It sounds impossible, but it's been proven in research.  A four-minute high intensity routine can offer more benefits than a 60-minute jog.  Read on to learn more about Tabata. 
- by Lionel Haynes, Jr. 

​Tabata is named after Japanese coach and researcher, Dr. Izumi Tabata, now dean of the Sports and Health Science graduate program at Ritsumeikan University. In a-first-of-its-kind study, Dr. Tabata pitted high intensity interval training (H.I.I.T) against 60-minute “steady-state”  aerobic exercises.

Researchers were surprised to discover that the high intensity regimen – exercising vigorously for twenty seconds on and ten seconds off during a four-minute session (for eight rounds total) - produced results that far outpaced traditional routines. 

In fact, Tabata’s short intense sessions are equal to a sixty-minute jog, burning an average of ten to fifteen calories a minute and working around the clock to burn even more.  

Still in disbelief?

Take it from local fitness guru Helene Loiacano of Fit First.

“Lots of my clients are into Tabata now,” Helene says.  “It’s especially popular with really busy business people.”

Helene says that part of Tabata’s appeal is that it can be done in different ways, incorporating anything from strength training, to running, to weight exercises. To get the best results, any exercise should be done at maximum effort for twenty seconds, alternating with ten seconds of rest, for a total of eight “rounds” over four minutes.  

“In that four-minute session, you can do a single exercise or eight different exercises," says Loiacano. “You can mix lower and upper body exercises too.”

Tabata doesn't discriminate either, according to Helene. It's for everybody, from exercise novices determined to carry out a New Year's resolution to the extreme cross-fit expert.

Helene explains.  “The beauty of Tabata is that it’s right for everybody, even someone who's so deconditioned that they can barely walk to their mailbox.”

Helene gives a few examples of beginning exercises: throwing and catching a moderate-sized medicine ball against a wall; jogging on a treadmill (moving your feet to the side using the safety bars to get that ten-second break); and leaping on/off jumping blocks.

Mixing routines up also helps ward off boredom.  And it’s not so much how you get there as arriving at your ultimate goal.  Helene quotes her fitness professional father, J.E. Loiacano, who “taught me everything.”  

“He always says that workouts have to be fun.  If you want to go to California, it doesn’t matter if you drive a Volkswagen or take a 747 - as long as you enjoy the trip."

For instance, if you walk five days a week, you can still meet your fitness goal, it just takes longer, says Helene.  “Tabata’s more like taking the 747,” she says, smiling. 

Helene advises people to check with their physician before diving into Tabata (or any new fitness routine), even if you were once a star athlete in your school days. Over time, our bodies gradually change.

“But I want people to understand that anyone can do Tabata,” she says.  “It’s not complicated.  And it only takes 14 minutes a day, including the ten-minute warm-up.  It’s simple and it’s fun.”

If Tabata-style sounds like a good fit to achieve your New Year’s resolution, go for it.  You may start seeing noticeable results after two weeks.

Four weeks after that, you could be coasting past that resolution. With Tabata’s natural boosts to the human growth hormones (HGH) production, all that uninvited fat should be blasted off your body long before bikini and speedo season.

Find Helene on Facebook under "Fit First - Helene Loiacano Johnson"

There are lots of beginning or low-impact Tabata routines on Youtube.  Try them out until you find one that seems to fit your style.  Below are two that we enjoyed:  

Want to enjoy a day in New Orleans without the hassles? Park the car and catch the streetcar! Attractions, dining, architecture, art and a memorable experience, all for the price of a ticket.
- by Lisa Monti

Waveland Alderman Jeremy Burke reports on Christmas on Coleman, blighted properties and county update. 

Christmas on Coleman 

The city of Waveland is hosting "Christmas on Coleman" on Saturday, December 9th, from 5:30pm -  7:30pm.  Santa will be visiting with children, refreshments will be served and games will be open to all.  A golf cart parade cruises down the avenue in front of city hall as a featured festivity.  

If you'd like to be in the Golf Cart Parade, call city hall at 228.467.4134 for details!  

Blighted Properties 

This month, Waveland is going to address three properties that have been eyesores for years.  At the December 5th Waveland Board meeting the fate of the following properties is going to be decided: 706 Birch, 708 Birch and 600 Highway 90 (formerly Day's Frontier).

If the Waveland Board of Alderman deems the properties are in violation of the blighted property ordinance, the owner of the property must clean-up the property or Waveland is going to be forced to clean-up the property for them.

Since Waveland hired full-time building inspector Josh Hayes, Waveland has been able to get more aggressive on tackling dilapidated structures.  The Waveland Building Department has developed a system to identify and address blighted properties that have been plaguing Waveland for years. 

County Update

The Hancock County Board of Supervisor is about to finish the second year of their term.  During the last year, Waveland and Hancock County Board of Supervisors have tackled several problems and projects together.  The Hancock County Board of Supervisors recently sent out a letter about what they have accomplished in 2017 and what their vision and goals are for 2018.

