Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 1
Page 2 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 3
From Your Publisher . . .
M
ay…..a month where in the calendar year we reach a point of closure and celebration. For some it is the closure and celebration of high school and college graduations; for others, a celebration to honor their mothers; and in my family, the celebration of an anniversary and a birthday. This month of closure for schools and colleges and even our business calendars also initiates the beginning of vacation season; and throughout our communities, folks are yearning for the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun, those breath-taking sunsets, and the softness of sand between their toes. Yes—Beaches! No matter where they are from the Texas coast to the Florida coast and around to the eastern seaboard we seek them out. Some of us travel to the Riviera side of Mexico for long weekends or even weeks and months to relax, refresh, and soak up some vitamin D.
Page 4 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
I always look forward to our family beach vacations, my girlfriend jaunts to the beach, and beach getaways with my husband. Each of these holidays has its own delights; for beaches and their surrounding settings cater to a myriad of
plans, expectations, hopes, and dreams. Girlfriend trips, for example, sooth the din of our hectic worlds with the medicine of laughter through days and nights of beach life come alive and sisterhood revitalized. Another feature for this month is the quest for bargains that has given rise to a growing industry in our region—consignment shopping. From children’s clothing through high-fashion adult clothing as well as furniture, antiques, jewelry, and household accessories, the desire for “a steal, a bargain, a deal” has become second nature to a growing customer base. Some love to dig in unorganized bins while others enjoy neatly designed areas to shop for consignment items as they join the burgeoning numbers who are making this trendy modus operandi a weekend must-do. While we may enjoy outfitting the basics of our wardrobes and homes with new items, we relish the adventure of mastering consignment store shopping to supplement and stretch those basics with some “real deal” discoveries. We hope you’ll enjoy Bluffs & Bayous’ May edition of Travel and Lifestyles. Next month, we focus our annual spotlight on wellness and healthy living, but we’ll continue a feature on consignment shopping tips as we toast the joys and celebrate the times of our lives along and beyond the Mississippi.
C o n t r i b u t o r s
publisher Cheryl Foggo Rinehart editors Jean Nosser Biglane
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.
Columnist Mary Emrick is the owner of Turning Pages Books & More in Natchez, Mississippi.
Ruth Pettey Jones is a Mississippi native now living in Cookeville, Tennessee, with her husband Terry and a very bad cat named Annabel. She is at work on her third novel.
Columnist Ross McGehee, a lifelong resident of Natchez, Mississippi, owns a diversified and far-flung farm operation.
Photographer Elise D. Parker, M.Ed., lives in Magnolia, Mississippi with her husband, Pat, and four active children. She is a photographer and coordinates private home-schooling and after-school tutoring along with covering social scenes for Bluffs and Bayous.
Anita Schilling is a graphic designer, photographer, and writer who loves active travel. Her curent hometown is Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Cheryl Foggo Rinehart graphic designers Jan Ratcliff Anita Schilling staff photographers Cheryl Rinehart Van O’Gwin Elise D. Parker sales staff Cheryl Rinehart Donna Sessions JoAnna Sproles
Cheryl Rinehart
Donna Sessions
JoAnna Sproles
Bluffs & Bayous is published monthly to promote the greater Southern area of Louisiana and Mississippi area 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.
A Mass Communications graduate of Louisiana State University, JoAnna Sproles of Brookhaven, Mississippi, has more than 15 years of experience in managing public relations and contributing articles to newspapers and magazines.
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.
office
423 Main Street, Suite 7 Natchez, MS 39120 601-442-6847 | fax 601-442-6842 info@bluffsbayous.com editor@bluffsbayous.com sales@bluffsbayous.com www.bluffsbayous.com
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 5
Page 6 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
May 2011 FEATURES
Southern Summers Mean Beaches!........................................................ 24-27 Girlfriend Getaways................................................................................ 28-30 Consignment Shopping: The Best of Times, the Best of Bargains....... 32-35
FAVORITES All Outdoors Ten Percent.............................................................................................. 14-15
Events May . . . Up and Coming!........................................................................ 48-57
From the Stacks
Southern Summers Mean Beaches! pages 24 - 27
A Candid and Colorful Family Biography................................................... 10
In the Garden Million Bells Add Great Color Splash.......................................................... 20 Discover Lenten Rose for Shade Garden..................................................... 22
Southern Sampler Best Friends, Best Memories of ‘60s Baseball........................................ 40-41
THE Social Scene Camille McDonough’s Wedding Birthday Party........................................ 8-9 Founders Day Luncheon.............................................................................. 11 Surprise 50th Birthday Party................................................................... 16-17 Party for PGC Pages...................................................................................... 18 Bowling Party for a Page............................................................................. 18 Ferriday Garden Club Style Show................................................................ 19 Sports Center Hosts Relay for Life Event.................................................... 23 Spring Party for NGC Page Clair Ulmer.................................................. 36-37 Magnolia Garden Club Annual Flower Show............................................. 38 Book Signing at Magnolia Hall................................................................... 39 Sabrina Rouse Celebrates Birthday............................................................. 45 Keep Pike County Beautiful......................................................................... 46 Party for a Queen.................................................................................... 58-59 Krewe of Killarney St. Patrick’s Day Parade........................................... 60-61 Anna Bette’s Ballerina Birthday.................................................................. 62 Class of 1976 Homecoming Gathering........................................................ 62 Pilgrimage Garden Club Tableaux Court Party........................................... 63 A PowWow for Jake Hairston................................................................ 64-65 Scholarship Award....................................................................................... 65 Photography Award..................................................................................... 66
on the cover It’s May and folks are yearning for the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun, those breath-taking sunsets, and the softness of sand between their toes. Yes—Beaches! Photograph by JoAnna Sproles taken at Orange Beach, Florida
Girlfriend Getaways pages 28 - 30
Consignment Shopping: The Best of Times, the Best of Bargains pages 32 - 35 Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 7
THE Social Scene Camille McDonough’s Wedding Birthday Party
A
cting on a tip from a close friend, Caroline McDonough suggested a wedding birthday party for her youngest daughter Camille’s sixth birthday. Dad William was quickly chosen as the groom and the location was the poolside home of the diminutive bride. Her classmates were deemed bridesmaids, and her gown was custom made by Sue Anderson. Of course, the menu included a wedding cake and cupcakes, and the fantasy celebration was enjoyed by all.
Sara Nunnery, Jolie Walker, and Camille McDonough
Anna Katherine and Camille McDonough
Camille McDonough
The McDonough Family: front—Anna Katherine and Camille; back— Caroline, William, Bill, and Connie
Fisher Iseminger, Anna Katherine McDonough, and Paige Foster
Fred Ferguson and Camille McDonough
Page 8 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Bella Milligan
Jennifer Wimberly
Abby Swalm and Katie Faust
William and Camille McDonough
Camille and Grayson Davis
Camille McDonough and Bryttan Wheeler
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 9
From the Stacks | review by Mary Emrick
A Candid and Colorful Family Biography Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi By Dean Faulkner Wells
W
hat appears in your mind when you hear the name William Faulkner? Whatever you may conjure in your thoughts, it will be altered or at least magnified by reading Dean Faulkner Wells’ book Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi. Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., published this Faulkner family history in March of this year. To answer my own question from the above paragraph, I think of a prize-winning Mississippi author. Then my thought expands to “one of the premier American novelists of the Twentieth Century.” Ultimately, I must admit, I arrive at the sad and embarrassing fact that due to my lack of understanding Faulkner’s complex writing techniques, I have a difficult time completing a Faulkner novel. Having just completed Dean Faulkner Wells’ book, I have decided to give William Faulkner’s well-respected literature another try. Where should I begin? I am open to suggestions. Every Day by the Sun presents a family that is typical of many Southern families…a group not perfect by a longshot and shrouded with gloom, mystery, and reprobates; a family filled with a great love for community, hard work, and good
Page 10 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
times; but, first and foremost, a group filled with love and loyalty to family. Wells’ book recounts many colorful adventures of the Faulkner boys—William, Jack, John, and Dean. William, being the oldest brother, took the role of leader of the pack. He had a strong sense of duty and a need to protect and provide for his younger brothers and their extended families. Dean Faulkner Wells’ father, for whom she is named, was William’s youngest brother. He died when piloting an airplane that crashed. At the time, the young man’s wife, Louise, was four months pregnant with his only child, their daughter Dean. William, who taught his brother to fly and gave him the airplane that crashed, vowed to always take care of his brother’s wife and daughter. This promise William kept by becoming his niece’s legal guardian. “Dean Baby” became a part-time resident of her “Pappy’s” Oxford, Mississippi, home, Rowan Oak. In Every Day by the Sun, Dean Faulkner Wells gives us a glimpse of the sources of William Faulkner’s many troubled and complex characters. She also makes it clear that William Faulkner was compelled to write and that he never allowed critics at home in Oxford or far away in New York and California to deter his desire to write. William did, however, take constructive advice from his publisher to “go home to Oxford and write about what you know
best.” That suggestion was the catalyst for Faulkner’s creation of the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha, Mississippi, and the novels that explore life in a typical small Mississippi community in the changing and turbulent times of the first half of the twentieth century. This family biography of the Faulkners portrays William Faulkner as the complex man he was…eighth grade drop-out, Ole Miss student, a man ridiculed and rebuffed and politically opinionated, champion of the down-trodden, screen writer, pilot, loving parent and husband and friend, gentleman farmer, hard worker both wealthy and poor, world revered author, and Oxford’s most distinguished citizen! Having read Every Day by the Sun, I have a newly kindled respect for Mississippi’s Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author and his colorful literary family Dean Faulkner Wells is the niece of William Faulkner and the daughter of Dean Swift Faulkner and Louise Hale. She is the author of, among other works, The Ghosts of Rowan Oak: William Faulkner’s Ghost Stories for Children and is the editor of The New Great American Writers Cookbook and The Best of Bad Faulkner. She lives with her husband, Larry Wells, in Oxford, Mississippi, where they run Yoknapatawpha Press, a regional publishing house that focuses on southern writers.
