Spirits

I spent most of my formative years in this Pearl, Mississippi house.  It holds so many memories for me both good and bad.   I cannot believe it is being sold.

This house remains one of the most interesting places I have ever lived.   I will always remember lying in bed and listening to the sound of people walk down the halls.  It never scared me; it just was.  I also remember seeing a woman walk down the hallway and hearing voices in rooms where people were not.  It was unnerving at times; but it was always fun living in a haunted house.   I remember when I first heard my mom and grandma mention to me about the spirits.  I had never heard them speak of such things… it actually surprised me; but let me know that It was not just me that experienced it.   The weirdest thing was when things would move.  You couldn’t expect anything to stay in one place, it would inexplicably move to another part of the room or another room in general.  You just never knew what would happen. 

I can’t help but wonder if my mom is now counted among the spirits that reside at 306 Pearl Drive.  She passed away in the living room sleeping in her bed.  She slept in there because she was an amputee and getting around was easier than going into and down the hallway.  

I wonder if she made friends with the other spirits in the house too.  In life, she never met a stranger… I doubt death would stop her. 

My Hero...

On Sunday January 6, 2013 I lost my hero.   My Grandmother Lalia Louise Hawthorne Wixson passed from this world.  It is a hard thing to accept, someone that meant so much to me no longer a phone call away… There are moments where it is almost unbearable.

But then I think of the legacy that she left me.

Every time I look in the mirror, I see her work in progress.  She took me in when I needed her and she insured that I went to school and had every tool that she was able to give me to live the best life I possibly can.   

And I will. 

Every breath I take, every moment… will be in honor of her. 

Lalia Louise Wixson

August 4, 1939 – January 6, 2013

Louise Wixson, 73, passed from this life Sunday, January 6, 2013 at Hospice Ministries, Ridgeland.

Visitation is 5:00-8:00pm Monday, January 7, 2013 at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Graveside services arer 2:30pm Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at Drakes United Methodist Church Cemetery in Flowood. 

She was born August 4, 1939 in Madison County, a daughter of the late Robert Lee Hawthorne and Catherine Lee Eley Hawthorne. She was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker and a member of Drakes United Methodist Church.

Survivors include sons, James Grant Wixson and wife Michele and Bubba Wixson and wife Becky; daughters, Sheila Williams and husband Marvin and Tina Wixson; brother, Henry Hawthorne; sisters, Sarah Haskins, Betty Dulworth, Annette Creel, Clara Reid and Margaret Hawthorne; grandchildren, Jayroe Williams and wife Rebecca, Heather Williams, Christina Shores, Grant Blakeney, John Wixson and Kirby Wixson; and great-grandchildren, Autumn Williams, Destiny Crosby, Hanna Crosby, Hayden Shores and Charles Williams.

Babies

These cute babies are just under my carport.  They are not at all camera shy, and as you can see… even pose for photos. 

Babies are one of nature’s miracles, they are a sign that things will continue to go forward.  Every generation is hopefully an improvement upon the last, and a combination of all that made past generations great.

Pearl Flag

I personally created this flag when I noticed that the current flag for my hometown is not flown prominently.   I also wanted to design a flag that was deep in symbolism for the city rather than having a generic city flag with the city seal, this way Pearl, Mississippi can have a flag that rivals that of most cities within the state, one that we can all be proud of.   I submitted this for the consideration of the Mayor and the city Council, about a year ago and but have yet to hear anything.  Below is further explanation of the symbolism behind the flag.

The colors of the flag are Pearl’s traditional Blue and Gold.

The Canton is based on the Bonnie Blue flag that was one of the early flags flown in Mississippi when it was part of West Florida.  The Bonnie Blue Flag was also used as the Canton in the Original, “Magnolia Flag,”  that flew over the State of Mississippi until 1894.  Its inclusion is showing that the City of Pearl has a foothold in the history of the state.  The single gold star on the blue field shows that pearl is definitely a golden point within Mississippi’s history, and Pearl will continue to enrich the state.

