Natchez

We've been gone a few days visiting Natchez, Mississippi. We signed up for a Road Scholar program called "Natchez: Black and White and Read All Over" before Hurricane Ike visited us. The trip was paid for and we needed a break from tearing out dry wall, contractors and insurance agents - so we decided to go for it and we are glad we did. Natchez certainly took us back to a time most only read about. Have to admit, it was nice to come home to reality and our own bed!

We flew into Jackson, Mississippi on Southwest (they had the cheapest fares) and drove down the Natchez Trace to Natchez. We had been on the Trace Parkway before around Nashville and it was as beautiful as we had remembered. Two lane road (no shoulder) with a 50 mph speed limit. Most of the time we felt like we were the only ones on the road -- just us, nature and the wildlife (hawks, vultures, wild turkey and road kill). No billboards. No facilities (restaurants, gas stations).

The Trace was probably a series of hunters' paths that slowly came to form a trail from the Mississippi over the low hills into the valley of the Tennessee. By 1733 the French knew the land well enough to map it and showed an Indian trail running from Natchez to the northeast. By 1785 Ohio River Valley farmers searching for markets had begun floating their crops and products down the rivers to Natchez or New Orleans. Because they sold their flatboats for lumber, returning home meant either riding or walking. The trail from Natchez was the most direct. Started in the late 1930's, the modern Natchez Trace Parkway parallels the old trace. It was named an All-American Road in 1995.

We stopped several times along the Trace. This is the view from the top of Mangum Mound one of several Indian mounds found along the Trace.

Mangum Mound

This is the view across the Mississippi River into Vidalia (no relationship to the marvelous onions), Louisiana from our hotel room (Country Inn and Suites by Carlson).

The *steamboat* is a casino and has no engine.

The Road Scholar group met briefly for introductions and then we were off to Monmouth Plantation for dinner. Monmouth is on 26 landscaped acres and is listed as a National Historic Landmark Circa 1818. We didn't take any pictures because it was dark, but it was eye popping. The food on this trip was out of this world. Here it was hors d'oeuvres before dinner along with two mint juleps (yes, two). Dinner included salad, fresh baked bread, catfish with a crawfish etoufee over greens, chocolate mousse. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), we ate like this everyday. Thus ended day one. Day two tomorrow!

Discovering the Little Things

For some reason today's Daily OM really caught my eye. Some days I just scan their latest email. Not true for today. I decided to share this little bit of joy with you.


October 2, 2008
Treasure Hunting
Discovering the Little Things that Make Us Happy

Life is full of little wonders that can make us happy. The sound of a baby’s laughter, a good book, the comforting smell of a favorite old sweatshirt, and the warmth from a cup of hot tea are simple pleasures that can easily put smiles on our faces. These “little things” are easily accessible to us and can be sources for finding happiness. A key to doing so is taking the time to put those rose colored glasses from childhood back on so you can easily find the joy in all the “little things” that life has to offer.

Finding a puppy rummaging through the laundry basket, trying on that perfect shade of lipstick, or discovering the extra change you left in your back pocket can turn into moments of delight. Like kids digging in the sandbox for buried trinkets, we may even begin to experience happiness when we engage in the seemingly mundane. Figuring out a software program can feel like deciphering a treasure map, and that first sip of tea in the morning can taste like a forbidden delicacy. Swaying to music playing on the radio can turn into an interpretive jig, riding a bike can seem like flying to the moon, and getting a phone call from that special someone can feel like winning the lottery. A pickup game of basketball becomes an exciting match among champions, and observing an elderly couple walking hand in hand can turn into a meditation on peace and contentment.

When we begin rediscovering that the little things in life can make us happy, we naturally want to share this joy with others. We may gush over a friend when we run into them unexpectedly, praise a street musician for their talents, or blow bubbles for the neighborhood kids to chase. We may even start to think of the little things we can do to make other people happy, which in turn makes us happy all over again. There is an endless supply of little things and little moments that can make us happy. All we have to do is look for them, and they’ll magically start to appear.

For more information visit DailyOm.com.

Hurricane Ike

I thought I'd share just a few pictures from Hurricane Ike (hubby calls Ike the himicane). We lost lots of shingles and flashing was torn from the roof. Here is a picture of the flashing hanging on/off the roof.

Large piece of flashing that landed in the atrium.

Saturday morning we received a call from our next door neighbor saying they hoped our van hadn't been hit by a tree. After removing the boards from the front door and peaking out, this is what we found. The van was unharmed. Can't say the same for the tree.

We walked around our little neighborhood on Saturday. Everyone was out trying to clean up around their homes.

