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

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE SOUTH - It's Real Love !

Everyone knows that my mantra is .....

 "Always, Always Celebrating the South and 
Promoting a Positive Mississippi".  

I use my books and poems as a platform to emphasize and highlight the positive things about Mississippi and the south, rather than all of the negatives usually portrayed.  In one of the earliest reviews of my first book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia (2008), the reviewer dubbed it, "a love letter to the South" I totally agreed with that analysis.

It really took me by surprise, recently, when a friend told me that she had been asked by someone if I was really REAL about what I was saying.  The friend immediately told her that I was as real as real can get and as real as they come!  I thank her for saying that, because that is the way I try to be about everything I say and do, not just regarding my love of Mississippi and the South.

I think that it surprised me most, because it sort of implied that I was making up the things that I was saying just to help promote or sell books.  That could not be further from the truth.

First of all, it is not a very popular stance among a lot of people. Most people outside of the South seem to feel that there are no redeeming qualities at all, for the region below the Mason Dixon Line.  There are even many who live in the South who have gotten caught up in the trend of accenting all of the negatives without any regard for the rest.   Some ridiculous survey done earlier this year asking which states would people most like to kick out of the union (The U.S.), Mississippi and Alabama were the top two on the list.   And most of the others states on the list were southern.  Southern-bashing had almost become an Olympic sport!   It has been practiced and perfected into an art !  Almost all of the movies, films, books, and documentaries about the South,  overwhelmingly portray a negative image or have a decidedly negative slant to them.  Most people accept, maintain and even relish a negative view of the South.

Secondly, this passionate "love affair" with the South and things southern is nothing new to me.  It is something that has been going on since I was in my late teens.  I have certainly had this love inside of me all of my life.  But, I must admit, I really didn't know how MUCH I loved or appreciated the South until I was away from her for an extended period of time.   When I went away to school at Boston University, I gained a whole new perspective and appreciation of my homeland.  It became my soap box topic to "preach" about.  Whenever my friends saw me coming, they knew exactly what we were going to talk about. They knew that they were going to be "schooled" on some of the finer points of the South and set straight on some of the many misconceptions that they had.  It was not uncommon to hear someone yelling my nickname, "Mississippi", across campus.  I totally and proudly " repped " (represented) for her !

Some people cannot even imagine how and why I feel the way I do about my home state and region.  I totally understand their views, considering all of the negatives that they have been bombarded with.

Hopefully,  I can change a few hearts and minds along the way to just even give our region a fighting chance, before totally disregarding, dismissing and disregarding her beauty.   More than anything I want to introduce the fact that there are so many things to love about the South, that there are many people who love her and that the love that they have is really REAL! . 

 

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BOOKS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:

 http://tinyurl.com/reflections-pnd 

http://tinyurl.com/magnolia-mem-pnd 

Who's Your Favorite MISSISSIPPI POET??? I hope it's ME!!!

TODAY is World Poetry Day !

World Poetry Day was declared by UNESCO in 1999. 

The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, 

publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world.

 My first book of poetry: Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia- A Life In Poems *Link to book on Amazon.com*
Published  February, 2008 

 
My second book of poetry: My Magnolia Memories and Musings -In Poems *Link to book on Amazon.com*
Published  February 2012
I call both books a
"celebration of the south and things southern". 

 Using childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams, I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life. There are so many negative connotations associated with
Mississippi and the south in general. 

I want to show a flip side of the coin.
There is much to love about this maligned and misunderstood part of our country.
I would really love for you to get to KNOW Mississippi 

(and the south) in a different light.

