DeSoto Magazine May 2021

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May

CONTENTS 2021 • VOLUME 18 • NO.5

features

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Dunleith Historic Inn Returns to Life

​1767 Designs Art from Nashville’s Past

​ he Architectural Gems T Of Ocean Springs

departments 14 Living Well Memory Care at its Best

44 On the Road Again Baton Rouge

20 Notables ​Lesley Silver

46 Greater Goods 66 Homegrown Candle-making Parties

24 Exploring Art Tattoo Artist Matt Stebly

70 Southern Gentleman ​Pit Barrel Smoker

28 Exploring Books Independent Bones

74 Southern Harmony Craig Morgan

32 Southern Roots Crape Myrtles

78 In Good Spirits ​The Derby Drink

36 Table Talk ​The Enid Depot

40 Exploring Destinations ​Southport, N.C.

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81 Exploring Events 82 Reflections We Might Need This

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editor’s note | MAY

Unique Southern Experiences

On a recent trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, my first inclination was to get on the water and enjoy a sunset cruise on a replica of a Biloxi wooden schooner. Of course, I’m not alone in desiring beaches and Gulf waters, but the Coast offers so much more.

Take the fact that it’s home to several architectural gems. The CharnleyNorwood House in Ocean Springs has Frank Lloyd Wright connections, the new Beatnik boutique hotel offers unique — and delightful — accommodations, and the Ocean Springs Marine Education Center won numerous architectural awards. Writer Pamela A. Keene gives us a tour of these special places in this, our annual Art & Architecture issue. And over in Natchez, the mammoth Greek Revival Dunleith Historic Inn, a local landmark, has been lovingly restored and plans to reopen this month.

Tracy Morin gives us a sneak peek.

Moving to the art side, former musician Patrick Hayes has been salvaging wood from Nashville’s homes and giving them new life as exquisite works of art and furniture. Traveling back to Ocean Springs, we show you the artwork of Matt Stebly, great-grandson of famed artist Walter Anderson. Stebly uses skin as his canvas — he’s a tattoo artist — and his work is now on display at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, or The MAX,

MAY 2021 • Vol. 18 No.5

PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Adam Mitchell PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paula Mitchell ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Melanie Dupree CO-EDITORS Mary Ann DeSantis Cheré Coen

in downtown Meridian. And Lesley Silver marks 50 years as owner of The Attic Gallery in downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi’s oldest independent art gallery.

That’s just a sampling of the great articles we have to share in this month’s issue, so sit back and enjoy, then make plans to visit these unique and colorful Southern places, many of which offer experiences not found anywhere else.

Cheré Coen

CONTRIBUTORS Michele D. Baker Deborah Burst Cheré Coen Mary Ann DeSantis Jason Frye Verna Gates Pamela A. Keene Karen Ott Mayer Tracy Morin Trudy Saunders Karon Warren Kevin Wierzbicki Pam Windsor PUBLISHED BY DeSoto Media 2375 Memphis St. Ste 208 Hernando, MS 38632 662.429.4617 ADVERTISING INFO: Paula Mitchell 901-262-9887 Paula@DeSotoMag.com

on the cover Craig Morgan Photo by Nate Griffin.

SUBSCRIBE: DeSotoMagazine.com/subscribe

DeSotoMagazine.com ©2021 DeSoto Media Co. DeSoto Magazine must give permission for any material contained herein t o b e re p ro d u c e d i n a n y m a n n e r.

Any advertisements published in DeSoto Magazine do not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s services or products. DeSoto Magazine is published monthly by DeSoto Media Co. Parties interested in advertising should email paula@desotomag.com or call 901-262-9887. Visit us online at desotomagazine.com.

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living well | WESLEY MEADOWS GREEN HOUSE HOME

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An Eden for Elders

By Karen Ott Mayer | Photography by Wesley Meadows

Fully dedicated to memory support, the new Wesley Meadows Green House reminds residents of home.

On a sunny day in late March, construction sounds and excitement filled the air at Wesley Meadows Retirement Community in Hernando, Miss. By April, the noise had evaporated when The Margaret & Dan Maddox Green House® Home officially opened its doors. Not just another building on the campus, the new home represents a completely different care model for senior adults living with memory loss.

Paired with the Eden Alternative Principles, the Green House Home Design in Hernando represents a continuation and a beginning.

“Methodist Senior Services (MSS) built the first Green House home in Tupelo in 2003; Hernando is the 22nd MSS Green House. This one, however, is only the fourth home that is fully dedicated to memory support,” says Jamie Cliett, community director of marketing and public relations.

Unlike traditional memory care units which are highly institutionalized in design and practice, the Green House concept focuses on the idea of home. All residents have a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s.

“It connotes home, a living breathing home where residents aren’t restricted from everyday practices like eating together at one table or helping to cook,” adds Cliett.

With 10 private resident rooms circling a large open living room with hearth and kitchen, the layout and design encourage both socializing and privacy. As an Eden Alternative Registered Community, Wesley Meadows strives to create an environment that eradicates the three major conditions facing all assisted-living facilities: loneliness, helplessness, and boredom.

Going a step further, however, the lines between a staff member and resident no longer exist as barriers. If residents want to cook favorite recipes or bake cookies, they can do so just like at home. If they need guidance, a Shahbaz, or nursing staff member, provides encouragement and support.

“Instead of a traditional nursing staff role, a Shahbaz

acts like a family member as well,” says Cliett. “They eat with residents and help if they need assistance. Our residents are free to pursue those household routines like cooking or vacuuming if they choose to do so. If they need guidance, the Shahbaz is there to help.”

The Maddox House also has a large glass sun porch that faces a landscaped garden area. Many residents across the Wesley Meadows campus enjoy gardening, Cliett says. “It’s fun because they barter produce and plants.” An open-air gazebo overlooks the large green scape located at the front of the property and the area around the house has been expanded.

No design detail was overlooked. From the red dinnerware plates to the open wrought iron fencing, the entire concept embraces independence and the elimination of even the slightest barrier. Cliett explains that the color red itself encourages appetite, while the wrought iron fencing offers residents a clear view without feeling enclosed or cut off.

In addition to the large living area called the hearth, the home also includes a private room with a bathtub and beauty salon. “The rooms only have showers but residents can take a bath or get their hair done in the spa if they prefer.”

Each room is painted a different cheerful color, allowing new residents to pick the room of their choice. Moreover, Cliett says that each resident’s private room door can be a replica of their door back home. “Families take a picture of their loved one’s front door at home and we then cover their door here. It’s another detail that feels familiar to them.”

Families can visit residents in their rooms or in the hearth. The Maddox House design promotes independence, meaningful engagement, and safety.

A private, non-profit organization, Wesley Meadows relies on the generosity of donors to raise funds for projects like the Green House. From the start, Hernando and DeSoto County embraced the project with The Maddox Foundation giving Wesley Meadows a matching challenge grant of $500,000 DeSoto 17

for the construction. The Skelton Foundation donated a significant gift within a short time and community donors raised the additional funds. The Assisi Foundation of Memphis also gave a grant.

Michelle Daniel, vice president of philanthropy and leadership development, spearheaded the fundraiser with the guidance of Arthur Alley Associated and has worked with Methodist Senior Services for more than five years.

“Our board of directors voted unanimously on this project because we need it here,” Daniel said. “Since this isn’t our first Green House, we’ve been able to refine the design, no matter how small, to benefit our elders.”

Daniel says a Shahbaz is like a midwife for elderhood.

“There is a relationship built on respect and to protect, sustain, and nurture one another.” Daniel says during the day, for each five residents there is one Shahbaz. “That ratio is unheard of in traditional assisted living settings.” With a longstanding and wellloved reputation in DeSoto County, Wesley Meadows has always viewed care with a holistic, intensive, Christian spirit dedicated to innovation.

Upon opening, the Maddox House welcomed seven new residents and Wesley Meadows already has an eye towards expansion. “We have 40 acres here and the need is great,” says Cliett.

Likewise, the Maddox Foundation also gave an additional $500,000 challenge grant for a maintenance endowment fund for the Green House Home, according to Daniel. “From the start, we have planned for this home to always look fresh and have the resources to keep up the maintenance, now and far into the future.” mss.org/WesleyMeadows With more than 20 years writing in healthcare, freelance writer and editor Karen Ott Mayer still enjoys sharing stories of hope and health, particularly about our elders.

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SHOP

silo square

for moms

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notables | LESLIE SILVER

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Art in the Attic

By Michele D. Baker | Photography courtesy of Michele D. Baker and Attic Gallery

Lesley Silver sells, makes, and breathes art in Mississippi’s oldest independent art gallery.

The eclectic space at the corner of Washington and Grove Streets in downtown Vicksburg is a community treasure known as The Attic Gallery. Since 1971, curator and owner Leslie Silver has poured her heart and soul into the gallery that sort of “just happened.”

Filled with Southern folk art, funk, contemporary fine art, handmade pottery, glass, and jewelry, The Attic Gallery contains treasures for every taste. Along with the crafts and fine art, patrons can also find blues-related items sitting cheek-byjowl with landscapes and Elvis collages or religious art depicting Our Lady.

“Every piece in the gallery speaks to me,” says Silver.

“The art in this gallery has a narrative or an energy. I really react to the pieces here.”

The Attic Gallery celebrates its 50th anniversary this fall, and its beginning success was as unexpected as the assortment of artwork found on the walls and tables in the historic building.

​ In the early ‘70s, Silver and her then-husband owned a bridal gift shop/jewelry store just three blocks from her current location. In 1971, the Silvers visited California and wanted to bring a gift for friends in Mississippi.

“We wanted to bring our friends something that lasts, something that means something,” remembers Silver.

In a California art dealer’s shop, they became fast friends with the proprietors; the Silvers learned that West Coasters often purchased art instead of household goods for brides-to-be. Several hours of discussion turned into dinner, and on the flight home, a plan was hatched.

“My husband suggested we spend $500 and ask our new friends to send us a selection of art to sell in Vicksburg,” says Silver.

The box arrived on the day of daughter Kallyn’s fifth birthday, and “the moms at the party cleaned us out,” remembers Silver. “Most pieces were about $25, and the most expensive piece was $40.”

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Leslie Silver

Hot on the heels of this success, the Silvers sent for a second $500 box of art from California. When it arrived, the couple realized this could become something really special.

