Anna Franklin's Teacakes
When she was alive, Polkville, Miss., resident Anna Franklin used her teacakes to comfort the bereaved. "Everybody who went into the coffee room at Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Morton knew Anna Franklin had been there," my mom said. "She brought teacakes to the funeral home every time she heard about a death in the community."
Keeping Bees
Here's a term that has gained popularity in the past couple of years: urban homesteading. It means making your property, or "homestead," as self-sufficient as possible, regarding food and supplies, while living in an urban setting.
No Room? Look Up!
For would-be urban farmers, the solution to lack of space may be as simple is looking up.
Best Friends
Wedding season isn't always a walk in the park for us southerners. Usually the heat and humidity begins to creep its way in, turning any outdoor wedding celebration into a sweat marathon.
Chic at Security
I was at the security checkpoint in the airport last week with approximately 14 minutes until my departing flight. Of course, as fate would have it, I was trapped behind someone who had to de-robe from lace-up wedges and remove 97 bracelets. I'm all about accessories, but in this situation it's important to remember that it is possible to be stylish and comfortable without lots of extras while traveling.
Travelin' Band
Whether he is opening for Eric Church in front of 20,000 people or headlining a Friday night show at Hank's Texas Grille in McKinney, Texas, Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr is at home on the stage.
The Sound (Guys) of Music
While many of us attend concerts and festivals to hear great live music, it is common to forget that it's not only the band making great music, but it's the behind-the-scenes sound engineers (aka "the sound guys") that help create that music so dear to our hearts.
Feeling the Grooves
I bought my first record in 2011. My friend and I saw a stack of them in a bin at a second-hand store and decided, on a whim, to buy a couple of Stevie Wonder records and one from Aretha Franklin. We didn't have a turntable, so we went to the electronic section of the store and picked out an old one.
The Best In Sports in 7 Days
The London Olympics are quickly approaching. The games start July 27. Lolo Jones from the U.S. could be a star as a female 60- and 100-meter hurdler.
Living a Dream
What a pleasure to witness a boy with a big vision and then see him live his dreams as a man. Jason Campbell, NFL quarterback, is doing just that.
Cry Me a River, NFLPA
Is it just me, or does NFL news never stop anymore? When someone says it is NFL offseason, I have to ask, "What offseason?"
City Acts to De-sludge Lagoons
Three 19-acre lagoons at the Savanna Street Waste Water Treatment Plant have been filling up with sludge for years. But changes to state environmental regulations are forcing the city to finally purge the semi-solid gunk from the treatment facility.
Create a ‘Club Newsletter' for your Biz or Group
I am surprised when I find a local business or organization—restaurant, retailer, non-profit—that isn't using an email newsletter service to reach their loyal customers and clients. Email newsletters offer a wonderful opportunity to follow up with clients, reminding them of sales, trunk shows, happy hours, bands, giving opportunities and more.
Getting Past the Rhetoric of Hate
Here in Mississippi, our history is filled with people, events and creations that stir pride in us. Sadly, our history also contains wrongs, violations and prejudices that cast a long, shameful shadow over our state.
Vol. 10, No. 38
Make Charter Improvements Now
In a recent column, ("Why Charter Schools Died," Vol. 10, Issue 34, May 2-8, 2012) state Rep. Cecil Brown laid out the many flaws with the charter-school bill proposed this past legislative session. Indeed, he made it sound like it would have been an act of irresponsible deregulation verging on corporatism. But before adopting a better charter system, Mississippi should take a deeper look at the value charter schools provide. First, they are testing grounds for new pedagogical approaches. Charter schools can, and typically do, use a strong culture to implement more creative approaches to curriculum, rigid systems of discipline, and extensive parent and community involvement than traditional public schools. Second, they replace low-performing public schools, often (but not always) producing superior results.
Why Write for the JFP?
Ugh! He's in my office again, with his holier-than-thou arrogance, his buffed-up hair and skin so alabaster he can't have ever seen the sun! What does he want this time? He's complaining about something. I do that thing where I look the speaker in the eyes and nod like I'm engaged, but my mind is elsewhere (note to self: middle daughter has caught on and extracted quite a bit of money from me last time).
Stolen Lives: Remembering the Tragedy of Slavery
An Instrument of Change
A half moon disappeared as the sun rose out of the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 1, 1832. The humid coastal winds filled the sails and carried the ship through the waves as J.W. Martin captained the Schooner Wild Cat, a 40-plus ton sailboat, out of the port of Charleston, S.C.
Big Plans, Little Progress
The U.S. Congress established the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission as an independent, public advisory commission with the Rural Development, Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of October 1, 1988.
More Than Alright, in the End
"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," based on Deborah Moggach's novel, "These Foolish Things," meditates on life after retirement. The movie blends touches of Eastern philosophy with British wit and irreverence.
Play in a Store
I was dubious about theater performed in a drug store, but I decided to get the full experience of Fondren Theatre Workshop's Playwright Night. I walked into Brent's Drugs to find a cozy, friendly diner complete with teal vinyl booths and a milkshake bar.