Oxford Magazine April/May 2020

A HUNDRED RIGHT ANSWERS • TELLING TEXTILES • BEHIND THE BITES

EAST MEETS WEST

OXFORD BONSAI SOCIETY TAKES ROOT, ONE POT AT A TIME

CREATING THE

‘WOW’ MARCH/APRIL 2020 OxfordMag.com Volume Four | Issue Two $4.95

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FEATURES

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CREATING THE ‘WOW’ Jeff McManus has provided 20 years of magic for Ole Miss’s landscape

42

EAST MEETS WEST

28

5 QUESTIONS Lydia Koltai & Oxford Community Garden Association

2 March/April 2020

PHOTO BY JOEY BRENT

Oxford Bonsai Society takes root, one pot at a time

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42

PHOTO BY THAD LEE

SCHOOLS & SPORTS

IN EVERY ISSUE

11 Cooper Manning’s love for Ole Miss, UM Journalism and Oxford

ARTS & CULTURE

5 From the Editor

15 Coulter Fussell’s quilts blur the line between art and craft 22 Book Picks: Recommendations from Square Books’ Lyn Roberts

HOME

& STYLE

& DRINK

7 The Guide 52 Typeface 54 Out & About 59 Said and Done

23 Interior designer Jennifer Russell brings her talents home to Mom

FOOD

4 Contributors

60 Marketplace

OM

29 Oxford Food Tours gives an intimate look at Oxford’s culinary faire 35 Recipe from Chef Eric Tait of McEwen’s

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CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL

Nathanael Gabler Anna Guizerix Jake Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS

Joey Brent Jude Burke-Lewis Davis Coen Jim Dees Mary Kathryn Herrington Thad Lee Lindsey Meisenheimer Cody Morrison Christina Steube Laura Beth Walker

DESIGN

Connor Bucy Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan Angela Caver

Joey Brent, photographer

Joey has contributed photographs to a variety of local newspapers and magazines. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the OxfordLafayette County Chamber of Commerce and The Mind Matters Foundation.

Jude Burke-Lewis, writer

Jude is a recent transplant to Oxford, having moved here from London, UK, last year. She worked as a journalist back in her home country, including three years at an education newspaper, and is now a freelance writer.

MARKETING

Lauren Jones Delia Childers

ADMINISTRATION Rebecca Alexander

Davis Coen, writer

Davis Coen is a freelance writer and newspaper reporter from Oxford by way of South Carolina. He’s had stories published in various local publications including Oxford Eagle, Oxford Citizen and Daily Journal. He also maintains a music career--with over a dozen tours of Europe and regular airplay on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Thad Lee, photographer

Thad Lee is an award-winning filmmaker from Hattiesburg. He has earned English and Philosophy degrees from the University of Mississippi and an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of New Orleans. His film, All That You Love Will Be Carried Away is based on a short story by Stephen King. It is currently screening at festivals in America and Europe.

Oxford Magazine is published bimonthly by Oxford Newsmedia LLC. All material is this publication is protected by copyright. We are located at 4 Private Road 2050 Oxford, MS 38655. Our annual subscription rate is $40 per year in the United States and $60 a year in Canada, Mexico and other foreign countries. Our website is oxfordmag.com. We can be reached by telephone at 662-234-4331. Letters, story ideas and postal changes should be addressed to Oxford Magazine, 4 Private Road 2050, Oxford, MS 38655.

4 March/April 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

A

ON THE COVER

Jeff McManus, Director of Landscape Services at Ole Miss

Photo by Photo by UM Communications Design by Connor Martin-Lively

As we usher in the Spring season in Oxford, everything seems to be teeming with life. Leaves are back on trees, people are rushing to the town’s many parks and there’s a literal pep in the step of everyone you pass on the street.

Just like springtime, my husband Chris and I are entering a new season of our own lives, as we prepare to welcome a baby girl into the world this July. In planning this issue, I was able to sit back and brainstorm all the fun activities I enjoyed as a child that I can’t wait to share with my own daughter.

From a young age, one of my favorite things to do was travel to my great aunt’s home in Port St. Joe, Fla., for a visit. While I enjoyed the beach, I enjoyed even more spending lazy afternoons in her sewing room, spreading out the handmade quilts she’d worked on and selecting my own fabrics for a dream project. Coulter Fussell, whose yaloRUN Textiles is featured in our Arts & Culture section (p. 16), takes a different approach, but one that is nonetheless visually stimulating, using almost exclusively donated and used fabrics. Quilts tell a story, but hers tell many.

I also vividly recall every April growing up, when my parents, brother and I would spend entire Saturdays weeding the flowerbeds and manicuring my dad’s prized rose bushes. We’d supplement our existing plants with flowers from our local garden center, and I grew to love the feeling of soil between my fingers, the satisfaction of caring for the blossoms as they soaked in the sun and rain. We took particular joy in highlighting ways to make our readers’ outdoor spaces memorable, and likewise, I can’t wait to let my little girl pick out her own flowers to celebrate spring.

We at Oxford Magazine are firm believers in continuing education and personal growth; as such, several of our features in this issue provide a healthy dose of entertainment along with enlightenment. Take Oxford Food Tours, for example (p. 30) – we patronize local businesses pretty regularly, but how often do we have a chance to discover the story behind the plate?

Or what about the ever-popular UM Landscaping Camp? We love the beautiful flora on the Ole Miss campus, but this is an opportunity to learn how to create meaningful outdoor spaces in your own back yard (p. 36).

Regardless of how you spend your springtime, it’s my hope that this issue of Oxford Magazine helps you live life to the fullest. Happy Reading!

anna.guizerix@oxfordmag.com

OxfordMag.com 5

Editor’s Product Picks

With Easter fast approaching and Graduation not far beyond that, things are finally starting to pick up here in Oxford. After months of the doldrums, these products are just the ticket to put some pep back in your step and enjoy the warm weather!

1. JULIETTE HAS A GUN – NOT A PERFUME | $135 | ZOE OF OXFORD

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Don’t be mistaken – this heady scent is not a perfume. Made out of a single element called Cetalox, which is usually used in perfumery as a base note, it plays here the lead role... Another advantage of this particular composition, is that it is entirely allergen free. The long-lasting scent is worth every spritz – I can’t count the number of compliments I’ve received when wearing this.

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2. KRISTEN ESS ROSE GOLD TEMPORARY TINT | $12 | TARGET This product is PERFECT for weekend wild ones who have to return to business attire come Monday. Designed for pre-lightened or bleached hair (or those of you who are lucky enough to come by your golden strands naturally), this superfine mist provides a nourishing wash of the softest pink color – guaranteed to be gone by that 9 a.m. staff meeting Monday morning. My advice for those with stubborn locks: Shampoo your hair, blow-dry it and apply the mist in the shower (it can get messy). Let sit for 30 minutes and rinse. Condition as normal and you’re left with princess pink hair that smells divine.

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3. OLE MISS BASEBALL HENLEYS | $35 EACH | JCG APPAREL

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JCG, with a store conveniently on the Square, has once again excelled when it comes to providing comfortable attire for Ole Miss baseball fans. The team is on a hot streak, and it’s sure to heat up right field as fans pile in. I love these shirts for their versatility – they can be dressed up with white jeans or dressed down with athletic shorts and sneakers – and for the fact that they’re beer shower-proof. While you’re at JCG, check out some of their other designs, many of which are tongue-incheek odes to Oxford.

4. WILD BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC VINEGAR | J. OLIVE CO. | $13.95 - $29.95

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J. Olive’s Wild Blueberry Balsamic, with its surprisingly sweet notes, is ideal to splash on top of a spinach and berry salad. I particularly love it with feta or goat cheese, as part of a fun charcuterie board. Perhaps the most surprising use I’ve seen for this flavor (beyond being used as a salad topping) is as a reduction poured over lemon-ricotta pancakes. J. Olive, with a location downtown, recommends pairing this flavor with a delicate Arbequina Olive Oil.

