our school years, we entered our home daily with something on the stove simmering or a new

By Robert Halsey Pine “Then Peter began to speak to them:  ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all.’”

By Toni Ford In the Book of Ephesians, Paul explains how we are to equip ourselves for the battles we face in this life and for spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” In ancient times,

By Vicki Scott Starting last Saturday, it was that time of the year – “Nana Camp” time! I should call it “Nana and Poppa Camp.” My husband Alan took the week off work to share this momentous occasion, and I am very appreciative. My daughter is so nervous about us watching her kids. She suggested

Chicken Salad, Vegetable Salad and Fluffy Pink Salad There are so many foods that are unique to our region of the country. Sweet tea, pimento cheese, deviled eggs, fried chicken, fried catfish and tomato sandwiches are all wonderful staples in the South.  I always evaluate a new restaurant by the quality of the sweet tea!

By Robert Halsey Pine “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:15-23 NRSV). St. Paul said, “He is the image of the invisible

By Toni Ford In a battle, I believe all of us at times need encouragement to keep fighting and not give up. We need a glimmer of hope or some type of sign that we can be victorious. Personally, I have found Psalm 86 to be a great psalm to read when one is faced

By Vicki Scott One obstacle after another kept happening until I decided to seek advice from our seniors and George Wallace Senior Center in Glencoe. I had a dilemma about the presentation of my first published book, She Made a Difference, Anyway! A Tribute to My Mom, to my mother. I did not want to

How to choose a daycare, Part II A class I took in college, called “Early Childhood Education” ended with our last grade based on writing a thesis on the subject of positive aspects of owning or choosing a daycare center. I’ll never forget the end of my paper, which said, “A daycare does for money

Corn Casserole, Tomato Broccoli Casserole and Chocolate Pudding I have decided that I have an appetite for the South and all of its Southern food. When my garden begins to produce, my mind immediately craves a casserole of sunny, yellow squash topped with cheese, ripe red tomatoes, pearly ears of corn and Mexican cornbread with

By Robert Halsey Pine “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is

By Toni Ford It has been an interesting week as I have been faced with multiple situations where I have realized and recognized my need for the Lord and His wisdom more than ever before. As I began to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and insight, He led me to Ephesians 1: 15-23.

By Vicki Scott Today is the day my package of copies of my book are scheduled to arrive. As I sit at my front window facing the mailbox, I can see everyone who drives by. I checked my order online at least three times a day since July 15, and this morning the package left

How to choose a daycare In today’s world, it is a rare event when a parent stays home with children rather than work outside the home. The one question people ask is if daycare affects a child’s behavior and development. Well, it all depends on the quality of care. After spending 15 years either working at,

By Andy Bedwell When I mentioned to my friends and family that I was working my way through my cookbook and what fun I was having, someone would proudly chime in with a comment about their momma’s, aunt’s or grandmother’s recipe being included. This was just music to my ears and definitely to my heart.

By Danny Crownover Years ago, The Vagabond grew up with a friend in the local school system. We both went to Striplin Elementary School, Disque Junior High School and Gadsden High School. The friend’s name was John Stam. As a young teenager, John had a job as a local newspaper carrier and often was seen

By Toni Ford In the ninth chapter of Acts, we read about Saul’s conversion story. Saul, whose name was later changed to Paul, was blinded by a light on his way to Damascus, where he was going to arrest believers and bring them back to Jerusalem. Acts 9:3-4, 6 tells us, “As he was approaching

By Vicki Scott We are at George Wallace Senior Center in Glencoe on a Wednesday Bingo Day. Excitement is in the air. The phone rings and Pat answers it. The caller on the other end wants to speak to her husband.  Pat does not see him from where she is, so she puts the caller

By Robert Halsey Pine “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light – for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the

By Rosie Preston Last week I shared some tips about using Dawn dish detergent and vinegar to save money and time. Maybe you will find some of the following tips useful. The first tip is a great way to trap fruit flies. I know they seem to come to my house each summer, and I

Peach Parfait Pie, Chocolate Crust Lime Pie and Lemon Velvet Pie Let them eat pie! Me? I prefer pies. One does not have to worry about them rising (or falling) or trying to get the icing to just the right consistency. It is sin-fully easy to buy a ready-to-fill pie shell right off the grocer’s

By Robert Halsey Pine “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they

By Toni Ford Have you ever wondered if your words had any power? There is a story about a group of frogs that demonstrates how our words impact the lives of others. A group of frogs were traveling through the woods and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered

By Vicki Scott My grandchildren are so amazing that I could probably write about them every week. I hold my stories in my head for as long as I can but some of them are just too cute not to share. Even now I see evidence that Saylor Rhea and Tyler Kate were here last

Tips on cleaning with vinegar There has been a loss in our household income during the past two years, so I became very frugal. It hasn’t hurt at all, and I’ve discovered a few ways to save by using inexpensive products to clean my home. It is amazing how many ways we can use vinegar

More recipes from the garden! Mrs. Fielder’s Cornbread Salad 2 packages of Mexican cornbread mix 1 large bell pepper 2 fresh garden tomatoes, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 pint mayonnaise Mix cornbread as directed on the package. Bake, cool and crumble into small pieces. Add other ingredients, mix

By Danny Crownover The Vagabond reported in a past column about a Chickasaw Indian village once located south of Big Wills Creek around Rainbow Drive near the entrance to Whorton Bend. The village was called Natchez Village. Around the 1750s, the Principal Chickasaw Chief Chinnaby brought his people to that location. They originally were Natchez

By Robert Halsey Pine “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the LORD withhold

By Toni Ford There is a story about a young logger who approached a foreman of a logging crew asking for a job. “That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see if you can cut this tree down in a timely manner.” The young logger stepped forward and skillfully started cutting the giant tree. Impressed, the

By Vicki Scott This Fourth of July did not bring me independence from the agony of finishing the publication process of my book. The George Wallace Senior Center in Glencoe was closed the 4th and 5th of July for the celebration of our country’s independence. My husband Alan had to work on Friday, the 5th.