THE Social Scene Founders Day Luncheon
N
atchez Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in Natchez, Mississippi, hosted a Founders Day Luncheon on March 19, 2011, with Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre, National President, serving as keynote speaker. The luncheon, open to the public, celebrated the sorority’s 98 years as an international service organization and was attendee by over 400 supporters. Berthenia Rose Jackson currently serves as President of Natchez Alumnae Chapter; Yokena Anderson serves as Vice President and Chairperson of the Founders Day activity.
Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre and Mayor Jake Middleton
Natchez Alumnae Chapter Members and Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre, National President
Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre and Darryl Grennell
Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre, Berthenia Rose Jackson, and Yokena Anderson
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 11
Page 12 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 13
All Outdoors | by Ross McGehee
S
Ten Percent
ome years ago, I read that the average person retains about ten percent of what he or she hears. Mathematically, I suppose that one would have to hear the same thing ten times to get it all. And that is just the average person. We are all above average, aren’t we? In any case, it is unfortunate that the following was told to me only once. It was and is a great story, and I’ll try to pass on as much as my average mind retained. I’m sorry that I can’t go back to the source. He passed away two days after he told it. By anyone’s measure, Jim was an outdoorsman. He spent every moment that he could in the woods when he wasn’t working as an electronics technician or contractor. He hunted and fished all over south Mississippi, and experienced encounters with wildlife that most folks only see on television. His tales of the adventures were both fascinating and amusing. If they were embellished at all, it didn’t matter; they were too much fun to dispute. Jim is one of the few people to have taken a black bear locally in the last century. No need to say exactly when this occurred; I knew better than to ask. And as much as we protect bears now, it’s hard to imagine that someone could and would shoot one; but according to a book in my possession, they were hunted actively in the late 1800s. Jim had hunting camps on Rodney Lake for years. The wildness of the area appealed to him like it would to anyone wanting to escape humanity and be immersed in solitude. Because it’s as remote as it is, there are critters in the area that are seldom seen by humans. Actually, nowadays some of the humans there during hunting season kind of make you wonder! Roads into the area 60 years ago were poor at best, so Jim traveled by Jeep, foot, or horseback, depending Page 14 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
on conditions. Later, he’d leave his gear at the camp and fly in and out, but on this occasion he was riding a mule. If you ever watched Gunsmoke on TV in the 60s and remember Festus Hagan riding old “Ruth,” you’d have a pretty good idea what Jim looked like on a mule: hadn’t shaved in four days, hat all rumpled, a big chew of tobacco in his cheek, and a large bore weapon evident in a scabbard. Really wouldn’t want to meet him if you were man OR beast! Jim was making one of his daily forays through the swamp when the mule alerted to something in the brush along the trail ahead. The mule halted of its own accord to see what the noise was all about, and Jim pulled out his rifle “just in case.” That usually means, “I’m gonna shoot whatever comes out unless it’s somebody that I tolerate.” Neither Jim nor the mule anticipated a 350-pound black bear walking out into the road, and we can imagine that the bear didn’t expect the vision that he was greeted with that early in the morning. Can’t really say who was more surprised, but the bear made haste and Jim gave chase. I asked Jim if he was the least bit intimidated by the bear. He said, “That’s a nice way of asking was I scared? Well, I figured that if the mule wasn’t scared, then I had no reason to be since I was on top of HIM!” Jim soon found himself in the possession of a large, dead omnivore and then was faced with the task of utilizing it. He wasn’t one to throw anything away (as we’ve found with settling his estate), and he ate the meat and tanned the hide, following instructions he found in an old hunting book. I asked him how the hide turned out; and he said, “I’ll tell you this. The neighbors were sure glad when I was through because you could smell it three houses down the block!” Soon after that, the first neighborhood association was formed in Mississippi. In another world, Jim had an equally memorable hunt. As an avionics technician for the Air Force, he was detailed to Newfoundland for several months to update equipment on a base there. He’d wasted no time finding out what there was to hunt in Newfoundland; and among other fauna, there was moose! Knowing little about the area or moose either for that matter, Jim did what any dedicated hunter would do. He went to the local hardware store on his days off and befriended the old retired guys sitting around the pot-bellied stove and re-telling the same old stories they’d told each other for forty years. Two weeks into visiting, Jim finally got into position to inquire about how and where to go about hunting moose. One of his new buddies seemed to warm up to the prospect of taking Jim on a hunt although Jim didn’t envision his prospective guide to be in very good physical condition for hunting anything more aggressive than black coffee! Nonetheless, Jim agreed to meet his guide at an appointed time and place and went back to the base to get his gear. Jim was a little curious that he had been promised that, even if he didn’t get a moose, the guide’s wife always had apple pie in the kitchen. But he really wanted to hunt, so he shrugged off the comment. Right on schedule, the hunting parties met and off they went on a Newfoundland hunting adventure. The guide said he needed to run back by his house for a moment, and Jim had no complaints. He was enjoying the chance to get away from the base and town so he could see some countryside. Pulling into the guide’s driveway
and getting out of the car, Jim could hear an awful commotion coming from the backyard. A woman was screeching at the top of her lungs, obviously engaged in conflict of some sort. The guide shuffled around the corner of the house and came back immediately, telling Jim, “Bring your gun and hurry!” Jim raced around the car, got out his rifle, loaded it, and scrambled around the house to rescue whatever damsel was in distress. He was not prepared for what he saw. The lady of the house was standing in her vegetable garden, holding a broom like a baseball bat and flailing at the biggest bull moose that Jim had ever seen! Every time the moose would reach down and take a bite of greens, our heroine would whop him alongside his head. He was doing a pretty good job of ignoring her, and it evidently irritated her sensitivities because from what I was told that’s not how she expected males to respond to her demands. “Shoot it! There’s your moose. Shoot it!!” The guide was adamant and pretty excited, to say the least. He obviously was not one to address his own problems. Jim declined. The guide implored. Jim declined again, saying that the mistress of the house was too close. The guide said something about accidents happening all the time and then quoted some scripture. That further rattled Jim; and he declared, “She’s doing more with that broom than I could do with a rifle. Look, didn’t you say that there was some pie inside?” Jim didn’t shoot any moose in Newfoundland, or anywhere else. That wasn’t up to his standards for fair chase. And what was the business about “accidents” and “scripture”? Jim said he thought the guy said something about it being in “2nd Chrysanthemums or something,” but I looked it up, and it’s Proverbs 25:24. Suddenly, all the pieces fit. Naw, heck, I had to look it up; you can too. At least I told you where to go. I had to hunt for it! But Proverbs can teach you more in two verses than any college professor can teach you in two semesters! And that was just the ten per cent that I remembered!
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 15
THE Social Scene Surprise 50th Birthday Party
A
surprise birthday celebration was held recently for Tim McCary at Natchez Coffee in Natchez, Mississippi. Friends and family gathered to wish him half-a-century birthday wishes.
Chris McCary, Arthur McCary, and Ace McCary
Abagail McCary with grandmother Barbara McCary
Debra and Joe Moffett with Edie and Ed Temple
Carol Smith and Abagail McCary
Penny, Tim, and Abagail McCary
Edie and Ed Temple with Tim McCary
Tim, Abagail, and Penny McCary
Betsy Crawford, Jim Crawford, Kari Sue McCaleb, and Marguerite Killroy
Tim McCary, Missy Johnson, Butch Johnson, and Dr. Tommy Killroy
Page 16 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
THE Social Scene
Conn McCalip, Natalie Scroggins, and Mitch Scroggins
Angie Washington, Phillip Washington, Abagail McCary, and Dr. Layne Washington
David Smith, McKie Edmonson, and Jennifer Edmonson
Clint Vegas, David GaudĂŠ, Tim McCary, Bryan Callaway, and Benny Jeansonne
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 17
THE Social Scene Party for PGC Pages
A
Paint and Pony Party honored Pilgrimage Garden Club Pages, Kailey Gremillion and Mylie Magee, on March 17. The party was hosted by Page Blackwell, Vicki Gremillion, and Martha Salters, the girls’ grandmothers; Becky Wilson, Mylie Magee’s aunt; Melanie Smith; and Jan Kirkwood. Guests were treated to delicious treats, including cookies in the shapes of cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and horseshoes. Erin Myers from Sun, Moon & Stars brought paint and supplies, and each guest painted her own flower. Guests also enjoyed taking turns riding. PGC Queen Natalie Phillips joined in the fun with her pages and their guests. Mylie Magee
Front—Carter Dickey and Caroline Gremillion; back—PGC Queen Natalie Phillips, PGC Page Kailey Gremillion, Reagan Rabb, PGC Page Mylie Magee, Morgan Crain, Sarah Saxon Falkenheiner, Mollie Anderson, and Rileigh Walters
Kailey Gremillion and Mylie Magee
THE Social Scene
D
Bowling Party for a Page
uring Spring Pilgrimage in Natchez, Mississippi, friends of Tori Gremillion honored her daughter Kailey, Pilgrimage Garden Club Page, with a bowling party at Rivergate Bowl. Guests enjoyed bowling, lunch, and special cupcakes. Kailey Gremillion
Caroline Devereaux, Cameron Willard, Mary Margaret Alwood, Kailey Gremillion, Stella Devereaux, Abby Laird, Amy Johnson, Jessica Carter, and Torri Gremillion
Page 18 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Torri Gremillion, Caroline and Stella Devereaux, Abby Laird, Mary Margaret Alwood, and Cameron Middleton
T
THE Social Scene Ferriday Garden Club Style Show
he Ferriday Garden Club held a style show recently for the benefit of beautifying Bayou Memorial Park. Guests dined on food prepared by Renee Adams of Natchez Specialties. Katie McCarstle of Katie’s Ladies described new trends in spring styles while models showcased these latest fashions.