There was empty space on the floor above the gift shop, so with flashlight in hand, Silver explored the cluttered second floor.

Friends came to her aid, cleaning and fixing it, and the gallery she never planned just happened.

“It was natural,” she says. So was the name. The Attic Gallery opened in early October 1971. ​“Our friend Macy Hart was good at knots, and we hung up the art with clothespins,” Silver says. Other stock came from the gift shop below, and slowly, inventory built up.

“I have no idea how many pieces of art we have,” Silver says with a laugh. “So, let’s say a million.”

The Attic Gallery contains the work of artists from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi with a few other locations sprinkled in.

“I want to know the artists,” explains Silver. “Art is visceral and emotional; it teaches people to see differently and enriches their lives.

In addition to curating, encouraging and selling art, Silver is also herself a visual artist. Her mother was a working artist and teacher of art, her aunt a sculptor, and her grandfather painted.

“My mother was an astonishing painter,” says Silver.

“My whole life, I grew up with art books… and her amazing still lifes.”

Although she worked as a photographer in the 1980s and was always surrounded by art, Silver didn’t begin making her own art until much later, dreading comparison to her talented mother. “She would have hated that I didn’t do art out of that fear,” says Silver.

Today, her preferred method of expression is mixed media, creating beautiful scenes in boxes with found objects 24 DeSoto

including photos, paper, and little odds and ends. Nowadays, a friend brings her unusual containers, challenging her with the question, “What can you make out of this?”

“We are here to introduce new artists and art and to create energy together,” says Silver. “This isn’t a trendy gallery; we all learn together by watching.” Fodor’s Guide agrees, once declaring the spot jam-packed with “regional art and fine crafts chosen with a discriminating eye; walk up the steps for the unusual.”

Fiftieth anniversary celebration planning has unlocked opportunities for Silver and her colleagues to really display the talents of these local artists. The Facebook page (TheAtticGalleryMS) will showcase artwork by decade, complete with artist statements. A writer/photographer is working on a coffee table book of the gallery’s offerings in time for Christmas sales.

“The most exciting celebration is in October, near our actual anniversary. Starting now, we’re collecting art from about 30 artists,” says Silver. “During a party at the gallery, we’ll have all those artists here and do a big reveal.”

Silver believes that if a person is exposed to the varieties of art, understanding and desire can be developed and expanded beyond a narrow view, opening them up to all kinds of new experiences.

“Art is something that makes you feel. It activates the emotions,” she says. “You need art to breathe.” atticgalleryvicksburg.com Michele D. Baker is a freelance travel writer and blues music lover in Jackson, Miss. She has three cats, too many books, and bought her first piece of “real art” (a pottery vase which she put on layaway) at The Attic Gallery in 1984. Read her work at www.MicheleDBaker.com.

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exploring art | MATT STEBLY

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Art that Breathes

By Verna Gates | Photography courtesy of Matt Stebly

Great-grandson to Walter Anderson, Matt Stebly follows in his ancestor’s artistic footsteps to create unique artwork on paper — and skin.

In the Gulf waters outside Ocean Springs, Miss., famed artist Walter Inglis Anderson rowed a small boat to Horn Island, capturing images of the creatures within his view. Almost a century later his great-grandson, Matt Stebly, now plies the same waters with palettes and images hauntingly similar to his forefather. Both favor a stained glass look with a window into nature.

While Anderson worked on paper and pottery, Stebly is a painter, but his primary canvas is skin. His vivid images attract clients from around the world to his Twisted Anchor Tattoo shop on Government Street.

To celebrate the baton passing of family art, a special exhibition titled, “Bloodlines: Matt Stebly,” is showing at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, or The MAX, in downtown Meridian, Miss., through July 11. The exhibit

contains paintings, photographs, and mixed media pieces.

As a young artist, Stebly struggled to support his love of painting. While getting a tattoo, the man working on him admired his original body art and asked if he would like to learn the trade. After serving an apprenticeship, Stebly’s reputation grew beyond his training days. He opened his own shop nine years ago.

But after a day of painting skin, Stebly still dreamed of painting watercolors on paper using the tattoo ink he has mastered.

“When I was an apprentice, the watercolors were too expensive,” Stebly says. “I couldn’t afford them and ink, so I had to pick one. Since I was making money with ink, it was the obvious choice and I killed two birds with one stone.”

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Matt Stebly sleeps nightly with this tricolor heron he tattooed on to his wife.

tattooing. Both are exacting, got-to-get-it-right the first-time mediums. Tattoo color dries quickly and can’t be changed.

He declares that he is the ultimate proofreader before adding words in ink.

Like his great-grandfather, Stebly’s preferred subjects are nautical and nature images inspired by the Gulf of Mexico.

Anderson’s daughter, Stebly’s grandmother, was a birder and taught him to love the herons, flamingos, owls, and other colorful inhabitants of trees and shores. On his way to work at Twisted Anchor Tattoo, Stebly passes three osprey nests, which he finds as invigorating as morning coffee.

One of his favorite paintings sleeps next to him every night — his wife’s tri-color heron tattoo. He has admired it daily for the past six years. He transferred the design to paper as a gift to his wife and she loaned the painting for the exhibit.

The couple married eight years ago and have two children.

Stebly’s art duality often overlaps. A client may see one of his paintings and ask for the image in a tattoo. Or, he might like a tattoo so much that he recreates it in a painting. A sketch in pencil might be filled in with watercolor or tattoo ink.

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Matt Stebly draws his inspiration from his backyard, the Gulf Coast.

He describes the two diverse mediums as this: “Paper doesn’t move when you are trying to paint a straight line on it. Paper doesn’t talk back. Paper does not have an opinion. Paper does not pick a color I would not choose. Paper will not collaborate with you.”

In addition, paper is not part of you for the rest of your life. Stebly stresses it is important to give people tattoos they are proud of.

Another big difference between the two: paper does not feel pain. Stebly describes the pain as scratching on a bad sunburn, unless he is working on a high nerve section such as the neck, knee, wrist, ankle, armpit — basically anything that moves.

Some people cannot sit for more than two hours.

Stebly’s tattoos take from three hours to as many as 30 or 40 hours to complete. He has a few clients who will fly in for three days and sit 12 hours per day to get a detailed painterly tattoo.

Harder substances also come into his artistic domain. A wooden mixed media piece in the MAX exhibit is a collaboration with fellow tattoo/fine artist friend Dave Koenig, who is known for his female figures. The piece traveled from Mississippi to Omaha as the two traded working on it. Koenig started with a mermaid and shipped it to Stebly. The curvy mermaid needed a complimentary friend and Stebly curled an octopus around her scales. The last one to work on it, he framed the piece and got permission to include it in the showing.

More than 20 pieces of his art comprise the exhibit, which includes the history of both Stebly and tattoos. A few paintings of his great-grandfather pay homage to the Anderson bloodlines. Traditional pieces related to tattoos have been borrowed from other museums.

“Throughout history, in almost every culture, there have been ways to mark the body,” says Stebly.

Verna Gates is a freelance writer in Birmingham and the author of “100 Things to Do in Birmingham Before You Die.”

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exploring books | INDEPENDENT BONES

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Forever Young

By Mary Ann DeSantis | Photography courtesy of Carolyn Haines and St. Martin’s Press

‘Independent Bones,’ the 23rd book in the popular Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery series, tackles some serious subjects but still includes the zany adventures of the Delta’s favorite PI.

Private Investigator Sarah Booth Delaney of fictional Zinnia, Miss., has had quite a successful run solving crimes as the heroine in a series of cozy mysteries that began in 1999.

Her escapades with a cadre of crime-solving pals continue in “Independent Bones,” book number 23 in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery series by Lucedale, Miss., native Carolyn Haines. The new book is scheduled for release on May 18. ​ Haines, a USA Today bestselling author and prolific writer, describes Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends as family. ​“For the past 25 years, I’ve spent a lot of time with those characters,” says Haines. “They do what they do and I just follow along and write about it.” ​ And what a ride it has been as Sarah and her friends — as well as the resident ghost in the historic Delaney home — follow clues that usually have something to do with bodies and bones. ​ While most of the previous books in the Sarah Booth Delaney series have been lighthearted crime-solving adventures, “Independent Bones” tackles the serious subjects of domestic abuse and women’s equality. It opens with a visiting Ole Miss professor, Alala Diakos, about to give a fervent feminist speech in a Zinnia park and Sarah Booth finding a hidden sniper rifle and scope nearby. When a notorious abuser is later murdered, suspicion centers on Alala who hires Sara Booth to find the real killer. The private investigator embarks on a case that stretches across the Delta. ​“Like everyone else I’m influenced by the news. It doesn’t go into my brain and come out a straight line, though,” says Haines. “It was all in my subconscious and came out [in the book].” ​ Haines often talks about her own vivid imagination and how that’s helped her create characters for her books.

Before she wrote “Them Bones,” the first SBD mystery, Haines says she heard Sarah Booth and her ghost character Jitty having an argument. ​“Jitty was giving Sarah Booth the dickens,” Haines says with a laugh. “It was only after I started writing down what they were saying that I realized Jitty was a ghost. She provides some humor, but she also functions as Sarah Booth’s subconscious.” ​ The heroine is someone that Haines says she’d like to be. “All of the characters have little bits of me in them but Sarah Booth most of all,” the author says. “She’s a lot braver than I am, and she isn’t so conflicted or hampered by things.

And she is far more limber than I am now.”

Haines calls it “literary magic” that her characters haven’t aged much since the series began 22 years ago. They still find themselves in quirky situations that involve shady business dealings, decades-old crimes, a little romance, and modernday corruption. The madcap adventures of Sarah Booth and her friends keep readers wanting more, and luckily for them Haines already has a contract from St. Martin’s Publishing for two more books. ​ Fans of the Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries are often surprised to learn that Haines lives near Mobile, Ala., because the series is convincingly set in the Mississippi Delta. She captures the flavor and vibes of the Delta as if she’s lived there all her life, but it was a trip to the Delta as a young journalist that made a lasting impression on Haines. ​ “The Delta to me had such a powerful allure,” Haines says. “Growing up in Lucedale (in south Mississippi), everything was familiar. There wasn’t that distinction and contrast between having money and not having it.” ​ She also says the location of the series gives her more DeSoto 31

freedom as a writer. “When you know a place so well, you are kind of bound by that. Setting it in the Delta, I wasn’t held in check.” ​ Although she’s lived in south Alabama for nearly four decades, Haines still loves and speaks fondly of her home state of Mississippi. “I try to present it in a positive light,” she adds. ​Haines, who received the Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of 2010 and was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in 2000, has more than 80 titles to her credit. In addition to the Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries, she is the author of the Pluto’s Snitch historical mystery series and creator and contributing author to Trouble, the black cat detective mystery series.

