I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY SOUTHERN LIFE!

November has been designated as I Am So Thankful Month.


It is dedicated to giving thanks and counting your blessings daily. 

It is a time that many people share with others the things they are thankful for in "30 Days of Thankfulness"

I am SO thankful for SO many things in my life ...Past and Present.

I share many of those things in my poetry and in my books, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia and My Magnolia Memories and Musings.

One of the major things that I am so very thankful for is the beautiful southern life that I have been blessed to live. Although many people outside of the region will never understand why this life is and has been so endearing, most southerners know exactly what I am talking about and what I mean.

There is something very special about growing up southern.

Mississippi, especially is and always has been a very magical place to me. I cannot imagine that it could be possible for me to have been as happy, growing up anywhere else or any way else.
The south is so much a part of who I am.

I Am So Thankful for my southern life !

That is why I am so passionate about "Always, Always Celebrating the South and Promoting a Positive Mississippi" 

What are you thankful for?

IN THE SOUTH, EVERYONE KNOWS OR WANTS TO KNOW WHO YOUR "PEOPLE" ARE

 









In the South, family ties are very important.  Everyone recognizes, identifies and acknowledges you in relation to your family.  Everyone wants to know who your "kin" or your "people " are.  In the past, when you were introduced to an older person, it was virtually assured and expected that the next thing you would hear would be the question: "Who are your people?" This was especially the case if you were being introduced as a new suitor, girlfriend or boyfriend.  They felt that they needed to know, right away, if you came from good stock or from the right kind of "people".  If by some remote chance a person was introduced and no one really knew who any of their "people" were, the customary question or more of a declaration was sure to follow:  "You not from around here, are you?"  And that was not necessarily seen as a very good thing. Of course, in a small town, that occurrence was very rare. In a small town, practically, everyone knew everyone and at least some of their "people". 

Times have changed dramatically and there are many more outsiders, even in small towns. But, even now, when we are trying to "place" someone and figure out who they are ? We often ask who their people are or who their mother or father is.  Most of my childhood, my first name was not required or deemed important or necessary at all, it seems. 
I was always introduced as Dr. Neely's daughter ...or Brian Neely's sister. 
It didn't bother me at all. it was just the way things were.  I am still often introduced as Dr. Neely's daughter when someone is trying to place the face after many years of not seeing me in the town. 

When we moved back to Tupelo, my husband soon found out that his name/title/identity, to many people, was/is Dr. Neely's son -in law.  Only during the years that I was in college in Boston and afterwards living in Memphis did I become accustomed to being primarily addressed by my given name. 
Now, that I have written two books and have a regular schedule of speaking engagements, I hear myself introduced repeatedly by my full name. I must admit that it has a very nice ring to it ....Patricia Neely-Dorsey (smile)  But, for a whole segment of older generation residents who knew me growing up, I am still very much ...and only ...Dr. Neely's daughter.  And, for a whole new group of acquaintances, who mostly only know me through my son, I am addressed as Henry's Mom ! 
It's OK...Really ...'cause I love my "people" ! 

THIS MISSISSIPPI GIRL IS FEELING (Very) NOSTALGIC !

Several recent events (very close together...within the past 6 months) have reminded me of how temporal things in life are and how one should never get overly attached to material things or even to circumstances.

Anything that we have..even our very lives can be taken away/be gone in the blink of an eye.

We should always be thankful and grateful for each day and it's blessings.

The things that happened are not really big things..but just tugged at a place inside of me that had nostalgic feelings for them.

I presently live in the house that I grew up in.

In the front yard, right in front of a very large "picture" window was ( I hate having to say it in past tense ) a most beautiful pink dogwood tree.

My Dad planted it for my Mom because it was her favorite.

The tree was almost as old as I am ..almost 50 years old .

So many days in my youth, my Dad and I would sit on the couch near that picture window and look at the various birds gathered under the dogwood tree.

He would point out all the different ones and tell me all about them.

Every spring when Mom and I would walk around in the yard , we marvel over it's beauty when it was in bloom.

We did that just a few months ago.

We all loved that tree!

Last week it was blown down by a very strong wind/rain storm;
Winds speeds were reported at over sixty miles an hour!

Now our beautiful tree is gone and I (we) will never enjoy it's blossoms in the spring again.

I'm glad that I took lots of pictures in front of it (It was one of my favorite backdrops) ,so that I can look back on it's beauty and why we loved it so much !

Several months ago ,another strong storm downed a huge pine tree in the front yard. That tree along with about about 10 or 12 others were planted at our home right after we moved in (1965)

It's gone.

