Ellington

We here at the Jackson Free Press know that our Mississippi summer is here—even if the summer solstice isn't until June 20 at 5:57 p.m. Central Daylight Time—all blazing hot and sticky-humid. The last thing we want is for Jacksonians to be caught off guard with absolutely nothing to do for fun. We know how humiliated you'd be, caught wandering aimlessly about town, perpetually searching, fun-less and sunburned. So we'd like to offer up our failsafe, low-carb, Atkins-friendly selections for summer fun. Arm yourself with our ideas, some energy and maybe a little sunblock, and you'll be ready to stave off boredom and cancer-causing agents alike.

1 Gather your girlfriends together for a gardening gala. Pull on your overalls, place a floppy straw hat on your gently tousled hair, grab a hoe, and get down and dirty with your best girlfriends; each garden goddess can bring her flora of choice. Later that night, the new gardenscape of the goddesses can be illuminated by twinkle lights and lanterns, making for an enchanted garden party. Serve cucumber sandwiches and chocolate fondue with assorted fruits. – SR

2 Can't really compete on the hard court anymore? Not really interested in a grueling game of H-O-R-S-E? Have a badminton tournament. Get the equipment set from a discounter, a few teams of two, a gigantic pitcher of lemonade, and enjoy an afternoon of fun, relaxing competition in the backyard. Wait until your team wins a couple of games, though. You'll start feeling like Venus and Serena at Wimbledon. – JW

3 Make a hammock using your favorite material. Bark cloth works best (remember, you want this to last!), but you can use regular material if you sew enough together. Hammocks are perfect for lazy days outside, so you'll want to find two close trees in your backyard. If you're backyard-less, secretly adopt a friend's backyard for your newfound furniture. – CP

4 Karaoke. Everyone can do it. Somebody might be laughing at you; but don't worry ... they laugh at everyone. Because it's karaoke! Try Martin's on Tuesday night for Jackson's best karaoke; Fenians Wednesday ain't bad, either. – JM

5 Create your own movies. Make it an affair to remember, a battle dangling over the city lights, one last quest for the ring or maybe even burst into a song and dance on the roof of the Fondren Corner building. One person with a video camera, and all the world's your stage. With the sun in your eyes and the cityscape behind you, star in your own film rather than inhabiting that couch, in the same dark room, with that same bag of popcorn, that you relegated yourself to in the winter months. – JK

6 Visit the Belhaven Market. Saturday mornings are not just for cartoons anymore. Walk (or drive if you don't live close by) over to that big parking lot next to the Fortification McDonalds and see what the locals are offering up. Bring some money because you're definitely going to be tempted to buy something. – CP

7 Be a knitting factory. Nestle yourself on the couch, or by your window, and take up the time-honored art of knitting, or if you prefer, crocheting. Not just for nannies and ninnies, knitting can be an extremely soothing pastime for beginners of all ages. Turn on some summery music and let your troubles melt away as your creations begin to take shape. Though you may not need those scarves and sweaters any time soon, you can stash them away for colder days, when they'll make stunning cameos. – SR

8 What could be more refreshing than an afternoon dip in the pool? Only one problem: you don't have a pool. Don't let that stop your fun. Hit the local discount store. For very little dough, you can purchase a kiddie pool—just the perfect size for two. Complete your pool party atmosphere by decking out the back patio with a CD player, a pitcher of pina coladas, or homemade lemonade and pool toys. – JS

9 Visit Smith Park. There's a stage, so you can perform plays for your friends. Or you can make friends with some of the residents of the Park. Go ahead and bring some food to share while you're out there. Most of the residents have stories they'd love to share, most of which beat the "Oh my God! Work is so boring. I had to play on the Internet all day" stories you hear from your friends five times a week. – CP

10 Determine the best ice cream and sno-cone place in Jackson. Swensen's, Baskin Robbins and Marble Slab Creamery are the top options for ice cream, while Sno Biz and Nandy's Candy put some of the nicest ice in those treats. You can even do a taste test on Bop's frozen custard. Go everywhere, try everything and become Jackson's cold treats connossieur. But don't get a brain freeze! – JW

11 Open a roadside lemonade stand, the way you used to when you were a kid. Don't fret over professionalism. Make sure your sign contains squiggly, backward letters and that your prices take inflation into account. Remember—there's nothing better on a scorching summer day than an ice-cold glass of lemonade and some good old entrepreneurship. – SR

12 Who knew that collecting could involve things other then stamps, rocks and bugs? Try something new this summer. Make your collection something you won't want to throw away in 10 years. I recommend summer-fun memorabilia. - JM