The Name Game...and Growing Pains

Do you think that me not being able to separate my child's name from my dog's name has scarred him and made him want to CHANGE his name??!!!
Does he not want to be a Henry because his name is Happy Henry...or Henry Happy , too ???!!!
When he entered those tween years , starting at about age 10, Henry all of a sudden started saying James when someone would ask him his name. I would always say, stop saying that, Henry.  Everyone calls you Henry. You should say Henry.  He would say my name is James.  That's my first name. Technically, that is true. But, he has been Henry since he was born.  Dear Hubby is the James in the family, although it is his middle name.  (We won't discuss the first name ...Rufus)
Around that time, also, His favorite words to me, if I tried to help him with anything, were "Mom, stop, treating me like a baby!" Eventually, I learned to start backing away when I had the urge to tuck in his shirt or brush something off his shoulder or ask if he had brushed his teeth.  I have stopped as much as I can, treating him like a baby.  So, I don't hear those words any more.  Just the occasional. "Mom, I can do it, myself ...or just simply "Mom!!!!" I know what that means, so, now, I just have to look at a safe distance at him becoming "this man" that he IS becoming!
When he first started this new assertion of independence,  I would hold my Dear Happy close and cuddle him tight , While saying in a loud enough voice for all in the household to hear : " Happy is my Sweet Baby ! Henry's not my Sweet Baby, anymore, Happy is the only one who knows how to be a sweet baby . He is the sweetest baby in the world.  Henry used to protest a bit ..with sad eyes ( or was he rolling his eye??!!) and say. “I'm still your Sweet Baby.”
Now, when I go through my routine (which I do, often) he just looks at us and smiles ( or is that a smirk?) and says nothing .
In my mind, of course he will always be my sweet baby.
And, to this Mom, he will always be THE SWEETEST BABY IN THE WORLD...and Henry!
No, I really don't think that my son has been scarred or wants to change his name because I call him ...and the dog Henry/Happy or Happy/Henry.   I have come to accept the fact that my sweetest baby is becoming his own man. I am always, still, a little taken aback when all of his teachers address him as James and I have to remember to say James when I am talking about him to them. I really DO love watching him grow into a fine young man, but at times like these when I reflect, try to put my emotions into words as I feel something slipping slowly ( or all too quickly) away from me , I try to keep myself together... and hope that all the tears don't short out my computer .
I am having growing pains!

HENRY

My son's name is Henry,
It's the only name he could be;
He looks and talks and acts
Just like a Henry to me.
His grandfather's name is Henry (James Henry)
And his uncle's a Henry ,too. (Brian Henry)
Three of his great grandfathers
Were even Henrys, too.
He had a great uncle Henry,
He's one we can't forget ;
And I'm sure on down the line,
There are other Henry's, yet .
I hope that Henry will wear with pride,
The name that is his lot,
And always hold most dear to him,
The strong legacy that he's got .

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-

A Life in Poems © 2008 Patricia Neely Dorsey

Age 12- June 2011

2 days before his 13th birthday

 

World Teachers' Day - October 5, 2012

October 5 is World Teachers' Day. Organized by UNESCO in 1994, the day aims to mobilize support for teachers around the world.
In the U.S. alone, there were about 3.7 million teachers working in elementary and secondary schools in 2011.
In a prepared statement, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that World Teachers' Day "gives us an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of teachers across the globe."


I LOVE teachers !
Teachers run in my family…
My mother was a teacher.
My mother's mother was a teacher.
My mother's father was a teacher and principal.
My mother's father's mother was a teacher.
And,my Dad even taught high school classes,briefly, when he was in jr. college!

 

ONE ROOM SCHOOL
My mother told me stories,
Of the one room school;
Where all the grades were taught together ,
As they went by the same rules.
To this school is where she would go,
With other children from all around;
Traveling there in rain, sleet or snow,
These children could be found.
Each grade had their own lessons,
That they were all to learn;
While keeping warm by an old black stove,
That in the corner burned.
My mother has high praises
For the teacher who taught them there,
Because , it was her own dear mother ,
Who gave them special care.
My mother said that in this place,
She learned so very much;
Like arithmetic and writing,
Basic reading skills and such.
I love to hear these stories,
Over and over again,
For, in passing them on down the line,
Our legacy never ends.
2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in poems 

My beautiful mother (Elaine Neely)
with one of her classes at Carver...  back in the day (1960's)

Patricia's Pearls of Wisdom - Find Your Path and Stay On It

 

Patricia Pearls of Wisdom: Know Your Worth

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 !