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.

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.

Link to books on Amazon

Reflections of a Mississippi of a Magnolia A Life in Poems

My Magnolia Memories and Musings in Poems

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.

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

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)

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.

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

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

 

Words of Wisdom From Maya Angelou

 

 

Maya Angelou - Official Web Site

http://mayaangelou.com/

 

 

 

 

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

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