She has also written books in other genres under the pen names of Carolyn Burnes and Lizzie Hart. Her horror books — which she calls her dark side — were written as R.B. Chesterton.

She is gradually moving all her books to her legal name Carolyn Haines. ​ When she’s not writing, Haines runs the nonprofit Good Fortune Farm Refuge for “animals that no one wants.”

She is as passionate about animals and ending animal cruelty as she is about writing. ​“Responsible pet owners know that spaying and neutering is the only way to end the cruel cycle of tens of thousands of dogs and cats being euthanized every month in shelters across the nation,” she stresses. “Be the solution, not the problem. Donate a neuter to someone you love.” carolynhaines.com​ facebook.com/ GoodFortuneFarmRefuge

DeSoto Magazine co-editor Mary Ann DeSantis was privileged to know Carolyn Haines at the University of Southern Mississippi, where they both studied journalism, and as young reporters at the Hattiesburg American. She never dreamed they’d both still be writing all these years later.

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southern roots | CRAPE MYRTLES

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Tall crape myrtle properly pruned in bloom

Crape or Crepe?

No matter how you spell it, people in the South love their crape/crepe myrtles.

But what is the correct spelling?

To put the matter to rest, DeSoto Magazine turned to the definitive horticultural source, The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia, which spells it C-R-A-P-E. However, because the flowers look like delicate pieces of colorful crepe paper, the spelling C-R-E-P-E has become the most widely used in the South. In Europe and Australia and other countries they use the scientific name, Lagerstroemia Crape Myrtle.

Crape Myrtles:

A Misunderstood Southern Standard

By Pamela A. Keene | Photography by Gary Bachman, Shaun Broderick and Pamela A. Keene

Less pruning and smart garden placement are all crape myrtles need to produce gorgeous spring and summer color.

Crape myrtles seem to survive no matter how they’re treated. The graceful shrubs and trees, known for their lush summer blossoms in colors ranging from pure white to deep burgundy, delicate pink to grape purple, provide several months of color across the South. ​ However, these durable plants often suffer a condition called “crape murder” in early spring. ​ “People somehow have the idea that you have to heavily prune back crape myrtles — like it’s a requirement, but that’s simply not the case,” says Shaun Broderick, assistant research and Extension professor at Mississippi State University.

“Typically, pruning is done to remove unhealthy growth, to

modify the size of a plant, or to stimulate its growth. But in the case of crapes, it’s better to pick a crape myrtle that will grow the right size and plant it in the right place, rather than butchering up a beautiful tree that was planted in the wrong spot to begin with. Consumers should be able to find an appropriate crape for their available space without needing to prune them back.” ​ Crape murder takes place when people severely prune back their crapes — usually by 40 percent or more. Often the tree’s trunks are cut off just a few feet from the ground, resulting in the mutilation of their beautiful branch architecture and the formation of ugly knuckle-like growth. ​ “The trees usually survive, so perhaps ‘murder’ is DeSoto 35

The wrong way to prune a crape myrtle

too strong of a word to use,” Broderick says. “My colleague Gary Bachman prefers the phrase ‘myrtilation’ to describe the effects of over-pruning. The new growth is much weaker, overcrowded, and more prone to damage and breaking during the strong summer storms that form in the Gulf Coast.” ​ Proper pruning occurs in late winter or early spring and should be done to remove dead or crossing branches back to the trunk and remove suckers that form at the base. You can remove the seed heads too, but this is not necessary. ​“If you must prune a crape myrtle, avoid cutting off anything wider than your finger,” he says. “When you cut larger limbs or the trunk, you’re unnecessarily stressing the plant and are more likely to promote fast, weak growth.” ​ Hybridization over the past 20-to-30 years has resulted in various height crape myrtles that reach a variety of sizes at maturity, from dwarfs that grow 2-to-3 feet tall to trees that can tower up to 25 feet. ​“Before you decide to include crape myrtles in your landscape, determine where you are going to plant them,” he says. “The larger varieties can be used as landscape anchors on the corners of your home but be mindful of how close to the house you plant them. Give them plenty of room to mature.” ​ Use a grouping of the taller tree forms as a focal point in a flower garden or plant several dwarf crape shrubs that will remain small and mounded to accent space near a sitting area or patio.

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​“One of the most impressive uses I’ve seen is lining a driveway with tall, graceful crapes that are all the same cultivar,” Broderick says. ​ Certain varieties offer three-season interest: summer blooms, foliage that turns red or scarlet in the fall, and exfoliating bark that stands out in the winter. Others are known for their stunning colors, graceful weeping branches or distinct upright growth. ​ Some of the more popular cultivars include the stately, white-flowering Natchez; Muskogee with its light lavender flowers and long bloom season; the semi-dwarf Tonto with deep-red blossoms; and Sioux, named a Mississippi Medallion plant in 1999 with vivid pink flowers. ​ Broderick suggests that people purchase their crape myrtles in person if possible, rather than online. “Examine the plant to make sure it’s healthy and pest-free. Ask the grower to confirm the mature size,” he says. “That way, you’ll be more knowledgeable about choosing the right location. The size printed on the tag may not always be accurate and may underestimate its mature size.” ​ Crape myrtles require full sun to flourish, and they need to be planted in well-drained soil. Once planted, they should be watered deeply about once a week until they are established. When the weather is dry, you may need to supply them with some supplemental water during the hot summer months. They’re adaptable to a wide range of soils and need little more than a light application of slow-release fertilizer or compost in the spring. ​ “Crapes may be prone to putting out suckers from the base of the plant, which can make it look messy,” he says.

“These should be cut back to the ground regularly. They detract from the attractive bark and can also divert energy from the main plant; so, if you want better blooms, keep them trimmed.

Young crapes usually sucker more than established ones. Take the opportunity while they are young to select three-to-five main stems that will serve as the main trunks. Remove the rest by cutting them off at the ground.” ​ Crape myrtles originated in China but they have become a staple in Southern landscapes. To maintain these beautiful plants, give thought to their care. ​ “Think before you prune a crape myrtle,” Broderick says. “We would never do this to other multi-trunked trees like a river birch, eastern redbud, dogwood, or Japanese magnolia, so why is it done regularly to crape myrtles? It’s a strange horticultural ritual that’s truly unnecessary.”

Atlanta-based journalist Pamela A. Keene, a master gardener, has included several varieties of tree-form crape myrtles in her landscape.

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table talk | THE ENID DEPOT

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The Gem Around the Bend Story and Photography by Karen Ott Mayer

The Enid Depot has become a destination in tiny Enid, Miss., and amazes patrons with its rich history, fresh local foods, and live music.

As the old adage implies, a surprise awaits around an unexpected bend in the road, and such is the case with The Enid Depot. This locally-owned restaurant perches atop a hill overlooking the petite valley and dirt roads of Enid, Miss.

“It’s not a town because it’s unincorporated. It’s really a village,” says David Howard, who owns the historic building and restaurant with his wife, Dana. Smiling at his own words, he understands their greater meaning, having lived in the town his whole life. It’s fitting he would come to own the building that once housed the town’s dry goods store, complete with a barbershop and bank during its heyday.

Thanks to the Howards, the building’s next chapter in life involves food and people.

“I ran an event venue and weddings for a short time,” he says. “Dana then opened an antique store with a small lunch spot.”

Howard bought the building in 2007 and began renovations. When the pair decided to venture into the restaurant world in 2018, they spent another six months getting ready. And why open a full-service restaurant in what some would consider the middle of nowhere at a dead-end road?

“People kept telling us we should open a restaurant,” she says laughing. With a long career working in financial roles, Dana nonetheless grew up helping her parents run a grocery and small eatery in the Delta town of Tippo. Her love of antiques and vintage items sets the stage for the restaurant.

With two long second-story balconies opening upon a large dining room below, the store retains its original footprint and woodwork. Howard remembers the long glass cases that ran the length of the store and a clear horseshoe-shaped display case near the front. Today, the wall cases display local art, cutting boards, and memorabilia.

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Meanwhile, the tables fill up quickly every week as visitors from as far away as Oxford or Jackson drop in to indulge. Committed to serving only the freshest dishes, the Howards and their chef Daniel Michael Corbett, aka “Boo” to all of north Mississippi, have quickly earned a solid reputation for the food.

Raised in Grenada, Corbett has spent his career opening restaurants across the state and in Tennessee. The Howards were able to catch Corbett at an ideal time and hire him as the chef. Self-trained, Corbett’s first work began at age 13 in a friend’s ham store where they served barbecue. “I loved it and as he went on to open other restaurants, I just kind of followed him,” remembers Corbett.

Back at The Enid Depot kitchen, he and the Howards never cut corners, insisting that every menu item is fresh or homemade. The menu features seafood and steaks, with the oyster dinner covering the plate and the crab delight appetizer appearing as a welcome change to crab cakes. Blackboard weekend specials change but may include red snapper or baked oysters.

“All of our seafood is fresh, never frozen. I cut all of our steaks and make our home fries from real potatoes. The menu is 100 percent about quality,” Corbett says.

If the main courses aren’t enough, the desserts are all homemade. Amy’s caramel cobbler is made by a local who also helps in the restaurant.

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The atmosphere is what draws everyone — guests and the staff. “You can’t make a new building feel like this 1900 general store,” adds Corbett. With a strong musical tradition, The Enid Depot was a favorite stopover for past musicians, and the Howards continue to offer live music on Saturday evenings.

Open Thursday through Saturday evenings, the restaurant recommends reservations although walk-ins can take a chance. Diners can choose to eat at a solo table in the original barbershop on the building’s front corner, or they can dine al fresco and soak up the forgotten landscape. The Howards welcome private parties and events during the restaurant’s off days, Sunday through Wednesday.