Front—Dolly Smith, Dianne Watson, Josie Craig, Dorothy Perkins, and Jane Vaughan; back—Sherrill Sasser, Katie McCarstle, Angela Gibson, and Mary Lou Perkins
Jane Plummer and Doris Williams
Donna Varnado, Patsy Jones, and Linda Guice
Joline Killen and Mary Beth Whitehead
Kathy Edwards, Katherine Galloway, and Shirley Cliburn
The Jonesville Ladies
Sharon Woods, Jean Smith, Barbara Coates, Eleanor Talley, Anne Thompson, and Johnnie Ruth Sturgeon
Polly Miley and Lollie Hammett
Betty Doyle and Beth Tucker
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 19
In the Garden | story and photos by Dr. Gary R. Bachman The Million Bells Calibrachoa Mango Tangerine is a great thriller or spiller choice for hanging baskets.
I
Million Bells Add Great Color Splash
f you’ve been reading this column and thinking I have a lot of favorite plants, you’re right. If you ask me for my favorites, my answer will depend on the season; some plants are more suitable than others at certain times of the year. The new selections coming out each year make it even more difficult to have an absolute favorite flowering garden plant. However, if there is one plant I have been the most impressed with over the last couple of years, it has to be Million Bells. Million Bells is typically considered a flowering annual, but I have seen it
overwinter on the coast. I’ve seen plantings that tolerated temperatures down to 23 degrees for a couple of nights and flowered again after the temperature rose. Known botanically as Calibrachoa, Million Bells has been showing up at local garden centers since mid-March. Gardeners will appreciate the bright splashes of color that Million Bells adds to the landscape. Its dark green foliage really shows off the flower colors. Because the plants will be completely covered by flowers that are up to an inch in diameter, they seem to produce a million flowers. To increase the number of flowers, pinch the stems back an inch or two. Trimming stem tips encourages lateral stem growth, which in turn develops more flowers.
Million Bells Calibrachoa CanCan Terra Cotta and Orange spread to fill in open spaces in the landscape.
Page 20 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
The flowers are funnel shaped and very similar to petunias. However, while petunias start to fade in the middle of the summer, Million Bells keeps going strong. There are many different series of Million Bells. Colors include red, orange, yellow, and white. Many flowers have contrasting dark eyes. A recent introduction is the CanCan series. These Million Bells are spectacular in a hanging basket, in a container, or in the landscape. The colors are bold and flashy and include rose star, terra cotta, apricot, mocha, and strawberry. The well-branched plants will grow 10 to 15 inches tall and wide and form uniform mounds. Million Bells should be grown in full sun for best flowering performance. The plants will tolerate the shade, but flower production is greatly reduced. When planting in the landscape, make sure the soil is well drained by amending with well-composted materials. Plant in raised or mounded landscape beds to ensure good drainage. Keep the moisture consistent in the soil or potting media. To maintain flower production, feed Million Bells in containers or hanging baskets once a week with a water-soluble fertilizer. For landscape plantings, use a couple of tablespoons of a good, garden slow-release 14-14-14 fertilizer, and sprinkle it around the base of each plant. In the landscape, Million Bells likes an acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.0. Always have a soil test performed before trying to adjust the soil to get the correct balance. Million Bells requires little maintenance beyond feeding and watering. It is not necessary to deadhead since the plants are self-cleaning. If the plants get a little unruly, simply prune back to keep them neat.
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 21
In the Garden | story and photos by Dr. Gary R. Bachman The flower colors of Lenten rose are actually provided by sepals, structures that resemble petals; the actual petals are inconspicuous. Traditional colors range from pale green to creamy white, and hybrids range from pink to dark burgundy, many with dark speckles.
Discover Lenten Rose for the Shade Garden
E
arly spring is a wondrous time as the garden and landscape start to wake from the winter season. One of the many lovely, spring flowering plants is the Lenten rose, an old favorite that you may not often see I was recently in Mississippi’s Union County for the New Albany Home and Garden Show and got to see much of the state in bloom as I drove there. Wisteria, refined and shrub-like or scrambling over everything, was putting on a purple display. Eastern redbud presented flowers ranging from pale pink to magenta on naked branches, and flowering dogwoods were showing off along the edges of wooded areas. Along the coast, the southern indica azaleas with their huge blooms of pinks and purples were becoming prominent. And, while walking and enjoying the New Albany wildflower garden of my friends Sherra and Ken, I saw the Lenten rose. In fact, colonies of Lenten rose announced the arrival of spring with their nodding green flowers, some with pink tinges. Lenten rose, a reliable, flowering perennial, is long lived and fairly easy to grow in the shade garden. Lenten rose
Colonies of Lenten rose announce the arrival of spring with their nodding green flowers, some tinged pink. This flowering perennial is longlived and ideal for the shade garden.
Page 22 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
or Helleborus orientalis is one of the most common members of the family of hellebores. The original cup-shaped flower colors range from a pale green to creamy white. Many hybrids are available with flower colors ranging from pink to dark burgundy, and many have dark speckles. The flower colors of Lenten rose are actually provided by sepals, structures that resemble petals. The actual flowers are inconspicuous, and the sepals remain long after pollination has occurred, often until the next year. The only care Lenten rose usually requires is that you cut back the dead and fading foliage to keep the plant neat. You need to divide the plant only every few years, if at all.
As long as the soil is rich in organic matter and consistently moist and well drained, the foliage can remain attractive well into the summer months. Once established, Lenten rose is somewhat drought tolerant; but if the weather turns really dry, be sure to provide supplemental irrigation. Before you plant Lenten rose, be sure to have your garden soil tested; it prefers a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Plant Lenten rose with the crown even with the surrounding soil, and leave 2 to 3 feet between plants. Feed early in the spring with a sprinkling of slow-release fertilizer. Lenten rose readily reseeds. If you have a named variety, be sure to remove these seedlings, for they will not be true from seed. You can move the seedlings to other areas of the shade garden or give them to gardening friends and neighbors to enjoy. If you have never grown Lenten rose, make this the year you try this tough and dependable plant. There are hellebores that will thrive in most climatic conditions across Mississippi, even on the Gulf coast. The Perennial Plant Association named Lenten rose the Perennial Plant of the Year in 2005.
THE Social Scene
I
Sports Center Hosts Relay for Life Event
n its support of Relay for Life, Sports Center in Natchez, Mississippi, recently hosted an event featuring country singer Troy Landry and including the Back Road Band, Tucker Crisp’s Turkey Calling Contest, and Jambalya by the Matherne Brothers and Company.
Frank Patti and Bob “Red” Owens
Wade and Wyatt Craig
Troy Wheat with Chip Sturdivant
Sharon Sturdivant and Nikki Bailey
Jimmy Algood, Chip Sturdivent, and Mayor Jake Middleton
John Metrejen, Justin McFerrin, Myron Matherne, and Scott Settoon
Brandi Isbell and Troy Landry with Dianne Goodman
Drew and Joanna David, Chip Sturdivant, and Porky Smith
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 23
Southern Summers Mean Beaches! There is just something about the beach. The sounds, the sand, the surf . . . even the musky, sometimes salty, smell is alluring. A visit to the beach can mean something different to each of us beachgoers, depending on the reason for the trip. Lovers go to sit together and soak in a sunset. Couples go to exchange vows and say, “I do,” amid the sounds of surging waves that mimic emotions flowing more strongly than the tide’s currents. Families go to frolic in the crashing tides and make their newest version of the perfect sandcastle. The beach is a year-round destination ... not dependant on the seasons, simply the result of a few days here and there that can be stolen for that perfect time away. For many families, the beach is an annual escape to a world calmed to a slower pace among the sands. It is square tents set up as an oasis in the shining sun, giving shelter to sand toys, ice chests, and parents lying still, soaking in the latest fiction. Their children are just feet away on boogie boards bouncing among the breaks or into sand art,
even burying whomever or whatever they can find. It is a place to be together but also to become lost in one’s own world of simple pleasure. The beaches along the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida coasts are vacation spots that attract couples and families from all walks of life. For children, especially, the beach is a haven of best times—building their dreams into sand castles, sending their expectations soaring in the flight of wind-bound kites, creating adventures in stalking sand crabs and searching for seashells, proving their audacity by braving the building waves, and testing endurance by “burying” each other in the sand. Yet, the sand and sun do not discriminate among their guests. For the young, the old, the rich, the not-so-rich, all races, all religions, the arms of nature’s beaches open wide with the delight of warmly welcoming all. And as long as the tide comes in and goes out, back and forth, so will fans of the beach come . . . season after season, year after year.
