Yes, clean up, fix up, perk up, and green up … it all goes together at the springtime of the year – every year.
You know the routine. First, open those sleepy wintertime eyes and look around at all of the mess. Yikes! Stay calm – it can be done. You can achieve a semblance of order and cleanliness –we’ve got to make it a priority.
Memo to Mississippi's 65,009 corporate taxpayers - you might want to steer clear of having state Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz rule on a case that involves your business because he says corporations have "no interest in the rights of individuals."
It is with great excitement that I announce a comprehensive and highly scientific study regarding Mississippi breakfast eaters and eateries (including a few lunches, too). Okay, well – maybe not so scientific, but yummy, yes, yummy, will better describe my dedicated study.
I have never dreamed of flying over the Atlantic Ocean by myself and not being able to share my excitement with my parents. Still, I did it and I cannot tell you how much I'm enjoying every minute of my stay in the United States.
I know a man who never has to eat leftovers.
I grew up across the street from him. When he woke up in the morning, breakfast was waiting for his arrival to the table. In the middle of the day, he left work and drove home to enjoy a freshly prepared lunch. When he got home from work, dinner was on the table. Day in, day out, this was the routine, still is. He doesn’t eat leftovers.
This year’s “Wings Over Meridian” air show was a resounding success, attracting what has been estimated at close to 100,000 aviation enthusiasts. We have received hundreds of complimentary and glowing comments from those who attended Saturday and from those who attended Sunday.
On Saturday night, my wife and I attended the Meridian Symphony Orchestra's presentation of Haydn's "The Creation" at Mississippi State University's Riley Center - my first visit to the performing arts and conference center that is the crown jewel of Meridian's downtown renewal in recent years.
Since coming back to the Meridian area two years ago, I’ve seen, heard, and said that our area is poised for growth. We have established ourselves as a retail hub for over nine counties in two states, we are geographically located within the new southern automotive belt, and we have an attractive megasite for a major manufacturer in Kewanee.
Last week my editor wrote a column about the many different things you can do in Meridian. After reading it I thought: "Wow, he missed a few things." He mentioned several different and wonderful ideas, including all the great shows at the MSU Riley Center, Meridian Little Theatre and the Temple Theatre, many places to shop and eat and others, but I came up with a few more.
Gone are all the Air Force fighter-jock accoutrements in the President's Office in Allen Hall, the promise of Davis Wade Stadium flyovers, the slick "Dawg One" maroon chopper motorcycle, the rock band performances and the larger-than-life lifestyle.
This was not an ordinary, humdrum, road trip. Oh, no. I was in the company of some of the most famous writers in the world. Why, there was Mr. Tennessee Williams, Mississippi Poet, Miss Muna Lee, Mr. Faulkner, Jim Henson and three of his Muppets, Kermit, Oscar, the Grouch, and Miss Piggy.
“You're too short for your weight," said my doctor.
"Pardon me," I said.
"I'm looking at this chart, and it says right here that you're way too short for your weight. You're supposed to be between six-feet five inches and six-feet seven inches tall," he said.
East Mississippi has an abundance of helping hands. We learned many years ago the importance of the community working together; solving problems, mending broken hearts, answering needs, and most importantly, getting things done.
In 1987, when I opened The Purple Parrot Café in my hometown of Hattiesburg, the wine situation in Mississippi was bleak.
Eudora Welty was born April 13, 1909, at the Welty estate on North Congress Street in Jackson to Christian Webb and Chestina Andrew Welty. Her father built the house when he and his wife first moved to Jackson. Miss Eudora, the oldest and only daughter of the family, recalled in her autobiography One Writer’s Beginnings the importance of reading in her childhood home.
SCOOBA – It’s March. The days are getting longer, trees are budding and the Mississippi State Legislature is trying to decide how best to spend the taxpayers’ money. People who believe the state’s commitment to public education – in K-12 schools, community colleges and universities – will determine its future are talking about their issues.
The eve of spring was overshadowed by sadness this week.
Longtime Meridian NAACP president and civil rights activist Obie Clark died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. In the words of his wife Melba – with whom he would have celebrated 50 years of marriage on Dec. 22 – Clark, in his final battle, "fought a good fight."
The conversation went something like this: "Billy and his parents are going snow skiing during spring break," said my son.
"Susie's family is going to the beach," said my daughter. "Where are we going, again?"
Yep! He could keep up with the best of ‘em – only, he got himself a little attitude when his basket filled with the bright and shiny prizes of the big hunt. And po-sses-sive, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm – he could let those little sharp teeth shine and big brown eyes glisten while giving out a low menacing growl if anyone was found messing with his stash, … stash of Easter eggs, that is.