When COVID hit, the Howards shut down for seven weeks, but have remained open since then. Judging by the steady stream of Mississippians pouring into the doors, the destination restaurant doesn’t seem to have missed a beat.

The only thing richer than the praline pecan cheesecake is the treasure trove of David’s historical stories and boyhood memories about the general store. He particularly remembers his Dad returning from World War II. “He got off the train right here, and after years in the war, (he) had a hard time climbing the icy hill to get home!”

While the sleepy village may seem stuck in a time long ago with the leaning cotton gin and historical Baptist church in the center, The Enid Depot has proven that history can repeat itself with a new story.

“I love to see the look on people’s faces when they come in,” says Dana. “They all say they never dreamed a place like this would be out in the middle of nowhere.”

With good food, friends, and stories, this Mississippi gem proves time and geography hold nothing against dreamers determined to reclaim a piece of history.

Writer Karen Ott Mayer has spent two decades traveling Mississippi’s backroads and writing about the state’s unexpected, hidden gems.

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exploring destinations | SOUTHPORT, N.C.

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Picture Perfect in Coastal Carolina

By Trudy Haywood Saunders | Photography courtesy of NC’s Brunswick Islands and Jason Frye

Once a quaint fishing village, Southport, N.C., is gaining a reputation as a vibrant arts destination.

One look at the peaceful Southport waterfront and it’s easy to see why Stede Bonnet, known as “The Gentleman Pirate,” sought rest and refuge in the creeks and inlets surrounding the coastal town before being captured with his crew in 1718 in the headwaters of the Cape Fear River

Today, the quaint fishing village on the southern North Carolina coast, population 3,739 in 2019, maintains that sense of tranquility, nestled among live oak trees and white picket fences.

Originally named Smithville, the town was founded in 1792 and developed around Fort Johnston, the defensive fort

of the Cape Fear region, before being renamed to capitalize on the shipping port. In recent years, Southport has served as the backdrop for dozens of television shows and movies, including Safe Haven, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Dawson’s Creek, and Matlock. Due to its cinematic notoriety, tourists have discovered what locals have known all along — Southport is a little slice of paradise.

Visitors seeking to live out their big-screen dreams can enjoy a golf cart tour of film locations, or explore on their own with guided maps. Still, Southport maintains its small-town charm by supporting local merchants and artists. Instead of DeSoto 43

chain retail stores, an array of locally owned shops featuring everything from toys to fine art to Christmas decorations line the historic district. Likewise, accommodations consist primarily of family-owned properties and historic bed and breakfast inns instead of high-rise condominiums. ​ While in Southport, the water is never far from anyone's mind. The North Carolina Maritime Museum is a must-see while in the historic district, chronicling the town’s nautical history of fishing, shipping, and hurricanes.

No one can visit Southport without sampling at least one fresh seafood meal at a restaurant along the yacht basin.

With fresh catches brought in daily, it’s no surprise to see guests lined up outside, waiting to get in their favorite establishment.

Shrimp, fresh off the local trawlers, blue crabs, grouper, just to name a few, are all sources of many winter dreams.

Ferries are available to shuttle locals and visitors to nearby Bald Head Island for a day of sightseeing or to Fort Fisher for tours of the Civil War fort and aquarium. And there is no better way to end the day than with a sunset harbor tour where dolphin sightings are the norm.

With its gorgeous ocean views, Southport is home to a thriving arts community of artists specializing in forms of media ranging from watercolor painting to pottery. Photographers are also drawn to the captivating landscapes, and performing arts shows are held regularly in the historic Amuzu Theatre.

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very pretty place,” says Debbie Evans from the Ricky Evans Gallery. “It’s got a lot of character.”

Evans and her artist husband Ricky Evans, known for his pen-and-ink lighthouse drawings and waterfront panoramas, used to attend art festivals in Southport. Eventually they found a house and opened the business featuring local art and local artists. They have made their home there for over 20 years.

Like the Evanses, many artists visit Southport and never leave.

“The Southport community is very supportive of the arts,” says Carol Kidd, president of the Associated Artists of Southport, a co-operative non-profit housed in the Franklin Square Gallery, the old former high school building. “The fact that there are so many places to find art is a testimony to that.”

The gallery features the work of over 100 local artists in a variety of mediums including watercolor and oil paintings, pottery, and sculptures. Art classes and monthly gallery walks are lively community events which will begin again when they can be safely held.

Up Your Arts, another local arts organization dedicated to visual and dramatic arts, partners with the City of Southport to sponsor an annual Plein Air Festival. Artists from all over the region come to paint for the weekend, setting up their easels along the waterfront and oak-lined streets throughout the community. At the end of the weekend, locals and visitors have the opportunity to purchase the paintings.

Southport is a wonderful getaway any time of the year, but it's probably most known for its Independence Day celebration, the official North Carolina 4th of July Festival. As many as 60,000 locals and tourists assemble each year for the annual festival for the patriotic parade, arts and crafts fair, live music, and firefighter’s competition, all punctuated by the waterfront fireworks display.

Pirates can’t be found in Southport anymore, but there’s certainly treasure there for everyone. To find it, just follow the subtropical breezes to the waterfront swings and the artists painting along the waterfront.

Southportnc.org Southportfuntours.com

Trudy Haywood Saunders is a freelance writer and author of two mysteries for young adults. She lives with her husband and daughter in Montgomery County, N.C.

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on the road again | BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

, e g u o R n o t Ba uisiana Lo

8:15 Dive into breakfast combos with pancakes and French toast or the recommended Joe’s shrimp and grits at Simple Joe Café in downtown Baton Rouge.

9:15 Tour the State Capitol, the tallest state capitol in the United States, and enjoy its Art Deco design with rich murals and elaborate bronze doors. Take the elevator to the Observation Deck on the 27th floor for a panoramic view of the city, the Capitol Gardens, and the Louisiana State University campus.

10:30 A giant crawfish — thankfully not a live one — welcomes visitors to the iconic Capitol Park Museum with exhibits of the state’s renowned music, delectable cuisine, magical Mardi Gras, and the state’s unique boat building, among others. ​ 11:15 Stop by the Louisiana Old State Capitol, known as the “Castle on the River,” which boasts Gothic and Victorian architecture dating to 1882. One of its most striking features is the spiral staircase highlighted by a domed stained-glass ceiling.

Noon Grab lunch inside or on the new rooftop bar at the Chimes Restaurant, a favorite among locals and sports fans. Chimes serves everything from po-boy sandwiches to Louisiana’s seafood delights.

1:30 Take a step back in time at the LSU Rural Life Museum and witness the life of early settlers across a 25-acre estate with 32 historic buildings and an extensive collection of cultural artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

3:00 Visit the Louisiana’s Old Governor’s Mansion, which mimics the White House in Washington, D.C., evident in part by the exterior and oval rooms on the second floor and a curved marble staircase with wrought iron banister. ​ 4:00 Enjoy one of the state’s most storied trademarks, the Mississippi River. Stroll or bike the city’s Riverfront Plaza featuring water gardens and an amphitheater complete with stages and concerts.

5:00 Time to chill and sip some suds at the locally owned brewery, Tin Roof Brewing Company. Check its calendar for tours and tastings.

6:15 Enjoy a dinner of Louisiana’s famed seafood at the Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar. The menu offers oysters from across the country prepared raw, baked, grilled or barbecued, along with added features of crawfish, lobster, and Thai chili.

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To plan your visit:

visitbatonrouge.com thechimes.com tinroofbeer.com/tap-room joliepearloysterbar.com

Things to see

Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center Begin your festive stay by checking into the historic Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center. The hotel built in 1927 was a favorite haunt of former governor and U.S. Sen. Huey P. Long. The building has gone through several restorations with special attention in keeping the historic ambiance of the Art Deco era and Huey Long’s zeal for life. hilton.com/en/hotels/btrcphf-hilton-baton-rouge-capitol-center/ Magnolia Mound Plantation Witness a rare collection of vernacular architecture drawn by early settlers from France and the West Indies at this estate that spans the colonial era and early Louisiana statehood. In addition to its generous collection of Louisiana-sourced furnishings and decorative arts, Magnolia Mound also serves as a community platform with workshops, lectures, and festivals focused on French Creoles’ lifestyles that are still a vital part of south Louisiana life. www.brec.org/index.cfm/park/MagnoliaMoundPlantation LSU Campus More than a university, the LSU campus offers a stunning collection of Italian Renaissance architecture. Stroll through centuries-old oaks past ancient Indian mounds and the storied LSU Tiger Stadium built in 1924. Walk, bike or peddle along the many lakes that skirt the campus and beyond. A must see is “The Enchanted Forest,” filled with a most magical array of cypress and oak trees. www.lsu.edu/visit/ Baton Rouge Blues Festival Rescheduled for Sept. 18 Baton Rouge’s home-grown and transplanted blues artists include Slim Harpo, Rudy Richard, Silas Hogan, Whisperin’ Smith, Guitar Kelly, Buddy Guy, Chewin’ Gum Johnson, Raful Neal, and Tabby Thomas and his son Chris Thomas King, among others. The city honors this heritage with an annual Blues Festival , which has been rescheduled for the fall. www.batonrougebluesfestival.org/5-p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, where you can see the state’s largest LEGO railroad display. www.mcmrcm.org Compiled by Deborah Burst Photography by Cheré Coen

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greater goods | MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day

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1. Barefoot Dreams Throw, Magnolia House, 2903 May Blvd. Suite 103, Southaven, MS 2. Bird Houses, Mimi’s on Main, 432 W Main St, Senatobia, MS 3. Brighton pearl necklace, Center Stage Fashions, 324 W Commerce Street, Hernando, MS 4. Bundt Cake, Nothing Bundt Cakes, 5338 Goodman Rd Suite 127, Olive Branch, MS 5. Cutting board and towel, The Speckled Egg, 5100 Interstate 55, Marion, AR 6. Jewelry, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 7. Colorful jewelry, Front Porch Vendor Boutique, 9094 Goodman Rd, Olive Branch, MS 8. Musee gift box , Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 9. Necklace, Ultimate Gifts, 2902 May Blvd. Suite 102, Southaven, MS 10. Phillip Gavriel initial necklaces, Custom Jewelery, 2903 May Blvd Suite 105, Southaven, MS 11. Nest Fragrances, Keep it Casual, 106 S Industrial Rd, Tupelo, MS 12. Angel Painting, Magnolia House, 2903 May Blvd. Suite 103, Southaven, MS 13. Swan Creek Candles, Commerce Street Market, 74 W Commerce St, Hernando, MS 14. Mug Gift Sets, Paisley Pineapple, 6542 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS

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greater goods | GRADUATION

Graduation

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1. Collegiate Corksicle, Ultimate Gifts, 2902 May Blvd. Suite 102, Southaven, MS 2. Gadgets for guys, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 3. Gifts for grads, Commerce Street Market, 74 W Commerce St, Hernando, MS 4. Kanga Coolers, Mimi’s on Main, 432 W Main St, Senatobia, MS 5. Muddy Mae Pottery, Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 6. Picture Frames, Paisley Pineapple, 6542 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS 7. Stackable Rings, Custom Jewelery, 2903 May Blvd Suite #105, Southaven, MS 8. Stadium prints, Merry Magnolia, 194 E Military Road, Marion, AR 9. Sweatpants & Sweatshirt, Magnolia House, 2903 May Blvd, Southaven, MS 10. Touch screen purses, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 11. ZepPro Wallets, Ultimate Gifts, 2902 May Blvd. Suite 102, Southaven, MS

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Dunleith Redux

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By Tracy Morin Photography courtesy of Dunleith Historic Inn. Castle Restaurant photography courtesy of Mark Coffey

The Dunleith Historic Inn in Natchez may transport visitors to bygone times, but recent upgrades and renovations ensure that its features and amenities meet modern-day demands.

