The young husband meant it when he told her, “We will, I promise. We’ll go. But honey, right now is a really bad time. The farm is needing so much money put into it, we just can’t go right now. But I promise, ONE DAY WE’RE GONNA DO IT.” She sighed softly, but she meant it when she answered, “I understand, I really do.” Years passed and she kept mentioning it, again and again. She knew he desperately needed a break from all the work. But she understood when he would have to tell her things like, “Darlin’, I know we haven’t ever gone. And yes, I remember I promised that we would. And we will. But, th’ thing is, my hired hand broke his arm, I can’t leave now.” Or, “Sweetheart, ya’ know this is calving season, no way I can leave now!” Another fifteen years flew by. The kids grew into teenagers, and left for college. The farm kept flourishing and expanding under their hard work and care. So much so, that whenever she mentioned getting away, his painful answer was much the same, “Oh, love, I can’t seem to find the time to even sit down and watch a full TV show! There just always seems to be something else waitin’ for me to do. There’s no possible way this year. Maybe next summer.” Eventually gray hair appeared, joints got stiffer, and the no-longer-young wife took to standing at the window of the dining room, staring longingly down the road that led to Some Where…anywhere. The still faithful, hardworking husband knew she spent time gazing out that window, dreaming of all the places they had never gone. But his job was still his job, and he took it very seriously. There just didn’t seem to be any time to pack a bag and walk away for a while. But the day finally came. He sold the farm, too tired and worn out for the upkeep any longer. With no chores, no animals and no farming, he was finally free to go. The money was tucked in their banking account, and they could go anywhere they wanted. So, one evening as they sat in their rocking chairs in the gentle evening breeze that cooled the front porch, he brought it up. The long-delayed vacation. “Where do ya’ want to go, sweetpea? Anywhere is fine with me, I promise. Just say the word, and we’ll pack and be gone.” With a choked voice, and tears spilling from her eyes, his beloved had to tell him the truth. “Oh, babe, I just don’t think I have the energy to go anywhere, anymore. Seems I just stay so bloomin’ tired all the time. I sure hope the doc can give me some vitamins when I go to see him next week. At least, I hope that’s all it is.” Nine months later, her faithful hard-working husband stood by her graveside. Those standing nearby heard him whisper, “Oh, hon, I sure wish we could’ve found that ‘one day soon,’ before it was too late.”

By Kara Kimbrough You’ve undoubtedly seen the bright yellow container in the supermarket dairy case with the name, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” After seeing countless online videos and posts on the latest charcuterie board trend, let me just say…“I can’t believe it IS butter!” Turns out, some charcuterie board aficionados have tired of creatively arranging boards with slices of cheese, crackers and smoked meats formed into cutesy roses and other shapes. Now, they’ve begun slathering boards with butter. I shudder to think what cardiologists and nutritionists think of this risky trend. And trust me when I say, a butter board is not something I’ll ever serve to anyone, even the most trendy guest. I don’t mean to imply butter boarders are not leaving the high-fat spread unadorned. They’re adding slightly-healthier toppings like roasted garlic and chopped vegetables and seasonings that include the also-trendy “Everything But The Bagel” seasoning, which can be found in most supermarkets. But underneath all the good stuff still remains a hefty layer of plain ‘ol butter. I still don’t understand it, especially when much tastier choices are available. All this talk about butter reminded me of a lesson on the merits of butter versus margarine by a hospital executive chef. He despised margarine and loved real butter, but unfortunately, overseeing meals for patients and directly preparing food for physicians who were present in the hospital for one purpose – to heal the sick –required him to cut back on an otherwise-liberal use of butter. Choices were limited, but he did approve the use of Healthy Choice Buttery Spread. The product includes Omega-3 and claims to support the “healthy” cholesterol. I’ve never forgotten his advice and use the product to this day. (Please check with your own physician). Even though Healthy Choice is my spread of choice, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to spread it liberally over a board and serve it to guests. Instead, why not make a cream cheese board? I’ll admit, cream cheese is probably not a substantially healthier choice, but in my opinion, it’s a much more aesthetically-pleasing and tastier option than butter. Topped with chopped tomatoes, green olives, seasonings, grated cheese, sliced meats and sliced bagels or crackers for dipping, it’s the perfect charcuterie board. But back to butter boards. I found there’s quite a long list of dishes with butter in the name. Examples are butter chicken, buttermilk pie, gooey butter cake, butter cookies, butter pecan frosting and butterscotch pudding…to name just a few. This almost never happens, but I actually had a container of buttermilk in my