5. OPI MEXICO CITY MOVE-MINT | $10.50 | ULTA Part of OPI’s Mexico City Collection, this opaque mint green is perfect for springtime. As a lover of pastels myself, I cannot wait to match my pedicure to my Easter dress this April. For fun nail art using this shade as a base, I recommend a trip to the Nail Bar. Word to the wise: make an appointment for nail art ahead of time.

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THE GUIDE

DOUBLE DECKER ARTS FESTIVAL APRIL 24-25, 2020 SUNDOWN Join all of Oxford on the Square for a two-day event filled with art, music, good food and great fun.

Performers this year include St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

Poster Art by Hannah McCormick OxfordMag.com 7

THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN OXFORD APRIL 3 First Friday Free Sketch 10 a.m.

UM Museum APRIL 4 Ole Miss Theatre & Film presents The Nether 2 p.m.

Fulton Chapel

APRIL 1-3

Oxford Conference for the Book Multiple Locations

Founded by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and Square Books, the conference brings together fiction and nonfiction writers, journalists, artists, poets, publishers, teachers, students and literacy advocates for three days of conversation in the literary town of Oxford.

This year’s authors include Ann Abadie, Ralph Eubanks, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jeff Sharlet and more. For more information regarding events and times, visit oxfordconferenceforthebook.com.

APRIL 7

An American in Paris: National Tour 7:30 p.m.

Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts In post war Paris, romance is in the air and youthful optimism reigns. Gershwin’s soaring melodies are matched by gravity-defying dance as the world rediscovers the power of love in this breathtaking production. Hoping to start a new life, World War II veteran Jerry Mulligan chooses newly-liberated Paris as the place to make a name for himself as a painter. But Jerry’s life becomes complicated when he meets Lise, a young Parisian shop girl with her own secret – and realizes he is not her only suitor. Winner of four Tony Awards and inspired by the Academy Award-winning film, this exquisite production features your favorite Gershwin songs including “I Got Rhythm,” “Liza,” “’S Wonderful,” “But Not for Me,” and “Stairway to Paradise.”

Tickets start at $63 for balcony. More information available at the UM Box Office or Ford Center website.

8 March/April 2020

Mighty Muddy 5K and Fun Run 8:30 a.m.

Camp Lake Stephens APRIL 7 Spanish Wine Tasting 5:30 p.m.

The Sipp on South Lamar APRIL 13 Yung Gravy 8 p.m.

The Lyric Oxford Kevin Morby with Sam Cohen 9 p.m.

Proud Larry’s APRIL 16 Bishop Gunn 9 p.m.

Proud Larry’s Presidio Brass... And All That Brass 7:30 p.m.

Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts APRIL 18 Grove Bowl 2020 10 a.m.

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium APRIL 21 French Red Wines 5:30 p.m.

The Sipp on South Lamar STOMP 7:30 p.m.

Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts

THE GUIDE APRIL 24-25 Double Decker Arts Festival Oxford Square APRIL 25 Kudzu Kings 9 p.m.

Proud Larry’s APRIL 29 Caroline Rose with Tōth 9 p.m.

Proud Larry’s MAY 1 Pride Drag Show – Oxford Pride 8 p.m.

The Lyric Oxford MAY 3 Out in the Park: A Softball Game & Family Picnic 11 a.m.

Avent Park MAY 5 Tacos & Tequila Tasting 5:30 p.m.

The Sipp on South Lamar MAY 7 The Suffers 8:30 p.m.

Proud Larry’s MAY 10 Billy Kemp 3 p.m.

Soulshine Pizza Factory MAY 14-17 Hill Country Harmonica Festival 7 p.m. each day Foxfire Ranch MAY 19 Argentinian Wine Tasting 5:30 p.m.

The Sipp on South Lamar MAY 22-23 Fourth-Annual Landscaping Camp The Inn at Ole Miss MAY 26 American Aquarium 9 p.m.

Proud Larry’s

MAY 22-23

Oxford Bourbon Festival & Auction Various Locations

A program of Move On Up, Mississippi, the Oxford Bourbon Festival & Auction is a weekend full of food, music, bourbon, dancing, and fundraising. Join in for a weekend celebration of all things bourbon, with tastings, music, dinner and an auction where you can bid to own rare bourbons by the bottle and custom event experiences.

Proceeds from the weekend benefit Move on Up, Mississippi.

To learn more or purchase tickets, visit moveonupms.org.

MAY 21-24

World Championship Old-Time Piano-Playing Competition Nutt Auditorium

Every year over Memorial Day weekend in Oxford, the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held to provide an opportunity for pianists to compete and learn in a stimulating atmosphere, and to educate people about old-time piano music written prior to 1940.

Through the years, the contest has provided more than $60,000 in prize money to more than 500 piano players from across the United States and from five foreign countries. A variety of other activities include workshops, guest artist performances, silent movies, an old-time sing-along, a double-decker bus tour of historic Oxford, and after-hours events every night on the Oxford Square. This is a weekend packed with Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley and Standard tunes played by amazing piano players. You don’t have to play piano to enjoy music that will have your toes tapping. You’ll have the time of your life at the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest.

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Oxford Magazine is the must-read companion to the South’s most interesting city -- Oxford, Mississippi. The bi-monthly, content-driven glossy tells the stories of Oxford’s people, life and culture through stunning photography, eloquent design and compelling writing, featuring many of the city’s most noted voices.

Call to place your ad in Oxford Magazine, today!

Delia Childers 601.278.4629 Lauren Jones 601.624.2570 Rhes Low 662.801.9599 oxfordmag.com

&SPORTS

SCHOOLS

A HUNDRED RIGHT ANSWERS

Cooper Manning’s love for Ole Miss, UM Journalism and Oxford

BY ANNA GUIZERIX PHOTOS BY UM COMMUNICATIONS OxfordMag.com 11

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Cooper Manning is ready for a homecoming this May. Preparing to take the stage and deliver the keynote address at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media’s commencement ceremonies, Manning said the opportunity is one he couldn’t pass up.

“I talked to Dean (Will) Norton, and he sounded like he was going to give me a lot of rope,” Manning said. “He said, ‘Just do what you want, be entertaining, be funny and have fun with it.’ How can a guy say no to that? He seemed kind of like the perfect hand-holder for this occasion.”

Manning, 45, graduated from Ole Miss in 1996 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Since then, he’s gone on to become successful in the business world and provide some of the best sports comedy as part of Fox NFL Kickoff.

The eldest child in the Ole Miss-centric Manning dynasty, Cooper has made waves in ways younger brothers Peyton and Eli could only dream about.

As the Principal and Senior Managing Director of Investor Relations for AJ Capital Partners, broadcast 12 March/April 2020

journalism has long been the much-loved side job, according to Manning. However, he said, that doesn’t make him any less passionate about being on-camera.

“I’m excited (to speak at UM journalism commencement),” Manning said. “I’m very flattered, and I think most people know my broadcast journalism career has always been the fun-loving side of me; I have a regular job (too), but I’ve always managed to keep it important and fun.”

Broadcast journalism wasn’t always on Manning’s radar, however – he originally set forth on the business route at Ole Miss. However, the motley crew he found within the UM Journalism school helped shape him into the reporter he is today.

One of the perks of UM Journalism is the variety of resources within its two degree paths: print and broadcast. Students are given the freedom to tailor their education to their career aspirations.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the journalism school. It’s kind of a different bunch. It’s a little bit of everything,” Manning said. “You’ve got your very serious wannabe anchors over here, and then you’ve

got your kind of weird DJs and your wannabe cameraman...

“There’s kind of a spot for everybody, and kind of a little of the ‘Star Wars bar’ feel. I found my little hole that I fit in, and I enjoyed being with them. It’s kind of a bunch of outcasts, and I’m flattered to be included.”

Even more important than finding a place to fit in for Manning was finding a place that allowed him to develop the interpersonal skills that make his reporting worth watching.

“Because of the variety of different personalities you meet when you’re in journalism school, and the variety of personalities that I have to interview, you have to handle people in different ways,” he said. “Knowing how to make people feel comfortable and make people relax and trust you, and want to share more than just get it done. ... I think with athletes, they feel like talking to the media is a duty. When they finally realize what we’re all about, they drop their guard and laugh and we get to show another side of them.”

