As you read this story, I ask that you grant me some indulgence. Deluges of rain for days cancelled the golf tournament and turned my story, as I wrote prematurely, into a fantasy. What you read is the way I planned it to be.
I, like you, have known so many people whose lives have been saved or enhanced because of the generosity of an organ donor. One of the ladies among the Welcome Center visitors in town last week was the grateful recipient of a kidney transplant donor. Locally, Carolyn Winstead's daughter, Anita, was the recent recipient of her Uncle Robert Barnett's kidney, while Steve Wilkerson received a liver transplant at UAB in January 2007.
Brent Phillips, son of Nell and Frank Phillips, is awaiting a lung transplant.
Last Thursday while attending the Viking Classic at the Annadale Golf Club, Pat Johnson and I visited with Lan Pickle and his friend and client, Kevin Stump, CEO of the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency in Jackson. As we watched John Daly, David Toms and Chris Di Marco finish up on the 18th green, Kevin spoke of his passion for his work, emphasing that each of us has the power to "Donate Life" by joining the Mississippi Donor Registry and becoming an organ, tissue and/or eye donor.
You may do so by logging on at www.DonateLifeMs.org, calling 1-800-690-8878, or when you renew your Mississippi Drivers License.
As of September 2009, there were 103,476 men, women and children on the national transplant waiting list. One organ donor can save the lives of 8 people and one tissue donor has the power to enhance the quality of life for 50-75 people. Sometimes, one donor can save the lives of 8 people and one tissue donor has the power to enhance the quality of life for 50-75 people.
Sometimes, one donor can help as many as 100 people. In Mississippi in 2008, there were 82 organ donors, 217 tissue donors and 308 eye donors. There are currently over 1,100 Mississippians on the organ transplant waiting list. Listening to Kevin talk, the words of this song kept playing through my mind, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going...Once you have experienced God's love, you want to pass it on!"
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Not even the rain could cancel the next phase of my weekend, alter it to be sure, but not cancel.
Leaving the golf tournament, I was to drive to Germantown to attend Grandparents Day at Presbyterian Day School with our 9-year-old grandson, Charlie Evans. Scott called early that morning to say, "Blair has the flu and you don't need to come into our infected environment."
He couldn't believe how well I accepted the disturbing news. He didn't know that the grandmother heart in me had sprung into immediate action. I got an affirmative response when I asked Annelle and Jim Rose in Olive Branch if I could spend the night with them. Nothing was going to stop Maw Maw from attending Grandparents Day with Charlie!
By the time I got to Jim and Annelle's, Scott and Blair had arranged a motel room for Charlie and me in East Memphis so that we could spend the night together.
Determined grandmothers always have a back-up plan.
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Tonya Neely, bureau manager of the Tourism Division of Mississippi Welcome Centers in Jackson, and her associates, Karen Matlock and Cheryl Eley, were in Philadelphia last week on the Fall Familiarization Tour of select Mississippi cities. Kaye Rowell, tourism director for Philadelphia/Neshoba County, greeted Welcome Center representatives from 21 cities encompassing Mississippi from the gulf coast to the most northern parts of the State.
With compliments to a well-planned and executed tour with Kaye at the helm and a very capable driver at the wheel of the motor coach, the "Mississippi greeters" left Philadelphia excited to share their first hand findings about our city with incoming Mississippi tourists.
Kaye expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped make the tour so successful.
Sharing the trip with Tonya, Karen and Cheryl were Cathy Sullivan: Washington County Welcome Center of Greenville, Arlene Jackson: Delma Furniss Hospitality Station of Lula, Doshie Crawford: DeSoto County Welcome Center of Hernando, Kimberly King: Delma Furniss Hospitality Station of Lula, Rita Johnson: Jackson County Welcome Center of Moss Point, Frances Simmons: Warren County Welcome Center, Sherry Brown: Alcorn County Welcome Center of Corinth, Arlene Stockstill: Hancock County Welcome Center of Pearlington, Michelle Jordan, Hancock County Welcome Center of Pearlington, Patricia Allen: Pike County Welcome Center of Osyka, Teresa Alred: Itawamba County Welcome Center of Tremont, Linda Woodworth: Jackson County Welcome Center of Moss Point, Ann Miller: Itawamba County Welcome Center of Corinth, Elaine McNeil: Pearl River Welcome Center of Picayune, Nancy Carter: Alcorn County Welcome Center of Corinth, Fay Alexander: Lauderdale County Welcome Center of Toomsuba, Chris Gales: DeSoto County Welcome Center of Hernando, Patsy Brown: Pike County Welcome Center of Osyka, Brenda Emmons: Pearl River Welcome Center of Picayune, Elmerree Bradley: Warren County Welcome Center of Vicksburg, Linda Norals: Washington County Welcome Center of Greenville.