13 Apparently learning is not just for the school year. Local bookstores are all-sorts-of-crowded during the sweaty daytime. Icy coffee treats are the perfect compliment to your leisure reading on the couches of Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million, or at a table in Banner Hall outside Lemuria. Pick up a Nick Hornsby novel on your next visit, or try to learn something from those "for dummies" books. – CP

14 Throw a block party for, well, your block. Put up notices and contact others on your block about music ideas and food first, then enjoy some summer chit-chat with your neighbors. If you're new to the 'hood, or you know someone who is, this is a fantastic way to make some conveniently located friends. – SR

15 Make new friends on the Internet. If you're looking to make new friends but not down for leaving the house, there's always the Internet. You can meet and chat with countless numbers of people without leaving the comfort of your air conditioner. Web sites like myspace, friendster, liverjournal, and xanga provide free services that allow Web-savvy individuals the option to carve out their own litle chunk of the Web, browse through regional listings to find other people's chunks, and correspond with said chunks through e-mail – RW

16 Youth-league baseball is not the only way to enjoy "America's pastime" in Jackson. Catch a Jackson Senators game at Smith-Wills Stadium. Bask in the sun, buy a couple of (cheap) beers or sodas and a hotdog. Watch the defending CBL champions play high-level baseball. Bring your buds and have a party, because there are no limits to how loud you can be. – JW

17 Explore your atman with some anusara yoga classes at Butterfly Yoga center, located on North State Street in the Fondren District. Often dismissed as zany, New Age puffery, yoga is an excellent way to get in shape for the summer. With an emphasis on all-inclusive yoga from the inside-out, and particular attention to finding already existent, positive qualities, anusara yoga need not fall by the wayside and become another workout chore. So put aside your inhibitions and contortion-related phobias, and get on over to a yoga center near you. – SR

18 Vintage bowling. Hit up your local thrift store for a star-studded ball gown, the puffier the better. Find some huge clown pants and suspenders and a top hat. Finish off your ensemble with attractive bowling shoes and you've ready for the alley, bowling that is. The gown could actually come in handy as you slide atop a chiffon cloud while guiding the ball to the pins. Maybe pulling up the pants should become part of your preparation. Two feet together, ball centered, pants up and let 'er rip! – JK

19 Jigsaw puzzles just for rainy days? Says who? Why not make it interesting? Work in teams and put up a nice little wager. The first team to finish their entire puzzle wins all. Or if you prefer, work in solitude on a quiet afternoon. Soon enough, the pieces are bound to fall into place. – SR

20 Take your special someone out for a malt, old-fashioned style, at Brent's Drug Store. Their large is plenty big enough to share while gazing longingly into his or her eyes at the '50s-style bar. – CP

21 Ride Jatran. Leave your keys at home next to your gas card. Stop at every stop that Jatran has to offer. Spark friendships with the guy who sits in the back, never getting off, or the girls trying desperately for the mall with no one available to drive them. Maybe even smile at a few of the regulars. You will gain a new perspective of the Jackson that rushes by too fast from your car window. – JK

22 Become an amateur sports phenom. Wreck the competition on the air hockey tables. Destroy people mercilessly on the resident ping pong table. Set records for bulls-eyes at darts. Obliterate your buddy in a round of mini-golf. You'll be amazed how good it feels. – JW

23 Make old furniture new. You see it all the time on home improvement shows like "Trading Spaces"— an entire room refurnished for under a thousand dollars. They do it themselves, finding old and discount furniture at garage sales, junk yards or in their own attics, then strip, paint or upholster in the comfort of their own homes. Become an HGTV addict to learn the tools of the trade. After all, if those clueless neighbors on television can do it themselves, why can't you? – RW

24 Go nuts at NUTS (Neat Used Things for Sale). What could be more fun than spending time at this unusual thrift store? There's usually a cover charge, but check the JFP for free entrance and 10 percent off coupons. They're only open during the day Thursday through Saturday, so schedule time to get over there – CP

25 Layer it up: six pairs of socks, four T-shirts, shorts, pants and loads of hairpins. It's time for some strip Monopoly, and maybe, if things get extra wild, a little Scrabble. Snuggle into a whimsical booth at the Art of Coffee or the endless booth at The Video Cafe beside 10 of your closest friends and prepare to pass Go! For those a bit less daring, bet some of that fabulous key lime pie or chocolate mousse at Flashback Video Café, or a coffee of choice at the Art of Coffee. A night of family fun without the family—is there anything more fabulous? – JK