I recently travelled to New York for a business meeting. I ate way too much.
The following is my 48-hour food journal:
The plans were all in place. The high dollar ingredients were purchased and set upon the kitchen counter … all at room temperature. The oven preheated to 375 degrees, just as the instructions read. That’s when a fatal mistake brought doom.
David Landrum seems at first blush the very picture of a credible 3rd District Republican congressional candidate - bright, articulate and pushing all the right GOP issue hot buttons.
I love receiving e-mails from readers of this column.
The positive correspondence is flattering, and always appreciated, but nothing tickles my funny bone more than someone who has taken offense to something I have written. I love it.
Sometimes things just make good sense.
Yadda, yadda, yadda … we all have stories to tell. Hey, we live in Mississippi, the self-proclaimed storytelling capital of the world. So, please setback in your recliner, get another cup of coffee, and listen up.
I have a friend who is fasting during Lent.
I’m not talking about a not-eating-meat-on-Friday fast, or an I’m-gonna-give-up-red-wine-for-40-days-but-still-drink-white-wine fast. No, he’s doing an honest-to-goodness, Mahatma Gandhi-type fast — nothing but water.
Mississippi voters will go to the polls in the March 11 party primary elections in less than two weeks to choose a new congressional delegation - and voter apathy about that task appears to be at stunning levels.
Westminster Kennel Club held its annual prestigious and highly competitive dog show last week, and what do you know, Uno, the Beagle, won Best in Show? Mark one up for the hounds, and it was a longtime coming.
I love my friends, and God has Blessed me with an abundance of wonderful friends, but today I want to introduce you to some of my creative writing character friends – my very best friends in the world!
I am not a deer hunter, yet I have a freezer full of deer sausage.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the so-called Obese Bill (HB 282). In it I offered several pieces of alternative legislation to the Mississippi House of Representatives bill that proposes to ban fat people from eating in restaurants.
There's no doubt that Attorney General Jim Hood is reading Mississippi's political tea leaves correctly - but his timing on making that assessment is more than a little suspect.
I just love hotdogs – doesn’t matter if it’s a chili dog, corn dog, sausage dog with sour croute, or just a traditional with plenty of mustard … I love ‘em all! Yes, all of them … until recently when I experienced a near hotdog crisis. Let me tell you all about it.
Crisis time! To me having my picture made anytime, and any place is a crisis … Ohhhh. First and foremost is a new hair-do – what a dilemma!
Tantalizing a tiger recently proved deadly for one San Francisco zoo visitor and almost so for two others. “Foolhardy,” commenters dismissed the tragedy, “Reckless.” “What did those kids expect?”
“When whales jump up out of the water, do they do it accidentally or porpoisely?" — One of Dr. A.O. Goldsmith's idle thoughts from one of his last columns published in the Daily Dunklin Democrat in Kennett, Mo.
While House Speaker Billy McCoy indeed won the battle with 47 Republican House members and their 13 Democratic compatriots who went to the political mat to try to unseat him, the veteran lawmaker may well have lost the war to make his second term as speaker an effective one.
Once a farmer told his neighbor that his best had the colic. His neighbor volunteered that when his mule had colic, he gave him a quart of whiskey. “Really?” the farmer asked. “Yep.”
Ahh … Hmm … feel it? A radiance of warmth bestowed upon us … giving cozy feelings as we remember the recent snowy days of January. The Sun continues to give promise of warmer spring days to follow the recent icy weather.
While House Speaker Billy McCoy indeed won the battle with 47 Republican House members and their 13 Democratic compatriots who went to the political mat to try to unseat him, the veteran lawmaker may well have lost the war to make his second term as speaker an effective one.
Last week, we had the honor of hosting America’s most famous daytime talk show host, Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was in Meridian with her personal trainer, Bob Green, to introduce a program of lifestyle change and healthy eating called the Best Life Challenge.
BREAKING NEWS … according to reliable sources, 60 is now the new 40! Yes, yes, yes … it’s better than the Fountain of Youth!
The state's press is planning to "roast" Mississippi Power Company president and CEO Anthony J. Topazi next week and it promises to be an "electric" evening.
Yes, writing a book about the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library is a piece-of-cake, no doubt!
Beginning with the history, as well as the tenacity of the library organizers, the story of the early library is a lesson about the character of Meridian and her people.