Left and right: Lilly Hawk, Orange Beach, Florida
Page 24 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Above: Owen Holmes Wheeler in Destin, Florida; parents are Stacy and Trey Wheeler of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Left: Front— Wesley and Macy Loy; back—Skyler Loy, holding Wesley Loy, and Mylie Magee Right: Front—Bill Salters and Sarah Loy; back—Skylar Magee, Martha Salters, and Sunny McGehee
Below: Nicholas and Olivia Waycaster with Parker Maxwell Right: Mylie and Will, beach June 2007
Above: Parker Claire Maxwell riding waves in Ft. Morgan, Alabama Left: Michael Waycaster
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 25
Blair Smith, Grayton Beach, Florida
Ali Claire Hall
Millie Moffett and Cole Mixon, Grayton Beach, Florida
Mary Ann FoggoEidt with Blair Smith and Millie Moffett, Grayton Beach, Florida
Parker Moak and Anna Cate Hall
Dawg Days of Summer... Ted loves the Beach.
Page 26 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Above: Tyler Berch, Pensacola Beach, Florida Right: Tyler Berch and Shelbi Maxwell, Pensacola Beach, Florida
Sasha King, Kaylee Beth Keene, Emma Waldrop, Madison Moak, and Ann Elise Rounsaville, Pensacola Beach, Florida
Below: Ellie Lambert in Orange Beach, Alabama; parents are James and Wendi Lambert of Jayess, Mississippi.
Above: Ellie Lambert, 4, and the captain of the dolphin cruise offered in the back bay of Orange Beach, Alabama
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 27
Girlfriend Getaways
by Anita Schilling
Still Magnolia Cruise 2011 Front—Lillie Lovette of Edwards, Mississippi; Diane Workman Stevens of Puckett, Mississippi; Judy Price Utley of Montgomery, Alabama; and Sammie Mullins Gambles of Madison, Mississippi; back—Jane Sullivan Everett of Magee, Mississippi; Gloria May Thomas of Mendenhall, Mississippi; Anita Boggan Schilling of Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Melissa Francis of Long Beach, Mississippi
“And we thought we were just having fun!” That’s what Still Magnolia Jane replied when the “They Teach it at Stanford” e-mail circulated through our mailboxes in March. Her comment was prompted by the birthday cruise our Still Magnolias group took in early February. Born in 1951 — most of us started school together and graduated high school in Mendenhall, Mississippi, in 1969 — this is the year we all turn 60. Magnolia Judy spearheaded our group’s initial celebration ten years ago by contacting the girls in our graduating class and inviting all to get together for a weekend in New Orleans. While we’ve had as many as 12 and as few as seven, I think that first year (2001) we were ten strong. Most years since would find us at a condo in Orange Beach, Fort Morgan, or Gulf Shores. For this monumental year, we wanted to do something really different; so a four-night Carnival cruise out of Mobile worked for eight of us Still Magnolias.
Page 28 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Still Magnolia Gulf Shores, Alabama, Weekend 2006 Front—Judy Price Utley; Jane Sullivan Everett; Debbie Wilson Massey of Mendenhall, Mississippi; and Anita Boggan Schilling; back—Karen Stephen Milling of Mendenhall, Mississippi; Janet Mayo Fletcher of Mountain View, California; Diane Workman Stevens; Melissa Francis; and the late Robin Revere Davis of Meridian, Mississippi
Back to the contents of that e-mail... The gist of it was that according to the head of psychiatry at Stanford one of the best things that a woman can do for her health is to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends: “Evidently, women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality ‘girlfriend time’ helps us to create more serotonin — a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. Jobs? Yes. Sports? Yes. Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf? Yes. But their feelings? Rarely. “Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters/ mothers (born or acquired through life’s experiences); and evidently, that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.” Therefore, with Stanford psychiatry as proof, our girlfriend getaways are a must! In November my daughter Amanda called, saying, “Mom, I have one free day pass at Disney World that expires at the end of the year so I’m driving down, spending the day at Disney and driving back by myself.” What self-respecting mom would hesitate to say, “No, you’re not driving that far by yourself! I’m going, too.” The trip grew an extra day and two more people to include my sister Ronda and our cousin Lori, a Disney virgin at 49. We drove a total of 1400 miles, spent three nights on Disney property at Coronado Springs, and visited all four parks in two days, riding over 35 rides and walking at least a marathon. When we asked Lori what she enjoyed the most, she answered, “The rides you scream on!” My Mother loves to travel (read that as road trips since she won’t fly); so after my dad passed away in 2005, she bought a Suburban to be used for family/friend trips. In May 2006, Mother, sister Ronda, our Aunt Rita, cousin Karen, and I made a two-week trip to Seattle and back with plenty of sightseeing stops along the way. Ronda is the trip planner/navigator; and I, typically, am the driver while Mother and Aunt Rita enjoy the ride. Our 2007 trip was a loop though Georgia and South Carolina, and in 2008 we crisscrossed Kentucky. In 2009, Mother wanted to see the source of the Mississippi River so to Lake Itasca, Minnesota, we traveled. Health issues slowed us down the next year, but we have a weekend trip planned for the end of April to Schulenburg, Texas. Mother’s Suburban doesn’t stay garaged long since she and her four remaining sisters and cousin Lori made a recent day trip to Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, and I often borrow it for our Still Magnolia runs.
Disney World Getaway December 16, 2011 Clockwise: Anita Schilling and Ronda Wolfe, both of Vicksburg, Mississippi; Amanda Brice of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Lori Evans of Pearl, Mississippi, at Via Napoli, the newly opened restaurant at EPCOT in Italy World Showcase
One of the best things that a woman can do for her health is to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.
Karen Magee, Rita Wigginton, Jovita Boggan, Anita Schilling, and Ronda Wolfe — Sioux Falls, South Dakota, May 2006
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 29
Other girlfriend groups include my Vicksburg Lunch Bunch that dates back twentyfive years when we were playgroup moms. While some of the originals have moved away, we’ve added to our group so that we average six to eight attending our weekly lunches. And there’s no better excuse for a road trip than to visit a dear friend! A few years ago, I was invited to join a monthly lunch group of artist friends. That group, my lunch bunch, plus 22 other women’s groups, had the honor of participating in Janet Akers’ vision, “In Celebration of Women’s Circles,” by creating women figures to represent themselves and their group. Janet is the sculptor creator of the exhibit which had its debut in March at Vicksburg’s Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation. Janet found that the women who participated in creating the 192 figures enjoyed the cathartic experience and camaraderie of creating their dolls. Janet plans for the exhibit to travel throughout Mississippi before expanding beyond our borders; so if you’re interested in participating or arranging an exhibit in your area, please contact Janet at www.JanetAkers.com or janetmarieart@gmail.com. So every time you hang out with a gal pal, just congratulate yourself for contributing to your good health... and, yes, Magnolia Jane, we are having fun!
Top: Vicksburg Lunch Bunch Dolores Rohrer, Ronda Wolfe, the late Susie Payne, and Anita Schilling, all of Vicksburg, Mississippi, visiting Michelle Howell in Mobile, Alabama Bottom: Art Friends Birthday Lunch Bunch, Vicksburg, Mississippi Clockwise starting at figure with musical notes: Jeanne Evans, Janet Akers, Tana Ford, Anita Schilling, Wanda Warren, Susan Hubis, Elke Briuer, Linda Jackson, and Brenda Neumann
Page 30 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 31
Consignment Shopping: The Best of Times, the Best of Bargains
By Ruth Jones, Cheryl Rinehart, and JoAnna Sproles
Consignment shopping, whether for children’s items, youth and adult clothing, or home and garden merchandise, offers a plethora of take-home possibilities.
Are you the kind of woman who yearns for designer labels and a closet filled with beautiful clothes? Do you live for the thrill of the hunt? Do you want to look like a million dollars for a fraction of the cost? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’re probably a consignment shopper. Or should be. So what can you expect to find in consignment stores? Wardrobe basics, of course—black pants, blazers, and suits. Deeply discounted designer labels as well as standard brands. Party dresses worn once or twice. Sometimes, junk you wouldn’t let your worst enemy wear. You’ll find gentlyworn next to never-worn in everything from shoes to evening gowns to jewelry to jeans. And all at bargain prices.