26 Looking for a way to keep cool but stay social? Why not have a slip 'n slide party? It's amazing the amount of fun you can conjure up with a waterhose and a long strip of yellow plastic. It's a cool way to beat the heat, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see your friends or family belly flop across the front lawn. – RW

27Jackson's loaded with museums. Why, right there at the intersection of Lakeland Drive and I-55, you've got your Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, the Museum of Agriculture and Forestry and the National Agricultural Aviation Museum and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. You could spend the day with your family, be they young or old, and learn just gobs about Mississippi's players, growers, flyers, and crawlers. – LH

28 Make a time capsule. Fill it with those crazy snapshots you never want to forget, that 25-cent ring he bought you out of the grocery store prize machine, and that tattered band T-shirt that you have worn every other day since your best friend gave it to you in school. Save all the things that are monumental now. You'll thank yourself later. – JK

29 Host a cheap movie marathon. Any Friday night, beat the heat by staying inside with friends for a movie marathon. Video Library's five-for-five deal lets you rent five quality movies for only five bucks. Indulge your imagination. Devote a night to your favorite actor or horror icon, rent all of the Chucky movies for a killer-doll-a-thon, or rent "Glitter," "Crossroads, " "Gigli," and "Swept Away" for a pop-stars-can't-act-athon. Video Library makes it easy to throw a theme party. – RW

30 Start a communal journal with your friends. After one person scribbles down his or her thoughts, poetic musings or drawings, have them pass it on to another friend. By the end of the summer, you should have a pretty detailed portrait of your friends. – CP

31 Take up walking. It might seem too hot to be outside, but in a few months, it's going to be too cold. At least now you can get a tan and increase your aesthetic qualities while saving on gas money. The summer is as good a time as any to meet your neighbors as they water their grass or work on their garden. – CP

32 Walk on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. You fear the dusty byways of I-55 and are bored with the familiar twists and turns of your neighborhood, but your feet pine for a workout. With about 22 miles of open use near Ridgeland, and other locations along the way, the trail offers lush southern scenery and a dab of history, appealing to conservationists and summer strollers alike. If you make it all the way to Tennessee, give yourself a pat on the back and find a friendly stranger to drive you home. – SR

33 Stay in touch with the theater. New Stage's main stage season may be ending on June 20—with "Ain't Misbehavin'"—but you can always send your kids to their summer camp. Classes for youth, intermediate and high school kids alike culminate in a show or showcase for you and your family to enjoy. – RW

34 Learn to break-dance! Rent "You Got Served" fand practice all your cool new moves on a hardwood floor. You might be a little bruised when you first start, but by week 17, you'll be servin' everybody. – CP

35 For the nimble-fingered, and the not-so-nimble-fingered, Village Beads, 398 Highway 51, Suite 30, Ridgeland, 853-3299, is more fun than, well, a barrel of monkeys. Youth classes, ages 8-18—are set for 1 p.m., Thursdays, throughout June. Adult classes meet in the daytime or the evening; a complete monthly schedule can be found at http://www.villagebeads.com Truth be told, bead-knowledgeable employees will help anyone make anything anytime for the cost of materials plus an average $5 studio fee. You'll be so proud of yourself.

36 Papier mache it up. Use this fun and simple craft technique to create your own masterpieces, including, but never limited to, furniture, jewelry, vases or figurines. All you need is some papier mache paste, typically a flour and water mixture, and some newspaper strips. It'll be worth the mess when your houseguests inquire about the lovely new centerpiece adorning the mantle. – SR

37 Tell ghost stories with the flashlight on. All dark except for the eyes and lips of your friend turned "Tales from the Crypt" storyteller. Whisper in strange voices about the old woman who pieced herself into her own puzzle, uncovering a madman in the window behind her as she placed the final piece. Or tell about the serial killer with the hook or "Bloody Mary" (before you knew she was a drink). Dust off that old, raw human emotion of fear. Sit in a circle in the woods or your urban backyard, flashlight in hand, and tell some scary stories, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" style. – JK

38 Tired of going to the pool on a hot summer day? Brave the treacherous waters of the Okatoma River on a canoe trip. Bring everybody you know and have a race; it's an adventure from start to finish. Pack some grub and your respective coolers, but don't forget the towels, because the trip down the river is sure to get your skin soaked. – JW

39 There you are, relaxing, possibly sipping on a glass of wine, listening to the likes of Catpower or Nick Drake. Why not liven it up a bit and invite your awe-inspiring friends over for a never-disappointing porch party. Share that bottle of wine and enjoy the company of your favorites around a citronella candle. – NI