refrigerator, leftover from baking buttermilk cornbread - another butter dish. I toyed with the idea of making butter chicken, but decided the influx of curry and other spices in the India-inspired dish may not be to my liking. Soaking chicken pieces in a buttermilk marinade with other spices before coating in bread crumbs and baking in the oven was another option. Butter milk makes chicken moist and tender, but I wasn’t in the mood for a chicken dinner. Instead, I used the leftover buttermilk to make a simple pie, similar to the one my grandmother used to make. It comes together very quickly and bakes into a crunchy, delicious pie. And most importantly, I feel much better about using a butter-based product than I did after learning of the newest charcuterie craze. Not a Butter Board, But Buttermilk Pie 9-inch unbaked pie crust 3 large eggs ½ cup butter, softened 1 ½ cups white sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon lemon juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pie plate with unbaked pie crust. Beat eggs in a bowl until foamy, then beat in butter, sugar and flour until fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix together until smooth. Pour into crust and bake for 45-50 minutes until inserted knife comes out clean. Let cool before cutting. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By Mika Hartman In September, my family went on an amazing vacation. A very needed vacation away from our house remodel, therapy and doctors appointments. When we booked this particular vacation, I knew it would be fun; however, I didn’t know the profound impact we had in store. We took our first Buddy Cruise. Buddy Cruise partners with Royal Caribbean to provide a vacation experience like no other. Whether you have a loved one with a special need or you don’t, this cruise is so full of heart. Buddy Cruise has been sailing to different locations for 15 years. Many cruisers are regulars and have made this cruise a family reunion. The ones (like us) who just took the first one have already booked for 2023. Let me share our week with you and I bet you’ll be ready to join us: CJ, Henley, Hudson and I drove to Florida where we met my in-laws (Larry and Patty Hartman). The port was in Miami and the storms dissipated in time for our journey. Royal Caribbean made our boarding easy and we walked onto the Explorer of the Seas. Our first introduction was at the opening ceremony with all the Buddy Cruisers. There, we learned about all the fun and learning opportunities that were in store for all. We got our Walk & Roll t-shirts for the walk on the ship, we got special Buddy Cruise lanyards with our photos, and we were handed a bag full of goodies. And new this year was Buddy Bucks, too, and I will share more on these fun bucks later. Over 400 people were onboard for the Buddy Cruise. All journeys are welcome. The family who started this (Pam and Jorge Arnoldson) has a child with Down syndrome, but welcome everyone who needs this time of togetherness. Our first full day was at sea. This day was filled with meeting more incredible families. The start of the day was early. At 7am we had morning coffee with Beth. She talked about the importance of early intervention. Her talk was more energizing than the caffeine I consumed. Then, I totally geek’d out with meeting both Zach Gottsagen (“Peanut Butter Falcon”) and David DeSantis (“Where Hope Grows" and Hallmarks “Color My World With Love”) and we attended “Follow Your Heart” with Actor Zach Gottsagen. He talked about dreams and how to achieve your goals. Very well put guidelines for becoming the best version of yourself and how to get there, despite any different ability. Following, we attended a yearbook signing where we got and gave autographs of all the amazing Buddy Cruisers. Buddy Cruise made these adorable books with all the cruisers photos and stories about each person. Remarkable. This one book provided icebreakers, conversations, recognition and so much more. As we made our way around, we connected and had big smiles that hurt. While Hudson isn’t at the signing a book stage, many were and the pride on their faces was beautiful. And for the families that had to help with this, the inclusion and seeing the joy was everything. Later, we got all dressed up for Formal Night and enjoyed a delicious dinner and conversations about our day. Many cruisers approached our table and made us feel special. Huddy even made a new BFF, Mirenna. She was a gift we didn’t know we needed. Her brother was born with Down syndrome and her understanding was peaceful. Our second day of our Buddy Cruise started with morning coffee. Today’s coffee was a talk with Zach Gottsagen’s mom, Shelley. This coffee talk had me rolling… oh, the stories! So much fun, I even stayed behind to keep talking. What people say and do and how we can respond; it a reminder that we aren’t alone and laughter is the best medicine for anything and everything. Each morning also had Zumbuddies with Megan Bell. I had to feed Huddy at this time, but Megan is a Zumba instructor who is married and happens to have an extra chromosome… she’s adorable and inspiring. After Huddy’s breakfast, we headed to the walking track on the ship to attend the “Walk and Roll”. Buddy Cruise does something incredible for this, they actually give shirts to other cruisers (not with Buddy) to come join in. Our shirts were blue and the other participants