Previous visitors to Ocean Springs may suddenly have a craving for catfish & shrimp after reading the newest entry to my “My Ocean Springs Project” below:

“Once featured in Southern Living, Aunt Jenny’s Catfish Restaurant is a local legend. Overlooking five-hundred year old oak trees and the Bay of Biloxi, waitresses Christina Scaturro and Domonique Homann serve up the all-you-can-eat catfish, shrimp, and chicken fare to enthusiastic diners from all over the world. Aunt Jenny’s location is filled with history, ranging from being home to the last known flowing springs that gave the city its name to its 1852 home that served as a health resort in the days prior to the Civil War. And legend has it that Elvis Presley frequented the site during the times he spent in Gulf Hills!”

Not a whole lot to report on a Monday…
* Lots of administrative stuff that takes place 1st day after one of my Sundays…
* It is a gorgeous 70 degree day…
* Prepared my Peak of the Week class on “forgiveness” – pretty pleased with it…
* Prepared my Sunday class for 3rd-4th graders on Achan from the book of Judges… What a horrible story to tell kids about in one sense, but maybe they won’t steal any of my stuff afterwards…
* Had a good visit with my friend, Matt. I’m really glad he dropped by the office…
* Received a call from my “off to college” daughter. Always good to just hear her voice…
* Had a couple of productive phone calls with two separate nursing homes I’m planning events at…
* Read some more out of A Lesson Before Dying – whetted my appetite for more…

Oh, last night I made it to the halfway point of War & Peace!!! Wow, did Natasha ever screw up and lose any respect I had for her. And the whole Bolkonsky family shouldn’t call me for a character reference letter either. Pierre’s about the only guy I have any admiration for right now, and that’s just a plain weird development. And Sonya is cool, too, but she really isn’t a “major” character.

Maybe I’ll get to start on the second half tonight…

It has just been a wonderful day…

* Our church services this morning went extremely well. Personally, it was one of those rare days when my sermon came out the way I wanted it to come out. More importantly, it was a day where a couple on fire for Jesus caught me afterwards and said they wanted to be recognized as part of our church family. Just a great morning…

* Then we had a great lunch. Well, it was Pizza Hut and a salad bar, so “great” may be stretching it, but I was really referring to the company (our friends, the Bryants, Logans, and O’Connells).

* And then, my wife & I have spent the past two hours visiting with the Schroeders (pictured with me above). I went to take a picture of them for my Ocean Springs photo-project (in their bed & breakfast), but the best part was that my wife got the chance to meet Bruno & Linda, and as I suspected, she fell in love with them just as I had.

I can only hope your day was just as good. I’d doubt it, but I can hope at least…

(Another picture of Dizzy Dean’s grave from yesterday…)

It’s been a lazy day, which I’ve needed.

The day consisted of:
* Sleeping in
* Buying candy bars from two fund-raising girls working the neighborhood
* Reading some more War and Peace
* Going to two Wal-Marts with my daughter in search of some faddish toy called a tamagotchi, only to discover that both were sold out
* Cooking my gourmet Hamburger Helper supper (since my wife is out of town)
* Following supper with some homemade chocolate chip cookies
* And now, waiting for my wife to come home!!!

It’s Saturday night, which means that (for the past 400 Sundays or so) it is a study night for me. Another big day tomorrow to prepare for – a “Help Wanted” sermon from Matthew 9, and a class on crossing the Jordan and taking Jericho for the 3rd-5th grade class…

I hope everyone has a great Saturday night & an inspiring Sunday morning…

I spent the morning with my good friend, Bruno, on a little trip we had planned about a month ago. We met at 7:30am to take a ride up to the metropolis of Wiggins, Mississippi. After passing through the heavy traffic in about fifteen seconds, we made it to the tiny town of Bond, Mississippi, to begin our search for the Bond Cemetery.

As typical males, we felt sure we could find it without any help, and after a couple of wrong turns Bruno spotted a small cemetery. We parked and wandered the hallowed grounds for a few minutes. We made a local dog very angry by being there, and after recognizing that we weren’t in the right place, I think we were both relieved to be back in the car and headed someplace else.

We followed our first couple of wrong turns with about three more wrong turns before Bruno spotted cemetery number two. When we parked, we were amused that this small cemetery was named, Big Bond Cemetery. I suppose the first one we found was the Little Bond Cemetery. Anyway, we were in the right place, so we began our search for the grave of Dizzy Dean.

