Mud & Magnolias August 2021

Mud&Magnolias October. 2021 November 2013 August

the

back-to-school

issue

COMMUNITY TABLE OUTDOOR CREATIONS CECELIA MOSELEY ART BACK-TO-SCHOOL ESSENTIALS BACK-TO-SCHOOL FASHION OPEN HOUSE

CONTENTS

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32 65 13

RECIPES

43 OPEN HOUSE

32

DIY: MARKET STAND

67 LOOKING SMART

We know how cherished time with little ones is, so we want to encourage you to get to cooking in the kitchen together. These easy recipes are fast, simple and delicious for everyone at your table – even the picky ones.

Who doesn't love supporting the neighborhood kiddos? Make your little one this market stand – perfect for play inside or to take outside for a little entreprenourial adventure.

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Stock up on this year's trendiest looks from local retailers so your students can be ready for their big year. And meet some of our charming models, too.

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SEEING THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS

August 2021

Meet some of the area's teachers and administrators in our Open House Q&A. Learn about these educators, while getting to know their personalities a little, too.

Cecelia Moseley was in the second grade when she learned she's dyslexic. Now 23 and headed to graduate school, she makes art to raise awareness for dyslexia.

ALSO:

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ON THE COVER

The Editor-In-Chief's daughter, Marion, is excited to head off to kindergarten – and she's celebrating one chocolate-and-sprinkle-covered donut at a time.

ESSENTIALS

Make a charming flower pot with us, using everything you alrady have in your house! Visit mudandmag.com.

Grab all the essential items your tots will need to get ready for school. From lunch boxes to backpacks and everything in between, look to local retailers.

SCHOOLTIME SLUSH

COLUMN: RETURNING TO SCHOOL

SIGN GYPSIES TUPELO

GAP YEAR REFLECTIONS

OUTDOOR CREATIONS

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31

41

57

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DIYS FOR KIDS

COLUMN: KEEPING CHILDREN HEALTHY

THE JOY OF COOKING TOGETHER

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E

ven though I love the summer and delight in the time my family and I get to spend together, back to school always brings back memories of childhood excitement. This year back to school gets a little more serious around my house, as my daughter heads into kindergarten. We have already purchased her ballerinathemed backpack and first-day-of-school outfit. Now, the countdown is on.

This edition, we have many interesting tidbits to get you prepared for the classroom. When we feature our teacher and administrator profiles each year, I am always amazed at the brilliant individuals we have guiding the children in north Mississippi (page 43). You can also gain some valued insight from a recent graduate (page 57). Plus, our columns this month will help you navigate getting your students prepared to be back in the classroom (page 31).

I know as I drive away from my daughter's school that first morning after drop off, I might be a little in my feelings; but it is exciting to think about all the fun things we get to do for back to school in the coming years.

1242 S Green St. Tupelo, MS 38804 662.842.2611

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sarah Brooke Bishop

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Lindsay Pace Kristina Domitrovich Adam Armour

FEATURED SALES CONSULTANTS Leigh Knox Teresa McDonald June Phillips Nick Boone Tyler Vuncannon Darla Webb Angie Quarles Justine Hook Krystal Black Paul Fullerton

subscriptions@mudandmag.com advertising@mudandmag.com info@mudandmag.com mudandmag.com This magazine is a monthly publication of Journal, Inc.

Like what you see? Sign up for our weekly newsletter at www.mudandmagnolias.com 8

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RECIPES

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN Time with children is valued, especially so in the kitchen. We’ve crafted these recipes to be perfect for any family: Doable-on-a-weeknight meals that are ideal and easy for extra helpers running about. We’ve paid attention to family favorites and staples, the dishes that go down easily without any fussing. Things that aren’t too spicy for little ones, while still being tasty for the big kids, too. We hope you and your family have fun making these recipes together.

Spaghetti Bake recipe on pg. 25

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RECIPES

Cheesy Garlic Sticks (see pizza) recipe on pg. 25

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RECIPES

DIY Pizza

recipe on pg. 25

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RECIPES

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas recipe on pg. 25

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RECIPES PB&J Bars with Graham Cracker-Oat Crumble recipe on pg. 26

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RECIPES

Confetti Cake recipe on pg. 26

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RECIPES SPAGHETTI BAKE Ingredients: 1 pound lean burger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 yellow onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup Marsala cooking wine 1 24-ounce jar tomato-basil pasta sauce 1 pound thin spaghetti noodles 1 tablespoon salt 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided 1 cup shredded parmesan, divided Directions: In a large pan, cook the burger over medium-high heat, using a spoon or spatula to break it up until finely ground. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Add in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent. Pour in the sauce, then fill the can 3/4 of the way with water, replace the lid and shake vigorously; pour this and the wine into the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir occasionally while the sauce simmers and thickens. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place a large pot of water seasoned with a tablespoon of salt over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook for about 3 minutes, or until al dente. Strain out the noodles, not reserving any liquid, and mix in the meat sauce. Stir in the ricotta cheese, along with half the mozzarella and parmesan; mix until well combined. Transfer to the baking dish, and top with remaining cheese. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.

DIY PIZZA WITH CHEESY GARLIC STICKS Ingredients: For the dough: 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 2 cups warm water 6 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting 2 teaspoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for bowl For the marinara: 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes 5 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes For the garlic butter: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley Suggested toppings: Parmesan cheese Low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese Pepperoni Bell peppers Onions Mushrooms Directions: For the dough: In a bowl, lightly whisk together the sugar, water and yeast; cover and let rise for 10 minutes, or until foamy.

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, oil and salt; add in the yeast mixture, and mix with a dough hook on low until well incorporated.

Increase to medium-high speed for about 5-7 minutes, or until the dough has come away from the bowl and is smooth. Roll into a ball, and transfer to a large, oiled bowl, and roll the ball with additional oil. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half, or until doubled in size. For the marinara: Heat a medium, high-sided pot over medium heat.

Add in the olive oil, followed by the tomatoes.

Use a spoon to mash the tomatoes and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add in the remaining ingredients, and reduce the heat slightly; simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring regularly. For a smooth consistency, use an emulsion blender to purée until smooth (optional); set aside. Shaping the dough: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Punch down the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into thirds. Set two portions aside for the pizza, and cut the remaining third in halves until there are 8 portions. Roll and stretch the dough into long sticks, and place on two parchment-lined baking sheets.

Loosely cover, and let rise for 15 minutes.

For the garlic butter: Add the ingredients in a

small bowl, and whisk until combined. For cheesy garlic sticks: Combine 1/2 cup shredded parmesan with 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella. Before baking, brush the dough with garlic butter, then sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bread and cheese are lightly golden. Brush with more garlic butter right after baking. Reserve a bowl of marinara for dipping. For the pizza: Divide the two dough balls into halves for four individual pizzas, or make two large pizzas. Stretch and pull the dough until desired size, and transfer to a baking sheet. Use a fork to thoroughly poke the interior of the dough, so a crust will form on the edges. Bake for 7 minutes, then remove to add marinara and desired toppings. Return to the oven for another 7-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cheese has melted. Brush the crust with remaining garlic butter.

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS Ingredients: 1 2-pound rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed 8 ounces cream cheese 1 packet taco seasoning, divided 1 onion, diced and divided 10 medium, soft flour tortillas For the creamy sauce: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 4-ounce can mild green chiles 1/4 cup AP flour 2 cups chicken stock 1 cup milk 4 ounces pepper jack cheese 1 1/2 - 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese Serving suggestions: Diced onions, cilantro and sour cream

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RECIPES 3 cups AP flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 32 ounces grape jelly For the graham cracker-oat crumble: 1 sleeve graham crackers 1/2 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup loosely packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Shred the chicken using a fork or a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Add the cream cheese, half the seasoning and the onions; mix until well combined. For the creamy sauce: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and green chiles, and sauté until fragrant and softened. Whisk in the flour, then slowly add the chicken stock, followed by the milk, whisking continuously as it thickens. Add in the pepper jack cheese, and stir until melted and smooth. Assembly: Scoop roughly a cup of cream sauce into a 9x13 baking dish, or until the bottom is evenly covered.

Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken fi lling into the center of a tortilla, and roll into an enchilada. Place seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Once all the enchiladas are in the pan, cover with remaining cream sauce, being sure to smother each one. Top with Mexican blend shredded cheese, and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve with diced onions, cilantro and sour cream, as desired.

PB&J BARS WITH GRAHAM CRACKER-OAT CRUMBLE Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 2 cups smooth peanut butter

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Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until fluff y. Add in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Add in the peanut butter, and mix until well combined and there are no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add in the dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Transfer to the baking dish, and use a spatula or spoon to press down until flat and smooth. Scoop the jelly on top, and spread evenly until completely covered. For the crumble: Place the graham crackers in a baggie, remove any air before sealing, and roll with a rolling pin until a semi-fine crumb (some larger bits are fine). Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until combined, then sprinkle over the jelly. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, then cut and serve.

