Thursday, August 30, 2012

LIFE LESSONS ...



LIFE LESSONS   ...

Some of the things that my mother has taught me growing up,
and continues to teach me day after day have lately come front and center in my mind.

They are things that so many could learn from and benefit from.

When  I  think  that , maybe , their own mothers might not have taught them...

I feel , somehow that it is my duty to share ...just in case for, the lessons are invaluable.

It is that old message that when you learn..teach.
I have learned SO much in my lifetime!
I don't really even know where to start, because all of the lessons and
words of wisdom have begun to come rushing forth like a flood.
I will just start ..somewhere and share over time .

Things my mama taught me....


#1 Everybody in your corner... ain't on your side.
(She didn't break verbs or use improper English...that's all ME )

 
The lesson is this : Just because people smile in your face, pat you on the back, tell you how wonderful you are and give you all kind of accolades, doesn't mean that they are on your side. It doesn't mean that they are really FOR you. It doesn't mean that they love you , or that they even LIKE you .
My mother emphasized the fact that a person will have few REAL friends in a lifetime. There will be very few people who will really be there for you when you are down and out or really in need. .It's seems a little sad...
but the beautiful thing about it is..It ONLY TAKES A FEW.

When I went to see Dr. Maya Angelou in Memphis. She talked about these people who helped her along the way.
  These people who pulled her up, or pushed her forward....the ones who could not have had a clue who she would become..when she was .. a little girl who had been raped by her mother's boyfriend. ...the little girl who would not speak for many years ..and later in life the 16 year old ...6 feet tall ....unmarried AND pregnant teenager . They didn't know that she would become THE Dr. Maya Angelou..one of the greatest cultural icons, speakers, teachers of our times .
She called these people rainbows.

From her talk , I became determined that I would be a rainbow. I will do that .
From my mother's talks and lessons , I learned very early , all who could be counted, (around you ) can't be counted on.
Which means when you are determined to do something, you do it REGARDLESS of the naysayers, the haters, the stumbling blocks . ..the ones who are smiling in your face and back stabbing .
My mother taught me how to Be Me , Do Me,and to SHINE...Regardless !!! Mama I Thank you SO MUCH for that !

MY message to most folks is .........
When all else fails..Remember what your Mama taught you !
 
 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Me and My "Book Babies" Supporting the Troops





I AM SO TOUCHED !!!! MY HEART IS FULL!! I received a Heartwarming message from a NEW Facebook friend :

" I heard a lot of good things from a teacher about your work. I was hoping to ask 
for a copy if you could. I was trying to find where I could get one at but its kinda hard where I am. I am in  Afghanistan. I am from Mooreville, MS born and raised. I would love to read your work some time. I miss my home back in Mississippi, but know I have a duty to the country I love as well. Thank you very much.

I returned his message and told him that I would be HONORED to send him the books ! He KEPT asking about the price and wanting to pay me . I KEPT telling him that he is paying and has paid enough, already !!! All throughout the message, he KEPT calling me ma'am ! 
WHO DOES THIS ... in a Facebook message??!!! 

A young man properly raised in MISSISSIPPI...  THAT'S WHO!!! 

I am SO proud of him...even though he is just a Facebook friend (for now) With tears of pride in my eyes ...I am thinking about this young man faithfully/courageously 
serving our country and my "book babies",  are on their way for the 
6000 plus mile trip to  Afghanistan . 

Thinking of the message that I heard from Maya Angelou on Saturday, I deeply 
hope that through them (my books/poems) , I can be a rainbow in the midst of this 
young man's clouds in a hostile war zone. 

 If you would like to show your support for our US troops,
check out these following web sites:


http://www.anysoldier.com/




 


Monday, August 27, 2012

An (Enchanted) Evening With Maya







On Saturday August 25, 2012, I traveled to Memphis with a dear friend to attend a function there.   The function was called Maya in Memphis . By attending this event, I would be checking off a big "bucket list " item. A bucket list is a list of things  that you would like to do before you die.  Included on that list ,for me, are seeing  the Great Pyramids of Giza,  the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Taj Mahal in India .
Also on that list was seeing/meeting The Great Dr. Maya Angelou in person !! 
On Saturday evening I was well on my way to checking off that item!