I saw a church friend at the grocery last week and in one quick conversation we discovered a kinship all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Yes, just standing there between the seafood department and cocktail sauce we traded notes on family history. Why did we spend this time together, for pity’s sake, right there in the middle of Winn Dixie? It’s because we think Mississippi Heritage is important. Do you?
If you’re like most of us, you’ll make a New Year’s resolution or two in the coming days. And, if you’re like most of us, you’ll have blown it before the Rose Bowl Parade even gets underway.
As is the tradition in this column, each year I compile a list of the top ten dining experiences I enjoyed over the past year. The list is never based on price or atmosphere. I believe that good food can be served in a fine-dining environment or in a run-down diner. The only considerations are good food and good friends, which always lead to a good time.
“Away in a Manger” is probably the best-loved Christmas Carol of all time that is associated with children and their Christmas musical programs.
Christmas morning excitement is an emotion unmatched by any other.
Adult excitement pales in comparison to the holiday-exhilaration recipe of two-parts anticipation, mixed with one part delight, a dab of enchantment, and a pinch of joy that is experienced every Christmas Eve until our pre-teen years sweep the thrills away.
The word glitter brings to mind a festive occasion. Yes, all shimmer and glimmer with a large measure of radiance and beauty … bedazzling, splendorous and happiness – you get the illuminating picture, don’t you?
For 46 years I have been blessed with excess energy.
I seem to have been born with enough vitality and drive for two people. Though lately, I have been feeling my age.
One thing Congress should do before Christmas is repeal or delay the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). If we don’t, when April taxes are due, about 25 million Americans – many of them middle class – will have to send an average $2,000 more to Washington.
Each December I am reminded of a church located deep in the north of Lauderdale County. It was a neighborhood church and my family church going back several generations. In my memory I can see the small, white, lap-board church as it set near a red dirt road with a very old gated cemetery adjacent to the church – not pretentious, nor high and mighty, but a serving church – meek and mild.
It’s true … whether it is interstate, railway or airway; Meridian holds the spot in the middle of everything, and just, as we should. What a way to be on display, and Meridian, plus her people, know how to warmly welcome all with the true southern hospitality - as only Mississippians can accomplish
The crystal glassware is individually wrapped in tissue paper and stored in a wooden box in the back of the attic. The sterling silver is in the felt-lined monogrammed mahogany box, or in the dining room sideboard, or in the clothes dryer during out-of-town vacations.
Boy, do I have the inside scoop for you! The following information must be guarded with your baby-boomer lives.
I do not drink coffee.
I wish that I drank coffee. I would love to be referred to as a coffee drinker. “There goes Robert,” they would say. “He’s a coffee drinker.”
Oh, the glory of a beautiful fall season in Mississippi, warm and dry, but absolutely gorgeous — too pretty to stay at home, so the husband and I took a little day trip through Kemper County and toward the lovely, historic, and sweet southern town of Louisville.
In the cafeteria scene of the 1978 movie Animal House, John Belushi pops up from behind a table and yells, “Food fight!” Chaos ensues. That was my first exposure to the phenomenon of thrown food.
While the popped balloons and confetti are still on the hotel ballroom floors from the state’s 2007 general election victory parties on Tuesday night, the sound you hear Wednesday morning is the state’s 2008 congressional campaigns launching.
For weeks now, I’ve debated whether or not to write about the Young Professionals of Meridian, a newly-formed group I happen to serve as chairman.
I didn’t want to write something that would appear self-serving.
Amtrak is improving, and we should keep that going by investing in it. Congress has made reforms to the nation’s national passenger rail line, and a record 26 million passengers rode the rails this year. Ticket revenues have increased by 11 percent, and the nation’s first high-speed rail corridor’s popularity is growing thanks to on-time performance pushing 90 percent.
In a campaign dominated by far more lukewarm heat than by bright light, incumbent Republican Gov. Haley Barbour will on Tuesday withstand a surprisingly focused challenge from Democratic contender John Arthur Eaves Jr. to win a second term. On a percentage basis, Barbour’s win against Eaves should exceed his 2003 numbers against former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove.
Today is the fifth anniversary of the release of a cookbook that almost wasn’t.
In today’s business environment, technological advances and the emergence of a truly global community brings together opportunities and challenges that are difficult to imagine.
As the father of two teenage sons, I often wonder at the cognitive processes (or lack of) which take place inside the confines of what I sometimes assume are heads made of solid concrete. Impulsive decisions, extreme risk-taking and a belief in one’s invincibility exemplify the typical teen.
My dear readers: Today I begin my third year as a weekly, guest columnist for The Meridian Star, and my gratitude to you, the readers, is only matched by my appreciation for the writing opportunity extended to me by The Meridian Star, a reputable daily publication since 1898, but, most importantly, my hometown newspaper.