I chose the non-traditional stripe pattern Alternating blue, gold, and white to differentiate the flag from both the Mississippi State Flag and the National Flag to show that Pearl is a city making its own future; it does however retain 13-Stripes to honor the original 13 colonies of the Untied States.  The striping is also similar to the blue and gold stripes currently in use on Pearl PD police interceptors.   

Head to the Horizon

Something is on the horizon, I can feel it I don’t know what it is but…

“The scent of magic,
the beauty that's been when love was wilder than the wind.”

I know that it is on its way, I can feel it deep down in me all the way into the core.

“Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.
The precious moments are all lost in the tide”
I know that it is the reason that I am compelled to better myself, but I am sure of exactly what it is, all I know is that I need to do something to prepare for it. Ever have a feeling like that where you know something is on its way, you don’t know what, or When it will arrive, but you going to get ready for it anyway? But as always I arrive to the same conclusion.

“Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see”

And I will wait for whatever it is that is coming, and I will prepare and be ready for it when it does, because something tells me that it will be worth it when it arrives. 

(Flashback... Originally Written AUG. 24th,2005 at 9:45 AM)

I thought it would be fun to revisit an old journal entry, when I originally wrote this I had no clue to the adventures that lay before me.   Now I know that there are more adventures to be had, some (like the cactus flower above) right in my own back yard.   Here is to a bright future!  The songs quoted are Roxette "Listen to your Heart," and "Que Sera," written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

The 'O'

America is full of many different restaurant chains, and I always had my preferences. I always loved O’Charley’s, the food is pure Americana, and the people always seem to be genuinely friendly. I always wondered why people I have known seemed to love to work for the company. It was not until February 2009 when I found employment with the restaurant that I discovered just how special my O’Charley’s is, we are a family. I always hope that others find a place that is as fun and supportive a place to work, I am lucky to have two wonderful jobs.

Update: Sadly, this location has closed. 

Come eat with us sometime!

Breathe

Things do not always go as planned.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Ok, It is fine now…. It should not take 45 minutes to go two miles, but things are not always perfect.

This is a lesson we should all take….

Count to 10, and breathe.

It will be ok.

Mississippi Spring

It seems that spring may have finally arrived here in Mississippi. Many of these trees will soon have leaves and the ground will be green with grass. We have had an unusually cold winter this year, by many standards, and a record amount of snowfalls for one winter season. I know that the warmer weather will be welcomed with open arms, and the colours of the spring will be welcomed with my camera.

Curiosity

Curiosity is a quality I feel that many people loose as they grow older. I feel that we need to remember to be curious, to explore the world around us. Just as Muffin has explored this tree… we too need to climb trees, and see what is around us. As children we did this, now we are complacent… that could be our downfall.

Bee

As we grow older we believe that to find things of beauty, we have to leave home. There is so much beauty in the world outside our home, but it is not home. That is not true, we just have to stop and look… it is there. Just like this, today in my back yard… a honey bee takes pollen and nectar from a wild flower. I have no idea what kind of flower it is, it is really common, but I have no idea what it is. All I know is that it has the tiny purple flowers, and the stalks are slightly maroon.

[Edit:  The plant in question is Dead Nettle.]

Hometown

No matter where the future takes me, no matter the distant shores I walk… this will always be my hometown. The place where I spent my formative years, the place where memories and bonds were created. I crawled up an over pass in traffic to get this photo, it is a photo I have always wanted to take. It shows Pearson Road in Pearl, Mississippi looking North from the I20 Overpass.

Snow!!!!!!!!!!!

Substantial snow in Mississippi does not happen all too often. This year has been as exception, at least two light dustings. However today is the exception to this rule, about 5 inches have fallen… and it is still falling. People in Mississippi are in awe at this winter weather, it is a treat for most… allowing for snowball fights and snowmen, things that we just do not get to do here. In fact the last time I have seen snow like this was 2001 and 1998…

Magickal Moon

The moon is one of the gifts that the people of the earth are blessed with. One of the best things to do is to ponder the moon and stars on a clear night… and just look. However tonight the sky is not clear and the moon is shining her beautiful light through a thin blanket of clouds. I love nights like this just as well, the clouds offer something new to ponder, something just as magickal and all too wonderful. Even better is on a dark night when the moon is a waxing or waning crescent and the stars shine through the holes in the clouds… Absolutely peaceful.