Dad would always love to look at the picture of me and my brother standing by the trees when they were just tiny little things.

I was probably 4 and my brother 7.

The trees in the picture are not even as tall as we were.

Now , the others that are left standing are well over 20 feet!

A few months before or after that... Can't really remember ...

We woke up to find that one of the brick columns with lampposts at the entrance of the driveway was completely demolished by some drunk or crazy driver that plowed straight through it .

Sometime in the middle of the night , they ran right through it.

When I walked down to get the morning newspaper ,bricks were everywhere...along with various car parts.

I really don't even know how they drove away or how they got away alive

(You wouldn't believe how fast and crazy people drive on country roads these days!)

That post , along with it's twin had been there since the house was built.

Well, now it's gone.

Unbelievably, the very same day that our precious tree was uprooted and broken , the house across the road from us burned to the ground!

The house has been empty for many years but I have such fond memories of the family that lived there when I was a child.

The house and that family were there before we moved in....probably early 50's .

When I got up early this morning I went outside to see the last of the super moon .

It was beautiful!

Then I glanced over a bit and saw a red /orange glow through the trees.

I thought that I was just seeing things or thought that there was a reflection of something there.

I had hubby to go check it out.

He came back and said that the house had completely burned down...just the last bits burning

I learned later that it must have started about 1 or 2 am or so and the fire engines and police were out there around that time. I heard nothing ! Hubby says I sleep through anything ! Well, he did , too !!!

The coals and random pieces of wood continued to burn/smoke well into the afternoon,

Now, the house is gone!

Nothing (material) last forever.

I must always remember to enjoy the beauty and blessings of each day .

The Nature Lovers poem and many more can be found in my book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia- A Life In Poems

Both of my "little books of southern poems
are available on Amazon:

http://tinyurl.com/reflections-pnd

http://tinyurl.com/magnolia-mem-pnd

MY LITTLE BOOKS OF SOUTHERN POEMS HAVE A BIG NORTHERN FAN!

I always call my books Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia - A Life In Poems and My Magnolia Memories and Musings-In Poems, "a celebration of the south and things southern". Through my poems, I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life, rather than all the negatives usually portrayed.

It might come as a surprise for people to know that some of the biggest fans and supporters of my books are NOT from Mississippi....or even from the south!.
Yes, I do write exclusively and extensively about my love for the South, but I never try to bash the North or any other region.

I have a dear Facebook friend Debra Estep from Ohio, whom I became acquainted with, through a mutual Facebook friend and fellow Mississippian, Cyrus Webb.

She read the poems and the books and loved them.
She liked the messages that I was trying to convey.

Now, very frequently, and totally out of the goodness of her heart and her generous spirit, she makes graphics to go with my poems to enhance increase my ability to attractively share them and to increase the likelihood that others will share them.
The beautiful water color magnolias on many of the poem graphics that I post on Facebook are her original artistry!
She did a beautiful watercolor bottle tree painting for my Bottle Tree poem ...and later told me that she had never even HEARD of a bottle tree, before !
She also did an absolutely amazing painting of Elvis' birthplace home . 
(You can see some of these pictures below.)
I tease Debra all of the time about being Undercover Southern ! LOL!
I want to send a big Thank You to her and to all of my non-southern Facebook friends and book supporters !

You're wonderful ...and very much appreciated ! 

This is the BEAUTIFUL watercolor in process for my Bottle Tree poem, 
lovingly done by dear friend Debra Estep in Ohio !

SOUTHERNERS LOVE CHICKEN FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER AND SUPPER

Today is National Fried Chicken Day !

It is a day set aside to celebrate /appreciate the wonderful taste of fried chicken.
Fried chicken, often referred to as Southern Fried Chicken in the United States is the meat of the chicken dipped in a breading/batter mixture and then deep fried.
The breading/batter seals in the juices and absorbs the fat for flavor. 

For southerners, fried chicken is a favorite anytime dish !
We love fried chicken ! From a big country breakfast to a special meal dinner for invited, guests to a fun picnic in the park, fried chicken fits the bill .

Southern fried chicken is historically an African -American dish. The preparation of fowl using frying was relatively unknown among Europeans settlers of the United States , but was common in West Africa . Africans who were enslaved and brought to the Americas brought this method of food preparation with them . (Wikipedia)


Enjoy more southern poems:
BOOKS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:
http://tinyurl.com/reflections-pnd
http://tinyurl.com/magnolia-mem-pnd
 

SOUTHERN IS (Not) A COLOR !