Below are a few excerpts from the county letter that pertain specifically to Waveland: 

•Stabilized Healthcare in Hancock Medical. After an extensive process, we can now remove taxpayer obligation and concern regarding the fate of Hancock Medical and look to generate revenue for county, expand services and secured a long term partner for our county with Ochsner Health Systems. 

 We also adopted the county’s first commercial incentive policy for properties on our major roadways in Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Diamondhead. 

The next fiscal year will be our most aggressive year to date and includes the following priorities:

•Corridor Enhancement & Recreational Improvements.  Playgrounds for Dedeaux, Bay St. Louis and Necaise were approved in the new fiscal budget, and we will construct new welcome signage on our major corridors entering Hancock County.  

•Beachfront Improvements.  We are partnering with the City of Waveland on the Coleman Avenue Lighthouse Project and approved funding for new parking locations on the beachfront near Coleman Avenue and Lakeshore Road.  

​Click here to read the 2017 State of the County document in PDF form. ​

With a large new location, an expanded printing department, a new website and promotional product offerings and an expanded showroom of more than 2,000 products stocked in-house, S&L Office Supply is growing with a mission in mind:  to become the one-stop-shop for local businesses.  
- by Ellis Anderson

S&L Office Supply
1201 Highway 90
Bay St. Louis
228-467-0002 
Mon. - Fri., 8am - 5pm, Saturday, 10am - 2pm

For instance, the printing department has had room to spread out.  Higher end machinery has doubled output capabilities and allows for printing of everything from flyers to brochures to invitations.  Large format printers can handle blueprints and plans.  Same day printing is available, and there’s never any additional charge for a rush job.  

​Another big “new” for S&L this year:  they’re now printing outdoor banners, yard signs and even vinyl decals.  All of it is done in-house with personal attention from Cochran and his staff. 
 
“We are focused on developing products and services that customers can use to promote their own businesses and functions,” says Cochran.   “We want to be a one-stop-shop for every local business.”  

​That focus has led to another expansion – promotional products.  Anything that can be printed with a company logo is fair game. Think jump drives and pens and coffee mug and mouse pads.  And more.  A million more.
 
Cochran says that they’ve become members of Advertising Specialty Institute, which allows S&L to offer that incredible array of products to their local customers – all at “super” wholesale pricing. 
 
But since a million choices can be overwhelming, S&L will assist in narrowing down the selection to work with a customer’s budget.  They then make a mock-up of the item, so the customer can see a photo of what the product will look like – before they order.

​Providing janitorial supplies and restaurant products now is another way S&L is simplifying the life of their customers. 
 
“During 2018, that’s going to be one of our biggest pushes,” Cochran says. “We’ll have everything from paper towels to toilet paper to hand soap.  Anything that a business or restaurant goes through on a regular basis.  Now, instead of having to travel to buying-club stores to save money, they’ll be able to buy bulk products here in Hancock County.”
 
“Our prices are right in line with the shopping club prices, but you don’t have to take time out of your day or send an employee to make a 50-mile round trip,” Cochran explains.  “Plus, we offer local delivery.”
 
The S&L showroom will soon display popular sanitation, janitorial and paper products that are sold in bulk and kept in-stock.  Shoppers can check out the samples, order at the desk and have the products loaded in their cars. 
 
To save even more time, customers can now order from S&L’s website, which is – you guessed it – new.  

Launched the last week in November, the website allows customers to order print jobs, janitorial supplies, promotional items and more than 40,000 different office products.  Customers can ask that the items be available for pick-up or delivered. 
 
To speed up things even more, the new website shopping area has a “Quick Picks” section.  Two thousand-plus popular items under “Quick Picks” are already in stock and can be picked up immediately.
 
“Chances are, we’ll have the product you’re looking for,” says Cochran.  “If you order and pay for the products online, you can just drive up, we’ll put it in your car and you can go.”  
 
There are even more perks for commercial customers – those businesses with a commercial location and regular business hours.  Cochran says that qualified customers get additional discounts on the products they order most.  Net 30 billing is also offered, as is free delivery with no minimum order (contact Chris to see about becoming a qualified commercial customer). 
 
While Cochran’s strategy has been to build a loyal local customer base, he’s now winning new ones from Picayune, Slidell, and Gulfport.

Cochran says people are willing to make the drive “because we offer that one-stop shopping - with prices competitive to what they’re getting online.  They also love the service here.  They’re able to talk to someone who really knows their stuff and will take the time to learn their needs.”
 
He continues.  “We’re growing fast because we have one thing in mind:  we want to supply everything you need to promote your business and run your day-to-day operations, without having to leave Hancock County.” 

