Cornbread and Blackeyed Peas

A Very Civil Weekend

2010-09-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

This is my second time to come and spend 6 to 7 weeks in Virginia. As I was driving through the beautiful countryside yesterday on highway 17 out of DC to Virginia Beach, the privilege and blessing to be able to see so much of America because of freelancing really hit me. Freelancing is fun and difficult. This is the truth about everything in the end.

My friend Pat and his delightful wife Alana once again played hosts. They live in Silver Spring, Maryland so I drove up the I-95, picked up Pat and we headed to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. You do know there is a WEST Virginia, right? Well, it's stunning. I felt like I was on the shoot of LAST OF THE MOHICANS and any moment Daniel Day Lewis was going to come out of the woods across the Potomac and yell to me "Wherever you go...I will find you!" and then disappear again, running like a gazelle.

At the National Park there (in which my annual pass is still good to the end of September...BUY A PASS YA'LL! Support America's National Parks!) we got to see the actual village of Harper's Ferry and share it with Living Historians as well as Civil War reenactors. Our first stop was the provost's office which was basically the military police. The Union really had to be tough there because of the US Armory (which John Brown had tried to take over and steal guns for a slave uprising in 1859).

The park ranger there (who was dressed as a Union soldier) told us that when you came to town, the first thing you had to do was come by the provost office to get registered. To get a pass to be in town you had to swear allegiance to the United States of America (as opposed to the rebellion in the South) and then you received a pass you carried with you at all times that matched a log in the book of who was in town. On the back of the pass were descriptions of your hair color, eyes, height, skin color etc. When they asked me where I was from, I told them that my people were from Mississippi and that they all fought for the confederacy, however, I was at heart a Unionist and abolitionist so I got a pass. Whew. Close one. On the wall they had a chart from an actual day during the war of people who were brought in and why and what the punishment was. Some were as simple as "looked suspicious" and "drunk" or "spoke a word against the Union."

A group of reenactors were there from Pennsylvania (Union) and they did a gun demonstration. They were camping in period as well so we went over and had some good chats with the soldiers. If you've read the fine CONFEDERATES IN THE ATTIC by Tony Horwitz you would know immediately that they were all FARBS. None of them were hardcore, but they were good guys and they were having fun. God bless em.

We walked on the Appalachian Trail which was great fun. Check out Bill Bryson's A WALK IN THE WOODS about his escapades on the trail. Hilarious. Plus a friend of mine wrote a musical recently that going to be in NYC called TRAILS that is quite fun. A rom-com mystery set to music on the Appalachian Trail. Some of the numbers are gut busters.

On Sunday, Pat took me to Arlington National Cemetery. Overwhelming and mindbending number of graves there. The house (which was Robert E. Lee's home before the war broke out) was taken over by the Union in 1861 and used as army headquarters, a refugee camp for former slaves and eventually our nations main graveyard for servicemen of all wars since the Civil one. The contradictory feelings that this place brings out is rich. If you know anything about Lee and the war you can't help but realize the irony that his front, back and side yards are now a graveyard. When you see the view from Lee's front yard, the US capital, you see why the Union had to take it and make an example of it. Knowing that to the Union, Lee was a flat out traitor it blows your mind that Arlington house is now a monument to Robert E. Lee. The mingling of justice and audacity is a very unusual drink and yet is just right. It's perfect.

I told Pat that I think the reason Appomattox and Harper's Ferry National Parks are practically exactly the way they were during the war is because both towns failed. The people of Appomattox moved a couple of miles to the railroad after the war and for whatever reason Harper's Ferry just never quite took on. And now they are preserved.

Thank you to all the people who have cared enough to fight for the creation and care of our National Parks and to all the historians who feel that preservation is important to fight for.
We all have a part in bringing beauty, mystery and honor to others.

Next time I'm in DC, I want to see the FDR monument, go to the American History Smithsonian museum and take a tour of Ford's Theatre.

Until next weekend!

Over There

2010-08-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well my car, previously known as a 4 cylinder Saturn SL1, made it the 1200 miles to Seattle. (It is currently known as a 3 cylinder Saturn SL1) Whew. It was packed to the gills. Have I "moved" to Seattle? I guess. I call it relocating. The plan is to stay with the Lund family for a year as I continue to freelance and try to figure out some career and life stuff. All in all, I was ready for a change and think I am ready for even more changes. I want to work on all areas of my body, life and spirit and for some reason think this is the place to do that. I've found myself quite depressed though (this manifests itself by watching alot of meaningless television and going into my cave...yes, women have caves too...). As soon as I realize that uncertainty IS life, I'll be ok.

