A Depressing Run Across Tennessee

For a fleeting moment, with my sandals, white pants and light weight shirt and a weakened sunshine, I thought there might be one more day of warm vacation but NOOOOOOO! I froze, it rained and the overwhelming ' Chrisianity' of Tn drove me mad. The last few minutes in Ms and the familiar road along the Shiloh battlefield faded quickly as we crossed the State line and encountered 'Jesus" signs plugged into multitudinous lawns as though he were running for office along with the Weems woman who wants to be County something or other! By the time we came across Emilee Kay's with its full to overflowing parking lot I was sure they weren't serving lunch but that we had stumbled into a prayer meeting--it was after all, Sunday! It might as well have been--they all belonged to the same church, they had just come from church and the heavy guy with glasses talking to the waitress is the minister--the conversations were all about church or church related topics. The crowning touch was receiving my dishwater coffee ( caffeine is probably sinful! ) in a church mug!!!!!! I had said during the Jesus sign jungle that if I lived there I'd put a Blessed Virgin in her bathtub shrine on MY lawn--but at this I was going to demand another mug--Bill was adamantly against it--so I refrained! But give me a break--this is a public restaurant and I am Catholic--suppose I were Jewish or Buddist or Muslim. Forget it--all of us C,J,.B or M are lost souls here in another Bible belt. I looked at the mug shelves as I left--there was a whole set of Pentecostal mugs--the church down the street and probably the Rev's --and a whole set of secular mugs--most likely for use on days other than the Sabbath! It got worse--we left and as we drove down this backwater road I noticed a small sign tacked to a tree--I told Bill it said ' repent'--he said, oh, I don't go back for pictures for you but I'll go back for that one--so there it is ; Repent in the middle of nowhere! So we continued along the back roads over more rivers than I can remember until we came to Loretta Lynn Land--oh, I mean, Hurricane Mills where she owns a house that she no longer lives in and many varied enterprises, all of which we drove right by. Eventually, we arrived in Clarksville, just outside of Nashville and Logan's Roadhouse--we ate at one in Florence, Alabama last year and really liked it. I had a great mesquite grilled salmon with baked yam and cole slaw. Then we checked into our last free suite--the tenth free night of the trip----and I read until midnight, while Bill slept. I am really bummed that we are getting home before April---now he says he didn't know I waned ted to go to Arizona--or that I wanted to be gone until April. Well, if he'd go get a hearing aid maybe he'd hear more! We were going to get home by the 15 th to file our taxes and I said innumerable times that I wanted to go to Ajo. Bottom line--he wants to get back to Price Chopper and mr. nice is getting what he wants--nicely, of course!

The Sound and the Fury or Billy Joe McAllister

I'm not sure why I wanted to see Rowan Oak! Ole Miss sure does not make it easy to find! eAnd, to my knowledge I've never read Faulkner ( or Falkner, as his mother spelled it--actually, as he did 'til 1917 ish )! As a matter of fact, to my great embarrassment, I thought he wrote Of Mice and Men, which I did read! ( Sorry, Mr Steinbeck!) I guess it was because I remember seeing a black and white photo of him among the trees in front of the imposing facade of his Mississippi home and I wanted to stand there, too. And so I have, but not after much searching for a place which is on a back street and then in the woods and to which there is but one very tiny sign that you would not see unless you went down the equally small back street that leads to his. But having missed it the first time by we were able to see the Ole Miss campus and what a lovely place it is--a circular common surrounded by large, old and beautiful buildings, including the Lyceum which would be recognizable to anyone old enough to remember the civil rights movement of the '60's. What ever happened to James Meredith? Bill said he hopes he worked harder in school than Bill did--somehow, I'm sure he did! Finally, we did unearth Rowan Oak and it is lovely. As we wandered the grounds I discovered the lovely resurrection fern clinging to the oaks--nicely green with all the rain. It dries up like dead moss in drought but as soon as any moisture appears it perks up lovely as ever! I was also astounded to see daylight through the trunk of one of the beautiful trees lining the walk and yet the canopy was full and healthy. The magnolia that Faulkner used as the burial marker of the disconsolate lady is the tree beneath which the young man stands --it is huge, full and lovely. We left town by way of the Square and one of the residential streets that branch out from it. Almost as in Mass,Ct, RI college town fashion the houses are elegant and huge. And then we were on our way to Corinth where we did much Civil War research two years ago..As we left New Albany we crossed the Tallahatchie and a bridge--the one from which Billy Jo jumped???? Actually, no, that one was in Greenwood, which was the next town over from Grenada. That bridge collapsed in 1972, probably to the relief of the local constabulary! LOL We also climbed a very high and narrow ridge and passed through a town called Kossuth--founded in 1840 as New Hope, it was renamed in 1852 for a Hungarian revolutionary, who apparently cut quite a swath through American Establishment of the time and who supposedly seems to have been paraphrased by Lincoln's For the People, By the People etc at Gettysburg. Who knew??? So here we are in another lovely suite after a Ruby Tuesday typical meal--neither great nor terrible! We have not paid for a room since we stayed in Odessa, Texas and in most instances have been given upgrades to suites. I cannot praise the Choice Privileges system enough! But those who have traveled with us before know how much I love the perks of membership. So now back to the Crimsom Rose--not Faulkner nor Steinbeck but much easier on a tired mind! Good night all--until tomorrow from somewhere in Tennessee. PS Bill admitted over coffee this morning that we probably could have gone to Arizona but he was afraid we'd run out of money and he hadn't taken into consideration the number of free nights I kept telling him I'd accrued. I could SPIT!!!