In the century since it'd been constructed, the building had served as a school, a community center and a place for healing broken lives.  But no one had ever called it "home." 
- by Ellis Anderson 

Sushi, sashimi, rolls, hibachi and bento boxes:  You'll find it all at Yamotos. And steaks.  And seafood platters.  You don't have to be craving Asian to visit and leave happy.  
- by Lisa Monti, photos Lisa Monti and Ellis Anderson 

Interest in the Yamato Steak House of Japan’s newest location (including the original in  Hattiesburg and others in Mississippi and Louisiana) seems to be holding steady here. At a weekday lunch, the place was busy and the servers moved quickly to take orders and fill glasses.

​Yamato’s has an ample menu - starting with appetizers and ending with desserts - covering all the bases in between. There are sushi rolls, hibachi lunch specials, dinners and combos, bento box specials all day, soba and steaks as promised in the name.

For a closer to home taste, there are even three Louisiana seafood platters with salad, fries and an egg roll as sides. We’re told that local diners tend to favor hibachi over the raw dishes but interest in sushi and sashimi is picking up thanks in part to some innovative specials.
 
At the heart of the menu are 23 special rolls with names like Shaggy Dog (shrimp tempura with spicy crab, shrimp and eel sauce) and the Fire on the Bayou (spicy scallop and crabmeat with tempura flakes, seared yellowtail, jalapeño and ponzu sauce on top).

​The rolls range from $9.95 to $14.95 for the Alexander Roll (lobster, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, snow crab and special sauce). Most fall in the middle price range. You can also get any three of the 24 lunch sushi rolls for $10.99. Appetizers and soups start at around $1.75

Our table of four covered a sushi special, hibachi shrimp and chicken, a sushi appetizer and Yum Yum salad (raw fish, avocado in a crunchy sauce.) The special was Ahi tuna wrapped in seaweed, tempura battered and lightly fried. That one was the winner for best plating but all our choices were well prepared, plentiful, tasty and nicely presented by our server Brandon.

The tempura ice cream dessert, split three ways, was generous enough for four and it disappeared quicker than the house-made ice cream could melt among the whipped cream dollops in the corners and the chocolate sauce.
 
Customers who have been bringing in their own wine should know that Yamato’s is expected to have its liquor license soon, manager Ivy Wu tells us. Check first before you go.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music.  The December one offers a magical family experience, with lots of holiday lighting, decor and good cheer!

Be sure to visit Hot Spot businesses Gallery 220, 220 Main Street, and  Southern Accents Boutique, 125 Main Street!

Special Holiday Happenings for Second Saturday

Caroling through Old Town by Coast Chorale

Gallery 220 - A December Hot Spot:  work by 20 artists, refreshments and live music:  220 Main Street

Southern Accents - A December Hot Spot:  125 Main Street

The Mockingbird Café - Hadley Hill performs 6pm - 9pm: 110 S. Second Street

Smith & Lens Gallery Pop-up on the Patio - Gallery A Go-go with work by 20 artists! Amanda Bennett show in gallery: 106 S. Second Street

The Shops at Century Hall - hot chocolate bar w/cookies: 112 S. Second Street

Gallery Edge (inside Century Hall) - Special Off-the-Edge Holiday Shop: 112 S. Second Street

Starfish Café - Selfies with Santa, porch of the Starfish Café, 4pm - 6pm! Free, but accepting donations for Food Pantry: 211 Main Street

First Baptist Church - Christmas program of sirited music by the adult and children's choir, 6pm:  141 Main Street

Bay Books - Alex North signing his 2018 calendars: 131 Main Street

Bodgea Spirts & Liquor - Beaujolais wine tasting 5pm - 7pm: 111 Court Street

Bodega Parrot Head Bar - George Mills & the Invisibles, 7pm til...: 111 Court Street

Misfits Classic Car Club - Cruise-in at the Bay St. Louis Harbor, generally held in the afternoon.  ​

​Now an Old Town fixture, Gallery 220 was conceived on the heels of Katrina and born out of necessity to accommodate the many artists who lost their studios to the storm.

Within two months of Katrina’s arrival, Jenise McCardell created a space for Gallery 220 in the front of her Clay Creations building, and an artist’s cooperative was born. Eleven years later, the concept remains the same: member artists rent space and give time. 

The business model supports the artists--all 25 of them. As artists take turns working one day a week, visitors may stumble upon clay, wire, paint, or mosaic in process. McCardell credits this interaction between artist, craft, and customer as a real draw.  “Customers love to watch a work in progress,” she says. 

McCardell marvels that 25 artists get along so well. In fact, they help each other. When one artist is featured in a magazine or on a television show, he or she invariably promotes the other artists in the Gallery. That camaraderie is one of the aspects of running a business that Jenise finds rewarding. The repeat customers, however, are the most rewarding aspect.

“A lot of customers tell us they have a blank wall. They are interested in a piece of art, but they want it in a different size. Maybe they want it to fit behind their sofa,” McCardell says. “We try to accommodate.” 

Indeed. Shoppers will find a multitude of choices. 