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​ Anyone who has visited Natchez, Miss., knows that enchanted feeling of stepping back in time. Even in a town rife with historical buildings, few properties bring those bygone eras back to life in such a luxurious expression like the Dunleith Historic Inn. ​“Dunleith is a classic example of probably the most recognized historical architecture, Greek Revival — very stately and well-presented, from the exterior appearance to the detailing of the property,” explains Johnny Waycaster, sole proprietor of Waycaster & Associates Architect, also based in Natchez. “Dunleith is very intact, in terms of the buildings that supported the main house, and unique in the sense that it’s a downtown property set on 40 acres.

It’s a destination and a wonderful example of what makes Natchez unique: classical architecture.” ​ Over the years, Dunleith has thrived through several re-imaginings, spurred by a few ownership changes. It transformed from a family’s private property (previously called Routhland) to a B&B in 1978. Later, in 1999, a full renovation created more of a resort feel, thanks to the addition of more guest rooms and an onsite restaurant. ​The property’s main house, which was rebuilt in 1854 after a lightning strike and encompasses the bulk of the guest rooms, abuts three outbuildings dating back to 1795. The original dairy barn now houses three additional guest rooms; the poultry house operates as a gift shop and front office; and the original stables and carriage house have been converted into The Castle Restaurant & Pub, a full-service fine-dining establishment that debuted in 2000. ​ However, another change of ownership in November 2019, is now ushering in a new era for the Dunleith Historic Inn. The J Collection, a New Orleans-based hotel group that oversees properties in the Big Easy and beyond, initiated another round of renovations and updates designed to maintain Dunleith’s historic charm while satisfying modern-day demands. ​ “As a historic inn, we offer eight guest rooms in the main house, so guests can stay in the mansion itself, which is unique,” notes Lyn Jenkins, assistant general manager at Dunleith. “And, while they’re here, they can explore the grounds, utilize every part of the main house’s first floor, eat at the DeSoto 53

restaurant, swim in the pool, and play bocce ball and croquet.

There’s plenty of green space, and you don’t have to leave the property.” ​ With 22 rooms total and off-premise catering available, the Dunleith is understandably a very popular destination for weddings, conventions, and corporate retreats. For guests who do want to explore beyond the property’s wrought-iron fence, historic downtown Natchez is less than one mile away. ​ John Holyoak, general manager for the Dunleith, adds that The J Collection holds a grand vision for later expansions and upgrades — such as a one-mile walking trail and a spa on the grounds. But, since assuming ownership, the company has had its hands full with a bevy of enhancements designed to preserve the Dunleith’s historic elegance while ensuring greater guest satisfaction for years to come. ​The first step involved stabilizing infrastructure, such as installing a brand-new HVAC system, roof and gutter system, revamping floors, and fixing damage to the columns that buttress the building’s facade and lend the property its iconic stately look. ​“Pulling up the plaster on columns and repairing the original brick work beneath — those are lost skills, and we’re fortunate in Natchez to still have the artisans and workers who can do that work,” Holyoak says. “We call this the ‘unsexy stuff’ that has to be done. Even though no one might notice, they just know that it looks good.” ​ But, Holyoak asserts, there’s also plenty of renovationsrelated “fun stuff” to prep Dunleith for its planned reopening 54 DeSoto

in May. The pool deck and pool area have been completely redone and resurfaced. The deck at The Castle Restaurant & Pub has been extended for expanded outdoor dining, while a fire pit and Adirondack chairs will set the scene for Southernstyle downtime. ​ Even indoors, there has been an intense focus on upgrading the food and beverage experience. All three kitchens on the property have been completely redone, with new equipment, wall surfaces, and flooring — ideal for hosting the new award-winning chef on staff, Doug Hosford. And the pub area now features a more open floor plan, a refinished bar, and new furniture. ​ In the restaurant’s upstairs area, tables and chairs have been recovered, and new temperature-control features have been installed for comfort. An upstairs wine room will allow guests to peruse and select their bottles, all alongside an 1800s-era bar serving up libations — fitting for a property that has nabbed Wine Spectator awards for 18 years running. ​ “There’s been a very extensive commitment from The J Collection to make it a top-notch destination in terms of food,” Jenkins reports. “With the new outdoor seating, we’ll have almost 200 seats, including 44 additional on the balcony upstairs. And downstairs, leading from the pub, we’ll have seating and couches for 24. It was already one of the top destinations in town prior to closing, but with our supertalented chef coming on board, it’ll be a diner’s dream.” ​Meanwhile, Dunleith’s sprawling and meticulously landscaped grounds, populated with azalea bushes, magnolia

trees, and live oaks, ensure a total-privacy feel, free from pesky reminders of the modern world — even the property next door dates from the 1800s. ​ “It really does give you the feeling of being back in time,” Holyoak marvels.

“Everything is historically correct.” ​ “But with modern amenities,” Jenkins chimes in. “We keep everything updated, and in our gourmet restaurant or the more casual pub, we can accommodate dressed-up to laid-back.” ​Indeed, striking a balance has remained a focus throughout this latest round of renovations — the need to both preserve and restore, maintaining historic integrity even while making functional and cosmetic changes to one of Natchez’s flagship properties. These considerations can feel like mere details, but painstaking attention is paramount. ​ “For everything we do, we go in front of a preservation board and meet one-on-one with the head of preservation, archives, and history for the state of Mississippi,” Holyoak notes. “We’re on the National Register of Historic Places, so we make sure to do everything correctly.” ​ “Our challenge is always to renovate or revise in a manner that’s sensitive to preserving the character and detail of this historic property,” Waycaster agrees. “In these latest renovations, when we needed to adapt the large outdoor dining area on an old carriage house that never had a porch like this, we want it to look like it belongs, like it’s always been there. And I think we’ve been successful!” dunleithhistoricinn.com

Based in Oxford, Miss., Tracy Morin is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with a passion for covering food, beverage, beauty, and boxing.

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The Beatnik

Ocean Springs offers three unique architectural gems — a retromodern retreat, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, and an environmentally sustainable campus.

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ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI

By Pamela A. Keene Photography courtesy of Charnley-Norwood House interiors: Visit Coastal Mississippi, The Beatnik: credit The Beatnik, USM Marine Education Center: Lake|Flato, USM Suspension bridge: Visit Coastal Mississippi

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Charnley-Norwood House.

Charnley-Norwood House.

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From historic and throw-back to ultra-modern, Ocean Springs showcases American architecture like few cities its size can. Not only are the styles diverse, the backstories alone are enough to entice visitors from across the United States and around the globe to spend time exploring this Coastal Mississippi town.

A Giant Jigsaw Puzzle

​ Winter retreats for the wealthy became the rage in the late 1800s into the early 1900s. In Ocean Springs, none attracts more attention today than what is known as the Charnley-Norwood House. ​Frank Lloyd Wright worked as lead draftsman for Chicago architectural firm of Adler & Sullivan when the company was hired to create a vacation cottage for James and Helen Charnley. Louis Sullivan is credited with designing the beach home, but Wright most likely was involved in the initial design. In fact, after Sullivan’s death, Wright took full credit. ​“T he design re presented a major departure from the then-popular Victorian style, particularly for residential building,” says Jeff Rosenberg, with the Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area.

“Its horizontal cottage form was a radical change from all the soaring Victorians with their bric-a-brac and gingerbread embellishments.” ​ Built in 1890, the cottage today is much the same as it was in those days, which could be expected for a structure of fine design. ​“However, the building today is rather a miracle,” Rosenberg explains. “Not only was it destroyed by fire only seven years after it was built and immediately rebuilt with further refinements to reflect Sullivan’s ‘form follows function’ ethos, it also has had a complete restoration from immeasurable damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Katrina knocked the house off the foundation, fragments of the porch were washed away, and parts of the home collapsed. ​“Community members and architectural preservationists came together to retrieve pieces, as small as exterior shingles to the largest piece — part of a rear wall of the east bedroom, eight feet tall by somewhere between 16 and 20 feet,” Rosenberg says. “The restoration was much like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle.” ​The home was stabilized but no further DeSoto 59

Marine Education Center

Marine Education Center

Marine Education Center The Beatnik

work done until the state of Mississippi purchased it in 2011 and began the extensive restoration. Over several years, the home was once again brought back to its original form with its interior of rich long leaf and curly pine paneling. The exterior’s shingles and windows were restored as well. ​“This home represents so many intricacies of the early design of various 20th century residential styles, from the large porches to the use of triptych elements — windows in threes to let in maximum light, wood paneling in threes and the design itself,” Rosenberg says. “It’s a true architectural treasure.”