wore white shirts. The blend was perfect. So many others on vacation came up to walk and support us. That’s how awareness becomes acceptance! Typing this memory brings me happy tears. Think about it, it your vacation and a Buddy invites you to show your support… what would you do? This memory will forever be in all our hearts for all who participated. And my hope is that they go home and continue this support. I pray for this. Hudson was so excited, he skipped his nap and wrestled his daddy for hours afterwards. Henley and I shot some hoops and then went to the Palace Theater for the pre-showing of a new documentary being made for Buddy Cruise. My friend, Denise, came up to me and said, “get ready to ball your eyes out, get tissues”. “Now you tell me”, I said. So queue the waterworks… this documentary perfectly sums up this tie that binds. It’s honest and heartfelt interviews are so touching. Our journeys are not completely mirrored, but it’s all familiar and understood. I cant wait to share this documentary with you all. I even was interviewed by Steve Gatlin for a chance to take you on our journey with Hudson, too. And to finish our wonderful day, we dined and then danced the night away at the 70’s dance party. From groovy outfits, fake mustaches, and super cool dance moves, the night was spectacular. Day three was on land. We toured Bonaire; flamingos, pink lakes and pyramids of salt were a few of our sights. Pina Coladas with local music under rows and rows of umbrellas floating in the sky and shopping galore. One stop was for bracelets that support single moms called Vadavas Bonaire. I, of course, got a yellow and a blue one. Then more families sharing their journeys and fun was onboard to end our day. Day four took us to Curacao. Here is where Huddy and CJ took a trolley with Larry and Patty to tour the island. Henley and I went off to swim with dolphins. A fun day was had by all. We ended this day with my interview for the documentary and good food. Day five was Aruba. Here was our parents day out. CJ and I rode UTV’s all over the island and dove off of cliffs and swam in the crystal clear blue water. We picked up the kids and took our time shopping on the island and hit several market shops by the ship. We got back onboard just in time to get on our “island time” apparel and danced the night away with our favorite new buddies. Our daughter, Henley, had this smile dancing with all the kids that was so pure and real. Joy in this journey is something we all gain. New friends, surprises of commonality and happiness could all be found on this dance floor. Our evening ended with streaming a show we watch and resting with sounds of actual ocean waves, not from a sound machine. Day six returned to our Buddy Cruise schedule, as it was a returned day to sea. Morning coffee with Filmmaker Steve Gatlin was a great start to this day. We heard more about his documentary and the reason he does what he does. You see, Steve has a son with Down syndrome. His name is Adam and he is 11. Adam opened Steve’s eyes to the need to share this beautiful life he’s been blessed with. So Steve has a mission to share his life and others to encourage more people to join in on this journey with us… for the next cruise, yes, but also for each and every day. To show families like his and mine and how we are better people because our lives changed by loving someone with a disability. You don’t have to have someone related to you to experience the change. Actually, I would encourage you to find someone on our journey and make a difference because it feels good and it makes the world better for Hudson and his buddies. Don’t wait. Meetings about education and IEP’s with Pam and Beth provided great information to provide the tools we need when the conversations get hard. You should know that all of school, from Kindergarten to Graduation, the goal is the same: preparing our kids for life after school. It’s not just to get okay with this year, but to give your loved ones their best chance at life beyond school. Don’t allow services to stop to just get okay results, stay the course to give a best chance at mastering a skill. From handwriting to tying shoes to social skills, it’s all relevant and has to be provided as preparation to their futures. Obviously, don’t waste time on repeating the same learning pattern if it doesn’t work, but as for a new approach to the skills that are taking longer. All kids learn differently, but you don’t give up. We, then, had a meeting with Attorney Tom Gallo about wills, trusts and ABLE accounts. All of this information was needed and gave us a clearer understanding to our future and what’s best for Hudson. Many don’t understand all parents and caregivers have to learn on this journey. One mistake or box checked wrong can effect the future and benefits needed to provide what our loved ones need. The benefits of love and happiness way outweigh the challenges, but the challenges shouldn’t be so hard, should they? But a cruise like this is how we learn, how we grow and how we succeed. Now after a long week and a busy schedule, we took the night off after dinner. We binge-watched Cobra Kai with hot tea and a huge plate of cookies. Our final day at sea was filled with more fun. Morning coffee with Attorney Tom Gallo about setting up proper accounts. We met about glasses, screenings and seeing with Optician Maria Dellapina. Maria