Stedman Named to Mississippi Real Estate Commission

THEsocial SCENE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

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Mandiya 10 Rose Montemayor, Hank Diesel, and Brenda Bucklen 11 Binky Vines, Davis Martin, and

James and Amy Brown

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Joe W. Stedman, ALC, has been appointed by Governor Tate Reeves and confirmed by the Mississippi Senate to a four-year term on the Mississippi Real Estate Commission. His service on this commission began July 1, 2020. “I am honored by Governor Reeves to have been asked to serve in this position, and I look forward to working with the Commission,” said Stedman. Reeves is the third governor to appoint Stedman to this position. Stedman has a long and outstanding career in real estate. First licensed in 1973, he has served in many capacities for the Mississippi Association of Realtors, as President and Board Member of the Natchez Board of Realtors, and as President of the Mississippi Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute. From the National Association of Realtors, he holds the designations of Certified Residential Broker and Accredited Land Consultant; and he has received Realtor of the Year Awards from the Natchez Board of Realtors and the Mississippi Realtors Land Institute. Having been previously inducted into the Mississippi REALTOR® Hall of Fame, he was elevated to Realtor Emeritus status in 2015.

Colleen Wilkins shows off her famous Strawberry Cake during one of her holiday teas.

A Holiday Tour and Tea at Sunnyside

Meet Colleen Wilkins, owner of has a dedicated staff who assist her during large the 1850s Greek Revival cottage events, but her talent and deft touch emanate Sunnyside, which dwells among ten from everything she crafts. A compendium of acres near downtown Natchez, Mississippi. knowledge regarding Sunnyside, she loves enSunnyside is an event site and Bed and Breakfast tertaining all of her guests. inn, offering tours of both this intriguing home Sunnyside will be open for its Holiday and its gardens. Tea and Tour events beginning the day af In this picturesque setting, Wilkins hosts an array of events throughout the year along with through 30, December 1 through 4, 6 through private parties, luncheons, and teas. One unique 24, and 26 through 31. Tours are at 2:00 p.m. event is her Holiday Tea and Tour, a treat that with a 5:00 p.m. Candle Light Tour every day can be privately booked for four or more peo- but Wednesday. Included in Wilkins’s many ple or for a large group. Delicious homemade tours and parties is an especially unique event: sweets, sandwiches, and fresh fruit are as entic- She will host an Elvis Tribute by Nick Perkins ing to view as they are to taste. Delightfully dec- on December 5. orated for the season, the charming home tour For more information, contact Colleen with tea is a special treat for the holiday season. Wilkins via sunnysidenatchez.com, her FB page Hospitality is Colleen Wilkins’s middle Sunnyside B&B, or 601.807.1148. In the meantime, enjoy the season with the antiques and art, decorator, chef, and confec- following couple of recipes this master gardener, tioner exudes creativity, fashioning scrumptious chef, and confectioner shares with you for your luncheons, dinners, and teas year round. She personal Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

STRAWBERRY CAKE BLACK-AND-WHITE CRÈME BRÛLÉE Cake Cream Cheese Layer Icing the All-new Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook) 4 large eggs Cake Icing Cake Cream Cheese Layer Icing Cake Icing

Majorie and David Hawkins of Nashville, Tennessee. David represents The Santa Clause Committee as Santa in this year’s efforts to bring cheer to the children of the community.

A Collector’s Love for Santa Christmas at Linden Among historic cedar trees, azaleas, and camellias on seven acres in a park-like setting near downtown Natchez, Mississippi, stands stately historic Linden Bed & Breakfast, home of Jeanette Feltus, a sixth-generation member of the Conner family. riod pieces Jeanette and her late husdoorway as well as the existing east wing. The year 1829 found the home with a new owner who added the living room and the front gallery, completing the appearance of the home as it stands today. In 1849, upon the death of her husband, Jane E. Conner purchased Linden for herself and her nine children. In front of Linden, she planted seven Cedars of Lebanon, which HOLIDAY MILK PUNCH band Richard collected for many years. However, during Christmas Linden is plush with Christmas-magic décor and seasonal trimmings for guests and fam Collection of their daughter Marjorie Feltus Hawkins graces the many rooms throughout this holiday home. Linden was originally built as a twostill stand today. The Christmas spirit at Linden this year showcases Majorie Feltus Hawkins’s creative touch. Marjorie and her sister, Celice, represent the sixth generation of Conner Family members to grow up at Linden since 1849. Marjorie and husband David of Nashville, Tennessee, own an interior story, four-room mansion constructed in 1785. In 1818, a new owner purchased it cus on the hospitality industry. Her passion is “theme’ decorating wherein each theme Original recipe from Jane E. Connor and added the stunning frontispiece to the tells a story.