Usually, one artist is featured a month. That artist gets the center aisle. As a Hot Spot, though, every artist will be a featured artist. Be sure to stop by and pass a good time.
​
​Gallery 220 is hard to miss; it's the building with the Coca Cola sign on the side and an eclectic sampling of local art lining the front windows.

​Jenny Shubert, Southern Accents owner, has an abiding love of the Deep South. She always wanted to run her own business. Southern Accents reflects the combination of her two passions: The Deep South and small business ownership. Southern Accents is perhaps the only Southern-themed store on Main Street. 

Shubert opened the Southern Accents about the time her children were in school full time. First housed on Second Street, the shop soon migrated to the old Masonic Temple in the first block of Main.

Jenny, a Pass Christian gal who now resides in the Kiln, says she loves the Bay area and couldn’t ask for a better place to work. She manages the store herself with occasional help from her daughters.

If you ask Jenny Shubert what she finds most rewarding about owning her own business, she will tell you, location, location, location. "I love this quiet, friendly community," she says. 

From the beginning, Jenny knew she wanted her store to reflect the Southern charm that has enveloped her from birth. No surprise there; a browse through the shop will put the most Northern visitor in mind of a sweet iced tea or a slice of pecan pie.

At Southern Accents, shoppers will find local pepper jelly, tees from the Anna Grace Southern Tee Company collection and Southern Accents' own special tee collection, boutique clothing (including plus sizes), hats from the Southern Dog Company, beachy jewelry, soy candles from Southern Accents, frames, and home décor with Southern charm.

As the sign says, "It’s a boutique and more." As such, Southern Accents is the perfect place for visitors to purchase a memento of their trip to the Gulf Coast . . .  and for locals to find that special something for that special someone, especially if that special someone happens to be you. 
​
Southern Accents is housed in the old Masonic Temple, a neo-classic Revival style building a half block off the beach in historic Old Town Bay St. Louis.

This guide to vintage ornaments and Christmas decorations is sure to start a few new collections for those wanting to spice up - or spook up - their holiday decor. 

- by Martha Whitney Butler

Either way, these terrifying treasures fetch a high price from collectors all over the world. Thinking about starting a vintage Christmas collection? Check out this beginner's guide to collecting vintage Christmas décor and then hit up that old box in the attic AND your local antique and vintage shops to get started!

German Christmas Ornaments

In the beginning of the annual tradition of Christmas, ornaments varied, from fruits and cookies to pure silver tinsel. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that the spirit of Christmas began its major revival with the help of holiday propaganda via Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens.

Around that time, German artisans set a successful trend with hand-blown glass and embossed cardboard ornaments. These can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes, and functions. A sought-after version of glass ornaments is a "kugel," often found in a grape cluster or fruit shape. Cardboard ornaments from Dresden, Germany were a hit as well, and are highly coveted among today's collectors. 

It's rumored that F.W. Woolworth tested the waters with cost-effective glass Christmas ornaments from a small German village and capitalized on the cottage industry by introducing them in his chain stores. This started a movement of mass production, so when seeking out these ornaments, keep in mind the delicate, hand-blown ones without a mold seam are the most valuable. 

More German ornaments and décor include paper mâché Santas, candy containers, spun cotton elves, and chalkware nativity figurines. But perhaps one of their most notable productions is of a mythical Christmas figure often dismissed as a traditional Santa or elf - the dreaded Belsnickel.

Belsnickel was a helpful acquaintance of Santa who visited German children in the weeks prior to Christmas. Unlike the friendly pushover Santa Claus, Belsnickel carries a single branch that he uses to beat greedy, misbehaving children. He visits door to door, village to village, bearing the gift of beating and a sack full of candles.

In true "good cop/bad cop" fashion, he throws the candles at the feet of the "good" children and sternly raps the knuckles of those too anxious to take their gift. After his abusive reminder to refrain from succumbing to avarice, he sends Santa in later to make nice with the kiddies by showering them with gifts. Some traditions are better left across the pond...  Or are they? 

When searching for the rare Belsnickel, look for paper mâché, chalkware, and cardboard German versions.

As quickly as these imported seasonal sensations became affordable to the masses, their prices began to climb due to trading complications and the growing threat of war with Germany. Manufacturers like Woolworth's began to seek other alternatives to cheap production and turned their attention to the East.

Japanese Christmas Ornaments

Japanese manufacturers were the kings of knock-off kitsch and immediately started filling orders for shiny glass ornaments, paper mâché Santas, and cardboard candy containers. Instead of traditional German pastels, the Japanese preferred bright, shiny colors in their glass production. They can even be credited with the creation of cardboard Putz houses and Santa dioramas.

While still very collectible and valuable, Japanese Christmas décor is the most common vintage find because it was available at every five-and-ten store around. With the overseas sweat-shop labor, they were very affordable to the masses. When the US entered World War II, these imports fell out of favor in the States and manufacturers began to seek American-made products.

American Christmas Ornaments

With American glass production at an all-time high, glass companies were interested in the mass production of these delicate decorations. Glass makers like Corning were mass producing millions of wholesale orders, and companies like Shiny Bright began to get in on the action.

