Bluffs & Bayous November/December 2021

November/December 2021

' T is

The Season

La Bonne Vie Farm Festive Fare Christmas Past

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 1

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR Cheryl Foggo Rinehart COPY EDITOR Jean Nosser Biglane GRAPHIC DESIGNER Susan R. DeBusk SALES STAFF Cheryl Rinehart Kari L. Blaney

Cheryl Rinehart

Jean Biglane

Susan R. DeBusk

Kari L. Blaney

Bill Perkins

Tim McCary

Lisa Adams Whittington

Dr. Gary R. Bachman

Lucien C. “Sam” Gwin III

Alma Womack

Sonny Womack

Elisabeth Grant Gibson

Donna Jones

Tim Sessions

Cecilia Hopkins Stevens

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim McCary Bill Perkins Lisa Adams Whittington CONTRIBUTORS Bill Perkins Dr. Gary R. Bachman Lucien C. “Sam” Gwin III Alma Womack Sonny Womack Elisabeth Grant Gibson Donna Jones Tim Sessions Cecilia Hopkins Stevens

T

FROM THE PUBLISHER

is the season! A bright holiday season brimming with events, seasonal decorations, specialty foods for celebrations, and gatherings with family and friends, as well as plenty of sports and festivals, all await you in these final months of 2021. To capture the spirit of these times, the crew of Bluffs & Bayous brings you in this issue stories and events that you are sure to enjoy.

Guest columnist Cecilia Stevens writes about La Bonne Vie Farm near Lake Bruin, Louisiana: It’s a family farm growing microgreens and producing goat-milk bath products and fresh eggs sold at the local farmers market.

Tim Sessions shares stories about Woodrow, the Pelican on Lake St. John, Louisiana; and Sonny Womack is back with his three-part story of the families’ horses. In her Southern Sampler, Alma Womack recalls stories of Christmases past to make us more cognizant of our blessings of Christmases present and more appreciative of their spiritual source.

Just as many communities have businesses with multiple generations of family service, so Donna Jones shares with us her family’s three generations of services to the Natchez, Mississippi, community. She reminisces about her parents’ package store and the changes it has recently undergone in re-branding under a new name and moving to a new Natchez location, ready to continue its service to long-time customers and to welcome new ones as well. Always on point with legal issues, Sam Gwin touches on the legalities that govern employer-employee parting of ways.

We have a really terrific selection of new recipes in this issue, entrees and sides along with seasonal goodies that are easy. You will absolutely want to hang on to these. The rosemary popups are not as intimidating as we first thought, and these will be a favorite alongside our soups to warm us up when the cold snaps arrive. Our Premier Events and Up & Coming section has the most up-to-date events listing prior to publication, and our Social Scenes brighten the season with their flashbacks to recent merriment in our area.

With this issue, all of us at Bluffs & Bayous wish all of you and yours a splendid Thanksgiving, a merry and peaceful Christmas holiday, and an enriching spiritual celebration of the faith you observe during this holiday season in our life along and beyond the Mississippi.

OFFICE

225 John R. Junkin Drive | Natchez, MS 39120 601-442-6847 bluffsmag@gmail.com | bbupandcoming@gmail.com www.bluffsbayous.com Bluffs & Bayous is published monthly to promote the greater Southern area of Louisiana and Mississippi in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter.

Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited!

Return envelopes and postage must accompany all materials submitted if a return is requested.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

The opinions expressed in Bluffs & Bayous are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Bluffs & Bayous strives to insure the accuracy of our magazine’s contents. However, should inaccuracies or omissions occur, we do not assume responsibility.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 F E AT U R E S Something Scrumptious Festive Fare for the Happiest Holidays.................................................24-28

FAV O R I T E S La Bonne Vie Farm PAGES 34 - 35

All OutDoors

Woodrow the Pelican..................................................................................19 Horses, Horses, Horses...........................................................................31-32

Discoveries Along and Beyond

Spirits Wine and Liquor...

A New Name, Look, and Locale for the Family Business.......................8-9 La Bonne Vie Farm................................................................................34-35

From The Stacks

A Sitting in St. James................................................................................39-40

In the Garden

Cool-season Pansies for Blooms All Winter.............................................14

Legal Notes

You’re Fired!.................................................................................................29

A Sitting in St. James PAGES 39-40

Southern Sampler

Two Tales of Christmas Past..................................................................61-62

The Social Scene

Hutson’s HoeDown Celebration...........................................................10-11 Surprise Engagement Party for Jody Powell and Chad Gregory............15 The Dining Divas Party Hardy at Woodleigh...........................................22 McComb Garden Club Spring Luncheon............................................37-38 Birthday Brunch..........................................................................................42 A Jurassic Park Birthday Party for John Graham Laukhuff....................43 Miss-Lou Touch Fundraiser for Wells Middleton................................45-48

Up & Coming

Miss-Lou Touch Fundraiser for Wells Middleton PAGE 45-48

Premier Events.............................................................................................49 Louisiana Up & Coming........................................................................49-53 Mississippi Up & Coming......................................................................53-59

ON THE COVER Cooking up delicious and EASY recipes this holiday season is a special find that includes this Antipasto Salad found on page 27 in our Something Scrumptious section pages 24-28.

Photography by Cheryl Rinehart McComb Garden Club Spring Luncheon PAGE 37-38 Page 6 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

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ALONG AND BEYOND

BY

Donna Jones

A New and Locale for the Family Business 303Name, JOHN R.Look, JUNKIN DR., NATCHEZ

A

FORMERLY KNOWN AS

fter more than fifty years of business on Franklin Street in Natchez, Mississippi, our family wine and liquor store, Franklin Street Package Store, is moving to a newly renovated location on John R. Junkin Drive. We have rebranded as Spirits of Natchez at this new location which will open the first week of November.

While this is a good move to a new location with a better traffic pattern, it is bittersweet to leave behind the space where we served so many loyal customers and friends over the years. We can promise the same great service and an even better selection at Spirits of Natchez as we recall all of those who made Franklin Street Package a true “family” liquor store and remember helping them plan their parties and receptions and suggesting just the perfect wine to serve with special dinners.

For as long as I can remember, a Kaiser family member has stood behind the counter of Franklin Street Package Store.

As a little girl, I often found my Mama and Daddy there (when they weren’t playing golf). Anyone who knew Powell Kaiser knew he worked a lot harder in his head than he did on his feet. That left our Mama, Dot, to ring up the customers. Daddy would stand behind the counter with his hands behind his back while he greeted customers and aggravated Dot by telling her what to do. I can see that smirk on his face that said, “Watch this,” as he teased her.

Back then, the liquor store counter was covered mostly by the gigantic adding machine they used to total up a customer’s purchases. I was drawn to the rows and rows of buttons, the big handle, and most of all the ringing sound as the dollar amounts appeared in that little window. I guess that is why we still say we are “ringing up” customers when they check out.

My daddy always had a joke or a story for just about everyone that came in the store. If you were frowning when you came in, you were laughing when you left. He believed in treating customers right, and he stressed that to all of us who worked at the store through the years.

As I grew older, my brother, Sammy, manned the counter. He had four kids and I’m sure they all visited the store. As generations of us grew up, we loved to run up and down those aisles while reaching out to tap the rows of bottles to hear the “ping.” The tiny shopping basket we loved to push is still there today.

My oldest sister, Pauline, and her husband, James Lambert, ran the store for many years. Mama may have told Daddy what to do back in the day, but Pauline was the one to keep James hopping. She was always the one to greet the customers with a big “Hello!” and a nickname for most of them. Pauline loved her customers and treated everyone the same whether they arrived in a Cadillac or on a bicycle. She loved walking up and down the aisle with customers while making wine and liquor recommendations for their needs. She still brags about how they would come in for one bottle, and she would get them to leave with three!

Heaven has a special place for Pauline when her time comes. She gave to every charity that collected at the store, had a prize for every child that came in with his or her Mama, and would buy food and presents for customers she knew were struggling with hard times. Of all our employees, I

ORDER ONLINE OR GET THE APP SAME GREAT SERVICE OFFERING CURBSIDE DELIVERY LARGER SELECTION WWW.SPIRITSOFNATCHEZ.COM

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Powell and Sammy Kaiser

Dot and Powell Kaiser

think she is the most missed. She misses her customers, too, but is enjoying her life in the country with James and a herd of dogs. Yes, her kindness extends to rescue dogs as well.

The middle sister, Winnie Kaiser, also spent a few years behind the counter. She picked up where Pauline left off—greeting customers and making them feel welcomed.

After working in an office for so long, she

Rhonda Kaiser, Pauline Lambert, Dot Kaiser, Donna Jones, Rosie Hails, and Winnie Kaiser

Sam Jones

got stuck with the paperwork, filing, and state reporting. She even continued that for a while after she retired. It takes a team to keep the place running!

Our youngest sister Rosie Kaiser spent her time bookkeeping instead of working at the store; but her sweet-hearted son, Kaiser, worked there for years. Everyone loved Kaiser. People always commented on his gentlemanly manner and thoughtfulness as he carried packages to their car. I think he got that from his grandfather! When I enter the store, I still miss his face. He would really love the idea of our moving to a bigger, better location. I know he is smiling down on us now.

My contribution to the store was my crazy husband, Sam. If anyone ever loved working with his customers, it is this man. He has the same dedication to good customer service as my Daddy and even still uses some of Daddy’s favorite one-liners on his customers. He loved and respected Powell Kaiser and has told me more than once, “That’s not the way your daddy would do it.”

When you have a great man as your mentor, I guess you don’t want to mess up a good thing.

Sam keeps the customers laughing while he shares his knowledge of wine, whiskey, and spirits of all kinds. Sam and his coworkers, Ron Burk and Mike Varnado, have kept the store running and customers happy through COVID and beyond. They can’t wait to be Spirits’ guides at the new store!

My brother, Bubba, has always been our sounding block since Daddy passed away. No big decisions get by without his approval. While he did his time behind the counter, too, his business savvy over the years has made a huge contribution to the success of Franklin Street Package.

Bubba’s sweet wife, Rhonda, has kept the books and put up with his four sisters without a complaint. She is a saint in our books!

When Bubba came to the family with the idea of relocating the business to a more convenient location, we knew he had spent a lot of sleepless nights running the idea through his head as he and his friend Beanie Maxwell secured our new location at the former Maxwell Chiropractic building. This location provides the easy access and exit we were looking for along with a large parking lot that is brightly lit for nighttime shopping.

Some may remember that this building formerly was a bank. One of our most unique renovations is the conversion of this bank vault to a walk-in wine cooler, “The Wine Vault,” allowing us to have plenty of cold wine and champagne available for our customers.

