WANT TO MEET A FAMOUS & BELOVED BLOGGER?

Most recently this creative blogger has done this... and this...

she is loved by many...

and revered by all...

her creativity is amazing...

she touches many lives...

by now you must all know this famous blogger as...

SUSIE from Bienvenue http://susieharris.blogspot.com/. She is coming to my town this weekend for the Diamondhead Arts & Craft Fair. This Craft fair is renown in this region and brings in hundreds of talented artists and hand crafters.

Let me show you a few things I've purchased at this craft fair over the last few years:

I bought this wreath at the fair last year, sorry I don't know the lady's name. She does the most awesome things. It is torture to try to make a choice at her booth.

Pam Marshall http://members.cox.net/phmarshall/ is another beloved local artist. Below is her "Mississippi Patterns" on a coaster. My daughter has one of these originals over her fireplace. Pam also has a "Louisiana Pattern". Sylvia Corban....I loved her work for years.

Below is my Bay St. Louis train bridge with view of ST Stanislaus College, etc.

My favorite "St Stanislaus Sailing Team":

Sylvia Corban has been a local artist on the Gulf Coast for many years. Her artwork is featured in galleries all over the world. Her personality and her love of the Coast are represented in all of her images.Her newest series of work includes crabs, shrimp, pelicans and oyster shells. These images are available in multiple color schemes and can be mixed and matched with some of her other products for an exciting and colorful interior.

So come to the DIAMONDHEAD ARTS AND CRAFT FAIR this weekend. There will be tons of Fabulous Fluff Stuff, get your Christmas shopping started and best of all.....You'll get to meet Susie!

THE MAN WHO WON'T WEAR PANTS

I'd like to share a Katrina story... a story about a little town, it's surrounding community, and the people struggling against a challenge that may not end for another decade....a story about the man who will not wear pants...




This is Eddie Favre, cousin to Brett Favre of Green Bay Packer fame, crusty yet sincere character, newlywed, Mayor of Bay St Louis, MS, and the infamous "man who refuses to wear pants". When President Bush first came to our area to survey the Katrina damage...Eddie had on the only thing he owned. Months later, President Bush spoke at St Stanislaus College Prep in January 2006, many people were aghast that the Mayor of Bay St Louis, Eddie Favre was in shorts again. President Bush even commented in his speech that day: " I arrive here at this important school and he's got short pants on. Eddie, I like a man who sticks to his guns." Eddie has attended numerous Senate Hearings, a White House Gala, and his own wedding 8 months ago....dressed in shorts.

You see, Eddie, like all most everyone else is his little town and the surrounding county, lost everything but the clothes on his back when Katrina hit. In Eddie's case, he had on flip flops, a t-shirt, and shorts. The town itself and all it's infrastructure was completely gone. And like so many of the heroes here, Eddie and the local police, firemen, and townspeople spent the next days and weeks searching, seeking out, and rescuing all of the trapped and stranded souls that could not help themselves. There was no Coast Guard here, no Fema, no Red Cross, no National Guard for at least 2 weeks. Volunteers would come eventually, along with all the other help but in the initial aftermath, it was just us. We were cut off from the world. We heard and saw the helicopters overheard constantly but they didn't land or drop anything. It was just us. Helping ourselves and each other.

So Eddie decided that he needed to send a message. When President Bush made his initial visit to Bay St Louis, many local and state officials offered to give Eddie pants and better clothes for the photo op. But Eddie refused. He felt that it would send the message that everything was OK and it was certainly not OK. It was far, far from normal. So Eddie vowed to his people, to all of us, that he would continue to wear shorts until things were back to normal. He became a symbol of the continuing desperate needs of a community, a symbol to all of us to stay courageous and dedicated to our goals and this beautiful area we love.

We have come a long way, but there is still such much to do. It is estimated that the entire Coast won't be whole again until another 15 years. We give our undying thanks to the thousands of volunteers that have come from all over our country and world. You have given us your time and money.

These volunteers are still here, still giving and still sacrificing their own jobs, families, and lives. We will never forget what you have done for us and are still doing.

And Eddie stills wears shorts.

You can read about Eddie and my beloved Gulf Coast here: http://www.smliving.net/

The Chimneys: A memory of not so very long ago...

Been thinking about some of the beautiful places here on the Coast that no longer exist. Hope not to bore you but wanted to share this lovely memory.


http://www.chimneysrestaurant.com/tour/tour.html



This was the Chimney's Restaurant in Gulfport. Such an exquisitely beautiful mansion overlooking the waters of the Gulf.



Son and friends took their St Stanislaus College Prep Junior prom dates there for dinner.


A few of us parents were lucky enough to be allowed to dine (in a separate room, of course) there that memorable evening so as to take some pictures.

Fast forward a year....

I hope the link below works. Warning... it is sad and shocking.

chimneys

College exams have ended

Son has finished his finals for this first semester of his Junior year at Ole Miss. Ole Miss has so much time off between semesters, that he needs different things to occupy all 6 weeks. In the past years, he has taken a "winter-session class" or two. Unfortunately , in his freshman year, 2005, we made him work along side with us cleaning up Katrina devastation. I fear he is still afraid to come home for too long, those bad memories still linger.


This year, there is nothing offered, course-wise that he needs, being a junior. Last year, he asked that his Christmas gift be a ski trip to Alta, Utah where a former roommate/fraternity brother was staying. So that took up 2 weeks.


So, this year he is going to University of South Carolina to see one of his best friends. They attended and graduated from St. Stanislaus College Prep. Son went there from 7th grade through 12th grade. What a wonderful school.

This friend has one final next week, then they go to his family's home, Estherville Plantation, which is just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. There is so much to do there . Sounds like fun, can I come too?