This is NOT Spain!

Today we left Hattiesburg and headed North and then West with the idea of getting to Clarksdale and dinner at Morgan Freeman's restaurant Madidi and go to his blues club--Ground Zero--probably tomorrow. That is not going to happen--Bill could NEVER eat at a restaurant that is in the same price bracket as Morton's! His misery would ruin it for me and then he'd start nagging that we don't have enough money to continue traveling and need to head home. As to Ground Zero Blues Club--the music doesn't start until 9 --which I knew would be the case--but he goes to bed by then. I'd love to rent one of the upstairs apartment for the night but can you imagine him above a juke joint jumpin until 2 am......So, until I can get my sister to come back with me or Linda, who shared an apt with me above a bar in NO and loved it, I guess, this was a big digression. Nevertheless, the pictures show how lovely and how changeable the State is from Hattiesburg Northwest to Grenada where we are tonight. Bill did say we could go to see the Blues museum next to the Blues club and maybe have lunch but it is in downtown on a Saturday. Memories of Tulsa assault me--I think not! So, we'll go to Oxford and see Faulkner's house tomorrow and then, depending on the weather we'll head into Tennessee with the hope of going to Frankfort, Ky--where I've wanted to go the last two trips--or we will go, yet again to Alabama. This is really not my favorite part of the country. Oh, to travel in Fall and not be so restricted by crappy weather! This may be my last trip with Bill if he continues to insist on Winter travel. Barb and I will go in Fall and I'll see the Pacific Northwest again and maybe get to Colorado and once more to Arizona. Those are the parts of the country I've decided I like--I've had enough of the deep south, with its kudzu, humidity, bugs. A sign today--Dead Termites Don't Eat Houses! Great!!! Another: Aspire to Inspire before You Expire. Can't you just hear:-- Aspieah--Inspieah--Expieahhhhhh!!! Is Mississippi Burning a book as well as a movie? How could something so terrible have happened in a place that is so beautiful--what 50 years will do, though! Barb, you should see Koskiusko--which the fellow, in Hattiesburg, who thought I was a native of that city,says is pronounce Koskiesko--actually more like Koskesko. Total strip built from the Trace all the way past the PO --you would not recognize it! Well, a bientot--I'm tired. Off to the Crimsom Rose--nothing on TV, alas! What's new?

