London Olympics

Be Positive

Reflections in the White House

I am thrilled to say that Reflections even made it all the way to the White House and into the hands of the president and First Lady.
Almost TWO years ago (May 6, 2010 to be exact- I still have the e-mail...and many more that followed) I was contacted by John Paul Greenawalt  of BOOK ARTS in D.C. who is responsible for selection of certain gifts for the President to present to dignitaries, heads of states, ect .

He asked permission to recommend my book for the possibility of being presented as a gift from the President.  Of course I was delighted!
I was advised that I couldn't/ shouldn't discuss it with others until a final decision was made.


January 30th...

I received a letter from the Department of State ~

Dear Ms. Dorsey
Thank you for providing us with a sample of your beautiful work.
We are grateful for Mr. Greenawalt introducing us to your poetry.
The needs of our office are always changing, so we will be touch should
another gifting opportunity arise.

Sincerely,
Katie Jacks
Senior Gifts Officer
Office of the Chief of Protocol
U.S. Department of State


So, the book was ultimately not chosen as a presentation at this time ...and now I can discuss it.
Although it was not chosen, I feel SO HONORED that it was even recommended and CONSIDERED!
My little book of southern poems from Tupelo/Saltillo , Mississippi impressed a man
who looks for material for gift presentations for kings and queens
Miracles do happen...and I am hoping that it might be reconsidered in the future.

I recently received a leather bound copy of what the gift book would have looked
like if it had been chosen and presented.

With the book I received this letter
Letter from John Paul Greenawalt :
from Book Arts Conservatory

Dear Mrs. Neely-Dorsey

Your binding is bound with the same red calfskin as used .for Queen Elizabeth II and is inlaid with the same chocolate calfskin on the hand-fitted archival case used for President Sirleaf, and the design is the same as created for the Emperor of Japan...all as gifts from the President.
I have enjoyed the prospect of your poems within our bindings, all of these many , many months, and it is a pleasure to send this binding to you as a gift. (I added the leather box as a bonus!)
Best Wishes in your continued Success

John Paull Greenawalt
President
Book Arts Conservatory

Magnolia Memories ~ I want Yours

When I went away to school in Boston (Boston University) for four years, one of the things that I missed the most  and appreciated more about my beloved Mississippi and the South was our unbelievable weather. I could not believe how cold it was already getting in September, just after the start of school.
I started wearing all of my heavy clothing almost right away.
Everyone told me that I was going to freeze to death when it got "REALLY" cold. Really Cold???!!!  It was already really cold to me !  I wondered exactly what they meant by that . I soon found out !!!  It was not pretty !!!

The type of cold that I learned about,living off of the Charles river, with  that bone chilling wind blowing in the winter is indescribable  to/for a southerner.  On top of that , people still kept going when there was unbelievable amounts of snow on the ground .  With just the  FORECAST of snow in the south , they are immediately  making plans for closing the schools ! LOL!!

I spent the summer in Boston,one year, and woke up on a bright July morning with the temperature at about 50 or 55 (dead winter temperature for  Mississippi) I knew then that this was not the place for me.
Yes, I endured the four years of cold and proudly graduated from Boston University , but was headed home to more "humane" conditions as quickly as you could say Mason Dixon Line !

                                                TOO COLD FOR COMFORT

When I went off to school in Boston,

I realized why Southerners have a slower pace;

When the weather’s not so frigid out,

There is no need to race.

When the weather’s nice and toasty,

You can take time to slowly walk;

When you don’t feel you’ll freeze to death,

With your friends, you can casually talk.

Northerners don’t really know what it is,

To take a leisurely stroll;

They’re always rushing here or there,

‘Cause the weather’s just too cold.

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia 
©2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Cool Wall Murals from the Mississippi Hills

  Bukka White Mural (Booker T. Washington White ) – ABERDEEN MS
                                     (Photo by Bob Franks Fulton MS)

                       Howlin' Wolf mural – ABERDEEN MS
                                 (Photo by Bob Franks Fulton MS)
        

                 Albert King Mural – ABERDEEN MS
                              (Photo by Bob Franks Fulton MS)

                              Mural – AMORY  MS
      

                         

                               Reed's Gumtree Bookstore – TUPELO MS 

                       Romie's Grocery - Jackson Street – TUPELO MS 

                                         Ice House 3D – TUPELO MS 

        

     Dr. Pepper Ad Mural - The Old Senter Drug Store Bldg West Main St - FULTON MS                                                      (Photo by Bob Franks Fulton MS)



                        Old Advertisement  - CORINTH MS
                                   (Photo by Bob Franks Fulton MS) 

The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area (MHNHA), designated by Congress and the President in April of 2009. Bounded approximately by Interstate 55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, MHNHA covers 19 full counties and portions of 11 others in the northeastern part of the Magnolia state.

Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped largely by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which produced a powerful concentration of nationally-significant cultural icons. Lasting contributions to our country’s musical and literary legacies were forged by Hills natives Elvis Presley, William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Howlin’ Wolf, and Tammy Wynette. The heritage area seeks to interpret and share the stories of these individuals, as well as the legacies of Civil Rights pioneers James Meredith and Ida B. Wells-Barnett.

The Mississippi Hills join a network of 49 other National Heritage Areas across the country, which are charged with preserving, conserving and interpreting some of America’s greatest treasures.

To locate a National Heritage Area close by you check out the main web site for more information.
http://www.nps.gov/history/heritageareas/

Soul Food Restaurant - Patricia Neely-Dorsey

✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿

 

✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿~✿

A Taste of Southern

Hallie, over at Southern Simmerings blog

has written a review of my books.

From her blog she shares this about herself....

As a young lady, I was born and raised in the Midsouth. Things like the Mississippi Delta Queen, Memphis Blues, and "Soul Food" helped shape my life and my style of cooking. I attended Mississippi University for Women and received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Culinary Arts and Food Journalism. I worked in North Carolina at the beloved Biltmore Estate and gave it up to become a proud Air Force wife. Today, I travel to many different places, but I still remember my roots and the sweet tea and hospitality waiting for me there. I'd like to share my experiences with you and I hope you enjoy reading them.

Please drop by her blog
to read the review ....Click here

Diva on A Dime - Wardrobe 101

WARDROBE TIPS from the Diva:

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!!!
Most people wear only about 20% of the items in their closet, because
the clothes are too big, or too small or because they don't fit into their
lifestyle or in with the rest of their clothing or because they need repairs
or because they just no longer like them anymore.
Get rid of ALL such items!
Keep ONLY what you absolutely love and wear on a regular basis

*** Remember to look for those style elements
that you are repeatedly drawn to and love ***

Wardrobe Tip:

Become a SPOTTER
Look for those favorite style elements, name brands, ect. that you are
continually/consistently drawn to and that flatter you.
When you become good at SPOTTING at a glance, shopping is a breeze.


Wardrobe Building: COLOR SCHEME

You cannot possibly buy and wear every color and every color will not wear well on you! Narrowing down your choices makes shopping so much easier!
I suggest that you have about 3 core/basic colors that are the foundation of your wardrobe and three or four accent colors to jazz it up.
From looking at my wardrobe, you will immediately know what my colors are...
 BLACK, WHITE, GRAY...with a little pink and red thrown in here and there .


Narrow down your current and future wardrobe selections / style choices to only those type items that you have found to be consistently appealing to you and flattering on you . You will always open your closet with delight and those  "I have nothing to wear" days will be far behind you.

DIVA Wardrobe Tip:

If it ain't broke..don't fix it!!
Find your style..and stick with it!
Stay with what works.
Don't try to conform to every new trend that comes along.
Everything just AIN'T for you!!
Buy and keep ONLY that which makes you look/feel FABULOUS!!!
If you have what you love... You'll love what you have...ALWAYS

Below are some blouses from my closet.
This is what it looks like when you stick closely to a strong color scheme.
You know mine is : BLACK, WHITE AND GRAY
with accents of Red, Yellow, Pink and Green
Everything goes with Everything..goes with everything!! (LOL)
The possibilities are endless!

* Happy National Ice Cream Day *

National Ice Cream Month 
is held each July in the United States.  
Ronald Reagan  designated July as 

National Ice Cream Month in 1984.
He also named the third Sunday in July 

as National Ice Cream Day.

Here is a VERY SIMPLE homemade ice cream recipe ,
using only 3 ingredients. It tastes a little bit like a
Dr. Pepper float--only richer, and better! And the Dr. Pepper part is
fully interchangeable with YOUR FAVORITE SODA.

Those 3 ingredients: Dr. Pepper (or your favorite soda),
sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
First, you pour the Dr. Pepper into the ice cream freezer canister.
MAKE SURE your pour the soda FIRST.
Otherwise, you will have a fizzy mess! (This recipe is for a 2-quart freezer)

Next, pour in the sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.

And...that's it! Of course, you'll need to put the canister
into the ice cream freezer, add ice and rock salt,
and you know--turn on the freezer.
The most difficult part of this whole process is...
the wait...wait ...wait for your delectable confection.

Do you have a favorite ice cream

recipe that you would like to share ?  

~*~ Diva on a Dime ~*~ Patricia Neely-Dorsey

 

~ Happy Friday 13th ~

 

Please VOTE for your Favorite - Mississippi Man Graphic

I'm sharing 2 graphics of the same poem, Mississippi Man.
My dear friend, Debra Estep, is the graphic designer responsible
for illustrating my poetry. 

Today, she created one, and I asked her to design another.   She suggested we
put it to a VOTE.   I've shared both on my Facebook page and now I'm sharing
both here.......  Debra is adamant on one, and I am JUST as adamant on  the other...  :)

Please VOTE in your comments.  


Mississippi Man - #1

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mississippi Man - #2