Category: Dispatches

Greetings! I found this Letter To The Editor in Sunday’s fish wrapper of interest. The last paragraph is thought-provoking. Later Concerned Gaters! “Walls do work. The author from Carriere asserts that walls fail – Maginot Line, Hadrian’s Wall, and the Great Wall of China – is without factual merit (Jan. 6 letter: Instead of a […]

Good morning! The Good Book tells us in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” What is a peacemaker? According to an Open Windows devotion, it’s this: “A true peacemaker seeks not only to maintain a loving attitude in the face of their enemies but […]

I have never understood why people hate! I’ve just heard on the evening news that Dillon Roof has been sentenced to death for his horrendous murders of nine innocent people just because they were a different color than he was. When I saw that one of the victims was 87, I could not help but […]

It’s funny how the sparkling bubbles in a bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne can loosen one’s memories. Looking back over the past 72 years, I don’t regret what I did for love. However, I do regret what I did searching for that which I thought was love. Youth is wasted on the young, but […]

Greetings! Lift a toast to the New Year! I pray for thee,      Dear friends of mine. That all earth’s      Happiness will be thine. And even as the      Year’s increase, That Father God will give      Thee Heavenly peace. Happy New Year to all my friends and friends! Big hug!

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 about the lost days that have sifted through the hourglass of my life. I can, however, remember […]

With bittersweet tears and profound sadness, I must report the passing of a dear friend, Gloria Gaines. Earlier this evening, God, in His infinite mercy and love, called dear Gloria Home. Home to Heaven. No more pain–cancer had caused her so much during the past four years. No more tears–she had shed many in private […]

Greetings! It’s been an interesting few days. Christmas Eve, there was a storm which brought with it wind and rain. Christmas morning I discovered that the storm has separated my pergola from the back of our house. Yikes! What a mess! Happy New Year, Mr. Kalberg! LOL! The Kalbergs have also had another discovery that […]

Greetings! This makes for interesting reading, but I think this man is like many others on the Left: a fearmonger. Mr. Wassermann wrote “that the entire Nazi ideology is in place and wonders how far it will go here. We can hope that our government of checks and balances will be more resistant than the […]

Greetings! Had there been no cradle in Bethlehem, there would have been no Home for us in Heaven. Merry Christmas to all my FB family and friends. Big hug, y’all!

Greetings! Ask, and ye shall receive. Thank you, Santa Baby, for sliding down the chimney and tucking a ticket under my Christmas Tree for a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. And even though they were naughty—very naughty in some cases —thank you for doing the same for Rhonda, Wayne, and James. Look […]

Greetings! In one of his encouraging posts, my former pastor, Dean Register, wrote, “The sting of death festers in our soul.” How true, how true. However, he reminds us that Immanuel—God with us—cures the soul and gives us hope and strength for today and all of our tomorrows. Many dear friends are experiencing their Christmas […]

      The mere mention of Christmas evokes memories of times, places, loved ones, and friends, perhaps now long gone. Remember twinkling Christmas tree lights reflecting off Shiny Brite ornaments? The smell of cinnamon sticks simmering on the stove? A gooey-delicious pecan pie? A loved one’s perfume? A dear friend’s cologne? Crisp, cold air? Crunchy snow? […]

Greetings on this windy, bleak, rainy day. While going through my ancient theater scrapbook created in 1969, I found this old KNS mailout for the 1993/1994 Coastal theatrical season—KNS THEATER, A Little Bit Of Broadway In Your Own Backyard! How true, how true! It’s hard to believe that season was almost 30 years ago. Mercy […]

Taking a bit of time off from this busy Christmas season, I decided to begin working on my Titanic Scrapbooks. Since she was discovered on Labor Day, 1985, still whispering to us from the pitch-black darkness of the chilly-cold Atlantic, I’ve clipped out newspaper and magazine articles about her that caught my eye. Since then, […]

Greetings! 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 not […]

Greetings! Life’s like a quilt, comprised of many pieces. Sometimes the pieces fit, sometimes they don’t. The great thing about piecing a quilt is that you can permanently remove the piece that doesn’t fit and replace it with one that does. Have a great week. Take care. Be safe. Later, Gaters! (Originally posted December 13, […]