Right now I'm in Virginia for 7 weeks to direct OUR TOWN for Regent University. I really like the folks that run that MFA Acting program (and the BA program). Good people, kindred spirits. It's nice being back. They've put me up with a very nice couple (he's a playwright/teacher and she's a folk artist) and they live in an awesome neighborhood in a house that is an exact replica of 2 houses in Williamsburg. I'm living in the apartment above her store. While here, I'll get to see my friend Pat, go to a civil war re-enactment, see Harper's Ferry and DC, including tooling around Norfolk, Richmond and Virginia Beach.

There's a Trader Joe's here so I should be ok.I'm looking forward to seeing as much theatre as I can here in Seattle. Got to see Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize winning play RUINED at the Intiman and was so glad that I did. It was the original cast/set design etc. Saw MAN OF LA MANCHA as well at Taproot starring my brilliant friend Jeff Berryman. Saw YANKEE TAVERN at ACT in Seattle, a 9/11 conspiracy theory play. There were a couple of lovely performances. Play didn't do it for me. Also saw Harlequin's JEKYLL & HYDE which was well done and beautifully performed. Wish the script was shorter and tighter...Make it all count.

Right now I'm deep into OUR TOWN. Feel very strong about this play and it's message. There's something deep and eternal to grab onto and the cast of 26 students and 5 kids are rocking it. So fun to have such a great group of people to play with.

Hope the beginning of your fall is magical.

New design new blog

2010-07-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Staci and her amazing blogging skills, a sincere change is coming. More blogging. I know this has been part of your nightly prayers..."Please more blogging from Marianne..." Well those prayers have paid off. As I step on a new path toward untold adventures, those stories and wanderings shall be told.

Yesterday I realized that in less than a month, I'll be at my relocation site. My sister (not by blood but by friendship) in Seattle offered me to come and live with her and her family for a year as I continue to freelance. This is going to save me alot of money, giving me a chance to get financially in order and take some interesting jobs as well as some risks. Can you say BLESSING? All my stuff is in storage in Burbank. So no, I'm not moving...I'm relocating for a year.

I already have some gigs lined up...Sept & Oct in Virginia directing OUR TOWN at Regent University. Nov & Dec in Seattle teaching an acting class. Jan & Feb in LA directing KING LEAR at Actors Co-op and possibly teaching a class at Azusa Pacific University.

Today rehearsals start for SHADOWLANDS that I'm directing at American Coast Theatre Company in Costa Mesa, CA. What a beautiful show. It cracks my heart. We open August 6th so come out if you can. I think you'll be glad you did.

Today is also the final week of rehearsals with my high school ensemble at South Coast Rep. We're doing a play about the oil spill. These kids are great and give me great hope for the future.

More blogging to come...

DIRECTING WIT

2010-02-22T22:21:00.001-08:00

Nan McNamara as Vivian Bearing in Actors Co-op's production of WIT

Margaret Edson's pulitzer prize winning play WIT has been a joy to rehearse. On first read the writing knocked me on my you know whatty and thrilled my soul however I was uncertain I could live with the hell of cancer during the process. In viewing an interview with Margaret Edson and Charlie Rose (with the talented Kathleen Chalfant) my courage was renewed and Margaret guided me all the way. The set design by Gary Lee Reed really lifts our production and never ceases to delight me in the way it serves the story and it's visual pleasures. Joseph King Barkley who wrote original music for THE CRUCIBLE created the sound for this show as well. Using Bach throughout he added a modern twist to a classic piece that really suits the emotional life of the play and the character of Vivian. It never ceases to amaze me how a play comes to life. You read a script that some writer spent perhaps years working on then a group of people come together and in a matter of weeks (after a few months of prep) the story is alive, in 3-D and an audience is invited into the experience. If a play plays and there's no audience to see it, is it still a play? No. Just need to remind myself of that.