40 Go to Vicksburg. Whether you're a history buff, a culture aficianado or a thrill-seeker, Vicksburg's got what you need. Drive down Washington Street to check out the old houses, cute shops and art galleries. But don't stop till you make it to Rev. H. D. Dennis' colorful folk-art church/house at Margaret's Grocery. He's toward the north end of Washington and almost always willing to talk. Backtrack and stop by the casinos to gamble a bit or roll down the huge hill facing the Mississippi River (but don't fall in!) – CP

41 Play Pub Quiz. Forget "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," go for the gold at Hal & Mal's Tuesday nights. Pub Quiz sounds easy, but wait until your team goes head to head with the likes of team Sexual Chocolate. Let your mind take control and prepare for intense hours of trivia. Be careful: Try not to kill your brain cells faster than you can use them. – NI

42 Adopt a puppy from the Animal Rescue League. Adopting a child is too large of an undertaking just because you want someone to play with. Release a puppy from his cage, unlatch the lock of his encasement and let him run alongside you in the freedom of summer. – JK

43 Revive the fads of yesteryear with your friends. Sit around the dinner table, ingesting a hearty meal and recounting all those painfully pervasive trends that left impressions, or dents, on your soul. Honor the Tamagatchi, the Furby, the Hammer pants, and the light-up LA Gears and finally put them to rest. – SR

44 Stir up a mint julep. Even though Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara won't show up, making a mint julep is a delicious way to taste the charmed life of a Southern aristocrat. All you need: 2 cups of granulated sugar, 2 cups of water, fresh mint, crushed ice, and some good ole Kentucky bourbon. Your gathering will be saturated with the delightful drink of Southern hospitality. – JW

45 Make homemade ice cream. Gather the ingredients for your favorite flavor, create that concoction and put it with some friends and some ice cream makers. You've got the recipe for real fun-in-the-summer-sun right there. That must have been what was on Emperor Nero's mind way back when; he's credited with creating the first frozen dessert from snow (he had to send to the mountains for it), nectar, fruit pulp and honey. Ain't that a kick in the head since he's also the guy rumored to have played his fiddle while Rome burned. – LH

46 Believe it or not, you can have fun at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, especially if your curiosity knows no bounds. The Search Room is open all week, even Saturday until 1 p.m. Check out some of what's available there—29,000 cubic feet of records of all sorts, 66,000 volumes of Mississippiana, 2,150 processed collections of personal papers, as well as over 3 million feet of 16 millimeter film documenting life in Mississippi between the 1930s and 1970s and 20,000 photographs from the 1860s to the present. The Archives is in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building 200 North Street, off Jefferson across from the Fairgrounds. — LH

47 Catch up on all those letters you've been meaning to write. The ancient art of letter writing is a refreshing departure from the point-and-click convenience of e-mail. Yeah, it's easier to use the Internet (a lot easier), but there's no disputing that the thrill of opening up an email in no way compares to the thrill of slitting open a personally addressed, stamped envelope and finding a handwritten letter. Make a list of everyone you've been meaning to contact, make amends with, or declare your love for, bust out the stationary, and prepare to make someone's day. – RW

48 Playing fetch with your dog is not the only way to put those outstanding Frisbee skills to use. Get some buddies and head over to the LeFleur's Bluff for a round or two of disc golf. The wooded back-nine by Mayes Lake is an especially nice stroll in the hot sun. No bags, tees, or clubs necessary—just a Frisbee. That leaves one hand open to carry the soda! – JW

49 Take two hours and step into an alternate world, Choctaw Books—no stoplights, only back covers, no honking horns, simply exclamation points. With a separate room of modern first editions, advanced readers' copies, and uncorrected proofs, they specialize in used books pertaining to the South and Mississippi. This beautiful mess of isles can be found in a small white house at 926 North St. – JK

50 Eudora Welty mentioned the garden at her home at 1119 Pinehurst about 150 times in her writings. Make reservations at [e-mail unavailable] or call 353-7762. There's a peaceful quality about the place they held so dear. You'll want to come three or four times a yearto catch it in it's seasonal differences. – LH

51 Read the Jackson Free Press. The paper can be used to keep abreast of the news and events or, folded in half, as a fan. We don't recommend reading it while skiing or operating heavy machinary. – CP/KP

Contributors to our list: Jessica Kinnison (JK), Jessica Mizell (JM), Casey Parks (CP), Swetha Regunathan (SR), Jennifer Spann (JS), Jonny Wiener (JW), Robert Williamson (RW), Natalie Irby (NI) and Lynette Hanson (LH).