CONFETTI CAKE Ingredients: 2 cups AP flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon white vinegar 2 eggs, room temperature 3/4 cup sprinkles For the frosting: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2-3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon sour cream 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar More sprinkles for decorating Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray, followed by a coating of flour. Tap out excess flour. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugar, by hand or using a mixer. Add in the vanilla, vinegar and eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Add half the dry ingredients followed by half the milk, mixing until just combined after each addition. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, being sure not to over mix. Use a spatula to fold in the sprinkles.

Transfer to a baking dish and smooth over the top before baking for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, rotating the cake halfway as needed. Cool completely before frosting. In the meantime, using a mixer, beat all the frosting’s ingredients on high for 5 minutes, or until fluff y and silky smooth.

Once the pan has cooled, use an offset spatula to smooth all the frosting over the cake. Add extra sprinkles on top as desired. M

SCHOOL-TIME SLUSH

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photo by LINDSAY PACE

1/8 teaspoon Kool-Aid powder of choice 1-2 tablespoons sugar 3-4 cups ice 1-1/2 cups water

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and purée until smooth. Serve immediately; crazy straws required. M

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HEALTH

PREPARING FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR

by CHELSEA CAMPBELL, Canopy Children's Solutions

T

he beginning of another school year can be a pretty invigorating time. Looking for new school clothes and shoes, picking out that ideal new backpack and appreciating those last fleeting days of summer before that fi rst school bell rings can truly be something to anticipate. In addition to school shopping and holding on to those last few seconds of summer, parents are preparing their children for a postCOVID-19 school year.

THROUGH THE 2020 SCHOOL YE AR , NUMEROUS SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED DOWN, AND WENT TOTALLY VIRTUAL. Parents had to adapt to online learning, sort out schedules and manage having the family home. As the second semester of 2021 began, and COVID-19 numbers dropped, schools opened their doors to a more hybrid setting. Parents straightened out their plans for getting work done and adjusted to the children’s virtual and in-person learning. As 2021 continues to zoom by, questions may emerge in regards to what's in store.

N U M E R O U S S CH O O L S A R E GEARING UP TO RETURN BACK TO NORMAL THIS YEAR, AND IT MAY APPEAR TO BE OVERWHELMING determining how to best prep children and parents. Christian Ware, senior director of solutions for Canopy Children's Solutions, shared advice on the best way to embark on the new school year.

“ B E HONEST WITH YOUR CHILDREN, AND START TALKING ABOUT THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR SOONER RATHER THAN LATER,” SAID WARE. Preparing

children mentally and listening to their feelings and concerns about returning to a regular school environment may help anxiety. Ware stated, “Children will need time to learn how to reengage socially, which may cause anxiety, so try to encourage them to interact as much as they feel comfortable.”

RETURNING TO SCHOOL POSTPANDEMIC IS COMPLETELY NEW TERRITORY FOR CHILDREN GETTING BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS. According to Ware, some children may need help adjusting by preparing ahead of time. “Allowing them to walk through their day with you as parents, verbalize any anxieties and talk through any stressful moments can help,” Ware suggested.

WHILE LEARNING TO ADJUST TO AN UNCHARTERED SCHOOL YEAR, GETTING INTO A ROUTINE COULD GREATLY HELP MAKE THINGS RUN SMOOTHER. HAVING A REALISTIC SUMMER SCHEDULE CAN HELP TRANSITION BACK TO SCHOOL. Creating a schedule with your child that includes fun activities, educational activities, breaks and a curfew would not only help increase productivity during the summer, but make it easier to adjust to a school schedule. “Establishing structure ahead of time can help children to

acclimate better when they reenter school, and can decrease a lot of the anxiety and resistance when they return,” Ware said.

When there is already a plan in place, only minor modifications are needed to make the shift from summer break to the school year.

HEADING INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YE AR COULD R AISE A FEW UNCERTAINTIES, YET BEING AS EQUIPPED AS POSSIBLE OFFERS YOU THE BEST OPPORTUNITY AT HAVING A PRODUCTIVE FIRST DAY. Talking with your children and keeping a schedule can help things remain on track. Returning to class can still be a fun time, and figuring out how to handle any pressure and tension of the upcoming year can have a lasting effect. Ultimately, remaining positive and staying hopeful can help parents and children be prepared when that fi rst school bell rings. M Canopy Children’s Solutions offers an array of behavioral health, educational and social service solutions to children and families throughout Mississippi. For more information about solutions offered through Canopy, please visit mycanopy.org, or call 800-388-6247.

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sweet & holesome donut MARKET STAND

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

This a-dough-robale market stand is the perfect play station for little ones! Since it’s made of milk crates, it has loads of built-in storage on the backside to keep toys and things tidy. It can stay inside just for play, or it can go outside for an entrepreneurial bake sale.

This market stand has such a fun sprinkle-covered “storefront,” everyone in the neighborhood is definitely going to stop for a treat from your little chef.

Not wild on donuts? We think it would make a dreamy lemonade stand, too: Baby blue with lemons and leaves painted on. Save us a glass!

MATERIALS: 4 wooden crates (12.25 x 9.5 x 18 inches) 2 wooden dowels (.75 x 72 inches) Sandpaper 3 cans spray paint, we opted for a light pink from Krylon 4 .75-inch screws 8 2.5-inch screws Drill 1 nails Various acrylic paint colors and paintbrushes for designs FOR THE NAME BANNER: Chipboard letters Cardboard pennants or flags Ribbon FOR THE SIGN: 1 dowel (.5 x 12 inches) Twine Felt sheets Pipe cleaners Hot glue sticks & glue gun Scissors

DIRECTIONS: Sand down the box crates to prevent splinters. Spray paint two coats of colored paint onto the exterior of the boxes, the 72-inch dowels and the chipboard letters.

Let dry completely between coats.

Stack two crates lengthwise, with the open storage facing outward; drill two holes into the sides that meet, and secure into place with ¾-inch screws. Repeat with the remaining two crates. Align the two grouped crates next to each other, so they’re all oriented the same way. This will make a quadrant, with a shared vertical

side; drill two holes into the bottom quadrant’s shared vertical side. Secure into place with 2.5inch screws. Repeat with the top quadrant's shared vertical side.

Decorate with paint as desired.

Once the decorations dry, drill and screw the dowels into place using two 2.5-inch screws for each dowel. Hot glue the painted chipboard letters onto the banner, and string with the ribbon. Tie the ribbon into place on the dowels to string up the banner; hammer a nail into the front of the stand to hang the sign. M

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SEEING THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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“All I wanted to do was be average and be like everyone else.”

W

hen Cecelia Moseley was in the second grade, she was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disorder that makes it difficult to differentiate letters and words. Usually, she would get pulled out of class to get special help.

“I felt so different from everyone else,” she said. “I definitely felt alone.”

Moseley’s parents were able to find a tutor, and they would also spend extra time “trying to reteach me what I’d already been taught in class.” They transferred her from a public school to a private school, where she would still get pulled out of class for help, especially for things like reading tests. Her parents brought in a color specialist –– someone who places pieces of see-through, colored plastic over text to see if a specific color filter can help reduce the reading struggles of dyslexia –– and found yellow filters helped her most, though Moseley admits there is no scientific or medical study that proves these color filters to be helpful. Dyslexia can be looked at like a spectrum, and anyone who has dyslexia can be anywhere on the spectrum.

“For me, when I was really young, my b’s and d’s would get so confused. So those were the worst letters for me,”

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she said. “I had all these bookmarks that had like a yellow (filter), so whenever I would read (with it), it wouldn’t be like jumbled letters on the page. I could really focus on the line.”

Later, Moseley would learn that the majority of “juvenile delinquents are dyslexic because of how they were treated in school.”

Moseley guesses it was around middle school or early high school when she remembers being told most dyslexics don’t attend college because they can’t keep up with the curriculum. At such a formative age, this really came as a blow to Moseley.

“I struggled a lot when I was younger, and I think a lot of people are told that, when dyslexics are that age and have trouble, they aren’t going to be able to go to college because they aren’t going to be able to make it because they can’t learn on their own. They need a lot of help.

Their grades struggle,” she said. “I just wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to do all these things, things that I’m personally told, ‘Oh I don’t know if you can.’ I’m going to prove you wrong. I’m going to work twice as hard, and I’m going to do it.”

She graduated from her high school in Meridian as

the only student out of 50 in her class who had dyslexia. When she went to the University of Mississippi, she saw it as a chance to reinvent herself. No one, not even her close friends, would know she had dyslexia until toward the end of her sophomore year.