MOVIES

2010-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

So I got a bunch of screeners as a SAG member and just saw INGLORIOUS BASTERDS. Dang. Too bad the marketing of this film was so lame. This is a grownup movie. As good as Tarantino is I had no inkling that this film was so exquisite in the storytelling, acting, writing, directing, production design. Wow. Good job Quentin. Then there is THE HURT LOCKER (directed by a LADY ya'll) which I fear will be over looked this year. As a slightly obsessed lover of the war picture I am a big fan of this movie even though there are two plot points I find utterly unbelievable. Sorry that Jeremy Renner will not get an award this season, but I believe he'll get work and lets just say that people are crazy about him in said film. PRECIOUS. So difficult to watch and so important to. This film made me want to do something, make a difference. I Always think it's special when a story instills action in the viewer. MoNique did some devastating work. UP IN THE AIR. I liked it when I saw it in the theatre, but not so much as a screener. Hmmmm. Vera Farmiga did a number on my heart and that was cool. Clooney is just great as usual. Definitely worth seeing and definitely modern. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER. I really identified with this film and the work of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. That kid is special. And he looks frighteningly like Heath Ledger. He is going to be a major A-lister no doubt. Meryl Streep in JULIE AND JULIA is a revelation for sure. She is so comfortable in her skin and delightful. Shimmery. One word about an actor who needs an Oscar only because he deserves it more than almost anyone: Stanley Tucci. Nuf said.

JENNY CHOW

2010-01-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I stink. Not smellaphorically but as a blogger. Here I am though. Back in Los Angeles after a fast and furious three week directing gig at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, CA. First let me set the record straight. Sacramento is adorable. Sure it's got it's flat, boring, dry American suburbia side to it, but I was put up in Midtown. Lovely. Gorgeous trees for days and days, with quaint houses mixed with Victorians and Craftsmans. Me likey. The actors that were cast by the theatre's Artistic Director were great. We had fun. The set was colorful, fun to play on and added to some of the goofiness of the play. THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN OF JENNY CHOW by Rolin Jones is a fantastic play. A Pulitzer finalist. See or read if you can. One one day off I drove up to Nevada City which is an old wild west town. Really cool. They have tons of places to fly fish, which I now do. I have my own rod and reel and the best teacher in the world. Dad. Off for a day of fun with my dear Karen Lund who heads back to Seattle tomorrow.

Lost Without LOST

2009-05-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well folks, guess who won the season long competition with some tres cool folks from MIT in Boston. Moi. That's right. I scored 38 correct answers in this season of LOST's intense and thoughtful questions regarding each episode this season. Do I deserve this? Yes, of course I do. Because I've seen every dang episode of LOST and am the proud owner of seasons 1 - 5. Season 6 shall be mine this fall and it shall be rewatched before the beloved last season.

Think about it. I destroyed the minds at MIT in the area of time travel. What do I care if the Backstage West gave me a crappy review? What do I care if the guy decided not to call? What do I care if the front end of my car has a dent? I don't.

9 months from now, LOST will come back to us all. It's like having a baby. Only better. Ok, not better, but different. Only different.

Til then, my MIT friends and I will ponder. Debrief. Argue. Duke it out. Wait with bated breath for every last moment.

Namaste.
Marianne
Team Shepherd

A Severe Test

2009-05-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

(Photos by the brilliant Lindsay Schnebly)

This weekend THE CRUCIBLE opened at Actors Co-op in Hollywood. I'm real proud of this show. We all gave away our very molecules down to the protons and neutrons. There is something about working on a play that has exquisite writing and dynamic storytelling that brings the best out in artists. The set by Gary Lee Reed is not only completely functional and supportive to the story, it's stunning. A hard wood floor in the shape of a cross in a thrust configuration and raked das boot. Our lighting designer Jim Moody came in with great ideas AND is outrageously collaborative. He makes it look easy. He loves light. Beautiful. Joseph King Barkley is a friend of mine who I entrusted the original music to. He had never done this for a play and boy is this guy a natural. He got it. He got it good. The music is strange, wonderful, eclectic and yet cohesive. Lori Berg designed the props and she is always so easy to work with and does such great work. One of my favorite props are a set of wooden baby blocks. They say so much. David Atkinson built the set and he did a great job and rigged a special treat for the top of the show . Tim Farmer and Gary Lee Reed also did some building of benches, a table and various other props etc. The costumes were built by Shon LeBlanc's team at Valentino's Costumes. They are extremely well respected in Los Angeles and Shon did a beautiful job as well as being flexible with my desires. Rick Marcus came in and worked the violence in the play. It looks REAL good. Our Producer Becky Hayes was great. Supportive, let me do my job and did stuff I didn't want to. She also agreed to be in the play for me and is wonderful as Ann Putnam. Laura Hovermale has been a super stage manager. Keeps the troops in line and is loving but tough.