A Hoped for Touch of the Confederacy

Oh, what a glorious day on the Gulf and, had I known we were to stop so early in Hattiesburg, I would have lingered on the beach. But, once more, I am ahead of myself. Having read Varina Davis, First Lady of the Confederacy and having visited Jeff Davis' birthplace and the grave of his first wife, which he took his new 20 year old bride to visit on their honeymoon, I was anxious to visit Beauvoir, his last residence. It reopened after Katrina last April--a month too late for us to visit last year. I had hoped to hear more about his final years here but instead Rosalie Boardman focused on Katrina's damage and the subsequent repair,which is rather amazing as you can see from the photo perched on the marble topped table with the large mirror right inside the doorway. Again, I am ahead of myself. The first thing one encounters upon entering the gate is the major construction project to rebuild the Presidential library, the original of which was built in 1998. What a shame! In the museum are pieces of silver service, the presidential service ware, etc, which were on the first floor of the library and were literally strewn over the property by the foot of water and the waves that topped it. I was amazed at the discovery of Varina's engagement ring ( well, a replica ) that was unearthed and salvaged! The second floor held Davis' books and for the most part they survived and are in storage but many loose items have been lost forever. The house was originally built in 1852 by a rich planter, James Brown--no relation, alas!- as a vacation home for his family. In addition to the main house he built two smaller duplications called pavilions--one served as a guest house and the other offered shelter to traveling Methodist ministers. There were other buildings as well, work shops and housing for servants etc. A road reached the house from the North and Steamboats, one from Mobile and the other from New Orleans, stopped as well. At the start of the Civil War the family moved back to Northern Mississippi. In 1866, after James' death the family managed to hold on to the property until they were forced to sell it by court order in 1873. The buyer, Frank Johnston, held onto it for two months before selling it to one of the ugliest women, in my opinion!, a wealthy New Orleans widow, Sarah Dorsey, who also was something of an author. Here is where the story briefly told by the video preceding the tour and the book on Varina digress a bit. Sarah, who sort of knew Varina as a young woman, but who was not close family friend,( so far--the stories agree) invited the aging and demoralized and ailing Davis to visit Beauvoir, which he did. She then invited him to move in and write his memoirs, which he did in 1877. Meantime, Varina and their youngest daughter, Winnie take off for Europe for a year. Now, according to the video, when she returned she took up residence at Beauvoir and the Davises bought the place and furnishings for $5500 and Dorsey went off to NO to die of cancer. The book says Varina visited but traveled because she did not like living in another woman's home--sounds right to me! It also says Sarah left the place to Jeff in her will and Rosalie said while that is true there was a bill of sale. HMMMMMM! I say! At any rate, after his death, Varina sold the place to the State of Mississippi with the stipulation that it serve as a Confederate Veterans' Home until there were none left and until there were no widows left or manservants who served in the War with their masters. That's what happened and then, Varina said, it must be a memorial to Jeff and so it is. As to the restoration, furniture is for the most part original and was restored wherever they could do the best job. The staff had prepared the home for Katrina, just in case--she wasn't supposed to hit there but she turned at the last minute toward Biloxi and Gulfport. But the windows were shuttered, the doors covered with plywood, small items had been removed and stored inland. The water and wind tore the front off the house and the plywood from the double door, which blew open. The doors at the back of the long foyer held, however and the furniture piled up against them. The aforementioned mirror which is bolted to the wall remained on the wall. All the rest was heaped up, including the grandfather clock which was Jeff's grandfather's clock! and which still tells perfect time. The beautiful rosewood piano in the front parlor was beneath the ceiling which collapsed and will cost $60.000 to restore--they found another of the period and mounted it on the original legs for now. The trompe l'oeil ceilings have been totally scraped to the original colors and repainted, the faux bois on the doors has been redone as has the faux marb of the private living quarters' mantles. The huge rose garden is totally gone but for the gravel marking the concentric circular paths and the center cross that marks its boundaries. It is on the list of things to restore. There is still much to do but what has been done is incredible. Soon we left along Beach Boulevard--noticing the beautiful condos and resorts, next to the cement pads of destroyed buildings, the for sale signs and the bird sculptures that several artists have created from the stumps of trees that Katrina left on the median or neutral ground as they call it in New Orleans. Then we turned north on Rte 15 through the DeSoto National Forest to Hattiesburg and an inland temperature of 80 degrees. We opted to skip Mobile this time, it is Spring break and the traffic is getting zooey. There is much to see there and I'd much like to go there when I don't spend the night worrying about the Tornado Watch issued until 2 am. We got to Hattiesburg much too early and did not have a place to sit out in the beautiful weather, which was a real waste, in my mind. We did go to Conestoga Steakhouse where I had a wonderful 6oz Filet Mignon and ate some of the sweet potato fries. Nick at Night, as the manager introduced him was a very delightful 26 year old who played TV Jeopardy with me. He taught percussion for a year at the high school level and very quickly decided teaching was not for him. He gives private lessons and will teach a biology course at the junior college in the Fall and is looking forward to that. Came back to the room, Bill watched basketball and I started reading Lauren Willig's The Seduction of the Crimson Rose until 10 and sleep!

