This is part 3 of a 5-part series. Paula Deen’s full story appears in the fall 2018 issue of Shrimp, Collards & Grits magazine. 
Cooking proved therapeutic those twenty years Paula was on that ride. 
“Some days I was a functioning agoraphobic, like you hear of a functioning alcoholic. But those twenty years I fell in love with my kitchen, and of course I come from a line of fabulous Southern cooks. 
“Grandmother and Grandfather Paul, my Aunt Peggy’s mother and daddy, were in the restaurant and lodging business, and my grandmother was one of the finest Southern cooks you’d ever meet. She taught me so much of what I know. I’d say, ‘Ok, Grandma, show me, teach me—everything.’ And she was a woman of substance, just like my Aunt Peggy.”
As her agoraphobia faded, Paula ventured out. “I’d go farther and farther. And I just fell in love with Savannah. She’s such a romantic city. She’s got your arts, your education, your history, and of course the beaches. It’s really got it all.”
From the kingdom of peanuts and pecans she found herself in the city of gardens and 22 green squares. She found herself as our fellow Georgian, James Dickey, wrote, in a place where “the food is wonderful and unique: she-crab soup, red rice, shrimp or oyster pilau.” 
Today, she lives alongside the Wilmington River, a tidal river. Tidal rivers surge and ebb, and rise and fall as the moon pushes and pulls on the tides—just like life. 
She named her house “Riverbend” as a tribute to her grandparents, for where would she be without family? 
Aunt Peggy stepped in and took her mother’s place. Back when Paula was building her business, at the eleventh hour Aunt Peggy let her use a CD as collateral to finalize the lease on her restaurant in Savannah’s historic district. 
“While I was at the Best Western I saved every penny I could, and I saved up $20,000 to be able to get us downtown because I felt like our food is a part of our history, and I felt like my restaurant needed to be in the historic district.
“I’ll never forget my Uncle George called me. He was the rock of our family, a self-made man, an incredible man. ‘Ok, Paula, your Aunt Peggy is going to let you borrow a $25,000 CD for the bank to hold for collateral.’ 
“I paid it off in a year. So, even though she never gave me any money directly, she allowed this to happen because without her, I don’t think they’d ever gone along with me. She’s my mentor, she’s my hero.”
Looking back on it all, Paula remembers when she had just 3 pair of shoes. 
“When I was on East 60th Street, I had tennis shoes, black flats, and black heels. I was 42 before I realized that nobody was going to come bring me anything.” 
She looked around where we were sitting. “Honey, I never dreamed that when I took that $200 I would have wound up here. 
Aunt Peggy has never given me a dime but I’ll tell you what—she helped make this possible because when I was in the Best Western I spent five of the hardest years of my life. I was required to cook three meals a day seven days a week. My sons were by my side. They worked hard everyday, and without them wouldn’t be where we are today.” 
Next: Paula’s passion for art and a special squirrel.

Watch Paula Deen On Evine. Find out where it airs and what time at 
www.positivelypaula.tv