College football weekend in Mississippi ended as it had begun. Mississippi State, Mississippi Southern and Ole Miss were undefeated.
When the Country Music special was on TV recently. I could not watch the show for looking for Madison Hardy who I had been told through her grandparents, Bobby and Joyce Hardy, was on the front row in the audience. And so it was last Saturday when Mississippi State was playing Jackson State on ESPN-U. My eyes were peeled for Thomas Webb, Mississippi State's #82, and I found him! So did the tailgate party set up by his parents, Jody and Deree Webb, and his sisters, Mallory and Sarah Katherine. "It was fun," said Deree, first-time tailgater. "I parked the car in the "Junction" early Friday morning to reserve a spot. Jody came in the truck with all our stuff Saturday morning. As Bubba Webb would say, "It was country come to town," she laughed.
Sharing the fun were Steve and Charlene Webb; David, Debbie and Madeline Webb and Anna Frances Robinson; Daniel Webb, who is a sophomore at State, accompanied by a group of his Sigma Chi friends; Emily Allen; Jill, Russ, Sam and Ben Lyle; Joy and Perry Willis; Mike, Mitze and Ben Evans and Erin Kriete; and David and Jan Saunders. Thomas came by after the game with two of his teammates, Austin Wilbanks and Riley Saunders.
Bobby and Bette Posey took it all in at Mississippi Southern's opening game against Alcorn State. They were there for the Eagle Walk. My interpretation of the "walk" as Bobby told it to me begins at the alumni house and processes under the banner-adorned East Stadium. The Eagle parade, with police escort, is led by the USM cheerleaders, the Eagle mascot, the football players and coaches, and The Pride of Mississippi marching band, even the university president, Martha D. Saunders. "We got to shake hands with some of them," Bobby told me.
Tammy and George Tawater were there to watch their son, Cody Tawater, who is the long snapper for the Golden Eagles. Also at the game were Ross and Hester Gray whose son, Anthony Gray, plays defensive tackle for Mississippi Southern.
At Ole Miss, game day began on Beale Street in Memphis with a large pep rally, complete with cheerleaders and the marching Ole Miss Rebel band.
Jonni and Jason Myers, along with April and Chris Posey, were among the "sea of red" as Jonni described the enthusiastic Ole Miss supporters, as well as the team, "who came out rolling!"
Rhonda, Gene and Leah Tolbert rode to Memphis together on Saturday and went their separate ways. Gene and Leah met at the Liberty Bowl for the game on Sunday. Leah and her friend, Trisha McGrail, were part of the pre-game celebration on Beale Street. Rhonda watched the game on TV in Memphis with her sister, Gloria, and John Mulroy.
The Ole Miss Mars family was represented by Kim and James Mars, Sam Mars and Gillian Sparnecht. Adam and Casey and 4-year-old Mary Montgomery Mars stayed home with the family's newest little Ole Miss Rebel, Daniel Maddox Mars. "We've only missed two games," Casey told
me. "First when Mary Montgomery was born on Aug. 15 and this year when Maddox arrived on Aug. 19."
John White, his nephews, Joey Hayes and Rick Webb, and his brother-in-law Al Chadwick mixed golf with Ole Miss football when they spent the weekend at the Yogi Bear Campground in Horn Lake. Johnny and Gabriel White flew in from Lebanon, Pa. to join them.
I got caught red-handed, and I mean that literally, when I picked up a rock on the road of the Molpus-McCoy-Webb lake site to add to my rock garden collection. Just as I picked up the red-mud covered rock, Pam McCoy came by. I told her how much Frances Molpus, Billie Latting, Billy Greenleaf and I, who were at the Molpus house, had enjoyed the happy sounds coming across the lake the day before. While the laughter and chatter sounded like a big party, "It was just Jimmy and me and our 4-1/2-year-old nephew, Gavin Clark," Pam told me. I'm sure Gavin had a lot of happy tales to tell his mom and dad, Connie and Chad Clark, when they picked him up after a fun-filled Labor Day weekend at the lake. I might add that the chicken they cooked on the grill sent a tantalizing aroma across the water.
Have you read what's going on in the Possum Creek Chronicle, the weekly newspaper in Possum Creek? Well, as you know, that's where "The Casserole Patrol" lives and each Wednesday, you can read the latest news from Possum Creek on Facebook. Become a fan of The Casserole Patrol on Facebook and each Wednesday you will receive the latest news from Possum Creek.
Some of the tidbits from the Possum Creek Chronicle include:
The Colonel and his wife, Geraldine, have returned from the Polka Dance Off. They finished in 10th place. There were only 11 couples. I guess the new Mrs. Colonel is not as light on her feet as his late wife, Mavis.
Maudie hosted Bunco at her house last week. A fight broke out when it was discovered that Wilma Jane was using loaded dice. It took Mona Lee, Tiltsie, Flora May and Gracie to pull Earnestine off of Wilma Jane. No one knew where Manzie Lou was. Come to think of it, no one knew where Thomas Ray was either.
Flora May is starting a new "Disco for Divas" dance class entitled 'The John Travolta Moves." Tiltsie offered to play the disco songs on the accordion. Everyone voted that down.
The new fall fabrics are in and Juanita has purchased all the fall purple fabric. She says that it is too beautiful to cut up. I guess she will be wearing togas this season.
Don't forget that The Casserole Patrol will be in full form when they hit the stage for their upcoming Christmas play "Casseroles and Mistletoe." The event will take place Nov. 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. For more details, contact the Philadelphia-Neshoba County Arts Council at 656-9838.
