Dispatches from Home – TITANIC! Grandeur and Coal Dust.  

Dispatches from Home – TITANIC! Grandeur and Coal Dust.  

     TITANIC! The mere mention of the name conjures sepia-toned images of elegant ladies and sophisticated gentlemen gliding up and down the Grand Staircase as they stroll to the Jacobean-style dining room or the cozy warmth of their walnut-paneled staterooms. Even the steerage passengers were exposed to luxuries heretofore unknown by them. Electric lights. Fresh […]

Dispatches from Home – First Baptist Gulfport 125 th Anniversary September 19 2022

Dispatches from Home – First Baptist Gulfport 125 th Anniversary September 19 2022

Dispatches from Home – 125 Years! September 19, 2021      On a Sunday evening in the hot summer of 1966, my dear parents and I joined Gulfport’s First Baptist Church. As we walked down the aisle, and the pastor, Dr. William Tanner, greeted us, I was fascinated by the greenish-amber stained-glass dome soaring over our […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Daisy, Jay, Nick, Jordan, and Me. September 2023

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Daisy, Jay, Nick, Jordan, and Me. September 2023

“The Great Gatsby” is one of my favorite novels and movies. I’ve reread the novel twice, just within the last year or so, and watched the 1974 movie (my favorite version) about three weeks ago. Every time I read or watch “The Great Gatsby,” I discover a heretofore unknown treasure. Fitzgerald’s masterpiece weaves a rich […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: Titanic Strikes Iceberg April 14, 1912. Fast forward to April 16th, 1912. April 2015

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: Titanic Strikes Iceberg April 14, 1912. Fast forward to April 16th, 1912. April 2015

When we read about the Titanic, its 1st Class passengers, with their gilded wealth and posh lifestyles, are always front and center. 2nd Class passengers are mentioned too, a myriad of preachers, missionaries, businessmen, teachers, and middle-class families. When 3rd Class passengers are mentioned, most have one thing in common—the better life awaiting them in […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: Father’s Day Vacation. 1956. June 21 2020

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: Father’s Day Vacation. 1956. June 21 2020

The Kalberg Family’s at Silver Springs, Florida. Mom packed us a huge lunch and off we went for a picnic. There’s Pop sporting some cool sunglasses while eating a delicious homemade bacon and tomato sandwich. And there’s me hugging a cold, coke-a-cola in a small bottle. Mom took the picture. Life was good! Pop, it’s […]

Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day May 9, 2021.

Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day May 9, 2021.

Micah 6:8 – “Do Justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God.” – was one of my dear mother’s favorite Bible verses. She was so inspired by this verse that she cross-stitched it as a New Year’s resolution in 1989. In her old red Bible, she wrote: “DOING justly means righting wrongs, championing the oppressed, being […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – NEW YEAR’S EVE 2019.

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – NEW YEAR’S EVE 2019.

As Father Time shuffles off this mortal coil and awaits the arrival of the New Year baby, I’ve come to the end of the year and the decade amazed at how quickly 3,650 days disappeared. I’ve also pondered the grains of sand that have sifted through the hourglass of my life. I can, however, remember […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Were your Proud Dad? Father’s Day 2021

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Were your Proud Dad? Father’s Day 2021

“I love you.” To my knowledge, my dear father never said these words to me. But did he love me? He was, after all, a man who grew up in hard times and lived with the limitations of a heart seared by childhood scarlet fever. During the Great Depression, when Dad was in his teens, […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – TEA AND SYMPATHY THREE TIMES THE CHARM August 13 2020

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – TEA AND SYMPATHY THREE TIMES THE CHARM August 13 2020

As I enter my “golden” years, I often sit in the still quiet of the morning, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, pondering what the future holds and the past reveals.Thoughts of the future usually find me traveling down a bumpy road, ending in a dead-end. It’s best to leave those thoughts at […]

Dispatches from Home – Julia, Charles, Sebastian, and Brideshead Revisited. August 22 2022

Dispatches from Home – Julia, Charles, Sebastian, and Brideshead Revisited. August 22 2022

Ever had a TV series change your life? I have. The 1981 Masterpiece Theater series, Brideshead Revisited, based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh, was that life changer. While watching it, I was whisked back to Oxford, England, in the 1920s. The ancient buildings, the men’s clothes, and their posh manners, coupled with the intrigue […]

Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day, May 14, 1967.