​At the beginning of the war, the nitrates used to silver and shiny up the ornaments became scarce and ornaments were a little less bright and shiny. These ornaments and those marked "Made in Occupied Japan" appeal to collectors because they serve as a wartime reference.

Retro Christmas:  The 40s and 50s

In this era we begin to see the usage of plastics like celluloid, rubber, hard plastic, and glitter. Lots of glitter. Tinsel trees started to pop up in homes all over the country and bubble lights decked the weary branches of over-burdened trees.

​Safer than candles, these strands of multi-colored lights brought the ultimate wow factor to the Christmas scene. Mall Santa seemed to ditch the scary paper mâché mask for a more realistic white beard... and children still cried when they sat in his lap. 

Serial Killer Santa with the angry rubber face was a favorite stuffed toy for kids all over and a less-breakable plastic nativity scene became the household preference. Christmas spilled out into lit-up lawns and the neighborhood competition heightened. Among the most fun collectibles from this era are feather trees, tinsel trees, and figural light bulbs. ​

While this guide touches on a few easy Christmas collectibles, it barely scratches the surface. Visit your local antique shops and consult with local experts on the various vintage décor. You're sure to find items to add to your collection and, if you're lucky, a creepy elf or two. 

Questions about your vintage Christmas décor? Email Martha Whitney

Although shoofly decks were nearly extinct on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, three women decide that Bay St. Louis should be home to at least one:  how the town's current shoofly came into being. 
- story by Ellis Anderson 

By the late 1900s, only a few remained on the entire coast.  An iconic one stood in the Biloxi Green.  Another had survived somewhere in Ocean Springs.  Bay St. Louis had none.   

​What had survived though are two astonishing photographic images preserved in the Library of Congress.  Both were taken in the Bay around 1900 by a photographer named William Henry Jackson.  Jackson took them for the Detroit  Photographic Company, a national postcard enterprise. 
 
The images show different views of the same Beach Boulevard shoofly. 
 
Jackson took one picture from the road looking toward the house and called it “Harry’s Villa” after the first name of the owner.  The shoofly is in the foreground, an elegant wood home behind it.  A woman stands on the shoofly, while a boy is perched in the fork of the tree trunk, temporarily taller than the adult.  

Jackson shot the other perspective from the porch of the house, pointing his camera toward the water.  In the picket-fenced yard are Harry’s wife, Mrs. Boyle, their daughter and a grandchild.  Several people stand on the deck of the shoofly.  Judging by their hats and dress clothes, they’re probably guests at the Boyle’s boarding house. 

​Yet, despite its historic shoofly stardom, Bay St. Louis remained shoofly-less until 1989 or ’90, when three Bay residents – Mike Cuevas, Zita Waller and Pat Cucullu – visited Ocean Springs for a home tour.  Waller and Cucullu have passed away, and Cuevas tells the story.  One of the featured houses – Cuevas doesn’t remember exactly where - had a shoofly in the yard.  The three were enchanted and took photos. 
 
Cuevas, who worked for the city, asked Mayor Eddie Favre, who was serving his first term, if building a city shoofly in the Bay was a possibility. 

“He said the same thing he always did when I asked him for something,” recalls Cuevas. “He said, ‘Sure, you raise the money and we can do it.’” 
 
The live oak on the property of the historic City Hall on Second Street was chosen to host the project.  Cuevas says that later Farve himself found the funding to add to donations that came in.  Architect Kevin Fitzpatrick and engineer Wayne Peterson volunteered their professional services, making the project a possibility. In the end, the cost for the shoofly construction was around $20,000, with the public works department providing the labor. 

Fitzpatrick, an architect well-versed in historic preservation (he currently serves as chair on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission), remembers the project well.  As a college student before Camille, he often traveled the coast, driving between Tulane University in New Orleans and his parents’ home in Florida.
 
“Back then, it seemed like the coast was covered with them (shooflies),” Fitzpatrick said.  “I’d always admired them, so I was able to design the Bay’s pretty much from memory.”
 
Fitzpatrick designed the railings to match the ones on the historic city hall, while engineer Wayne Peterson worked on the structural engineering.  Fitzpatrick said he remembers joking with the engineer after seeing the support system Peterson devised. 
 
“I told him that we’d be able to park a locomotive on that thing,” Fitzpatrick said.  “It seemed way over the top.  But Wayne believed that people would assemble on the Shoofly for weddings and events, so it had to be extremely strong.  And he was right.”
 
Peterson’s other concern was for the tree itself.  The deck had to be self-supporting so it wouldn’t harm the ancient oak and it had to allow plenty of room for the tree to grow. 
 
According to Peterson, “The base at the ground is close to the base of the tree, with the platform cantilevering out at the top.  In addition, the structure had to be designed to support a lot of ‘weighty politicians.’  I understand that it has successfully supported a lot of those over the years.” 
 
