Mississippi Craft Center

We just returned from our annual trip to Mississippi where we visit with my family and friends there and go to put flowers on the grave sites of my parents, grandparents, and other relatives. The area was lush and green this year. They've had plenty of rain this spring and the wildflowers and gardens certainly testify to that.

Every year, we try to vary our route so that we get to see a different part of the country. This year, we went through central Louisiana and entered Mississippi at Natchez.

Natchez is a very old river town, established in the 1700s, and, of course, it is famous for its ante bellum homes and the "pilgrimage" to those homes every spring when they are at their height of beauty. But we didn't visit any of them on this trip. Been there, done that before.

Instead, we headed out of town on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444 mile scenic route that goes all the way from Natchez to Nashville. We made our first stop just outside of Natchez.

Emerald Mound, as you can read from the sign, is the second largest temple mound found in the United States. It is a relic of the Mississippian culture which flourished here and all the way up the big river north into Illinois in the 1300s to 1600s before Europeans came to the area.

The Mississippians were forbears of the Natchez Indians who populated the area at the time of the European invasion. This sign shows how the mound was constructed on top of an existing hill.

This is the very top of the mound which is 65 feet tall and spreads over eight acres. You can walk all the way to the top - although I didn't. It was steamy hot out there!

Heading north from Natchez, our next stop was just north of Jackson at the Mississippi Craft Center. We try to make it a point to stop here every year, no matter what route we are taking. It is a wonderful place.

This is the exterior of the modern building which houses the craft center. It contains crafts of all kinds from all over the state and, in some cases, from surrounding states. Our house holds many examples of these crafts that we have purchased here over the years.

On the grounds in front of the building was a display of many metal sculptures from various craftsmen. Some of them were made from old farm implements. All of them exhibited a sense of humor.

I found all of these "human" sculptures particularly fun. They made me smile.

Inside the building, the visitor finds many more traditional kinds of crafts - doll-making, for example.

I am really not sure how to categorize this!

Wood-turning is very popular. These beautiful boxes are prime examples. There were also many, many unique wooden bowls, one of which caught my husband's eye and he brought it home with us where it now resides on our living room coffee table.

There are also numerous examples of pottery in all shapes and forms.

Figurines in many different kinds of materials, from metal to fabric and just about everything in between, are another popular item.

Bottle trees are traditional features of southern gardens. I have one in mine, but it doesn't look like this! This is a very non-traditional bottle tree in the shape of a peacock.

The Choctaw Indians of the area contribute their wonderfully colorful baskets to the mix. You can find baskets in all sizes from the tiniest ones on the table here to monsters that could hold a medium-sized child. I have bought a few of these baskets over the years and I treasure them.

The craftsmen and craftswomen also make wonderful objects from gourds, some of which are shown here.

This is just the tip of the iceberg really. There is so much more here, from quilts to metal crafts to intricate stained glass objects to unique one-of-a-kind furniture. If you are ever in the Jackson area, by all means, you should make it a point to visit the Mississippi Craft Center.

We still had much farther to go, so we headed north again. It was a lovely drive. The wildflowers along the roadside were never more beautiful. The Natchez Trace Parkway is another treasure of the National Park System. It is a shame that sequestration has forced it to close some of the restrooms along the long drive and has impacted other services of the National Park Service - but that's a rant for another day.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

Search This Blog