Directing a play with 19 actors in a small thrust theatre with a low ceiling ain't easy. But these actors made it feel that way. I made some choices early on that I'm very happy with. All 19 actors are company members of Actors Co-op (ok, the 12 year old isn't an official member but her dad has been for over 11 years so she was practically born into the Co-op). One of the choices made was to not go with dialects. In all honesty, the characters would have had all sorts of accents and adding on a dialect can often times distance an actor from true emotion. So, we had none of that. All the actors are using their natural voices (except the actor playing John Proctor and that was a mutual decision based on other things we were working one).

Come out and see the show. The show runs to June 7th and typically is performed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You can call the box office at 323.462.8460 or look for 1/2 price tickets at www.lastagealliance.com or goldstar events. They may also be listed on Plays 411.

Smorgasbord or Schmorguzborg

2009-04-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

The mind and heart of a woman. Even I have a tough time following myself. Let's lay it out like a delicious buffet. Random thoughts from the past few weeks for you to taste. Feel free to dig in if you find one you like!

Salads:
"I need to sweep and wipe down my patio so I can enjoy it!"
"Can't watch Ken Burns Civil War documentary right now, not in the mood."
"I want a bicycle. Especially if the world goes back to the dark ages."

Vegetables:
"Everybody is trying too hard to PROVE themselves and for the moment I have this super human ability to see it, like I'm seeing naked people, myself included."
"Speaking of naked, I was again in my dream last night, while on a date with Nathan Fillion, somehow I just accepted the humility and dealt with it. Am I growing?"

Entrees"
"Well, I guess that's the way women roll. All IS fair in love and I just need to lower my standards and not worry about hurting girlfriends in the pursuit of romance."
"Ok, that was sarcasm."
"Ok, maybe I need to grow up."

Desserts:
"I feel pretty."

Wow. I'm full. Not the deepest richest buffet, more like a $4.99 all you can eat deal. I was in the mood for fast food anyway. Next time, I promise to take you to a more exclusive eatery.

Rude Astronauts

2009-03-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places to go in Burbank is the Public Library. It's only a short walk from the midget house (I know that's not PC, however for comedy's sake it must be foregone). My library is super cute, friendly and stocked full of books, dvd's, books on cd and people. This is where I was introduced to THE WIRE, BIG LOVE and most recently DEADWOOD. All for free! Free! Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Mom and Dad, do not rent these dvds.)

When you walk into the library, there are two display cases and one is full of robot treasures. Old tin robots, original paintings, books, comics etc. One of the books on display is titled RUDE ASTRONAUTS. Now, I'm jealous. I LOVE that title. Just like I admire the production company BAD ROBOT. So I'm on a mission to come up with a fantastic sci-fi title of my own. I'm thinking of writing a children's sci-fi book about the little robut. Also, I think we're due a good sci-fi play. So here are some ideas for the kids book. THE LITTLE ROBUT. LITTLE ROBUT LOST. YOU SAY ROBOT, I SAY ROBUT. For the play. RUDE ROBOTS. A ROBOT NAMED DESIRE. ROBOTS LOVE POPPIES TOO.

I'll let you know when these are written and for sale. My therapist says I need to leave off the robot obsession for awhile. Actually, that's my imaginary therapist as I cannot afford a real one. Maybe I'll build one...THE ROBOT THERAPIST...hmmmm

Why I Like Robots

2009-03-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Good question you ask. Why do I like robots. I think I've always had a soft spot for stainless steel I adore really good psychological sci fi, time travel and the like. The first robot I can remember is the maid on THE JETSONS.

Now she was put upon. Funny and with a circuit of her own she took care of the family. Then there's the robot from LOST IN SPACE. It does not compute!