designed proper glasses for our loved ones with Down syndrome called Specs 4 Us. Glasses designed for cute button noses, smaller ears and light to not hurt sweet faces. See what our beautiful children offer to the world and inspire. Its amazing the people we met and the journeys some have. We also got to spend all our Buddy Bucks. I mentioned these earlier. We collected these bucks all week and it was time to spend them. The shop opened and OMG, it was like Black Friday. We had our arms full of prizes shared. All I could think was, “how did they get all of this on the boat AND how are we getting off with all of this stuff”. So that was fun! Closing ceremony was full of energy; awards for presenters, door decorating contest winners and top teams were all recognized. What a vacation. I’m not sharing all of this to brag about our trip, but to share with you our experience in hopes that you join us or tell someone else how to. Shows, games, karaoke, sports, swimming, rock wall climbing, surfing, shopping, and THE FOOD, all part of our fantastic week on the ship. Now, our trip wasn’t all smooth sailing. Hudson’s tube supplies didn’t all make it on the boat and we had a few days of panic. However, incredible mom’s we met helped provide what we needed. Any other trip, we wouldn’t have had the resources that we did on this ship. They say we are “in the same boat” and, yes, this is true; what I now know is that we are “unsinkable” when we are all together. A vacation is about creating memories that last a lifetime and stories you can share that outlive even us. This cruise had it all; fun, learning, friendships, laughter, tears, strength, similarities, differences, heart and more. I even called it the “love boat” a few times as I saw sweet handholding and kisses being shared. Think about your favorite Christmas in your life; that is this week, it’s better than Christmas to our families. A week of togetherness with people who understand your life. They don’t have to mirror completely to understand. So much love to be shared by all of those who sail. When I was with Henley on our swim with dolphins, a little girl and her mom were in our paired up group. Mom was in a wheelchair with a wrapped foot. I told her mom that I would watch over her daughter and keep her safe. The little girl was chatty and asked what I do for a living. I told her that I am blessed to stay at home and, then, told her about Hudson. I said that my son was born with a disability, that he has Down syndrome. She proudly smiled and said I know something about Down syndrome. She said that it’s just s different ability, not a disability. This little girl was 10. She wasn’t on our cruise, just a vacationer at the same place as me. I grabbed her hand and said that I was so proud of her for knowing this and to thank her mom for raising a kind little girl. Go, Mom! Even if we aren’t “all in the same boat’, kindness is power. Power demands change. Our families deserve changes that make our journeys less heavy. Please check out Buddy Cruise. The next destination is to Coco Cay, St. Maarten and St. Thomas on the Wonder of the Seas with Royal Caribbean. It sails October 2023. All aboard, EXTRA buddies and EXTRA fun! Bon voyage. www.buddycruise.org To book: 1-877-239-2789 Group #:1596641

“It’s A Celebration” October 21 – 23, 2022 “Bringing the Vintage Experience to You” Do you watch home remodeling shows and wonder where they find the unique pieces they put in the homes they remodel or do you have a Pinterest board filled with ideas for your home? Vintage Market Days® brings all of that to you! With numerous of the best vendors in Vintage from across the US – they bring truckloads of repurposed, specialty “finds” that will be unique to your home! Vintage Market Days® of Mississippi owners Chris and Jana Fuss are pleased to announce the Jackson area Vintage Market Days® event. “It’s A Celebration” will be held at the Mississippi Trade Mart at 1200 Mississippi Street in Jackson. The three-day event will take place October 21-23, 2022 and will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Vintage Market Days®! Vintage Market Days® is excited to bring the Vintage experience back to the Metro Jackson area. “Vintage Market Days® started 10 years ago in Tulsa and has been expanding throughout the country,” said Jana. “We love adding special touches to make it a family friendly Vintage event, we have more vintage vendors than ever and they are bringing their one-of-a-kind finds. Vintage Market Days® vendors are some of the best in the country! Vintage Market Days® also “gives back” at each event. We are honored to partner with the Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi, a powerful association of men, women and children committed to bringing about lasting personal and social change. With a focus on nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving the nation’s health and well-being and providing opportunities to give back and support neighbors, the Y enables youth, adults, families and communities to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. “We are excited to help support the local area, specifically the YMCA’s feeding program,” Fuss added. Tickets can be purchased at the door (Fri - $15 and Sat/Sun $10) or in advance at https://VintageMarketDays.com/market/mississippi/tickets. Free readmission all weekend and children under 12 are FREE. The event is open 10 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday, and 10 am -4 pm on Sunday. About Vintage Market Days® Vintage Market Days® is an upscale vintage and vintage-inspired indoor/outdoor market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, architectural salvage, handmade treasures, home decor, outdoor furnishings, consumable yummies, seasonal plantings and a little more. Vintage Market Days® is a franchised Vintage event that began in Tulsa, OK in 2012. It has grown to 70 markets and/or 150 events a year across the US. For more information, please visit vintagemarketdays.com, facebook.com/vintagemarketdays or emailmississippi@vintagemarketdays.com. Vintage Market Days® is a registered trademark of Vintage Market Days®, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.