Additionally, new conveniences are on tap at the new locale. Spirits is expanding our hours and will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Also new is our website and phone-app ordering that allows customers to access our entire store inventory. Customers can place an order, pay online or at pickup, and come through the covered drive for curbside delivery. But they will want to come inside to browse our expanded selection, too, and check out a bar area where we can host wine, whiskey, and liquor tastings.

Some things, though, will not change: our friendly customer service, the best wine selection in town, our “Buy 3 bottles to get 10% off” discount, and special pricing for events.

Many thanks from the Kaiser family to the over a half century of loyal customers of Franklin Street Package Store where we will be selling through the end of October.

We hope to see you and lots of new customers as we continue the Kaiser Family tradition into its next half century at Spirits of Natchez the first week of November.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for opening-day announcements.

A native of Natchez, Donna and her husband, Sam, live on Lake Concordia in Ferriday, Louisiana where they enjoy spending their free time with their grandchildren and friends. Donna is the Director of Administration at Delta Energy Group.

303 JOHN R. JUNKIN DR., NATCHEZ

Bluffs & Bayous { FORMERLY November/December 2021 { Page 9 KNOWN AS ORDER ONLINE OR GET THE APP SAME GREAT SERVICE

THE social SCENE WESSON, MISSISSIPPI

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The Hutsons’ Hoedown Celebration

By Bill Perkins Photographs by Bill Perkins

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lene and Randy Hutson privately exchanged vows on December 18, 2020. They had decided that this was not an ideal time to host a gathering, so they waited four months for a safer moment to bring family and friends together at Randy’s man cave, “The Barn,” on his ranch in Copiah County.

Finally, on the evening of April 18, 2021, their union was celebrated with toasts, a barbeque feast, and music and dancing.

1 Beverly Britt, Charlotte Englund, and Ilene Hutson 2 Ginene Walker, Ilene and Randy Hutson, Dixie Thornton, and Marilyn Britt 3 Lindsey Walker and Drake Hof 4 Pee Wee Riley 5 Tara Middleton and Nikki Hutson Smith 6 Cheryl Riley and Tammy Allen 7 Brenda Guy, Johnell Eppes, and Ginene Walker 8 Brooke Mullins and Brad Turner 9 Beverly Britt and Joy Westbrooks 10 Cheryl Riley, Randy and Ilene Hutson, and Charlotte Englund 11 Robert “Moose” Morea, Diane Morea, and Laine Morea 12 Alex, KY, and Easton Lowery 13 Amber and Nick Pearson 14 Michael and Katrina Bernard, Bud Pearson, and Cheryl Riley 15 Linda and Mike Luke with William Allen 16 Lee Mulligan, Jennifer Smith, and Danny Lowery

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30 17 KY, Easton, and Alex Lowery; Stacey, Blake, Laura, and Cole Windham; and Ginene Walker 18 Joy Westbrooks and Randy Hutson 19 Allison Pates and Lindsay Walker 20 Nikki Hutson Smith, Randy Hutson, and Anita and Curt Jeffries 21 Sterling Dossett, Charlotte Britt, and Randy and Ilene Hutson 22 Lauren Hontzas, Erica Stephens, Allison Pates, and La Randa Channell 23 Jennifer Smith, Kyle Smith, and Dixie Thornton 24 Heather and Jonathan Hontzas 25 Patrick and D’Ana Price with Randy Hutson 26 Emily McKinley, Nikki Hutson Smith, and Erica Stephens 27 Bailey Britt, Robert Morea, and Tara Middleton 28 Sterling Dossett, Charlotte Britt, and Rita Fuller 29 Lauren and John Hontzas 30 Kayla and Josh Berch, Gary Smith, and Bailey Warren 31 Kayla and Josh Berch with Lauren Hontzas 32 Lauren Hontzas and Bill Perkins 33 Hunter and Rachel Wilson 34 Ilene Hutson, “Boss” Hutson, and Randy Hutson

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I N C O R P O R A T E D

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Dr. Gary R. Bachman PHOTOGRAPHS BY Dr. Gary R. Bachman

IN THE GARDEN

BY

(4) Be sure to use a good, professional container mix when growing in containers.

Pansies in containers flower best in a south-facing location. Container-grown plants need a little more attention to watering and fertilization, but the extra effort is totally worth it.

Garden centers have a great selection right now, and fall-into-winter is a fantastic time to get these into your garden and landscape.

Cool-season Pansies for Blooms All Winter

I

Pansies like these Matrix Lavender Shades perform well in containers when extra attention is given to watering and fertilization.

’m enjoying the changing weather that has finally arrived across Mississippi, and many of my summer annuals growing in planters and containers are getting a second wind. However, unfortunately for them, it’s time to get cool-season color planted. A popular coolseason flowering annual that I always count on is pansies.

Pansies have the ability to tolerate some really low temperatures; in fact, these plants can freeze solid and thaw with little damage. Open flowers get nipped back, and the leaves are tinged purple in response to the cold. After a couple of warmer days, the flowering show resumes; and the plants keep on flowering until spring.

As I visited garden centers this past week, I marveled at the selection of these colorful cool-season annuals. My favorite is Matrix; but you can find quite a few other great series such as Delta, Majestic, and other pansies available in the marketplace.

A pansy’s five petals are heart-shaped and arranged in an overlapping pattern.

The flowers come in a wide variety of colors. I base my choices on another factor: whether the flowers are clear or blotched.

Clear flowers are pure colors that typically have the nice feature of a brightyellow center eye. Blotched pansies display large, dark patches in the center of the petals, sometimes referred to as faces.

These selections are sometimes thought of as traditional pansies.

Whether you choose clear, blotched, or both types of flowers, mass-planted pansies can add a dramatic effect to the garden and landscape. To get the most enjoyment and best performance from the pansy varieties you choose, be sure to follow these tips: (1) Pansies need consistent fertilization, and I like to add controlled-release fertilizer to the planting hole. Pansies also need consistent root zone moisture through the season, even during the winter.

(2) The quickest way to turn off pansy flowering is to let the plants dry out. It’s easy to take care of both needs at the same time by watering and feeding with watersoluble fertilizer.

(3) You can deadhead faded blooms to tidy the plants up, but this isn’t required maintenance.

Pansies are great choices for planting in containers for display on the porch or patio.

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These Matrix pansies are blotched, having large, dark patches in the center of the petals. Clear flowers are pure colors that typically have a brightyellow center eye.

Mass-planted pansies such as these Delta Premium True Blue selections can add a dramatic effect to the garden and landscape.

Columnist Dr. Gary R. Bachman is an assistant extension professor of horticulture at Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.

THE social SCENE BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Surprise Engagement Party for Joy Powell & Chad Gregory A

surprise party to celebrate the engagement of Joy Powell to Chad Gregory was enjoyed by family and friends at the home of her parents, Ken and Sherry Powell, in Brookhaven, Mississippi, on Friday, May 21, 2021. Chad proposed that afternoon, totally surprising his future bride! The parents learned what was afoot the week before so quietly and discreetly planned quite a party inviting family and a few friends. The proposal and the party were a complete surprise to Joy! The couple will exchange vows November 13, 2021, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Chad, originally from Tensas Parish, Louisiana, resides in Waco, Texas, the town that the then newlyweds both will call “home.” Photography by Bill Perkins

1 Sherry Powell, Ann Powell, Ken Powell, and Joy Powell 2 Sherry Powell, Becki Berry, Ken Powell, and Joy Powell 3 Sherry Powell, Betty Byrd, Ken Powell, and Joy Powell 4 Katherine Barkett Byrd, Ben Hill, and Brittany Spiers 5 Chad Gregory, Carrie Rayborn, Sarah Mitchell Rayborn, Jerrod Rayborn, and Joy Powell 6 Tina McGhee and Chad Gregory 7 Tina McGhee, Ken Powell, Joy Powell, Sharon Powell, and Chad Gregory 8 Joy Powell and Jamison Powell 9 Front—Joy Powell, Betty Byrd, Landon Byrd, and Ann Powell / Middle—Chad Gregory, Liam Byrd, Sherry Powell, Missy Clanton, Stacy Clanton, and Jamison Powell / Back— Lindsey Byrd, Taylor Byrd, and Ken Powell 10 Carrie Rayborn, Anna Moak, Chad Gregory, Joy Powell, Lindsey Byrd (yellow dress), Jerrod Rayborn, Missy Clanton (on the stairs) Brittany Spiers (on the stairs), Tripp Jolly, Jamison Powell, Walker Gregory (behind Jerrod Rayborn), (on stairs) Callie Burkett, Katherine Byrd, Ben Hill, Taylor Byrd, (top) Brittany Myers, Adam Byrd, and Chad Myers 11 Joy Powell, Carrie Rayborn, Sara Mitchell Rayborn (baby), Jerrod Rayborn, Anna Moak 12 Chad Gregory, Joy Powell, Jennifer Jackson, Teddy Jackson, and Sherry Powell 13 Liam Byrd, Chad Gregory, Joy Powell, and Landon Byrd 14 Joy Powell / Middle—Catherine McDonniell, Sherry Powell, and Amy Cooley / Top— Dauphine Magee and Cathy Pigott 15 Front—Joy Powell, Anna Moak, and Neeci Gregory / Middle—Catherine McDonniell, Sherry Powell, and Amy Cooley / Back— Dauphine Magee and Cathy Pigott 16 Joy Powell and Katherine Barkett Byrd 17 Dauphine Magee and Lindsey Byrd 18 Cathy Pigott, Ken Powell, and Amy Cooley

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ALL OUTDOORS

M

by Tim Sessions

Woodrow the Pelican

ost locals know of and are familiar with beautiful Lake St. John in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. For those who may not be familiar with the area, Lake St. John is an oxbow lake of the Mississippi River which was formed when the river changed course well over 160 years ago. The lake is approximately 8 miles long and covers a surface area of approximately 2,175 acres.

Although Lake St. John is some 200 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, it has become the winter home of several species of birds that are normally found along the coast. It is here that my story begins.

Each fall, Lake St. John overwinters friends from the Gulf Coast which include brown-and-white pelicans and several species of seagulls. Each spring, they head back to their even-more-southern homes; and we anxiously await their September return.

Approximately 10 years ago during the fall influx, one particular white pelican flew in; but when spring came, it stayed. Over the years, this pelican has been seen resting on various piers up and down the lake; and if you are lucky, you may get to see it fishing out in the waters. No one is certain of the pelican’s gender, but most people call it Woodrow. Woodrow seems to be at ease around people although he does practice social distancing. He wanders from pier to pier, not flying, rather swimming, and will occasionally pose for photos. When the grandkids come to visit, it’s always a treat to get into the boat and see if we can find Woodrow.

No one knows just how old Woodrow may be. White pelicans can easily live in excess of 16 years. We hope that this majestic bird will be around for years to come. If you see Woodrow while on your boat ride, be certain to get a few pictures. If you wave to him and shout, “Hey, Woodrow,” he may just look your way and nod a greeting right back to you!