“I didn’t plan on ever talking about it,” she said. “And I think a part of me, coming to college, I wanted to hide it away because no one (knew) me here now, knew I had to have extra help.

This is a new start. Little did I know that everything from college, I would be speaking about my struggle, how it’s impacted my life and why it’s important.”

Opening spread: An up-close look at the letters the figure is holding in Cecelia Moseley's bronze casting, "Ascertain." The piece is about discerning letters and words when reading with dyslexia; This spread, clockwise, starting left: An iron casting, "Prominence" standing next to "Contemplation;" Two photos of "The Voice You Hear:" The front shows a hand cradling a face, while the back shows the voice inside the head, exposed and vulnerable; A full view of "Ascertain."

Moseley entered college knowing she wanted to be an artist, but at the time, she figured that just meant being a painter.

“To be an artist is to be a painter,” she said. “I was never exposed to sculpture or anything like that. I had always kind of messed with trinkets at home. I made these small crosses out of wire and stuff, but I never thought I would be a sculptor by any means.”

Moseley’s advisor pushed her to take a sculpting class her freshman year, and while it was love at first sight for her, she still tried to fight it. With the motif of the struggling artist ringing in the back of her mind, she knew “making it” as a sculptor was even harder than as a painter.

But eventually, when the lure of 3D art overpowered Moseley, she gave in.

“I cannot imagine anything else,” she said. “It’s been one of the best ways that I can fully express who I am.”

But finding her own voice in her work didn’t come naturally.

Her sculpture professor and mentor, Durant Thompson, kept encouraging Moseley to find her purpose in art. At the time, she kept replying, “I need to be vulnerable,” but couldn’t quite figure out why. Eventually, letters started creeping their way into Moseley’s pieces. Thompson asked if her work was about language, and Moseley could finally put it into words.

“My work is about dyslexia and dyslexia as a reading disorder,” she said. “You can’t really understand what a dyslexic person feels, and I think that’s what I love about 3D, because it’s a way that you can.”

Moseley’s work ranges from smaller figurines to large-scale sculptures, like her permanent 12-foot piece installed in front of the Mississippi Children’s Museum in her hometown of Meridian, or the installment currently in Lamar Park in Oxford. Most of her work involves letters, overlapping and smooshed together. “(It’s) figurative and emotional-driven,” she said. “Not necessarily the frustrations, but visually seeing letters overlapping each other and getting confused and jumbled.”

Oftentimes she plays with different fonts, colors, capitalized and lowercase letters, while forming them together in a seemingly nonsensical pattern that can’t be discerned. For her senior thesis –– basically a collection of work that epitomizes the student’s message as an artist, which must be defended by written research –– she found other dyslexics to feature in her work through a poll on her Instagram. She created large metal panels that had cutouts of handwritten notes from anonymous participants about their struggles with dyslexia.

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Top to bottom: Cecelia Moseley with some of her smaller pieces; "Assortment II" installed in Lamar Park. This piece, a conglomeration of letters and colors, is similar to the installment outside of Mississippi Children's Museum, though a few feet shorter.

“Some of the statements were very shocking,” she said. “People said, ‘The relationship between my parents really struggled because they didn’t understand what I was going through.’ Or, ‘Reading for me is really hard, and sometimes even now at 24, I look back and realize it’s hard.’ And, ‘Sometimes I mumble or trip up on words, and it makes me feel like a little kid again.’ It’s just a lot of those things I guess are never told.”

On top of these cut-out statements, she painted words and letters –– again, playing with fonts, capitalization and colors –– to make it harder to focus and see the written messages.

“You’re looking at it, and you have to differentiate if it’s a d or an m, and that’s kind of how dyslexics have to read and differentiate a word,” she said. “Whenever you look at the sculpture, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I have to differentiate those letters,’ you’re getting the feeling of a dyslexic –– either frustrated or trying to figure out and kind of think twice about what you’re looking at.”

Since Moseley has started making pieces about dyslexia, she’s found several people moved by her work, or even just her story. From other students who tell her they’re

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dyslexic, to a random woman walking by in the art building, touring the school for her son.

“She started to cry,” she said of the passerby. “She said, ‘I’m actually a teacher, and I've seen this firsthand, students that struggle, and this is really awesome that you’re doing it. Can I take a picture of it and send it to my teacher friends?’"

"I think that’s when I really realized," she said, "to see someone else be affected by it and to have a response like that, it just really reassured me and gave me perspective. Yes, I’m doing this for me to express myself, but it’s empowering and impacting other people, and can impact a lot more people. I think that’s part of my drive.”

Sometimes, when Moseley finishes a piece, it moves her, too.

“Some pieces, when I finish them and they’re really impactful, I mean, this probably sounds cheesy,” she said, “But it brings water to my eyes, honestly. To fully make something that means so much.”

Moseley, now 23 and headed to Louisiana State University for a master’s in fine arts, says she still struggles with dyslexia sometimes.

“From time to time, I still will read something, and I’m like, ‘I didn’t read that right,’” she said. “Even this morning, I was reading my devotional and I read a word –– not out loud, just in my head –– and I read over it, and I was like, ‘That’s not what that said. I need to reread that.’ Or I get a word mixed up, but I guess it’s more in small ways now because I’ve worked through it my whole life.”

She struggles putting her art into words sometimes, too.

“We would have critiques (in class), and I would be like, ‘OK, this is my work. It’s about dyslexia.’ And people would just look at me and be like, ‘You’ve gotta explain what this stuff is,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know, (it’s) so hard with words,’” she said laughing. “That is my learning disability.”

But despite the challenges she’s been through and still sometimes faces, she knows her work is important, and that’s what motivates her.

“This is something that’s really important to me, and it really drives who I am and my purpose, and why I feel like I am an artist,” she said. “I feel like if I can teach someone or express to a young kid that, ‘You’re going to be OK. This is hard right now, and dyslexia is really difficult, and you have to work twice as hard, but it’s so worth it.’ And to help a parent that doesn’t understand, ‘My kid is having so much trouble, I don’t know what to do,’ I think my work kind of helps people visualize feelings, emotions and just seeing the struggle.” M

SIGN GYPSIES TUPELO

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photo by LINDSAY PACE A teacher-appreciation sign Dana Hobby set up outside Thomas Street Elementary School.

She said she has loads of signs and themes stockpiled to accommodate any order.

A

fter a year of so many being overworked and overlooked, and feeling under appreciated, Dana Hobby, owner of Sign Gypsies Tupelo, saw firsthand just how far acts of kindness and appreciation can go. Hobby herself works at a hospital, so she’s seen the burnout up close.

Hobby’s from the Delta, where her father owns a sign business, too. She used to help out, and that was when she said she first fell in love with signs, before she “got a real career.” Around 2017, she purchased the Tupelo franchise for Sign Gypsies, and would do four or five yard decorations a week –– until COVID-19 hit.

“It was just kind of steady,” she said, “until it turned into something I could not comprehend.”

Practically overnight, Hobby’s side hustle boomed into a full-time job. When she returned from work, Hobby, her husband and son would load up the car and go decorate all the new yards. She said they wouldn’t get home until after midnight, usually with incredible back pain from bending over to put the signs in the ground.

“But it’s definitely so rewarding,” she said. “I think it was just a bright little thing in the middle of terrible, terrible, terrible dark days.”

Over the past year, Hobby had to hire three additional workers to help complete orders and retrieve signs after a few days. She said she usually leaves signs up for about 48 hours, but sometimes she’ll leave them up longer to

make sure the recipients have time to enjoy them and feel appreciated.

During the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, Hobby had orders to place signs outside of hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, and she saw “how something so simple would bring people joy.” Those signs were usually left out for a whole month.

When 2020 seniors didn’t know what their graduation would look like, signs were there to welcome them as they stopped by to pick up their caps and gowns. Their friends and families would often have congratulatory signs in the seniors’ yards, too. She regularly does signs for teachers, too; this year, she decorated Lawhon Elementary’s yard for the Teacher of the Year, Leslie Tally.

From anniversaries, to graduations, to teacher appreciation, to COVID-19 patients coming home after weeks in the hospital, Hobby’s seen how much small acts of kindness and appreciation can affect people.

“I’ve never had a person that didn’t love it. Getting to see all the reactions, getting all the videos and all that from customers –– it’s really fun,” she said. “Every day that you wake up to a special little note in your yard. Every one is unique, every family has a story. Every person has this reason why they want it, whether it was a birthday or whether it was a welcome home for the military, which is super rewarding, or a cancer survivor, or anything. The sky’s the limit.” M

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OPEN House

We chatted with teache rs and administrators across the region to int ro children's educators, an duce you to your d what they're most excited for as they head into the 2021-2022 school year.

by KR IST IN A DO MI TRO VIC H photos by LIN DSAY PA CE

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Bethany

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Teacher // Pontotoc BETHANY ERIN WILL TEACH HER FIRST YEAR OF KINDERGARTEN AT PONTOTOC ELEMENTARY IN THE FALL.

