The Annabelle II

Since I showed you our hostess from the Belle of the Bends, I thought I'd also show our host from Anabelle. He was quite spiffy and very accomodating!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm going to be out of town again, this time in Germany so I should be able to get online. I'll be putting some of the days on auto post though. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Belle of the Bends II

This was our lovely hostess of the Belle of the Bends. She was gracious enough to pose with one of our German guests. She gave a presentation on floral arrangement as part of the tour, but none of those pictures came out as well as this one.

Thank you!!!

Cedar Grove II

We didn't actually tour Cedar Grove, but we stopped in for a cool drink on the verandah. The last time we were in Vicksburg we wanted to visit this home, but there was a wedding. This time Cedar Grove wasn't on Saturday's menu. We did get to walk around the public areas though and everything is beautiful. My husband promised he'll bring me back to celebrate our second anniversary - I'm holding him to it!

PS: As Hilda pointed out, I did show you the back view of this house last December.

Ahern's Belle of the Bends

The Belle of the Bends was our second stop on the pilgrim tour. This home is actually postbellum, which means it was built after the Civil War. It was named for the riverboat that brought Teddy Roosevelt down to the South.

This home also had a beautiful table set in spring colors.


Tomorrow a look at my favorite home, Cedars Grove.

The Anabelle

The spring pilgrimage in Natchez includes a tour of four homes per day. We didn't get there in time for all four, so we did the two in the afternoon. Our first stop was The Annabelle. Our hosts dressed up in Victorian attire for the occasion and graciously showed us around their home.

It was lovely inside and out. The table is already set for Easter dinner with the lovely spring colors - pink and green.


Tomorrow I'll show your our second stop - Belle of the Bends.

First Presbyterian Church of Vicksburg

We had visitors from Germany this weekend, so like good hosts we took them to all the interesting sights in and around Jackson. Of course a trip over to Vicksburg was a must! We took part in the annual spring pilgrimage and visited several antebellum homes. We also took a quick tour through the Vicksburg Battle site. Our guests found it all very interesting.

I also got a quick look at this lovely church. Unfortunately, it was not open to visitors, but the white stone looks beautiful against the blue sky. This church does have a website, if you'd like to learn more about its history.

I'll be posting more pictures from our jaunt over to the Mississippi River town this week - so be sure to stop by.

Inside sneaky beans

Sneaky beans is located inside an old home so there are lots of different rooms to explore. I liked the red and blue chairs in this one. There's also a TV room in the back with a big sofa and a "work" room with tables and wi-fi for those who need to compute!

Ms Barista

There's a new coffee shop in town - Sneaky Beans! It's right in the heart of Fondren and will probably rival the Cups that is just a few blocks away. This barista kindly agreed to let me take her photo while at work. I'll show you more of Sneaky beans tomorrow.

St. Patty's Day

This is how I celebrated the Irish holiday, with a green-tinted American beer. No cookies for me - nossirree!

Kiss me... I'm not Irish!

Today is my two year anniversary of living in Jackson. My husband and I arrived on St. Patrick's Day in 2007, worn out from a long, labored flight from Germany with an extra-long stop in Charlotte, NC because we missed our connection.

I probably won't be celebrating with cookies tonight, if you know what I mean. But I hear everything at Campbell's Bakery is very good. Happy St. Patty's Day to everyone! Don't drink too much green beer!!

Beloved grandparents

These are the grave markers of my colleague's grandparents. They were not far from the place where his parents were buried as well.

Im back from the cruise, but a little worn out from my vacation and overworked from all the e-mails I have to catch up on! I'll be back to my daily tours soon though.

Whitesand Baptist Church

Whitesand Baptist Church is about an hour south of Jackson in the big town of Prentiss! A colleague of mine buried his father there and I went for the funeral. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and puffy white clouds. Just the kind of day you'd like to have for such a sad occasion.

Whitesand is the only church I've covered so far which does not have a website. I guess they don't need to advertise as much in the country.

Fondren IV

A sign marking one of the buildings in the Fondren district.

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! Get out and play the lottery!!

Fondren III

Butterfly Yoga is a Fondren institution. It's been voted the best place to exercise for several years running by the Jackson Free Press. I'd love to take a class there sometime and see what it's all about!

Fondren II

I have it on good authority that Kolb's has been in this location for 40 years or more. I like the old-timey look of the sign. I wonder if it really is old, or if they just made it to look that way to fit in with the Fondren feel.


I also like that they have a night drop for customers to leave their clothes after-hours, although I'm not sure how they distinguish whose clothes are whose, but I guess they have some way of figuring it out!

Fondren I

It came as no surprise to me that this beautiful building is home to an architect's office! I just love the design and those big windows in the front. It's too bad the tulips were not in full bloom yet, but I think I caught the reflection of the blue sky and the building across the street quite well.