About Our Columnist Tim Sessions . . .

Tim grew up recreating on Lake Mary, which is an oxbow lake of the Mississippi River and is located in Mississippi’s mid-western Wilkinson County with its northernmost boundary situated in Adams County. His family had a weekend home there where he learned to water ski at the age of eight. From that point on, he said that he was “hooked” on lake life.

In 1982, when he and Donna first married, they had a small weekend home on Lake Mary to which Tim said they were drawn

most every weekend (outside of late winter and early spring months when the floodwaters kept everyone out). Tim reflected that arrival at the lake on Friday afternoon seemed magically to melt away the stresses and tensions of the week.

Upon their move from Woodville, Mississippi, to Natchez, Mississippi, in 2006, Tim and Donna and their family shifted their “lake life” more closely to home—namely Lake St. John in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. In 2008, they acquired their first home on Lake St. John and discovered that the peace and serenity they had experienced at Lake Mary could also be found at Lake St. John. Tim and Donna love the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, good neighbors, great food, and one additional perk that they didn’t have at Lake Mary—no winter into spring flooding! Once again, Tim emphasized, “Arrival at the lake [Lake St. John] washes away all of the week’s trials and tribulations.”

Tim challenges anyone who has yet to experience Lake St. John with its fairly regular sightings of its resident alligators, terns, bald eagles, ducks, pelicans, and other species of wildlife must put a visit to Lake St. John on his/her Bucket List. Like the pelicans, many species of Lake St. John’s wildlife visit the lake seasonally— that is, except for Woodrow the white pelican. Woodrow (aka Pete and Fred) is a permanent resident at Lake St. John. It’s always a treat to look for Woodrow during a boat outing with the family and a fun challenge to see who can first spot this “lake dignitary.” Tim and his family agree: “Life just doesn’t get any better than this.”

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 19

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THE social SCENE BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI

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The Dining Divas Party Hardy at “Woodleigh”

By Bill Perkins Photographs by Bill Perkins

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hen it came Beverly Britt’s turn to host the monthly gathering of the The Dining Divas, she thought, “Let’s do something completely different and dine outside the Jackson/Ridgeland/ Madison area and in a home rather than the usual restaurants. Let’s make it a very special event.”

Indeed, it was! The Divas traditionally dine in best spots around town; but last November, they carpooled to Brookhaven, Mississippi, to Woodleigh, the home of Betty Ann Perkins, hardly an hour south of the metro area. Britt, being a Diva from Brookhaven, had often wondered if she could get the ladies to break tradition with a road trip. Boy did they! They had their largest turnout in recent memory with quite a quorum making the excursion.

To pull this exception off, the venue had to be able to accommodate up to fifty of The Dining Divas.

Beverly knew just the home since she dines there almost as much as the Perkins family. Woodleigh is a stately residence built by Thomas H. Perkins, Jr., in 1936 at what was then the southern outskirts of Brookhaven on the road leading to Natchez.

Since then the town has grown many more blocks leaving this picturesque home a landmark within the city limits with its columned front porch and expansive grounds of towering pines and pecan trees, hundreds of camellias and azaleas, and much more.

The always hospitable and gracious ninety-yearyoung Betty Ann Perkins welcomed the ladies like family! Her son, Bill Perkins, who is well known to the Divas, was the chef of the evening delivering a delicious and nutritious multi-course culinary extravaganza. Family friend Jim Bonner kept the well flowing for the thirsty Divas before, during, and after the dinner. A fine time was enjoyed by all!

To give you a little background on this funloving group, it all began as The Boa Babes back in October 1996. Charlotte Englund, the founder, envisioned a diverse group of ladies who worked hard in business, served worthwhile community endeavors, had GREAT attitudes, and well deserved a night out monthly to celebrate “just being us.”

They were there to support each other in business and in their personal life challenges.

While individuals could bring raffle tickets or other personal fundraising efforts to the group dinners for sale, they chose not to support any particular needy cause as a group. The Boa Babes was all about helping each other be more successful in whatever a comrade was experiencing plus having fun and enjoying fine dining at a variety of the best eateries.

Their first dinner was at AJ’s Seafood in October 1996. Restaurant owner Lucy Taylor saw how much fun they were having and couldn’t resist asking to join The Boa Babes. She still is an active

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member and the trip to Woodleigh was a must for her. The second event was in November at Olga’s Steakhouse, an amazing restaurant which sadly closed. However, Olga, now with the Country Club of Jackson, also joined the group and hosted many events over the years including grand Halloween and Christmas festivities for “The Babes” and their guests.

There are no dues for membership in the group, but rather a commitment to attend; pay one’s own tab; and have a healthy, positive, and helpful attitude toward one another. Founder Charlotte Englund, who divides her life between Texas and Mississippi, remains a member and also made the trip to Woodleigh. As Charlotte says, “This is a group of friendships and support for life!”

Over the years, leadership and organization have been spearheaded by great ladies such as Carrie Shepperd, Cindy Taucher, and now Gail Webb Frazier. Many others have volunteered as monthly hostesses to select a special venue and bring fun door prizes to delight the attendees.

October 2021 will mark the fifteenth anniversary of The Rockin’ Boa Babes...now known as The Dining Divas.

Page 22 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

1 Chef Bill Perkins 2 Charlotte Englund (founder) and Gail Frasier (president) 3 Gail Frasier (president), Cindy Clegg, and Lucy Taylor 4 Becky Conley, Betty Ann Perkins, and Gay McNeal 5 Diana Saxon Cole, Teresa Beasley, and Beverly Britt 6 Becky Conley, Janet Mobley, and Pat Lanier 7 Marybeth Wheeler, Sherry Brown, and Tara Gallager 8 Lucy Taylor, Becky Conley, Cindy Clegg, and Diana Saxon Cole 9 Front—Teresa Beasley, Lucy Taylor, Betty Ann Perkins, Pat Lanier, and Irene Underwood / Back—Fran Flood, Cindy Clegg, Bill Perkins, Becky Conley, Cindy Taucher, and Janet Mobley

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Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 23

SOMETHING SCRUMPTIOUS

Festive Fare W

BY

Alma M. Womack

FOR THE

Happiest Holidays!

e at Bluffs & Bayous love cooking during the holidays and preparing delicious and sometimes EASY recipes. Cooking up something warm and sumptuous during these months creates a cozy atmosphere for family and friends at the end of a work day or for weekend entertainment. To inspire this mood both for those home for the holidays and for those already here, our team has pooled recipes from various sources for you to whip up during November and December. Among these are an EASY and tasty maple apple cider to make and sip on during those chilly autumn and winter evenings, and our selection of cookie balls will be EASY to make both to have on hand or to give as gifts. Also, from the Food Network Kitchen, we include a cheery and fun salad—Christmas Tree Antipasto Salad—that you will just love. Be sure to explore all our selections as you plan the delightful fare that brings the “happy” to your holidays. Bon Appetite!

Page 24 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

SOMETHING SCRUMPTIOUS

BY

Alma M. Womack

Several months ago, my daughter-in-law shared with me Tiegham Gerard’s website, halfbakedharvest.com; and I instantly began making some of the dishes. Gerard is a food blogger and author of two cookbooks, Half-Baked Harvest and Super Simple.

ONE PAN, 4 CHEESE, SUN-DRIED TOMATO, AND SPINACH PASTA BAKE Half-Baked Harvest Tiegham Gerard

1 (28 ounces) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained but reserved 1 (10 ounces) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid 2 cloves garlic, grated 1 tablespoon dried basil 2 teaspoons dried oregano Kosher salt and black pepper Crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup red wine or chicken broth 1 pound Rigatoni pasta 1 cup cubed Fontina cheese 1½ cups grated Asiago cheese ½ cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup shredded Provolone cheese Fresh basil, parsley, or oregano, for serving Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.

To the baking dish, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes plus 3 tablespoons of the oil left in the jar, spinach, garlic, basil, oregano, red wine, and 1½ cups water. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the dry pasta, Fontina cheese, Asiago cheese, and Parmesan cheese, tossing to coat. Push down gently on the pasta to submerge it. Sprinkle the Provolone evenly over top.

Rub the underside of a piece of foil with oil. Tightly cover the baking dish with the foil, oiled side facing down. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with fresh herbs.

ONE-POT 45 MINUTE COQ AU VIN WITH BROWN BUTTER SAGE MASHED POTATOES

Half-Baked Harvest Tiegham Gerard

We used skinless, boneless thighs. We also served this over creamy grits instead of potatoes. Another option is to substitute mashed cauliflower for the potatoes. Serve with a fresh green salad or fresh whole green beans steamed and seasoned.

Coq au Vin 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided Salt and pepper to taste 1 sweet onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 small sweet potato, cubed 2 medium-size carrots, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste

1½ pounds boneless chicken tenders or small chicken breasts or skinless boneless thighs 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced 2 cups red wine, more if needed 2 cups chicken broth 2 bay leaves 4 whole sprigs fresh thyme ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Brown Butter Sage Mashed Potatoes 4 large Idaho (or Russet) potatoes, peeled and quartered 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled Salt and pepper to taste 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned 8 leaves fresh sage, chopped ¾ cup heavy cream

In a large pot of cold water, bring potatoes and garlic to a boil. Salt the water; cook until potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Heat large skillet or brazier with high sides over medium-high heat, and cook bacon until crispy. Add a drizzle of oil if needed; add onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Cook veggies, stirring often until soft and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, and scooch veggies to the outside of pan, making room for the chicken.

Add a drizzle of oil if needed; season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in hot pan, and sear on both sides until browned, 4-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken. Toss in sliced mushrooms, and cook 1-2 more minutes.

Slowly pour in red wine and chicken broth. Add bay and thyme leaves; season with salt and pepper. Gently stir to combine; then bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced by 1/3.

Drain potatoes, return potatoes to pot, and mash over low heat or in mixer, adding cream and 2 teaspoons salt.

In a skillet or small sauce pot, melt butter and chopped sage over medium heat until just browned. The butter will melt, foam, froth, and then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits off bottom of pan. Pour browned sage butter into warm mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, remove bay and thyme leaves from Coq au Vin. Plate mashed potatoes; serve chicken on the side of the mashed potatoes; then ladle sauce and veggies over chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 25

SOMETHING SCRUMPTIOUS

BY

Alma M. Womack

Similar to Yorkshire pudding, a popover is a light roll made from an egg. Typically, popovers are baked in muffin tins or dedicated popover pans, which have straight walled sides rather than angled ones. Be sure the milk and eggs are at room temperature and the popover pan is preheated to get the “pop.” Even if they do not “pop,” these are delicious with the honey butter.