What are you looking forward to for your first year?

“There’s so much,” she said, laughing. “I guess it would have to be just actually getting to do it. Your first year is so nerve-wracking. I’m like, ‘Oh gosh, first day, what am I going to do?’ So I guess I’m looking forward to just getting over the first day, and just learning 'OK, this is how it goes.' I know there’s nothing to be worried about or nervous about, just getting through it.”

What will your classroom look like?

“I’m doing farmhouse,” she said, smiling. “Shiplap and succulents.”

What kind of teacher do you think you’ll be?

“Hopefully I’m well-liked, of course,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to be that fun, laid-back teacher, that my kids know if I have to be stern with them, I can be.”

What was your favorite subject growing up?

“I absolutely loved math!” she said. "That is my all-time favorite subject.”

Did you have any favorite teachers?

“I think it’s kind of funny that Miss Marsha (Hillhouse) taught me two years of my math,” she said. “She really was –– even though she’s my boss now –– there were three teachers that made me fall in love with math, and she was one of them. … Sam James and Dustin Payne (were the others).”

What’s one thing you wished parents or students knew about you?

“I’m excited,” she said. “I’m also nervous because I am in my hometown, and I am so young, that most of the parents are going to be like, ‘Bethany, we know you. What’re you doing?’ But sometimes I go back and forth, because I know sometimes they’re going to do that, but other times they’re going to be like, ‘We’ve known you your whole life, you got it.’ So it kind of goes back and forth.

But I’m excited to get my roster and see how many faces I do know. … Even though a lot of people get nervous (with) a first-year teacher, but then it’s also (their) baby’s first year of school, so I just really want them to know, ‘Hey, I’ve got you. There’s nothing to be stressed about. I’m excited for the year, and we’re going to have a fun year, and even though I am young, I’m going to make sure that all my kindergarten babies are ready for first grade.’”

Meet Bethany Bethany Erin was born and raised in Pontotoc. She went to Pontotoc Elementary, where she says she basically knew from her time there that she wanted to be a teacher — sort of.

“I knew from the time I was over there in kindergarten that I wanted to be a teacher,” she said. “Because our kindergarten over there does a parade and (asks), ‘What do you want to be when you’re older?’ career-day type thing, and I wanted to be a babysitter.”

She babysat all throughout highschool, and when it was time for college at Mississippi State University in 2018, she had no question in her mind that she wanted to be a teacher. She completed her school in three years, and her teaching program in just four semesters — three of which were during COVID-19.

While she’s never had to teach during COVID-19, she was a student. Erin said she thinks she can use this to her advantage as a new teacher because she will be adaptable throughout her career.

Erin’s returning to Pontotoc Elementary — where it all began — to teach kindergarten. Her school’s principal, Marsha Hillhouse, even taught her math for two years.

“And that was another reason why I was like, ‘OK, yeah, I want to come work here,’” she said.

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Principal // Saltillo CASEY DYE IS ENTERING HIS THIRD YEAR AS SALTILLO HIGH SCHOOL'S PRINCIPAL.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

“The kids,” he said. “It’s the kids and the teachers, and the relationships that you build, and the sense of family that you have. That’s what I enjoy the most about it.”

Do you have a school motto? “‘All Tigers, one family,’ because you’ve got Guntown that wants to maintain their identity, and Saltillo wants to maintain theirs. But at the same time, they’re all our kids,” he said. “It takes all of us. It takes the communities, it takes the schools, the churches, the businesses –– everybody working together.”

Walk me through this past year and some of its challenges.

“After the previous year with everything being cut short and having a group of seniors miss out on ball season and playoffs,” he said, “we wanted this year to be as normal as we could possibly make it. It just seemed like everything we did was planning (for) a big event. Nothing was routine. You had to watch the number of people that attended. You had to make sure they had masks. You had to check temperatures before they came in. Everything was limited. It was as normal as we could make it. And, of course, as the year went on and some of that stuff eased up, it was able to start getting back to a sense of normal. But the main thing was to make sure the kids had everything that you remember about school. … We wanted to have as much of that as safely as we could for this year. At the end of the day, if that’s what it takes for the kids to be able to have what they enjoy, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

What are you looking forward to next year?

“I’m hoping this year we can just get the money box ready that morning, and then roll on about our business,” he said, as opposed to last year’s three-to-four-day preparation for usual events like ball-games.

What was your favorite subject growing up?

“Probably either history or math,” he said. “It was what I heard all the time at home, it was what I was always around.”

Did you have any favorite teachers?

“Mom and Dad, you don’t think about them being Mr. and Mrs. Dye, that’s what you call them in the classroom,” he said. “Ms. Manning, who I had for math, Ms. Grimm I had for English, Ms. Ahern (for art). When you’re a teacher’s kid, everything’s a little bit different for you. But they just treated me like their own”

Meet Casey Casey Dye grew up in a family of teachers in Ocean Springs. His mom taught math for over 30 years, and his father taught history and coached basketball for more than 30 years.

For Dye, becoming an educator just made sense.

“I guess growing up around it, it seemed that was normal to me,” he said.

Dye taught sixth grade for seven years, then swapped over to the administration side, serving as Shannon Middle School’s assistant principal for three years. After that, he switched roles and was a federal programs director for seven years, but missed the kids too much to stay out of school. After three years as the principal at Guntown Middle School, he moved to Saltillo High School, and is coming up on his third year.

What’s one thing you wished parents or students knew about you?

“When you live here, go to church here, your kids are growing up here, they play on ball teams together, you’ve been involved. You pretty much know everybody, or they know you,” he said. “I think that they know that I love their kids. We all do, and we treat them like they’re our own and tell them what we think they need to hear. … We try to be honest with them and we try to do it out of love and a genuine concern for them, and I think at the end of the day, what I would want parents to understand is that we know they’re doing what they feel is best for them, just like we’re doing what we feel is best. Sometimes that’s coming from two different angles, but at the end of the day, we want the same thing.”

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LESLIE TALLY IS

Teacher // Tupelo

IS THE 2021 MISSISSPPI TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

Walk me through this past year and some of its challenges.

“We got better at it as the year went on, but second grade is still so foundational, so a large chunk of my instruction is still foundational phonics. I made really good use of technology –– there are a lot of websites that show articulation and mouth position. So the students could still see that, even though they couldn’t see my face and the sound was muffled, they would still get that exposure.

We use that a lot daily, viewing those, seeing those things, practicing,” she said. “It was just an adjustment, like all things were last year. I won’t say it wasn’t a challenge, because it definitely was, but you get used to your students, even when they’re wearing masks, and you get used to the nuances and their intonation in the way that they say things.”

What are you looking forward to next year?

“I think I’m most excited about the shift back to what we consider normal," she said. "I became really aware as the year went on last year, that things will never be as fully normal as they were before. Again, our guard is up. We feel, I think, an urgency to be prepared, and we are so much more capable.”

What was your favorite subject growing up?

“Reading, but I loved school growing up, and so I didn’t just hate one thing over another. I enjoyed math, I wasn’t a bad math student, but reading was always my thing,” she said. “That was my passion, and that was what I loved. So it makes sense, I guess, that I gravitate toward that. But going into my career, I didn’t expect to be so focused on the students that have reading difficulty because I didn’t have the background. Usually when you talk with teachers who are really in touch with the students who struggle, it’s because they had a background struggling. And I didn’t have that. … But that’s certainly where my career has gravitated, and I really have a heart and a passion for working with those children. I think part of it’s just because I don’t want them to miss out.

I know how much reading has meant to me, and how much I love it even as an adult, and I don’t want them to miss that and I don’t want them to feel like they’re inhibited in any way. So maybe that drives me a little more.”

Did you have any favorite teachers?

“I could name several,” she said. “My father was probably the greatest teacher I could name. I mean, I grew up with him, and he has taught me more about teaching than anything ever has. Even at a young age, he was talking to me about classroom management and just different things like that, that’s always stuck with me. So there were a lot of teachers along the way that impacted everything, and I could name someone (at) just about every different point, but I don’t know, I would be hesitant to name one over him because he was the constant. He was there at every age, every development, every (thing). And he was an influence and a huge factor in that and the decisions I made. So he was my father, but he was also the greatest educator.”

What’s one thing you wished parents or students knew about you?