“It’s still something when I see it,” says Peterson.  “My hope is that it gives people a little of the pleasure that growing up and living on the coast has given to me.”  

Of course, the Shoofly Magazine is named after the iconic town landmark - a perfect place for elevated community conversation!  

Award-winning author Rheta Grimsley Johnson unpacks her holiday decorations and some thoughts about what's supposed to be "the happy time of year." Big Bonus: the recipe to Lera Johnson's Oatmeal Cookies.  

Find out more about Rheta's books at RhetasBooks.com.  Rheta's gallery/shop, Faraway Places, is located at 102 West Front Street, Iuka, Mississippi.  

Maybe we weren’t “laid off down at the factory,” as Merle wrote about, but not all years are created equal. Some simply suck.

That’s when it’s time to put one Size Nine in front of the other and carry on. If you think you’ve sensed a mood here, you have. I don’t mean to hate December/It’s meant to be the happy time of year…

Sometimes by simply going through the motions you get caught up and carried along. So I trudged through the carpet of leaves to the storage room behind the car shed. In it are the Christmas boxes shoved haphazardly into hibernation in past years.  Starting the intimidating task of unloading decorations didn’t make me merry, but it did make me thankful.

I put “Blood Oranges” in my boom box and began.

There is the music box my sister made in ceramics class back when there was such a thing as ceramics class – back before double-knit. Mr and Mrs. Claus dance before a mantel with stockings to the tinny music of “I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus.” On the ceramic calendar hanging by the ceramic fireplace the date is December 24, which is exactly when the handmade gift arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, the year I Iived in a South Jackson rental we called The Smurf House. My former husband and I shared the big house with several single men, and the Smurf theme seemed obvious and stuck.

The two vintage plastic snowmen come tumbling from another box, top hats at jaunty angle. I remember the first Christmas Terry Martin spent across the road from me in his little red house. He gave me those retro Frosties. The warm feeling having him so close gave me was the real gift. How many people can say their closest neighbor is not just a geographical accident but someone in philosophical and political agreement about almost every fundamental thing?

Not many. We are blue dots in an ocean of red.

The red sled my niece Chelsey made from Popsicle sticks remains intact, despite my careless packing.  So does the Plaster of Paris snowman with stick arms. A friend’s child sold me that treasure from his private fund-raiser.

Children are not only clever but enterprising.

By my sofa are a dozen or more of those home and garden magazines that make you want to burn down your own house and start over. I wonder where the people with thematic, color-coordinated trees and rooms stash their stick sleds and Plaster of Paris snowmen.  Worse yet, how do healthy people justify not decorating at all?

Next from the bubble wrap rubble comes the chalk Santa my father won for me at a Florida county fair. I was six. He was deft at pitching nickels. The games back then evidently weren’t rigged.

And if the Santa is coming out, so must the snow globe my mother mailed at great expense when she heard my modest collection had frozen and burst. The event cured me of collecting, but Mother insisted I should have one globe at least.

I find the straw animals my friend Edwin “Whiskey” Gray has given me over a dozen years. They are the ornaments that remind me of France, not unlike the ones sold at the flower market that surprises you when you emerge from the Metro. Chelsey once told me that anything I really love reminds me of France, and I guess that is true.

Speaking of. I search for and find the three French hens painted on a red egg replete with the Eiffel Tower.

Unpacking accomplished, I’ll next bake the late Lera Johnson’s oatmeal cookies, a recipe that makes enough to share with her two grown sons. Back when folks cooked with Crisco and I was young, hungry and skinny – not to mention terrified of what the future held -- there was one thing you could count on. Whenever I stuck my hand into my mother-in-law’s cream-colored cookie jar, I never once hit bottom.
 
Lera Johnson’s Oatmeal Cookies

3 cups Quick Oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Crisco
1 cup nuts
2 eggs
1 and a half cups flour
​
Cream sugar and Crisco; mix in eggs, oats, flour and pecans. Bake at 300 degrees until brown.
                  

When ten of Mississippi's top contemporary artists open a cooperative gallery in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis, expect to find work that's exciting, fresh and a far cry from ordinary. 
- by LB Kovac 

The group of artists had no firm outline for their gallery, but they managed to sketch out a few details in one long meeting. It’s an uncommon story in business for the things to progress so quickly. At the end of one night, they had a check for rent and a killer name: Gallery Edge. 

  ExpeThe gallery is only three months old, but it is already creating big buzz. Gallery Edge has  already hosted three show openings – spotlighting of the works of Kat Fitzpatrick and Bill Nelson, as well as a group show with works from all the artists.  It's  now in the middle of its final show for 2017. 

And even bigger things are on the horizon in 2018.  Expect to see the unexpected at Gallery Edge.
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“Since this is a not-for-profit gallery, we make experimental work that wouldn’t work in a normal gallery setting," says Grabowski.  

Grabowski, herself a renowned fiber artist and originator of the “deconstructed screen printing” method, has been a fixture at area galleries and art shows for years. 