SALTED ROSEMARY POPOVERS WITH HONEY BUTTER Half-Baked Harvest Tiegham Gerard

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and the rosemary sprigs in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the butter until it begins to brown and the rosemary is crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the rosemary from the skillet, let cool, and then finely chop the fried leaves.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place a 6-cup standard popover pan in the oven. Alternatively, you can use a 12-cup muffin pan and make 10 mini popovers.

In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the milk and eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the browned butter, 1-2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, flour, salt, and pepper; and whisk to combine. It is OK if there are small lumps.

Carefully remove the popover pan from the oven, and add 1 teaspoon of butter to each cup of the pan. Swirl the butter around the cups to grease the pan. Evenly divide the batter among the popover cups, filling them about ¾ full. Transfer the pan to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Bake another 15-20 minutes until puffed, golden, and crisp.

Meanwhile, make the honey butter: Combine 6 tablespoons butter and the honey. Mix 1 tablespoon of the chopped rosemary with the flaky sea salt. Serve the warm popovers immediately with honey butter and a sprinkle of rosemary.

(We ordered the popover pan from Amazon.)

3 tablespoons + 6 teaspoons Land O Lakes Salted Butter 3 fresh rosemary sprigs + 3 tablespoons, chopped 1½ cups whole milk at room temperature 3 large eggs at room temperature 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper (optional) 6 tablespoons Land O Lakes Salted Butter at room temperature 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

Yummy! So easy and delicious! We were not able to locate a pomegranate at the time of cooking, so we substituted 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice. We saved the stewed apples and froze them for a later dish. This cider can be served warm as well as over ice.

MAPLE APPLE CIDER Half-Baked Harvest Tiegham Gerard

10-12 apples, quartered (Honey Crisp or Granny Smith) 1 pomegranate quartered (optional) 1 orange quartered 2 teaspoons cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2-6 tablespoons maple syrup (depends on individual taste) Add the apple, pomegranate, orange, cinnamon sticks, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup to your crockpot. Immerse the ingredients with water (about 5-6 cups). Cover with a lid, and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Alternatively, you can combine everything in a large soup pot; and cook over medium heat for 3 hours or until the apples begin to break down.

Carefully strain the mixture through a mesh strainer; discard the fruit and cinnamon sticks. If desired, strain the cider one more time to remove any pulp. Taste and adjust the maple syrup to your liking. Serve warm or cold. Cider will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Page 26 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

SOMETHING SCRUMPTIOUS

BY

Alma M. Womack

This delectable salad is a hit during any season. Just change the shape and use your creativity—pumpkins, a football, or even an Easter Bunny. We left out the whole pepperoncini and the cucumbers and did not miss them because there were so many other palatable ingredients. We tested this with a group of friends during a New Orleans Saints game, and they devoured every item on the board. During the holidays at hand, this will be a fun salad to serve.

CHRISTMAS TREE ANTIPASTO SALAD Food Network

Salad 5 ounces baby arugula (about 8 cups) 5 ounces baby kale (about 8 cups) 2 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons 3 heads Little Gem lettuce, bases trimmed and leaves separated; or the inner leaves of Bibb lettuce ¼ pound thinly sliced Genoa salami 3 quarter-inch-thick slices provolone (about 6 ounces) ¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto 1 cup cheese-stuffed sweet piquante peppers, such as peppadews ½ cup jarred small whole artichoke hearts (about 8) ½ cup green Castelvetrano olives ½ cup Kalamata olives ½ cup small whole pepperoncini 6 radishes, tops trimmed ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans One 4-ounce goat cheese log 8 ounces Ciliegine mozzarella (small balls, halved) White Balsamic Vinaigrette ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon honey Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Special equipment: 1-inch, 1½-inch, and 3½-inch star cutters; a bar citrus zester

Combine the baby arugula and kale in a large bowl. Arrange the leaves on a very large platter or cutting board in a Christmas tree shape that measures 16-18 inches tall, reserving a handful of greens. The platter should be large enough to accommodate a star on top and a trunk on the bottom. Scatter half of the sliced cucumbers over the tree. Arrange a layer of Little Gem lettuce leaves to create 4 tiers on the tree; use the small inner leaves for the fourth layer at the top of the tree.

Stack the sliced salami, and cut out a large star using a 3½-inch star cutter; reserve the scraps. Using the same cutter, cut out 2 stars from 2 slices of the provolone; reserve the scraps. Make a layered meat-and-cheese stack starting with half the salami stars, topped with a provolone star, the rest of the salami, and the second provolone star. Place the star at the top of the tree.

Cut out smaller stars from the provolone scraps and the remaining provolone slice using 1-inch and 1½-inch cutters. Roll up the salami scraps and prosciutto slices into flowers. Arrange the cheese stars, meat flowers, stuffed peppadews, artichoke hearts, both kinds of olives, and pepperoncini on the lettuce to form a garland that zig-zags up the tree from the bottom right to the upper left.

Using a bar citrus zester, zest a channel along the equator of each radish so it resembles a tree ornament. Half each radish vertically and add the pieces to the garland. Scatter the remaining cucumber slices on the leafy parts of the tree, and use the reserved greens to fill any gaps in the tree.

Put the nuts on a small plate, and roll the goat cheese in them to fully coat. Place the log at the bottom of the tree to form the trunk.

Decorate the ground under the tree with the Ciliegine mozzarella balls for snow.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette: Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Serve on the side.

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 27

SOMETHING SCRUMPTIOUS

BY

Alma M. Womack

What’s for Snack Time? EASY Cookie Balls. We love this recipe. The ingredients combined for good chocolate-ball consistency and, when rolled in confectioners sugar, took less than 25 minutes. We did run out of confectioners sugar, and our neighbor shared how to make it from regular sugar: Just pour a cup or two of regular sugar in a blender and blend, and the regular sugar becomes a perfect powdery confection. We never knew this gem of a baker’s secret, and we wanted to share it with our readers to save you another trip to the store.

NO-BAKE COOKIE BALLS TasteofHome.com Carmeletta Dailey

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 3 cups confectioners sugar 1¾ cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 55 wafers) 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 1/3 cup orange juice 3 tablespoons light corn syrup Additional confectioners sugar In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth.

Stir in the confectioners sugar, vanilla wafers, walnuts, orange juice, and corn syrup.

Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in additional confectioners sugar. Store in an air-tight container. Yields about 5 dozen

EASY LEMON BALL COOKIES Instagram@beautycookskisses

1 cup of sugar 1 large egg ½ cup sour milk 12 cups canola oil 1 teaspoon baking soda, leveled 1 teaspoon baking powder, leveled 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon extract ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, place the sugar, oil, and egg. Stir to combine. In another mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg.

Slowly add the dry ingredients, and alternate with the milk and vanilla and lemon extracts until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Rest in refrigerator for 10 min. before you begin rolling into small balls. Place cookie balls on well-greased cookie sheets, and place in a 350-degree oven for about 12-15 minutes.

Allow to cool for five minutes before moving from cookie sheets.

This is an easy make-ahead cookie recipe for treats to give as gifts or serve for parties or drop-in guests. The cookies can be frozen to gift or serve whenever the situation suits!

CHOCOLATE COVERED COOKIE DOUGH BALLS budgetsavvydiva.com Budge Savvy Diva

2 cups dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips) 1 tube of pre-made cookie dough Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Melt chocolate using either a double-boiler-pan method or a microwave.

Before melting the chocolate, roll the cookie dough into balls to make about 15 balls ( We made smaller balls and had about 25.)

Place the cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Dip the cookie balls into the melted chocolate. Once the cookie balls are coated, place them on the cookie sheet. Place the sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the chocolate set.

We thank Cheryl Cusimano for her assistance with the prepping and photography staging of this article.

Page 28 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

LEGAL NOTES

BY

Lucien C. Gwin III

YOU’RE FIRED!

V

irtually everyone reading this article has either been told, “You’re fired,” or you know a friend or family member who has been fired from his or her job. Once a month in my law practice, I get questions from people as to whether their employers had the “right” to fire them.

With some exceptions, Mississippi and Louisiana both adhere to the doctrine of “employment at will” with some exceptions. Simply put, “employment at will” means that an employer may fire you for almost any reason or no reason at all.

This is not true in all states; but in many of the southern states, this is the law of the land.

I have seen example after example of employees having poured their hearts and souls into a job, been loyal employees, and been productive and conscientious, only to be told after a period of time on the job to “hit the road”—their services are no longer needed. In Mississippi and Louisiana, the overall majority of firings are legal, leaving the employee little recourse other than perhaps unemployment compensation.

Considering the above, the question becomes this: What are the rare exceptions to being fired that make it an unlawful termination? The first exception that comes to mind is employer discrimination. Almost everyone has read the familiar admonition that federal law prohibits employment practices based on age, race, color, sex, national origin, religion, and disability.

Covering these subjects alone could take years. In my personal practice, I see very few discrimination cases in state or federal court systems. Most employers today don’t care if you are black or white, old or young, male or female, or Jew of Gentile. Rather, employers just want an employee to get the job done.

The next exception to “employment at will” is an employment contract. Do you work for an employer who requires you to sign an employment contract? Does that contract outline the parameters or boundaries under which your employment may be terminated? In today’s work environment most employers DO NOT utilize written employment contracts.

Some employers who employ more than

twenty-to-fifty employees do utilize such contracts, and often the contracts contain a “non-compete clause” (more on THAT to come). An employer who requires a written contract of employment must abide by the letter of the contract regarding termination of employees. A failure to do so may result in a breach of contract lawsuit.

To add to this “employment by contract” angle, an employee handbook that outlines circumstances for hiring and firing of employees becomes an employment contract between employer and employee, assuming the handbook addresses hiring and firing matters.

If you have a written employment contract, often times you may also find a non-compete clause provision. Noncompete clauses in employment contracts are valid in nearly all fifty states if they meet certain criteria of “reasonableness.” While courts usually view them unfavorably if they are not long in duration nor too far in miles, you may find you are not allowed to take another job (in the same field as your past job) for a year or two and within a hundred or so miles from your old job.

You would be amazed what a hardship this can be for an employee, a situation I have witnessed personally.

Another exception to “employment at will” is union bargaining. There are few unions left in the South although some still exist. If you are a part of a union, almost all union contracts cover when an

employee may or may not be fired. A union bargaining agreement with a company is a contract, and this is mostly subject to what is known as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. Again, this discussion about union bargaining could go on for days.

Finally, there are “whistleblower” laws which prohibit the firing or termination of employment under circumstances in which an employee discloses criminal behavior or other wrongdoings by an employer.

Other isolated instances in which an employer would be prohibited from firing an employee include the service of jury duty. An employer may not discharge an employee who is called to serve on a jury if the employee provides the employer reasonable notice.

Also, Mississippi law precludes the termination of an employee for service in the armed forces. Any employee who is called to serve in the military must be reinstated to the same or similar employment upon the completion of that military service.