“I think the biggest message to share with parents, with students, is just the united effort. We’re all –– this was definitely important last year, but even going forward because you never know what the day holds –– but we’re all in this together, and we’re learning through it together. I think a lot of times you expect teachers to just have all the answers and know everything, and this last year has taught us that we always have a long way and we always have a lot to learn,” she said. “But I think it’s important to know that the heart is there. Our effort and our focus is always on doing what’s best for our students and giving them the best opportunity.”

Meet Leslie Leslie Tally is the 2021 Mississippi Teacher of the Year — an honor that comes after a monthslong process of nominations from her school, then advancing to the school district, then the congressional districts, along with a slew of essays and interviews.

“Just getting Teacher of the Year at Lawhon was huge,” she said. “I was blown away.”

She took the honor of the nomination and assumed nothing else would come of it. And when she continued to be nominated, she doubted more and more that it would amount to anything.

“There were four of us, and all three of the others were high school teachers teaching social studies,” she said. “So I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to be this elementary teacher talking about teaching kids how to read, and they’re going to have these discussions about world politics and change.’”

Each candidate has to come up with a platform — something they want to promote throughout the coming year if they win.

“They asked, ‘What would you do? What would be your platform if you were selected Teacher of the Year?’” she said. “Raising awareness for literacy and literacy-related issues is my focus, that’s my emphasis.”

Coming up on her third year at Lawhon Elementary School, and her 11th year as a teacher (she won the title during her 10th year in the classroom), she teaches reading instruction, with a special focus on dyslexia.

“Dyslexia is my focus. I’m working on my certification as a dyslexia therapist right now,” she said. “That’s really become my focus point these last few years.”

She found her school’s support again and again throughout the Teacher of the Year process: From her vice principal lending her office for virtual interviews, to cheering her on the day it was announced that she was Mississippi’s Teacher of the Year.

“The way they extended support and were just so overjoyed and so excited,” she said, “I was more excited just seeing the faces of everyone else around me and seeing how they responded.

And it was so cute, especially with the kids, they were just so excited and that made it mean even more. I don’t think they grasped the concept of our state and how big that is, but they sure put up a good front.”

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Teacher // Tupelo AMANDA WALKER TEACHES DIGITAL MEDIA AT TUPELO CAREER-TECHNICAL CENTER.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

“My favorite part is when I get talented students, who don’t know that they’re talented, they just find their little area that they enjoy and that they’re good at, and it makes them really excited. And a lot of times,” she said, “They haven’t necessarily found what they’re good at yet, and so they’re just gonna give it a try.”

Do you have a classroom motto?

“Google it,” she said laughing.

Walk me through this past year and some of its challenges.

“For my in-person students, one of the biggest challenges was everyone wearing a mask. Because they had already come off from being out since March, really not having any social interactions, and then they came back to school and couldn’t see anybody’s faces. That made teaching so difficult, and I did not realize how difficult it would be,” she said. “I had really small classes in person, and we were together all year in my class –– August to May –– and it took forever to get them to even utter a word. It was a lot of crickets.”

What are you looking forward to next year?

“I’m so excited for all them to be in front of my face, so that I can pester them and challenge them there,” she said. “We like to go outside (too) when we do our photography. It’ll just make things a lot more comfortable and hopefully allow them to develop relationships with each other. … Hopefully this year, there will be more chatter, and I’m sure there will be a lot of excitement.”

What was your favorite subject growing up?

“I didn’t really like school,” she said, with a laugh. “English AP. My friends were all really smart, and they were all taking AP, and I didn’t want to get left out, so I took English AP. It was so hard. One of my best friends, she pushed me, and I ended up doing well in that class, and it helped my ACT score and all kinds of stuff, and it filled my own confidence in English.”

Did you have any favorite teachers?

“My logic teacher,” she said. “Mr. Barber.”

Meet Amanda “I’m not your traditional teacher,” Amanda Walker said. “Most career tech teachers aren’t.”

When Walker graduated from Louisiana State University in 2009 with a business degree, the job market wasn’t looking great for her field.

“I was at a point where I was willing to try anything. ‘It’s only for a year,’” she remembered saying, laughing looking back. “‘If I hate it, I’ll leave!’”

The first class she taught was financial math in Louisiana, and when she and her husband relocated to Tupelo, she started teaching digital media at Tupelo Career-Technical Center. That was eight years ago. She teaches kids all about “learning how to use technology and make it do what you want it to do,” and a lot of problem solving.

Walker laughed that when she was in college, Facebook still required a collegiate email to sign up for the then-college social network, so it’s been interesting to teach digital amidst all the changes in technology.

What’s one thing you wished parents or students knew about you?

“It will still be a little different, but I think everyone –– teachers, administration and (the) district –– wants it to be back to normal,” she said.

“Everyone’s been working really hard the whole time.”

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ADAM LINDSEY WILL

Principal // Mooreville

ENTER HIS THIRD YEAR AS PRINICIPAL AT MOOREVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. What’s your favorite part of your job?

“You never know what the day is going to hold,” he said. “Something different at all times.”

Do you have a school motto? “‘Every student, every day,’” he said. “Getting more stuff for kids to get involved in, so that they can be proud of their school and build relationships.”

Walk me through this past year and some of its challenges.

“It was almost like you had two school years in one. At the beginning of the year it was just uncharted territory. Everybody was just trying to have some type of plan and be safe and get back to normal, so the first semester, with the wearing the mask and just being hypersensitive about health in general and contact tracing –– and all these different types of things –– it was just really uncharted territory. We were just trying to make it from one day to the next. Literally,” he said. “It didn’t really affect us that much (in the) second semester. Now, we still kept following guidelines and wearing masks and disinfecting and all the things of that nature, but we didn’t miss any school because of it.

What are you looking forward to next year?

“We’re really just ready for things to be normal –– the whole world is,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking forward to the most about a new school year. Right now, we’re not expecting to have to wear a mask, and we are expecting things to be more normal. In the classroom (last year), we had to go back to the old way of doing things: Teacher at the front of the room, kids spread apart, and you couldn’t do much group work. You couldn’t do field trips to go see things. All the disinfecting things we were able to purchase –– through monies and things –– because of the pandemic, we’re still going to continue doing a lot of that. That’s going to cut down on the flu and other sicknesses and things like that. That should help with attendance and things of that nature. So good did come out of it, and we learned better ways of doing things to be more efficient. That’s what we tell our kids all the time, ‘You can’t help what happens to you in life, but you can help how you react.’”

What was your favorite subject growing up?

“Recess,” he said, laughing. “Social studies, social studies was always my favorite.”

Did you have any favorite teachers or coaches?

“Coach Hill was my football coach,” he said. “Coach Lawson was my baseball coach. … I had a really good history teacher, Mrs. McElroy. I won’t ever forget Mrs. McElroy.”

What’s one thing you wished parents or students knew about you, or about administrators?

“I think, not just for principals, but for everyone that’s in education: We got into this because we care about kids and we want to make a difference in their world,” he said. “We’re all on the same team, and when I say team, I mean parents and administrators and teachers –– we all want what’s best for your child. I mean, that’s the whole point of us doing this job, is we want to see students succeed and be successful. We don’t want any student to fail.”

Meet Adam Adam Lindsey was more interested in sports growing up than necessarily what was happening in the classroom — not quite what one expects from someone who forged a career in education.

“I always wanted to be a coach. I did sports growing up, and those were the people that had the most influence on me,” he said. “I got tired of the classroom from the standpoint of doing the same thing all day long — I just get bored easily.”

Knowing he wanted to be a coach, he started looking at education and was encouraged to consider the administration side to keep things interesting.

He taught and coached for about seven years before he became an assistant principal while still coaching. Over the next several years, he would drift in and out of principal and assistant principal positions in schools across Tupelo, Mooreville and Baldwyn.

“It was funny because I’ve probably had five different jobs, but four of them have been in two places,” he said laughing. “I like to think that they like me just a little bit.”

Eventually, he landed as the head principal at Mooreville High School. One of his favorite educators growing up would send him a postcard congratulating him on his new positions. By the time he made his way to Mooreville High School as principal she sent another that read, “‘You’re going to have to quit moving, I’m running out of postcards.’”

Which is just fine by Lindsey, because he doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

“My plan is to retire here as being the principal,” he said. “I’m not going to make any more moves and unless the good Lord calls me.”

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BETHANIE HARRIS

Teacher // Amory

TEACHES THIRD GRADE AT EAST AMORY ELEMENTARY.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

“I mean, the easy answer is the kids. I could not spend my day with anybody else besides third graders,” she said. “It is the most fun and exhausting and lovely and crazy and exciting way to spend my day. They teach me how to be a better human, and it’s just a privilege and a blessing to love on them for eight hours a day.”

Do you have a classroom motto?

