Black History and the settlement of Columbus
When the topic of Antebellum Black History comes up, most people immediately think of the horrors of slavery. While those horrors cannot be diminished, there is a whole world of Black History that needs to be brought to the forefront. That is the roles of blacks, both free and slave, in the settlement and development of the Tombigbee River Valley.
Fresh herbs = healthy flavor
Diet. The word that grates on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. It’s just so passé, bringing to mind the low-fat fiasco of the ’80s or the low-carb craze of the ’90s. Diet implies temporariness. And for so many of us, weight loss and maintenance are lifelong challenges. There are no temporary quick fixes that will last forever. You have to stay on top of it.
Customer service: The client Is always right
I remember the first salon where I worked right out of beauty school. Scissors in hand, I began cutting. McRae’s Department Store in the Hattiesburg Cloverleaf Mall was hidden far behind cosmetics, just past the shoes and tucked into a small corner beside customer service. Perhaps it’s ironic that this column is all about customer service.
Spread the love
Mid-February may be the coldest time of year, but ironically, it is associated with love and warmth, and all good feelings. We can thank Saint Valentine for that. Evidently, there were at least 14 saints with that name who were martyred in ancient Rome. One was known for marrying Christian couples. It cost him his head.
Ask Rufus: The greatest football team ever
With all the coverage of the upcoming Super Bowl, thoughts turn to great football teams. In pro ball there are memories of the Old Green Bay dynasty. This past season of college ball brought back memories of the old LSU Chinese Bandits, at least until Alabama showed up for the rematch. Then there was East Mississippi Community College and its trip to Arizona to win the community/junior college national championship.
What will they think of next?
Thumbing through a recent copy of Scientific American, I found a feature about recent innovations that will improve our lives. Some are in limited use today. I thought they were worth sharing in case they are as new to you as they are to me.
Spring fever
One of the great things about living in the South are the beautiful, unseasonably warm days sprinkled throughout our winters. This year we’ve already had several spring-like days in the upper 60s, and it’s only the beginning of February.
Mystery is afoot in February Table Talks
Sherlock Holmes, Alex Cross, Adam Dalgliesh, Commissario Brunetti, Sam Spade, Perry Mason, Miss Marple, and Lisbeth Salander: February is “mystery month” at the Table Talks sponsored by Friends of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. The Friends launches its latest series on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at noon in the library meeting room, 314 7th St. N.
That Valentine in the mirror
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. I always become aware of this event in late January, when everything turns red, pink and glittery.
Hearts are aflutter all over town with that Someone Special atop every shopping list. All sizes of stuffed animals — monkeys, bears, frogs — sit on shelves wondering who will take them home this year. Nearby are boxes of chocolates, bags of heart-shaped candies and anything and everything with a love motif. I am wondering what I will wrap up in pink tissue paper and stuff into a gift bag complete with a message of my affections (the perfectly chosen Hallmark) for my sweetheart.
Leah Sullivan: Calories in, calories out
We all know weight loss really comes down to two things: food and exercise. For me, it’s all about calories in, calories out, and getting as much nutrition as possible within those daily calories.
This is not a revolutionary idea: It is tried and true, simple and straightforward.
Leah Sullivan: Balance
One of the great challenges in life is finding a balance between all of our obligations and responsibilities. We all have a million things pulling us in every direction: Careers, kids, spouses, family, friends, chores, hobbies — the list goes on and on.
Shannon Bardwell: To bee or not to bee
Even though my heart was pure and my intentions were good, we Homo Sapiens have a fine way of trying to control nature and thus creating more problems.
Rufus Ward: The art of history
When researching Southern history, it is always interesting to find first-person accounts of earlier times, but it is most fascinating to find early images. It is surprising just how many of those early images are around and how they can relate to the present.
David Creel: Fashion runways inspire spring hair styles
We don’t have to look much further than the spring 2012 fashion runways for the most coveted hair trends of the coming season. The hairdo thermometer is hot, and the mercury is rising. Whether it’s your favorite fashion designer’s catwalk coiffures or the best runway of all — yours — here are the buzz-worthy hair looks raising temperatures internationally and in our neck of the woods.
Adele Elliott: Call to artists and art lovers
There are many reasons to fall in love with a town. Chris and I landed in Columbus about 4 a.m. on a horrible night in August 2005. We were running from a witch named Katrina, her winds whipping too closely at our back. We pulled off the highway into this charming downtown, and felt like Dorothy entering Oz. I remember the funky little Statue of Liberty on a Main Street median, the inviting shops, and the calm allure of a place that seemed so very far from the storm.
Partial to Home poster signing, music series set for Thursday
Following a flurry of voting by the large crowd at the Rosenzweig Arts Center Jan. 5 for an exhibit of photographs by Birney Imes, four selected images have been reproduced in poster form.
“Oakland Baptism,” (front view), “The Chickenman’s Dog,” “James’ Mother,” and “Couple on Catfish Alley” will be available Thursday for purchase during a “down home” reception hosted by the Columbus Arts Council from 5:30-7 p.m. at 501 Main St. Imes will on hand to sign the collectible 16-by-20-inch reproductions.
MUW Life Enrichment: From baseball to Twitter, the teachers are in
Boston native Dick Mahoney has stories to share. The retired chemical engineer and baseball writer played semi-pro ball. He also managed and played in the Roy Hobbs Adult Baseball League. Along the way, he met greats like Ted Williams, Nolan Ryan and Yogi Berra and gained entrance to the Boston Red Sox’s inner circle.
Adele Elliott: Superman’s stained cape
Once upon a time we were the “good guys.” That is what we were taught, and that is what we believed. This country stood for “truth, justice and the American way.” I suppose we saw ourselves as Superman, standing on a mountain top, hands on hips, chest inflated, scanning the horizon for wrongs to right.
Shannon Bardwell: Huntin’ houses
“No ma’am,” I replied, “we don’t live at Elm Lake; that’s where they have the golf course and cement swimming ponds. We live in ‘the’ Prairie.”
Shannon Bardwell: Coloring outside the lines
Once upon a time I told stories, much like Mother Goose, only in a myriad of costumes from a butterfly attending the “butterfly ball” to a cumbersome Myrtle the Turtle. Besides the Starkville Public Library, I adopted a county school and became the “homeroom mother” to a class of third graders.