While he’s used to interviewing big-name athletes every week, Manning said his broadcast beginnings

were far humbler.

Micah Ginn, who is now the Associate A.D. for Sports Productions and Creative Services at Ole Miss, often served as Manning’s cameraman as he and other students set out to find news stories on sleepy summer days in Oxford.

“Oxford was a lot quieter 25 years ago, so to come up with a riveting story every week on deadline, talking about the bowling league and that sort of thing, it was pretty intellectually challenging to do, much less watch,” Manning said. “My stories were far less than breaking news; mediocre would be the ultimate compliment. But I did get to have an interview with the mayor for one story, and another I did was the new football uniforms, and we talked about the different colors. It was not exactly Walter Kronkite-type journalism.”

Regardless of the seriousness of his subjects, Manning said the journalism school became a home for him in a way he’ll cherish forever.

There, he wasn’t just Archie and Olivia’s son, wasn’t Peyton and Eli’s older brother; he was a

OxfordMag.com 13

student journalist with a dream.

“I started out as a business major, and I realized in taking those classes that there was a right answer and a wrong answer,” he said. “When I pivoted to journalism, there was 100 right answers, and you just had to find the one that works for you. That resonated with me, and made me have some more fun and be creative. You can be yourself.”

Reflecting on his good fortune in the field of journalism nearly 25 years after he crossed the stage at his own graduation, Manning said the weight of

delivering the commencement address was beginning to settle in.

Though he now lives in Metairie, La., with his wife Ellen, and children May, Arch and Heid, Manning said he misses life in Oxford and tries to get back to town as often as he can.

It’s not always easy, though, as he explained his children are all involved in sports and extracurricular activities that keep him on his toes.

“I adored going to school (at Ole Miss) and have thoroughly enjoyed coming back and always seeing so many friendly faces and great friends,” Manning said.

“Oxford has changed a lot, but a lot of the core people I grew up with haven’t changed. That’s what makes it fun.

“There’s a whole lot that’s new to do in Oxford, but the same old great people. You get the best of both worlds. I could easily spend a month at a time there, and never do the same thing twice. It’s my favorite town, outside of New Orleans.”

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&CULTURE

ARTS

TELLING TEXTILES Coulter Fussell’s quilts blur the line between art and craft STORY BY BY JUDE BURKE-LEWIS PHOTOS BY THAD LEE OxfordMag.com 15

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Coming from a long line of quilters and seamstresses – including her mom – it was perhaps inevitable that Coulter Fussell would herself take up quilt making.

But that wasn’t how she planned it.

“I’d grown up wanting to be an artist – drawing, painting,” she said. “As a kid, I had no idea that that meant I was going to be quilting. I think I pictured myself wearing a beret in front of an easel, but instead I’m in basically a fabric store.”

Originally from Georgia, Fussell moved to Mississippi in 1998 to study painting and drawing at Ole Miss. Although she incorporated fabrics and textiles into her artwork, it wasn’t until the birth of her first son 12 years ago that she made her first quilt.

Fast forward to today, and Fussell is now dedicated to making quilts that blur the lines between craft and

16 March/April 2020

art.

Although she can and does make functional quilts, the majority of Fussell’s pieces are designed to be hung on walls as pieces of art. Indeed, she’s just had a show – her first as a quilter – at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston, SC, which ran from mid-January to the end of February. She’s also had work on display at Southside Gallery here in Oxford.

Her studio, on Main Street in Water Valley, is a veritable crafter’s Aladdin’s Cave. Fabric of all kinds and colors are piled high on every available surface, on the floor and from makeshift clothes lines on the walls. Dotted around the space are various vintage Singer sewing machines and numerous other donated items being given a chance at a second life,

OxfordMag.com 17

alongside a selection of old sewing patterns, yarn and other notions.

It’s here that Fussell can be found most days from nine in the morning until she has to pick up her boys from school, working on her quilts. Unlike traditional quilts, which follow patterns, Fussell’s designs are led by the materials she uses to create them and her training as a painter.

“I don’t really have an idea for a quilt before I have the fabric,” she said. “If I want to start a new quilt, I’ll walk in the studio one morning and fish around for a piece of fabric that I find interesting that day. If it’s a dark piece of fabric I’ll find an alternative light to juxtapose against it, and if it’s a light, I’ll find a dark.

18 March/April 2020

“The next couple of days are spent finding ways to get from the dark area to the light area in some sort of way that makes aesthetic sense, in terms of shadows and light and midtones. I really think a lot about painting in that way.”

Once she’s composed the piece on the floor, Fussell begins the process of cutting it and sewing everything together. The majority of her quilts are hand sewn, in part because some of the fabrics she uses simply can’t be sewn with a machine, and in part because Fussell likes “the work of it.” Each takes between one and four weeks to make.

All of the fabrics that Fussell uses are donated, a choice initially motivated by cost, but which has now

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become part of her aesthetic.

“I really like the look of wear and tear,” she said.

“If you need something to look painterly in a fabric piece, you can’t do it unless there’s a fade or a sunbleached pattern or a bleach spot. The wear of old fabric really adds a texture layer there.”

The limitations created by using old fabrics are also essential to Fussell’s creative process.

“With old, vintage fabric you only have so much.

You might only have four or five inches of this and that’s it, forever. So, you have to be really thoughtful and really careful with placement, with how much you use in consideration of what you want to make in the future,” she said. “I really feel like those sorts of limitations in this craft have helped to edit me down, so that the piece comes out to be the best of what I can do.”

She uses “everything” that gets donated to her.

“I use the T-shirts. I use the old dollar store curtains. I use all of it. I love all of it,” Fussell said.

In this way, her quilts become a collection of stories, not just of “who wore these pants, when did they wear them, what were they doing,” but also of 20 March/April 2020

how they arrived at the studio.

“I really love the inclination of the donor, the fact that that person was like, I don’t want to throw that away. There’s a lot in that. The act of donating and bringing it here, I like to think about that when I’m making these pieces,” she said.

In keeping with the family tradition, Fussell’s young sons are also involved in her quilt making.

“I’ll ask them, draw me some dragons and monsters and draw me a battle scene with planes and stuff, and so they’ll get on the floor with the fabric and sharpies and draw me this great stuff so I’ll put that in the pieces,” she said. “Almost every piece, they’ve got work in it, so they get to see their work hanging in galleries.”

Although the show at the Halsey “got a lot of good response,” Fussell doesn’t yet have any more exhibitions lined up.

She’s keeping busy, with projects planned for the rest of the year – including a series of smaller, dollsize quilts – meaning she’ll be able to do what keeps her happy, which is to “just hole up back here and be an artist.”

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READ THIS BOOK

Home-Grown Books Recommendations from

Lyn Roberts

This issue’s book picks were hand-selected by Lyn Roberts, General Manager at Square Books.

Roberts has been with the family of stores for more than 20 years, and can usually be found behind the counter at Off Square Books – along with many of the titles below.

General Manager at Square Books

A Good Meal Is Hard to Find: Storied Recipes from the Deep South

By Amy C. Evans & Martha Hall Foose Amy C. Evans, an artist and southern foodways historian, and Martha Foose, cookbook author and writer, have together created A GOOD MEAL IS HARD TO FIND: STORIED RECIPES FROM THE DEEP SOUTH. More than just a cookbook, filled with stories and Evans’s vibrant paintings, this is a love letter to the food and women of Mississippi.

Family Field Trip: Explore Art, Food, Music, and Nature with Kids

By Erin Austen Abbott Erin Austen Abbott lives in Water Valley, Mississippi and enjoys experiencing global culture with her family. She wrote this guide, FAMILY FIELD TRIP, to help others incorporate moments of learning and exploration into life with kids. In this engaging guide, parents and caretakers will find simple-to-follow ideas and tips for cultural experiences the whole family can enjoy, whether they are at home, exploring the neighborhood, or taking a vacation.

Square Table: A Collection of Recipes from Oxford, Mississippi

By the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council published SQUARE TABLE 15 years ago, but it never gets old. With recipes from restaurants past and present and lots of Oxford stories, it makes a wonderful gift or souvenir.

Delicious too!