On the way to the speaking engagement to see Dr Angelou, I looked up at the sky and saw the most dazzling rainbow! 
I pointed to it and exclaimed excitedly to my friend...

"LOOK at that Rainbow!!!!"

It was HUGE and very bright .It was one like I had not seen in many years. 
We both stared in amazement !  Two grown women were totally in awe of this  wonder of nature  !! My friend said, “I wonder if they can see that in Tupelo.”?
As large as it was, I was sure, in my mind. that they could !

Little did I know that the theme of Maya's talk was to be Rainbow in the Clouds!   She even sang to us !! She sang the lines of an old spiritual hymn...

"When it looked like the sun wouldn't shine no more..........
God put a rainbow in the clouds..".

Maya shared, very intimately and humorously with us highlights of her incredible story and life journey.  She told us about people who had loved 
her, cared for her, encouraged her, helped her and positively affected her life along the way. She called those people rainbows. 
She encouraged each of us to be rainbows !  
Maya 's story deeply touched me, changed me,  empowered me and 
inspired me!

I am DETERMINED to be a rainbow for SOMEONE...
for ANYONE...and for  EVERYONE that I can.

I am going to be a bright shining rainbow in the clouds.

I didn't get to take a picture with Maya, or get her autograph, or present her with my books as I had often dreamed.... 
but the evening was all that I could have hoped for.  
It was more than enough!
Thank You, Dr. Angelou!
I am forever changed!





God Puts Rainbows in my Clouds  ~  
Dr. Maya Angelou SINGING.......

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Today is National Poet's Day






 
    

Promoting what I LOVE


It NEVER ceases to amaze me how people can run down, complain about,
and spew out all types of negatives toward the South and Mississippi
and that is not a problem, but when one dares to say that there are actually things 
to love  about our region, it becomes a problem.  It's seen as being dismissive of deeper issues. Just because you promote the positives, does not mean that you don't acknowledge the negatives .
There are always TWO sides ( or more) to every story...Two sides of every coin.
There is good and bad in all of us. There are good AND bad aspects of any place on the planet .

Why is it wrong...or threatening to proclaim that there are actually some
wonderful things ... things to LOVE...  things that I LOVE about the south and
about Mississippi??!!!

SMG (Shaking my head) !!!

It absolutely blows my mind!

Well, just in case ANYONE missed it or misunderstood ...

In my poems....on my blog. and in my life ...........

I am Always , Always Celebrating the South and Promoting a Positive Mississippi.








Monday, August 20, 2012

Happy "Anniversary" to Me ??!!!

OMG!!!! Please when will it stop ??!!!

Here we go again...I've told you how Dear Hubby is always spouting out these dates...
these "Anniversaries" that he EXPECTS me to remember !
Over time, I have learned that when he asks me about a date , I know it has something to do with our relationship. ..first date..first kiss...first phone call....SOMETHING!!!

So this morning ...

Hubby: What's special about August 20th...What do you remember?
Me: Looking like a deer in headlights....What ??!!! OMG...What
I know ...I know...It's one of THOSE dates !!!WHAT????!!

Dead Silence...Hubby ...Shaking his head
(I NEVER REMEMBER!!!!) What??!!!!!

SOOO for all of you out there who could possibly give a care ...
Hubby just informed me for the 18th year in a row that today is our
Anniversary of the day we got our Marriage License !!!


PLEASE!!!!!!!!! Who remembers these things???!!!!
Answer: My Dear hubby !!! (NOT Me...EVER!)

Can't I just get credit for time served??? !!!!!!
We will have been married 19 years next month...I can never forget THAT date.
 History has made sure of that ... September 11th.. 9-11

PND: Happy Marriage License Anniversary to me !



James and Patricia  - September  11, 1993



ABOUT MY POETRY : The origin - Patricia Neely-Dorsey





When I think about how my poems/books came to be and how they finally arrived to the reader, I think of the words of the song "The Long and Winding Road". Though most of the poems in both Reflections and My Magnolia Memories were written within a span of six months (Feb 2007-Aug 2007), they've all been in the making from very early in my life. My mother gave me a passionate love for reading and writing, and my father gave me an appreciation for poetry and great literature, especially that of African-American origin.