In my four decades of law practice, I can say that the majority of employment cases I have reviewed, cases in which a person has been “fired,” were legal. Now, I didn’t say they were fair, right, or justified, but just that they were legal.

Lucien C. “Sam” Gwin III was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1981 and has been practicing many aspects of the law at the firm of Gwin, Punches & Kelley in Natchez, Mississippi, ever since.

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 29

Downtown and All Around Our City...Vicksburg

Exciting Holiday Shopping!

Vicksburg

Wedding Issue

9

Page 30 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

ALL OUTDOORS

BY

Sonny Womack, Larisa Womack, and Lindy Hunter

Horses, Horses

Part 1: Searching for a New Home

By Sonny Womack

W

hen I lost my wife, Suzanne, last year, she not only left behind a family but an animal family as well. We listed five horses, four dogs, and a cat in her obituary. This was to show her love for animals, a huge part of who she was.

Our horse, Ginger, a sorrel Tennessee Walking Horse, is the matriarch of the herd.

Choctaw, a black Percheron, is the biggest.

He stands eighteen-and-a-half hands tall, over six feet just to his back. Lee, a chestnut Missouri Fox Trotter, is the nosey one of the bunch. Annie, another sorrel Fox Trotter, had a sensitive temperament but has calmed down over the years. And Mister, a black-and-white paint Tennessee Walking Horse, is the lowest rank in the herd although he is the most gentle and mild mannered. Suzanne rode him most because of this.

Choctaw, being a draft horse, was meant to be big and strong, strong enough to pull our cart plus go on trail rides. The others were mainly for trail riding. Suzanne and my youngest son, Mike, were the horsemen of the family; and the children and grandchildren all rode at some time or other. The horses were definitely a family affair, and their care was spread among the family members at different times

In 2015 Mike and his family moved two thousand miles out west to Washington State, leaving Suzanne with no riding partner. The horses became known as lawn ornaments according to her. Even though riding was not really an option for Suzanne, she stilled loved the horses. They brought a sense of peace and belonging to this earth.

Without Suzanne, the horse duties fell on my daughter, Larisa. She accepted this with no question while I was still recovering from COVID. We were not planning on rehoming the horses right away although we did have an offer from our attorney in

Vicksburg, Blake Teller. I had used him in the past for land titles and sales, and he told me about his family farm about ten miles north of Port Gibson on the Natchez Trace. His sister, Lindy, and her husband, Bobby Hunter, live there with their seven children. Blake told me about their horses and mentioned he might be interested in buying our Fox Trotters, Lee and Annie. I told him they weren’t for sale; but when the time was right, we would give him the horses and all. This included the saddles, tack, feed, cart, everything.

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 31

Part 2: Timing

By Larisa Womack One afternoon as I watched them in the front pasture, I knew the time had come to re-home the horses. They were standing in the shade of a big oak tree in a pattern they frequented. All five lined up so they could swat the horse flies off each other with their tails. They looked miserable in the heat, and I knew there was nothing I could do to make them more comfortable.

It was time to reconsider Blake’s offer.

Moma had a hand in this decision.

Exactly six months after she was gone, we were told the Teller family wanted all five horses, not just Lee and Annie. It was an unexpected but wonderful surprise. The following day, Father’s Day and also the Summer Solstice, our little horse family was relocated to a beautiful farm area twenty miles south of us on the Natchez Trace.

Daddy had sold our trailer that was tall enough for Choctaw. It was a specially ordered trailer which is taller than most regular horse trailers. We didn’t have a truck big enough to pull it. John Horn, a cattleman who bales hay for us, took it off our hands. Daddy called John that Saturday afternoon and asked if he would come help relocate all the horses. John agreed to the fifty-mile round trip for two sets of horses.

I am very grateful for his help, especially on such short notice.

Although none of the horses had ridden in the trailer for years, I had no problem easing each one into it. It helped that it was a familiar trailer that they all had been in. Choctaw, Ginger, and Lee went on the first trip. They are the biggest and most dominant. Lastly were Mister, the meekest of the five, and Annie. They all traveled well and jumped off the trailer to join their herd.

On the longest day of 2021, our horses joined a new loving family. I believe Moma definitely oversaw the whole experience.

I know I did the right thing for them.

The timing—Father’s Day, the Summer Solstice, and the fact that one family took all five horses to now live in an area known as the Valley of the Moon—just proves it was the right thing to do.

Part 3: Hinds County—Joining Herds

By Lindy Hunter Horses have always been a fixture in the Teller family. My two older brothers, Blake and Todd, and I grew up riding often

Bobby Hunter, Hayes Hunter, Hudson Hunter, Blake Teller, Stacey Teller, Lindy Hunter, and Helen Hunter

from the earliest age I can remember. I know my parents, Landy and Peggy Teller, grew up riding horses as well. We were raised in Vicksburg. My grandparents, Landman and Helen Teller, lived nearby; and when my brothers and I were very young, my grandfather would rent ponies every holiday for us to ride. We fell in love with riding.

For years, my parents kept some horses on land known as Bamboo Farms in Warren County. That property was sold and became Turning Leaf subdivision. In the ‘90s, my grandfather had purchased what we call Lenland in Claiborne County. He named it Lenland by combining the last part of my grandmother’s name with the first part of his name. This property straddles the Natchez Trace at mile marker 45.5 at a popular tourist stop known as Grindstone Ford and Mangum Indian Mound. The horses were moved to Lenland where we have enjoyed riding ever since.

Raising seven children with my husband Bobby out on the family property has been an amazing blessing. When my brother Blake told me of the opportunity to add to Lenland’s present horse herd of five, I was excited but apprehensive about combining the two herds. Whenever you introduce new horses to an established herd, you are sure to encounter much excitement. Expect the horses to run and bite and kick each other to form the hierarchy.

We met Blake and his wife, Stacey, and my mother, at the Womacks’ home to meet what we now call the Hinds herd. We were all immediately endeared to the huge

Page 32 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

Percheron, Choctaw. I was still cautiously interested but not totally convinced about the merger. All the horses were beautiful.

What sealed the deal in my mind was when they brought out a ladder and my eightyyear-old mother youthfully shimmied up the ladder and mounted Choctaw for a quick ride around the barn. It was a wonderful sight to see.

Well, the new Hinds herd thankfully has mixed with the Claiborne herd with little fanfare. It seems that Choctaw, a gentle giant, has calmly made it clear to the Claiborne group that he would not allow any shenanigans.

We have recently noticed many cars pulling off on the side of the Natchez Trace near mile marker 46 to watch the large herd grazing or running about, perhaps taking photographs with the picturesque white barn in the background. We are so very thankful and blessed to be the recipient of such a generous gift. We are looking forward to many years of enjoyment with our new Hinds horse family.

DISCOVERIES ALONG & BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI

BY Katie

Nations

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 33

DISCOVERIES ALONG & BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI

By Cecilia Stevens

Microgreens, Mini Goats, and Ducks, Oh My!

Living It Up at La Bonne Vie Farm

F

eed stores are dangerous and may lead to the launch of a family business. Just ask the Richard Family of St. Joseph, Louisiana. Transplants to Tensas Parish via Mobile, Alabama, the Richards—pronounced Rich-urd according to Heather with a nod to her husband Robin’s north Louisiana roots—had cabin fever during the COVID quarantine. One break led them to Gamberi’s Farm Supply in Natchez, Mississippi, where they purchased six chicks. This first selection of fowl has grown to include ducks, dairy goats, geese, pigs, and rabbits at the mini-farm that the family has christened La Bonne Vie Farm The Richards have a blended family and make their home on the banks of Brushy Bayou at Lake Bruin, Louisiana. Heather’s son, Kevin, lives with them and attends Tensas Academy in St. Joseph while Robin’s school-age boys reside in Kilgore, Texas. Heather’s adult children are in Baton Rouge and Hattiesburg. No matter their ages, the Richard Family is enjoying life down on the farm.

Page 34 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

Heather has a strong interest in clean eating and local foods due to cancer concerns. She stressed that she is a beginning farmer blessed with the opportunity to work from home and devote time to caring for the animals and plants at La Bonne Vie Farm. She added that farming is “new to us all” but “provides a link to healthy living” that the family had not experienced before.

This desire to eat healthier led to the launch of a new La Bonne Vie Farm enterprise—microgreens and sprouts.

“Microgreens are a power-punch of nutrients,” said Heather. “Plus, I love to watch them grow.” The Richards’ home office is now the microgreens nursery. Grow lights and shelving hold kale, radish, mustard, sunflower, green pea, garbanzo, and mung bean sprouts which are packaged and sold at the St. Joseph Farmers Market.

Other products the family provides focus on natural health solutions. Elderberries, harvested locally, are used to create a syrup to sooth throats and to help cold and flu symptoms. Elderberries are a powerful source of antioxidants and vitamins and have been shown to lesson inflammation.

Willow, the family’s Nigerian dwarf dairy goat, also contributes to La Bonne Vie’s product line. Goat’s milk is milled into soap, lotion, and bath bombs scented with herbs and flowers grown on the farm.

Heather developed these items in response to a need for products that would not aggravate skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, or acne.

DISCOVERIES ALONG & BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI

By Cecilia Stevens

The Richard Family selected the name La Bonne Vie to reflect the good life they found in farming. “Being around the animals and plants is so rewarding,” Heather reflected. “It’s relaxing. We haven’t bought eggs in a year, we eat vegetables from our own garden, and we make our own soap from goat milk.” She added that she can pick dinner from her yard and even add edible flowers for garnish.

La Bonne Vie Farm is a family effort. Robin travels for work, so Heather relies on the school-age children for help. Teenage son, Kevin, provides muscle for the more challenging farm tasks while youngest sons, Griffin and William, prefer to assist with the animals when they visit. With the farm’s ever expanding, Griffin is voting that the family add sheep while William hopes a donkey will soon be residing at La Bonne Vie. La Bonne Vie microgreens, sprouts, and goat’s-milk bath products are available at the St. Joseph Farmer’s Market held seasonally in the historic shopping district. Products are also available at Folkway Co. Mercantile in downtown St. Joseph. The Richards may also be contacted through the farm’s Facebook page, La Bonne Vie Farm and Homestead.

For your own taste of the good farm life, reward yourself with a taste or sampling of La Bonne Vie farms.

Cecilia Stevens (B. A. LSU and M. Ed. Louisiana Tech) resides in Concordia Parish, works for the LSU AgCenter, and is the parent of two adult children.

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 35

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THE social SCENE MCCOMB, MISSISSIPPI

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

McComb Garden Club Spring Luncheon

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cComb Garden Club, a member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., recently held its Spring Luncheon and Installation of 2021-2022 Officers at The Mallard at Lake Dixie Springs near McComb, Mississippi. New garden club members were recognized at the event, and Meredith Talbot installed the incoming board. Active and life garden club members enjoyed this annual event.

