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Friday, May 24, 2013
WELCOME TO THE "LOVE BLOOMS" BLOG HOP! I am showing some SOUTHERN LOVE!
Monday, May 20, 2013
THE NATCHEZ TRACE...History In My Own Back Yard
This weekend Hubby, our son Henry and I attended the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Natchez Trace. It was held at the Tupelo Visitor Center, which is located less than a mile from our home. There were children's activities, classic cars exhibits representing 1938-today, live music, history reenactments AND hot dogs & drinks at 1938 prices (5 cents for sodas and 10 cents for hotdogs )! Special guest speakers included US Representative Alan Nunnelee, US Senator Roger Wicker and US Senator Thad Cochran.
The opening greetings and welcome were delivered by Tupelo Mayor, Jack Reed, Jr.
The Natchez Trace, also known as the "Old Natchez Trace", is a historical path that extends roughly 440 miles (710 km) from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers.
It was created and used for centuries by Native Americans, and was later used by early European and American explorers, traders and emigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Native Americans used many early footpaths created by the foraging of bison, deer and other large game that could break paths through the dense undergrowth. Bison traveled north to find salt licks in the Nashville area.
After Native Americans first began to settle the land, they began to blaze the trail further, until it became a relatively well-worn path. Later, The "Kaintucks", or boatmen from the Ohio River Valley, would walk approximately 500 miles from Natchez to Nashville along the Natchez Trace in about 30 days. Today, the trail is commemorated by the 444-mile (715 km) Natchez Trace Parkway, which follows the approximate path of the Trace. Maintained and administered by the National Park Service, the Parkway is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi.
The Natchez Trace Parkway was seventh on the Top 10 Most Visited Places of the National Park System in 2012.
The Natchez Trace has been a close part of my life, almost all of my life.
I drive down this beautiful parkway at LEAST once a week.
A FEW INTERESTING NATCHEZ TRACE FACTS:
-Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory when he died on the Natchez Trace in 1809, at Grinder's Stand in Tennessee. A monument was erected in his honor in 1848 and can be seen along the Natchez Trace Parkway today.
-Andrew Jackson traveled on the Trace with his troops during the War of 1812.
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| The Natchez Trace poem is found in My Magnolia Memories and Musings -In Poems book |
My Magnolia Memories and Musings - In Poems Link to Amazon
Monday, May 13, 2013
My Little Books Of Southern Poems Are Absolutely ...DREAMY!!!
I always tell the same story over and over about how my poetry writing and first poem came into existence. On February 14, 2007, I wrote my very first poem.
I woke up out of my sleep, with this poem swirling around in my head.
I got up out of the bed and quickly scribbled it down.
After that the poems just started to flow and flow . Many of my poems have come just as I am drifting off to sleep, waking up or in the middle of the night.
Early on, after the publishing of my first collection of poems, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia, I would often get an odd response ( I thought ) to me telling the story, in interviews. The "academic literary types" would tell me that I might not want to say that this was the way that my poems came about. They indicated that it might take away from the validity of my "craft". They said that it might somehow diminish the respect that people would have for my work. I thought it very odd because I was thinking ...What OTHER way could I or should I say that they came about ... other than the way they ACTUALLY DID come about ??!!! Were they suggesting that I make something up ??!!! To me that idea was totally absurd. I totally ignored that "marketing " advise and kept on telling my story...over and over and over again.
I am very proud to tell the story of how my poems come/came. Of course, there was/is no hiding it, anyway!
In the foreword of Reflections I wrote: 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 consider them gifts from God )
Actually, as far as "creative dreaming" goes, I think that I am in very good company !
Consider this :
On May 7, 1965, in a motel room in Clearwater, Florida, a bleary-eyed Keith Richards awoke, grabbed a tape recorder and laid down one of the greatest pop hooks of all time: The opening riff of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." He then promptly ...fell back to sleep.
"When I woke up in the morning, the tape had run out," Richards recalled many years later. "I put it back on, and there's this, maybe, 30 seconds of 'Satisfaction,' in a very drowsy sort of rendition. And then it suddenly—the guitar goes 'CLANG," and then there's like 45 minutes of snoring." It wasn't much to go on, but he played it for Mick Jagger later that same day. "He only had the first bit, and then he had the riff," Jagger recalls. "It sounded like a country sort of thing on acoustic guitar—it didn't sound like rock. But he didn't really like it, he thought it was a joke... He really didn't think it was single material, and we all said 'You're off your head.' Which he was, of course."
Yesterday was written by Paul McCartney. He says that he literally woke up out of a dream with the song in his head, and went right to the piano. The working title was "Scrambled Eggs", in G, until he came up with "Yesterday".
