Monday, April 20, 2015

A Cup Of Tea and A Cozy Mystery: Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia by Patricia ...

A Cup Of Tea and A Cozy Mystery: Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia by Patricia ...: In November Author and Author-Poet-Speaker Mississippi Goodwill Ambassador Patricia Neely-Dorsey contacted me and asked me if I would like...

Monday, February 23, 2015

MEET MY MISSISSIPPI " As Mississippi's State Poem



I am so passionate about Promoting a Positive Mississippi ... especially to the youth of our state
I want to use my poem "Meet My Mississippi " to help to teach the children of our state ( and people of all ages ) some important things about Mississippi in a way that can be easily remembered/recalled.
The state song, the state motto, the state tree the state bird and the state capitol are all included in the poem..along with other famous landmarks and people of Mississippi 

MEET MY MISSISSIPPI
Faulkner's Sanctuary
Eudora's home state
Elvis' birthplace
The bulk of the Trace;
Sprawling beaches
Along the Gulf Coast shore
One blues man's crossroads
And inspiration for more;
An abundance of history
Tradition and folklore
Warm front porch welcomes
With a wide open door;
A ride down the mighty river
On the American Queen
And some of the most
Beautiful countryside
That you've ever seen
She's music and melodies
And the mockingbird's songs,
By valor and arms
And faith ever strong;
She's magnolias blooming
Around Jackson's capitol dome
And the sweet scent of honeysuckle
That forever says "home"
She's My Mississippi
She's "The Hospitality State"
"Go Mississippi"
You're a true State of Grace
 Patricia Neely-Dorsey @2013

THE POEM "MEET MY MISSISSIPPI "
CAN BE USED AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR ALL AGES
An easy way to introduce...and prompt discussion on
elements included in the poem:
STATE BIRD...mockingbird
STATE TREE :magnolia
STATE FLOWER...magnolia
STATE CAPITOL: Jackson, MS
STATE MOTTO: "By valor and arms"
STATE SONG: "Go Mississippi " (keep rolling along)
STATE NICKNAME: Hospitality State
FAMOUS MISSISSIPPIANS: William Faulkner,
Eudora Welty, Elvis Presley


PLEASE HELP MAKE "MEET MY MISSISSIPPI " 
THE STATE POEM!
HELP MAKE HISTORY....AND BE A PART OF MISSISSIPPI HISTORY!!!
I need LOTS and LOTS of signatures to help this pass when 

it comes up for a vote in the legislature !
PLEASE SIGN PETITION !      PLEASE SHARE !
If you know someone in the House or Senate please encourage 

them to VOTE FOR MEET MY MISSISSIPPI AS STATE POEM








I just visited www.ipetitions.com and signed an important petition. I really care about this cause and hope you'll show your support for it.














While forty-two U.S. states have an official poet laureate or state writer, only five states have an official state poem.
Indiana-Adopted 1963
Massachusetts, Adopted 1981
New Mexico- Adopted 1921
Oklahoma Adopted 1941
Tennessee-Adopted 1973

READ the other state poems on my page ! (Only 5 states have state poems)
OMG!!!!We would have the BEST, Most Representative,Descriptive (of the state) poem BY FAR !
But..Then Again...,I might be just a little biased !!! LOL
Tell me what you think !