Dizzy Dean was a legend in every sense of the word, and in addition to being a Hall of Fame player on my favorite baseball team, he was also special to me from the many stories my dad told me about him in our backyard. My dad was parituclary fond of Dizzy’s poor grammar from his days as an announcer following his legendary career (“…he slud into second base”). Bruno reminded me of one of Dizzy’s famous quotes about his grammar: “You learn ‘em grammar, and I”ll learn ‘em baseball.”

It seemed almost fitting that Dizzy’s grave lies in a tiny rural cemetery in the poor part of a forgotten town. It wouldn’t have done for old Diz to be anywhere fancy.

Finding that grave, recalling those memories, spending time with my friend, and taking some pictures was a very nice way to spend this Friday morning.

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After our return from Bond, I dropped by the Ocean Springs Record to take a quick picture for My Ocean Springs photo project. I had a GREAT time visiting with the folks there; in fact, they helped me think of ideas for my project! And, best of all, I was given a genuine newspaper reporter’s notebook!!!

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By lunch time I was back at our church building. It isn’t coincidental that several of the men at church scheduled a building cleanup (read: throw away) day when most of the ladies were leaving for a ladies retreat in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (smile). I spent 2 1/2 hours throwing stuff away with the early crew. In just a few minutes, I’ll be headed back up for the big show that is scheduled to begin at 5pm.

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My friend, Laura, sent me a link to a story that just about perfectly caps off one of my recent unpleasant experiences. Clink on this LINK and at least read the title. You’ll understand.

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My friend, John, sent me a link to an article that made me feel a lot better. Our SPIN ministry at church is reaching out to single-parent families, and our 2nd big event is scheduled for one week from tomorrow. This article does an excellent job of highlighting this crucial yet overlooked need. Read about it HERE.

Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States of America, enjoyed an oyster po-boy lunch at McElroy’s in Ocean Springs today, about a quarter-mile from my office. It was a good thing she didn’t ask to have lunch with me because I’ve been a little too busy lately.

* The day began with a trip to the Jackson County Science Fair in Gautier where Hillary took home 2nd place in “Engineering, Computers, and Math.” We were VERY proud and happy for her! For those who don’t know, a trip to the county science fair means that a parent must accompany the child, but during the few hours of judging the parent cannot be with the child. So I did some work in regard to my mentoring of our youth minister and then began reading my next “church” book, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines.

* After the science fair, I took Hillary and her friend, Sydney, home for a little while before taking them to Kids Club. This was Sydney’s first time to go to Kids Club with Hillary, and while she was there she became interested in a new girls club Lindsey (our youth minister’s wife) is starting. That was pretty cool all by itself.

* While they were in Kids Club, I went to Camp Victor on Government Street where I met Suzie Harvey, the assistant site director. In addition to adding a picture to my Ocean Springs photo-project (which allows me the opportunity to get out into the community and meet people), I also secured some possibilities for our incoming hurricane relief groups that will start descending soon, so it was a doubly productive visit.

* When I returned to pick up the kids from Kids Club, Delta Sanitation was dropping off the HUGE dumpster for a big work weekend scheduled at the church. The driver needing some direction as to placing the dumpster, and I did my best to help him before speeding off for the next stop.

* My wife and I did the relay switch with Hillary after a fast food supper, then I drove out to Woolmarket to visit with the Cook family. We’ve been trying for a couple of weeks now to get together where I could take a picture of the family with Awesome Dawson now home from the hospital. You can see them HERE. It is amazing to think that he is three months old now, even though his original due date hasn’t arrived yet. He is now up to 6lbs, 4oz, and doing very well.

* I came home to a flurry of emails, which is where I’m at now. But I’m about to call it a night. I’ve been going pretty solid for 15 hours now. That’s enough for one day…

If there were such positions, George & Lou Fain would be considered the patriarch and matriarch of the Ocean Springs Church of Christ. They first came here in 1959, and they have been leading ever since. When church news happens, it is simply understood that you call George & Lou first.

George has served as elder, teacher, song leader, building-fixer-upper, and everything else along the way, while Lou has filled in many roles, most significantly the originator of the “bear ministry” which is still going after passing a decade and the 10,000 teddy bear mark.