The live album by Johnny Cash, “At Folsom Prison,” was released in 1968. That’s where the blockbuster movie “Walk The Line” ends and it’s about where my knowledge of Johnny Cash begins.
Do you remember the book, It Takes a Village? The book, written by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, recently celebrated ten years in publication, and continues to be a popular read as it proposes the ideal of broad community responsibility for the upbringing of children.
I am in an egg phase.
As I look back over my 46-year eating career, it’s easy to chart my personal dining tendencies. I’ll get on a barbecue kick for a few weeks, or go for months eating a certain dish from the same restaurant over and over.
While the public schools face many kinds of problems, lack of parent involvement is perceived to be chief among them. A new poll was conducted and asked whether a series of possible problems affected schools in the local community.
October is upon us, and time for me to begin reviewing the year of 2007, as I note events, and road trips planned for the new year of 2008.
“Drugged lamb shanks missing from clinic.” I can’t imagine how anyone could read a newspaper headline such as that and not take the time to dive into the rest of the story.
Growing up in Hattiesburg, in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, I always looked forward to the Magnolia Classic.
The Magnolia Classic was a Professional Golf Association sanctioned event that was held in Hattiesburg every April opposite The Masters tournament in Augusta. Tom Watson and Nick Faldo played here but never won. Payne Stewart and Craig Stadler each won the tournament. Dwight Nevil won it twice.
Whether your child is just starting kindergarten, entering the final year of high school, or is somewhere in between, there are many good reasons and opportunities for you to volunteer at school.
If you are a native Meridianite or during your childhood lived in Meridian, then, you know about Moss Canyon. Many of a childhood adventure occurred in Moss Canyon located in west Meridian, near Highland Avenue.
This morning as I clicked through the television channels I blinked my bleary eyes to make certain I was reading the correct weather forecast. Can it be true? Let me explain.
The restaurant business is full of chef/owners with atypical success stories.
The restaurant business is full of culinary twists on tried-and-true recipes.
Elvis is alive … on candy wrappers.
I walked into a convenience store yesterday and ran into the King of Rock and Roll.
When parents are involved, students achieve more, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents’ education level.
• The more extensive the parent involvement, the higher the student achievement.
• When parents are involved in their students’ education, those students have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, and more consistently completed homework.
Imagine standing at the dealership after test driving a few cars. Purchasing a car is a big investment, you surmise, so you want to make sure you’re tedious with the process.
Do you have a Monday morning phobia? The words ... Monday Morning ... these two words — do they seem terrifying and bring fear to your heart? Well, I blame it all on The Carpenters, a brother/sister pop-singing duo from the 1970’s era.
New Orleans has many culinary icons. In the beginning there were Jean Galatoire, Arnaud Cazenave, and Antoine Alciatore. By mid century the Brennan family began to set up shop in North America’s Creole Capital. In the 1970s Warren LeRuth was on top and passed the torch to Paul Prudhomme who began his reign in the early 1980s.
A man in Morgantown, West Virginia is suing fast-food giant McDonald’s for $10 million because they put cheese on his hamburger.
In Georgia, on the border of North Carolina, sits a restaurant and inn that has been serving great home-cooked meals since 1917.
I discovered The Dillard House several years ago on the recommendation of a former classmate. I have returned every year since, when my friends and I gather for our annual whitewater rafting trip.
My daughter turned 10 years old last week.
To celebrate her decade on the planet she asked to be taken to New Orleans to eat breakfast, lunch, and shop (not necessarily in that order).
The moment she mentioned breakfast I knew exactly where to take her. Chef John Besh has opened yet another restaurant — Luke. Actually it’s “Luke” with two of those uber dots over the “u” but I don’t know how to make those show up on my computer. So for this column’s sake, it’s just plain Luke.
Just makes sense, doesn’t it? The heritage of our city and state, Meridian Mississippi, has infiltrated the world-at-large, and a very lucky world, too, I might add.
There are many areas of our heritage from the Queen City that has mingled among lands afar, but this week we think of Jimmie Rodgers.
Well, we can finally erase the word “proposed” when we refer to the $19.5 million school bond.
Over the last several weeks, you have read reasons why you should support the school bond issue and you have also read reasons why you should not support it. This Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to vote your feelings.
First off, we’d like to congratulate the Tupelo area for landing the new $1.3 billion Toyota plant.
After reading one chapter of presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope,” Meridian High School senior RoShetta Williams says she has a new perspective of the politician.