Gardening in the South: The Complete Homeowner’s Guide

By Mark Weathington Before summer blasts us with her heat and humidity, we have a honeymoon period in the spring and our thoughts naturally turn to the garden. GARDENING IN THE SOUTH is a one-stop guide to all the glorious plants we can grow with advice specifically for our climate.

22 March/April 2020

&STYLE

HOME

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Interior designer Jennifer Russell brings her talents home to Mom

BY ANNA GUIZERIX PHOTOS BY JOEY BRENT OxfordMag.com 23

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Jennifer Russell, owner of Jennifer Russell Interiors, has an education in décor that began at home.

An Ole Miss graduate and Mississippi Delta native, Russell has taken her passion for interior design and transformed it over the last three years into a thriving business. What’s more, her design playground is none other than her mother’s home at 107 Waterstone Drive.

Russell’s mother, Susan Marascalco, moved to Oxford in 2017 after purchasing a fountain-side lot and building a home in the Grand Oaks subdivision off Highway 7. Sensing an opportunity to let her creativity fly, Russell and Marascalco worked together to create the perfect feminine space.

“Mom was always decorating when I was growing up,” Russell said. “She’d start at the back of the house and work her way up, and when she got to the front of the house, she’d have to start decorating the back of the house all over again. It was always

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constant, always fun coming home.”

Using a combination of existing pieces and new items, Russell transformed Marascalco’s space into a sleek, feminine escape – with a few twists.

Russell described her mother’s home as a case study for her decorating skills, as each piece has a story and a meaning behind its presence within the home, right down to the area rugs.

“All the rugs are handmade from India,” she said.

“I have a guy who comes in from Memphis, and he will come to your house and let you ‘try on’ the rugs.

He shows up in a big white van, and he puts them out and installs them for you, and it’s really cool.”

However, Russell cautioned, the ideal space is not an instant achievement. For her clients, she said, it takes time to achieve perfection.

Whether perfection for that client means hot pink, high-gloss bathroom cabinets or upholstered beams on the ceiling, Russell said, she’ll do whatever it takes to not only meet, but exceed

expectations.

“My mom’s been really patient with me on this project.

Whatever the client needs, I try to achieve that for them,” she said. “Some clients want to walk in and have it be fully decorated, totally furnished. But what I like to do is, take it a little bit at a time. Then, you don’t buy up a bunch of stuff that you’re like ‘Oh, I wish I hadn’t bought that.’”

Since the home bears sentimental value, some of Russell’s personal design signatures shine through in its décor. Warm white walls pair with deep-stained woods, and natural light is used as much as possible.

One of her biggest design secrets? High-quality faux flowers.

The orchid on Marascalco’s dining table, for example, or the cut roses in the entryway, look completely real to the naked eye.

“I’ll use faux flowers in so many houses, just because they can look so real, and my clients never have to worry about watering them,” Russell said. “I also love to mix rich woods with white pieces. You never want a space to feel sterile, and I feel like dark woods just warm up a space.”

Russell also takes advantage of existing pieces within her clients’ homes, providing a unique blend of antique and modern finishes. The round dining table, for example, was an existing piece her mother owns. Instead of purchasing something new, she added updated antique replica chairs with reupholstered cushions to create a simple, elegant gathering place for their family on special occasions.

The same goes for the sofa – throughout the home, Russell said she tried to incorporate soft edges and feminine lines, and as such, her mother’s sofa was a natural fit to frame the living

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OxfordMag.com 25

room within the open-concept living space of the home. All it needed was a new “outfit,” going from a rich goldenrod to a soft, lived-in woven cream.

Thankfully, Russell has all these fabrics and more at her 1,200 square-foot studio, located at 1423 North Lamar Boulevard.

“When a client wants something that no one else has (like a fabric from Europe), we have those fabrics that are anywhere from $20 a yard to $500 a yard,” Russell said. “If we use something that’s a very special fabric, we try to put it to the side so it’s not readily duplicated. We try to make every home really special and unique.”

Marascalco’s home is the ideal example of how one can make a home feel unique within a subdivision. While many of the homes along 26 March/April 2020

Waterstone Drive feature similar exteriors, Russell and Marascalco took advantage of every chance they could to customize the home as much as possible, right down to the curvature of the entryway and the lines – and color – of the concrete driveway.

One of the most effective things she’s done, Russell said, is simply the work of illusions. Due to the proximity of her mother’s home to her neighbors, Russell had to get creative.

“Another cheat we did in this home was, we added the sheers to (the side window). If you open the sheers, you see another home,” she said. “If that sheer wasn’t there, when you came in, you would feel so closed in. But now, with the sheer, you don’t know that there’s anything back there. It’s open

space, but you still get all that light. You get your privacy, but you also get that light like you would if the windows were open.”

Being close to neighbors isn’t just something Marascalco enjoys in the literal sense – she’s also cultivated a group of quality friends, making her time in Oxford all the more meaningful.

Whether it’s bringing over fresh-cut flowers or extra baked goods, the kinship built among the women of Waterstone is what makes Marascalco sure she picked the right neighborhood.

“We’re called WOW, or Women of Waterstone, and we meet once a month. Usually, it’s about three ladies who get together and act as the hostesses,” Marascalco said. “We like to meet in each other’s homes, so we can walk and visit. With that, we know everybody in our neighborhood. And we feel comfortable walking to anyone’s home, because we know everybody. It’s a perfect neighborhood for me.”

To learn more, visit www.jenniferrussellinteriors. com.

OxfordMag.com 27

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Lydia Koltai

Oxford Community Garden Association PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Lydia Koltai is a co-leader on the Education Committee of the Oxford Community Garden Association. Located on the corner of Bramlett Boulevard and University Avenue behind the Old Armory Pavilion, Oxford Community Garden provides fresh food, fellowship and educational resources to people in the LOU Community.

Oxford Mag: What led you to become involved in Oxford Community Garden Association?

Lydia Koltai: I got involved in OCGA because I’ve been gardening using permaculture philosophy on my own land in Yocona, just outside Oxford, for years, but wanted to get more involved in gardening communally. I’m especially passionate about helping to educate community members who may not have access to their own land about sustainable gardening practices, permaculture design and herbal medicine. I love that OCGA provides community members who lack access to land with garden space and the tools, resources and support to garden successfully.

OM: What is your role in the garden?

LK: I am currently a co-leader on the education committee, alongside Katelynn Dillard. OCGA holds several free classes each year that are open to the community at large, whether you’re a garden member or not. Past years’ classes have focused on topics as varied as the use of common garden herbs and “weeds” for medicine, identification and management of plant disease in the summer garden, mushroom identification, native plants for wildlife and bird habitat, composting, companion planting, and permaculture design. Last year, we 28 March/April 2020

collaborated with the Office of Sustainability and the Oxford Community Market to bring Felder Rushing of MPB’s The Gestalt Gardener to Oxford for a presentation.

OM: What are some of the outreach programs the OCGA is involved in?

LK: One of the most impactful programs OCGA participates in is the Community Harvest program, in which some of the largest garden beds are devoted to planting and harvest for donation to The Pantry. This program is run by Beckett and Mary Hartwell Howorth, and garden members can volunteer to assist with these plots. In addition to our educational programs, we are also hoping to have a monthly presence at the Oxford Community Market this year to make sure community members are aware of the garden and the ways they can participate in all we have to offer.

multitude of experts, elders and leaders in our area that have so much wisdom we can all benefit from, is an opportunity I don’t take for granted. And there is something so magical about working together with others in the garden, sinking our hands into the soil, sharing the fruits of our mutual labor, and giving back to those in need. Our community garden really is an incredible resource for Oxford and a model for other Mississippi communities to follow.

OM: Are there any words of advice you’d like to offer to aspiring gardeners LK: Just go for it! We have a wealth of resources available in our area to help beginning gardeners – OCGA’s classes, the Lafayette County Master Gardeners, the MSU extension office. The Garden Tabloid from the Extension Office is one of my family’s favorite resources – it gives you first and last dates for planting any vegetable you OM: While it’s clear members of OCGA can think of in spring and summer, specific to put a lot of physical effort into the garden, our area. If you join the community garden what is one thing you reap on an emotional and get your own plot, there are often more experienced gardeners working on their plots level?

