7/29/2009 6:00:00 PM
JUST AMONG FRIENDS
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By RACHEL EVANS
Rayburn Waddell's biggest problem at the Fair this year will be that the ice truck does not disturb his late morning sleep. Our immediate past Mayor of the City of Philadelphia had this to say in looking forward to a "foot-loose and fancy-free" Fair, "This will be the first Fair in 12 years that I will not have to be at work by 7:30 a.m. Wanda and I are really looking forward to spending time with our children in one of the two times we get together each year." Ray Waddell and his wife, Angelique, came from Dallas on Friday, and Temple and her husband, Todd Versteegh from Jackson. Todd's parents, Chris and Mark Thibedeaux of Mandeville, La joined them for their first Fair. Both Cabin 188 and the Waddell's house in town were filled to capacity over the weekend when Wanda's brother, Keith Temple, cooked his famous and traditional big pot of seafood gumbo.
For the past three years, Philadelphia has hosted the Mississippi Municipal League on Thursday with approximately 70-75 mayors from across Mississippi attending. Even though we are not hosting the event this year, Rayburn invites "everyone to stop by Cabin 188 for a visit". Sleep on, Rayburn and Wanda. Enjoy your late morning snooze. You served us well, and we thank you!
While we are enjoying our cabins/houses at the Fair this week, a happy family of six is settling into their new home in Honduras. The "jelly house" constructed of cinder blocks with a concrete floor was built by a group of generous, giving hearts known as the Honduras Team. Why is it called a "jelly house"? In an outreach ministry involving her family and friends, and a desire and the strength provided by her God, Connie Walters cooks and sells homemade jams and jellies. Since the mission trip to Honduras in May, she has already cooked 1749 jars of blackberry, blueberry, peach, strawberry, red plum, and fig jams and jellies to be used toward the construction of the house the Honduras team will build in 2010. These delectable treats may be purchased for $4 a jar at M&S Furniture, Jerome Tank Season 2 Season, C&D Building Supply and Tony Hardy's Barber Shop in Valley View Shopping Center.
In the cities of Plancita, Pina Blanca, Dieziocho and Zapote, the medical team attended over 550 patients in 2 1/2 days. Others conducted Bible schools, evangelical walks and sewing ministries.
Carrie Shrock had this to say about the trip, "It was an amazing experience. Not to mention the fact that we survived an earthquake! The people of Honduras are so awe-inspiring in how humble they are. Most of them have so little, but would give you anything you needed if they had it. It is such a blessing to be able to go and serve there!"
Members of the mission team from Sandtown United Methodist Church, Coy United Methodist Church and Philadelphia First United Methodist Church were the Rev. Walter Goldsmith, Timothy Goforth, Dr. Mike Shrock, Bass Price, Kim Price, Sally Swearengen, Johnathan Crabtree, Christina Crabtree, Angie Skinner, Tony Luke, Hannah Luke, Connie Walters, Jon Withers, Samantha Kassubowski, Cathy Swann, Samantha Hardy, Reagan Thomas, Edna Drake, Bridgette Fulton, Delda Barfoot, Toni
Gough and Jacob Hughes.
You will find the Dungans happily settled into Cabin 616-A after an exciting two-week, six country European adventure. This was the first trip to Europe for Dr. Sherry and son, Jon, while Bill and Regina are old hands at international travel. They joined a group of 24 vacationers from across the United States, Australia and New Zealand in Amsterdam where they spent two days touring the city canals, the diamond center, a windmill, and a Dutch shoe factory at Volendam. They traveled by private motor coach through the Rhine region of Germany, visiting the cathedral at Cologne and the castle at Heidelberg. Following the medieval Romantic Road, they spent several days in Germany, visiting the 16-century village of Rothenburg, historic Oberammergau, the Marienplatz at Munich, and experiencing the Bavarian culture of Garmisch, before touring King Ludwig's Linderhof and Neushwanstein Castles. The next stop was Olympic capital, Innsbruck, Austria, before traveling through the Brenner Pass of the Dolomites Mountains to Cortina, Italy and on to Venice for tours of the Murano glassworks, the Doges' Palace, and the museums and church architecture around St. Mark's Square. The journey continued to the scenic towns of Lugano and Lucerne, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, where they ascended Mt. Pilatus via the steepest cogwheel train in the world. The group also enjoyed a Swiss folklore performance in Montreaux on Lake Geneva. The following day, they boarded the TVG bullet train to Paris for tours of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the masterpieces of the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.
While Jon can't decide whether seeing Amsterdam or building a snowman on the summit of Mt. Pilatus in June was his favorite part of the trip, this he knows for sure. Born July 29 15 years ago, "I've made myself a promise to never miss the Neshoba County Fair!" Sherry says she loved the Louvre, but could stay in Italy forever!
Regina favors the shops in Switzerland and the illuminated tour of Paris at night. Bill says the Alps are spectacular, but after two weeks of European cuisine and scenery, his favorite food and best views are still to be found at Cabin 616A at the Neshoba County Fair!