By Bob Garver I’ll start off this review with a compliment: the people tasked with advertising the new horror movie “Smile” did a really good job. For months, I had been successfully unnerved by the various posters, commercials, and trailers for this movie that conditioned me to avert my eyes to the slightest hint of a creepy smile. In hindsight, I probably should have known something was wrong when the film’s All Audiences green-band trailer was much scarier than its Restricted red-band. While the red-band trailer showcased the film’s gore and gave away jump scares, the green-band just abruptly cut to a smile and then ended, leaving me with a shock that I didn’t have time to process, yet undeniably stayed with me. The film, of course, could not claim the same brevity, wasting 115 minutes of my time failing to live up to the promise of even its print ads. The story follows Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon, trying as hard as she can to make this flat protagonist memorable). She’s the best psychologist at her hospital, even though she’s a bit of a mess herself, with some unresolved childhood trauma and difficulties navigating the medical bureaucracy embodied by her boss Dr. Desai (Kal Penn, wasted in an insignificant role). The day-to-day hardships are challenging, but she can handle them. The darkness in her past… is best left suppressed. One day, Rose is tasked with attending to the raving Laura (Caitlin Stasey, whose eyes and mouth are skillfully expressive, even before the horror elements kick in). The poor medical student has been seeing haunting smiles everywhere ever since she witnessed a suicide a few days ago, curiously by a person who was also smiling, who had also seen a suicide by a smiling person a few days earlier. Soon it’s Rose that has witnessed a suicide and now she’s seeing unnatural smiles. The condition affects her relationship with her fiancé Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) and her sister Holly (Gillian Zinser) and is basically ruining her life while also threatening to end it. Inconveniently, the only person who believes that Rose isn’t crazy is her ex-boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner). Can Rose find a way to break the apparent chain, maybe by confronting her own demons? This movie doesn’t have an original bone in its body. The “chain of victims” element is ripped off from “It Follows” and “The Ring,” and a particularly derivative scare is cribbed from the latter. The emphasis on confronting childhood trauma brings to mind “Hereditary” and “The Night House” without the atmospheric elements that made those movies work. A scene at a birthday party had me muttering, “Oh, just like ‘Fatal Attraction.’” Even the smiling was the basis for scares in “Truth or Dare” from 2018. But the biggest sin of “Smile” is that it just isn’t scary. The movie has to rely on fakeout jump scares like a burglar alarm and even opening a can of cat food because it knows it can’t pull off scenes with actual danger or violence. A bad dream sequence can’t be taken seriously because Rose would never act that way. And the smiling is never handled with the expert timing implied by the film’s advertising. Actually, there is one horror element the movie does do right, and that’s the score. If you stay through the credits, you’ll hear some properly pulse-pounding music. The problem, of course, is that you’d have to spend even more time on this movie that has already wasted so much. My mouth was in a bored frown throughout most of this movie, it wasn’t screaming or laughing and it definitely wasn’t smiling. Grade: D “Smile” is rated R for strong violent content and grisly images, and language. Its running time is 115 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu

HINDS COUNTY SUPERVISOR DAVID L. ARCHIE INVITES YOU TO JOIN US Contact: Hinds County Supervisor David Archie, 601.918.4353 When: Monday, October 3, 2022, at 2:30 PM Where: Carol Johns Road Bridge in Bolton, Mississippi 39041 (Take 20 West to Bolton Exit take a right, go to the fork you will see a sign that says Carol Johns Road to the left take road to the bridge.) Supervisor David Archie will hold a press conference on, Monday, October 3rd, 2022 at 2:30 pm regarding the repair and re-opening of Carol Johns Road Bridge located in Bolton, Mississippi and other projects. He has invited the community to join us for this exciting news. This bridge has been out for many years but it is now back online and open for commuters. We ask that you and the community join us as we welcome another bridge opening in Hinds County District 2.

