In rural Buford, Alabama, Elba Rae Van Oaks has two options after a messy confrontation with her nemesis takes place in the faculty lounge of the local elementary school: resign her long-held position teaching fifth grade, or submit to mandated counseling sessions with the new school psychologist. When she reluctantly accepts the latter, revelations come forth that surprise even her. Three Grapes and a Cold Biscuit follows the middle-aged Elba Rae through her unsettling journey of personal disclosure and self exploration-from disgrace to triumph, while uncovering more than a few embarrassing secrets about the good people of Buford: There's Dewey Richardson, the disenfranchised war veteran who's apparently lost all inhibitions with regard to proper clothing; Poor Miss Nita Perrymore, the frail octogenarian that shows up at one Garden Club meeting too many; And Elba Rae's husband, Fettis, whose generous carpentry skills and willingness to help his neighbors create the ripple which eventually travels all the way into the teacher's lounge and engulfs Elba Rae on a most unfortunate Thursday.

Life is usually peaceful in Buford, Alabama-especially for Elba Rae Van Oaks. She teaches school, attends church, and typically leaves the drama to others. But when Elba Rae's mother takes her last breath, Elba Rae must reunite with the only person in the world with whom she has absolutely nothing in common-her sister, Lila. As Elba Rae busily prepares for her mother's funeral, the last thing she has time to deal with is a sister who wants to butt into the otherwise orderly execution of making arrangements. But even though the two women have happily avoided each other for years, Lila's already on her way. As Elba Rae begins placing calls, making lists, and deciding on musical selections, she has no idea that when Lila arrives, she will be as close to coming undone as Elba Rae has ever seen her. Both women are about to find out what happens when avoidance is no longer an option, when ignoring their history is nearly impossible, and when death may be the least of their worries. "Hastings shares the hilarious antics of a family of characters from rural Alabama ... wonderful tales similar to the ones heard at family reunions ..." -Linda Harris, New 50 Magazine

Reprint of the original, first published in 1873.

Picnics are happy occasions and have always been a diversion from every day cares. We think of the picnic as an outdoor meal, set on a blanket, usually in the middle of the day, featuring a hamper filled with tasty morsels and perhaps a bottle of wine, but historically picnics came in many forms, served any time of the day. This first culinary history reveals rustic outdoor dining in its more familiar and unusual forms, the history of the word itself, the cultural context of picnics and who arranged them, and, most important, the gastronomic appeal. Drawing on various media and literature, painting, music, and even sculpture, Walter Levy provides an engaging and enlightening history of the picnic.