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Photograph by T. G. McCary

Opposite page— 1. The Mark Roberts Nutcrackers stand at attention in the front door entry hallway. 2. Am old-world nativity scene atop the nineteenthcentury piano nestles within a vintage tapestry tablecloth. 3. The Christmas tree captures the holiday spirit with its small, old and new Santas, beaded ornaments, fruit, and strands of traditional ribbon. Custom-designed, gift-wrapped presents hold promises of Christmas morning surprises. 4. Staged on a Sheraton table, fanciful Santas surrounded by sterling silver serving pieces and beaded fruit provide a whimsical contrast to the traditional Santas in the dining room. 5. Three-to-six-feet eloquently detailed, matching and complementary Santas command attention in their strategic stances under the punka in the dining room. They are accented by the elegance of beaded fruit in three-tier Old Paris dessert stands. 6. This Santa takes center-stage among original nithologist, Wilson completed these works during his stay in Natchez in 1810. 7. The Federal-period Girandole or chaperone mir on either side with another pair of Mark Roberts Nutcrackers. 8. Beaded fruit topiaries, a garland of greenery, and fresh white poinsettias grace the stunning mantle. 9. A sneak-peak view from the staircase landing shows the foyer and front door. The banister boasts a garland embellished with cotton. Years ago, Marjorie started collecting an assortment of Santas and Nutcrackers, each with a spark of personality. She has attended numerous hospitality trade shows and continues to shop at the Atlanta, Dallas, and New York gift markets, purchasing inviting and mesmerizing pieces to add to her obsession with all things Christmas. The Hawkins’s Nashville home has been the backdrop for her holiday collections; one large room, in fact, is named the Christmas Room. In 2019, David and Marjorie rented a U-Haul trailer and brought to her family’s home a profusion of Santas and Nutcrackers to shower Linden for the holidays. The Santas, old and new, have been deftly placed throughout Linden imparting additional sparkle and elegance to its historically appointed rooms. The Santa motif there this year will include an additional touch—a live Santa with David serving as Santa 2020 for the local Santa Claus Committee. The Santa Claus Committee got its start in Natchez in 1928 when a group of businessmen combined their efforts to ensure the community’s less-fortunate children would have a Merry Christmas. Today, the Children’s Christmas Tree Fund works in conjunction with the Santa Claus Committee collecting donations to purchase gifts for children of families in need. The committee exists only for charitable purposes, and members pay yearly dues to participate in the committee’s annual Christmas Eve parade. Traditionally, this parade of the members in their cars and trucks, led by siren-sounding police cars and concluding with Santa in his “sleigh” convertible, cruises all around the local community bringing cheer and tossing candy to excited children waiting along the advertised route to collect the sweets.

The Santa Claus Committee then arrives at Braden auditorium to oversee their annual distribution of gifts for the children. This 2020 Covid-19 Christmas may not offer an entire day of socializing and parading throughout the neighborhoods on Christmas Eve, but there will be the distribution of gifts to the children, and Santa David will take on the spotlight to spread Christmas cheer to all. Donations may be sent to the Christmas Tree Fund, P.O. Box 1082, Natchez, MS, 39120. In celebrating Christmas, each Friday and Saturday during December, Linden hosts its signature Holiday Tour with Milk Punch. The tour begins at 11:00 a.m.—$20 per adult, $10 per child, and $15 per person for a group of 20 or more. Linden’s famous Milk Punch —Jane G. Connor’s original recipe—is quite the treat for tour-goers!

Above left and above—Capricious and traditional Santas enjoy themselves on Linden’s veranda, ready to entertain when Mrs. Jeanette’s signature Milk Punch is served.

Tropical Landscape by Henri Rousseau, 1910

The Little Dancer byEdgar Degas, 1880

Mississippi Museum of Art Reopens with Major Art Exhibition: On view through January 10, 2021, Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Their Times: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts showcases major schools Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Their Times require advance timed-ticketing, social distancing, and masks so our visitors can enjoy the exhibit worry-free.” An exceptional selection of work by modern French masters— of French art including Romanticism, Impressionism, and Cubism some of the most celebrated and recognized of the Western canon, spanning 150 years. the exhibition also reveals the connoisseurship of Paul and Rachel The special exhibition features 74 masterworks by famous French “Bunny” Lambert Mellon, among the most philanthropic art colartists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries including Edgar lecting couples of the last century. The Mellons’ personal interests, Degas, Eugène Delacroix, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe commitment to modernism, and prescient collecting strategies are Morisot, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, and Vincent van Gogh. evident in the grouping. With the ongoing COVID-19 concern, the health of museum visitors will remain a top priority. Betsy Bradley, Director of the since Mrs. Mellon’s bequest to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA), adds, “As we open to the gen- in 2014,” said Bradley. “Included are works by all the best-known eral public to view this rare and beautiful art work, we have ap- artists, both French and Dutch, of the late nineteenth century plied protocols for cleanliness, sanitization, and safety. MMA will forged a new way of painting that came to be called Impressionism. We are thrilled by the opportunity to share these masterpieces with Jackson and our visitors from around the world.” Organized thematically, the exhibition opens with equestrian paintings by Degas, Eugene Delacroix, and portraits, depicted in informal settings, by Gustave Courbet, Morisot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and others depicted in informal settings. The next section features views of Paris (a frequent destination for the Mellons and members of their social milieu) and Impressionist and Post-Impressionist urban cityscapes by Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Utrillo, and Van Gogh. A grouping of paintings featuring water demonstrates some surfaces. A selection of paintings of the French countryside features Monet’s vibrant Field of Poppies as well as Giverny and smaller canvases by Georges Field of Poppies Giverny by Claude Monet Seurat and Van Gogh among others.