It’s Official! Shout out to BEEMS students, teachers, faculty, and staff! WE DID IT!!

By Robert Wilson Centreville Academy coach Bill Hurst is the winningest high school football coach in Mississippi history and has been a head coach since 1975. But Hurst probably has never had an opposing player do what Central Hinds Academy senior Kent McArthur did Friday night. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound McArthur intercepted three passes – returning two for touchdowns – and caught a touchdown pass to lead Central Hinds to a 37-6 victory over Centreville at Central Hinds in Raymond. McArthur had interception returns of 100 and 65 yards for TDs, caught an 8-yard TD pass, made four tackles, kicked an extra point attempt, and returned one punt for 12 yards. For his outstanding performance, McArthur has been named the Junction Deli Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week. McArthur made a diving interception at the Centreville 45 in the first quarter, then caught the TD pass to end that drive. He got his second interception and returned it 65 yards for a score in the second quarter. McArthur picked off his third pass and returned it 100 yards in the third quarter. In addition to making four tackles and returning a punt for 12 yards, McArthur was called upon to kick an extra point attempt and made it. “He helped us early in the game with his diving interception, then finished it with a great touchdown catch,” Central Hinds coach Lance Teasley said. “He made a great play and return for his 65-yard interception return and broke a lot of tackles to score. And he made another great play with his 100-yard interception return. We normally go for two, but we wanted to try an extra point, so someone suggested Kent and he went out there and banked it in off the right upright. It was quite a night for Kent. He is a super athlete and a good kid who has puts in the work. It was great to see him have a special night.” McArthur starts at wide receiver and cornerback and returns kickoffs and punts. He has 18 tackles, 3 for loss, 3 interceptions (two for TDs), 4 pass breakups, passed for a TD, caught a TD pass, and kicked an extra point for 4-2 Central Hinds this season. McArthur didn’t play football as a freshman or sophomore but came out last year as a junior and started at wide receiver and cornerback. He finished the season with three interceptions and helped Central Hinds to an 8-3 record. He also plays baseball, basketball, soccer and runs track at Central Hinds. Central Hinds plays host to Oak Forest, La., Academy in a MAIS Class 5A, District 3 game Friday night at Raymond.