Motor Courts with a Modern Twist

In the 1950s and 1960s, Porter Avenue through the heart of Ocean Springs was lined with motor courts, most with pull-up parking and low buildings. Sometimes there was a pool in the parking lot. ​The Beatnik, one of the town’s newest lodging choices, was built as a refined revival of the motor court, but with plenty of modern twists. ​“As we looked at the history of Porter Avenue, we wondered what kind of stories it could tell,” says Roxy Condrey, owner and developer of The Beatnik and several other revitalization projects in the area with her husband Ted. “Bringing back the motor court concept was a natural evolution, but we wanted to modernize it with a plunge pool, clean lines with plenty of amenities, and close parking for our guests.” ​Four floating cabins built above ground level feature 60 DeSoto

clean lines, interior design with wood walls and open ceilings, full walls of glass shared with screened porches overlooking the plunge pool, plus private outdoor showers. ​ “The outdoor showers are like slipping into another world, and yes, they are very private,” she says. “They are especially nice at night when you can look straight up and see the stars. It’s just another way of giving our guests an opportunity to do something that they may not try at home.” ​ Bathrooms have large dark-tiled walk-in showers and minimalist vanities and sinks with burnished stainless fixtures.

Sitting rooms feature either a wall of books, displayed with diamond-shaped cubbies or curtained bunk beds. ​“Our designs were very purposeful to give our guests the ultimate in uncluttered relaxation,” she says. “No unnecessary details were included.” ​ A native garden at the back of the property provides a quiet sitting area, and the firepit at the front is a popular evening gathering place. ​“We were definitely inspired by modern architecture while honoring the character and history of Porter,” Condrey says. “The Beatnik is perfect for just kicking back and relaxing.”

Modern Design Embraces Nature, Sustainability

Nestled on the University of Southern Mississippi’s Cedar Point campus near the Gulf Island National Seashore, the Ocean Springs Marine Education Center has maximized environmental preservation while creating a state-of-the-art

research, teaching, and community site.

Including trails, it encompasses 100 acres. ​ “The six-building complex honors the topography of the land while creating sustainable protection again storm surges and allowing as little disturbance of the natural elements and its inhabitants as possible,” says Jessie Kastler, interim director of the USM Marine Education Center. “For instance, the whole concept and design of the suspension bridge between two of our buildings is really fascinating. This is one of two pedestrian suspension bridges in Mississippi.” ​ The bridge, which spans 236 feet, connects the public building to two classrooms. All buildings are located above an 18-foot elevation and have floor elevations of 20.5 feet. ​ “In between, the bayhead wetland is home to many birds and various types of plants and trees,” she says. “And when you consider that each year approximately 10,000 people traverse the suspension bridge, our aim was to disturb the wildlife as little as possible.” ​ Views from two classroom buildings and the conference center bring the outdoors inside with large windows and screened porches. ​The buildings were designed to sit above 18 feet, which is the 100-year floodplain, and within the windscreen of the natural tree canopy. The design also employed construction techniques that limit damage to the trees, such as the use of helical piers that reduced root disturbance. ​ In 2020, the Marine Education Center received a Top 10 COTE award from the American Institute of Architecture for its social, economic, and ecological value. ​“The design and implementation of the center is quite an accomplishment,” Kastler says. “The buildings themselves are part of the outdoor experience.” coastalmississippi.com

Pamela A. Keene is an Atlanta-based journalist and photographer who enjoys discovering new places, including Coastal Mississippi and its wealth of treasures.

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1767 Designs

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Making Art from Nashville’s Past

By Kevin Wierzbicki Photography courtesy of 1767 Designs

Former musician Patrick Hayes repurposes wood and other items salvaged from Nashville’s homes into beautiful works of art and furniture.

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Devin Goebel crafts a piece of art

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Large 1767 Designs artwork

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If you were to ask someone to name something that’s made in Nashville, that person undoubtedly would, without hesitation, say “music.” Perhaps they would be more specific and say “country music.”

Ask that same person to name something made from Nashville and they’re likely to return a puzzled look. The oddly-worded question does, however, have an answer.

By salvaging wood from homes around Nashville that are destined to be torn down, and then using that wood to create artwork, the folks at Nashville’s 1767 Designs are literally making something from Nashville. The brainchild of Patrick Hayes, 1767 Designs came into being after Hayes noticed what was going on around him upon his arrival to Music City.

“When I first moved to Nashville, I saw the massive amount of redevelopment that was happening in the city,” Hayes explains. “I felt as though the homes that were being torn down deserved a better fate than ending up in the dump.”

Once he got the idea to repurpose these items, Hayes quickly jumped into action. “I’m never hesitant in life,” he says.

Most of the wood used at 1767 Designs is lathwork that’s found under the plaster in old homes.

“Our demo team typically can salvage wood from a house within a week, depending on the size of the house,” he says.

“They carefully remove each piece of wood and then it comes back to the studio where we painstakingly pull tens of thousands of nails. Then we label and inventory it.”

The labeling of the wood is important because each piece of 1767 Designs artwork or furniture gives a shoutout to the wood’s origins. A recently-made small triangular artwork suitable for putting on a shelf or hanging on a wall, for example, is hand-marked denoting its vintage and its former address: 5201 Illinois Avenue, built in 1940.

The first piece that 1767 Designs created was a coffee table built from wood scrounged from a home that was being razed near Hayes’ first Nashville apartment. Now the woodworkers in the company’s 6,000-square-foot studio in East Nashville make furniture and wall art out of wood taken from more than 75 similarly condemned houses. Hayes says the company will continue to honor Nashville’s historic architecture, and that there’s no problem in keeping a good supply of reclaimed wood on hand.

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Art installation at Urban Cowboy Nashville

“It’s not difficult,” Hayes says. “We’ve not run out in the eight years we’ve been in business and hope not to in the future. The wood mainly comes from East Nashville and the 12 South neighborhoods, but we’ve saved (wood from) homes from all over Nashville.”

More than a dozen unique 1767 Designs wall art pieces (and a serving tray too) are always available on the company’s website, each created with a nod to the Art Deco era or with a Southwestern motif. But custom pieces are a specialty, and Hayes, the company’s lead designer, will work with customers to design the perfect piece for home or office. Hayes did just that for country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and his designoriented wife Tish and their home, itself a 1940s-era house that the couple fixed up and which now includes a beautiful kitchen table made by 1767 Designs.

Some of the wood that 1767 Designs repurposes may have come from a home once inhabited by a member of the Nashville music community.

“It’s really tough to say as most times we don’t get the backstory on the home itself,” Hayes notes. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if it has happened.”

Sometimes an owner of a vintage home will come to 1767 Designs when they’re doing a remodel. “We do this fairly often when someone is renovating a home and wants something 66 DeSoto

A team member salvaging wood

made out of the wood.”

Hayes himself has a music business background and was a touring performer for many years. Four years after he stopped living the itinerant life of a touring musician, he returned to college for a degree in entrepreneurship. With 1767 Designs, he’s now reaping the benefit of that extra education.

The uniqueness of the company’s products and Hayes’ flair for marketing has led to an art collection exclusive to Pottery Barn that can be purchased on the store’s website, as well as wall art in the rooms of Nashville’s Urban Cowboy Bed & Breakfast. 1767 Designs artwork is also on display in The Continental, the newest restaurant from famed Chef Sean Brock that’s located inside the Grand Hyatt Nashville at Nashville Yards.

Keeping pieces of historic Nashville homes alive is the main focus for 1767 Designs and they are proud of both that history and the impact their reclamation work has on the environment. Not only do they keep tons of wood out of the landfill, they also often salvage steel, hammered copper, and leather that would otherwise end up in the trash.

Do Hayes and his demo team ever find anything unexpected during a reclamation operation?

“Nothing too crazy,” says Hayes. “Typically, people just leave behind unwanted junk. But every so often there’s a

cool light fixture or old relic left behind.

“One time I found a loaded snub-nose Smith & Wesson 57 Special in a woman’s purse,” Hayes adds.

One can only imagine who the woman was, why she abandoned her firearm, and why she was carrying it in the first place. It’s a lost piece of Nashville’s past, probably from the seamier side of the city’s history. The old song “if walls could talk” comes to mind. Thanks to 1767 Designs, walls all over Nashville and beyond get to keep on talking.

1767designs.com

Kevin Wierzbicki is a Phoenix-based freelance journalist specializing in music and travel.

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homegrown | CANDLE MAKING

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Fun with Wax and Wicks

By Karon Warren Photography courtesy of Girls Smell Great/Channon Mickens

Candle-making parties are the newest crafting event and perfect for spending quality time with friends and family members.

There are many popular choices for outings with best friends and family members, ranging from spa days to painting parties to singing your favorite tunes at the karaoke bar. Now there’s a new activity gaining favor for spending quality time with those you love: candle-making parties.

Whether honoring mom on Mother’s Day, celebrating with friends at bridal showers, or just getting together for some much-needed girls-only time, candle-marking parties offer a fun way to catch up, brush up on craft skills, and commemorate the outing with a lovely memento. Participants bring home a

unique souvenir that may spark memories of the special event every time it’s lighted. ​ “Everybody likes making their own custom item,” says Channon Mickens, owner of Girls Smell Great in Collierville, Tenn., where she hosts in-store candle-making parties. “They can create what they like and want.” ​ Mickens opened Girls Smell Great in September 2019 and began researching candle-making for her customers because she wanted to offer something new and fresh that promoted interaction among the participants, something not DeSoto 69

already available in the community. She already knew how to make candles herself, but wanted to develop a DIY activity for groups. ​ Today, customers can book a candle-making party at Girls Smell Great, wherein they choose their candle container and scents and then make their candle under the Girls Smell Great staff’s guidance. Containers include 4-ounce, 8-ounce and 11-ounce vessels, with more than 80 scents available to be included in the candle. ​If that sounds overwhelming, relax. Mickens stands at the ready to help customers narrow down those choices. ​“I have a knack for being able to feel out what a person likes,” she says.

“Their personality and likes can help determine what they like to smell.”

Mickens says the candle-making parties are a popular choice for birthday parties, bridal showers, wedding party-only parties, women’s book club meetings, and more. ​ “It’s so fun, and it’s a way to awaken things you didn’t know you enjoyed,” Mickens says. “Plus, these candles are all-natural, last longer than many other candles, and you can customize the scent.” ​ Mickens says she even has corporate groups booking candle-making parties as a way to promote not only team building but also team bonding. ​“They wanted the group to have the ability to get along outside of work, not just at work,” she says. ​ Although walk-ins are welcome, Mickens recommends calling ahead to make sure your group can be accommodated, especially if you have six or more participants. There is no cost for a public party other than the cost of the candlemaking products. It takes approximately 30 minutes to create a candle, with another hour to 90 minutes for the candles to dry. Customers can remain at the store until their candles are ready or go shopping or out to eat nearby and pick up their candles later.