Friends, wonderfully talented friends. But more importantly, they have the most beautiful hearts and kindest souls Happy Birthday, sweet Juliana! And I love you with my whole heart, Andy! Greetings! Thank you, Heather, for your kind words. Lovely ladies! Wonderful food! Sparkling conversation! Life is good! Big hug. (Originally posted December 13, 2021)

The snap I’ve posted shows Scrooge’s little world for the past two weeks. Neatly arranged—of course—are the accouterments of his trade, after all. The old boy did his best to entertain the audience that nightly filled the theater to overflowing. However, he was only a tiny part of the show. Had it not been for […]

Greetings! Wonder of wonders, even Bah Humbug Mr. Scrooge is in the Christmas spirit. He took his forty-year-old Christmas tree out of storage, gave it a bath, and adorned it with new and vintage ornaments. Another wonder, the old lights still worked. Big hug, y’all!

The Good Master, in His wisdom, keeps us on earth until it’s our time to go Home. How are you spending your remaining days? Sowing love, not hate? Sowing peace, not discord? Sowing right, not wrong? Sowing tranquility, not fear? Time’s a wasting. Use it wisely. Later Clocking-watching Gaters! (Originally posted December 11, 2020)

Those who know me know that I love an old saying. I think I got this from my sweet Granny from D”Lo, who had a saying for everything. Big hug, y’all! Did you know the saying “God willing and the Creek don’t rise” was about the Creek Indians and not a body of water? Benjamin […]

A little Christmas cheer from the Kalberg’s house to yours! My sweet Mama made this little tree in a ceramics class. It, like so many of my aging Christmas decorations, is what helps make Christmas, Christmas. Each year, I unwrap them from yellowing tissue paper and place them in the same spot as the previous […]

The following Sound Off is in today’s fish wrapper: “I was in the Friday night audience at the Mary C. Cultural Center for their Mary Christmas Spectacular. And that it was! Kudos to the many great performers, the director, and his crew. The young man who played Scrooge was a hoot!” The YOUNG man who […]

December 2nd to the day. Two years ago at the Lady May. How could I know you’d go away? Forever goodbye, so you say? What a sad, sad day.

One of my favorite paintings is Rest on the Flight into Egypt, 1879, by Luc-Olivier Merson. Fleeing persecution at the hands of Roman authorities, the Holy Family takes refuge in Egypt. Joseph dozes beside a dying campfire while his donkey grazes on sparse desert grass. At left sleep, Mary and infant Jesus crowned with a […]

Greetings! This is my all-time favorite version of Fitzgerald’s timeless literary masterpiece about unrequited love. I saw it at the picture show in 1974 and still have the original movie poster, which I see each time I drive in and out of my garage. Tis’ true: “Gone is the romance that was so divine.” Big […]

Greetings! And yet another review of my novel, “A Chasing of the Wind.”  My dear friend, Janie Still Walters, an international speaker, sent me her thoughts and comments about my novel. If you need a great pick-me-up type of book, I highly recommend her delightful “The Garbage Truck Comes On Tuesdays and Fridays.” She goes […]

In this race called Life, we often find ourselves dashing about, hither and yon, in search of those things we think will make a difference in our lives. And in our mad dash, we often fail to remember that in the end, a dash of another kind will be the only thing that denotes our […]

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, […]

My Dad, the Marine, often shared a poignant memory with me. When he lived in Chicago in the 1930s, he recounted that on November 11th, if it coincided with a school day, he and his classmates, along with the entire school staff, would stand in the auditorium at 11:00 in solemn silence for two minutes. […]

      Dear President Trump – Congratulations on your decisive win. Early this morning, I read a statement by NBC writer Jonathan Allen, who stated you are “The most polarizing figure in modern American politics…” He went on to say that you “now preside over a nation deeply driven by social, racial, cultural and economic hostilities,” […]

About a week or so ago, Freddie Bentley, a reality star and instagrammer, stared that teaching history, particularly about WWII, is detrimental for Millenials’ mental health. Today, we remember Kristallnacht, the NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS, which is one of the many reasons we SHOULD teach WWII history. If you don’t know what the Night of […]