“Something that I always, always, always tell them, and I write this on every –– I write it on their pencils and on their clipboards –– that, ‘You are loved, you are valued and you are important.’” she said. “And if they don’t learn anything else from me, they learn that.”

Walk me through this past year and some of its challenges.

“Last year was the hardest year of my life, personally and professionally.

Amidst all the COVID, I lost my dad. It was just a wild and crazy year. But it highlighted, so much more, the amazing place that East Amory is. I could not have taught through that with anybody else in any other place. We were stretched in ways that no teacher could ever imagine,” she said. “I mean, I learned a lot real quick, but it made me a better teacher and I think everybody can say that this past year grew and stretched you in ways that will change you as a teacher for the rest of your career.”

What are you looking forward to next year?

“I’m looking forward to just taking everything that I learned about loving kids and being there for kids emotionally,” she said. “This (past) year, I feel like I had to be there for them more emotionally than I ever have been. Taking that, and letting that be just as much of a focus this year as it was last year.”

What was your favorite subject growing up?

“I love math,” she said. “Math is probably my favorite thing to teach, because it’s just so concrete and it’s so easy for me to see (their understanding) concretely.”

Did you have any favorite teachers?

“Miss Nicole Kitchen, she literally had it all. We learned so much and she stretched us so much, but we also felt so loved and I felt so empowered and I felt so excited,” she said. “My A.C.E. teacher, Mrs. Carpenter. Oh my gosh, she gave us so much freedom to just learn and explore. She was amazing. And I have some amazing high school teachers. They were all great and wonderful.”

Meet Bethanie Bethanie Harris grew up in a family full of teachers — her mother, father, sister, even her brother-in-law.

“It is a mutation in my genes,” she said, laughing.

But for a while, Harris tried to fight it.

She thought surely she wasn’t called to be a teacher, too; so, she started school to be an occupational therapist. Over a break, she helped her sister out in her classroom, and when she left for the day, her sister sat her down.

“She was like, ‘Bethanie, you love doing this.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I love helping you in your room,’” she said.

“And she was like, ‘You realize that’s not going to be your life?’”

That day she called her advisor and transferred into the teaching program, and never looked back.

When she graduated, her sister even told her about a position East Amory had open and encouraged her to apply.

“I went to school in Fulton, and Amory was one of our rivals, like it was a big deal,” she said, laughing. “It was the best decision I ever made.”

What’s one thing you wished parents or students knew about you?

“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that teachers gave their absolute best, and if there is a way to give more than your best, that’s what was given. Especially the people that I work with, it was a very difficult year, but we rose to the occasion and we picked each other up when we were overwhelmed. And especially a shout-out to the administrators in the area because they were the ones having to make the touch calls,” she said. “We love those kids, and we love what we do. I wouldn’t –– I couldn’t do anything else.” M

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Influential Women 2019 2021

The Future is Female Do you know a woman making a difference in North Mississippi?

Nominate her to be recognized as an influential woman of 2021.

Nomination form at mudandmag.com/events

GAP YEAR REFLECTIONS ADVICE FROM A GRADUATE

W

ell, the pandemic certainly put the “gap” in gap year.

One year ago, my German exchange program online orientation was about to start. I was paddleboarding regularly and Facetiming my friends as often as I could. I was getting really into music in a way I never had time for before. I was struggling to grasp the basics of German by combing the internet and trudging through Rosetta Stone. It was difficult to learn by myself, but the language captivated me from the beginning. I had been accepted to the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange, or CBYX, which gives German and American teens the opportunity to spend a year living in each others’ countries. It was going to be fun, educational, transformational and also scary and exhuasting. Then,

in September, the program that had already been cut in half was entirely canceled, which was pretty devastating, especially considering the fact that I would be doing nothing for over a year. However, even though my year was definitely not what I was expecting, and maybe not quite as fun, it was still valuable.

CBYX set up some online programming and offered an online German class, taught entirely in German, through the Goethe-Institut, which was the highlight of my year.

I had an awesome teacher and made a good friend, who I met in Atlanta when we took a German certification test this summer. I also housesat during the fall semester and petsat when I could. I read dozens of books and caught up on my fair share of Netflix.

Now that I’m vaccinated, I’m working, hanging out with my friends, housesitting again and feeling a bit too much (and sometimes not at all) like an adult. I’m looking forward to college. It will be exciting to meet new people, make good friends and take interesting classes. To be honest, I am also scared I won’t like it and that after a year of nearly unlimited free time, I’ll be too overwhelmed by having a packed schedule again. But I know I’ll have fun, and this year has definitely prepared me to handle change. Ultimately, I’m grateful for my gap year. I learned German, diplomacy skills and how to cook! I discovered a lot about the world and about myself, and after the stress and hubbub of high school, it was nice to take a break. M

FRESHMAN YEAR TIPS from Mud & Mag: 1. Be willing.

Remember to give yourself enough room and grace to try new things. For some, this can be difficult, but if you can muster the courage to sit with someone new or invite a classmate to coffee, new connections will open your world.

2. Ask.

It's OK to ask for help.

Some would argue that it's brave. Whether seeking mental health counseling or academic direction from a professor, know that you are working for your greater good.

3. Explore.

Colleges offer countless opportunities, from outdoor adventure groups to film clubs. Now is always a wonderful time to learn about your interests and passions.

Sophie Quinn is an Oxford native and 2020 National Merit Scholar. She graduated as a Mississippi All-Star student and was one of our 2019 Influential Women scholarship recipients.

She will begin her freshman year at Carleton College in the fall.

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OUTDOOR CREATIONS

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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said, “we’ll try to make it work for them.”

So far, they’ve done several Noah’s Arks, wonky angled playhouses, an airplane, a Mack truck –– “the big truck was my favorite,” added Elliot Ward, one of the team members –– really just about anything. They might sketch a few things down on paper, but they aren’t going off of blueprints.

“Anything we do out there, it’s not set in stone for how it’s done,” Owen said. “We’re not going by any kind of guideline or anything like that. We’re just making it. We’ve got a big scrap pile. In other words, if it don’t look right, we’ll scrap it and move to the next piece of it.”

They’ve done several playhouses for Make-A-Wish, which are some of the crew’s favorite projects.

“They kind of give you features of what they want, what the child wished for, then they pretty much give us free rein,” he said. “It’s a really, really fun thing, and it’s a real blessing. When you get to see the kid … it makes the job worthwhile, when you get to see kids happy.”

The playhouses usually have a loft inside, so the kids can climb around and usually exit via a slide. Sometimes an order requests for the interior to be fully finished –– complete with a paint job, maybe a fold-down table, an AC unit and a blackboard –– but Owen said 90% ask to be unfinished so the customers can add their own personalized touches.

Owen and Ward both agreed their favorite part is delivering the sets, though it can be a little tricky. Usually, the homeowners have nicely

“IT’S JUST A REALLY COOL JOB THAT I DREAMED UP,” SAID JASON OWEN. A few years ago, his church in Okolona was looking for a playset, something reminiscent of Noah’s Ark. Owen tried to find someone in the area; when he couldn’t, he offered to do it himself.

“I can try,” he remembered saying, “We’ll see if it works.”

In 2013, he opened Outdoor Creations, and over the years, these playsets and playhouses became a full-time job –– for him and two other employees.

“From then on it’s just been crazy busy,” he said. “It’s been just one thing after another. It’s a fun job! It’s definitely better than being in the factory or somewhere like that.”

Owen built a warehouse in the backyard of his Pontotoc home, where you can see his youngest son’s “Ninja Warrior” playset, his children’s pet rabbits and their family’s pet dog, a Basset Hound named Lucy, moseying around. Owen’s wife does all the electronic files because Owen’s “not a computer person.”

Outdoor Creations averages about 15 playsets a month, though they saw double that during 2020, when all the playgrounds were shut down. In addition to the standard playsets, Owens and his team will create just about anything.

“If somebody wants something or can just dream it up,” he

Left: The "Ninja Warrior" playset Jason Owen built for his youngest son; Above: A ship-set Outdoor Creations built for Oxford Church of Christ; Right: Owen's 2-year-old granddaughter, Delilah, playing on the swingset in his backyard.

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manicured yards, and Outdoor Creations can’t bring a forklift into the back, so they have to unload and place the set using what they call “redneck” jerry-rigging and scooting rollers under the playset to move it around on-sight.

They’ve delivered sets as far as St. Louis, Little Rock and Longview, Texas, though the bulk of their orders come from the Mississippi coast or New Orleans.

Around Christmas, delivering the sets gets even trickier. Not only is it the busiest time, but Outdoor Creations will hold onto the sets for as long as they can so the kids can be surprised as close to Christmas as they can manage. That means there are upwards of 25 playhouses and sets in the warehouse while they’re trying to work on other orders. Owen said it’s so crowded “you can’t walk.” They joke that the warehouse looks like Whoville.