I love Bill's story about Pontius Pilate. Swiss legend has it that following the death of Jesus, the body of Pilate was moved from place to place for 500 years. A plague came over every city in which he was buried. Finally his remains were tossed into Lake Lucerne. Now once a year Pilate can be seen sitting on a rock in the Lake.
Hugh Thomasson was honored at the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association convention banquet at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi on July 11, 2009. Hugh, a former president of MLMA, is one of only three to receive the MLMA Distinguished Service Award. The tribute to Hugh was an emotional experience for those present who miss his good sense of humor and upbeat attitude about life. Pat and Helen expressed their appreciation for the support and friendship extended by everyone at the convention. "This was a joyous occasion because it celebrated Hugh's extraordinary life, and brought together so many special people to pay tribute to the special man in our lives."
Joining Pat and Helen in attending the banquet on behalf of the Thomasson family were Bill (brother) and Polly Thomasson and their daughter Lisa Loper with children Sarah and Robert, Chaney Thomasson (sister-in-law) and her daughter, Ann, and Knootsie Mitchell (sister) and her son Lance. Friends of the family attending were Gaston Barrett, Lisa Mallott, Amy Parish and Crystal Wilkins. Company employees attending were Brent Gray and Randy Deweese, his wife Sharon and daughter Morgan.
Talk about dedication! Eddie Clark, Louis Goforth, Mike Hardy, Chuck Burk, Lance Duncan, Ted Pope, Doug Daly and Chris Cheatham will miss Thursday night of the Fair to attend a football referee's meeting with the MSU coaching staff at the Palmeiro Center, an indoor practice facility located on campus at Mississippi State. They go through a certification process every year before the season begins, and receive their assignments from the Secretary of the District 4 Starkville District with which they are affiliated. While there is a small remuneration for their work, "We don't do it for the money," Eddie Clark told me. "We do it because we enjoy it." Eddie acknowledged Mike Hardy as the "head man of the crew. He's the guy wearing the white hat. The rest of us wear a black hat with white piping." No matter what color the hat, the guys take turns providing food to be eaten after the game. "Hugh Thomasson always took us in his van, and never would let us help pay for the gas," Eddie told me. Hugh's heart just keeps stretching!
The memory of some Fairlovers "just keeps coming back like a song." Such a couple was Burles and Tommie Allen who had a way of showing up in your food lines when you didn't even know they were on the Fairgrounds! I talked with Karen Allen this week who brought me up-to-date on her siblings, Jimmy, Patricia and Mike. Jimmy lives in Tupelo where he is the chief operations officer for the firm of Mitchell-McNutt. He serves on the National Board of Association of Legal Administrators for the northwest region of the United States. Patricia Allen Rush is a member of the faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center where she teaches pathology and audiology. She has a private practice of fitting hearing aids. Mike is with the Bureau of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Karen lives in Anacortes, Wash. She was in Mississippi recently to donate an artwork of a woman holding a lamb in her arms to the University Medical Center, in memory of Burles Hall Allen by her children, and in appreciation of the staff at UMC for the compassion extended their mother and her family before her death. "Mother was truly a shepherd to her children," Karen told me. The Allens lived in Philadelphia for nine years. Tommie was associated with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
This treat had its beginning in the Billy/Helen Tolbert family as Mississippi State Sin, but the influx of Ole Miss and Mississippi Southern fans into the family has resulted in a name change. It is now called Mississippi Sin. Robin Tolbert McClellan shares the recipe with us.
Cut the top off a loaf of French bread. Hole it out and keep all the bread you dig out.
Combine:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups chopped ham
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
1 teaspoon each garlic salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
Soften cream cheese and mix all together with your hands. Stuff into bread. Put top back on. Wrap in foil. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Use chips and saved bread pieces for dipping, "And when it's all gone, Cameron and Cody and Taylor fight over the ransacked bread!" said Robin who always doubles the recipe for the gathering in Cabin 283 on Canal Street.
When I asked Butch Hodgins for his hush puppy recipe, he unabashedly reached in the kitchen cabinet for a box of Martha White Hush Puppy Mix with onion flavor! It is delicious, and best served with Butch's fried fish and French fries and Kim's cole slaw and choice of desserts. Being in the company of Butch and Kim, Cole Hodgins, Haley and Reid Thompson, Jane Hodgins, Hilda and Jennifer Stuart, Danielle Reed, Dillon Lovern and Mike, Mitze, Ben and Dan Evans made it even better.
Many an onion and bell pepper and stalks of celery (referred to by a TV chef as the "trinity") have gone into the meals served here at the "casserole compound" this week. They can only be topped by the casseroles the ladies of Possum Creek are preparing for a dinner/theater production of "Casseroles and Mistletoe." The play, written by Laura Cole Thrash of "Casserole Patrol" fame, will be presented in November by the Philadelphia/Neshoba County Arts Council.
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