The Clown’s Lament by AWK. Laugh, and the world laughs with me! Weep, and I weep alone. For this dying old earth laughs at my mirth, But cares little if I have struggles of my own. Sic vita est! (Originally published November 9, 2022)

I’ve heard my Democratic friends say, “If Mr. Trump wins, it’s the end of our country as we know it!” My Republican friends say, “If Mrs. Clinton wins, it will be a mini-Armageddon!” Doom and gloom are all around. Some might even say that the very pallbearers who carted away the ancient Roman Empire to […]

I am thankful that the elections are over. 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, a majority has elected you, and the Electoral College—a wounded nation looks to you for leadership. To the Republican-controlled […]

“I’m Hothouse Rose, from God knows where…” The opening lyrics to one of Cole Poter’s lesser-known songs drifted through the air. The song may not have been famous, but the lady singing it was. Over the years, she had entertained countless audiences at Gulfport Little Theater and was one of the theater’s favorite actresses, leaving […]

Another review of A Chasing of the Wind, by Carol Szymanski, Fine Arts Chairman, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX. “This weekend, I read A Chasing of the Wind. Move over Faulkner, Williams, Welty, and Grisham—Mississippi has a new Southern writer. I give it TWO thumbs up! When you finish, you will feel like you really know […]

Greetings! Need a good time filled with knee-slapping, belly-aching laughter, a hilarious script, and a fantastic cast? Then you don’t want to miss Biloxi Little Theatre’s production of “I Hate Hamlet!” I laughed ’til I was hoarse. Ryan Reinike and Boyce Deaton are a talented team. If they are paired in a drama, as in […]

Greetings! As a child in the 1950s, Mom, Dad, and I frequently ate lunch in the dining room of the Edgewater Gulf Hotel after church. After lunch, they would sit in comfy lawn chairs while I romped and played under the cathedral of oaks that graced the manicured lawn. In the fall, the grounds were […]

Greetings! The Times-Picayune posted an article about the Hard Rock Casino collapse. It included this about the Saenger: “Impact of a possible fall: If the cranes fall, it would likely cause major destruction to the area near Rampart and Canal streets because of the size and weight of the cranes. Both cranes are about 270 […]

Greetings! Dear Miss Gish lived to be 99. Apparently, her life’s philosophy worked. Smart lady from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Follies Of God  · “I made a decision very early in my life that I was going to be happy and successful–a winner at things. I wasn’t going to be defeated by slights and trivialities. I have always […]

“It’s hard to believe they are gone. The piers are still there. The bon voyage baskets, piled high with impractical fruits and jellies, still line the shelves of the gourmet shops. In midtown Manhattan, there’s even a postcard still for sale, showing the Queen Elizabeth, Mauretania, a Sylvania-class Cunarder, the America and the Independence lying […]

Greetings! This statement was posted on a former friend’s FB page, former being the operative word. This is a prime example of one of the many things wrong with our dear county. With the swirling rain demon approaching Florida and its terrified citizens, the only thing we, as American Citizens, should be doing is praying […]

     When it comes to acting, there are times when I find it easier to direct my energy toward the mundane than to practice the intellectual discipline and imagination that acting requires.     As I sit learning lines for the upcoming production of “Scrooge The Musical,” the demons of doubt dance in my mind. They whisper […]

Mornin’ Y’all! Thirty-three years ago, we were battening down the hatches, awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Elena. She made landfall on September 2 as a Category 3 hurricane, sashaying up Gulfport’s 25th Avenue with pounding wind and thick rain. Because the Coast had other things on its mind, we missed the announcement of one of […]

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” Poignant movie dialogue for […]

“As a student in the 1960s, I knew only the legend of Dresden because it was just about all that was ever printed. Like so many others of my age, I had learned of the city’s destruction principally through a work of fiction: Kurt Vonnegut’s acidly surreal masterpiece, “Slaughterhouse-Five.” Frederick Taylor, author of “Dresden–Tuesday, February […]