LK: What I reap overall is a feeling of who can answer any questions you have or community and the satisfaction that I’m point you in the direction of answers. doing my part to make Oxford a more Everyone makes mistakes starting out, but sustainable and regenerative place to live. don’t let that stop you from getting your Sharing what I’ve learned during my years of hands dirty and experiencing the joy of eating gardening and studying various sustainable a vine-ripened, sun warmed tomato you grew living skills, as well as reaching out to the yourself! There’s truly nothing else like it.

&DRINK

FOOD

BEHIND THE BITES

Oxford Food Tours gives an intimate look at Oxford’s culinary faire STORY BY TRENT PUBELL PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED OxfordMag.com 29

O

Oxford Food Tours offers locals and visitors alike the chance to enjoy the Velvet Ditch’s historic, award winning restaurants and bars.

The business is operated by partners and Oxford locals Daryll Parker and Jonathan Smith.

“It started with our love for food,” Parker said.

“It’s a great city for food; at one point Southern Living even called it the best city in the south for food. We already had a couple business ventures together so we decided, ‘Let’s do what we love.’”

Combining Oxford’s storied food history with the constant flow of people arriving to Oxford for their first time, the tour serves as a well curated answer to the timeless question: “What should we eat?”

“I moved here about three years ago,” Smith said.

“The first thing I did was ask where is good to eat, and I had a long list of not just where to eat, but

30 March/April 2020

what to get there. After living here for a year or two, considering myself a local, and getting to know the eateries real well, I fell in love with the town and wanted to be able to answer that same question for people in my shoes who were new to town or even just visiting for a weekend.”

In addition to giving those on the tour a taste of the town, Smith and Parker also aim to shed light on Oxford’s historic roots.

“We try to include historical facts on the tour and talk about the history of Oxford,” Smith said.

“Really give them a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the restaurant scene here so special.”

Guests on the tour will not only be experiencing the tastes of Oxford, but will also have the opportunity to engage with the chefs and owners of the restaurants they stop into.

“What sets our food tour apart from just a routine trip to a restaurant are the interactions we get from the chefs, owners, and managers coming out to talk about how they got into the culinary industry, what the ingredients are, where they came from,” Smith said. “That really makes it a lot more special of an experience.”

Smith referenced David Moore of the Blind Pig as an example of getting to know the story behind the bites.

“David will talk about the significance of every single thing on their wall,” Smith said. “He’ll show a picture from his parents’ wedding that influences a sandwich they make, or he’ll tell who all the mobsters are on the wall. During Prohibition, if a restaurant or bar had blind in their name, it typically indicated it was a speakeasy that would serve alcohol, and that’s part of the atmosphere.”

The relationships Oxford Food Tours has built with the OxfordMag.com 31

“

What sets our food tour apart from just a routine trip to a restaurant are the interactions we get from the chefs, owners, and managers coming out to talk about how they got into the culinary industry, what the ingredients are, where they came from.

- Jonathan Smith

restaurants of Oxford has grown over time, from convincing the eateries to be a part of the experience to now having the establishments open their doors just to guests of the tours.

“Over time, as we’ve gone to more and more places, once people see what it is, everybody’s been on board,” Smith said. “We’ve even had some restaurants, like McEwen’s, that will open their doors to us during hours that aren’t even their normal business hours. We can have that intimate experience with the chef coming to talk about what he’s prepared for the day. Overall, the support has 32 March/April 2020

been great from everywhere on the Square.”

On any given tour, guests are likely to get a mix of both intimate tastings, as well as sampling in the midst of a bustling restaurant.

“I think it’s good to get both because you get the full feel of what the scene is like here,” Smith said.

“But with [an intimate experience] you don’t get that just going to a restaurant and that’s part of why it’s so cool not just for those visiting but for people who live here as well.”

Those with specific food allergies are welcome to take part in the tours thanks to the talented chefs,

”

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OxfordMag.com 33

Parker explained.

“The chefs really take pride in their work and being able to create food on the fly, and they work with us really well, specifically Eric Tait at McEwen’s,” Parker said. “Because sometimes our customers have allergies or certain foods they can’t eat due to being vegan or vegetarian. We have a form online that we get that information ahead of time, and chefs work with us to make sure everyone can eat everything we put in front of them. You don’t have to like everything, but we want you to be able to try everything.”

The tours also incorporate stops that, though they aren’t restaurants or bars, have historical relevance to the culture of Oxford.

34 March/April 2020

“We’ve been to the End of All Music and Square Books, where we had the owners come out to talk to the group and tell them the history of their business and how it plays into the history of Oxford,” Smith said.

Oxford Food Tours currently offers two experiences depending on guest preference. Guests can sign up for the Historic Oxford Square Walking Tour, which will have guests spending a few hours at a handful of restaurants enjoying specially prepared tastings, or the Booze & Bites Cocktail Tour, which focuses more on the works of Oxford’s great mixologists.

You can book your tour or find more information on Oxford Food Tours at OxfordFoodTours.com.

FOOD & DRINK

Roasted fingerling potatoes

with goat cheese & fresh herbs Feeds 4-6

RECIPE BY CHEF ERIC TAIT OF MCEWEN’S

WHAT’S IN IT

HOW TO MAKE IT

• • • • • • • •

• • •

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme 3 lb fingerling potatoes 3 Tablespoon vegetable oil 4 Tablespoon goat cheese Salt Freshly ground black pepper

• • •

Set the oven to 375 degrees.

Separately chop herbs, mix, then set aside.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise In a mixing bowl toss potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper.

Transfer potatoes to baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

Let potatoes cool slightly. Then, in a clean mixing bowl, add potatoes, herbs and cheese.

Mix thoroughly, adding more salt if desired.

OxfordMag.com 35

36 March/April 2020

Creating the ‘Wow’ Jeff McManus has provided 20 years of magic for Ole Miss’s landscape

By Jake Thompson Photos by UM Communications, Rosie Vasallo A college campus has several moving parts, and all of them are vital when trying to win over prospective students.

Landscaping might be the biggest factor of that first impression, and Jeff McManus, Director of Landscape Services at Ole Miss, is fully aware of the responsibility he has. For the past 20 years, McManus has been working to provide the best “wow” factor he can when people drive onto the University of Mississippi’s campus.

“You’re trying to create the wow,” McManus said.

“You’re trying to create that curb appeal. We’re so attracted by the cover of the book. That determines if we’re going to read the book. It’s the same with universities, and studies are out there that show 62 percent of perspective students will decide if they’re going to go to a university based on the way they feel

after a few minutes. A lot of that is how it looks.”

Prior to arriving in Oxford in 2000, McManus spent time working at two large resorts in Orlando and Miami. There are many similarities and differences when shifting from a large destination resort to a university full of 20,000 students, plus faculty and staff.

In wanting his staff to fully understand the enormity of their challenge in providing the best landscape and design possible, he had people go visit other universities and college campuses — off of recommendation by former chancellor Dr. Robert Khayat — and let them experience those first impressions.

Two years into McManus’s tenure, the campus began receiving national attention and accolades. In 2002, the Professional Grounds Maintenance OxfordMag.com 37

Society awarded Ole Miss the Green Star Award for the Best Maintained University. The PGMS once again honored McManus and his staff’s hard work with another Green Star Award in 2013.

Other honors include the Princeton Review naming Ole Miss’s campus the most beautiful in 2013, and also including them in their list of Top 20 Most Beautiful Campuses.

The pressure to live up to the standard McManus set is not taken lightly by him or his staff. It is a continual effort every year.

“It’s not just a plant; it’s the whole concept,” McManus said. “It’s the whole philosophy of how you create your entryways, how you design your roads, how you design your heartscapes. All that works together. It can either work against you or work for you. … If you’re just out there putting in a fence or putting in a plant, you don’t see the overall concept.”

McManus credits Khayat for bringing a lot of different groups together to work toward the common goal of providing the best-designed campus 38 March/April 2020

in the country.

Nothing is cookie-cutter or formulaic when it comes to the campus landscape design each year.

