Mother Nature does Valentines

Feb. 8, 2014

It snowed 

in Mississippi

A car turned around 

in front of our house

Turning wheels

created hearts

Love is all there is

Thanks,  Mother Nature

2014 Red Convertible Travel Series

Biloxi, MS, Post Hurricane Katrina and Jan '14 snow and ice

It was our first trip to the coast since Katrina. 

Mother Nature brought everything to a halt again
January '14
when she delivered snow and ice
that lingers.

The Gulf is still the Gulf.
Gulls and pigeons are still gulls and pigeons.

that feast on day-old bread.

Post Katrina:

Sculptures of birds and marine life
were created from the

remains of live oak trees along I90
by
chainsaw artists Dayton Scoggins and Marlin Miller

I was moved to tears.

Out of unimaginable devastation beauty arose,

proof 

there are blessings

in the worst

situations.

Go to biloxi.ms.us
find what's "Free"
for pics of the sculptures
and
info on the area.
There's lots to see and do.

2014 Red Convertible Travel Series

Christmas and an F2 in Clarksdale, MS

A week ago St. Paul's Methodist Church had an outside nativity with multiple scenes. Two hundred and seventy people drove through. I volunteered for a 30 minute slot and was assigned the position of the Announcing Angel. Oh, Goody, I hadn't been an angel since I was a child in Sunday School. My blog will not upload my pics. Imagine me in my down-filled winter coat and boots. The girls pulled a white cotton gown over my head, wrapped a gold scarf around my neck, attached tall wings with gold trimming and a halo. With outstretched arms, I looked up and smiled. It was a lovely experience. I wanted to keep the halo but they said I had to earn it.

Saturday, the 21st, was the shortest day of the year and the scariest! As they say in the South, You better hope you're prayed up. Mother Nature reminded us who was in charge when She sent an F2 tornado that had worked its way north leaving a fatality at Rena Lara, MS. The west and northwest sides of Clarksdale have the msot damage. Animals are good barometers. Ours were unconcerned. I took that as a positive. High winds raked our shingles up but the house stayed put and so did the pansies. A neighbor's tree fell in our backyard - minor, and the power was off about 12 hours.

There is widespread damage which includes huge uprooted trees at the cemetery behind our house and light poles leaning toward the road to Stovall. Coahoma County High School has roof and water damage. Our street was littered with branches and pecans - the silver lining. We're grateful it wasn't an F3, 4, or 5. Our hearts go out to all affected.

My wish for all is: Peace in your soul, love in your heart and Plenty.

Merry Christmas and may the New Year be your best ever!

Love,
Maeann

2013 Red Convertible Travel Series

The Grinch vs Christmas

I tell myself, "Thank you Father for everything, I have no complaints whatsoever." It's been an effort lately, even though I know positive thoughts and feelings benefit me and negatives circle and bite.

I intended to blog every week, but I have not had internet for a month, and my computer still isn't right. For one thing, it repeats what I type - without my permission. My computer guru suspects I have one or more sticky keys. I love honey on my cereal, but I have not fed any to my keyboard.

My fb is sooooo slooooow. I send right-side up pics from my phone and they appear sideways on fb. People comment on them, but I can't find them to "try" to turn them to the right.

The Grinch did it: Someone out of the country tried to make a withdrawal from my bank account. Fortunately the Fraud Dept. caught it. They asked, "Did you charge this?"
"No"
"Have you been to the UK recently?"
"Nope," but my heart flutters at the prospect of travel. "When I go, you'll be notified."
These people need legitimate jobs. I'll put that on my prayer list. I didn't say Christmas list, there's no wishing, I'm taking action. Grinch be gone!

We wanted to go to the hills to cut a little tree, but Mother Nature decided otherwise. She sent rain that turned to ice. Here in the Deep South we don't have snow removal or scatter except for bridges. Improvise! I bought 6' of pine boughs at our Miss Dell's. They smelled so good I wore them home collar-style. Our creche sits`in the center on the tiny kitchen table by the window. That's Christmas.

May the Grinch not get a hold of your Christmas. May your holidays be wonderful and the New Year the best ever!

2013 Red Convertible Travel Series

Sweats Suits to Sweat

With single pane windows, our motorhome is designed for temperate weather. Not long ago it was so cold we wore sweats to bed. Now we just sweat. Fortunately the front air conditioner problem was as simple as removing the mud dobber nests.

Here in the Deep South of Mississippi, the weather rivals an Indian sweat lodge. If it takes three days for our body to adjust to a temperature change, my body didn't get the message.

At the downtown Farmers Market in Louisville, I bought a freak of nature cucumber horseshoe shaped, yellow squash, zucchini, small onions and a ball of eggplant best described as a purple baseball. I sautéed the veggies with garlic and portabellas in EVOO and ate the cucumber in a sandwich. Cucumber chills to the bone; I need all the help I can get.

At market a luscious caramel loaf cake was as large and long as three meatloaves; it could feed the Presbyterians and Methodists. Deep pound cakes were butter pecan with pecans, caramel and one with a pound of butter, the original pound of everything cake. No samples offered.

With the humidity at max, I’ve come to the conclusion fried foods are all that is crisp in the South. Handpie Ginny has Gin’s Market outside of Fayetteville, TN on the way to Lynchburg. She cooks down fresh peaches and apples and makes her own crusts for frying. Stop by when you’re in the neighborhood. When we worked late in Fayetteville, Ginny brought us supper of shrimp etouffe. Scrumptious. Born and raised in Louisiana, she told about her whole family getting up in the night to go to the draining rice fields to collect bushels of crawfish/mudbugs. I’ve grown to like them boiled and have had the tails baked into focaccia bread. The only time I saw crawfish tails in Nebraska was during Lent and they were shelled out.

Since I started this story, the weather turned deliciously cool. Just say something about Mother Nature and she changes: sweat jackets are in order in the evenings.

2009 Red Convertible Travel Series