Dispatches from Home – Mother’s Day, May 14, 1967.

In the 1960s, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was suspended in time. Unlike today, there were no high-rise apartment buildings, garish casinos, ballparks, or aquariums. There were, however, magnificent houses, grand old hotels, mom-and-pop motels, full-service gas stations, sophisticated nightclubs, and a few not-so-sophisticated ones. Time wasn’t necessarily standing still, but it certainly wasn’t winning any […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Wisdom. June 29 2020

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Wisdom. June 29 2020

In a country torn apart by race, anarchy, murder, and death, the Book of Proverbs is a good read for those who long for wisdom in these dark days. Even if you believe the Judeo-Christian Bible is nothing more than a book of fairy tales or at best, a quasi-history book, it can still be […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – The Looking Glass and You! November 25 2020

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – The Looking Glass and You! November 25 2020

With the onslaught of a caustic election, coupled with a toxic virus, I’ve heard people say, “I have nothing to be thankful for.” Really? Let me tell you what I’m thankful for. After a good night’s sleep, I awoke this morning and planted my feet on the softness of a Persian rug. Thankfully, my feet, […]

Dispatches from Home – Christmas Day, December 25, 2022.

Dispatches from Home – Christmas Day, December 25, 2022.

For those who know me, you know that I keep a journal, which I started in 1966. I was fourteen. Reading back over the years is bittersweet – the mountain tops, the valleys; the gains, the losses; the loves, the unrequited loves; but most of all, it’s the memories of bygone days that jump off […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – We Always Drove East. Happy Thanksgiving! November 25 2021

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – We Always Drove East. Happy Thanksgiving! November 25 2021

When I was a child in the late 50s and early 60s, Thanksgiving was always a family affair. Mom, Dad, and I usually celebrated it alone, just the three of us enjoying a simple, pleasant time together. Mom cooked a traditional meal for lunch, I helped wash the dishes, and then we were off on […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: A BITTERSWEET NEW YEAR’S MEMORY January 1 2021

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: A BITTERSWEET NEW YEAR’S MEMORY January 1 2021

“Kal! We’re going to Disney World for New Year’s! And we’re staying at the Grand Floridian! I won’t take NO for an answer!” I could almost feel Aston’s excitement crackling through the phone lines. “I’ve not seen you in years,” his voice pleaded, “Please go with me.” It had always been hard to tell him […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: KNS’s 1991 SHOWBOAT…Old Times…Days not Forgotten. September 28 2020

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: KNS’s 1991 SHOWBOAT…Old Times…Days not Forgotten. September 28 2020

While watching old movies, I often wonder if the actors who appear in them ever watch themselves on TCM. As they stroll down memory lane, what do they see in the flickering gray light of their former theatrical glory? Do they chuckle at their pratfalls, draw a deep breath remembering an uncomfortable costume, or wipe […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Saying Goodbye To Mom. May 31 2019

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Saying Goodbye To Mom. May 31 2019

Death is multifaceted. After a loved one passes away, first comes the pain of loss, the tears, the funeral, the closing of the casket, and the cemetery. Not long after, though, the business side of death comes calling. The will’s read, banks, and financial institutions are contacted, death certificates sent. After days, or weeks, or […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: CHRISTMAS EVE 2019

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: CHRISTMAS EVE 2019

Christmas is many things to many people. Giving special gifts. Traveling to unusual places. Fun with special people. But most of all, Christmas is a season of traditions. Each year at this time, families all over the world re-create those traditions. Perhaps it’s inviting family and friends to Christmas Day lunch, the same invites as […]

Dispatches from Home: Heaven Received Another Angel. February 22 2020

Dispatches from Home: Heaven Received Another Angel. February 22 2020

One year ago today, February 22, 2019, God called my dear mother Home. The morning was foggy with rain. A dull silence filled the house. I’d slept a somewhat sleepless night, pondering what the future held for Mom and me since she was practically bedridden. When I checked on her in the wee hours of […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Funerals and Sweet Remembrances. June 22 2022

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Funerals and Sweet Remembrances. June 22 2022

Because of my age, my friend’s parents are in their late 80s or early 90s. Attending their funerals is bittersweet—happily they’re Home, though, no more tears, no more pain. Their funerals evoke something else, too, another day and age. While waiting to offer my condolences to family members, I enjoy watching the sideshow of vintage […]