In the past, Grabowski made a name for herself with her wearable art, but the pieces she is currently working on are not always so functional.

“There is a freedom in having our own space,” she says. 

The ten artists, whose styles are incredibly distinct, have a palette of art styles, and personalities, that blends well. Marian Knobbe, Bill Nelson and JJ Foley, all are masters of paint. But their subjects run the gamut –smooth Mississippi coastal landscapes, soft and feminine figures, bold and evocative shapes.

Kat Fitzpatrick specializes in encaustic, a type of “painting” that has been used by artists since as early as the 1st century BC. Fitzpatrick uses melted beeswax mixed with pigment to apply color to her canvases. The applied beeswax can be sculpted on the canvas before drying, producing vibrant images that have as much in common with oil paintings as they do metal sculptures.

Stacey Johnson creates fully-realized sculptures using metal, clay and wood. Vicki Niolet, Mary Hardy and Joey Rice incorporate mixed media into their works.  

Finally, Elizabeth Schafer is heavily influenced by music. Her paintings incorporate paint and musical artifacts, like CDs and cassettes, in order to demonstrate the relationship between auditory and visual arts.

Grabowski says, “The cool thing about this gallery is that it is all of us together.” 

And, like any good work-in-progress, the gallery is constantly changing. “Every month, we refine it a little bit more,” Grabowski says.  “It’s like that old quote… Marking art is walking the edge. Good art happens at the edge.”

Gallery Edge’s current show, which hangs until December 23, represents work from all ten artists. Check the gallery’s Facebook page for upcoming shows, special art market pop-ups and new exhibits.

Gallery Edge will be open in Century Hall six days a week, closed Monday. 

Gallery Edge Artists: 
(most names link to websites where you can see samples of their work)

• Kat Fitzpatrick
• JJ Foley
• Kerr Grabowski 
• Mary Hardy
• Stacey Johnson
• Marian Knobbe
• Bill Nelson
• Vicki Niolet
• Joey Rice
• Liz Schafer

Two artists with a proven track record of helping revitalize New Orleans neighborhoods  through arts centers they've created may soon be moving to Waveland.  
- story by Ellis Anderson 

​Waveland Mayor Mike Smith says that he’s visited Studio Arabi twice and both times was “amazed” by what he saw.
 
“They [the Gaudets] have their own studios, but they also lease out spaces to other artists,” said Smith.  “I can see how what they’ve done has revitalized the community there.  They’re proposing doing the same thing in Waveland.  I’m really excited about the possibilities.”
 
Waveland Alderman Jeremy Burke agrees. 
 
“Coleman Avenue has never really come back after Katrina,” Burke said.  “This could breathe new life into Waveland.  It’s the outside-the-box project that we’ve been looking for.”

​The building under consideration was completed as the Waveland Business Center in 2012.  The 10,000-square-foot facility has a striking contemporary design (by Bay St. Louis firm, unabridged Architecture). 

​Although a few tenants have come and gone and three businesses currently lease small sections of the building, Mayor Smith says that for the most part, the business incubator has not been utilized as was originally hoped. 

Earlier this fall, Waveland published calls for proposals to lease the entire facility.  The Gaudets, who have been scouting out Waveland for some time as a possible location for their next project, thought the Coleman Avenue building met all the requirements for another thriving arts center.  They submitted a bid.  It turned out to be the only one. 
 
But Mayor Smith is not disappointed.  “My expectations are high for this particular proposal.”
 
Smith says that he hopes the bid will be formally accepted at the first Alderman’s meeting in December (December 5th).  Then negotiations will be entered into for the lease, which could be finalized later in the month.  All parties stated that they hoped the Gaudets – under their Studio Waveland, LLC - would have possession of the building by the first of January 2018.
 
“The minute we sign the lease, my wife is packing the truck and moving her studio over,” said Mitchell Gaudet.  “Or rather I’ll be packing the truck and she’ll be telling me what to pack.”

​“We envision a quick build-out and then beginning our programming in March or April.  We’re already arguing over what the theme of the first art show will be,” he said, laughing. 
 
“We see this also as a place where the public can interact with workshops and classes and lectures and art openings, with a cool gallery space.  Nothing hoity-toity.”
 
Since the city built the incubator in partnership with other government entities, they won’t own the building in entirety for another year.  According to Mayor Smith, that necessitates a one-year lease at this time. 

The Gaudets are hoping that after the initial year, they’ll be able to secure a longer lease that would warrant the $120,000 investment required by the Gaudets to build-out and equip the building for Mitchell’s glass-making. 
 
“Erica will move her studio over this first year,” said Gaudet. “And then we’ll move over full time…  If we can really crush it that first year, we can create more live-work spaces in the area.  It could be huge.  We’re really excited.”
 
Gaudet says that the New Orleans art community is buzzing as well.  Bay St. Louis is already seen as a popular arts center and the Waveland facility would add to Hancock County’s reputation as an arts destination. 
 