McManus uses a base plan for his staff to go by, but then it comes down to what seasonal colors are in that given year.

Usually twice a year, McManus will do summer and winter colors, with two change outs.

“Your seasonal colors change each year,” McManus said. “We do mix it up and change it up and try to create a different variety. We have pink tulips coming up this year. Sometimes they’re red, sometimes they’re yellow. We want people not to think, “Okay, that’s always got to be pink or always got to be red.’”

With the success of the landscaping department and the Ole Miss campus becoming a destination of sorts to capture photos throughout, there was an idea to maybe pull the curtain back and show the public how those tulips or the green grass on The Grove becomes to be.

Through an idea by Rosie Vasallo, who works at the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce as the

director of retiree attraction, a landscaping camp was born.

Vasallo said she wanted to create something that she felt was missing for retirees to do, and even bring in others from other parts of the country.

While attending a conference, the question was posed to attendees: What is in your respective community that is not being tapped into? It caused Vasallo to rack her brain, thinking what was it that she had not tapped into in Oxford.

Then, the light bulb went off.

“All of a sudden it dawned on me,” Vasallo said. “I love to work in the yard and HGTV is huge and I’m like, ‘We have it right here.’ The most beautiful campus in the country, and we have the guru behind it.”

Once Vasallo got McManus on board and got approval at the chamber, the landscaping camp was born.

Entering its fourth year, the camp started out as a three-day event, but has now trimmed down to two days. The reception has been positive from the start and has only grown. This year’s camp, taking place May 22 and 23, will have their largest attendance.

The camp has turned into a gift idea for people.

One person gifted the camp to his fiancée, for example, and Vasallo said several husbands gift the camp to their wives.

McManus serves as the overarching emcee and host of the camp, welcoming everyone to the event with an opening ceremony and tells the story of Ole Miss landscaping.

“People that have never heard the story are

OxfordMag.com 39

enthralled with it,” Vasallo said.

Revealing those secrets of how the Ole Miss campus is transformed every year and how people can possibly take some of those ideas to turn their front or backyard into a mini Grove or other locations on campus is the camp’s biggest marketing tool.

It is similar to those back lot tours Universal Studios or Disney provides to guests at their theme parks, revealing a little bit of the magic.

“We love sharing the highlights of what people want to learn in the plant world,” McManus said.

“It gives us an opportunity to share in what they can do at home and what inspires them. … I was 40 March/April 2020

heavily influenced by Disney’s philosophy in Orlando. I never really thought of that, but there’s probably a lot of Disney practices that I’m not even aware of.”

In working to possibly make Ole Miss the secondhappiest place on earth, McManus frames his designs and work ethic through a favorite quote of his, by artist Ansel Adams. The quote says, “You don’t take a picture, you create a picture.”

McManus has created several pictures during his two-decade tenure for families, students and people from around the world to enjoy. He has no intentions of hanging up his landscaping brush anytime soon.

OxfordMag.com 41

42 March/April 2020

East Meets West

Oxford Bonsai Society takes root, one pot at a time

By Jude Burke-Lewis Photos by Thad Lee

OxfordMag.com 43

M

Mississippi might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of bonsai trees – but you’d be surprised.

Originating from the Far East, the miniature trees are flourishing in the Magnolia State, with a dedicated society right here in Oxford. The Oxford Bonsai Society was formed last summer by three friends with a passion for bonsai.

“We all decided to get together and pool our knowledge and our love of tiny trees and see if anybody else wanted to join,” one of the three, Bishop Lewis, said.

It’s an opportunity both for “people who maybe have zero experience and want to learn more about it to come and see how it’s done”, and for those who 44 March/April 2020

already “have this awesome hobby to learn from the different ideas that people have”, according to another of the society’s co-founders, Rip Woodward.

The trio, which also includes Andy Reynolds (pictured), have amassed more than 50 years of bonsai growing experience between them.

From the first meeting in Woodward’s backyard, the group has grown in scope and number.

It now meets monthly, typically on the second Tuesday, with anything up to a dozen attendees who are, according to Woodward, “All different kinds.

We’ve got university professors, liberal women in their 20s, conservative older guys in their 50s.”

Each of the group’s get togethers, which are all free, includes a demonstration of a different aspect

of the art of bonsai, including wiring, making soil and the artificial weathering of the trees, known as jin.

One session earlier this year focused on “How to turn Home Depot plants into bonsai trees.”

“We went and got a bunch of trees from Home Depot, five or six bucks apiece, and brought them to class and walked through how do you turn this five-dollar plant into a bonsai tree,” Woodward said.

Though most commonly associated with Japanese culture, the art of bonsai originated well over a thousand years ago in China, where it’s known as penjing. Monks returning from expeditions to China brought the trees back with them to Japan, where they developed over the centuries. However, it wasn’t until the mid20th century that bonsai took root here in the US; according to Lewis, Japanese families who migrated to the west coast in the 1960s and 70s brought the trees with them, which sparked an interest amongst Americans.

The word bonsai means ‘tray planting’, and any tree can be a bonsai. Woodward’s particular favorite is the trident maple,

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OxfordMag.com 45

although others that do well in Mississippi’s climate include the bald cypress and the juniper.

“All it is, is being able to keep a tree in a pot.

Literally that’s all it is,” Woodward said.

However, while that might sound simple, in practice it’s not.

“They want to be full grown trees, but you’re trying to convince them to stay small. You’re fighting against their nature. It’s very difficult,” he said. “The

46 March/April 2020

goal is to keep it a specific size but for it to look like a tree in nature but just shrunken down.”

This entails taking care of the trees every day, like a pet.

Tasks include trimming the roots, pruning the trunk and limbs, clipping the leaves, repotting and ensuring the tree has the right amount of moisture.

During the winter months, when the trees are dormant, they require little attention beyond regular watering and making sure that nothing bad has happened to them. During the summer, however, Woodward said he spends around an hour every afternoon taking care of his collection of 40 trees.

He described this work as “exciting,” saying he “can trim this branch this day and know that within a couple of weeks, this is going to happen because of what I did.”

In contrast, Lewis said that taking care of his trees

is “very relaxing and Zen-like.”

“I like the fact that you have to be patient. If you rush it or try to do things at the wrong time of year, the trees will suffer,” he said.

While growing bonsai is a skill, Woodward insisted that it’s one anyone can learn – with practice.

“You’re going to kill more trees than you keep alive. You’re pushing these trees to the limit, sometimes cutting 50 or 60 percent of their roots and shoving them into these tiny pots with gravel and telling them to grow,” he said. “But it’s how you figure out, I know this species and I can push it this far, and that’s where you get these amazing beautiful 500-year-old trees.”

While none of the members of the Oxford Bonsai Society has trees even approaching that age –

Reynolds has the oldest, at around 50 years – there’s a bonsai nursery in Olive Branch that has some trees around 200 years old.

This nursery, called Brussel’s, is the largest in the country, and is home to a number of bonsai experts.

Woodward said the group is hoping to bring one of these experts to Oxford to teach a class.

“These guys are very well-known throughout the world – of course only bonsai nerds know who they are!” Woodward said.

He encouraged anyone who’s interested in learning more about bonsai to come along to one of the group’s monthly meetings.

“We have a lot of great resources nearby and we can get them to Oxford. And the more people we have the more opportunities we’ll have to bring more interesting people down here,” he said.

OxfordMag.com 47

STYLE

Indoor Innovations

Whether you’re inside or out this Spring, we’ve compiled a few selections to freshen up your home without breaking the bank. This Spring is all about combining washes of bright color with earthbound materials. Don’t have the time (or money) for a complete kitchen remodel? Want to revamp your entryway with a stylish twist? Look no further than our style selections from local vendors – you’re sure to find something to pique your interest!

1

1. BEDDING You’ll want to hit the snooze button in these lovely, luxury linens. Mix different textures and patterns for an extra chic look.

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2. ACCENT BENCH A classic, accent bench is perfect for the end of a bed or in an entryway! The hand carved details and natural beige fabric pairs well with all colors and styles.