Saw a movie this summer. Titled “Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris.” If you have already seen this film, then you know its premise. If not, then never fear, I don’t intend to spoil it for you by revealing the plot or the ending. But I do want to make an observation. After seeing the movie, I came to the conclusion that this movie is truer to life than we realize. Even with its fluffy and shallow exterior premise of Cinderella-Miracles-In-Paris. My observation? Most of us are living a lie, and yet we can’t even see that we are living a lie. The lie? For some reason (called low self-esteem) we live in fear that, “There are some things that are not good about the real me.” And since we live afraid that fact makes us unacceptable to this world, we try to pull a huge cover-up, to hide that part of us. Because we believe we are “less-than,” we try to show the world we are “more-than.” And in reality, all we need to do is “just be me!” Folks, there was never a person born on this earth who is better than anyone else born on this earth. A baby girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth at birth is not worth more than the unwanted baby who was left in a trash can. God created each one of us as equal in His eyes. And we need to view ourselves from His perspective – not that of the world. Sure would save a lot of heartache and wrong roads. That movie has some pretty good examples of what I am saying. Take a close look at the House of Fashion manager and his assistant, and you will see people who believe, “There is something unacceptable about me, so I will try to live exactly the opposite of that.” Examine the life of the beautiful model, versus what she really wants. See the owner of the company as he attempts to hide what is happening to his company, by attempting to maintain the same exclusive clientele, no matter what. Sounds a lot like many of us…believing something is wrong with the real me. Hiding behind a personality we believe the world will like better. And unfortunately, never realizing that there is a third person, the real you, that no one ever gets to meet. Not perfect, but certainly not garbage. You are the ‘you’ that our Creator wanted on the earth. With all your quirks, faults and weaknesses. But also your strengths. Friends, putting on a false front to cover the real you causes a certain amount of stress. Constantly having to live as a person you are not - that is extremely hard. We need to drop the false belief, so we can drop the cover mask, so the world can see and accept the real person that we are. Be you.

The Mississippi Farmers Market, in partnership with the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association, will host the second annual Great Mississippi Peanut Boil on Saturday, October 1, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. “To kick off the fall season, we want to invite the public to the second annual Great Mississippi Peanut Boil at the Mississippi Farmers Market,” said Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “We will again boil several hundred pounds of peanuts for visitors to enjoy, compliments of Rogers Farms in Collins. The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association will also be giving out roasted peanuts. So come out this Saturday and enjoy the Great Peanut Boil with friends and family.” In addition to the usual variety of farm fresh foods and handcrafted items, shoppers will be treated to complimentary popcorn, children’s activities including face painting and games, vendor giveaways and boiled peanuts. The City Limits Café and Genuine MS® Store, both located inside of the Mississippi Farmers Market, will also be open to the public. The Café serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every weekday; it is also open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday. The Genuine MS® Store is open Thursday and Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The Mississippi Farmers Market, a division of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, is open every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. For more information about the Mississippi Farmers Market, visit www.msfarmersmarket.com and follow the Mississippi Farmers Market on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

By Bob Garver “Don’t Worry Darling” is a film whose poor reputation precedes it. It’s going to be remembered not for anything that happens in the film, but for being the source of news stories about animosity between various players in its production. But I can look beyond all the gossip and behind-the-scenes drama and focus on what’s on screen. Unfortunately, what’s on screen is a movie that had no business making as much money as it did this past weekend. The film takes place in a desert-based housing development in an unknown location at an unknown time, though everything about it suggests the 1950’s or 60’s. Alice (Florence Pugh) is a housewife who devotes herself to doting over her house, her cooking duties, and of course her husband Jack (Harry Styles). He spends his days at a secretive workplace run by community leader Frank (Chris Pine) while she cooks, cleans, shops, goes to dancing lessons, and socializes with other wives like Bunny (Olivia Wilde, also the film’s director). It’s a life of domestic bliss that seems too good to be true, which of course means it won’t be long before it descends into chaos. Things started going off the rails a few months before we join the story, when neighbor Margaret (Kiki Layne) lost her child in the desert and started spouting conspiracy theories about what the men in the town do all day. Because what she says might be an inconvenience, Alice and the rest of the community tune her out. But then one day Alice witnesses a plane crash near a restricted facility and violates the community’s strict boundaries in the name of assisting any survivors. She sees something she isn’t supposed to see, and now she’s the one aware of a conspiracy that all the men in town want to bury. Initial suppression tactics include lies and gaslighting, but what will happen if Alice refuses to be silenced? The