Owen is usually checking his list twice, to make sure every order has been completed.

“We try to work in as many as we possibly can, too, and that’s our problem, too, because we don’t like to let a kid go without Christmas,” Ward said. “We overwhelm ourselves sometimes.”

Families can come pick up their orders from the warehouse, too, which can help lighten the crew's load. But around the holidays, Owen has a couple of nephews he brings in to help with the deliveries.

Even with the stress of the schedule and the grunt work it takes to deliver the sets, Owen said nothing beats watching the kids find out they’re getting a special delivery.

“We pull up to these houses, and the kids are just ecstatic,” Owen said. “They come running out the door.”

“They hop on the trailer sometimes,” Ward added.

“Yeah, we’ve had them hop on the trailer as we’re backing up the driveway, and we’re like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!’” Owen said laughing. “For the most part, a lot of the kids aren’t there when we set up, until they get home and they send me a video getting surprised. … It’s fun. It’s definitely a blessing for sure.” M

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Left: Owen's youngest, Jennings, playing on his "Ninja Warrior" set; Above: A topsy-turvy playhouse Outdoor Creations built for a family in Pontotoc; Below: Jason Owen (left) and Elliot Ward (right).

DIYS FOr KIDS

ColorChanging

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

Materials

¼ cup white school glue | 1 tablespoon water | 5-10 drops food dye | 2 grams thermochromic pigment* | ¼ cup liquid ironing starch 60

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* Opt for a color-to-clear or color-to-white pigment, so when the slime is changing colors, the food color can be seen through. Choose colors based on the color wheel.

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ot

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* For example: We used red pigment + yellow food dye, and we got a pinkish-and-yellow slime. We also used a dark blue pigment + yellow food dye, and we got a teal-andgreenish slime.

Directions

Pour the starch into a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, add the glue, water, food dye and pigment. Mix with a spoon until well combined. Pour in half the starch, and continue to stir with the spoon until a sticky substance forms and pulls away from the side of the bowls. Using your hands, transfer to the bowl of starch. Begin stretching and kneading the slime onto itself to fully incorporate the starch. It will become stringy and seem ruined – keep kneading. Soon, it shouldn’t be sticky, and should be smooth.

Dip into more starch as necessary, if it’s still sticky. The slime will react to different temperatures (ours changed colors when heated). Store in a plastic or glass container.

Materials: An empty metal can* Can opener Metal file Popsicle sticks Outdoor paint & paint brush Twine Hot glue gun & glue sticks 1 floral plant (we used an impatiens) Soil *Parents, file down any sharp metal poking out.

Directions: With one end of the can removed, use the can opener to punch two to three holes on the bottom end for drainage. Paint both sides of the popsicle sticks, and let dry completely. Use a hot glue gun to attach the sticks to the outside wall of the can. Wrap twine about ½ inch from the top, and secure with a dot of glue; repeat with the bottom.

Transfer the flower into the can. Depending upon what size flower is used, a little more soil may be required. M M &M

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HEALTH

KEEPING CHILDREN healthy life beyond the pandemic

Many parents are asking what they can do to ensure that their children remain safe as we move forward from a year-and-a-half of social isolation. The answer to this question takes me back to the basics, as a healthy lifestyle will prepare our children to maximize learning and growth while minimizing days missed and the spread of illness.

Find time to stay physically active – not only is this beneficial for the mind, but it also has psychological benefits. It is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Consider going for a walk as a family or register for a sport.

1

Offer healthy food choices and a well-balanced diet.

Chronic illnesses like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes put children at risk for other illnesses. Try to eat together as a family and be an example with the food choices you make.

2 The pandemic reinforced what we have known for years but will hopefully become more socially acceptable: If your child is sick and you are able to keep them home, please do so. The best way to limit the spread of infections is to isolate while symptomatic.

3

Don’t forget about other illnesses — schedule an appointment with your child’s primary care provider for a wellness visit to ensure that vaccinations are up to date and chronic illnesses are being managed.

4 Consider if the COVID-19 vaccine is right for your loved ones as it becomes available for more children. If you are unsure, have this conversation with your child’s healthcare provider. M

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By Dr. Marlaina Berch, pediatrician at Magnolia Pediatric Clinic.

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THE BEAD SHACK // NEW ALBANY Carrie is headed into preschool.

What’s your favorite color?

Pink and purple.

Do you have a favorite breakfast, if you eat breakfast?

Waffles.

Favorite dessert?

Cookies!

What’s your favorite animal?

Giraffes.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A mama and a doctor and live at the zoo.

Did you play any sports?

Yeah, I do, I do. (Gymnastics and dance).

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I could fly like a kite. Woo! Superpowers!

If you could meet anyone or any character, who would it be?

Elsa and Anna! Elsa and Anna!

Carrie is wearing: Cypress Row dress and bloomers; $56.95; Wee Ones bow, $11.99.

Loved your child's first day look?

Show us! Tag us on Instagram and Facebook with your favorite local fashion finds: @mudandmagnolias

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LookinG SMART

photos by LINDSAY PACE

back-to-school fashion 2021

R etailers proved that back-to-school fashion

doesn't equal boring. These looks highlight bright and curious colors, cheerful accessories and recess-approved athletic wear.

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BLACK SHEEP BOUTIQUE // TUPELO Riley is starting her freshman year of college.

What’s your favorite color?

Pink.

Do you have a favorite breakfast, if you eat breakfast?

I like biscuits, and pancakes, definitely my favorite.

Favorite dessert?

I would say banana pudding.

What’s your favorite animal?

Probably a cat.

What's your favorite school subject?

English.

Did you play any sports?

I played tennis for about two years.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Probably for me to be invisible.

If you could meet anyone or any character, who would it be?

Kendall Jenner.

Riley is wearing: She + Sky top, $30.50; Cello white skinny jeans, $45; Jennifer Thames earrings, $28; Chinese Laundry silver sandals, $32; Silver Bella bracelet set, $19.99; Ellison + young necklace, $24.

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JACK & CLAIRE'S // OXFORD Charlotte is going into the first grade.

What’s your favorite color?

My favorite favorite color, or my not favorite color? The rainbow, but not green.

Do you have a favorite breakfast, if you eat breakfast?

I don’t eat breakfast. Streusels or pancakes, but I never eat pancakes.

Favorite dessert?

Brownies and strawberry pie. I never ate it though.

What’s your favorite animal?

I don’t think any of them. Like, scary animals? Maybe my cat, but she’s mean. When she was a baby, I liked her. And my dog.

But I liked it when it was a baby.

What's your favorite school subject?

Recess and lunch.

Did you play any sports?

I have to ask my mama. (Cheer) If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Flying. Or flying on a unicorn.

Or a fairy. Or a mermaid. Or a dog.

If you could meet anyone or any character, who would it be?

Dolly Parton. And Selena, because I just like Selena. And I guess JoJo Siwa. I don’t think she’s a good dancer, but I still like her.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I like to wear jackets.

Charlotte is wearing: Zucchini Kids dress; Wee Ones bow; Footmates shoes. Prices upon request.

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REED'S // TUPELO Jack is going into the first grade.

What’s your favorite color?

Blue.

Do you have a favorite breakfast, if you eat breakfast?

Cinammon toast.

Favorite dessert?

Cookies.

What’s your favorite animal?

A bumperhead shark (hammerhead shark).

What's your favorite part of school?

I like lunch!

Did you play any sports?

I'm probably going to play flag football this fall. And baseball, and soccer, and golf.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Probably X-ray vision.

If you could meet anyone or any character, who would it be?

Tyler from “Dude Perfect.”

Jack is wearing: Properly Tied shirt; Vineyard Vines Kids shorts; Hey Dudes shoes. Price upon request.

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MLM CLOTHIERS // TUPELO Carter is going into his senior year of high school.

What’s your favorite color?

Blue.

Do you have a favorite breakfast, if you eat breakfast?

I do not.

Favorite dessert?

A cookie.

What’s your favorite animal?

Dog — black lab.

What's your favorite school subject?

Math.

Did you play any sports?

Tennis.

What do you want to do?

I’m going to school for civil engineering.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Fly. If you could meet anyone or any character, who would it be?

Bill Gates.

Carter is wearing: Peter Millar performance shorts; True Grit shirt. Prices upon request. M

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SUPPLIES

SCHOOL ESSENTIALS

by Lindsay Pace

E

veryone deserves a little love at the beginning of a new school year. For some, this means a new Consuela tote to carry graded papers and lesson plans. Others may require smaller, shinier backpacks or new books to practice phonics. Whatever the matter, there's something for you here.

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Sweet Storybooks

Teachers' Totes

Let kiddos expand their empathy through a new book this year. Try the classic School's First Day of School or a new bestseller, Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.