Page 32 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Nashville, Tennessee
Chances are, if you’re headed to Nashville, Tennessee, it’s for the music. But if you love to shop and your heart plays ragtime anytime you find a bargain, be sure to check out Music City’s consignment scene. Nashville has some of the best around. Voted Best of Nashville by readers of Nashville Scene magazine, Designer Finds is located in the Green Hills Mall area. This upscale resale shop carries a wide variety of couture labels such as Worth, Doncaster, and Tahari. You’ll also find Chico’s and Ann Taylor brands alongside Jones New York and Ralph Lauren. The shop’s atmosphere is definitely boutique with merchandise attractively displayed throughout the store. Looking for accessories? Designer Finds has
great shoes and handbags. And their jewelry ranges from costume to custom-made. The shop maintains a nice inventory of Chanel cosmetic products as well as beautiful furs. Last time I shopped Designer Finds, I bagged a never-worn pair of brown leather Land’s End ankle boots, originally priced at around $50, for $12. I also found a celery green Neiman Marcus cashmere sweater for $18. Helen, my shopping buddy, bought a darling embroidered terry cloth lounge suit for $3 and a pair of brand new Nine West boots for $7. Designer Finds: 2210 Crestmoor Road #4; 615-279-1994. Bargain Boutique, also in the Green Hills area, is the kind of consignment store that requires rolled-up sleeves and hawk-like vision, but that just makes the hunt more fun. I recently found a gorgeous Lafayette 148 suit with a bronze-metallic leather jacket and wool skirt for $65. Lucky Helen bought a Worth sweater dress, two pairs of Carlisle trousers, a Talbot’s shirt, and a pair of Liz Claiborne shoes for less than $120. How great is that? She tried on a beautiful full-length mink coat for $700 but talked herself out of buying it. After a night of shopper’s regret, she went back and bought the coat, thrilled it was still there. Bargain Boutique: 4004 Hillsboro Pike #6; 615-297-7900. Designer Renaissance, near Nashville’s 100 Oaks Mall, is best described as trendy with a dash of funk. The shop has a cool vibe, and it’s loaded with chic couture. On my last shopping trip, I lovingly caressed a great looking Prada bag. But $900 was more than I wanted to pay. No need to suffer sticker shock, though. Helen bought a white, go-anywhere, snap-front shirt for $2 and a pair of corduroy jeans for $3. Then she found a wonderful black handbag for $5 and a Chico’s necklace for $1. And while I’m not the kind of girl who pays $900 for a handbag, I couldn’t resist a $37 bottle of Chanel No.5, regularly priced at around $85. Designer Renaissance: 2822 Bransford Avenue; 615-297-8822. Consignment shopping is not for everyone; but to me, it’s well worth the effort. The bargains are out there. All you have to do is find them.
Mississippi ~ Louisiana
Consignment shopping has taken hold in almost every community in Mississippi and Louisiana. On up the river in Vicksburg, Mississippi, is Fantastic Finds, a darling shop owned by Sandra Harris. A smart, enterprising lady, Harris has offered new and used clothing for years online. Now, having purchased a building and property on Culkin Road off Highway 61 North, she has opened up a precious place for moms and dads to shop new and used clothing for growing children. Fantastic Finds offers high quality clothes for children at very affordable prices. The boutique changes stock regularly to provide shoppers with a wide variety of choices. Its friendly and professional staff provides excellent service to help customers find the clothing, furniture, or toys that will fit their needs and budget. A Vicksburg gal, Helen Burks, places consignment shopping as her number one hobby. “As Donald Trump says, ‘It is the art of the deal’ that makes this hobby so thrilling,” she claims, and adds, “The best cities I’ve found for clothing consignment shopping are New Orleans, Louisiana, and Nashville, Tennessee; and when Private Collections in Madison, Mississippi, has a sale, it is a great bargain. When I go shopping, I am looking for funky, fun clothing first and professional attire second. I work every rack – pants, tops, jackets, shoes, jewelry, and scarves. I have to try on everything in the store due to no return, which means I’ve got to have plenty of time when I do go shopping. Some of the designer brands I regularly buy on consignment are Worth, Etcetera, Carlisle, BCBG, and Chico just to name a few. The
Top: Sandra Harris, owner of Fantastic Finds in Vicksburg, Mississippi, holds new smocked dresses awaiting shoppers. Bottom: Fantastic Finds offers a full line of boys’ clothing from infant through boy sizes.
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 33
Left: Sissy Blackwood, owner of Consign & Design, in downtown Natchez, Mississippi Top and right: Unique jewelry and other home accessories are among the great finds awaiting shoppers at Consign & Design.
Below: Rhonda Huff, owner of The Toad House in Meadville, Mississippi, shows off some of the specialty items in her shop.
best things I’ve bought have been two mink jackets for $200.00 in New Orleans and a silk animal print cowboy shirt that Nicole Kidman consigned in Nashville.” Various other clothing and furniture consignment shops dot the landscape in downtown Vicksburg as well as downtown Natchez, Mississippi, another river town in southern Mississippi. One in particular in Natchez is Consign & Design, owned by Sissy Blackwood. In the furniture and accessories consignment business for over ten years, Blackwood first housed her store in the downstairs area of her two-story Victorian home in the downtown historic district. She has now moved to a commercial shop in the heart of town on Commerce Street and has three levels of furniture; antiques from period to contemporary, accessories, and cases of jewelry, along with some vintage clothing, art, rugs, and just about anything on a shopper’s mind or list. She welcomes shoppers to her store with a warm “Hello! Come on in.” Browsing could take a good hour or so to settle on those ‘real finds’ to buy. Blackwood enjoys her career path and is well versed in buying and consigning estate sales throughout the area. The Toad House, located in the Franklin County town of Meadville, Mississippi, offers locals and visitors an opportunity Page 34 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
for family shopping. Its merchandise includes clothing for infants and children, teens, and adult men and women along with household items artfully arranged. Rhonda Huff, the store’s owner and proprietor, enjoys her new venture as she provides consignors the opportunity to bring in their outgrown, slightly worn, or change-of-mind items for others to take home as treasured bargains. In the capital city, Carley Page has been consignment shopping since the first time she ever saw a consignment store – “which I think was Bargain Boutique on Meadowbrook Road in Jackson, Mississippi, almost twenty years ago,” she recalled. “This shop is part of the Junior League of Jackson’s project and one can really get some nice things from the fashionable, northeast Jackson ladies.” And she added, “I do love a good bargain! It embarrasses my husband when I get a compliment on something I am wearing and I tell the person that I got it for $4.00! It used to embarrass my children that I wore ‘used clothes’; but the older they get, the more they are like me and love a bargain, too!” One of the best features in consignment shopping is that often the items consigned are new or hardly worn. One New Orleans mom explained that her little one is blessed to have her cousin’s still lovely hand-me-downs and lots of new clothing from adoring grandmothers. However, she considers herself and her friends smart-shopping moms since they also consign. A few of their favorite places to visit are Kid to Kid in Metairie and Swap on Oak Street.
Brookhaven, Mississippi
Krystal Shaw of Roxy Magnolia in Brookhaven, Mississippi, is an avid believer in consignment shopping, so much so that after working in the Brookhaven store for a few years, she bought it when she had the chance. Shaw purchased Roxy Magnolia after seeing the benefits of consignment shopping both for her and her customers. She has owned Roxy Magnolia since August of 2010 and continues to grow her business as a result of the advantages of quality, second-hand clothing and home decor. “The benefit to the shoppers is the ability to find and afford name brand, designer clothing and quality home decor in one place that are exactly what they want and at much better pricing,” Shaw said. At Roxy Magnolia, the seller gets 45 percent of the selling price for the items they bring into the store. Shaw’s store carries clothing, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, purses, home decor and baby items. Designer jeans, high-end purses, and trendy jewelry continue to draw customers her way. Seasonal items are rotated in and out, so the customer can shop year round. “Baby items are probably some of the most sought-after merchandise,” she said. “The furniture, bedding, clothing, smocked dresses, and designer clothing for babies are definitely articles people want to save money on since they are transitional purchases.” Top: Rhonda Huff assisting customers during shopping Middle: Organized clothing racks inside The Toad House Bottom: Krystal Shaw, owner of Roxy Magnolia in Brookhaven, Mississippi, welcomes customers to her store.
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 35
THE Social Scene Spring Party for NGC Page Clair Ulmer
A
springtime party honoring Natchez Garden Club Page Clair Ulmer was held at Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Harrison’s home in Natchez, Mississippi, and hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stedman, Mr. and Mrs. John Christian, and Dr. and Mrs. Trey Dickey. The children were treated to an Easter Egg Hunt and a carriage ride to City Auditorium prior to The Historic Natchez Tableaux where Claire served as a page to Natchez Garden Club Queen, Britton Hinson.