1 Jordan Porter, Outgoing MGC President, and Incoming MGC President, Christina Mitchell 2 MGC Garden Girl Ashlyn Welch, Hillary Freeman, Jeri Welch, Brianna Causey, and Virginia James 3 Renee Hote and Nikki Belote 4 Ashley Traigle, Sarah Rushing, and Blaize Holmes 5 Meredith Talbot and Barbara Willis 6 Loran Gerald and Carla Stringer, Natchez Trace District Director 7 Jordan Porter and Rebecca Newman 8 Melisa DeCoux, Kelly Parker, Deidre Brewer, and Joanna Barr 9 Blair Rushing, Stephanie Miller, and Jennifer McNeil 10 2021-22 Garden Club Officers: Rebecca Newman, Corresponding Secretary; Allison Viator, Azalea Festival Chairman; Stephanie Ott, Recording Secretary; Nikki Belote, Second Vice President; Hillary Freeman, First Vice President; Christina Mitchell, President; Jordan Porter, 2020-21 MGC President; and Meredith Talbot, Parliamentarian 11 Front—Teresa Price, Donna Smith, and Tina Brumfield / Back—Belinda Price and Kelly Parker 12 Cody Caston, Hazel Barnes, and Deidre Brewer 13 2020-21 new members: Tessa Bradford, Stephanie Miller, and Blair Rushing (not pictured Leslie Sterling) 14 2021-22 new members: Cody Caston, Brianna Causey, Loran Gerald, Virginia James, Kiersten Lampton, Sarah Rushing, and Ashley Traigle (not pictured Brandy White) 15 Jordan Porter, Loran Gerald, Virginia James, Stephanie Miller, Blair Rushing, Sarah Rushing, Ashley Traigle, and Christina Mitchell

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FROM THE STACKS

REVIEW BY Elisabeth

Grant-Gibson

Commemorating the 33rd Annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, scheduled for February 24-26, 2022, Bluffs & Bayous offers this second in a series of reviews for books integral to the conference’s presentations and discussions that explore its 2022 theme —Mississippi: A Tapestry of American Life.

A Sitting in St. James

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nyone likely to be reading this review is well aware that Louisiana and Mississippi both have a rich and diverse history. From our twentiethcentury perspective, we may see this history as a troubled one; and in many ways we would be right. It is impossible to look back without uncovering a gumbo of class and color, slavery and brutality, politics and culture, land and water, and a virtual Babel Tower of languages.

Rita Williams-Garcia, a multiple award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young adults, is taking on this complex history in her newest book, A Sitting in St. James. The author’s writing is informed by her extensive research into Louisiana, and she does not shy away from presenting our history with all its beauty and ugliness alike.

While this is a book written for young adults, it does not read as such. Adults will find themselves fully engaged in the unfolding plot, and parents may want to read the book first or along with their older teen children in order to guide the conversations that are sure to be inspired by the subject matter.

A Sitting in St. James is set in St. James Parish, Louisiana, in the summer of 1860 on a sugar cane plantation owned by the Guilbert family. Madame Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier is the matriarch who, even at nearly 80, continues to exert control over the family and the plantation though her son Lucien is now in charge of daily operations. The plantation is in financial trouble, and the family’s reliance on slave labor is in jeopardy as the political

by Rita Williams-Garcia

and cultural climate in America shifts toward abolition.

Lucien’s son and Madame Sylvie’s grandson, Byron, named for one of the many old poets Lucien frequently quotes, is a West Point cadet home for the summer.

As the sole recognized heir, Byron is expected to marry, produce further heirs, and take over the running of the plantation.

Indeed, the young man has entered into an understanding with a young woman from

another plantation, and he is willing to do his duty, but he will do so without his heart in it. His heart is engaged elsewhere.

In books set during the time of legal slavery in the United States, we have come to expect descriptions of violence, including physical beatings, rape, and the cruelty of separating family members.

All of those are present in this book. In addition, there is considerable discussion about the mixed race children borne by enslaved women who have endured forced sex with the master, other family members, and family friends.

Not all of these children were treated the same.

In some cases, they became a part of the family.

In some cases they had some share in the eventual inheritance. In other cases, there was no recognition at all. A case in point here is Rosalie, daughter of Lucien and half-sister to Byron, whose existence is abhorrent to Madame Sylvie and who is sent away to a Catholic boarding school for girls in just this situation. Rosalie is beautiful, educated, and an accomplished seamstress, none of which can soften Madame Sylvie’s heart, though they endear her to her father. That fondness her father feels for Rosalie does not, however, protect her from being treated as his property.

Throughout the book, language plays a central role. Madame Sylvie, born in eighteenth-century France and a protégé of the royal family, speaks only the French of Europe. Lucien largely speaks Creole French and English. Thisbe, Madame Sylvie’s maid, is a keen listener and

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 39

FROM THE STACKS through her eavesdropping has learned to understand and speak French, English, Creole, and pidgin English, the language expected of the enslaved Africans.

In addition, over time, both Louisiana French and Kouri-Vini, also known as Louisiana Creole, a French-based language with African, Caribbean, Native American, and Spanish influences, developed and spread. In the author’s notes at the end of the book, Williams-Garcia points out that Kouri-Vini, a language that was thoroughly infused into the history and culture of Louisiana, is now endangered with fewer than ten thousand people speaking it today.

(There is a Facebook group for those who are working to keep that language alive.)

Kouri-Vini was spoken among Black Creoles, but many White Creole children learned it from those who cared for them.

One of the points made by Madame Sylvie is her distaste for the term Creole itself. Because it was a term first embraced

by Black Creoles in Louisiana, she was baffled by White families who chose to refer to themselves as Creoles as well.

REVIEW BY Elisabeth

The comments on labels and language throughout the book feel relevant today, and the mix of languages has contributed much to the culture of Louisiana and to the music in particular.

The title Williams-Garcia has chosen refers to Madame Sylvie’s desire to sit for her portrait. For her, this is one way to cling to traditions and, in her mind, to leave a legacy of the finer life she believes she and her family were meant to live. Lucien, mindful of the dwindling resources of the plantation, suggests a daguerreotype instead. This conversation reveals the conflict between the old ways and the new world. Change is happening, and change can feel very threatening, particularly to those who have traditionally been the people in power.

[Reviewer’s Note: As I mentioned at the beginning, A Sitting at St. James is a book written for young adults, yet it does not read like one. Some of these topics are uncomfortable for adults, though much less uncomfortable for teenagers. There

Grant-Gibson

are frank discussions of race and class, of the violence that is part of the heritage of slavery, of sexual preference and gender identity, of the role of women in society.

I highly recommend this book for mature teens (and adults), and I also recommend that parents read along with their children.

Some of the best discussions happen around book or film characters, not people we know. You may be challenged by some of the material in A Sitting in St. James, but you may also find an opportunity for personal growth and for developing a deeper and stronger relationship with those you choose to engage on these topics.]

Elisabeth Grant-Gibson is a former university English teacher who currently works from home as a certified health coach and enjoys life as a globetrotter and bon vivant.

For more information on the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration (NLCC), please visit our website https://www.colin.edu/community/ natchez-literary-and-cinema-celebration/.

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Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 41

THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Birthday Brunch

A

double birthday celebration was held for Paris Harveston and Kaylie Jester on October 11, 2021, at The Continental Cook in downtown Natchez, Mississippi.

Friends arrived for a delicious brunch for the birthday activity.

1 Paris Harveston and Kaylie Jester 2 Seated—Kaylie Jester / Standing—Karlie Guedon, Breanna Owens, Lida McCall, and Kathryn Knapp 3 Karlie Guedon, Kathryn Knapp, and Kaylie Jester 4 Seated—Kaylie Jester and Paris Harveston/ Standing—Juliana Martin, Ella Wilson, Gracie Lee, Jadyn Biglane, Georgia Martin, Kathryn Knapp, Lida McCall, Karlie Guedon, Breanna Owens, and Mallory McIllwain 5 Lida McCall, Breanna Owens, Paris Harveston, and Kathryn Knapp 6 Georgia Martin, Kaylie Jester, and Karlie Guedon 7 Lida McCall and Kaylie Jester 8 Juliana Martin, Jadyn Biglane, and Gracie Lee 9 Juliana Martin, Paris Harveston, Mallory McIllwain, and Kaylie Jester 10 Ella Wilson, Kaylie Jester, and Juliana Martin 11 Ella Wilson and Kaylie Jester

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

A Jurassic Park Birthday for John Graham Laukhuff

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ohn Graham Laukhuff, son of Sarah Lindsey and Chase Laukhuff of Natchez, Mississippi, knew he was going to have a Jurassic Park birthday party on the Natchez Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River; but his parents had a BIG surprise up their sleeves. Booked out of Watson, Louisiana, The Dinosaur Experience showed up at the party with Nash and Rexi, one life-size dinosaur and a smaller, mischievous dinosaur. The trailer holding them pulled up, and the honoree and his guests went wild after being told a big dinosaur was in there. They put their little ears to the trailer, listening for any movement.

After the children were told that the big dinosaur had to be fed some lunch before being around all the children, obviously so he would not eat one of them, the life-size Nash appeared and then made his exit to the Broadway Street entrance of The Natchez Grand Hotel. After mouths dropped and sheer terror or excitement erupted, The Dinosaur Experience made John Graham’s fifth birthday quite memorable for him and a whole bunch of his friends. Needless to say, the birthday party provided a ROAR-ing good time for all.

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1 First expressions when Nash appeared out of the trailer 2 Birthday Boy, John Graham Laukhuff 3 Nash making his appearance 4 John Graham Laukhuff with guests inspecting Nash 5 Children reaching out to feed Rexi 6 Nash encountering the children 7 John Graham Laukhuff with parents, Sarah Lindsey and Chase Laukhuff, and Martin and Nash of the Dinosaur Experience

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V idalia, Louisiana

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Schedule a Virtual Visit

Check our website for flu shot updates!

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Photography by Lisa Whittington

Miss-Lou Touch Benefit

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n August 6, 2020, Wells Middleton of Natchez, Mississippi, in a life-changing, work-related accident, sustained injuries resulting in the loss of both hands. Since then, he has undergone nineteen surgeries in Jackson, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Houston, Texas.

Recently, Middleton received his prosthetics and is beginning therapy to maximize his recovery. At this point, the major need for Wells, Lacey, and their two sons, Conrad and Levi, is a renovation of their home in order for Wells to function and complete day-to-day life tasks.

Members of the Miss-Lou Touch Benefit—Kristen Jordan, Ronnie Calhoun, Melissa Vaughn, Sandy and Fred Middleton, Whitney Hedrick, Casey Morris, Leigh Saunders, Lauren Middleton, and Jennifer Smith—created the Miss-Lou Touch Benefit’s silent auction and sought sponsors for the July 31, 2021, concert in the Natchez City Auditorium with David St. Romain as the opener for the show and The Chee-Weez as the main-stage entertainment. The local benefit was an amazing and successful event.