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Customers also have the option of booking a private party for three hours for $150. For a private party, participants may arrive an hour early for decorating the space and bring their own food and drink. For both public and private parties, Girls Smell Great can accommodate up to 16 people for a candle-making session.

Another great option for candlemaking parties are the virtual workshops available through Paddywax Candle Bar. This company — which operates storefronts in Birmingham, Nashville, Philadelphia, Reston, Va., and Charlotte, N.C. — sells athome kits so customers and their friends can make candles in the comfort of their own homes. ​ Each kit includes candle containers, wicks, glue dots, wick brackets, soy wax chips, signature fragrance oils, and directions.

At-home candle makers will need a double boiler, tempered glass pitcher, and candy or meat thermometer, the latter two available to purchase as add-ons to the Paddywax candle kits. Kit buyers may also take advantage of the optional 30-minute virtual Q&A with a Paddywax Candle Bar associate, with the option to purchase additional time.

Pricing for kits start at $45 with tools and $30 without tools. There is a $20 flat rate for shipping up to 20 kits to one address. If shipping to more than one address, shipping is $8 per kit. ​ Whether you choose an in-person party or a virtual candle-making workshop, getting together with your closest friends and loved ones is sure to be a good time, one you’ll remember every time you light your candle. girlssmellgreat.com thecandlebar.co/pages/virtualworkshops

A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Karon Warren covers lifestyle, travel and other topics for several media outlets.

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southern gentleman | NOAH GLANVILLE

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Smokin’ Dreams Come True

By Jason Frye | Photography courtesy of Pit Barrel Cooker

Navy veteran Noah Glanville has created the Pit Barrel Cooker that finely smokes everything from ribs and wings to whole turkeys. ​Some of y’all fine Southern Gentlemen are going to be glad to hear this: I’ve found an idiot-proof smoker. ​I know because I’ve tested my Pit Barrel Cooker extensively — my wife might say obsessively — since it arrived a couple of months ago. My clothes smell like smoke; I’m going through charcoal like I’m practicing for Memphis in May; and the butchers at three Harris Teeter’s and two Lowe’s Foods know me by name. But I can’t stop. ​ That’s music to U.S. Navy veteran and Pit Barrel founder, Noah Glanville’s ears. ​“It took us 29 prototypes to get the design dialed in and create something that anyone can use,” says Glanville.

​Glanville, who served six years as a Navy Corpsman, much of that attached to a Marine Corps unit in Iraq, has a lifelong love of cooking. “Every grill I had or came near, I saw how to cook on it,” he says. “I had a knack for understanding the way they worked and I knew that after my time in the Navy was up, I wanted to get into the restaurant business.” ​ Things didn’t go exactly as originally planned. After his stint in the Navy, he joined a private security firm and headed back to Iraq and Afghanistan. “Two or three months on, one month stateside, repeat. I saved every dollar, worked every holiday, and after a while I was ready to head home and open a restaurant.”

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Noah Glanville & family

​Except he got talked out of it and changed his plan. ​ After one tour in Iraq, Glanville and his unit were greeted by a barbecue hosted in their honor. A group of veterans had assembled a fleet of grills and the smell of it — the smoke, the fire, the food — and the camaraderie he found at the gathering welcomed him home. Something about that memory took root in Glanville’s mind and after dropping the restaurant plans, another plan took shape: he decided to pursue the perfect smoker design. ​ I think he succeeded. And I’m not the only one. ​A few years ago, a good friend introduced us to the Pit Barrel. When we arrived at his house, we found a squat black drum puffing smoke in his driveway.

“That’s the Pit Barrel. You’re going to want to order one,” he told us. After eating what seemed like a wheelbarrow full of wings and a healthy portion of leftover barbecue we agreed. Over the next couple of years, the Pit Barrel began to appear in our driveways and back yards, and I started spotting them in my travels: fishermen on the Outer Banks had theirs propped up in the sand; at a campground in the Smoky Mountains, I saw one smoking away; on the Blue Ridge Parkway I noticed one in the back of a truck. ​This stands as testament to Glanville’s design and his desire to put “gourmet barbecue” in the hands of anyone who can light a fire and season a piece of meat.

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​The Pit Barrel has one ventilation opening near the bottom of the barrel and you adjust the air flow according to your altitude. At the top, two short pieces of rebar serve as hangers for hooks onto which you can attach ribs (dear Lord the ribs are good), a whole chicken or turkey, pork butts, steak, and, well, just about anything you want.

Don’t want to hang? Use the grill grate and cook as normal. Want to hang some ribs and do veggies or a pile of wings or a butt? Put the hinged grill grate in there and go for it; the ribs will hang through the opening and you still have half a grill to use. And unless you’re doing a big cook — throwing 20 pounds of pork butts on there, hanging a dozen racks of ribs, doing a Thanksgiving turkey to feed 14 — you’ll use one basket of charcoal (less than half a bag of Kingsford). ​If you’re like me and you’re coming to the Pit Barrel from the world of slow and low, you’ll notice this cooker runs a little hotter. Don’t worry, it yields the same result: tender, perfect barbecue with a lovely smoke ring and a tasty bark. That’s thanks to what Glanville calls a “smoke fog” — a swirling vortex of meaty, fatty, juicy smoke whirling up from the coal bed below — which he goes into more detail on his website. The site’s loaded with recipes and tips, but above all else, remember this: you cook to temp, not to time, so you’ll want a good instantread thermometer ​ The one thing Glanville recommends cooking on the Pit Barrel? It’s not a pork butt. It’s not belly. It’s not tri-tip — specialty of Glanville’s native California — or brisket. It’s lamb. ​“Come to my house and I’ll pull a rack of lamb off the Pit Barrel that you won’t believe,” he says. ​“I live on the coast,” I tell him, “what about fish?” ​He laughs, pauses a second, “Well, you don’t want to hang it, but you’ll swear the Pit Barrel was made to cook fish.” ​ Maybe it’s time to leave the butcher’s counter behind and head back to the fish market. I’ll bet they’ll miss me by now I have a few new things to cook on my Pit Barrel.

PitBarrelCooker.com Jason Frye, a North Carolina-based writer and Pit Barrel Cooker addict, is seeking patrons to keep him supplied with charcoal, brisket, butts, and ribs.

Interested parties should inquire through Instagram where he’s @beardedwriter. Jason’s latest book, “Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip,” hits shelves in late May.

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southern harmony | CRAIG MORGAN

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No Time to Slow Down

By Pam Windsor | Photography courtesy of Nate Griffin

His outdoor adventures — like the 2021 Iron Dog Snowmobile Race — are thrilling and chilling, but creating timeless music is what warms Craig Morgan’s heart.

Craig Morgan rarely slows down. During a year where artists and musicians were forced to stop touring, Morgan released a new album, performed before an empty Grand Ole Opry house to help continue the tradition of live radio shows, did some acting, worked with a co-writer on an upcoming book, and in February traveled to Alaska for the 2021 Iron Dog Snowmobile Race. He joined in for the last 100 miles or so.

“It was exhilarating!” Morgan says. “I love the idea of testing my physical, emotional, and mental limits.”

The Iron Dog is the longest, toughest snowmobile race in the world. Morgan served as an exhibition rider as part of a small group in partnership with Monster Energy that ran the last leg of the 2600-mile Pro Class race.

“On the day we rode,” Morgan explains, “it was 25 below zero. So, you have to be very conscious of everything going on with your body, in and around, you’ve got to be in great health, and you’ve got to know your machine and the limits of pushing it.”

A longtime endurance athlete, Motorcross fan, and avid outdoorsman (many are familiar with his “Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors” television show), Morgan has a deep love for Alaska and even owns a home there. Next year, he plans to run the entire Trail class of the Iron Dog, which covers more than a thousand miles.

“I’ll be going up there to train every chance I get. And I can’t wait.”

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He’ll train in-between touring, working on music, and a host of other projects. His live-performance schedule is ever-evolving as COVID restrictions ease and new dates added.

Morgan is currently promoting his latest album, “God, Family, Country.”

“We released that album during the pandemic when there was so much uncertainty in our lives. I questioned whether or not we should have been doing that, but we did it, and it was unbelievable. I think I had the biggest first week sales of any album I’ve ever had.”

That covers more than two decades in the music business. Morgan has a long list of familiar songs like “Bonfire,” “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “International Harvester,” and his signature hit, “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”

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Some of those songs are featured on “God, Family, Country,” along with five new tracks, including a faith-filled tribute he wrote following the death of his son, Jerry, in 2016.

Although Morgan has performed “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost” a number of times now, it still affects him deeply.

“There are times I can sing it without issue, but there are still times when it’s almost impossible for me to do it. I think it’ll always be this way. Having a child die, there’s no getting over it, there’s no getting past it or beyond it. It’s forever and ever, until I’m gone, which is what I say in the song. It’s going to be this way until the day I see him in heaven again.”

Other new songs are “Whiskey,” “Sippin’ On The Simple Life,” and his version of Gavin DeGraw’s “Soldier.”

“Every lyric of that song really does represent the

soldier,” Morgan says.

After 17 years in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserves, he remains a strong supporter of the U.S. military. He has traveled overseas to perform for the troops 16 times, and in 2018, was awarded the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. He also works closely with Operation Finally Home.

“There are a lot of great organizations that provide homes for wounded warriors and their families, but I love how Operation Finally Home does it. They don’t just hand over the keys and say, ‘thank you for your service.’ They create this relationship between the family and community that will last forever.

And to me, that’s as important, or maybe even more important than just the home.

Because, quite honestly, that’s the struggle for a servicemember — coming back into society.”

Although Morgan is best known as a singer/songwriter, he has also done some acting with appearances on “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Army Wives,” and roles in a couple of made-for-TV movies. And while he can’t share details yet, he hints there will be more of that — in the future.

He is also working on a book expected out next year.