Dispatches from Home: The First Day of June 2020

Dispatches from Home: The First Day of June 2020

I love this month—warm days, somewhat cool nights, a respite before the onslaught of a sticky-hot, south Mississippi summer! I also love lilies and caladiums. It gives me great pleasure to lovingly plant the bulbs in winter. Then, in early spring, one by one, their little, bushy-green haloes slowly emerge from God’s rich earth. As […]

Dispatches from Home – Thoughts on turning Seventy. February 1 2022

Dispatches from Home – Thoughts on turning Seventy. February 1 2022

In 1962, at the ripe old age of ten, I remember thinking, “Seventy! Yikes! That’s really old!” As I sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my seventy-year-old Aunt Pocahontas Maria Price (yes, that was her real name), I studied the deep crevices in her sweet, wrinkled face. Her thick glasses made her eyes look like huge, deep-blue […]

Dispatches from Home – Four years ago. February 22 2023

Dispatches from Home – Four years ago. February 22 2023

Dear Mom, Oh! How I miss you! I don’t know where the past four years have gone since last I heard your sweet voice, felt the warmth of your loving touch, and saw the sparkle in your blue eyes. Do you remember the day we took this picture? It was in the early 2000s for […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Three years ago. February 22 2022

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – Three years ago. February 22 2022

Mama’s been in Heaven three years today. While sitting on the seawall this morning, looking out across the tawny-brown waters of the Gulf, the morning mist against my face, I thought of that rainy morning that God called her Home. I remembered Mama’s low, raspy breathing. How quiet and still she was. And how warm […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – I Never Had It So Good! January 22 2022

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – I Never Had It So Good! January 22 2022

Twenty-five years ago, the early morning air was thick with the smell of melting frost. Dusted with shards of sunlight, the ice glazed everything it touched with a kaleidoscope of prismatic colors. As I stood, looking out a window of Ochsner’s Intensive Care Unit, little did I know that come day’s end, the frost would […]

Dispatches from Home – Father’s Day 2019.

Dispatches from Home – Father’s Day 2019.

                  For those who knew my father, you know how gregarious he was, never meeting a stranger. Boy! Pop could talk, but only when he had something to say. Otherwise, he was hidden behind the latest issue of the Daily Error, as we old-timers loving call our local fish wrapper. If not reading the […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: THE ELECTION November 2020  

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: THE ELECTION November 2020  

                  I am thankful that the elections are over. Perhaps now we as a country can begin to heal. Let us put all rancor, hate, and violence behind us and move forward. Congratulations are in order. MR. BIDEN you’ve been elected by a majority and the Electoral College—a wounded nation looks to you for […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – The Ship of Dreams April 2020

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – The Ship of Dreams April 2020

By this time one-hundred and eight years ago, the real ship of dreams, R.M.S. Titanic, was no more than a twisted wreck, surrounded by a graveyard of people’s lives, memories, hopes, and dreams. Ever since my Dad and I watched the 20th Century Fox movie, “Titanic,” one Saturday afternoon in 1966, I’ve been mesmerized by […]

Dispatches from Home – The Dream June 2019

Dispatches from Home – The Dream June 2019

Early this morning, I had the strangest dream that I’ve had in recent memory. In it, I was sitting on the banks of a placid, indigo-blue lake. In front of me, a velvety carpet of verdant green grass, dappled by the sunlight shining through the trees, slowly sambaed its way to the water’s edge. Pairs […]

Dispatches from Home: Titanic 25 Years Later February 2023   

Dispatches from Home: Titanic 25 Years Later February 2023   

Twenty-five years ago, it was a windy, cold afternoon. I stood in a long line at the picture show with a massive crowd of strangers. After purchasing my ticket, I found my way to my favorite seat, under the projection booth window, and nestled into the seat’s turquoise-blue upholstery. Then I waited, waited with anticipation […]

Dispatches from Home – Pop and the Polar Bear June 2023  

Dispatches from Home – Pop and the Polar Bear June 2023  

My father loved to travel. His two favorite means of travel were the family auto or by train. Planes were a last resort because Pop loved to see the countryside. Two of our road trips by car are acid etched in my memory. One was in 1964 when I was 12. We were gone three […]

