Lord Have Mercy! Y’all stop all that spring crazy cleanin’ and get your bowhonkers over to my front porch for a bona fied girl’s only porch party! Momma’s whippin’ us up gallons of fab pink Cosmos and we’re poppin’ beaucoups of champagne! We ain’t pourin’ no recession wine today! Shout it from the roof! We got us some candles from Le Petit Jardin and some of these really cool battery-operated garden lights from Godfrey Cox! Better yet? The Man’s got a meetin’ and the kids are on lock-down in their own dang rooms! Perf! Y’all pull up a rocker! Momma! Pour everybody one of them wipe-out Cosmos and keep the pitcher full!  We’ve gotta catch up on some major good news with our sistas!

Now I know all y’all agree ‘bout us Southern Women: We  run rings ‘round those hootin’ tootin’ businessmen of ours -  bless their little hearts! Anyhow, contrary to popular belief, we don’t have any need of smellin’ salts unless someboby’s slapped somebody else into next week and bloodied a nose in the process! I mean . . . we can gulp down a shot of White Lightnin’, start a juicy rumor and close a business deal all at the same ding dang time! Tell it! You know it’s true!

Need proof? Read on. Today I caught up with my friend Catherine Russell who’s plannin’ on openin’ The Madison Tea Room and Garden in the former Madison Museum of Fine Arts building at 290 Hancock St., in Madison! Well . . . a while back the plan was to have it open before last Christmas, but Catherine had a set-back: Stage 3 Breast Cancer or as she calls it: “A minor inconvenience; a blip on the screen.” Well trust me y’all: Catherine has taken this ragin’ bull by the horn and she’s wrestlin’ him smack down into the Houston dust! She’s currently a patient at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where her treatments have reduced the tumors by 80 percent! After surgery and a series of radiation treatments, this Southern Woman who hails from Michigan will be in Madison to open the tea room in October! She was just here last week meeting with contractors to transform the museum into an English tearoom! Plans call for adding some windows and revampin’ the interior! Honey, she’s already got the tea room furniture, tablecloths, china and dishes, wrapped, boxed and ready to ship to Madison! I can’t wait ‘cause we’re gonna have a CELEBRATION of LIFE when she gets here! Oh and if you’re wonderin’ where she gets her strength: “I put my faith in God! The power of prayer is extraordinary.”  Today, she’s headin’ for another big chemo treatment but she’s doin’ well and appreciates all the prayers! So let’s send Catherine some prayers and positive energy and I’ll keep all y’all updated! Get home to us soon Catherine! There’s a chilled Cosmo on my porch with your name on it! Ain’t that right y’all?

Printed in the March 3, 2011 edition.

Dang! I popped over to Tequila Express located at 270 West Washington St., in Madison and y’all! Ricardo has flat finished his expansion! I mean he’s flat transformed the outdoor porch into in-door seating and it’s just beautiful! I can’t wait to schedule me a party in there! In the meantime, you now have the opportunity to dine in the old train car or in the new expanded space! Love it! Y’all get over there, have some of the best food in town and check it all out! I just know you’re gonna love it!

Hey!  Art lover extraordinaire Karen Strelecki of the Madison Artist Guild flat wants y’all to mark your calendars for March 15, 6:30 p.m. til 8:45 p.m. at Town 220 and the James Madison Conference Center for a fun gathering and presentation by artist Richard “Ole” Olsen! His work is hanging in the Gallery at Town 220 and honey it is SPECTACULAR! So plan to attend this great event, socialize with a self guided tour of his work followed by a digital presentation titled: Calculations: What Could be Painting? It’s an overview of Ole’s artistic life and his process! Can’t wait to check it out!

In the meantime girls! I expect to see each and every one of you tonight at Amelia’s and Barkin’ Dogs Shoe Co. for the Chamber’s Women in Business meeting “What Color is Your Personality?” with guest speaker Beth Boatman! We’re gonna enjoy refreshments, take a personality test and find out what makes us tick! Ding dang! I reckon I’m flat Scarlett Red but I ain’t sure yet! 

Shoot Fire! Outta space. Outta time! I’ve flat gotta scat y’all! But don’t worry none! I’ll be back next week: Same time. Same Number One Weekly Newspaper in the Great State of Georgia! Y’all be good now. Ya hear?

Printed in the March 3, 2011 edition.