Still, despite his many interests, music and songwriting remain closest to his heart. He knows it is through songwriting that he makes his strongest creative connection. Songs, he hopes, that will resonate with people for years to come.

“With every song I write, I want it to be something that people can listen to at the age of 16 when they’re sitting in the parking lot with all their buddies talking about their trucks,” he says. “And then, when they’re 45 there is something in that song they can listen to and attach themselves to that they didn’t hear when they were 16.

For me, that’s what makes a hit song. One someone will be able to relate to throughout their life.”

Songs that are timeless.

Pam Windsor is a freelance music, feature, and travel writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

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in good spirits | DERBY MINT JULEP

The Naughty Elf

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Muddling 101

By Cheré Coen | Photography courtesy of Woodford Reserve

The quintessential Southern cocktail associated with bourbon and horse racing has a long and celebrated history.

The secret is in the muddling. ​ That’s what the representative of Woodford Reserve distillery instructed a group of food and travel writers on a tour of Churchill Downs, home to the celebrated horse race known as the Kentucky Derby. We were being served mint juleps in traditional silver julep cups, garnishes of mint leaves springing out the top while learning the history of the famed horse track.

Not a fan of mint juleps, I listened intently because what I was drinking changed my opinion of the sweet Southern cocktail. ​Woodford Reserve, a Kentucky distiller of fine whiskeys, is the “official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.” Almost 120,000 mint juleps are served annually over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, says Elizabeth McCall, Woodford’s assistant master distiller. ​The sweet drink can be traced back to colonial Virginia, where the addition of mint to a number of spirits helped to mask the medicinal taste, according to Jerry Slater, author of “The Southern Foodways Alliance Guide to Cocktails.” ​The drink soon found favor among Southerners and it’s believed was served at Churchill Downs when it opened in 1875. ​“Our ancestors brought with them their stills and their horses,” says McCall. “They were drinking and racing, so bourbon and horses have been connected as a social intercourse for several generations. The first mention of a mint julep was in 1816 actually, when it was awarded as a racing trophy somewhere in the Lexington area. In fact, we have it on record that mint juleps were served at the very first Derby on May 17, 1875. By 1938, it had become a staple at the Derby, and Churchill Downs made it the signature drink, selling them in celebratory glasses.” ​ Woodford Reserve became the presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby in 2018, but the brand has been involved in the most famous of horse races for more than 20 years, says McCall.

“Each year, Woodford Reserve releases a one-liter Kentucky Derby bottle featuring the work of an artist selected to shine their perspective on the event,” she explains. “This year Louisville artist Richard Sullivan, a former Atlanta

Braves baseball player, created a stunning watercolor image of thoroughbreds as they thunder down the stretch. It was designed as a complement to last year’s Derby bottle artwork, which Sullivan also created. This year we released our 22nd edition.”

In addition, Woodford Reserve offers its annual charitable program, the $1,000 Mint Julep, to raise money for local and national charities that are important to the organization, McCall adds. ​But, back to that muddling.

I’ve found poorly made mint juleps overly sweet and tasting akin to a badly sugared iced tea. The key, our Woodford representative insisted—and McCall seconds—is muddling the fresh mint at the bottom of the glass, letting the herb’s oils emerge and coat the inside of the glass or julep cup.

“What makes a great mint julep is quality, simple ingredients,” McCall insists. “The Woodford Reserve mint julep is made with three simple ingredients: Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon, simple syrup, and fresh mint leaves. The key is to express the essential oils from the mint and rub them inside the glass. To the same glass, add your simple syrup, bourbon and crushed ice. Stir all ingredients together, and garnish with more ice and fresh mint.”

Woodford Reserve Mint Julep 3 fresh mint leaves 2 ounces bourbon whiskey 1/2 ounce simple syrup Crushed ice ​ irections: Express the essential oils in the mint and rub D them inside the glass. Add bourbon, simple syrup, and crushed ice. Stir.

DeSoto Co-editor Cheré Coen lived for a while in Louisville, which is where she developed a love for bourbon and the annual Running of the Roses. She’ll be singing “My Old Kentucky Home” on May 1, even though she now lives in the Deep South.

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exploring events | MAY Unknown Child Exhibit Through December 31 DeSoto County Museum Hernando, MS The Unknown Child Exhibit honors the memory of 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. Stunning black-and-white photographs, interactive images and holograms of the faces of the lost children are part of the display. For more information visit desotomuseum.org or call 662-429-8852.

Day at the Derby May 1 Cypress Hall Hernando, MS Visit jadesoto.gives for more information.

Greenwood-Leflore Chamber Golf Scramble May 6 Greenwood, MS 100% of the golf proceeds go to support the YELL (Young Emerging Leaders of Leflore County) program for high school juniors. Tee Time is 1:00 PM. Entry fee includes cart/green fees, goody bag, complimentary box lunch and beverages on the golf course throughout the afternoon.

For more information call 662-453-4152 or visit greenwoodmschamber.com.

Five Star City Fest May 7 - 8 Senatobia, MS Live music, corn hole tournament, 5K race, arts & crafts, BBQ cook-off, Kids zone and car show. For more information visit tatecountyms.com or call 662-562-8715.

First Friday Back Porch Party May 7 - The Picketts DeSoto Arts Council Hernando, MS 7:00 - 9:00 pm Enjoy live music, food and cash bar the first Friday of every month. No admission required. For more information call 662-404-3361 or visit desotoartscouncil.com.

Pour Mississippi Beer & Music Festival May 8 Cleveland, MS 2:00pm - 6:00pm Pour Mississippi Beer and Music Festival showcases craft brews from across the state and beyond, live original music, and local food. For more information visit keepclevelandboring.com.

Travis Tritt May 8 Crossroads Arena Corinth, MS 7:00pm For more information visit ticketmaster.com.

92nd Annual Convention of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc. May 10-12 The Gin at Nesbit Hernando, MS Hosted by the Hernando Civic Garden Club. The event is open to any member of a Federated Garden Club in Mississippi and usually attracts members from all over our state. The theme for this convention is "History Happens in Hernando," and those who attend will have the opportunity to learn about and visit Hernando's historic sites and homes as well as attend garden-related programs. John Mark Sharpe, noted Memphis floral designer, will present a design program; Michael Seals, an expert on bromeliads, will discuss "Fun with Bromeliads" as he displays examples from his extensive collection; and Rick Pudwell, Director of Horticulture at Memphis Botanic Gardens will share information about perennials. The Gin at Nesbit will be the site of the workshops, luncheons, and banquets.

Call 662-457-2995 for more information.

Springfest May 14 - 15 Batesville, MS For more information call 844-462-4482.

A’Fair May 15 Court Square Hernando, MS The Hernando A’Fair is a “rain or shine” event. The Arts & Crafts show starts at 9:00am. Admission and parking is free. For more information visit hernandooptimist.org.

Landscape Camp May 28 - 29 Oxford, MS Take a personal tour with Jeff McManus, whose expertise in landscaping has gained The University of Mississippi accolades of being named “The Most Beautiful Campus” by a number of national publications. During this 2 day Award-Winning Camp each participant will take tours and learn some great practices from industry leaders in gardening and attend educational seminars.

For more information visit oxfordms.com/retire-in-oxford/landscaping-camp.

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reflections | WE MIGHT NEED IT

We Might Need It

By Karen Ott Mayer

Is someone’s trash your treasure... or just more stuff?

I’m standing in my barn staring at an odd piece of sheet metal, a roll of red cushiony material, and a box of random rusted screws. I’m sorting through a box of tools that once belonged to my grandfather.

“What’s this?” I show my husband a metal handle with round teeth.

“That’s a leather punch.”

I ponder a moment.

“Do we need to punch leather? Did the leather do something offensive?” I ask laughing because, well, my humor is the only thing I have left at this point.

He shakes his head while answering.

“You never know when we might need it.”

And herein lies the conundrum known across the space and time continuum, yet never solved. What is the exact day or time when all the stuff we think we might need actually gets used?

I have learned watching myself, my husband, father, and friends that the answer lies in each mindset. There are the Marie Kondo folks who spend Saturday mornings lining their socks up exactly in drawers or making sure their book count hasn’t exceeded the prescribed anti-anxiety amount... and then there’s the rest. They are the tinkerers, piddlers, creators, makers, dreamers, collectors, and inventors. They have shops and barns, yards full of oddities, welders, wood lathes, stacks of boards, and lots of tools. Did I mention the tools?

My husband is the aforementioned. Me? He says if left to my own devices we’d be living in the woods with two sticks and one pair of shoes. I admit that for many years I could 84 DeSoto

fit my entire wardrobe into one suitcase. And yes, we still don’t own a microwave and didn’t have a TV for years. I like the basics, but admit I can’t stand to see something good thrown away so I’m more of a minimalist imposter.

As a child, I realized our home was decorated in the early curbside period and late-hand-me-down style. Dad would go for a walk and bring home a rug.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he’d tell my mother who looked as if she was considering dropping him at the curb. My mother, from whom I inherited my minimalist bone, believes two is too many of anything. Watching them talk about stuff is like watching the final Wimbledon match.

With this pandemic forcing everyone behind closed doors and into their own spaces, I can’t help wonder how many conversations are taking place that include “might need it” or “there’s nothing wrong with it.” I wonder equally if many of us have found that elusive moment to use that one thing or tinker with that idea or finally sit that rusted rack or broken shelf at the curb for someone else to pick up.

I think that’s the beauty of it. No doubt, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Or, in our case somedays, one man’s trash is now our trash. Will we ever use it? Maybe, if we can find it or remember where we actually put it.

Karen Ott Mayer, a freelance writer, editor and essayist, enjoys sharing non-fiction writing with readers.

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When gas prices keep going up, we’ll keep your worries down.

2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum

CHUCK HUT TON TOYOTA

Our goal is to provide all customers from Memphis and north Mississippi the best in new Toyota models, quality used vehicles, exceptional auto repair and car service, and high-end OEM car parts.

Because we are the only locally owned car dealership in Memphis, our mission is to always treat our customers and community with the care and respect that they deserve. When you are ready to purchase a new vehicle or have your own serviced, look no further than Chuck Hutton Toyota, a family-owned dealership committed to our community.

901-345-3200

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I-55 AND SHELBY DRIVE C H U C K H U TTO NTO Y O TA.C O M