Mississippi Calling

Started today chatting with our breakfast mates one of whom is bicycling from St. Aw-gust-eeeen to San Diego. He's the fellow at the far end table in the baseball cap. He's from Lewiston Maine and he took his vehicle to St Augustine and then headed out for San Diego. He's been on the road 18 days and is taking the day off--said he felt really guilty--like skipping school! One of his daughter's graduated from St. Mike's in Winooski--the other from Providence College in RI. Then we took off on La 10 and points East. Passed through several tiny towns until we came to Franklinton, La where Bill headed into the Citizen's Bank for his daily dose of nickels( some days he goes to two banks--like yesterday, when he got through all his nickels while I shopped and so needed a new batch to search through!) The clouds were so unusual --large and heavy--dropping some rain but breaking apart to shower us with golden warm sunlight at times. Soon we crossed the Pearl River and entered Mississippi. We continued to Picayune and stopped at a little cafe--the donut spot. Filled with county folk--a grandad and his daughter and granddaughter, three old men and a young fellow listening to them deferentially. And several other old bird couples like us. Bill had the hamburg steak platter with brown gravy, mashed potatoes and fried okra--I had a " dressed " cheeseburger and a V-8. I also could not resist a piece of Coca Cola cake--have got to look for that recipe--delicious--chocolate and sinful! When things cleared out a bit and the waitress could breathe I asked if 90 along the coast was open and driveable--she said I'd have to ask one of the older fellows, Jimmy, who was in conversation with a lady. When he could he assured me that yes, they'd cleaned things up real fine. As Bill and I were leaving he followed us out to tell us a good short cut to 90. I felt just like a local--taking an old County Rd around Stennis -- a NASA site that one cannot enter--the name of which is Texas Flat Road but has no sign with it. And it really was a great shortcut and does not appear on the map!!! And then we were on 90 and along one of the most beautiful beaches-- white sand and man made. And in Gulfport totally destroyed by Katrina and the big one that came after. It is amazing to see what has been rebuilt but sad to see the empty pads on which homes and businesses once stood and realize looking at the for sale signs that they will not be rebuilt--at least not by the original owners. One sign listed a price of 300K per acre.! Cheap for Gulf front property but property that could be wasted once more by the next big storm. When I mentioned the cute blue house for sale in New Iberia to our waitress at Poor Boy's she said you better have plenty of money for insurance! Yeah, and even then you don't know if the company will find a way to renege on paying up! But the coast sure is beautiful--even overcast and choppy. 75 degrees as we arrived in Biloxi. Pulled into our motel on the beach to see the parking lot filled with State Trooper cars--a conference--never occured that it could be anything else--except as I write this I wonder why I wasn't alarmed. I think because they were parked, no cops around and no lights flashing--as a matter of fact it was just like Lufkin, Tx last year when our motel was filled with Texas Troopers for a conference! Makes one feel very safe. Well, all caught up. We are two doors down--separated by the Mississippi Coliseum--from Jefferson Davis' last home--Beauvoir. Last year they were still restoring it but it is finished now and so we'll start there tomorrow morning. Many things to see between here and Mobile and we haven't decided what we are going to do yet. Will let you know tomorrow night. Check out this to see me and Bill in our down time! LOL as suggested by our buddy, Joanne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIMAM9Golw4&feature=related but this is my favorite http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=350uOqdrFcQ&feature=related So, having been reminded by my favorite Francophile that nuit is feminine, I bid you all a fond Bonne Nuit and a huge hug to Glen.