Dispatches From Home – The Book of Proverbs April 2020

Dispatches From Home – The Book of Proverbs April 2020

In a country torn apart by race, anarchy, murder, and death, the Book of Proverbs is a good read for those who long for wisdom in these dark days. Even if you believe the Judeo-Christian Bible is nothing more than a book of fairy tales or at best, a quasi-history book, it can still be […]

Dispatches from Home and London – The Day the Queen Died. September 8 2022

Dispatches from Home and London – The Day the Queen Died. September 8 2022

Good evening from London. We went to Westminster Abbey this afternoon. I was awestruck by its majesty and grandeur. Sam and I decided to go our separate ways while in the Abbey. Later in the day, I went looking for him, and found him in the tomb where Elizabeth I was interned. With an ashen […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: A Friendship Remembered July 2020 

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: A Friendship Remembered July 2020 

Who’s the chubby kid standing near the orchestra, I asked while sitting in the choir loft of Gulfport’s First Baptist Church? Don’t you know, replied a fellow choir member? His name’s Keith Ballard. He’s singing the boy soprano part in our cantata. And thus began my friendship with Keith. He was in the 6th grade, […]

Eleven Years Ago – Katrina: A Remembrance. 

Eleven Years Ago – Katrina: A Remembrance. 

 It was hot–very hot–on Saturday, August 27, 2005! While sitting in a wicker rocker sipping iced coffee and enjoying the cool of my balcony, I observed over two-thousand people running along Gulfport’s picturesque 2nd Street. Along the way, homeowners had set up cooling stations comprised of frozen bottles of water and garden hoses spraying a […]

Dispatches from Home: London Calling September 1 2023

Dispatches from Home: London Calling September 1 2023

By this time, a year ago today, I was on Delta flight 4874 bound for Atlanta. Later that evening, I flew out of Atlanta on Flight 0032 bound for London’s Heathrow Airport and the fulfillment of a fifty-five-year-old dream. The 1960s British TV show, The Avengers, instilled a dream in my heart. And my dear […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – 131 + 43 + 4+1 = 179 Titanic memories.

DISPATCHES FROM HOME – 131 + 43 + 4+1 = 179 Titanic memories.

While recently waiting in line for some eye meds at the local apothecary shop, I spotted what I thought was an old friend of mine, who seemed to whisper, “Please don’t leave me here. It’s been so long since last we met.” I didn’t and quickly picked up the reissued National Geographic magazine that initially […]

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: I WANT A MAGICAL SHREDDER FOR CHRISTMAS!

DISPATCHES FROM HOME: I WANT A MAGICAL SHREDDER FOR CHRISTMAS!

On Christmas Day, 2016, the sunlight slowly melted the delicate tracery of the morning frost hugging the rooftops on dear ole Wilson Drive. Little did I know that would be my last Christmas with my “mom.” Why the quotations? Although Mom was not called Home until 2019, Christmas 2016 was the last time she was […]

Dispatches from Home – 125 Years!

Dispatches from Home – 125 Years!

On a Sunday evening in the hot summer of 1966, my dear parents and I joined Gulfport’s First Baptist Church. As we walked down the aisle, and the pastor, Dr. William Tanner, greeted us, I was fascinated by the greenish-amber stained-glass dome soaring over our heads. I was fourteen. That walk and that decision is […]

A Bittersweet New Year’s Memory

A Bittersweet New Year’s Memory

     “Kal! We’re going to Disney World for New Year’s! And we’re staying at the Grand Floridian! I won’t take NO for an answer!” I could almost feel Aston’s excitement crackling through the phone lines. “I’ve not seen you in years,” his voice pleaded, “Please go with me.” It had always been hard to tell him […]

The Humming Bird

The Humming Bird

Who remembers the Hummingbird? One delightful June morning in the late 50s, Dad dropped Mom and me off at Gulfport’s train station. He then motored to New Orleans and would meet us there, while Mom and I rode the Hummingbird. I remember how smoothly the train glided out of the station, as we took our […]

The Ship of Dreams

The Ship of Dreams

By this time, one-hundred and eight years ago, the real ship of dreams, R.M.S. Titanic, was no more than a twisted hulk surrounded by a graveyard of people’s lives, memories, hopes, and dreams. Ever since my dad and I watched the 20th Century Fox movie, “Titanic,” one Saturday afternoon in 1966, I’ve been mesmerized by that […]