Good evening! Anne’s always been a fascination to me. She epitomizes the loss of an entire generation of Jewish teenagers in the Holocaust, who might have gone on to cure cancer, or write a world-famous novel, or paint a lasting image in oils. But her dreams, like the dreams of millions of Jews and Gentiles […]

“Just think, young man,” Mr. Scrooge said with a sparkle in his eyes. “In an hour, this old theater will be packed to the balcony. “I’m scared,” said the young man with fear in his eyes. “My child, don’t be,” Mr. Scrooge said. “We rehearsed; we know our songs and our blocking. Just do what […]

Morin’ Y’all! Ever endured a traumatic experience? Sudden loss of your job, home, or someone you love? Ever sat in the darkness of that loss, wondering where to go or who to turn to? Many will only turn to God when they are stumbling in the darkness, falling to their knees, begging for help and […]

“This book explores the origins, manifestations, and treatment of Vaslav Nijinsky’s madness. The successful first half of his life has become legendary, but his breakdowns and terrible decline have never been fully described.” Thus begins Peter Ostwald’s powerfully evocative book about the life and times of one of the most successful performing artists of the […]

For those of us who were privileged to know Dr. Bobby Perry, you know what a gentle but powerful man of God he was. His obituary was filled with his many lifelong accomplishments, as he took the gifts that God had given him, using them to bring folks from all walks of life to a […]

Greetings, Dear Ones! Thankfully, what took four weeks to create only took a mere three days to dismantle. The Ocean Liner Exhibition was a lifetime dream! A massive THANK YOU to those who made that dream come true. What would life be without dreams? Right? A big THANK YOU to all those who came to […]

Mornin’ Y’all! My dear friend, Janie Steel Walters, sent me this little happy via the morning post. As I age, I’ve found that a sense of humor-being able to laugh at yourself and your foibles-is worth its weight in gold. Gold may pass away, as will your youth, but the memory of a good laugh […]

ONE SINGULAR SENSATION! That’s my take on Friday night’s performance of Biloxi Little Theater’s production of “A Chorus Line.” A glittered top hat off to the gifted director, Aaron Lind, and his brilliantly talented cast and crew. Their months of “blood, sweat, and tears” paid off, as was evident by the audience’s reaction to this […]

      The final performance of a play, especially a musical, is always bittersweet. There is a touch of happiness and sadness as the curtain closes and the stage lights dim. The glue that held the play together—rehearsals, set building, costume fittings, lighting, and sound—dissolves, and the cast and crew return to the real world.      […]

Greetings! This picture brought tears to this jaded, old fool’s eyes. What a profound statement in iron and marble that illustrates the Good Book’s words: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the […]

Following up on last week’s book about Nicholas and Alexandra’s lost life and times, I could not pass up a book about Rasputin, one of the main characters involved in the collapse of the Romanovs. Edvard Radzinski’s “The Rasputin File” begins with this sentence: “On 19 December 1916, just before Christmas in the last December […]

Small world, ain’t it! This wonderful house is owned by Mrs. Emma Foy, a grand dame from the Old School, as we say down South. While searching the internet for a snap of a grand old house to use on the cover of my novel, “A Chasing of the Wind,” I came across Miss Emma’s […]

Jason Follett on the Facebook site—Celebrating British & Irish Entertainment—wrote this about one of my favorite authors, Charles Dickens. “Charles Dickens’ novels were immensely popular across all social classes, including the illiterate poor, during the 19th century. His works, rich in vivid characters and dramatic storytelling, captured the imaginations of many, regardless of their ability […]

“If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture–Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself–ye do well.” Everyone deserves a gentle word or a simple act of kindness, regardless if they are in your comfort zone or not. As you pass others today, try to see them through God’s eyes…struggling fellow sinners in need […]

This book, by author Peter Kurth, begins thusly: “The morning of March 6, 1913, was cloudy in St. Petersburg—laden would be a better word to describe the heavy skies, the mist, the torrent of rain, and occasional roll of thunder that broke over the city on what was meant to be a day of national […]