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A gofund.me account—Wells Middleton-In HIS Hands— has been established by Shanon Brumfield at https:// www.gofundme.com/f/Wells-Middleton---In-HIS-Hands.

1 Casey Morris, Lacey and Wells Middleton, Melissa Vaughn, and Ronnie Calhoun 2 The Chee Weeez

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

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Ronnie Calhoun, Jennifer Smith, Kristen Jordan, and Casey Morris Heather Porter, Katie and Jason McGehee, and Sammy Porter Morgan Geoghegan, Glenn Middleton, and Anne Geoghegan Patricia Huffines and Lacey Middleton Glenn Middleton and Paul Hargrave Kalya Wisner with Glen and Mandy Wisner Jake and Mitsi Middleton with Lauren Middleton Stuart and Stacey Heflin Ben and Wendy Ellard, Megan Woods, and Sandy Middleton Jenny, Hannah-Grace, and Dustin Hinkle

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Betsy Mosby and Jodi Kelley Sarah Carter Smith and Sarah Stanton Smith Rani Hugg and Reve Chandler Charlie and Rani Hugg Doug Jordan, Stuart Heflin, and Gary Woods Robin and John Branton Carla Algood with Fred and Sandy Middleton Glen Wisner, Sarah Calhoun, and Emily Atkins Sarah S. Smith, Laura McLemore, and Lauren Middleton

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Up & Coming!

Louisiana Up & Coming!

Premier Events

LOUISIANA

louisianatravel.com --a great site for everything Louisiana

Bigfoot Birthday Bash

Natchez, Mississippi: November 4-6

Something else BIG is happening in Natchez, Mississippi, which among its many distinctions touts its history as the oldest city on the Mississippi River. Currently, two of its citizens are pushing to have Natchez recognized for its connection to Sasquatch by hosting.... A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR BIGFOOT! Todd Standing will be a featured lecturer at the Bigfoot Birthday Bash! He is the star and director ofn the documentary “Discovering Bigfoot” and was featured on Les Stroud’s Survivor Man TV show American Idol Top Twenty Hannah Everhart also will be in town for the Bigfoot Birthday Bash! The weekend will feature a BBQ cook-off, live music, and food and other festivities along with the lectures and a Saturday morning Sasquatch Trot 5K & Fun Run. Part of the event’s proceeds will benefit Homev with Heroes 501(c)3 and Kidney Transplant of Todd & Mark Welch. Home with Heroes is a non-profit organization committed to bringing veterans and active duty military together and into the outdoors to honor and thank them for their service. For more information about the weekend’s schedule of events, visit bigfootbirthdaybash.com

Allumer Natchez

Mississippi’s First Annual Light-Based Art Exhibition and Festival Natchez, Mississippi: November 19-21

Allumer Natchez’s First Annual Light-Based Art Exhibition and Festival will light up the grounds of Dunleith Historic Inn November 19-21 from 6:00 to 10:00 nightly. The event is free and open to the public. The curatorial theme of Allumer Natchez is “Rebirth,” which is inspired by the dramatic renewal currently underway in Natchez.

The event’s co-founders, Stacy Conde and Lindsay Glatz, will present nine highly imaginative light based installations as part of the exhibition. The festival also encompasses tented food vendors, a Maker’s Market, several bars, and a VIP tent for sponsors and ticket holders. Allumer’s signature projection mapping installation, also titled “Rebirth”, will animate the facade of Dunleith in color and light.

Created by prolific projectionist John E. Gray of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the work will reveal symbolism relating to the theme in an extraordinary illuminated experience unlike anything previously presented in the state of Mississippi. For more information or to purchase VIP tickets, visit AllumerNatchez.com.

ALEXANDRIA / PINEVILLE alexandriapinevillela.com rapidessymphony.org riveroaksartscenter.com lagniappetheatre.com Every Tuesday Alexandria Farmers Market 2727 Jackson Street 3-6 pm November 6 High Spirits Rapides Symphony Orchestra Calvary Baptist Church 7:30 pm rapidessymphony.org November 11 2nd Saturday Free Admission Alexandria Museum of Art 10 am-4 pm November 13 The Broom Tree Fall Color Run Buhlow Lake 8:30 am FB: The BroomTreeCenla

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Louisiana Up & Coming!

November 13 28th Annual Sugar Day Festival Kent Plantation 9 am-5 pm Kenthouse.org November 26-December 29 Holiday Light Safari Alexandria Zoo 5:30-9 pm November 27-28 The Nutcracker Coughlin Saunders Performing Arts Center Red River Dance Company 7 pm & 2 pm December 3 Christmas in Candy Land T.R.E.E. House Children’s Museum 6-8 pm / $7 kidtreehouse.org December 4 Three Dog Night Rapides Parish Coliseum 7:30 pm rpclive.org/events-alexandria.la December 9-12 Alex Winter Fete Downtown 9 am-5 pm / Noon-5 pm Sun.

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Louisiana Up & Coming!

BATON ROUGE visitbatonrouge.com lsumoa.org rivercenterarena:baton-rouge.ticketscenter com batonrougeballet.org Red Stick Farmers Market Breada.com Through November 7 Greater Baton Rouge State Fair Airline Hwy. Park Fairgrounds Through November 13 The Negro Motorist Green Book Capital Park Museum Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 9 am-4 pm 225.342.5428 December 18-19 The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou River Center Ballroom 2 & 6 pm each day Ticketmaster.com / 225.766.8379 CLINTON / JACKSON eastfelicianachamber.org felicianatourism.org louisianasteamtrain.com November 6 & December 18 Clinton Market Days Courthouse Grounds 8 am-1 pm 225.683.5531 November 13 Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders 3406 College Dr. 11 am-3 pm louisianastreamtrain.com November 20 & December 18 Feliciana Trade Days Corner of Hwy. 10 & Line Rd. 9 am-5 pm 225.772.5296 or 225.719.2199 FERRIDAY concordialibrary.org deltamusicmuseum.com November 6 Jason Neville & Funky Soul Band Arcade Theatre 7 pm deltamusicmuseum.com 318.757.4297 November 12 Will Wesley CD Release Party & Benefit Show Arcade Theatre 7 pm deltamusicmuseum.com 318.757.4297

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Louisiana Up & Coming!

December 2 Concordia Parish Talented Music Program Arcade Theatre Free deltamusicmuseum.com 318.757.4297 December 17 Garrett Byran Show Arcade Theatre 7 pm / $15 deltamusicmuseum.com 318.757.4297 MONROE / WEST MONROE monroe-westmonroe.org NEW ORLEANS neworleansonline.com neworleanscvb.com ogdenmuseum.org nola.org

FB: nolajazzmuseum/live newcombartmuseum.tulane.edu nobt.org neworleansfilmsociety.org neworleanscitypark.com neworleanszombierun.com November 25-January 2 Celebration in the Oaks Sun.-Thurs. 6-10 pm Fri. & Sat. 5-11 pm neworleanscitypark.com PORT ALLEN westbatonrouge.net westbatonrougemuseum.com November 14 & December 12 Old Time Music Jam West Baton Rouge Museum 3-5 pm westbatonrougemuseum.com

ST. FRANCISVILLE audubonstatehistoricsite.wordpress.com explorewestfeliciana.com/events.html FB St. Francisville Farmers Market stfrancisvillefestivals.com November 6 Tunica Hills Yard Sale Trail Old Tunica Rd. 8 am-3 pm explorewestfeliciana.com/events November 6-7 Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable Symposium Port Hudson State Historic Site All Day explorewestfeliciana.com/events November 11 & December 9 Chosen in the Park Parker Park 7-9 pm explorewestfeliciana.com/events

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Page 52 { November/December 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous

Louisiana Up & Coming!

November 14 St. Francisville Food & Wine Festival Myrtles Plantation 1-5 pm explorewestfeliciana.com/events December 3-4 Jan Austen Christmas Audubon State Historic Site 9-11 am / 6-8 pm explorewestfeliciana.com/events ST. JOSEPH November 27 Tinsel in Tensas Downtown 10 am-5 pm / Movie 5:30 pm VIDALIA cityofvidaliala.com concordialibrary.org Every Wednesday Farmers Market Old Court House N. Spruce St. 9 am-1pm

MISSISSIPPI

visitmississippi.org hikinginmississippi.com BROOKHAVEN facebook.com/VisitBrookhavenMS visitbrookhavenms.com brookhavenrecreation.com brookhavenlittletheatre.com Linclib.org/events November 4 Harvest Ball for Hope Butterfield Mansion 7-10 pm FB: Harvest Ball for Hope emily.bellipani@cancer.org 601.695.4780

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November 13 Christmas Open House Downtown 9 am-5 pm

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November 26 Girls Night @ Paint & Sip 5-9 pm / $25 December 2 Christmas Parade Downtown 6:30 pm December 4 Run Run Rudolph 10K 5K 1 Mile Kids Run 8-11 am definingmomentevents.com

Bluffs & Bayous { November/December 2021 { Page 53

Mississippi Up & Coming!

FERNWOOD fernwoodcc.com JACKSON dulinghall.com msmuseumart.org visitjackson.com jacksonfreepress.com/calendarmsnla.org craftsmensguildofms.org balletms.com msmetroballet.com November 3-6 Mistletoe Marketplace Mississippi Trade Mart mistletoemarketplace.com MCCOMB pikeinfo.com mccombarts.com mcrrmuseum.com FB McComb Farmers Market November 4-6 Mistletoe & Magic Pike County Business Hours through 8 pm November 4, 11, 18 & 25 Farmers Market 1134 North Railroad Blvd.

7 am-1 pm November 11 ECW’s Annual Wine Tasting 215 N. Broadway 6-9 pm MEADVILLE meadvillems.com NATCHEZ Live Music Events Calendar visitnatchez.org/full-event-calendar visitnatchez.org kreweofphoenixnatchez.com natchezpilgrimage.com FB Downtown Natchez Farmers Market thetowersofnatchez.com natchezgardenclub.org natchezlittletheatre.com Through November 27 Downtown Natchez Farmers Market 300 N. Broadway 8:30 am-Noon November 5-6 Big Foot Birthday Bash Natchez Bluff bigfootbirthdaybash.com November 11-13 Angels on the Bluff Natchez City Cemetery $35 visitnatchez.org 601-445-5051

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Mississippi Up & Coming!

