Only Through Love: A Cane River Romance Novella (13 page)

Most of the books
mentioned (the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld,  Ender’s Game and Ender’s
Shadow by Orson Scott Card, Jules Verne books, Jonathon Stroud books, Robert A.
Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, Eragon series by Christopher Paolini ) occupy
a treasured spot on our personal shelves. The poets and writers (Sedgewick, Thoreau,
Emerson, Alexander Pope, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Gerard Manley Hopkins,
Sara Teasdale) are some of my favorites. I return to them again and again throughout
the year, marking the seasons with treasured lines.

The title of this book
is taken from a Sara Teasdale poem called
Child,
Child

Child, child, love while you can

The voice and the eyes and the soul of a man,

Never fear though it break your heart -

Out of the wound new joy will start;

Only love proudly and gladly and well

Though love be heaven or love be hell.

Child, child, love while you may,

For life is short as a happy day;

Never fear the thing you feel -

Only by love is life made real;

Love, for the deadly sins are seven,

Only through love will you enter heaven.

Mary Jane Hathaway is
an award-nominated writer of Christian fiction and a home schooling mom of six
young children who rarely wear shoes. She holds degrees in Linguistics and
Religious Studies from the University of Oregon and lives with her
habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things
except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to
the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, she thanks God
for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next
book. She also writes under the pen name of Virginia Carmichael.

According to the last
census, a quarter of a million people speak French in the home in Louisiana.
Most of these speakers use Cajun French, Louisiana Creole, or Creole French.
These dialects are similar, but distinct. The Creole people of the Natchitoches
region speak Louisiana Creole and that is the dialect that appears in the
story.

Sha = dear, sweetie

Merci (spelled a variety of ways) =
thank you

Misye = monsieur, sir

Manzelle = mademoiselle, miss

Bonswe = good evening

Donne moi un p'tit bec = give me a kiss

Mais = well

Pas de betise= not kidding

Bon chance= good luck

Blackened Catfish

When Ruby invites Charlie over for dinner, she knows
exactly what to fix. Every good Southerner knows what blackened catfish is, and
Ruby’s recipe is the best! My friend was shocked when she saw it had a cheater
addition of Italian dressing but if you try it, you’ll see why it’s such a hit.
The oil in the dressing keeps the catfish nice and moist. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh catfish fillets

3 teaspoons pepper

3 teaspoons cayenne pepper

3 teaspoons lemon pepper

3 ½  teaspoons garlic powder

3 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup Italian-style salad dressing (Really. Try it.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all the spices in a bowl

Brush melted butter on both sides of the catfish. Using
your fingers (don’t touch your eyes!) rub the spices onto each side.

I love my cast iron skillet and it’s perfect for
this job. Let it heat up over a medium high setting until the pan is nice and
hot. Put in the catfish, letting them cook about two minutes a side. They’ll be
a little charred (blackened, like they should be) when you take them out.

Now, butter a shallow baking dish and lay the
fillets in a single layer. Coat them with the dressing.  Bake about 35 minutes
or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Enjoy!!

Armadillo Eggs

These quick and easy appetizers are found at every
pick nick in the South. Sometimes even the wedding rehearsals and receptions. I
love to make them any time. I don’t wait for a reason!

Ingredients:

8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese (One of my
friends likes to make these with Pepper Jack cheese.)

8 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 lb pork sausage (some, like the Pepper Jack loving
friend above use hot sausage)

Cayenne pepper to taste (for me this is about 1/8
tsp… can you tell I’ve got a sensitive tongue?)

1 ½ cups baking mix (like Bisquick)

1/4 cup sliced jalapenos

1 package pork-flavor Shake 'n Bake

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly grease a baking
sheet.

Mix the sausage, cheddar cheese, half the Jack
cheese and baking mix together. Make a little patty about ¼ inch thick with the
sausage mix by rolling it in a ball and then pushing it flat. Put a little
Monterey Jack cheese and a slice of jalapeno in the middle and roll it into a
ball again, making sure all the ingredients are inside the sausage mix. Repeat until
all the mix is gone. If you want the Armadillo Eggs to have a nice crust, roll
them in the shake and bake mix before putting them in the oven. Bake about 30
minutes, depending on the size of your sausage balls. IF they’re a little
larger, give them a few more minutes. You can always cut one open to check the
inside is nice and cooked through. Enjoy!!

Russian Taffy

I love this sweet treat but I have no idea why it’s
called Russian taffy. As far as I know, it doesn’t come from Russia. Maybe
someone else has an idea? Wherever it’s from, it’s delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

3 cups sugar

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

4 Tbs butter

1 1/2 Tbs vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Combine the sugar, milk, and condensed milk in a
large, heavy pot (like a cast iron skillet!) over medium heat. Cook, stirring,
to the soft-ball stage. (You can check whether it’s at that stage by either
using a candy thermometer  and waiting until it reaches 235F. Another way is to
drop a bit of the melted sugar into a glass of cold water, then retrieve it,
making sure not to burn yourself. The cooled sugar will easily roll into a ball
between your finger and thumb.) Remove from the heat, and then add the pecans,
butter, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture becomes thick. Pour into a greased
or lined 9X12 inch pan. Let it cool and then cut into pieces.  Enjoy!!