I always hesitate to call myself a poet. I feel more like a vessel or conduit through which the poems flow. I never intentionally sat down to write any of them. They all came to be fully complete and neatly packaged, title and all. I just put them down on paper.  I call my car my personal "think tank" because over half of my poems ,or actually, MOST of my poems came to me while I was riding in my car. For some reason, during the time when most of my poems were written, I had stopped listening to my radio and would just enjoy the peace and quiet inside the car on my way to work. All of a sudden , there was a poem. I would have to scramble around to try to get the words down before they left. ( I have lost more poems inside my head than I have gotten written down) . You would not believe the poems that I have on the back of Wal- Mart receipts, bills and miscellaneous scraps of paper ! One reporter who interviewed me , was very shocked when I pulled out a box from under the bed containing all of those "scraps" and jumbled words. LOL!
There is something to be said about "being still" and listening to that still, quiet voice inside.
We all have it. It's just so often drowned out by the "noise".


I wrote my very first poem in February 2007. I woke up on Valentine's Day 2007 with the words of "Our Place" forcefully dancing around in my head. I quickly got up and scribbled it down. To this day, it remains one of my favorites along with "Let's" and "Mississippi Man".

As you will see in my poetry, I am so proud of where I come from, so happy with the life I've lived and totally enamored with the southern way of life.










Thursday, August 16, 2012

TODAY is the 35th Anniversary of Elvis' Death



ELVIS AARON PRESLEY
Born: January 8, 1935- TUPELO, MS
Died: August 16, 1977- MEMPHIS, TN

















Following is the wording of Elvis' epitaph as seen on his tombstone.
Written by Janelle McComb, commissioned and directed
by Elvis' father Vernon Presley: 

Elvis
Aaron
Presley

January 8, 1935
August 16, 1977

Son of
Vernon Elvis Presley
and Gladys Love Presley

Father of
Lisa Marie Presley

He was a precious gift from God
We cherished and loved dearly.

He had a God-given talent that he shared
With the world. And without a doubt,
He became most widely acclaimed;
Capturing the hearts of young and old alike.

He was admired not only as an entertainer,
But as the great humanitarian that he was;
For his generosity, and his kind feelings
For his fellow man.

He revolutionized the field of music and
Received its highest awards.

He became a living legend in his own time;
Earning the respect and love of millions.

God saw that he needed some rest and
Called him home to be with Him.

We miss you, Son and Daddy. I thank god
That He gave us you as our son.

                                                                  By: Vernon Presley
 Meditation Garden -Graceland - Memphis, Tennessee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Monday, August 13, 2012

Timeless Fashion





  When you choose classic cuts , designs, fabrics , ect. they never go out of style.

THIS DRESS IS OVER 30 years old.
I bought this dress when I was in the 8th grade...
Actually I BEGGED my mother to buy it for me! (LOL)
My Mom said that it was too old for me and that I didn't have
anywhere to wear it...which I guess was pretty true (LOL)..
But, I just HAD to have it!! It was SOO me!!!
(Well it is..isn't it??!!)

The saleslady at Pryors (Tupelo MS) helped me talk my mother into it.
~  Thanks Lady!!  ~
I think it was $80.
I really didn't wear the dress until I was in the 11th or 12th grade....
After that many many times...and I still wear it (smile)



Saturday, August 11, 2012

Brittney Reese - Ole Miss Graduate - Wins Olympic Gold







Long jumper Brittney Reese is the most dominant American female track and field athlete since the Beijing Olympics, winning three straight world championships and back-to-back Diamond League series titles.
Reese originally majored in basketball, getting a two-year scholarship to a community college in Mississippi. She switched to Ole Miss for another couple of years, and graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in English.

Shortly afterwards, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast; and though they weren’t the worst affected, it was bad enough.

“We were living in a mobile home for two months. We didn’t have amenities, we didn’t have hot water. It was a real eye-opener. It made me more aware of a whole lot of things.

“I wanted to give something back, to the community; and I went to Beijing in 2008, planning to get a medal, and I finished fifth. I was devastated. I cried all the way back to the village. The whole Gulf coast had supported me, and I wanted to give them something back.”