That robot was always showing us the irrationality of humanity. Particularly the greed of Mr. Smith. Good robot. Now I have to say. I don't like all robots. I don't like the evil ones for dang sure. Like Terminator. I don't really care. I like the robot with the heart of gold. A friend of mine who happens to be a 12 year old boy drew a picture for me when he was probably 9 of a robot he calls metal boy. Metal boy is adorable and he wants to be a metal man. With the help of his creator, he does achieve that goal. Lately I've had a crush on a new robot in my life. It actually calls itself the Little Robut. Apparently in the old 1950's sci fi the pronunciation of robot was robut. Adorable. So anyway, about twice a month I get a call from the Little Robut. Perhaps just saying, "I am a robut. I am a robut." Or during the holidays I got a call saying "Merry Christmas from the robut." And more recently, "Ben is a robut." Referencing Ben Linus from the show LOST. That really meant alot to me because I was really mad at Ben at the time for strangling John Locke. I guess I haven't really told you why I like robots. I think it's their innocence. Their desire to become human. Their willingness to serve. I aspire to those things to. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is insinuating that perhaps we are robots. I guess that wouldn't be so bad.

For Pat

2008-12-18T05:52:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss in sharing and am back. What really surprised me is how many actually are reading this thing so I hope I don't let you down. So this is for Pat. My sweet grad school classmate and friend who I adore and have since the first day I met him. He's getting married next week to a gal who looks like she will make him happy. Thanks for the wedding postcard Pat! It's hanging over my makeshift desk at my studio in Orlando. Yes, I'm in Orlando acting in the stage version of A CHRISTMAS STORY. Playing the mom. The narrator in the show is Ian Petrella who played Randy (the little brother "who can't put his arms down!") in the film. He's a very nice guy and is doing a great job in the show. The two boys who play my sons delight me to no end. Not only are they completely professional, they are funny, bright and kind. Me likey them.

So a bit about what's been going on. This fall I slowed down enough to realize that I think I've been mildy depressed for awhile. My natural inclinations are good at hiding things like this even from myself however, I'm working on my life in a way that I haven't in awhile and it's a very good thing. Or should say that God is working. I'm cooperating. Being in Orlando has been such a blessing. I spent ages 3 - 13 in Titusville, Florida (think NASA, Cape Kennedy, rockets and shuttles, beaches and hurricanes).

Titusville is only 50 minutes away and to get there you drive by Christmas, Florida which is strange and delightful and I like to stop at one of the local places every time I drive by.

Road in Christmas, Florida

I love America. As I was driving from LA to Orlando (yes, I drove) I thought that you shouldn't be allowed to be president of the US unless you've driven across country at least twice. As I was driving I kept thinking, "Wow. Obama, you are in charge of all this. I know it's overwhelming, but it's such an honor." I wish he'd ride back with me so he could see what I see.

Anyway, back to Titusville. I have reconnected with a group of people who were very influencial in my parents life and in mine. Most of them are in there 70's and they rock. They have shown me a great deal of love and have given to me the benefit of their experience that is enriching my life immensely. The Burdine's threw me a morning coffee with a group of ladies that was so charming and fun. We had a great time catching up.

I've also had a great time just hanging out in quirky places, cemetaries which I love and old down towns, state parks and historical locations. One of my dreams is to spend a year road tripping America. God, did you hear that? "Yes. I did."

More later my friends as I share more about my Florida adventures.

Mamasita

2008-09-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. I've got so much work to do (thankfully) and I shouldn't be blogging...but...(My mom says I shouldn't say but. Or butt. Because when you say but what you're really saying is "forget what I just said, what I really mean is this...") My mom also says that when you hear someone sigh, what they're really saying is "look what I have to put up with" and she also says that pouting is the highest form of seduction. You figure that out. Although this wasn't going to be a blog about my mom (who I call mom or mamasita in private and Shirley in public as she doesn't seem to answer to mom when we're among people) she's clearly on my mind. And heart. This weekend I drove to Blythe, California (aka Blight) to visit my mom and dad. They live on the Colorado river off the I-10 freeway where it is hot as h. e. double toothpicks. Mom and I went swimming in her "club" pool, we worked on a dress (she sews, and has made clothes for me all my life. One weekend when I was probably 9 she came home from a weekend away with my dad and I had grown so much in 2 days that nothing fit me, so she made an outfit a day for a week so I'd have something to wear. She'd make practically anything I wanted and once made me a jumpsuit like the one Fonzie wore on Happy Days.) We also cooked. Guess what we made? Cornbread and blackeyed peas. Yummy. I just want to say this about my mom. Although she's not perfect, she has been a very loving, sweet mommy to have. Very interested in my life. Affectionate. She laughs at my jokes. She had me when she was only 21 years old and did an amazing job for someone so young. I always felt safe with her. Yikes. I just realized that if I'd had a kid at 21, they'd be 20 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! (That's me running like a crazy person from the thought of it) I'd love to have a child and hopefully I will and if they think of me half as highly as I think of my mom...I'll be happy.