Caroline McDonough, Jennifer Wimberly, and Heather Burget
Sue and Joe Stedman with Josh Wilkerson
Leah Ulmer, Mary Catherine Wilkerson, and Billy Ulmer
Jennifer Nunnery, Kelly Baroni, and Taylor Baroni
Bradley Harrison, Billy Ulmer, John Christian, Joe Stedman, and Bruce Reynolds
Paige Carter and Amber Warren with Jimmy and Jeanne Dickey
Page 36 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
THE Social Scene
Courtney Timm and AndreĂŠ Gamberi
Torri and Trey Webber
Marla Farmer and Torri Webber
Chretia Johnson and Faith Ann Johnson
Andrea Bradford and Leah Ulmer
Leah Ulmer and Maggie Ulmer
Eddie Christian, Sue Stedman, Leigh Dickey, Leah Ulmer, and Ginny Harrison
Elizabeth Reeves, Jesse Pace, Kyle Ketchings, Rachel Waggoner, Britton Hinson, Wyatt Craig, and Hannah House
Kid’s Easter Egg Hunt
Amanda Jeansonne, Leah Ulmer, and Samantha Yost
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 37
THE Social Scene Magnolia Garden Club Annual Flower Show
M
embers of the Magnolia Garden Club of Magnolia, Mississippi, hosted their annual flower show at the historic Lea house in conjunction with the Pike County Azalea Festival. Over 30 arrangements were on display for the public. Photographs by Elise Parker
Evelyn Adams, Melba Trinchard (standing), and Carol Wood
Ellen Parker and Edna WebbÂ
Betsy Harrell, Debbie Simmons, Colleen Lally, Martha Hennessey, and Dawn Speed
Decie Simmons Horn, Bobbye Padgett, Debbie Simmons, Colleen Lally, Betsy Harrell, and Dawn Speed
Carol Gaudin and Martha Shafer
Page 38 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Larry and Evelyn Adams
THE Social Scene
O
Book Signing at Magnolia Hall
n April 9 at antebellum Magnolia Hall in Natchez, Mississippi, Cover to Cover Books and More honored Barbara Sillery, reading from and signing copies of her book The Hauntings of Mississippi. The venue of the signing was most apropos since Magnolia Hall is prominently featured in Sillery’s book as one of the most haunted mansions in Mississippi. Special Guests were Patricia Taylor, Kay McNeil, Judy Grimsley, and Cheryl Rinehart, who in The Hauntings of Mississippi tell of the paranormal experiences they have had in this Grand Dame of downtown Natchez. Guests were treated to a tasty lunch prepared by the ladies of The Natchez Garden Club.
Barbara Sillery with Charles and Rosemary Hall
Nancy Hungerford and Judy Grimsley
Kay McNeil, Barbara Sillery, and Judy Grimsley
Barbara Sillery and Patricia Taylor
Kay McNeil and Natalie Heberg
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 39
Southern Sampler | by Alma M. Womack
Best Friends, Best Memories of ‘60s Baseball
L
ook at this: I am sending something EARLY. For some mysterious reason, I wrote this two weeks ago. The day after I had written it, I got the news that my friend, Henry, the one the article is dedicated to, had suffered a major stroke and was in the hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. My class has had friendships that have carried through the years, and Henry has been front and center in helping to keep us together with our almost-annual class party held here at my house. I get daily reports from his wife, which I dutifully pass on to all the others. Besides having been their class president for four years, I think that I am also their class mother and make certain that they know about Henry and that they continue to pray for him and his wonderful wife, Melissa. After a few bad days, our Henry is having better days, and we hope to have him moved to Methodist Rehab pretty soon. I sent him a copy of this article, but he hasn’t been able to stay awake long enough to hear all of it. Now that he is improving, he can get a good laugh at our high school selves. Henry is very special to all of us, and to all of his good friends up in Vicksburg and down in New Orleans. He is tough; he’ll Page 40 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
be here for the party in October; you can count on it. Henry Bordelon has been my friend since we were in high school. We were classmates; and he was one of the starting five of the Class A Basketball State Champs in 1966, our senior year in high school. We still email each other occasionally, and Henry was the driving force behind beginning our annual class parties. He has had a successful career with the Corps of Engineers and still works in a Corps-related business in New Orleans. When he asks me for a favor, I comply. At our “almost annual” class party in October, he asked me if I’d write a column one day about our baseball-card-collecting gang from back in the ‘60s. I had written a couple of stories about those days; but since it has been a while, for Henry, I will do another. Major league baseball was our sport back in the ’60s, basketball was second, and football was rarely mentioned unless it was the Block Bears or LSU Tigers. Baseball was king, period, The End. Our teams stayed fairly static from one year to the next. There were always the journeyman players who traveled from team to team, but the stars stayed with their teams pretty much their entire careers.
Unless there was a major winter trade, we knew when spring started that Koufax would be with the Dodgers, Mays with the Giants, Aaron with the Braves, Musial with the Cardinals, Mantle with the Yankees, Kaline with the Tigers, Banks with the Cubs, and Killebrew with the Twins. That’s just the way it was. We all had our favorite teams, and we could argue all day on the merits of our individual favorites as well as on the superiority of our teams. Henry, Frankie Schneider, and Janice “Corkey” White (the only other girl) were fans of the muchhated-by-everyone-else New York Yankees; Kenneth Young, Jeff Foster, and Paul Riggs were Braves fans; Van Taliaferro was a St. Louis Cardinal; and Kenneth Foster, an LA Dodger. Me? I was a fan of the Chicago White Sox; and my favorite players were Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox, the keystone combo of the team and the premier combo in the American League. Oh, those Yankee fans would argue that Kubek and Richardson of their team were the best shortstop and second baseman, but I had the statistics on my side. My Fox-Aparicio combo had the most Gold Gloves, the highest fielding percentage, and the fewest errors of any of the others. Kubek had more power than Aparicio, but that didn’t count for much when it came to defense. My men were simply at the top of the game. These players were very real to us; and when they suffered a batting slump, we suffered, too. If our guys were picked to the All Star Teams in July, well, it just showed that we knew what we were talking about all along. And if one of the favorites was traded, it was the end of the world for a while. Case in point: I was listening to the news one night in early 1963 and heard these words that sent a chill to my heart: “White Sox trade All-Star shortstop Luis Aparicio to the Baltimore Orioles.” I couldn’t believe it, could not believe it. I cried and cried that night, just certain that I would never watch another White Sox game again as long as I lived. I can still hear Mama telling Daddy that one child was sick, two needed a good spanking, and one was crying over a baseball player. When your heart is broken, isn’t that what you do? The next morning, as luck would have it, our bus was late getting to school, so I had to walk into Algebra I class after everyone else was seated. In unison, three
of my dastardly friends—Schneider, K. Foster, and Taliaferro—turned around and starting laughing at me. “They traded Aparicio to the Orioles. Boy, he’s sorrier than I thought, going to the Orioles...” and on and on. I was ready to throw them all out of the second story window to see if they could fly like an oriole. I did the only sensible thing to do: I became an Orioles fan. The first couple of years were tough. When yearbook time came around, and people were writing nice notes in their friends’ yearbooks, this is what I got from those heathens: “Good luck to the Orioles; they sure need it,” and “Best wishes to an ex-Oriole; after this year, I don’t blame you for changing.” Sweet as sugar they were. I did get a little revenge in the 1966 World Series, when the Orioles beat the LA (Kenneth Foster) Dodgers in four straight games. That meant the O’s beat Koufax and Drysdale, two of the best pitchers in baseball. The bad thing was that we were all in our freshman year of college and couldn’t get together to go over all the plays and statistics. But it was still good to be a fan of the World Champions even if I was stuck in a dorm room at Louisiana College. When it came to collecting baseball cards, Kenneth Foster had us all beat. He was a sharp trader, too; and Frankie Schneider and Henry both claimed that he stole what cards he couldn’t trade for. I don’t know that for a fact; but when Kenneth was going through my old cards at one of our class parties, Frankie, Henry, and I kept a sharp lookout, just in case. Of course, Kenneth was a good sport about it all, knowing how much we really love him. At last year’s party, Kenneth said that he had sold his entire collection to a guy in New York for an amazing sum. The guy who bought the collection put some of the cards online to sell; and Kenneth said he saw his initials, KF, still on the cards. Frankie wanted to know how many of them had FS on them. Baseball and baseball cards bound us together back then and give us something good to laugh about now. The cards were serious business, so serious that one of my cousins to this day, introduces me to people as the “one who got his baseball cards.” Later on, I will be given a name, like a regular person.
Some of us still follow the game, but I am not one of them. When all my favorite players retired, died in accidents, or just plain died, I gave it all up. I still have my baseball cards; and while I’ve given a few choice cards away (Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson) to some special little boys, I have all the rest. I even have a few Mickey Mantles, which, unfortunately, have turned out to be the most valuable of all. My brother Nub was a Yankee fan, too, and I gave him most of those ol’ Mantle cards, which our mother threw away when we were grown. This fate was shared by many other collectors, making the cards I have all the more special and worthy. That time in the 60s was a glorious time for major league baseball; and I wouldn’t trade those days of baseball arguments with people who are still my dear friends for anything in this world. So, Henry, will this do?
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 41
On the River k On the River k On the River k On the River
Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Page 42 { Bluffs && Bayous {May May2011 2011{{ Bluffs Bayous
On the River k On the River k On the River k On the River
Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Bluffs Bayous May2011 2011{ { Page 43 Bluffs && Bayous {{May
On the River k On the River k On the River k On the River
Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Natchez k vidalia k Ferriday k Page 44 { Bluffs && Bayous {May May2011 2011{{ Bluffs Bayous
THE Social Scene
S
Sabrina Rouse Celebrates Birthday
abrina Rouse celebrated a New Year’s Birthday at the Hampton Inn in Brookhaven, Mississippi. Her friends and family gathered in her honor and enjoyed the festive occasion.