Reese did find a novel way of giving something back last year. On Thanksgiving Day in 2011, she donated 100 turkeys to homeless and religious organizations in her home town of Gulfport. But now she has given them a gold medal.
She dedicated the London Olympic title to the people of Mississippi and others who are still rebuilding in the wake of the deadly and devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Elvis Statue Unveiled August 9th - Elvis Week 2012 - Tupelo, Mississippi






Tupelo’s second Elvis statue was unveiled Thursday night in Fairpark. The bronze sculpture replicates a 1956 photo by Roger Marshutz of Elvis performing at a homecoming concert in the Fairpark area.  
William N. Beckwith, native of Mississippi was the sculptor.

Here are some facts about the statue.

• The statue is a little larger than life size. It’s 7 feet tall and is on a 4-foot-tall base.

• The base is made out of aggregate concrete, which was the popular style used in the 1950s. It has eight sides because Elvis’ favorite number was eight.

• Elvis faces the birthplace. His hand is stretched out so visitors can reach up and touch his fingertips like they would when he was performing.

• The placement of the statue is geared toward visitor photo opps. Tupelo City Hall is in the background from one angle and Tupelo Hardware is in the background from the other angle. The signage was changed on City Hall to add “Tupelo” as part of the project.

• Bill Beckwith, a Mississippi native,  made the sculpture in his Taylor studio.

• The interactive display features Elvis’ set list during the 1956 and 1957 concert in Tupelo.

• Visitors can use their smartphones to access video from the concert via an interactive display. They display also links to Tupelo’s promotional video, “Tupelove.” They also are invited to download GPS coordinates for the Elvis driving tour.

• Philips Day-Brite donated the lights for the statue.





Photo by Joyce Burns

Photo by Joyce Burns





Photo by Thomas Wells


Photo by Thomas Wells


Thursday, August 9, 2012

TODAY Is National Book Lover's Day






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




 




Monday, August 6, 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Elvis Statue to Be Unveiled - Elvis Week 2012 - Tupelo, Mississippi




The statue's sculptor, William N. Beckwith,  was born in Greenville, Mississippi in 1952.
He graduated from The University of Mississippi and is now the
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sculpture at The University of Mississippi.
He created the Elvis sculpture in his studio in Taylor Mississippi.

On September 26, 1956, a 21-year old Presley returned to Tupelo only a few years after leaving it to perform at the same fair he had performed at as a 10-year old. This time, as part of the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, Elvis performed two shows. A hundred National Guardsmen controlled the crowd that came out to see the biggest star to come from their hometown.

The statue is based on an iconic image of Elvis singing “Hound Dog,” as women raise their hands up to him with dreams they may brush his hand.   The image was taken that day in September of 1956 by photographer Roger Marshutz and is titled, 'The Hand'.









'The Hand'
Elvis performing in Tupelo Mississippi,
September 26, 1956.  Photo
by Roger Marshutz


Saturday, August 4, 2012

Gabrielle Douglas - USA Olympic Champion 2012





Women's Artistic Team All-Around Gymnastics Gold Medal – London Olympics 2012
Women’s Individual All-Around Gymnastics Gold Medal – London Olympics 2012

Gabrielle Douglas (born December 31, 1995), also commonly referred to as "Gabby,"'
is an American artistic gymnast.
She was a member of the gold medal-winning US Gymnastics team at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics.    Martha Karolyi, the National Team Coordinator for USA Gymnastics, nicknamed Douglas the "Flying Squirrel" for
her aerial performance on the uneven bars.
Douglas is the daughter of Timothy Douglas and Natalie Hawkins.
She began training in gymnastics at age six.
At age 14 in October of 2010, Douglas moved from her home in Virginia Beach,
Virginia, to live with a host family, Travis and Missy Parton, in
West Des Moines, Iowa, so she could train with Liang Chow, who was the
coach of former world and Olympic champion Shawn Johnson.
Her host family, Travis and Missy Parton have 4 daughters ….
Hailey, 10; twins Leah and Lexi, 7½; and Elissa age 6.  
Gabby has bonded with them like a 5th daughter.








































Gabby gets a big hug from her China-born coach, Liang Chow






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