INDIANA STATE POEM .
Title: "Indiana"
Author:Arthur Franklin Mapes
Legislation Recognizing Official Status:
Adopted in 1963 by the General Assembly; codified in IC 1-2-5.
Poem Text:
Indiana
God crowned her hills with beauty,
Gave her lakes and winding streams,
Then He edged them all with woodlands
As the settings for our dreams.
Lovely are her moonlit rivers,
Shadowed by the sycamores,
Where the fragrant winds of Summer
Play along the willowed shores.
I must roam those wooded hillsides,
I must heed the native call,
For a Pagan voice within me
Seems to answer to it all.
I must walk where squirrels scamper
Down a rustic old rail fence,
Where a choir of birds is singing
In the woodland...green and dense.
I must learn more of my homeland
For it's paradise to me,
There's no haven quite as peaceful,
There's no place I'd rather be.
Indiana...is a garden
Where the seeds of peace have grown,
Where each tree, and vine, and flower
Has a beauty...all its own.
Lovely are the fields and meadows,
That reach out to hills that rise
Where the dreamy Wabash River
Wanders on...through paradise.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE POEM.
Title:"Blue Hills of Massachusetts"
Author:Katherine E. Mullen
Legislation Recognizing Official Status:
Adopted in 1981 by the General Court; codified in General Laws, Chapter 2, Section 21.
Poem Text:
"Blue Hills of Massachusetts"
by Katherine E. Mullen
Massachusetts! Massachusetts!
Lovely Bay State by the sea,
Chosen by the Pilgrim Fathers
In their search for liberty.
Massachusetts! Massachusetts!
How we love your Indian name!
Meaning "Great Blue Hill" in Boston,
Named before the white men came.
High locations in the distance,
Are serene, majestic blue,
Like Mount Greylock or Wachusett,
They are fascinating, too.
But from Boston to the Berkshires,
Lesser heights are bathed in blue,
In early dawn or distance,
Like the "Great Hill" Indians knew.
Close to Nature lived the Red Man,
Keen to every form and hue,
Knew the paths, and streams, and wildlife,
And the hills around him, too.
On the wide base of "Great Blue Hill,"
Lived the Massachuset tribe,
Kept their Great Chief's Pilgrim Treaty
While the good man was alive.
Made in faith with Governor Carter,
Sixteen hundred twenty-one,
Kept for forty years, sincerely,
Till his death in sixty-one!
Massachusetts Seal and State Flag
Show the Chief in deerskin brown,
Proudly holding firm his strong-bow,
And one arrow, pointing down.
"Coat of Arms" of Massachusetts,
With our State Star just above,
Tribute to a noble Indian,
Loyal history that we love!
Gentle hillsides and green valleys,
Make our lives so pleasant here,
While the ever-changing seasons
Bring glad contrasts through the year.
Autumn foliage is so brilliant
It is known throughout the world!
Crimson, gold, and blazing orange
In exultant praise unfurled.
But by Christmas time in winter,
There's a wonderland of snow!
Everywhere, a lovely picture
Anywhere that we might go.
And the vigor of the climate
With the challenges we meet,
Make our lives in Massachusetts,
A delightful bitter-sweet!
Massachusetts! Massachusetts!
What a splendid history!
Like our great and glorious Nation,
In its strength for Liberty!
Massachusetts! Massachusetts!
Keep the faith true pride instills!
May our trust in you be steadfast,
As the everlasting hills!

NEW MEXICO STATE POEM ..
Title:"A Nuevo Mexico"
Author:Luis Tafoya
Legislation Recognizing Official Status:
Adopted 1921; codified in New Mexico Statutes, 12-3-11.
Poem Text:
From Statutes, 12-3-11; includes original Spanish text and English translation.
A Nuevo Mexico
Levanta, Nuevo Mexico, esa abatida frente
que anubla los encantos de tu serena faz,
y alborozado acoje corona refulgente,
simbolo de gloria y de ventura y paz.
Despues de tantos anos de lucha y de porfia,
tu suerte se ha cambiado y ganas la victoria,
llegando a ver por fin el venturoso dia
que es colmo de tu dicha y fuente de tu gloria.
Has sido un gran imperio, colmado de riqueza,
y grandes contratiempos tuviste que sufrir,
mas ahora triunfo pleno alcanza tu entereza,
y el premio a tu constancia pudiste conseguir.
Tu pueblo por tres siglos aislado y solitario,
de nadie tuvo ayuda, de nadie proteccion,
lucho por su existencia osado y temerario,
sellando con su sangre dominio y posesion.
Tras tan heroico esfuerzo por fin has merecido
el bien que procurabas con insistencia tanta
de que en la Union de Estados fueses admitido
con la soberania que al hombre libre encanta.
Obstaculos y estorbos del todo desaparecen,
y entrada libre tienes a la gloriosa Union,
en donde los ciudadanos prosperan y florecen,
con tantas garantias y tanta proteccion.
Por tan pasmosa dicha el parabien te damos,
a ti como a tus hijos, de honor tan senalado,
y que en tu nueva esfera de veras esperamos
que a fuer de gran imperio seras un gran estado.
To New Mexico
Lift, New Mexico, your tired forehead
That clouds the enchantment of your peaceful face,
And joyfully receive the bright crown,
Symbol of glory, venture, and peace.
After so many years of fight and persistence
Your luck has changed and you gain victory,
Reaching up to see your fortunate day at last
That is an overflow of happiness and the fountain of your glory.
You have been a great empire filled with riches,
And many mishaps you had to suffer,
But now complete triumph reach up to your integrity,
And reward for your constancy, you were able to achieve.
Your people for three centuries, isolated and lonely,
With help or protection from nobody,
They fought for their existence, reckless and daring
Sealing with their blood their dominion and possession.
After such heroic effort finally you deserve
The goodness with such an insistence you procure,
To be admitted in the state of the union
With the sovereignty that is a free man's enchantment.
Obstacles and hindrance for good they disappear,
And free admittance you have to the glorious union,
Where the people prosper and flourish
With so many guarantees and great protection.
For that marvelous satisfaction we welcome you,
You and your children such a deserved honor,
And in your new sphere we truly hope
That by dint of imperiousness a great state you will become.