Drew Worthy and Daniel Delozier
Tyanna Rasberry and Daniel Delozier
Sabrina Rouse and Wil Rouse
Ben Yarbrough and Sabrina Rouse
Nathan Addison and Allaina Nikolaus
Brittany Rasberry and Drew Worthy
Tyanna Rasberry, Sabrina Rouse and Jobea Spring
Jessica Moore, Sabrina Rouse, and Karen Yates
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 45
THE Social Scene Keep Pike County Beautiful
O
n March 12, Osyka Civic Club Members, Mayor Jamie Harrell, and many others met for a downtown trash pick-up as part of the area’s Keep Pike County Beautiful program. Club members also cleaned out two town flower beds. Community reaction to these improvements has been so positive that this beautification effort may become a year-round Civic Club project.
Kim Wall, President
Page 46 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Marsha Prine and Jackie Gill, Historians
Stephanie Andrews with Abigail Liuzza, Hospitality Chairperson
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 47
May ... Up and Coming! Premier Events
May 6 - 7 5th Annual Symphony of Gardens Tour Natchez, Mississippi Special gardens surrounding a remarkable country estate, a renowned antebellum home, and colorful town gardens highlight the fifth annual Symphony of Gardens Tour in historic Natchez, Mississippi. This popular event consists of self-guided tours of the finest private gardens in Natchez and surrounding
areas. Additionally, a gardening workshop led by author and horticulturist Harvey Cotten will take place on Saturday afternoon. Eight town and estate gardens will be open, some for the first time. Many of the gardens are at historic antebellum or Victorian houses whose plants reflect a diversity of types, according to the homeowners’ preferences. Some are traditional for Mississippi historic landscapes; others are contemporary versions of old favorites. Designs range from formal and classic to contemporary and informal. Tour hours: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: $15 per person for one day; $25 for both days. Free workshop is included with a ticket to the Friday or Saturday tour. For tickets or more information, call 601-4466345 or visit www.VisitNatchez.org.
May 7 27th Annual Crawfish Countdown Cathedral School Cafeteria & Courtyard Natchez, Mississippi The 27th Annual Crawfish Countdown will be held Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. in the Cathedral School Cafeteria & Courtyard. One ticket at $100.00 entitles the holder and a guest to an evening of fun. Cathedral alumni, parents, family and friends will enjoy crawfish, potatoes, corn, jambalaya, desserts, ice-cold beverages, music, drawings, and dancing. Second Chance Insurance will be available for $30 and must be purchased at the time the ticket is purchased. If you purchase Second Chance Insurance and your ticket is drawn
within the first 100 tickets, your ticket will be placed back in the drawing for a second chance at the Grand Prize. The 101st ticket drawn will win a prize and every 30th ticket drawn thereafter will win a prize (ticket #131, #161, #191, etc.). Once there are only four tickets remaining, if those tickets are marked “Split Winnings,” the money will be divided equally. If your ticket is one of the final four and is not marked, the committee will interpret your omission as you wish to “Chance it All” and continue to draw. We will keep drawing until we have a winner or winners. Take-out will be available for $40 per person. Take-out orders can be purchased the night of the Crawfish Countdown and will be prepared and packaged for you. For tickets, contact the Development Office at 601-445-9844.
May 21 Art & Soul Natchez, Mississippi Original art, exceptional music, and scrumptious food await you on the Bluff by the Gazebo in Natchez from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chair and spend the day having fun by the Mississippi River. This event is sponsored by the Downtown Development Association. For more information, please call 601-238-8325 or email Yvonne Murray at murrayy@ bellsouth.net.
Page 48 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
May ... Up and Coming! Through May 8 Fast Food Vicksburg Parkside Playhouse Vicksburg, Mississippi Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2:00 p.m. $12 adults; $10 seniors (55+); $7 students (13+); $5 children 601-636-0471 www.e-vtg.com Through May 27 Mississippi Art Colony Traveling Exhibit Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation Vicksburg, Mississippi 601-631-2997 May 1 14th Annual Blend of the Bayou Home of Sue & Walter Sartor 2110 Island Drive Monroe, Louisiana 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 318-396-9520 May 1 Antique Alley Spring Open House Antique Alley West Monroe, Louisiana 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 318-737-7207 www.antique-alley.org
May 5 - 7 “Mont Helena—A Dream Revisited” Mont Helena Rolling Fork, Mississippi Tickets $53; sold in advance only 662-873-2080; fax 662-873-2450 friendsofmonthelena@yahoo.com
May 5 3rd Annual “A Chocolate Affair” Southern Cultural Heritage Center Auditorium Vicksburg, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Tickets in advance only; on sale April 1 $25 members; $30 non-members 601-631-2997 www.southernculture.org
May 6 - 7 5th Annual Symphony of Gardens Tour Natchez, Mississippi Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Tickets: $15 one day, $25 both days 601-446-6345 www.VisitNatchez.org See Premier Event on page 48. May 7 Orchestral Fireworks Monroe Symphony Orchestra West Monroe High School Auditorium West Monroe, Louisiana 7:00 p.m. 318-812-6761 www.monroesymphonyorchestra.com
May 4 Belle of All Things Southern Shellie Tomlinson Book Talk Turning Pages Books & More Natchez, Mississippi 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 601-442-2299 turningpages@dixie-net.com
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 49
May 7 Clinton Community Market Downtown Clinton, Mississippi 8:00 a.m. 225-603-9003 May 7 27th Annual Crawfish Countdown Cathedral School and Courtyard Natchez, Mississippi 107 MLK, Jr., Street 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Tickets: $100 for 2 Second Chance Insurance $30 Take-out available 601-445-9844 See Premier Event on page 48. May 7 & 14 Back to the ’80s Strauss Theatre - Main Stage Monroe, Louisiana 7:30 p.m.; $25 318-323-6681 www.strausstheatre.com May 8 West Feliciana Classic Mountain Bike Race West Feliciana Sports Park St. Francisville, Louisiana $25 225-784-8447 May 9 - 12 Beginning Stained Glass Workshop Reverend Mark Bleakley Southern Cultural Heritage Center Vicksburg, Mississippi 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Registration required $160 members; $170 non-members 601-631-2997 info@southernculture.org May 9 - 15 The Secret Garden Natchez Little Theatre Natchez, Mississippi 601-442-2233 www.natchezlittletheatre.org
Page 50 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
May 12 “Mixed Nuts” Peterson’s Art & Antiques Vicksburg, Mississippi Art by Joanne Pittman and Patty Hughes 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 601-636-7210
May 12 Hurdles Book signing: Nancy Woodson Lorelei Books Vicksburg, Mississippi 4:00 p.m. 601-634-8624
May 13 And One Was A Priest: The Life and Times of Duncan M. Gray Jr. Book signing: Araminta Stone Johnston Lorelei Books Vicksburg, Mississippi 4:00 p.m. 601-634-8624 Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 51
May 14 Junior Auxiliary Annual Shrimp Boil Duncan Park Canteen Natchez, Mississippi 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. $12 includes 11 lbs. shrimp, potatoes, & corn 601-304-9792 tcox07@ymail.com May 14 Big Yam Potatoes Old Time Music Concert & Fiddle Contest Historic Jefferson College Natchez, Mississippi 601-442-2901 rperson@mdah.state.ms.us May 14 Second Saturday Reception ArtsNatchez Gallery Natchez, Mississippi Honoring D. W. (Red) Bryant and Marcus Frazier 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 601-442-0043 www.artsnatchez.org May 14 “What’s Your Story?” with Bruce Schultz West Baton Rouge Museum Port Allen, Louisiana 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Registration required 225-336-2422 x16 www.westbatonrougemuseum.com May 15 GingerSnapp’s Motown Spring Fling Dinnertainment The Myrtles Plantation St. Francisville, Louisiana 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Benefit, Dreams Come True Children’s Foundation $50 per person; $65 for couples 225-721-3668; 225-635-6278
Page 52 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
May 19 Braving Empire: Spanish Natchez and the Atlantic World, 1779-1798 Grand Village of the Natchez Indians Natchez, Mississippi Illustrated program by Christian Pinnen 6:30 p.m. Museum Auditorium 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard 601-446-6502; Fax 601-446-6503 jbarnett@mdah.state.ms.us May 19 - 21 “Mont Helena—A Dream Revisited” Mont Helena Rolling Fork, Mississippi Tickets $53; sold in advance only 662-873-2080; fax 662-873-2450 friendsofmonthelena@yahoo.com May 19 - 21 Cruising on the River Vidalia Riverfront Vidalia, Louisiana River City Bad Boyz and Miss Lou Classic Car Club, Sponsors 250+ classic, restored cars 318-336-9934 May 19 - 22 & 26-29 Oklahoma! Strauss Theatre – Main Stage Monroe, Louisiana Evenings 7:00 p.m.; Sun. 2:00 p.m. $25 318-323-6681 www.strausstheatre.com May 20 Lunchtime Lecture & Book Signing Dr. Don Frazier West Baton Rouge Museum Port Allen, Louisiana 12:00 p.m. 225-336-2422 x16 www.westbatonrougemuseum.com May 20 - 22 Battling for a Cure at Mississippi State Rally Southern Cruisers Riding Club Vicksburg, Mississippi $25 in advance; $30 day of event www.wcscrc.org/rally.htm
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 53
Page 54 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
May 20 - 29 The Subject Was Roses City Park Players Central Louisiana Community Theatre Alexandria, Louisiana Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $12 Adults; $10 Seniors; $5 Students 318-484-4478 cityparkplayers@gmail.com
May 21 Fill Your Heart…And A Belly 5K Walk, 5K Run, 10K Run, & 1 Mile Fun Run Summit, Mississippi Registration required $10 to $20 in advance $5 extra for on-site registration 601-341-9933 www.msracetiming.com
May 21 Art & Soul Natchez Bluff by the Gazebo Natchez, Mississippi 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 601-238-8325 murrayy@bellsouth.net See Premier Event on page 48.
