Jelly Beans and Burritos: My Sweet Journey Through This Spicy Life

Jellybeans and Burritos is a place for front-porch stories, told by Philip Qualls, about family, food, music, memory, and the small moments that quietly shape a life. These stories wander through concerts and kitchens, childhood and fatherhood, laughter and loss — always looking for what’s hiding inside everyday life.

Saturday, December 27, 2025

NYE, 2015

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It was our first NYE together and, being that the mountains were lackluster in their choices of events and parties, we decided on Duluth. ...

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Christmas Lightsabers

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It was a small apartment located a quick walk from downtown Brevard. The type where you could stand in the hallway and touch the bathroom ...

Friday, December 12, 2025

Smitten for a Mitten

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It was a cold, dark, and slightly damp early December night, the exact date being lost to the echoes of time. As a family, it was decided th...

Monday, November 24, 2025

The Most Good

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Ho! Ho! Ho! Chocolate Chip cookies in the oven. 🎵Jingle bells, jingle bells (sometimes Batman smells) 🎶. Small town Main Street shops all ...

Thursday, November 20, 2025

A Joyous Ruckus

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WHAM!! PUSH!! POW!! SLAM!! RUN!! SWING!! GRAB!! PULL!! DODGE!! JUMP!! Pant. Pant. Pant. Hands on knees. Rest. That’s about how my first mo...

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Reggae and Jeep Snores

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It’s just an old black Jeep. I bought it when Elle was four and I’ve had it ever since. It’s taken us up and down many highways and still ...

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Tax Fraud

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Our massive neighborhood loves to celebrate Halloween. The loop across from the clubhouse is shut down and security directs traffic aroun...

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About Me

Philip Qualls: Stories live in songs, old photographs, jars of moonshine, kitchen smells, long drives, and the spaces between what we remember and what we almost forget. I write about family, love, music, growing up in the mountains, and the small moments that quietly become the story of a life. So pull up a rocking chair and stay awhile.

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