Greetings! I borrowed this from The Point Facebook site. It was posted by Archie Louis Sellier Jr. I thought Coastal Friends and Family would find it interesting. Surely, during the Civil War, the Yankees weren’t fooled by…well…read and make up your own mind. Later Gaters! Biloxi Bacon: “While on the pier today catching minnows for […]

FUN TIME! Name the first horror picture you saw that scared you to death…and why. Me? “The Creature From The Black Lagoon!” It was the first time a body suit was worn to create a monster. When that long, bony, claw-like hand came out of the water, and I first saw the creature’s eyes, I […]

One month ago, our in-ground pump, with which I water our lawn, rusted out and had to be replaced. About that time, lightning struck a towering pine tree in our neighbor’s yard, taking out our air conditioning, my answering machine, and my computer. The a/c was up and running by late afternoon the next day; […]

The First Lines and Last Lines of the book EMPTY MANSIONS, THE MYSTERIOUS LIFE OF HUGUETTE CLARK. “Huguette and Andree, daughters of the multimillionaire former senator W.A. Clark, arrived in New York Harbor in July 1910, immigrants to their own country.” So begins this fascinating book, which reveals a complex portrait of a secretive lady […]

Goodbye, Dear James Henry. I knew the laugh before I knew the man. It was a bellowing hoop-of-a-laugh, and I first heard it over 25 years ago at an audition for “Scrooge, The Musical,” directed by Kinard Fite at the Saenger Theater. I did or said something silly during the audition and then heard “the […]

THE FIRST LINES AND LAST LINES – THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY      “The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering […]

When it comes to acting, there are times when I find it easier to direct my energy toward the mundane than to practice the intellectual discipline and imagination that acting requires. As I sit learning lines for the upcoming production of “Scrooge The Musical,” the demons of doubt dance in my mind. They whisper their […]

          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, […]

On this date, fifty-four years ago, at exactly 9:28 p.m., the electricity failed at 1007 Wilson Drive. When it was restored three weeks later, the Mississippi Gulf Coast of my childhood was nothing more than a sepia-toned memory. Lest we forget those 250 souls, who perished in the storm’s savage winds and surging water, along […]

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world. And the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend. Man is forced to be alone by the very nature of society. But if you meet a person who is not envious,who loves and appreciates whatever is noble and loving in another…then […]

Today, a week ago, our production of West Side Story ended. The curtain came down, the costumes were packed up, the sets were dismantled, and our makeup was removed. The director, crew, and cast members returned to our respective lives, doing what we do in regular events. But even though the production had ended, the […]

Miss Pete! Happy 100th Birthday to you, dearest lady! When Miss Pete was born in 1923, Walt Disney founded the Walt Disney Company. TIME magazine was printed for the 1st time. The top song of the day was band leader Paul Whiteman’s “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.” The Hollywoodland sign was created. Oranges were fifty […]

“I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot County, Maryland. I have no knowledge of my age… From that time until now, I have been engaged in pleading the cause of my brethren, with what success, and with what devotion, I leave those acquainted with my labors to […]

Regardless of your belief or non-belief in God, the Old Testament Book of Proverbs is a timely collection of ancient wisdom–wisdom that can still be applied to our lives in the 21st Century. Proverbs 6:16-19 list seven things that God hates: 1. Arrogant eyes 2. A lying tongue 3. Hands that shed innocent blood 4. […]

What are the characteristics of teachable people? Those people who are willing to learn from the mistakes of those older and wiser, those seeking advice on life’s thorny issues? To be a teachable spirit is necessary for living a meaningful and successful life. Valuing and receiving instruction from wise counselors is central to the Bible’s […]

Since first treading the boards forty-nine years ago, I’ve learned that the best theater is theater that creates magic. And magic was certainly created at yesterday’s Sunday Matinee for Center Stage’s “Sweeney Todd.” The unique blend of Sondheim’s haunting, discordant music, the evocative sets, and the cast’s period costumes magically transported the audience back to […]

“A destiny that leads the English to the Dutch is strange enough; but one that leads from Epsom into Pennsylvania, and thence into the hills that shut Altamont over the proud coral cry of the cock, and the soft stone smile of an angel, is touched by that dark miracle of chance which makes new […]