Fondren is a district of downtown Jackson that is trying to bring life back to the heart of the city. The area is filled with cute boutiques and trendy restaurants. I hope you'll enjoy this short series of photos from the district!

Under contruction

I like the simplicity of the stained glass windows in this little chapel, it's only too bad it wasn't a sunny day when I came by. I'm glad this old building is being taken care of though. I hate to see old treasures lost.

Old Church

I'm not sure who this old chapel belongs to. I'm thinking perhaps The First Methodist of Ridgeland since it was located on the grounds behind it. I was driving by last weekend and decided to check it out. I'm glad I did, it was a real gem - come back tomorrow for a peek inside.

I'm off to the Carribean today for a week of crusing. I've got the blog on automatic posting, so you won't miss a thing that's happening in Jackson!

Bob's

I got my haircut yesterday - although I did not go to Bob's, I just love this sign. I'm not sure what a "California Concept" is, but I can just imagine the stylists taking a trip over to Willits to learn all the lastet techniques!

Happy Friday everyone! For a look at other skies around the world, check out skywatch.

McAlister's Deli

McAlister's is one of my favorite lunching spots. They have a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches that are not too unhealthy. This particular McAlister's is probably the one I visit most, although there are quite a few locations around town. And, I must admit, some of them look a little nicer than this one.

I'm not sure if the place is named for Deuce McAlister. He's an (apparently) famous American football player from Mississippi. There are a couple of car dealerships in the city bearing his name, but I'm not sure if the deli is just a coincidence. Anyway, if you've got one in your town, check it out. My suggestion: the taco salad with vegetarian chili. Very yum!

Buji

Buji is one of the latest spas to crop up in the Jackson area. Don't let it's strip mall outer appearance fool you though - it's a peaceful haven on the inside. Each treatment room is filled with delicious aromatherapy scents and relaxing music that takes you to another place. At the end of your appointment, you can relax in the giant waterfall room - it's heaven!

The Caring Hands

Last week a group of volunteers from my work went to feed the women and children at a local shelter. It was a lot of hard work - but fun and rewarding too! We asked our colleagues to bring in a prepared dish that could be easily heated up for a potluck style dinner. Some people had different ideas of what can be easily heated, but in the end things worked out and the shelter's residents got plenty to eat that night with enough leftovers for the entire week! We also had a food/supply drive to help stock them up for the future. One person can change the world - even if it's only a little.

March snow

Sunday morning we woke up to a winter wonderland in March! Did Mother Nature not pay attention to the harbingers of spring? At least it was only a light dusting which quickly melted away. The darn cold weather ruined my golf plans though. But we do have the golf channel, so at least we were able to watch other people playing, even though it's not quite the same (they're much better than I am!).

March Theme Day: Glass

I actually posted this photo in the first days of this photo blog, but I knew when glass was chosen as the topic for today's theme I'd use it again. It's a view onto the Natchez Trace from The Mississippi Crafts Center. The Crafts Center is probably Jackson's most modern-looking building. People either love it or hate it. I guess I'm in the love category - at least with these beautiful windows and the view.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Harbinger of Spring

I just love the blooming Bradford Pear trees. They're a real sign to me that spring has sprung.

For more skies around the world, take a look at skywatch. Happy Friday everyone!

Cheese

The cheese selection at The Fresh Market is outstanding. It's hard paying the premium prices - but I am happy to see most of my old French favorites. Lately, my husband and I have been staying away from this aisle though. We made a New Year's Resolution to lose a few pounds. But we can still treat ourselves to one of these tasty delights every now and again.

More Peppers!

To continue with the pepper theme, I found this lovely display of peppers at The Fresh Market. TFM is one of those gourmet grocery chains. I don't buy staple foods here, but it is a good place for cheeses, fish, meats and other things you can't find at The Kroger.

Sweet Peppers... Part II

Sweet Peppers really takes their theme quite seriously! Not only were there several neon pepper signs, there were also paintings of peppers and other pepper-related artwork. All of the chairs and booths were done in red upoholstry which, combined with the deep red walls, gave the place a really warm feel.

Chose promise, chose due...

As promised, I tested the Sweet Peppers Deli over the weekend. The menu is quite similar to McAllister's, the only thing missing is the veggie chili. They also have the same serving system - you order at the counter and they bring the food to your table.


Uli also made good on his promise and treated me to this veggie sandwich on ciabatta bread with a side of pasta salad. It was quite tasty - thanks again!

St Matthews United Methodist

I thought I'd post a night photo for a change. I like the modern look of this church with the slanty glass windows. If you'd like to learn more about this church, please visit their website.