Waitin' on the Levee, Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee

Well, not really--waitin' for the New Roads--but not before driving through torrential rains from Lafayette to St Francisville. A beautiful drive even so--once we could see where we were going--everything so dripping and green and lush--jungle-like and the air had that indescribable smell of Spring. As we headed toward Opelousas on 49 ( by the way, Linda, that road we took in Lafayette etc, still has signs saying it is the future site of the I 49 corridor! How long ago were we here? Maybe, they are working from NO out--no stimulus money in evidence here! LOL) a twinge crossed my heart--wondering how my Babette is doing in Morgan City--probably ten litters by now! If she is still alive! sigh! We took mostly back roads and realized we had come this way before--and I thought I'd found a new back way! Oh, well--got to St Francisville at lunchtime so we headed for the Magnolia Cafe--a funky place that reminds me of the coffee house I used to go to --something Ground--in Burlington in the 70's. Packed--lots of ladies who lunch--when I was admiring, once more, the lovely old houses, several of which are for sale this year--Bill said, ah, yes, you, too could be one of the ladies who lunch! Hmmmm, not my style--at least not some of the conversations going on around me--"WHY don't they just ARM those big ships off Somalia??? How can a LITTLE boat, with those LITTLE people manage to get those ships? But then, those SOMALIANS have nothing to lose!" " Oh, I just couldn't take two courses at one time--I HAVE to have some down time! " In these horribly arch, nasal, southern drawls! Deliver me! Checked in as the sky opened once more--so we decided to give it an hour. I started to read the paper and next thing woke up an hour later!!! Then we went to my favorite store in La--Grandmother's Buttons. Wonderfully, unusual jewelry using antique buttons--Christmas gifts and a lovely birthday gift for my baby girl, who today ( March 9 ) turned 24! How can that be?????? Since the weather was so terrible there really wasn't anything else we could do--wet, wet, wet --so no wildlife refuge or plantation garden walks. Took refuge in Wing It and had a great chat with the owner, Pete Peterson. Talked about lose of dairy farms, Feds offering small dairy operations a deal they couldn't resist to drop the subsidized dairy operation and turn their land into stands of oaks and pines. He has been a small business owner since he was 18 and talked of the fees and taxes that are imposed on small businesses and how difficult it makes it for them to survive. Also talked of the people, who, six years later are still in Fema trailers and complaining about the govt's tardiness in finding them something better to live in. Quite distraught over the fact that these are the people we hear about and not those who have done something about improving their situation on their own. Shared other horror stories such as the waitress whose 49 year old boyfriend is in jail because he had sex with her 14 year old daughter who has since had his baby. The waitress is thrilled with the baby and has no problem about his fathering it. As a matter of fact, she intends on marrying him when he gets out of jail. Of course, the girl is getting Wic and is on welfare--her med bills were paid by Medicaid. He's on SS disability and the waitress is working at the restaurant. Told him that sort of thing is prevalent in the North, too! Just crazy--all the programs available for these situations and no incentive to take responsibility and get themselves a decent life. UGH! Finished the evening with the only night that has decent TV--NCIS,NCIS--LA and The Good Wife. Even stayed up to see Margulies on Letterman. She's a neat gal.

Here an Oyster, There an Oyster, Everywhere an Oyster!

Monday was truly a lazy day--slept in until around 9, took our time getting out on the road! It was a rainy, overcast day--really the first we've had that we could say was terrible weather. Eventually, took the 20 mile drive down to New Iberia and Bojangles Sushi and Oyster Bar for our annual plate of oysters on the half-shell with an Abita Springs beer--but they don't carry Abita anymore so I had a Stella instead. Then across the street to a tiny bookstore that I love--James Lee Burke, an author of David Robischeaux novels--David a world weary New Iberia cop--new movie made last year used Tommy Lee Jones as Dave---good casting! Anyway, JLB lives and writes in New Iberia in winter and in Missoula, Mt in summer. I always go in a buy one of his books when I'm here--never buy them anywhere else--so may not get all his books read!! LOL Also picked up a book called God Bless Jazz by a Jesuit priest who played clarinet in the New Orleans French Quarter with Pete Fountain and Al Hirt while serving his vocation as a high school teacher in one of the Catholic high schools for some years and as the retreat director in two different southern Louisiana Retreat Houses in other years. I found that fascinating--though not surprised--those Jesuits are amazing men and the order allows them such individual freedom to develop their own interests. Some are practicing lawyers, one has been a Congressman, yet another, whose name escapes me just now, has been a very popular author and lives in his own penthouse apt in Chicago! All the while fulfilling their obligations as priests of the Church! Forgot to ask the gentleman what happened to Hadrian! There was a full sized Roman -type sculpture of Hadrian in front of the Hadrian building and he is gone!!! The teller at the bank had no idea what I was talking about and he was right around the corner. I'll have to contact the New Iberia website I guess. Our next stop was the Konriko Rice Mill to stock up on some of their seasonings which we have used up and Bill got some Red beans and rice. It is always fun to chat up the ladies there. One showed me a clever doll--claims her nanny made her one when she was growing up in the '60's/ An upsy -daisy doll--turned one way up she is a little white doll but turned upside down her dress goes inside out and she is a black doll. So in private she could play with her black doll but in public she'd turn her the other way up. I would have bought one but I don't collect dolls and $40 was too much for something I really had no display place for. Our last stop--early dinner at Poor Boy's and our fried oysters--they were heaven, as usual and the sweet potato is so good that you add nothing but a little cinnamon--no butter they are soooooo sweet. Our man in the bookstore said that Shucks in Abbeville has the best oysters though he allowed as how Poor Boy's weren't too shabby. He likes Shucks better than Bojangles but I cannot help but wonder if that isn't because Bojangles is also a Sushi Bar and is run by Japanese. Then it was back to the motel and a lovely evening of reading and relaxing. Heaven is smothered in oysters, folks!!!