Love at an Early Age

Love at an Early Age

The mellow sunlight was warm. Clumps of azaleas paraded in their magenta finery. In his backyard, a little boy squealed with delight as his old tire-swing drifted back and forth. Oh! What a delicious Saturday afternoon it was! Then his dad called from the back porch, “Son, come inside and wash your hands…we’re going to […]

Dispatches from Home – February 2020

Dispatches from Home – February 2020

One year ago today, February 22, 2019, God called my dear mother Home. The morning was foggy with rain. A dull silence filled the house. I’d slept a somewhat sleepless night, pondering what the future held for Mom and me since she was practically bedridden. When I checked on her in the wee hours of […]

Dispatches from Home – New Year’s Eve 2019

Dispatches from Home – New Year’s Eve 2019

As Father Time shuffles off this mortal coil and awaits the arrival of the New Year baby, I’ve come to the end of the year and the decade amazed at how quickly 3,650 days disappeared. I’ve also pondered the grains of sand that have sifted through the hourglass of my life. I can, however, remember […]

Dispatches from Home – Christmas Eve 2019

Dispatches from Home – Christmas Eve 2019

Christmas is many things to many people. Giving special gifts. Traveling to unusual places. Fun with special people. But most of all, Christmas is a season of traditions. Each year at this time, families all over the world re-create those traditions. Perhaps it’s inviting family and friends to Christmas Day lunch, the same invites as […]

Dispatches from Home – Camille 1969 50 Years Ago August 2019

Dispatches from Home – Camille 1969 50 Years Ago August 2019

The crazy, chaotic summer of 1969 is remembered for many things: Woodstock, Chappaquiddick, the moon landing, the Zodiac Killer, and Charles Manson. But for those of us who lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we remember only one thing about that summer: Hurricane Camille. Her very name conjures visions of apocalyptic destruction, heartache, and death. […]

Dispatches from Home – Father’s Day 2019

Dispatches from Home – Father’s Day 2019

For those who knew my father, you know how gregarious he was, never meeting a stranger. Boy! Pop could talk, but only when he had something to say. Otherwise, he was hidden behind the latest issue of the Daily Error, as we old-timers loving call our local fish wrapper. If not reading the paper, he […]

I don’t want realism. I want magic!

I don’t want realism. I want magic!

I’ve learned from experience that it takes me a week or so to recuperate from the draining, emotional high that a play–especially a musical–conjures within me. During that time, the haunting words of Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Named Desire echo through my mind like a soothing elixir: “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” And […]

A Transforming Song

A Transforming Song

December 20, 2018, I first heard this song over 25 years ago while sitting in a darkened theater with friends. Christmas was just around the corner. Whenever I listen to it, I’m transported back in time to the beginning of one of the most tumultuous decades of my life, when I too…dreamed a dream. It was […]

Old Times. Old Friends. Old Days

Old Times. Old Friends. Old Days

While watching old movies, I often wonder if the actors who appear in them ever watch themselves on TCM. As they stroll down memory lane, what do they see in the flickering gray light of their former theatrical glory? Do they chuckle at their pratfalls, draw a deep breath remembering an uncomfortable costume, or wipe […]

Dispatches from Home – May 2018

Dispatches from Home – May 2018

Just finished watching Kenneth Branagh’s remake of Agatha Christie’s classic tale of murder on the Orient Express. While watching the movie, I could not help but think of a time in the not-to-distant future–when my dear mother no longer needs me–that I too may take a long train ride in the depths of winter. I […]

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day 2017 was spent at home. The demons of dementia are respecters of none, nor do they honor a special day set aside to honor our dear mothers. And this weekend, those demons have been very active, dashing around in my dear mother’s mind, snatching bits and pieces of her memory, jumbling them up and throwing them back at her.

Santa. Ducks. And Baked Bread.
A Christmas Memory!

Santa. Ducks. And Baked Bread.
A Christmas Memory!