Treasures

2008-09-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Thinking of people and things that bring me joy, delight my heart or inspire me brought me to ponder the treasures I own (temporarily as I know as “you can’t take it with you!”) These gems stir my heart towards beauty and goodness. Anything that causes a longing for the eternal is a good thing in my book, or blog.

Here are some of the little things that inspire and transform me:

Photographs: one in particular is a photo of my dad right after the Ole Miss riots in 1962. He’s walking down a side walk on campus heading towards the camera wearing a suit with a cigarette in his right hand. He was 22 years old and a total bad ass.

Paintings: I am the proud owner of a Wyatt Waters painting called “Dear Dairy” that I bought when I had first graduated from college. I paid $50 a month for it to a gallery in Jackson, Mississippi (total of $550) and it’s now worth four times that. A stunning electric watercolor of a Dairy Freeze in Crystal Springs, Mississippi.

Pottery: When my roommate and I took a 19 day southern road trip, I found a treasure from a family of potters in Mississippi (I promise there isn’t a theme here, I like Yankee stuff too!) It’s a bird, made of clay and painted with an eggshell color head with the prettiest blues for his body. He’s sweet and healthy. My friend Kirsten has a bird and I had one as a kid. Their delicateness and chirping put a song in my heart.

One last treasure that I actually don’t own; I believe my cousins are the keepers at this time. When I was growing up I had two sets of grandparents in Mississippi. My mom’s parents lived in Greenville at the time (deep in the delta, cotton country) and visiting them was all about eating really great food, shopping for school clothes, looking at all the family photo albums, playing cards, playing with some neighborhood kids and watching TV. My dad’s parents on the other hand lived out in the country in the hilly part of northern Mississippi. Visiting them was also about great food, playing outside, looking for fossils, traipsing in the woods and spending hours in country graveyards. But another thing was reading the stacks and stacks of comic books. Not just any comic books, but comic books of fairy tales and myths. I would re-read these every time I went to their house. Seems that what I love about these “things” is the nostalgia of them. Which in the Greek means to return home again. Maybe there is a theme here. Maybe there is an undeniable call from the very soil of Mississippi that is constantly calling me back. My brother feels it too I think. Makes me wonder, makes me nostalgic.

Falling

2008-09-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ninety degrees today in beautiful downtown Burbank where I live with a killer roommate (killer as in capital K Kool versus a bloodthirsty lady; she also hates the letter K being used for a word like kute or krazy so she may cill me) in a house built for little people in the 1920's. (mini-ode to Faulkner finished) My mind is like a tree full of red, yellow and orange leaves as I declare this day officially fall. Now for folks like me who will be spending fall in LA; Thanksgiving and Christmas in Orlando, Florida (playing the mother in A CHRISTMAS STORY for Gramercy Theatre), fall must become a state of mind. I'm a fall kinda girl. All the promise of the holidays with none of the stress or let down they may bring. In my heart, fall is the scene from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD when Gem and Scout are coming home through the woods after a carnival in which Scout has appeared as a squash (I think). The wind is blowing danger all around them, haunted by racism and the changing south. Ok, fall to me is a crisp late afternoon in Greenville, Mississippi by the fabulous graveyard surrounded by the brick wall and dripping with ghosts disguising themselves as hanging moss from ancient trees. That's what I long for. The mystery, the snap of cool air and an ache in my heart. What is fall to you? By the way, the above painting is by the exquisite Wyatt Waters of Clinton, Mississippi.

For Staci

2008-09-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello. Anyone out there? (echo, echo, echo) My lovely, scary smart, funny and articulate roommate has been blogging for about two months and has inspired me that perhaps blogging is a beautiful thing. Heck, on facebook my status is always so cryptic because I'm terrified of letting people see beyond the pretty armor I've been crafting all my life. Now I want to see what it's like to live with the armor off. Perhaps this concept of myself will shock some. Probably not. I'm discovering that if you really want to be honest with yourself ask a friend if you're being honest with yourself. So here I am. No! Don't look there! Over here...Just kidding. Look all you want. Now, for the title of my blog. I'm a southern girl. A bit obsessed with all things southern, and I LOVE cornbread and blackeyed peas. Come visit the blog if you like. And, be sweet, as we say in the south.