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3. HANGING LIGHT FIXTURE Make a bright statement with an industrial style light fixture. The light bulbs become a design element with the geometric, openwork pendant.

Stash Home

4. HANDMADE WALLPAPER Handmade wallpaper creates instant texture and color to any space.

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5. STONEWASHED RUGS These artfully crafted area rugs are a classic, trendy-transitional pattern and help create a cozy living space.

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6. FAUX FLOWERS Create your own unique flower bouquets and floral arrangements with premium artificial flowers.

Inside Discounts

48 March/April 2020

5

6

STYLE

Outdoor Updates

Outdoor spaces should feel like a continuation of your home. As such, these pieces combine the comfort of a family room and the durability needed to withstand the elements. You don’t have to do a complete remodel to make your patio a welcoming environment – sometimes, all it takes is a new set of throw pillows or windchimes!

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1. LLOYD FLANDERS ALL-WEATHER WICKER

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Found in many historic places and fine hotels across the United States, this hand-crafted furniture is outdoor luxury at its finest.

Keep It Casual, Tupelo

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2. REVERSIBLE RUG Constructed of recycled materials with UV inhibitors to deter fading, Mad Mats indoor/outdoor rugs are perfect way to brighten up your porch, patio or outdoor room!

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3. FIRESIDE TABLE

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These unique, state-of-the-art fire tables are key to outdoor entertaining year round.

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4. WIND CHIMES BY WOODSTOCK CHIMES Whether you live on the coast or dream of the ocean, these hand tuned wind chimes will help relax your mind and spirit.

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5. ALL-WEATHER THROW PILLOWS Add some color to your outdoor area with stylish outdoor pillows!

Keep It Casual, Tupelo

OxfordMag.com 49

STYLE

The ultimate guide to...

buying and setting up a bird bath

W

Warm weather means more opportunities to spend time outdoors while at home.

Whether your favorite form of outdoor recreation includes sitting on the patio reading or digging in the garden, there’s a good chance that you will be sharing the space with local wildlife. Optimizing opportunities to view and interact with backyard wildlife can make the great outdoors even more enjoyable.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology indicates that there are around 2,059 bird species on the continent of North America. Red-winged blackbirds, yellowrumped warblers, American robins and chipping sparrows are among the most commonly seen birds in North America.

Making a backyard hospitable to birds can increase the chances for sightings and hearing their sweet songs. Installing a bird bath can be a step in the right direction.

Bird baths can make yards more attractive to birds. Birds require a supply of fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. By setting up a bath, homeowners can attract not only seedloving birds, but those that don’t eat seeds and wouldn’t normally congregate around feeders, indicates All About Birds. Experts surmise that birds may bathe to maintain their feathers.

Not all bird baths are constructed the

50 March/April 2020

STYLE

Once birds learn there is a comfortable bath nearby, they may be more apt to visit a yard and may even become frequent guests. in the same fashion. Many bird baths sold in stores are better suited for decoration than for serving as functional baths. There are four general types of bird bath: standing pedestal, hanging bath, deckmounted, and ground-level. In general, the lower a bird bath is to the ground, the more likely birds are to use it. Most natural sources of water birds use are on or near the ground. Therefore, ground-level bird baths may be the best investments.

It is important to keep the water in a bird bath shallow (around two inches of water or less). This enables birds to splash around safely and wade in.

Birds do not want to slide around, so a material that is coated and slippery, like glazed ceramic or glass, may not be too popular. Rough stone or a bird

bath modified with pea gravel or rocks can give birds steady footing.

Place the bird bath in the shade if possible, to ensure the water is cool and fresh. Locate it by a tree so the birds can hop up to a branch and preen afterwards. All About Birds also says that a bird bath is more attractive if it has a dripping or moving water feature, as this is often irresistible to birds.

Another way to ensure the bath will be used is to keep it clean and maintained. Change the water every day or two. Rinse off the bath to remove droppings, bugs and other debris.

Once birds learn there is a comfortable bath nearby, they may be more apt to visit a yard and may even become frequent guests.

OxfordMag.com 51

TYPEFACE is Oxford Magazine’s latest addition. We wanted to find a way for both aspiring and established writers to come together within our pages, to tell the stories only they can tell. Oxford Magazine is so pleased to share these stories with our readers.

Want your own shot at appearing in our pages? Keep an eye out on our social media pages for the next issue’s TYPEFACE submission guidelines.

Bicycles & Push Mowers

B

BY DAVIS COEN

Being that I’m now well into my adult years, the only vivid memory I still have with regard to a bicycle — besides where I was when I took my first solo ride without a parent’s assistance — is from a summer several years later when I was 10.

At that time, cutting yards around the block was about the only thing I was capable of that made me a productive member of society in any way — and it always had to happen miserably early in the morning. The combined ages of my two biggest clients I figure was on the downside of 200, so naturally they were early to rise.

Riding my dirt bike around the neighborhood after pushing an old heavy steel rotary mower all morning was my only refuge. I had cut dozens of yards to afford

52 March/April 2020

meeting my dad halfway with its cost. It was nothing too fancy, but a good bang for the buck down at Mike’s Bikes.

Nearby my folks’ place were a couple of baseball fields where games played all throughout the summer — mostly little league, since the outfield fences weren’t too deep. The ball fields were so near that when I had to stay home for chores, I could follow the game just by listening from the front porch.

Around that time, I would always ride the bike to catch a few innings when my brother was pitching a game. He was kind of an ace for his age group, with intensity that was entertaining to watch. There were also huge sand piles right next to the fields that were at least a couple of stories high, and added to the amusement. Sometimes, we would play a

game we called ‘king of the mountain,’ where the strongest contender would stand on the peak and toss others who attempted to end his reign down to the bottom. The sand was just soft enough so that injuries sustained were never too serious.

When there were no other kids around to play king of the mountain, I would just sit there on my bike and watch the ball game. Maybe spend a couple of hard-earned dollars on a big ole bag of Big-League Chew gum.

My brother Shane, who was the star attraction on this particular day and although held the lead evidently had beaned two kids earlier and had been catching hell from the other team — and some of the parents in the bleachers. When I rolled up, I clearly recall some parents criticizing his control problems and shouting to the umpire that he should be pulled from the game. They probably didn’t recognize me, or care either way that I was in earshot of their jeers.

He was an impressive fastball pitcher and was known for the high heat, but was more infamous for his frequent wild pitches. My brother was such a wildcard at that age that I was never able to ascertain whether his erratic throws were intentional or not.

Either way, he had more wins and no-hitters than anyone else in the league. An enormous kid from the other side of the tracks named Myron Casey was the only batter who ever seemed to connect with ease for the long ball.

It was another kid named Justin Little’s turn to bat. He had an appropriate name, since he was in fact the smallest kid on either team. Maybe even the whole league. Justin visibly began crying to the coach from behind the dugout chain link fence, and the coach began pushing the crying bowl-headed kid out toward the batter’s box. This was something I have trouble imagining anyone getting away with in this day and age.

This was fuel for brother Shane’s fire. He embraced the moment by maniacally laughing with tongue out while delivering a towering pitch right over the backstop, which was about 20 feet high. The umpire finally distributed his first warning, since it was clearly an intentional wild pitch.

The next one hit Justin in the arm and dropped him right to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I never understood if that one was intentional, but the umpire had seen enough. Shane was dramatically ejected from the game. Being that I was 10 years old, I immediately pedaled my bike home to inform mom or dad of the debacle from the kitchen landline. My folks were working constantly when we were young, which made us unsupervised children.

Dad was likely out of pocket, and mom was at the grocery store shopping for dinner, so I just sat tight on the porch. Soon enough, there was smoke billowing up from the wooded area past the tree line.

An acre of woods were what separated our house from the sandpit and baseball fields, but I could ride my bike down a small dirt path to travel between.

I watched for some time in wonder until the smoke grew black — an indication of a well-ventilated fire, I came to understand. Before I could return back into the house to pick up the landline again, a police patrol car pulled up to the driveway. I recognized that it was officer Bert Reynolds behind the wheel.