OKLAHOMA STATE POEM...
Dedication, Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City, June 28, 1941 
Title:"Howdy Folks"
Author:David Randolph Milsten
Legislation Recognizing Official Status:
Recognized as state poem in 1941 by House Concurrent Resolution No. 7 (18th Legislature).
"Howdy Folks"
Well, here goes some scribblin' that's a little past due,
But I reckon I'm always a-thinkin' 'bout you.
I've been readin' the papers in my own little way,
And I see where you messed up my last birthday.
Through divine television I caught the dedication
And heard some tributes by a mighty swell nation.
Now that's a powerful nice shack you built on the hill;
But that's just like the Sooners, it gives them a thrill.
I never did nuthin' to cause all that fuss;
And sometimes, folks, I could almost cuss.
But, dern you, I love you, I guess it's my pride
That chokes me all up and hurts me inside.
I heard Jesse, Irvin, Cohan and Fred
And Amon and Eddie, what nice things they said.
I always called Claremore a big little town,
With guys like Mort Harrison and others around.
I see where Joe Crosson winged there for a day;
Remember him, Wiley? We slept all the way.
But I'll tell you the part which touched me the most,
And it ain't like me to speak up and boast.
It was when dear Mary pulled the curtain string
For my act in bronze -- what a homely thing!
But I guess it was sentiment that filled the place,
'Cause my kids kind of cried and I saw Betty's face.
God bless my old partner, she held up her head;
and though none of you heard me, she knew what I said.
And I spied Sister Sally with a shy little glance;
She's all the West means, charm and romance.
Old Jo had a job a-chisslin' my mug;
Why, I got more wrinkles than a Navajo rug.
So you're honorin' Oklahoma with a replica of me --
Move over Sequoyah, for another Cherokee.
Well, much obliged friends, for the money you spent,
And the words that were spoken by our President.
I wish you had erected a memorial to peace;
We'd be happy up here if war talk would cease.
But I ain't ungrateful, I just can't see
Such a hullabaloo 'bout a cowboy like me.
Well, so long folks, it's time to retire;
I got to keep a date with Odd McIntyre.

TENNESSEE STATE POEM ..Read it here...
Title: "Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee”
Author:
Naval Adm. William Porter Lawrence
Legislation Recognizing Official Status:
Adopted as state poem in 1973 by the 88th General Assembly (Acts 1973, ch. 111, § 1; 1977, ch. 329, § 1; Tennesse Code, § 4-1-303).
Poem Text:
From the Tennessee Code Annotated.
Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee
Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee
What Love and Pride I Feel for Thee.
You Proud Ole State, the Volunteer,
Your Proud Traditions I Hold Dear.
I Revere Your Heroes
Who Bravely Fought our Country's Foes.
Renowned Statesmen, so Wise and Strong,
Who Served our Country Well and Long.
I Thrill at Thought of Mountains Grand;
Rolling Green Hills and Fertile Farm Land;
Earth Rich with Stone, Mineral and Ore;
Forests Dense and Wild Flowers Galore;
Powerful Rivers that Bring us Light;
Deep Lakes with Fish and Fowl in Flight;
Thriving Cities and Industries;
Fine Schools and Universities;
Strong Folks of Pioneer Descent,
Simple, Honest, and Reverent.
Beauty and Hospitality
Are the Hallmarks of Tennessee.
And O'er the World as I May Roam,
No Place Exceeds my Boyhood Home.
And Oh How Much I Long to See
My Native Land, My Tennessee.
















































Fiction, Lies, and Carpal Tunnel: Promoting Mississippi

Fiction, Lies, and Carpal Tunnel: Promoting Mississippi: T he first time I met Patricia Neely-Dorsey , she gave me advice. I was attending my first event as an author -- an open house at our lo...

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS !




Can you believe Elvis " THE KING " Presley was born in my hometown???!!!
Elvis Aaron Presly was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935, to 18-year-old Vernon Elvis and 22-year-old Gladys Love Presley in the East Tupelo two-room "shotgun" house built by his father , uncle and grandfather. Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered 35 minutes before him, stillborn. As an only child, Elvis was very close to both parents and formed an unusually tight bond with his mother.  In November 1948, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee.

Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.
In 1954, Elvis began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. By 1956, he was an international sensation
Known all over the world by his first name, Elvis is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture














 Elvis Aaron Presley
Born: January 8, 1935- Tupelo, MS
Died: August 16, 1977 - Memphis , TN

Thousands of tourists and fans from all over the world 
come to Tupelo, Mississippi every year to 
visit this two room "shotgun" house built by 
Elvis' father, uncle and grandfather

* Beautiful watercolor by friend Debra Estep-Ohio
#Elvis #ElvisBirthplace #TupeloMississippi




Thursday, September 25, 2014

You Will FALL For These Wonderful Little Books Of Southern Poems !




Fall is here!
 
Who doesn't love to read? 
I know that I do !
Cooler days make it the perfect time to cuddle 
up with a good book....or two !
I have the perfect selections for you !
You will love my two wonderful little 
books of southern poems!
Some people love to sit in a swing or rock in a comfortable rocker.
Where is your favorite place to read?
























FOR A CHANCE TO WIN 
a copy of my book, 
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia ...
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT 
AND YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS.


 Please Visit These Other Blogs on The Hop .....




Thursday, September 11, 2014

Love is in the air... It's My (REAL) Anniversary

Today is my REAL Wedding Anniversary.
My husband, James, and I were married on September 11, 1993 at the church of Christ on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis , Tennessee.

I have told you in a previous post how James has all of these OTHER "anniversary" dates for us (anniversary of our first phone call, anniversary of our first date, anniversary of the date we got our marriage license, ect.) These are dates that he quizzes me on every year...and dates that I NEVER remember !!!
Unfortunately ...and sadly, terrorists made my wedding anniversary day one that I 
(and practically all Americans) will never forget ...9-11
On September 11, 2001 thousands of Americans lost their lives in a terrifying
terrorist attack on U. S. soil. 
Although, I celebrate a joyous occasion on 9-11, it is always bittersweet.





I am always telling everyone about how my husband and I met on a blind date. 

We actually did!!
One of my dear friends, who I had not seen or talked to in several years, called me up out of the blue one day.  She said that she had found the perfect man for me.
He attended the church in Martin, Tennessee, where her husband was the minister.
She told me that she had been watching him and he was THE ONE !


My thoughts/reply……….
"What's wrong with him?" ..."Why does he need to be fixed up on a blind date?" 


Knowing the ratio of eligible black men to women...especially in the church,
I thought it very odd that he might need a "hook-up".
Anyway, to make a long story short, she talked me into agreeing to a blind date.
On the day of the date, I made her stay on the phone with me until he arrived/ until I saw him, so that I could tell her what I thought of him. I wanted to let her know if I was going to have to KILL her or not !
I was looking out of the window, with phone in hand, when he drove up.  When he got of the car, I told her that she was safe and that I would not have to kill her. I told her that he was handsome and "FINE"....but rather short , it seemed, for my taste, Anyway, he was passable, we got off of the phone .
I thought that it was a terrible date. It was! I think we argued the whole time! I KNOW that we argued all through our lunch at Ryans Steakhouse.  

Evidently he saw things differently.
He asked me for a second date...and the rest, as they say, is history.







(In the poem I say we have been married 14 years.  
The poem was written in 2007. 
Now it is our 21st anniversary)


                Q:  What makes a marriage last? A:   REAL Love !









KIND SWEET WORDS from a dear, (male) Facebook friend on Anniversary post :

'Your love for each other shines through so bright in your poetry. But I can tell it shines every day, which only makes today that much more special. You are an example.'




Saturday, August 9, 2014

Today is National Book Lovers Day !



National Book Lovers Day is celebrated each year on August 9 (and sometimes on the first Saturday in November) . It is a day for all those who love to read . National Book Lovers Day encourages you to find your favorite reading place, a good book, rather it be fiction or non-fiction, and read the day away. 