Froggie

My world is filled with frogs, and I am not kidding. I have frog everything, including a pet Golden Tree Frog named Georgia… and a tribal frog tattoo on the top of my foot. This particular frog or toad, depending on your point of view, came from my great grandmother when I was really young. She had it for many years, so it means a lot to me. It has a space on the inside where it once held a light; the light would illuminate the marbles imbedded in the frog itself. I have never seen another one in my life, and I feel blessed to have this one.

For looks into the world of others please visit: My World: Tuesday

Beautiful Day in the Bible Belt

I love this view from my backyard; it is the epitome of Mississippi… a church in every backyard! The church is the First Baptist Church of Pearl, it is a medium sized church, on any given Sunday or Wednesday the parking lot is filled with worshippers from miles around. The empty lot next to it, directly behind me, holds a single lonely tree. It has always been a favourite of mine to photograph for years... although usually it has leaves on it.

This is also my inaugural post for sky watch… the sky today in Pearl, Mississippi is clear and crisp blue, as you can see from my photo. I am very excited to be a part of this, and I hope to be a regular poster.

Holding on with Both Hands...

I had just finished a ~5 mile walk, and I lay down in my back yard today. And I looked up at the tree, and this is exactly what I saw. I was so moved by this, I went to get my camera to take this photo. I don’t know why, but this tree reminded me of myself, and the decisions I have made… and continue to make. And although at the moment I feel that I am trapped in a world I can not change, I know that that is untrue, that I will find my way out… and I will be happy. I just have to keep walking, and keep looking for inspiration. And work hard to make my world a different place… from there anything is possible. I got this from laying in my back yard on a trampoline, and looking at a tree.

Burrrrr

Snow does not happen in Mississippi all too often, so in early December when we were graced with the powdery sky dust… we were all a bit shocked, and assumed that would be our winter, from there it would be as mild as usual.

We were wrong. Temperatures the next few days are colder than they have been in over a decade. (Today a high of 29F -2C with a low of 18F -8C.) These frigid temperatures are not known to most Mississippians, and we have to deal with things we hardly ever have to deal with, like ice, and wind chill. I do hope that all my fellow Mississippians are safe and take proper precautions, as well as the rest of my fellow Americans on our frigid North American Continent in the massive cold that is sweeping from Canada to Florida, I also hope that everyone in other places stay safe as well. Best of Luck and Stay warm!

My Mississippi

This video is patriotic to say the least. I have spent the last year discovering many things about myself, and I have done so by finding out how beautiful my state really is. Mississippi is not known for being the most beautiful, but people forget what is really there. I personally am very guilty of wanting to escape Mississippi, but I now have a unique admiration for this place, and I truly am glad to be from such a wonderful place.

The images in this video were all taken in 2009 and happen to all be in chronological order, the wonderful Enya “Wild Child.” This Video was inspired by My Dear Friend String ( http://creativealchemy.blogspot.com/2010/01/solstice-to-solstice.html ), and her “Solstice to Solstice” video.

Backyard Spring

Mississippi is one of the places that seasons make no real sense, we wear shorts one day… and the next night it snows. Right now we are in a very warm spring-like period, and all the plants are starting to bloom and all the insects are coming out to play. I do know that this early spring may very well be short lived, for I know that winter can strike back at any moment before the end of March and these delicate redbud blooms will be frozen sadly away, and the poor bumblebees will have to huddle for warmth. However for now they mingle, giving me a glimpse of what is coming.

On another note, this will most likely be my last blog post before my long awaited trip to the United Kingdom, where I will be sure to give the world a glimpse through my eyes of a completely different part of the world.

Clean Slate

I open my eyes, the sunlight streaming through the window… the cool air against my skin making me huddle under my blankets a few minutes more. The sounds from the house reverberating through my ears, my thoughts drift… my thoughts always drift. A feeling overcomes me as I realize that I have awoken to yet another day, one that is new and full of promise. I never know what the day will eventually bring, but I do know that each day starts with the same potential to be better than the last, that is one gift we are all blessed with, a chance to start over every few hours… we just have to take that chance and challenge.