These days, it seems as though people try to make almost everything in life a black or white issue.
It simply is not the case. 

Recently, I received a message in my Facebook message box which said :
Ms Dorsey you post many folk life photos but I have yet to see you post any of Black Folk Life in Mississippi?????

One of my first thoughts was: "You must have missed a whole lot of my posts/pictures."
I posted a response on my page which included some of the following statements:
EVERY single thing that I post has something to do with some some aspect of MY own life experiences. Many of my posts are pictures to go along with poems from my books, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia : A Life In Poems (MY Life..the life I know about ! ) and My Magnolia Memories and Musings- In Poems (emphasis on MY)

If I am not mistaken,.,and I don't think that I am..I do qualify as :Black Folk" LOL!!!
If I don't qualify, my parents will be VERY disappointed !!! Please don't tell them !!!LOL!

Most of the pictures that I post are of southern scenes and scenery ...fields, landscapes, old buildings, barns, farm life, farm animals , front porches, ect.
Those type of pictures are certainly not a black or white thing "
They are a "southern thing".
Southern is NOT a color.

When I am posting, I am never thinking of reflecting or appealing to black or white..
It never entered my mind to categorize the type of things that I post in terms of color.
I don't know if the roosters or the cows or pigs are supposed to be black or white folk life pictures but they are what I know about my country life upbringing.
From all of the feedback that I receive, it seems, that a lot of people, both black and white had the very same upbringing .

I post a goo gob of down-home , country style food pictures !!!
I really didn't know how obsessed I was/am with food until I started reading my own poems! Almost every other one of them has something to do with food!! LOL!!!
I don't think of the food items that I post in terms of a black or white thing.
Anyone should be able to see that it's a very Southern thing!

And, I must repeat, Southern is NOT a color !

Judging from all of the requests that I get to repost so many of the food recipes and pictures, it seems that a whole lot of people, both black an white love the same kinds of food that I love to eat and grew up on.

In general, I post a whole, whole lot about loving and the South.
Is that a white folk thing or a black folk thing ???
No , it's a Southern thing !
We LOVE our South.   We love our "southern" !
Southern is NOT a color !

I received so many positive responses from Facebook friends on that initial post saying that one of the reasons that they love my posts is because I don't make them into a black or white thing.
Of course, I will continue doing just what I do ...
Always, Always....Celebrating the South and things Southern
Until Next Time..  Love, Peace...and Chicken Grease ! 

Join in on the celebration !
Enjoy more southern poems:
BOOKS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:
http://tinyurl.com/reflections-pnd
http://tinyurl.com/magnolia-mem-pnd

NOVEMBER is "Thanksgiving" Month

The Thanksgiving Holiday is a perfect time for each of us to reflect on all of the things we have to be thankful for and to count our many blessings.
This Thanksgiving we should all express our "Thanksgiving" sentiments to friends and loved ones..and most importantly to THE ONE from whom all blessings flow.


REFLECTIONS OF A MISSISSIPPI MAGNOLIA
When I look back on my life,
I think how wonderful it has been;
To have had the most wonderful parents of all,
And a host of wonderful friends.
My high school days were blissful,
And my college days so fun;
Fond memories are one thing for sure,
That I have by the ton.
I'm so glad that I grew up,
On Mississippi sod,
My t-shirt reads: "American by birth,
And southern by the grace of God."
My life has been so wonderful,
I wouldn't change one condition;
As one friend of mine always says,
I should have paid admission.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey

poem from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

MARCH-Women's History Month

March is :
NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH .
Celebrate the beautiful woman/women in your life.

SHADES OF LOVELY(Good Enough to Eat)

Women of color are a sight to behold,
It's amazing to see their delicious colors unfold.
Honey,
Spice,
Brown Sugar,
Brown Rice,
Nutmeg and Cinnamon,
Gingerbread and Toast,
These are just a few of the colors,
That Black women boast.
There's Pecan, Almond, Walnut ,
and Coconut Cream;
There are more shades of lovely
Than any could dream.
If chocolate's your weakness,
They have every hue,
White chocolate, Dark chocolate
And Milk chocolate, too.
They come in Caramel and they come in Toffee,
They even come, like you like your coffee.
There's coffee with cream and coffee black,
Of any variety, there's certainly no lack.
There's Espresso and Mocha
And Cafe au Lait
Too many colors to count in a day.
From Banana to Licorice,
Including Hot Fudge;
If prizes were given,
Who could possibly judge?
When you see women of color
In all their array;
There's nothing more lovely,
You'd just have to say.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey

poem from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com