The Holiday rush is once again in full swing. Halloween ghosts and ghoulies scare us. Thanksgiving turkeys fill us. And the twinkling lights of Christmas thrill us. These festive times are filled with family, friends and the joy of holiday memories. Many of those memories are wrapped in a pretty package of delightful smells. Candy corn. Pumpkin pies. And oyster dressing, thick with bell peppers, […]

Coast Ghosts

Coast Ghosts

Fall will soon come calling! Cool nights and crisp days. Monarch butterflies and jumping mullet. Popcorn trees draped with crimson leaves. Friday night football. Bonfires on the beach. But Fall is a prelude to something else–Halloween! Halloween, with its ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night! We fear the unknown, but why do we gravitate to it–that shadowy darkness at […]

Ten Years Ago – A Remembrance

Ten Years Ago – A Remembrance

It was hot–very hot–on Saturday, August 27, 2005. While sitting in a wicker rocker sipping iced coffee and enjoying the cool of my balcony, I observed over two-thousand people moving steadily along Gulfport’s picturesque 2nd Street. Along the way, homeowners had set up cooling stations comprised of frozen bottles of water and garden hoses spraying […]

Before The Drive-in’s There Were The Air Domes!

Before The Drive-in’s There Were The Air Domes!

They’re all gone now. The Do. The Don. The Beach. And the Moonlight. For those of us who grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, those names conjure up memories of our Drivein theaters. How can you forget going to the submarine races or the passion pit? Remember the little green citronella coil? You’d light […]

Dogs! And Cops! And Bats! Oh! My!

Dogs! And Cops! And Bats! Oh! My!

“And Lord, please protect us tonight from dogs and cops…” The prayer was suddenly interrupted by a whispered voice. “Pssst, don’t forget the bats,” I said. “And the bats, Lord, protect us from them as well. Amen!” Jimmy Curtrell added. He was the much adored music director of Gulfport’s First Baptist Church during the 70’s. […]

The Biloxi Point – A Christmas Memory

The Biloxi Point – A Christmas Memory

“Son, we’re going to the Point after church, so keep your suit coat on,” my Dad said. “The Point? Why there?” I asked. “Your mother has some Christmas goodies to deliver.” Dad rolled his eyes and smiled. “You know your mother. Mr. And Mrs. Clause all rolled into one.” Then, I rolled my eyes in dismay. I was fourteen. All I […]

Holy Mosquito Bite Batman! It’s Summer Time!

Holy Mosquito Bite Batman! It’s Summer Time!

Do you remember the ‘60s TV show, Batman? Twice weekly, Batman and Robin treated audiences to their own brand of campy slapstick comedy, awash in the fiendish antics of the Daring Duo’s roster of villains: the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler, as well as others. These cunning scoundrels taxed the Daring Duo’s patience, as […]

Public Enemy #1 on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Public Enemy #1 on Mississippi Gulf Coast

“Mother of Mercy…is this the end of Rico?” This famous line ended the classic gangster movie, Little Caesar, starring Edward G. Robinson. That line may have ended the movie, but it was the beginning of America’s fascination with gangsters. Hollywood peppered the public’s appetite with movies like Scarface, White Heat and The Public Enemy. Movies […]

Why Romney Didn’t Get Enough Votes to Win

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012  by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky Rabbi Pruzansky is the spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun The most charitable way of explaining the election results of 2012 is that Americans voted for the status quo – for the incumbent President and for a divided Congress. They must enjoy gridlock, partisanship, incompetence, economic stagnation […]

A Christmas Memory

A Christmas Memory

The Christmas shopping season is at the starting gate, chomping at the bit, awaiting the starting bell. And once rung, Coastal shoppers can race to a myriad of exciting shops. From the Blue Crab Gal- lery in Bay St. Louis to Gulfport’s Martin Miazza Gifts, and from Bi- loxi’s Paper Moon to Salmagundi in Ocean […]

Attention First Baptist Church Crystal Springs, Mississippi

In church this morning at FBC Gulfport, I was shocked (but not surprised) to hear of your decision to deny a black couple’s marriage in your sanctuary. Was it due to their color? Is it somehow related to church politics? Or a power struggle to rid the church of some member or staff member? Whatever […]

Tree + Swing = Kindergarten Memories

Tree + Swing = Kindergarten Memories

It’s that time again! Schools across the nation will open their doors to streams of children, hopefully eager to learn. Remember your first day of elementary school? Or kindergarten? What conjures up those long, lost days? Is it the scratchy sound of chalk on a blackboard? A nun’s sweet face as she raps your knuckles […]

Here’s the question: Are you a bully? Or were you the victim of one? I was the latter.

