Hudson - A little salty to cut the sweet: [Southern stories of faith, family, and fifteen pounds of bacon]

If youre not familiar with Sophie Hudson already, youre about to find out why all of us who know her want to be her best friend. Whatever your love language, Sophie can speak it. If you need to laugh, shes your girl, but dont be shocked to find yourself moved to tears minutes later. Shes all the things you love most in a woman of God. Have a blast with her!

BETH MOORE

New York Times bestselling author and speaker

This is Jerry Seinfeld in a skirt and a huge heart for Jesus. This is laugh-out-loud, hold-your-side funny. This is one unstoppable bookonce you start reading, theres no stopping!

ANN VOSKAMP

Author of the New York Times bestseller One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Sophie Hudson has managed to capture all the heart and humor of growing up Southern in A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet. I devoured this bookI laughed out loud, I cried, I smiled, I talked back. For the first time in my life, Ive found a book I wish every woman in my family could read together. There isnt a woman, no matter where she is from, who wont connect with the heart of this book. But the Southern women? They will feel it deep in their souls. Thats the kind of book this isthe kind you read and feel and love and share.

ANNIE F. DOWNS

Author of Perfectly Unique

The very first blog I ever read was Sophies BooMama blog, and I have read it every day since for the last six years. Her writing style keeps me coming back with her mix of HILARIOUS stories and the ability to make everyday things interesting. Sophie is the epitome of all that is Southern, and her writing brings that familiarity with it that makes you nod your head and say, Uh-huh and Yes if you were raised anywhere in the Southern states. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet has made me laugh until I cried and has made me a little nostalgic for my family and childhood. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more!

KELLY STAMPS

Author of the kellyskornerblog.com

Well, its official: Im in love with this book. Sophie Hudson is hilariously appreciative of her very Southern roots, and she shares tales of all the experiences (and the lovably eccentric relatives!) that shaped her. Threads of love, family, and faith hold the stories together... but its Sophies laugh-at-life humor that sings forth from every page. She writes as if youre sitting on her front porch drinking a tall glass of sweet tea, and its impossible not to come away from each chapter without feeling like you know her a little better. I cant remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book.

REE DRUMMOND

#1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks

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A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon

Copyright 2013 by Sophie Hudson. All rights reserved.

Embroidery by Soledad Nuez. Copyright by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cover background pattern copyright Bill Noll/iPhoto. All rights reserved.

Floral illustration copyright yewkeo/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Designed by Jacqueline L. Nuez

Edited by Stephanie Rische

Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, Oregon 97404.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hudson, Sophie.

A little salty to cut the sweet : Southern stories of faith, family, and fifteen pounds of bacon / Sophie Hudson.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-4143-7566-3 (pbk.)

1. Hudson, SophieAnecdotes. 2. Hudson, SophieFamilyAnecdotes. 3. Hudson, SophieChildhood and youthAnecdotes. 4. MississippiBiographyAnecdotes. 5. FamiliesMississippiAnecdotes. 6. Christian lifeMississippiAnecdotes. 7. MississippiSocial life and customsAnecdotes. 8. Southern StatesBiographyAnecdotes. 9. Southern StatesSocial life and customsAnecdotes. I. Title.

CT275.H66727A3 2013

976.2'064092dc23

[B] 2012049653

ISBN 978-1-4143-8593-8 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-8390-3 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4143-8594-5 (Apple)

Build: 2015-07-01 13:53:32

For Papaw Davis, who always told the best stories

A LITTLE LITERARY DISCLAIMER

THESE STORIES ARE TRUE for the most part. I mean, youre reading my perspective on these true-for-the-most-part stories, and my perspective may differ from other peoples. I think its good to remember that. Plus, every once in a while I changed details and names because, well, it seemed like the right thing to dolest I start some sort of family feud, you understand.

I also changed the names of some towns and altered some locations. Real life happens all over the place, and since I didnt want you to need a map in order to follow along, I consolidated the action to a few towns that exist only in my imagination. From that perspective, I guess the stories are 90 percent true-ish as opposed to 100 percent absolutely true.

I know. Im overexplaining. Its what I do when Im trying to make sure Im covering all my storytelling bases.

Theres a chance, I guess, that youll find yourself wondering why I dont chronicle some big family falling-out, why we never seem to argue or disagree or fuss, so let me assure you that we most definitely do all of the above. You know that old Keith Whitley song called Im No Stranger to the Rain? Well, were no strangers to the drama. I will say, however, that my grandparents set a high standard in terms of how they expected us to treat each other, so even when were aggravated, were much more apt to talk about it than to storm out of a room. On top of that, this book is not meant to be An Airing of the Grievances; its meant to be a celebration of family.

Consider yourself warned that I may have been prone to some exaggeration and embellishment every once in a while, but that probably goes without saying, since Im Southern and all.

Dont roll your eyes, people. Its in my blood.

INTRODUCTION

Because Im Crazy about My People

ONE OF THE GREAT BLESSINGS of my life is that I grew up in a family of storytellers. Some of my earliest memories involve sitting in Mamaw and Papaw Daviss den while my mama, my aunt, and their cousins took turns telling tales. The stories always featured real people and real-life eventslike, for instance, Uncle Herman and Aunt Elsie, or one of the Keenans who lived down the road, or their cousin Tom Alex (pronounced Ellec, a peculiar Mississippi pronunciation that puzzles me to this day)and they were always hilarious.