Some ways to celebrate National Book Lover's Day include: 

1) Visiting your local library 
2) Rereading an old favorite 
3) Hosting a Book Lovers' party 
4) Contacting your favorite living author 
5) Giving the gift of books 















To purchase - Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia - A Life in Poems
                             CLICK HERE
  - Amazon.com

                      To purchase - My Magnolia Memories and Musings in Poems 
                               CLICK HERE  - Amazon.com







Book Lover's Cakes


 Wedding Book Cake











Wednesday, August 6, 2014

THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW ON THIS DAY (1965)


Today in 1965 LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act into 
law enforcing the 15th Amendment, prohibiting the 
use of tactics denying access to vote & targeting 
states with greatest discrimination.










Sunday, July 13, 2014

HERE SHE COMES...MISS AMERICA...BY WAY OF MISSISSIPPI !!!


Congratulations to our new 
Miss Mississippi, Jasmine Murray !!! 
She was crowned Saturday night in Vicksburg!




I called Miss Riverland (Jasmine) and Miss Mississippi State, Laura Lee Lewis as the top two finalists before the pageant started on Saturday night.  I had pretty much concluded that by Saturday morning after seeing all of the preliminary updates.  
The pageant started at 8pm Saturday.  
Just after the program began, I posted my prediction on my Facebook page.  Then, a little while later I typed my same prediction in a private message to my friend : 8:15pm I wrote: " I'm thinking it's going to be between Miss Riverland - Jasmine Murray and Miss Mississippi State Laura Lee Lewis" I was having an ongoing pageant commentary throughout the pageant in private messages with this friend, who was not able to see the pageant from the beginning but was only able to see the last parts of it on the computer live feed. 

I was giving her frequent updates and my thoughts, as the pageant was going on ...and rehashing each segment with my mother during the commercials.

When I saw my top two selections in their evening wear that even made me MORE certain of my decision about what the outcome of the pageant would be. 
Jasmine's dress was banging !!! 
It was perfect for her...elegant and regal.  Miss Mississippi States's dress was absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!! I posted on my Facebook page..."That dress is THE BOMB!!!!!! " I wonder how much THAT dress cost"!!!! 

8:34pm I messaged my friend : Miss Mississippi State had on a dress was every bit of $10,000...Had to be !!!! Of course, I had no idea how much the dress actually cost or what she might have paid for it .. But, if it didn't cost $10,000, it should have !!!! 
It looked like a million bucks and she looked like a million bucks in it !!!!!

Both girls, my Top 2 Picks,  are very talented and have lovely singing voices. Jasmine tied for first place with Laura Lee in talent in the preliminaries on Wednesday. 

Ultimately, though, it was the swimsuit competition that TOTALLY sealed it for me !!!!! There were some other girls that had some great bodies and looked amazing 
in those suits ...with FLAWLESS tans.  
 I commented on several of them on my Facebook page ... 

But ...when Miss Jasmine stepped on that stage ...in THAT yellow bathing suit ..
It was ALL OVER!!! Check mate !!!! 
I think I actually said out loud "What the What??!!!!" 
She was stunning !!!!  I mean S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G!!!! She had been the Swimwear Preliminary Winner on Friday night. I sent a message to my friend about Jasmine : 9:17pm She just killed in a yellow bathing suit!!!


~ S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G! ~






























 

 
TOP 5 for 2014 Miss Mississippi Pageant.
l to r: Caroline Conerly- Miss Deep South; Laura Lee Lewis-Miss Mississippi State University; Jasmine Murray-Miss Mississippi 2014 (formerly Miss Riverland);
Randi-Kathryn Harmon-Miss Historic South; and Jessica Terrill-Miss North Central Mississippi.





 I am so proud of Miss Jasmine and even more thrilled about it since I found out from my mother that Jasmine's grandparents and my parents were very close friends from WAY back. She said that Jasmine's grandfather would attend all of the many Alpha (Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity) meetings and parties that we frequently had at our house (in the 60's and 70's )...You can read about those parties in my poem "Alpha Parties" in my book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life In Poems (page 38) I had not even known that little tidbit of info until Friday morning when I was taking my mother to her regular beauty shop appointment (same beautician for over 40 years) Whatever the cause may be, family friend or not, I am super proud to have Miss Jasmine Murray from Columbus, MS, as our Miss Mississippi ! Go Miss Mississippi ....Keep Rolling Along...all the way to that Miss America crown !!!


Sunday, Sept. 14 2014, is the date of the Miss America Pageant, which will be broadcast live from Atlantic City NJ.  It's on ABC-TV at 9pm (eastern time). 





 

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