film does do some things right, especially in its early stages. Wilde has done a great job of creating an aesthetically-pleasing town with just a hint of menace in its over-the-top perfection. The same can be said of the film’s clever camerawork. I’ll also throw out a compliment to the casting of Harry Styles. Not because Styles is himself is particularly good, but because I know we could have gotten that awful Shia LaBeouf in the role. Good on Wilde to cut bait there. Styles is a much better fit for the role of the initially-ideal husband, though LaBeouf would admittedly be a better fit for some creepier later scenes, if only because he’s naturally believable as a creep. And the film’s initial pacing and building of suspense is compelling, even if the payoff is a letdown. Indeed the payoff squanders whatever goodwill the movie had earned until that point. It’s the sort of ending that immediately brings to mind a hundred other movies that have done this sort of twist before and better. It doesn’t “work” for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I don’t buy that the villains are smart enough to pull it off. It’s worth noting that the movie gets to sputtering well before its third act, thanks to some clumsy exposition-dump dialogue and nonsensical hallucination imagery that simply exists for the sake of getting some interesting shots for the trailers. “Don’t Worry Darling” takes viewers on a journey that mirrors public perception of the film itself. At first it looks promising, maybe even award-worthy. But gradually things fall apart until it’s an unsalvageable mess. That’s not to say it’s a mess from start to finish, and it’s a better movie than history will probably remember, but it does end up in the place that history will remember. Grade: C “Don’t Worry Darling” is rated R for sexuality, violent content and language. Its running time is 122 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

By Kara Kimbrough I get it; this is a food and travel column, not a history lesson. But due to the amount of incessant, 24-hour news coverage afforded the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II by American media outlets, I have to mention a few things. First, a 62-year-old pancake recipe from Buckingham Palace’s kitchen resurfaced. Then came the scintillating tidbit that the queen enjoyed tiny jam “pennies,” or crustless sandwiches, every afternoon with tea. The backstory? She was fed the same snack in the nursery as a child. Wow! I can’t believe I never knew this fact…sarcasm intended. Food tidbits aside, here’s something else that almost everyone seems to have forgotten. The pilgrims left England in 1620 on the Mayflower in search of a place to practice religious freedom, settling in what would become the United States. England then invaded America not once, but twice; first in the Revolutionary War, followed by the War of 1812. The British obviously had a hard time letting go, judging from the massive death and destruction they wrought on our fledgling nation. But how soon we forget…judging, at least, from 10 days of non-stop news detailing every detail of the Queen’s long, drawn-out wake and funeral. In case you haven’t guessed – I’m not an Anglophile. Sure, I admired the late Princess Diana for her humanitarian work, style and beauty and ability to relate to ordinary people, especially those who were suffering. And Prince William’s dashing good looks, especially when in uniform or piloting a helicopter, always holds my attention. Most notably, his ability to create a seemingly-normal family with Kate and their children in spite of loads of royal family dysfunction is admirable. But I haven’t really followed or admired the rest of them, including the new and somewhat lackluster King Charles. Seeing news coverage of the new king throwing tantrums over a cluttered desk and a leaking pen just hours after assuming the crown reinforced my belief that William needs to move to the head of the line. But, to borrow an English term…enough grousing. I was somewhat intrigued when the pancake recipe Elizabeth presented to then-President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960 came to light. It was the most interesting thing that happened during the long, painful wait for her funeral to actually take place. According to the story, Elizabeth mentioned her love of pancakes, or “dropped scones,” during the Eisenhowers’ visit to England. She promised to give the president the recipe, doing so in a follow-up letter after their visit. The recipe in the accompanying photo was obviously typed by a staffer. However, the queen added a note at the bottom in her own handwriting that the recipe was “enough for 16 people.” If you make Queen Elizabeth’s dropped scones, or pancakes, recipe, remember that a “teacup,” equals approximately ¾ cup. You’ll need 3 cups of flour and 1-1/2 cups of milk. If you tackle the old-school recipe, take note of the fact that a “teacup,” equals approximately ¾ cup. Therefore, the recipe requires 3 cups of flour and 1-1/2 cups of milk. I probably won’t get around to trying the recipe and not due to my lack of Anglophilia. My mornings tend to be a little rushed, so creating a labor-intensive breakfast like pancakes is something I rarely do. However, I recently found that fresh-baked muffins in the mornings are attainable by dumping all ingredients in a blender, mixing together then simply pouring the batter into lined muffin tins. Last, I’m tuning out all further news from across the pond…at least until King William takes the throne. Easy & Healthy Breakfast Muffins 2 large eggs ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick cook) 2 ripe bananas 1/3 cup pure maple syrup ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ cup milk (I use unsweetened almond milk) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a regular 12-cup muffin tin or large 6-cup tin with paper liners. Pour or spoon all ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Pour batter directly from blender among the lined cups of the muffin tin. Bake for 17-20 minutes until muffin tops are slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.