Yes, his name was actually the same as the famous actor, but spelled differently. Even at 10, I found it hilarious that the juvenile police officer in town shared a name with a goofy actor, who had also posed nude in an adult magazine at the peak of his fame. Seemed like it drove the cop to want to be taken more seriously, in order to compensate for his distaste with the association. The couple of times he had been by the house, his presence filled the air in our den with doom.

Somebody had phoned the fire in from a payphone, and when officer Reynolds was alerted, he followed his nose directly to us since he knew the woods set fire to were adjacent to our yard. He eyeballed me through the driver’s side window as if I was guilty of something — making me wonder if I was unknowingly an accomplice. I became uneasy as he climbed out of the vehicle and approached the porch.

He asked with a flat demanding tone, “Where’s your brother Shane at?”

Just in time not to feel like some sort of snitch, the officer said, “I know it wasn’t you. Shane thought it might be smart to set fire to a big pile of leaves and pine straw, and now we got half our men yonder taking care of this mess. Where’s your momma and daddy at?”

“Still at work, maybe headed home,” I told him.

“Ah, working late to buy y’all these bicycles,” he responded.

“I actually paid for that myself, with money from cutting yards, sir,” I clarified.

“Well good for you boy,” he replied.

Before I began shaking in my shoes, I spotted Shane emerging from behind the house. He may have felt bad that I was standing there taking all the heat from the intimidating man.

Shane and the officer waited on the porch for my folks to return home. The cop told me to hit road while they discussed the matter, so with a big sigh of relief I pedaled off down the block to tell my friends the latest big story in our neighborhood.

OxfordMag.com 53

OUT & ABOUT

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LMS MOST BEAUTIFUL

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PHOTOS BY JOEY BRENT

Lafayette Middle School’s Most Beautiful Pageant took place in February 2020.

1. Mailyn Brown reacts as she hears her name called out as the 2020 6th Grade Most Beautiful.

2. 2019 Most Beautiful Millie Ahmed crowns Mailyn Brown as the 2020 6th Grade Most Beautiful

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3. Haley Peterson, Alexis King, Mailyn Brown, Emma Claire Houston, Alysanne Avent 4. Mailyn Brown 5. Emma Claire Houston 6. Savannah Staggs 7. Ava May 8. Julia Jo Bryan reacts as she hears her name called out as the 2020 7th/8th Grade Most Beautiful 9. 2019 Most Beautiful Mattie Ahmed hugs Julia Jo Bryan after crowning her as the 2020 7th/8th Grade Most Beautiful 10. Halle Cain, Caroline Perkins, Julia Jo Bryan, Sadie Harwell, Presley Thomas 11. Julia Jo Bryan 12. Sadie Harwell 13. Marlee McCammon 14. Madison Roland

54 March/April 2020

OUT & ABOUT

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We’re your Shield. We’re your Shelter.

AUTO • HOME • LIFE ®

Eli Lasky

1295 N. Lamar, Ste. C Oxford, MS 38655 662-234-8118

ELasky@ShelterInsurance.com

OxfordMag.com 55

OUT & ABOUT

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ST JUDE TASTE OF OXFORD

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PHOTOS BY JOEY BRENT

St. Jude Taste of Oxford took place on Feb. 20, 2020 at The Jefferson.

1. Bradley Rayner, Ike Sayle and Trace Randall 2. Natalie Johnson and Janice Kruger 3. Kiley Gazzo and Lilly Schulenberg 4. Liz Randall and Benton Turnage 5. Beverly Brent and Nichole Baker 6. Mary Catherine Tucker and Tyler Jackson 7. Allison and Ryan Wally 8. Annie Robertson, LeLe Desler and Kristi Bridgers 9. Tracie Russell and Beverly Brent 10. Cindy and John Farese 11. Hattie Steiner and Sophie Hays 12. Elizabeth Heiskell and Michael Joe Cannon 13. Cheryl and Keith Hayward 14. Kaytee Hazlewood and Kaie Victor 15. Karen and Wiley Morris 16. Anna Pieralisi and Ben Robertson 17. Richard Cross and Allan King 18. Kayla Fisher, Brig McCraw, Kelley Gullick, Sherry Maharrey and Anna Thames 19. Jenny Rayner and Lela Stennett

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OUT & ABOUT

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20. June and Duke Goza

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21. Mark and Cassidy Shoemake 22. Nicole and Jason Brunner 23. Tiffany Leister, Allison and Ryan Wall with Randy Leister 24. Jim and Mary Sharp Rayner 25. Kelli Russell and Elizabeth Barwick 26. Glenda Landrum and Shae Foxx 27. Katrina Harris, Teressa Hubbard and Beverly Brent

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SAID AND DONE

PLAYING FAVORITES

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COUNTRIBUTING EDITOR JIM DEES is a writer and longtime host of Thacker Mountain Radio. He is the author of The Statue and the Fury – A Year of Art, Race, Music and Cocktails.

What’s your favorite month in Oxford? Many cite October for its mild temps, fall colors and football. The relief after a steamy summer is palpable; the weather equivalent of being paroled. I can hang with October and I understand the ardor for autumn, but after the gloom of an Oxford winter, I’m drawn like the proverbial moth to the technicolor of April and May. These two months arrive just when you think your head might detonate from sheer drear.

Here in our little postage stamp of native soul, April and May also deliver another rare gift: meaningful baseball.

Over the last dozen or more years, Ole Miss Rebel baseball has put spring on the map.

Attendance at home games ranks among the highest in the nation. The atmosphere, especially in the outfield where more than the charcoal is lit, is Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve, (and on some days, Halloween) all at once.

If football is a riot of crunch and motion, a visceral thrill ride, baseball leans back and invites you to hang. Maybe catch some rays or pop a brew. There’s plenty of time when you don’t have a clock.

Aside from the easy pace and delicious strategy calculations, folklore and legend seem to cling to baseball more than most sports.

Baseball is awash in stories – true and otherwise. The existential and metaphysical don’t seem to come up in football or basketball like they do in “America’s Pastime.”

My favorite baseball story comes from an unlikely source, the late improvisational guitarist and bandleader from Georgia, Col. Bruce Hampton, as recorded by Jeff Bransford.

Bransford is fondly remembered by Oxonians as one of the co-founders of the Oxford restaurant, Proud Larry’s. Bransford shot a series of short videos around the city of Atlanta of Col. Bruce giving his humorous take on the history of each location.

The duo stopped at the former site of Ponce de Leon Stadium where Atlanta’s Class AA team, the Crackers, played from 1901-1965.

The ballpark burned down in 1923 and was

reconstructed around a magnolia tree which was included as part of the outfield. Balls that bounced off the tree or landed in it were still in play.

That’s pretty funny, but that’s not the story.

Col. Bruce recounts (in Bransford’s video, easily available you-know-where) that the longest home run in history, a ball that traveled 752 miles - I say MILES - was hit in Ponce de Leon Stadium by none other than Babe Ruth himself. It seems an off-season barnstorming tour in 1928 brought Ruth to Atlanta for an exhibition game, possibly against the Crackers.

During one of his at-bats the Babe, revered by young and old as the “Sultan of Swat,” crushed a homer that soared far over the Ponce de Leon wall. Col. Bruce gives the tale of the tape: “The ball went to the railroad tracks, into the railroad car, and the ball traveled to Joplin, Missouri. Seven-hundred-and-fifty-two-mile home run, the longest home run ever hit.”

Col. Bruce, who Bransford booked into Proud Larry’s numerous times over the years, was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Atlanta history and as a stand-up guy. On the latter point, he is forever etched into show business lore for dying onstage at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre during the last song of an all-star celebration for his 70th birthday. Hard to dispute a guy like that.

Hampton was a baseball fan thanks to his granddad taking him to Cracker games. I think Col. Bruce would embrace the game day experience at our own Swayze Field. He liked baseball and obviously relished a tall tale; we can provide both.

It’s easy to love this particular time of year, with flowers and green grass and blue skies and warm breezes and yes, baseball - what’s not to love?

So, what’s your favorite month in Oxford?

Who cares - just get out there and watusi in the sunshine.

But, if forced to answer the question, speaking for all of us geezers, I’d say our favorite month is whatever month it is when we wake up that day.

OxfordMag.com 59

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