Reading about the poor teenager whose life has been irrevocably changed due to a spinal injury, the result of a bully’s fist punch to the boy’s abdomen, I was reminded of my days in High School. Thankfully, my injures were not physical, only mental.

The Sunken Gardens – Tranquility for the Shell-Shocked

The Sunken Gardens – Tranquility for the Shell-Shocked

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” And the Garden of Eden! Remember that story? The garden was beautiful. Adam was weak. Eve was curious. And the Serpent was beguiling. God created a perfect garden for Adam and Eve. But they didn’t maintain it too well and got kicked to the curb. Ever since then, kings and queens, and the rich and humble alike have attempted to recreate that perfect lost paradise.

King Nebuchadnezzar II built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – for his wife, homesick for the green mountains of her distant homeland. There’s debate over their actual existence, but archaeological digs near Babylon have unearthed massive mud brick arches, which many scholars believe are the foundations of the famous gardens. The jury’s out on this.

To my angered Legislators:

“Many lawmakers – mostly Republicans – were fuming mad Tuesday over an online campaign that had teachers and other public employees and retirees ringing their phones and filling their email in boxes with complaints over a vote they took last week.” – this was the opening paragraph of today’s local fish wrapper. Fuming mad? It’s […]

Spanish Moss – The South’s Mystical Elixir!

Spanish Moss – The South’s Mystical Elixir!

Spanish moss! The very
words epitomize the Deep
South more than any other native
plant. When Hollywood
portrays the South, it festoons
the set’s fake trees with the
wispy gray plant. Southern
artists splash it liberally onto
their canvases. Writers like
Faulkner and Tennessee Williams
evoke it in their writing.
Gordon Lightfoot even wrote
a song about it! But the name,
Spanish moss, is a misnomer.

Beauvoir Memories

Beauvoir Memories

Beauvoir was the last home in which Jefferson Davis lived. Mr. Davis, the only President of the Confederate States of America, occupied the house from 1877 until his death in 1889. After the War between the States, Mr. Davis was charged with treason, and imprisoned for two years, but was eventually absolved of any guilt. During that time he lost his fortune and his health.

Pass Christian, MS – A link to a famous murder, a famous ship, and a famous book!

Pass Christian, MS – A link to a famous murder, a famous ship, and a famous book!

Before Katrina came calling, Pass Christian was a charming little town consisting of tree-lined streets, quaint shops, and grand old mansions that hugged the shoreline along Scenic Drive. Since that time, Pass Christian has struggled to reinvent itself, but hope springs eternal, and progress is being made. Download PDF – KAL111

There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays!

There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays!

I’ll also take my old Magnavox record player out of the closet, along with several old Christmas albums. Putting a record on the turntable, the scratchy sound of needle to vinyl will bubble out of the two detached speakers, along with the rich baritone voice of Robert Goulet singing “There’s no Place like Home for […]

Moonlight and Moonshine

Moonlight and Moonshine

In the summer of my 13th year, I was introduced to an amazing concoction the country folk called moonshine. Moonshine! The very word conjures up images of bootleggers, Dolly Parton singing “Daddy’s Moonshine Still,” or perhaps Faulkner’s steamy novel, Sanctuary, with its equally steamy character Popeye, and his unsavory past in the bootlegging business. Download […]

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Ever wonder what the Christmas tree in the proverbial Grand Hotel looked like? Can you see it now, touching the lobby ceiling, draped with garland and twinkling lights, each evergreen bough laden with sparkling ornaments? And what about that smell, the fresh cool scent of pine or cedar! Download PDF – KAL409

The Merry Mansion

The Merry Mansion

You may be asking yourself what the first two statements have in common with the last? Our local real estate agents could answer that question with three words – Location! Location! Location! And that prime location would be the west corner of Hwy 90 and Lorraine-Cowan Road, where Fun Time USA once stood. Remember Fun […]

Hollywood – The Dream Factory

Hollywood – The Dream Factory

For almost one hundred years, the Dream Factory has created everything from sets and costumes, to movie stars and movie moguls. Many of the its glittering creations are iconic . Who could forget the creepy house at the top of the hill in “Psycho” or Scarlett’s green velvet dress made from her Mama’s portieres? Download […]