Dear Mom, I’m sending you a letter via heavenly mail. I’m not sure how mail works up there, but I hope you get this. Happy Mother’s Day to you! It’s bittersweet not having you here to wish you this in person. The past few months without you have been lonely ones, but I’m happy to […]

     For those who knew my father, you know he could be quite gregarious, 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 was enjoying a good book, usually […]

Dear friends, you know that I love stores from the Great Depression! Here are some old-time preacher stories via The Simpson County News. In the 1930s, Preacher Blair met a bootlegger on the streets of Mize, Mississippi. The bootlegger waved a $100 bill in the preacher’s face and said, “I know you won’t accept this […]

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, DAD! Let me thank you for providing the secure, loving environment in which I was reared; for the house you bought us, the same house in which I live today; for instilling in me a love of history; for teaching me the value of money, getting a job, and learning to live […]

Dad, the bear, and me. Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago, 1955. Miss you Dad! But we’ll all be together soon.Happy Father’s Day!

For those who knew my father, you know he could be quite gregarious, 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 was enjoying a good book, usually one […]

About a week ago, I watched “Saving Private Ryan” for the first time. For those who have seen the movie, you know that the opening scene depicts the landing in all its gory, bloody horror. The screams of the dying and the shouts of the living to move forward under withering machine gun fire are […]

Happy Birthday Mom! You’d be 94 today. Miss you so much, but glad you are Home! And one sweet day… (Originally published June 6, 2020)

Today, June 6th, would have been my dear mother’s 95th birthday, had God not called her Home on a rainy-cold February morning in 2019. My dear father’s 95th birthday would have been in April of this year, had God not called him Home on a freezing-cold January afternoon in 1997. Thankfully, I was holding their […]

I picked these flowers just for you. Remember when you, Granny, and I planted hydrangeas on the north side of the house in 1962? They’re still there, lovely flowery bundles of pale, azure blue. Happy to report the snappy zinnias and the lush caladiums that you so loved are thriving. And the crape myrtles that […]

Hey! Mom! You little boy, now the old man, wishes you a Happy 97th Birthday! I miss you so much. All my love, Andy. (Originally published June 6, 2023.)

Why are some of the most gifted, talented artists, writers, actors, and musicians – like Van Gogh, Hemingway, Robin Williams, and Mozart – seemingly possessed by “demons”?       Could the demons in their minds be the very essence of their creativity, the driving force behind the beauty in their works of art, the power in […]

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, their little, bushy-green haloes slowly emerge from God’s rich earth. Their pinks, greens, and […]

For those of us at dear ol’ First Baptist Church Gulfport old enough to remember our beloved Kraker, these snaps should bring back a memory or two! She was a pillar of our church, always ready with a bit of scripture or an uplifting word. Some of the happiest, carefree moments of my life were […]

Good evening! Many of you have sent me kind words concerning my scribbles, as I call them. Sometimes silly, sometimes sad, but hopefully always entertaining, they are my little dispatches from home. That’s going to be the title of my next literary endeavor: Dispatches from Home. A new book? No, not that. Just a line […]

Dispatches from Home! My Last Performance. Forty-nine years ago this month, it all began. There was a phone call. A request to audition. Some cajoling to do so. Then there were the rehearsals. Learning music. Memorizing lines. Getting fitted for a costume. There was a silly wig. And silly shoes. Opening Night rolled around. The […]

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, conjured memories of my High School days in the 1960s. […]

In 1865, the Sultana, a Mississippi riverboat loaded with Civil War wounded, exploded and burned; over 1,500 died. In 1914, the Empress of Ireland collided with another ship; 1,012 died. In 1915, the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine; 1,200 died. In 1940, the Lancastria, part of the Dunkirk evacuation, was hit by the […]

On Sunday night, April 14, 1912, George and Eleanor Widener hosted one of the most famous dinner parties on board the Titanic in the ship’s elegant À la Carte Restaurant. The room was the last word in luxury. The tables were set with fresh flowers, bone china, and sterling silver. The amber-ish glow of crystal […]