May 21 Magnolia Arts Market East Railroad Street Magnolia, Mississippi 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 601-783-5072 Lori Felix@att.net
May 21 EXPLORE! Snakes Historic Jefferson College Natchez, Mississippi Ages 6 - 8: 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Ages 9-12: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. $10; pre-registration required 601-442-9021 kmcneil@mdah.state.ms.us May 23 & 28 Ain’t Misbehavin’ Auditions Central Louisiana Community Theatre Alexandria, Louisiana Call for times. 318-484-4478 cityparkplayers@gmail.com
May 24 What There Is To Say, We Have Said Suzanne Marrs Lorelei Books Vicksburg, Mississippi 4:00 p.m. 601-634-8624 May 27 & 28 Louisiana Southern Fried Festival Ike Hamilton Expo Center West Monroe, Louisiana Fri. 3:00 p.m. - midnight Sat. 10:00 a.m. - midnight Adults $10; Children 12 & under free 318-396-5000 www.lasouthernfriedfestival.com
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 55
May 28 - 29 West Feliciana Memorial Weekend Bike Classic West Feliciana Sports Park St. Francisville, Louisiana 225-784-8447 www.westfelclassic.org May 29 & 31 Gold in the Hills Auditions Parkside Playhouse Vicksburg, Mississippi Sat. 2:00 p.m.; Mon. 6:00 p.m. 601-636-0471 www.e-vtg.com May 31 - June 3 Pioneer Camp I (Ages 7 - 9) Historic Jefferson College Natchez, Mississippi $20; Pre-registration required kmcneil@mdah.state.ms.us June 4 - 5 Verlon Thompson Songwriting Workshop Birdman Coffee St. Francisville, Louisiana $200 for both days; registration required birdmancoffe@bellsouth.net www.birdman.uniquelyfeliciana.com June 7 - 10 Pioneer Camp II (Ages 10-12) Historic Jefferson College Natchez, Mississippi $20; pre-registration required kmcneil@mdah.state.ms.us June 9 18th Annual Golf ‘Fore’ United Way Scramble Beau Pre Country Club Natchez, Mississippi $125 per person Platinum Sponsor $700; Hole Sponsor $100 Lunch 11:00 - 1:00; Shotgun start 1:00 p.m. $20 mulligan fee Closest-to-the-hole and longest-drive prizes 601-442-5493 Be sure to confirm details of the events should changes have occurred since events were submitted. Page 56 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 57
THE Social Scene
D
Party for a Queen
uring the recent Mardi Gras season, Dee Newman, who reigned as Krewe of Phoenix Queen Rosalie, was honored with a cocktail party in the home of Pam and Tom Middleton. Additional hosts were Lisa Dale, Mike and Sandra Ellard, Phyllis and Royce Copeland, and Cheryl and Mike Rinehart.
Ken Maples, Ken Price, and Gene Laird
Walt Roddy, Lynn Janette, Christine Newman, Laren Hammond, and Abby Laird
Front—Lynn Janette, Brad LeMay, Dee Newman, and Sandra Ellard; back—Pam Middleton, Suzan Hogue, Patty Serafin, Laura Laird, and Lisa Maples
Phyllis Copeland, Terri Roddy, and Babs Price
Laura Laird, Tom Middleton, and Lisa Maples
Stephen Michel, Christine Newman, and Gene Laird
Page 58 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Phyllis Copeland and Dee Newman
Carter Burns and Justin Adcock
Sandra Ellard and Dee Newman
Stephen Michel and Luke Janette
Laren Hammond and Dee Newman
Laren and Carr Hammond Babs and Ken Price
Lisa Dale and Sandra Ellard
Cameron Adcock and Betsy Iles
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 59
THE Social Scene Krewe of Killarney St. Patrick’s Day Parade
S
t. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in Natchez, Mississippi, by the Krewe of Killarney’s downtown walking parade. Families lined up on Main Street and were led by this year’s St. Patrick, Bob McWilliams, along with past St. Patricks and the traditional bagpipes, to march and drive the snakes into the river. Young and old joined in the festivities.
Boyd Alexander
Virginia O’Beirne
Cheryl Rinehart, Eugenie Cates, and Deveraux Cates
Devereaux Cates and Emma Hogue
Front—Blair Smith and friend; back—Eugenie and Michael Cates with Scott Smith
Blair Smith; Robbie McWilliams; Peter Burns, St. Patrick 2010; and Bob McWilliams, St. Patrick 2011
Page 60 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
John Grady Klein, Parnell Burns, and Brandy Burns Klein
William Quinn
Thomas McKnight
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 61
THE Social Scene Anna Bette’s Ballerina Birthday
A
nna Bette Smith of Natchez, Mississippi, celebrated her third birthday at her favorite place, Natchez Ballet Academy ballet studio. A tutu queen, Anna Bette loves to twirl and leap, so she invited all of her friends to join her.
Anna Bette Smith and Catherine Myers
Stella Rose Latham, Catherine Myers, Anna Bette Smith, Ella Burnham, Lillian Browning, and Lexi Whittington
Lexi Whittington, Anna Bette Smith, Ella Burnham, and Lillian Browning
Class of 1976 Homecoming Gathering
P
rior to the Saturday events, alumnae from Mississippi University for Women gathered for dinner at Harvey’s in Columbus, Mississippi. This was the group’s thirty-fifth graduation anniversary. Anita Clayton Hurdle, Angela Williams Gregory, Trisha Stone Kitchens, and Janet Tomlin Griffin
Front—Trisha Stone Kitchens, Janet Tomlin Griffin, Becky Tate Cade, and Glenna Columns Morgan; back—Vicki Harpole Cox, Ruth Pettey Jones, Laura Lollar Davis, Theresa Giordinango, and Jane Wilkes Campbell
Page 62 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Helen Gibson Burks and Pam Harris Griffith
Theresa Giordinango, Carolyn Wilson Byrd, and Cynthia Williams Kittrell
Denise Gonsoulin Geter, Sylvia King Haver, and Gene Dunn Williams
D
THE Social Scene Pilgrimage Garden Club Tableaux Court Party uring Spring Pilgrimage, the members of the 2011 Pilgrimage Garden Club Court hosted a party in honor of their queen, Natalie Phillips, and king, Luc Charboneau, at antebellum Linden, home of Jeannette Feltus, in Natchez, Mississippi.
Kayleigh, Torri, and Brandon Gremillion
Ellyn and Jake Hairston
Skyler Magee and Martha Salters
Crimens Clifford, Kim and Jamie Kimbrell, and Courtney Taylor
Doug, Regina, and Luc Charboneau
Jan Kirkwood, Ginny Harrison, Melanie Downer, and Bradley Harrison
Madeline and Amanda Jeannsone with AndreĂŠ Gamberi
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 63
THE Social Scene A PowWow for Jake Hairston
J
ake Hairston, a page for the Pilgrimage Garden Club during the recent Spring Pilgrimage in Natchez, Mississippi, was honored with a special party on the grounds of the Natchez Indian Village. Hostesses were Bea Byrnes, Diana Nutter, Micki Hartley, Leigh Anderson, Carol Smith, Linda Odgen, and Ann Mullins. Guests were treated to a Native American dance performance by Chase Patrick, and Jake was given an official cultural headpiece. Guests also played games and enjoyed special treats during the party.
Front—Harris Pyron, Hartley Pyron, and Sam Mosby; back—Cole Mosby and Grant Falkenheiner
Front—Hartley Pyron, Sam Mosby, Cooper Wells, and Mason Wells; back—Cole Mosby and Grant Falkenheiner
Jacob Smith, Brittany Smith, Beth Mullins, and Madison Burgess
Connor Cauthen, Jake Hairston, and Hayes Marchbank
Bea Byrnes, Diana Nutter, Micki Hartley, Ellyn Hairston, Jake Hairston, Chase Patrick, Leigh Anderson, Carol Smith, Linda Ogden, Ann Mullins, and Ellyn Falkenheiner
Page 64 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Jake Hairston
Mylie Magee and Kailey Gremillion
Scholarship Award
C
handler Parker of McComb, Mississippi, was delightfully surprised to receive the Gay Austin Scholarship Award, the first ever given, during the 2011 McComb Garden Club Azalea Coronation. Â Pictured with Chandler is Cindy Steward, McComb Garden Club President.
Jake Hairston and Chase Patrick
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 65
Photography Award
E
lise D. Parker, a member of Bluffs & Bayous’ photography staff and a resident of McComb, Mississippi, recently entered the Pike County Arts Council juried art show and won first place in the photography category. The winning piece was a photoon-canvas gallery wrap entitled “Crawfish Boil.”
Page 66 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous
Bluffs & Bayous { May 2011 { Page 67
Page 68 { May 2011 { Bluffs & Bayous