We were in the huge Dekor home

store in Fayetteville, Georgia.

My 12-year-old nephew and me.

He and his sister have spent a week or two with me every summer since

she was 5. She's 15 now, going on 21.

She was shopping. He and I

were killing time while she shopped. Everywhere we went we waited for

her. Thought we would never get her out of Old Navy. And Kohl's held her

for an eternal hour or so.

But when we found Dekor, we

forgot about her. Don't even remember where she was. This time it was

Conrad and I who forgot about the clock. When it was well past time to

meet up with her again we hurriedly went in search of LeighAnn. It did

us good to see her pacing the floor in front of the door waiting for US.

What had us mesmerized was

a kitchen display at Dekor. Not just kitchen cabinets but a working kitchen

that was set up on the second floor.

The biggest refrigerator we

had ever seen was there, plus two sets of pullout refrigerator drawers

conveniently placed in the rambling kitchen area. There was an awesome

stainless steel dishwasher. Two sets of double sinks. Spacious, granite

counter tops to accommodate even the messiest cook. A double-stacked oven.

A huge commercial range. A unique cook top with a grill and steamer pot

and deep fry pot. Unbelievable setup.

He and I were in culinary heaven.

You'd think it a little odd for a 12-year-old boy to be so mesmerized.

Not really. You see, Conrad's granny taught him what a kitchen was for.

She showed him early on that it was for cooking up good things for those

you love. Good fresh food. Straight from the garden. Corn, tomatoes, squash,

beans, peas. And jellies and preserves. Apple, fig, pear, mayhaw, grape,

plum ... Cookies, cakes, pies. ...

Imagine it coming from a Southern

kitchen and this kid's seen it happen. Seen it come off his granny's stove

top or out of her oven. Seen her make miracles in the tiniest kitchen

in Georgia with only a small stove, sink, refrigerator, and a faithful

old table sitting in the middle of the floor that serves as both a counter

top for food preparation and an eating surface.

His mom's a nurse and his dad

works too, so the kids stayed with their granny from the cradle. Anybody

who knows Inez Harrell (Granny) knows, however, that there is no one who

can outdo her from sun up until sundown. But her work is done at home

and in the garden and in the homes of her friends and family, so the kids

were always welcome. All day. Any day.

Her husband was killed when

her four sons were young. She worked hard to bring them up right and taught

them how to work, too. She never misses church. She's there Sunday morning,

Sunday night and Wednesday night. A pillar of the community. A prayer

warrior for sure. Conrad told me how she can rock in her chair and shell

peas and beans and close her eyes and nap at the same time. I knew better.

She doesn't nap. She prays.

So let's get