I went with Hillary to take their picture today for my church photo-project, and we ended up visiting in their home for two hours – which was a perfectly delightful way to spend an afternoon…

When I first sent an inquiry to Ocean Springs about their preaching position in late 1998, I had never met George & Lou, but it was their connection that even made it possible for me to be here. Lou’s brother, James, was the Executive Director of Children’s Homes, Inc., where my wife & I served as houseparents for three years (1995-1998). It was that unknown (to me) “connection” that helped pave the way for my family’s move to Ocean Springs.

So they’re even extra special to me…

Today is Mardi Gras, and along the Coast you will find differing opinions on the day, ranging from those who party hard to those who think the entire holiday is disgusting. Whatever opinion you might have of Mardi Gras, there is one thing that is undeniably wonderful about today, and that is a King Cake with Cream Cheese and Fruit Filling.

So for all you living in the hinterland, here is a recipe from the late Myriam Guidroz, long-time food columnist for The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Enjoy!!!!!!

Basic King Cake Dough
1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
4 cups, approximately, unbleached flour

Mix the yeast with the warm water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the flour into the yeast and set aside. By the time you have measured the other ingredients, the yeast should be beginning to bubble and show signs of life.

Bring the milk to a boil and stir in the butter and the sugar. Pour into a large bowl; the mixture should be lukewarm. Beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs and the yeast.

Beat in approximately 2 cups of flour, until the dough is fairly smooth, then gradually add enough additional flour to make a soft dough that you can form into a ball. Knead it, by hand or machine, until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl, turn the dough once or twice in it to grease it lightly all over, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Pat the dough down and cover the bowl with a damp towel, plastic film over that and refrigerate until the next day. This recipe makes enough dough for two king cakes. Extra dough may be frozen, or make two king cakes and freeze one. Thaw frozen cake and reheat 10 minutes in a 375-degree oven.

FILLING
1/2 recipe king cake (above)
1 (16-ounce) can cherry, apple or apricot pie filling
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 dried bean (to bake in the cake as per tradition)
Colored sugars or confectioner’s sugar and food coloring

Remove dough from refrigerator and with well-floured hands, while it’s firm and cold, shape it into a long sausage shape. Using a floured roller on a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 30-by-9-inch rectangle as thin as pie crust. Let dough rest.

If necessary, drain extra juice from pie filling. Mix the cream cheese with the sugar, flour, egg yolks and vanilla. Spoon an inch-wide strip of fruit filling the length of the dough, about 3 inches from one edge. Spoon the cream cheese mixture alongside the fruit, about 3 inches from the other edge. Brush both sides of dough with egg wash. Insert the bean.

Fold one edge of dough over the cream cheese and fruit, then fold the other edge over. Gently place one end of the filled roll onto a greased pizza pan or large cookie sheet. Ease the rest of the roll onto the pan, joining the ends to form a circle or oval. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Brush again with egg wash and cut deep vents into the cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars if desired.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cake is well risen and golden. Cool before icing with confectioner’s sugar mixed with enough water to make a spreadable paste and tinted purple, green and gold. Make one cake that serves 10 to 12 people. If using a plastic baby instead of the bean, insert it into the bottom of the cake after it is cooked.

In the “weird” department, despite what your calendar and mine says today, you have not been celebrating Presidents Day. This is, in fact, Washington’s Birthday (observed), as clarified to us by Snopes.com.

So all you Abraham Lincoln fans will kindly remove your party hats.

All sorts of jokes present themselves, of course, about Washington (D.C.) not being able to even clarify a federal holiday involving its own name.

But anyway, I hope you have had a great Washington’s Birthday (observed). I meant to send all of you a card, but Hallmark only carries Presidents’ Day cards, and I am too much a holiday purist to stoop to such a level.

But I can guarantee you that everyone here in the Gulf South region knows that tomorrow is Mardi Gras, and the only confusion there is the precise point when someone is arrested for public indecency.

I think I’ll just plan to put in a regular day’s work tomorrow…

It was a few days late, but my wife & I got to have a Valentine’s date after all this year: a quick supper at Beef O’Brady’s preceded the movie Ghost Rider after our church’s evening devotional tonight.

I’m not normally into movies like that, and I’m still not, but I found this one to be very entertaining nonetheless. In between the weird stuff, you could even find a few spiritual lessons. In fact, Nicolas Cage’s portrayal of Johnny Blaze even had a Jesus connection when you think about it – a courageous warrior willing to put his life on the line for the sake of love.

That is, if you can picture Jesus riding a motorcycle with a killer chain and a flaming skull.