November 13 Annual Chili Cook-Off Natchez Bluffs 601.431.1326 / 601.442.6858 November 19-20 The Nutcracker 7 & 4 pm Nutcracker Tea 2 pm Natchez City Auditorium natchezballet.net 601.870.8920 November 19-21 Allumer Natchez Dunleith Historic Inn 6-10 pm AllumerNatchez.com November 27-December 25 Christmas in Natchez christmasinnatchez.org

November 27 Annual Tree Lighting Downtown 3-7 pm 6:30 pm Tree Lighting December 3 Annual Christmas Luncheon Soup & Casserole Sale Magnolia Hall 11:30 am-1 pm / $20 natchezgardenclub.org

December 4 Natchez Christmas Parade Downtown 6 pm December 18 Lady B Christmas Special Natchez City Auditorium 6:30 pm PORT GIBSON FB: portgibson.chamber msculturalcrossroads.org

December 3 A Hollywood Christmas Natchez Community Center $35 / 7 pm 601.445.4155

MADISON/RIDGELAND visitridgeland.com madisonthecity.com ardenland.net mscrafts.org

December 4 Merry Market Natchez Convention Center 9 am-4 pm 601.443.1541

November 21 Renaissance Holiday Open House Renaissance @ Colony Park 2-5 pm

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Mississippi Up & Coming!

December 2-4 Chimneyville-at Home 2021 Bill Waller Craft Center 12/2 Preview Party 6-9 pm 12/3 & 4 Festival 10 am-4 pm mscrafts.com December 4 Ridgeland Christmas Parade Old Town Ridgeland Jackson St. 1-2 pm SUMMIT pikeinfo.com December 2, 4 & 5 Christmas Stage Show Hurst Auditorium SMCC 7 pm / 2 pm 201.276.2000/ smcc.edu VICKSBURG southernculture.org visitvicksburg.com vicksburgartassociation.org tarawildlife.com vicksburgtheatreguild.com downtownvicksburg.org

November 5 Classics in the Courtyard Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation Noon southernculture.org 601.631.2997

November 17 History & Coffee Southern Heritage Air Foundation Museum Hanger 9-10:30 pm 318.574.2731

November 6 Family Fall Festival Chick-Fil-A 3-6 pm 601.661.0001

November 26-December 31 Christmas in the Park Downtown/Washington Street Park downtownvicksburg.org November 26 Christmas Tree Lighting Washington Street Park 6 pm downtownvicksburg.org

November 6 Pickin’ on the Porch 1001 Levee Street Market Noon-3 pm 601.638.7191 November 6 Vicksburg Vintage Motorcycle Show Downtown 9 am-3 pm 601.831.2097

November 28 Old Fashioned Christmas Open House Downtown 1-5 pm downtownvicksburg.org

November 11 National Military Park Fee Free Day Free 601.636.0583

December 4 Reindeer Run 5K Catfish Row Art Park FB: VicksburgReindeerRun5K

November 13 2nd Saturday Downtown 2-9 pm FB: VicksburgSecondSaturday

December 4 Holly Days Arts & Craft Show SCHF 9 am-3 pm / $2 601.631.2997

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Mississippi Up & Coming!

December 4 Pajama’s Pancakes & Planes Breakfast w/Santa Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport 8-9:30 am & 10-11:30 am 318.574.2731 December 4 Christmas Parade of Lights Washington St. 5 pm FB Woodville/Wilkinson County Main Street Association December 11 Breakfast w/ Santa Vicksburg Convention Center 8-10 am / $7 adv., $10 door 601.630.2929 December 11 Old Court House Museum Christmas Ball $60 couple / $30 single 7:30-9:30 pm 601.636.0741 December 11 2nd Saturday Downtown 2-9 pm FB: VicksburgSecondSaturday

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Mississippi Up & Coming!

December 15 Hangout at the Hanger Luncheon Noon-1 pm / $10 318.574.2731 WESSON FB Wesson Chamber WOODVILLE woodvillems.org FB Woodville/Wilkinson County Main Street Association Be sure to confirm details of the events should changes have occurred since events were submitted.

Holiday Sips to Enhance the Season https://www.howlatthemoon.com/holiday-drink-recipes

CRANBERRY MIMOSA 1 lime, halved 2 tbsp. sugar 1 c. sweetened cranberry juice 1 bottle champagne 12 fresh cranberries 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary Rime champagne flutes with lime and dip in sugar. Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into each glass and top with champagne.

Use a toothpick to poke a hole through cranberries. Thread rosemary skewer through cranberries and garnish mimosas.

MISTLETOE MARGARITA 1 1/2 parts Tequila 2 parts pomegranate juice 1/2 part sour mix 1/2 part triple sec 1/2 part grenadine (optional) 1 splash fresh lime juice Sliced lime, for garnish

HOT BUTTER RUM Makes 4 servings

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup dark rum Bring water, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan over moderately high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Serve hot.

Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a rocks glass.

Garnish with a slice of lime.

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Wishing you and you loved ones Safe and Happy Holiday!

GREGG VETERINARY HOSPITAL 1150 Logan Sewell Road, Vidalia, LA 318-336-1700 | FAX 318-336-1702 www.greggvethospital.com

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SOUTHERN SAMPLER BY Alma M. Womack

M

y beloved friend Loretta Taylor had a good friend in Texas named Anne Woodley. Anne was the descendant of the pioneers who settled the Sabinal Canyon in the Utopia, Texas, area. Anne and her mother, Annalee Burns, were writers for their local paper for many years; and their writings were put into several books. They wrote about and celebrated life in the Hill Country of Texas; and during their years of writing, they shared many good recipes with their readers. For this holiday season, I am sharing two Christmas stories written by Annalee Burns. One is set in 1852; the other recounts Ms. Annalee’s childhood memories from the 1920s.

“One hundred and thirty three years

ago, in 1852, the Ware and Thompson families and other early settlers observed their first Christmas season in the Sabinal Canyon in the little cabins which they

had hastily built following their arrival in August of that year. In all, there were probably five families.

“With the coming of Christmas, their leader, Capt. William Ware, was ill and would die within a few months at the age of 53. His 13-year-old son, John Ware, and John’s sisters, along with the four Thompson children would have little gifts in their stockings brought along in wagons and oxcarts—pocket knives, marbles, and balls for the boys; rag dolls, hair ribbons and pocket handkerchiefs for the girls; and oranges and rock candy for everyone.

“Christmas dinner was a hearty one of wild game—turkey and venison served with sweet potato pies, and hard gingerbread made with sorghum molasses.

A few cakes were made from the precious hoard of flour. On New Year’s Eve, the men observed the dawning of 1853 by going outside to shoot off their weapons.

“Along with their muzzle loaders, their cattle, oxen, and horses, and their plows and seeds for the virgin soil, these pioneers came fortified with physical bravery and deep religious faith. Else, how might they have had the courage to have come at all?

“Gideon Thompson prized the Bible which had been handed down from his grandfather, another Gideon, who had been born in 1773. By the light of the flickering fireplace and tallow candles, the Christmas story was read for the first time in Sabinal Canyon.

“The Christmas season was only a brief interlude in the first hard winter of sickness, death, loneliness, and privation.

Men, women, and children endured untold hardships. A little Ware daughter was to die of snakebite. But the families stayed in spite of all setbacks. In time they started a school, a church, a post office, which still stands, and a store.

“I expect that along with me you can smell those early Christmases. The trees, always cedar. The trimmings, roping of red and green paper chains. The fruit in the stockings, and, oh, the pure joy of red waxy real candles burning on the tree, giving off their own holiday scent and many times starting a fire. The burning of the sparklers down to childish fingers.

Gee, Christmas was dangerous as well as wonderful in those days. Still as real to me

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SOUTHERN SAMPLER BY Alma M. Womack are the gobbling of the turkey penned for holiday feasting, a sister playing the square piano, the request of our mother to please crack walnuts for the Lady Baltimore cake, our father singing a carol as he went about his night chores.

“Christmas, in Waresville, 1853. Give a thought to it as your family gathers to celebrate this year. Along with the Christmas story from the Bible, remind your children of the faith and endurance which these pioneers carried with them into the Sabinal Canyon, and having come, to stay on in dreams of making homes for themselves and for the generations to come. And with hard work and vision, making those dreams a reality.”

“Christmas

in the 1920’s of my childhood was a world away from our present celebrations. Our tree in childhood was always a native cedar; we knew of no other kind. Cedars dotted the hills and pastures and grew along the rivers. A few days before Christmas, our father took us out in the wagon to pick it out and haul it in. (Mama was busy making her Lady Baltimore cake.) Our father was torn with conflicting emotions. He liked a wellshaped tree as well as anyone, tall enough and not too bushy; three “good” sides and the “bad” side could be put against the wall. But his natural sense of speed and tension told him that back at home the cows had to be brought in and milked, the hogs fed, the hay thrown out of the loft of the barn to the hungry horses below. We must hurry, hurry.......if Mama had supper ready on time, there might be a chance of getting a 42 game organized for that night.

“At last the right tree was agreed upon, chopped, thrown into the wagon and borne home where Mama (who was particular and liked things done right) agreed that it would do. For some days, we sisters had spent our spare time cutting, pasting, and coloring paper chains. From the top of the closet came the sheddy, shabby, red and green roping. Daddy nailed down the tree on a rude cross of planks. The tree stood in the north corner by the window. We hastily began to string cranberries and popcorn for garlands. Out came the small red candles

and the holders.......oh what a beautiful tree. A really magic tree in our eyes.

“The whole of Christmas was magic.

Our parents supported the Santa Claus theory all the way...dropping one of a pair of mittens from his pack on the front porch, writing messages from the good Saint to go with our gifts. Then there was the sociability, the tree at school, another tree and program at church, evenings of singing around our square piano. Aunts and uncles, cousins for an overnight stay.

Passing the fruitcake around with black boiled coffee. Walnuts, almonds, oranges, and apples. Chocolate covered cherries.

The feet of the big turkey hung on the tree for an unsuspecting child. The new doll, the new handkerchiefs, the new books which we cherished.

“You Baby Boomers and younger, you cannot fathom a time when there was no electrical power, no radio, precious little indoor plumbing, no car at your disposal, no clothing except what was ordered from mailorder catalogs or sewed by your mother. No fast foods, no television to rule your day. No school cafeterias and no...and no...

“To you it seems a Dark Age indeed.

To us it was a precious time with loving parents who ruled the roost, stayed home nights, and somehow spared the money for piano and violin lessons, a few good books and a toy or two at Christmas.

“There was a dearth of material possessions. The few that we found in our stockings or under the Christmas tree were what made the magic of the season.”

As we spoiled Americans celebrate Christmas with all of our lights and gadgets and parties and food and decorations and excess, we would do well to remember the Christmases of our forebears and how they appreciated what they had and how they gloried in the true meaning of the Christmas story.

Merry Christmas to all of our readers, and may God continue to bless us and our country.

Columnist Alma Womack lives on Smithland Plantation on Black River, south of Jonesville, Louisiana. In addition to her duties as maitresse des maison, she is the keeper of the lawn, the lane and the pecan orchard at Smithland.

Happy Holidays!

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