Last week we had 70 degree temperatures and then we had WINTER…

Snow…

Sleet…

Ice…

COLD WINTER!!!

I’m sure residents of  St. Paul, Juneau or Reyjavik might scoff but for this Southern boy…we’ve had as much winter as I care to experience for one season.

It’s not even the middle of December. What in the world will the New Year bring?

Nevertheless, we did take a little road trip on Sunday to see a dear friend that lives in Helena, AR. He produced and directed their community Christmas concert so we braved the elements to support him and attend “Celebrate the Season”.

Helena is so fortunate to have a facility and the patron support so that music, theatre and dance can be a vital part of the community.  “Celebrate the Season” offered the audience all the traditional favorites as well as several contemporary works. Santa and Mrs. Claus as well as Mary, Joseph and the baby made appearances.  A Christmas program is not complete without children and CTS did not disappoint.  The girls ensemble was talented and adorable.  Local church  choir stars and theatre celebrities came together with students from Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas to warm hearts and welcome the season.

For those that aren’t familiar with the area Helena is 70 miles south of Memphis and has the next bridge across the Mississippi River South of Memphis.  To get to Helena one must travel through Tunica, MS…the Casino Capital of the South. And, if one travels through Tunica then one must stop at The Blue and White…and that we did.  Just in time to have the lunch buffet with the church goers, the deer slayers and all the electrical workers from Jackson, MS that came up to help with power outages.

The Blue and White began in 1924 on Route 61.  In 1937 the Pure Oil Co. moved The Blue and White Cafe & Service Station to its present location on what is now Highway 61. The tobacco and newsstands are no longer.   The Greyhound bus no longer stops, either.  However, its position at the entrance to the Mississippi Delta is a testament to the hard work and perseverance of those that work there as well as the ones that have gone before.

Some of the staff have been with the restaurant over 40 years. The kitchen has a grandmother cooking next to her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren…passing on the 70 year tradition of Southern cooking.  If you leave The Blue and White hungry it’s your fault.  And, the staff is so friendly you’ll feel like you’ve been to the home of a ole friend or family member.  Our server was really not happy that we were going to Helena.  She had heard, “the bridge is really bad”. Thankfully, the bridge had thawed and we made it just fine…but her concern was certainly heartfelt and appreciated.

Then, today it was back to decking the halls.

  

Jing, Jang and John have been around since I designed Christmas decorations in Asia.  They were “on the shelf” when Elf-on-the-Shelf was known as a Pixie and way before he became trendy.

This is the first layer.  You’ll see other versions of this later in the season with Amaryllis, Tulips and boughs of holly.

The first Christmas card appropriately has an image of a Night Blooming Cirrus aka Christ in the Manger.

The collection of white McCoy pottery is dressed in Red, Gold and Chartreuse.

The built-in curio gets a strand of crystal lights to help illuminate all the books, collectibles and photos that rest there.

Finally, the tree is all aglow.  The white tree with crystal lights is dressed primarily in Chartreuse but glistens with crystal ornaments, baubles, garlands and some precious collectibles.

Tomorrow is another day; another house to make lovely. And, the real joy is knowing that in the coming days a good time will be had by all.