In 1965, Paul McCartney, famous singer/songwriter then with The Beatles, was staying at his parent’s home in London. McCartney stated:
"I woke up with a lovely tune in my head. I thought, 'That's great, I wonder what that is?' There was an upright piano next to me, to the right of the bed by the window. I got out of bed, sat at the piano, found G, found F sharp minor 7th -- and that leads you through then to B to E minor, and finally back to E. It all leads forward logically. I liked the melody a lot, but because I'd dreamed it, I couldn't believe I'd written it. I thought, 'No, I've never written anything like this before.' But I had the tune, which was the most magic thing!"
The tune McCartney was speaking about was the arrangement to the gigantic hit “Yesterday” (from The Beatles album “Help!” (1965).
In 1997, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1999, the song was voted by BBC Radio 2 listeners as the best song of the 20th century.
In 2000, “Yesterday” was voted the number one pop song of all time by MTV and Rolling Stone Magazine.
Furthermore, The Guinness Book of Records holds that “Yesterday” is the most covered song ever with over 3000 versions recorded, and Broadcast Music Incorporated asserts the song was performed over seven million times in the 20th century alone... all from a dream.
MY VERY FIRST POEM
Written February 14, 2007
"When the mind rests, the subconscious whispers"
Interview information and more on amazing dreams here:
Famous Dreams - Paul McCartney
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Sunday, May 12, 2013
Happy Mother's Day ... from the daughter of a (VERY) Southern Mother !
Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.
While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day most commonly falls on the second Sunday in May and traditionally involves presenting mothers with flowers, cards and other gifts.
One of
the greatest gifts that I have
received in my life, besides my son,
is
being blessed with a
most wonderful southern mother!
Monday, May 6, 2013
THE BIG (Hat) REVEAL
Here's a perfect post for the Monday after the incredible
"Hat Parade" of the Kentucky Derby this past weekend.
About two months ago, dear friend Jo McDivitt gifted me this ULTRA FAB hat.
It's identical to one of her own! She is a real hat lady! She had TWO...because it's so fabulous !
I had planned to reveal it on the first day of Spring ..but the time and weather just weren't quite right ! But, recently on a glorious day in the Sip, I showcased my Diva Hat in the yard !! I absolutely still don't feel "Big Girl" enough to wear big hats like this one, in public ......although I can wear a cap like nobodies business!!
It takes a special something and someone to be a real "Hat Lady". It's an art !
I know it's in me ! I LOVE, love, love hats !
I have been collecting them for years. Every time I see a super fab hat ..I feel like I just have to have it ! On a trip to Atlanta when I was in high school, I bought a smoklin', very feminine, gray wool fedora style hat. I think it was about $60 or $70 dollars . I tried and tried to get into wearing it without feeling like I was playing dress-up.
I finally passed it on to a real Hat Lady and she wore it like a Pro !
For YEARS, I have been telling friends that I am going to be a full-fledged Hat Lady when I turn 50 ! I feel that I will FINALLY be ready !!!
Until then, I'm steadily building my hat collection.
With every new hat purchase, Hubby is always asking me ..."Why are you buying
that..You're not gonna wear it??!!"
He just doesn't understand...Yet !
He will see !
February 2014 ...It's On !!!!!
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| Jo McDivitt (Hattiesburg, MS) in her MATCHING hat |
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Friends want to see Mississippi Poet Patricia Neely-Dorsey as an OFFICIAL Goodwill Ambassador for Mississippi !
A friend recently suggested a Write- In Petition/Request/Campaign for OFFICIAL Goodwill Ambassador for Mississippi.
Here is the beautiful letter he sent to Mississippi Governor, Phil Bryant.
May 4, 2013
The Honorable
Phil Bryant
Office of the
Governor
330 High Street
Jackson,
Mississippi
Dear Governor
Bryant::
This letter is
in reference to Patricia Neely-Dorsey, a resident of Tupelo,
Mississippi.
I write to
nominate Patricia for the position of “Good Will Ambassador” for
the State of
Mississippi. This non-political and salary-free position will allow
Patricia a platform so that she can continue to promote the rich and
diverse culture of the State of Mississippi.
Patricia is the
daughter of Dr. James H. Neely, MD, also a resident of Tupelo,
Mississippi. She studied psychology at Boston University. Patricia
has effectively projected positive inspiring images and original
writings about the environment of Mississippi that allows for
wholesome family living and continued economic development via the
social networks (http://www.patricianeely-dorsey.webs.com),
including Facebook.
Her books of
poetry display her affection for the people and the landscape of
Mississippi. She relishes the role of interacting with people of
different cultures and languages and can work within their cultural
framework. Through her public speaking, Patricia has proved to be an
effective and clear communicator, with a stand for the State of
Mississippi.
In addition, she
understands the environment she represents and is willing to take the
time to learn what is necessary. Patricia knows the culture and how
to
integrate into
the social framework of those she represents and serves.
After meeting
with Patricia, and her family, I believe, with enthusiasm, you will
appoint Patricia to the position, “Good Will Ambassador” for the
State of Mississippi. She will prove to be a dedicated and
effective Ambassador.
Best wishes for
our cooperation.
Jerry Boyd Jones
Consultant,
International Education
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