Pensive La Songeuse by Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1875

from the more intimate sensibility found in other works of the collection. Among the masterpieces on view are Rousseau’s tour de force Tropical Landscape (1910), Bonnard’s Post-Impressionist The Dining Room (ca. 1940-47), and Picasso’s Cubist still-life The Chinese Chest of Drawers (1953), the latest work in the exhibition. ganized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, before the collection is reinstalled in Virginia in January 2021. Its presentation in Jackson, Mississippi is sponsored by the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation. To accompany the traveling exhibition, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts published a catalogue which will be available for sale in the Museum’s store.

Admission While entrance to the Museum is free, there will be an admission charge for Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Their Times: $15 per person; $13 for seniors and groups of ten or more; $10 for college and Thursdays thanks to Feild Co-Operative Association, Inc., of Jackson, Mississippi, and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.

Opening hours: Tuesday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Special senior hours (for visitors over the age of 65): Tuesdays-Thursdays: 10 a.m.-11 a.m. msmuseumart.org

Life in the A-Zone Podcast Series Peggy Sweeney-McDonald, actress, author, host, speaker, and creative storyteller, has recentmy stories as I felt they needed to be told now. I launched the podcast in July 2020 for the one-year anniverPhotography by Troy Kleinpeter ly launched a storytelling podcast se- sary of her death.” ries in honor of her experiences with The bittersweet journey of love, Alzheimer’s. In 2016, Peggy’s moth- laughter, life, and loss is the focus of er, Sherry Sweeny, in Baton Rouge, this fast-growing Life in the A-Zone Louisiana, was diagnosed with podcast, now with weekly episodes Alzheimer’s. At that time, Peggy and that have touched people across the her husband, Jimmy, sold their home world. Peggy’s podcast is devoted in Los Angeles, California, where to helping caregivers, friends, and they had lived for thirty-six years, family recuperate and heal from and drove across the country to move the Alzheimer’s experience or the in with her parents and serve as care- “A-Zone” as she named it. givers for her mother. Sherry Sweeny Her vulnerable stories and truepassed away in July 2019. to-life candor shine a light on the This family’s experience recalls entire “family journey” through the the struggle of so many as these au- disease of Alzheimer’s. In using her tumn months focus attention on those own life experiences as anecdotes, affected by Alzheimer’s. This past she has found that writing the A-Zone September was World Alzheimer’s has helped her to grieve and heal; and Awareness month, and November is she is honored to share these experiAlzheimer’s Awareness month in the ences with everyone. Her hope is that United States. Peggy recalls, “After my mother passed away in July 2019, grace as they navigate their own caretaking journey with a parent, I began writing a memoir of my journey as her caregiver. spouse, or family member. Searching for podcasts on Alzheimer’s, I recognized a void in ad- Peggy is also the creator of Meanwhile, Back at Café Du dressing the honest and heartbreaking struggle of the caregiver. Monde, the festive, hit food-monologue show produced across With the lingering pandemic as a motivator, I decided to podcast the country; and she is the author of the bestselling Pelican

Publishing book Meanwhile, Back at Café du Monde….Life Stories About Food. She has been a presenter at the Louisiana Book Festival, The Faulkner Society Words & Music Conference, The California Culinary Historians, The Louisiana Restaurant Possibilities, Passions of the Palate, and the Chili Pepper Extravaganza. Since being back in Baton Rouge, she has created events for the Louisiana Marathon, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, the East Baton Rouge Library, Preserve Louisiana, and the Louisiana International Film Festival. She recently produced and starred in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Love Letters at the Old Governor’s Mansion. In 2019, she was honored at the Celebration of Women. She is married to James McDonald.

For more information, visit LifeintheA-Zone.com and listen to the podcast at Pegsweeneymcdonald. podbean.com.