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Millie and Boots Howell attended the Saturday evening performance of "The Monster Monologues" staged at The Cedars on Old Canton Road in Jackson. Their son, John Howell, was one of the seven writers who collaborated on the "very funny show" which features monsters with insecurity features. Fourteen monsters, including Dracula, delivered humorous monologues in the Fondren Theatre Workshop presentation. The Fondren Theatre Workshop began in 2003 in an attempt to create a theater community in Fondren. Quoting Diana Howell, John's wife and co-producer of Fondren, "Our first performance was 'Through the Looking Glass', a musical written by John. We put on three or four plays a year. We don't have a permanent home, so attendance ranges from 30 to 300, depending on the venue". Millie and Boots enjoyed dinner following the Saturday evening performance with John and Diana, co-producers of Fondren.
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According to Tatum Salter's grandmother, Kay Salter, the countdown had started in July... the countdown to the Miley Cyrus concert that was Friday, Oct. 23 in Birmingham. Gina, Owen and Kara Daly loaded up in the vehicle with Kay and Tatum Salter on Friday at noon and were on their way (with plenty of snacks and art supplies).
Ben, Sydnee and Gracee Wells left Brandon a short time before the Philly crew. Sydnee was sure to let us know that they were ahead of us (keeping Gina informed by text where they were!) We actually all arrived in Birmingham about the same time and got checked in our hotel and anxiously changed for the big event.
All the girls dressed in their best "Miley/Hannah" outfits and off we went. After much anticipation Miley appeared on stage and the crowd went crazy! I do think the adults enjoyed it as much as the kids. It was a fun-filled night and one that these kids will talk about for a long time.
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"There were thousands of people there", Kay told me. "I never dreamed we would see anyone we knew. Not so! I looked and there were Tony Alexander and his daughter, Jade, who according to Tony, "We had a wonderful time!"
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Betty and Barry Irons were among the guests with Philadelphia connections who were in Georgia last weekend to celebrate the wedding of their son, Dan Irons, to Sherol Scott. Dan and Sherol were married Saturday, Oct. 17, at the William Daniell Historic Home in Watkinsville, Georgia. As a special touch to the wedding, Sherol's mother, the Reverend Carol Scott, performed the ceremony. Dan's grandmother, Bobbie Irons Holley, unable to attend, sent her grandson's favorite cakes, strawberry and German chocolate with divinity icing, for the enjoyment of the young couple and their guests. Sharing the special time were Jenny Irons and George Hobor, Mary Margaret Irons, Kay Duett, William, Tara, Abby and Gully Yates, Larry, Debra and Kyle Stribling, Shane Reed, and Perry and Judy Thomas.
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At Anna Grace Smith's house, things got really spooky when her mother, Amy's guests from the Church of Philadelphia arrived all dressed up in Halloween costumes for their monthly evening of Bunko. They were greeted outside by a scarecrow and happy jack-o-lantern pumpkins arranged and lighted for Anna Grace's delight by her Aunt Janet Thrash. Enjoying the fun were Amy, Kim Trapp, Pam Smith, Kadee Watson, Tina Black, Heather Madison, Mandy Eakes, Rhonda Walker, Liz Graham, Angie Donald, Liza Strickland and Stacy Smith.
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Here are the latest tidbits from the Possum Creek Chronicle as provided to us by Laura Cole Thrash who thinks up all these crazy goings on! Juanita's husband, Jasper, is feeling poorly. She found him not breathing and turning a beautiful shade of purple. And since everyone knows that purple is Juanita's favorite color it took her a few minutes to call for help. She was admiring his lovely shade of violet. The members of the Casserole Patrol went by the hospital to see him. Juanita told them not to make a fuss over him 'cause she sure wasn't going to when he got home.'
Oda Mae received a letter from her son, Tony. He is coming for a visit. Oda Mae had hoped that he could make it for the big Veterans Day Parade. She has been selected to lead the parade. After all, there is no one in Possum Creek more patriotic than Oda Mae. Her house is painted red, white and blue and even her landscaping is in the shape of the American Flag. Oda Mae, we salute you. Your son should be very proud of you.
You may get your tickets for 'Casseroles and Mistletoe' by calling the Philadelphia/Neshoba County Arts Council office at 601-656-9838. Performances will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 3, 5, 6 and 7, with dinner served before the show in the old Magnolia Restaurant. The Sunday matinee will begin at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8.