We were jealous when we found this house. They had power! They also had a neighbors tree on the power line in their backyard.

Can't see the bottom of the house because of all the debris.

Because of the power outages (no traffic lights) we haven't ventured to far from home. Our neighborhood seems to be one of the lucky ones. Other areas had horrible damage. Huge trees down on homes and across streets.

We didn't get electricity back until late in the week. We spent most of our time on our balcony, talking and waving to neighbors or helping to clean up. The storm certainly brought the street together. Shoveling leaves and tree limbs out of drains (please no more rain) brings folks together!

I've had some emails about Musashi's Garden -- how it fared during/after the storm. It did really well -- really! Some of the golden Ixora is still blooming along with penta. The plumeria took a beating but all are still standing. My little grapefruit tree had two fruit before the storm and, believe it or not, still has them. Amazing! The pair of Asian banded doves made it through Ike. They have been by to check out the bird feeder. Also, the blue jays. I'm afraid we haven't seen our cardinal family -- just the dad. Hope mom and little guy are ok. Hummingbirds have been flying in and taking a look. People weren't the only ones who "took it in the shorts" during Ike.

Temple Trek

Now that we are retired, it's time to explore Houston. Visiting various religious buildings in the area was always something we wanted to do. When a colleague and friend announced she was leaving the museum to go to Beijing to study Chinese, the three of us decided it was time to explore and start our temple trek. We started with the Jade Temple.

Kuan Yin who hears the cries of the world.
The bodhisattva of compassion.

Kuan Yin standing on the dragon and lotus base.

We arrived the morning after the full moon and found people honoring their ancestors with prayers and food offerings.

After the ceremony looking from the front door and incense burner toward the pond and the back of Kuan Yin.

This is the interior of the Jade Temple. Looks just like a "regular" church -- pews and all except a Buddha is on the altar.

Close up of Buddha and altar.

Vivian and moi. Art, iconography always on our mind!

Shakyamuni Buddha calling the earth to witness.

After the Jade Temple we took a dim sum break at the Ocean Palace. I've posted about the Palace previously. This is one of the beautiful lotus buds in the pond outside the Palace. Having Vivian with us really increased our enjoyment of the day. She told us stories about dim sum and tea drinking that we will always remember. She is young and this chance to study in Beijing doesn't come around every day. She will be missed. I'm hoping she will start a blog and share her adventures.

Teo Chew Temple

This is a temple that Vivian knew (Chinese and Vietnamese combination). She had attended a New Year celebration here (if I remember correctly) with one of her friends . We did not take pictures inside as we did not want to disturb the people at worship. This is a very traditional temple, one large open room, with Buddhas and bodhisattvas lining the interior walls. You could tell the more popular ones by how many offerings (flowers, food, fruit, candles with prayers or wishes printed on them) had been placed before them. Each had a single kneeler in front. We watched as a young woman prayed before Kuan Yin with her container of sticks, moving the round cylinder up and down until one stick fell to the ground. She took the stick to the fortune teller for reading. You'll recognize Kuan Yin again outside of the temple.

We would temple trek one more day with Vivian before we had to say goodbye and good luck.

Dragonflies, Teddy Bears, Elephants and Classes

Here are some more pictures of things that keep me busy! I have made four dragonfly afghans so far. I love the pattern. Easy to carry around and work on as it is crocheted in squares. This sage green (have you figured out that green is my favorite color?) was the first dragonfly afghan I made. I usually make something first and keep it -- figuring the pattern out and getting the mistakes made and corrected -- then make it again and give it away. The afghan pattern is called Dragonfly Dreams and I found it in the July 2006 issue of Crochet Magazine.



Another one of my favorite things -- Teddy Bears. The pattern for this bear and his toys can be found in two booklets -- Birthday Blankets and Bears Volume I and Volume II (1993). Each bear comes with a toy and his own crocheted blanket.

This little elephant (not so little) -- Ellie Phunt -- is my latest finished project. She is going on a journey today to California to her new home. Every time I look at her, I laugh. She is soft, funny and has a great multicolored tail that you can't see in the picture. Ellie is from the booklet Safari Friends. Safari Friends includes directions for 6 friends: elephant, tiger, giraffe, lion, chimp, and alligator. I ordered this booklet from Annie's Attic.

Today Dick starts the fall semester with a new art class. He was off early this morning trying to miss the school traffic (also first day of school for all the kids in town). Mid-September I start an online class that will, hopefully, make me make time for more mixed-media.

It amazes me how busy everyone gets with the first hint of Fall and the start of school. I've been trying to schedule time with two good friends for a Girl's Art Camp and it's tough. I know we'd have a great time and I'm not going to give up!