Reed's GumTree Bookstore in Tupelo; $17-25.

Ditch the canvas tote for something a little sturdier — and a lot more stylish.

Consuela's designs, inspired by Mexican oil cloth, are chic and colorful.

The Red Door in Pontotoc; Consuela tote; $245.

Bold Backpacks

Neat Notebooks

Stylish Snacks

Who says backpacks can't be metallic and leopard print?

We say: go big or go home!

Elliott Lane in Oxford; Prices upon request.

Clipfolios make taking and transporting notes a breeze. Plus, Rifle Paper Co. florals add a dose of joy to every day office materials.

Swirlz in Tupelo; Clipfolio, highlighters and pencils; $15-28.

Corkcicle's modular lunchboxes are so elegant, they could nearly double as a purse.

They even have a canteen-strap.

Elizabeth Clair's in Tupelo; Corkcicle 16 0z Canteen and Baldwin Boxer lunchbox, $25-35. M

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BUYER ’S GUIDE Start your weekend with

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- Delivered every Friday morning - Be the first to see new content - Get access to unique recipes not featured in the magazine - Get in the know with events, special promotions & more!

Sign up online at mudandmagnolias.com

BUYER ’S GUIDE

BUYER ’S GUIDE

Publish your engagement or wedding announcement in The Daily Journal Submit your engagement or wedding announcement online at djournal.com.

Click on “all sections”.

Then, click the drop down arrow on announcements. Finally, click submit bridal announcements.

Submissions include a photograph.

Multiple sizes available with prices starting at $110.

For questions, email sarahbrooke.bishop@ journalinc.com

BUYER ’S GUIDE

BUYER ’S GUIDE

THE JOY OF COOKING TOGETHER

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

E

lizabeth Speed has always been involved in food somehow. From cooking with her dad and grandmother growing up, teaching children’s cooking classes in Oxford, to owning a popsicle business, being involved in Oxford’s farmers markets and getting into Mississippi schools for FoodCorps.

Much like AmeriCorps’ teaching program, FoodCorps hires and trains people like Speed to go into schools to teach “food and gardening and nutrition –– that’s totally up my alley!,” to help start proper food relationships in youth early on. Something she learned in her house growing up.

“We always cooked at home. We didn’t go out to dinner a lot,” she said.

“My parents didn’t really do a lot of takeout or fast food, so I feel like it’s kind of important not only for a family bonding, but also nutritionally and health-wise, that you’re eating at home and you’re eating the foods –– maybe not always seasonally, but mostly –– seasonally. It’s a good way to give back to yourself and your family, but also give back to the community.”

So when COVID-19 derailed Speed’s cooking classes with Oxford children in 2020, and when her popsicle business slowed in the cooler weather, she came up with a different plan: Community Table.

Community Table is a meal kit/ Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box hybrid. Speed prepares and distributes recipes, along with pre-measured ingredients from local growers and farmers. Everything is all in one box.

“I provide everything but salt, pepper and olive oil,” she said. “Figure pretty much everybody’s got that.”

Community Table delivered its first monthly meal kit to subscribers in

March 2021. Each box contains enough food for four servings, along with extra information –– things like culinary terms, definitions of perhaps new foods, what it tastes like and where it can be grown.

“Not just the culinary terms, but I also want them to learn where the food came from,” she said. “If we do like a regional cuisine or if we do an international cuisine, I want them to know about the country where it originated, what brought that about and how that recipe came to be.”

The directions and recipes are easy to follow. In fact, that’s sort of Community Table’s shtick: It’s perfect to get the whole family involved in the kitchen.

For Oxford families like Frankie Wilson and her two children, 7-yearold Meredith and 9-year-old Winn, it provides family fun while supporting their local businesses, all while teaching meaningful lessons about food.

“I’m a registered dietitian, so I know that research shows that when kids have a hand in preparing dinner, they are more likely to try a new food or vegetable,” Wilson said. “Also, nutrition research shows that making family meals a priority can help your children become better eaters. It’s more work to make family meals happen, but the payoff is worth it.”

The Wilson family was a big fan of the homemade macaroni and cheese (Meredith’s favorite to prepare) and the sweet potato biscuits (Winn’s favorite to make).

Community Table boxes are put together in Speed’s kitchen. When she’s at the farmers market, she’ll ask around to see what they’ll likely have around the time of box preparation. She spends a few days researching and testing different recipes before settling on a

recipe that will make its way into the box. Then she’ll do a final test to make sure the timing works out just right –– i.e. the biscuits can’t get cold before the asparagus is done.

Speed enlists the help of her own children when packing the boxes. They “shop” for each box, making sure no one is missing any ingredients from the list. The next day, Speed’s clients will come get their boxes. A lot of Speed’s clients are returning families from her children's cooking classes, like Aimee Nezhukumatathil and her family.

“We already knew her as a fabulous cook who has taught kids’ cooking classes, so this was a no-brainer,” Nezhukumatathil said. “She advocates for healthy eating and making use of the local bounty here through the Oxford Community Market, so I knew they would have the finest, freshest ingredients.”

Nezhukumatathil said her two boys, 14 and 11, have always helped out in the kitchen but have really spearheaded efforts with these meal kits with their father.

“My husband has taken the lead on helping with these cooking kits recently, and I’m so glad (my sons) see in practice that it is perfectly normal and expected for a man to be able to cook for his family,” she said. “But most importantly, I think the laughs and the giggles that get created with their dad in the kitchen will serve as treasured memories when they have their first kitchens of their own.”

And for Speed, who has a handwritten book of family recipes and her own recipes — and who still uses a wooden spoon her father gave her over 20 years ago — that’s the most important part.

“Hopefully it’s creating some happy memories,” she said.

Left: Speed's cooking displays at the Powerhouse in Oxford include heirlooms, like her grandmother's garlic press and a and a collection of wooden spoons, one of which her father gave to her over two decades ago.

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The following is a recipe that was included in one of Community Table’s meal kits, provided by Elizabeth Speed. Speed swears this recipe works for everyone: “I’m not a baker, but I can make these sweet potato biscuits!”

3/4 cup AP flour (plus more for kneading) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed or grated ELIZABETH SPEED’S SWEET POTATO For the honey butter: BISCUITS WITH HONEY BUTTER 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened This side dish is as versatile as it is 1 tablespoon honey delicious. These biscuits are great by themselves, or you can use them as a bun DIRECTIONS for a sandwich or for a sweet breakfast Place a rack in the center of the oven and with honey and butter. If you don’t have a preheat to 425 degrees. Grease a baking biscuit cutter, no worries! Use a drinking sheet, cast iron skillet or 9-inch cake pan glass dipped in flour, a recycled can — (with butter, oil or cooking spray). remove both ends of the can, wash it out For the sweet potato puree: Pierce a sweet and dry completely — or cut the biscuits potato with a fork in a few spots, and with a knife or pizza cutter. microwave at high power for about 10 minutes, until tender. Let the sweet INGREDIENTS: potato cool slightly, then peel and mash For the biscuits: in a bowl. Measure out 1/3 cup puree, and 1/3 cup chilled sweet potato puree refrigerate until chilled. (about 1/2 sweet potato) In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet 1/4 cup chilled milk potato and 2 tablespoons milk. Set aside.

1 tablespoon sugar In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,

Top row, left to right: Speed highlights fresh produce from local growers, such as rice from Two Brooks Farm in Sumner, polenta from the Grit Girl in the Delta, Brown Family Dairy from Oxford and farm-fresh eggs out of Ecru. Middle row, left to right: Apart from recipes, Speed provides thorough information in each box, like links to learn about purveyors and an information packet on a cuisine or food; Each month, she tries to work Mardis Honey Farms

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baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with your hands, a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Add the sweet potato mixture and fold gently to combine. Add the remaining milk a little at a time until all the flour is moistened. The amount of milk needed will depend on the moisture of the sweet potato.

Sprinkle a small handful of flour on a work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead lightly two or three times with the palm of your hand until the mixture comes together. Pat the dough out into a 1-inch-thick round.

Using a 2 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter, glass or can, cut the dough into biscuits.

Gently re-roll the scraps as needed. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden brown and firm to the touch, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve these fluffy biscuits warm or at room temperature.

For the honey butter: In a small bowl, beat together the butter and honey. M

honey of Taylor into a recipe; She takes a photo of each box's ingredients, like the ones for her mac 'n cheese, which uses local cheesemongers and received high praise from subscribers. Bottom row, left to right: Speed and her eldest son, Jack, chop fresh vegetables for a whole wheat penne pasta salad as she teaches him more knife and kitchen safety; Her youngest, Andy, prepares a balsamic dressing while learning about emulsification.