The Gaudets have already driven artist friends over for tours.   Gaudet points out that New Orleans and the Bay-Waveland area are “sister cities of sorts,” so many people in the city already have familiarity – and fondness – for the area.  
 
“There are still a few hurdles ahead, but they’re getting smaller,” said Gaudet.  “We’ll do whatever it takes.  I’m already growing a beard and mustache to look more like George Ohr.” 
 

Meet Mitchell Gaudet

We rarely glimpse these nocturnal neighbors, but when we do, it's another reason to appreciate life on the coast.  Find out what makes these critters good neighbors and ways you can help offset shrinking wildlife habitat.  
- story by LB Kovac and Ellis Anderson 

• Four friends in an SUV are heading out to dinner at a restaurant.  It’s just after dark.  They pull up to a stop sign at St. Charles Ave., when one notices movement in the wood strip just ahead where the road curves.  It’s a fox! they breathe in awe, sitting at the stop sign, the headlights illuminating the creature.  Time stretches, as they watch it watch them.  Finally, the fox slips into the underbrush and vanishes.  The friends drive on, understanding they’ve been gifted by nature on this night.  ​​

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​One of the charms of Bay St. Louis is that the humans coexist with an astonishing variety of wildlife.  Bald eagles and foxes, owls and ospreys, turtles and pelicans, squirrels and geckos and possums and raccoons – to name only a few. 

In fact, Mississippi is home to a substantial number of land mammals alone: 63. For reference, the Magnolia state beats Louisiana, the state closest in land size, by 11 species. Some of our furry neighbors, like the gray squirrel or the eastern cottontail, are a welcome sight no matter where you see them--be it on a nature trail or in your own backyard.

Yet some people may be dubious about critters like foxes, raccoons and opossums, critters important to the delicate Mississippi ecosystem.

Missy Dubuisson, owner of Vancleave-based wildlife rescue organization Wild at Heart, says that these are some of the animals her organization most often sees. She says, “we receive calls from federal, state and local law officers, and the general public” on a regular basis.

Dubuisson has been rehabilitating animals since she was a little girl growing up in Pass Christian. Her love for wild animals, especially America’s only marsupial, has earned her the nickname “the Possum Queen.” 

According to Dubuisson, some homeowners erroneously believe that opossums, raccoons and foxes are aggressive or carry infectious diseases like rabies.  Both turn out to be myths.
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“Many people see a possum and they think they’re going to attack. That’s not going to happen,” Dubuisson promises. She goes on to explain that they’ll only get aggressive if they’re on the defense.  “Rightly so.”

As for rabies?   The state has been surprisingly rabies-free for the past fifty years.  According to the Mississippi Department of Health, “Land animal rabies is rare in Mississippi. Since 1961, only a single case of land animal rabies (a feral cat in 2015) has been identified in our state.” Experts found that the cat had contracted rabies after being bitten, not by another land mammal, but by a bat.

Possums, foxes and raccoons mostly live invisibly alongside humans in urban or semi-suburban areas like Bay-Waveland. All three creatures are dubbed opportunistic eaters.  Possums feed on everything from roaches to slugs. Raccoons have a varied diet too, eating crawfish to berries.  Much of a fox’s fare consists of invertebrates, like grasshoppers and caterpillars. 

Fortunately for their human neighbors, all three eagerly devour nuisance rodents.  The fox, in particular, is valued for its superlative ability to catch rats and mice. 

But as more lots and wooded areas are cleared for development along the coast, the habitat for native wildlife is rapidly disappearing.  The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has several programs in place to offset shrinking habitats by encouraging individuals and communities to create new ones.   

​Individuals can participate with the 40-year-old program, Garden for Wildlife.  This step-by-step program guides homeowners in transforming an ordinary yard into a haven for birds and mammals that we love to watch.  NWF even offers a certification once their checklist has been fulfilled.  Signage celebrates the efforts and encourages neighbors to do likewise. 

Schools, college campuses and place of worship also have wildlife habitat programs, tailored specifically for them.  Entire cities, like Bay St. Louis or Waveland, can apply to be official Wildlife Habitat Communities.  In addition to practicing more sustainable, nature-friendly lifestyles that benefit both humans and animals, these communities receive positive national recognition. 

If Bay St. Louis or Waveland chose to participate, we’d be in good company:  Disney’s Epcot Center is a showcase Habitat Community.  As is the Denver Zoo.  And in Maryland, “Baltimore Gas and Electric has created habitats along its power line rights of way.” 

For more information on participating, click on the links above.  In the meantime savor another sighting: 

• Driving home from a college class in New Orleans one night, a woman crosses the tracks at Ballentine, heading toward the beach.  The moon is full, so movement in a vacant field catches her eye.  She stops the car.  Two foxes freeze, their coats of red glowing, even in the blue moonlight.  The human and animals regard each other calmly.  There’s no fear on either part, only recognition as fellow beings sharing this extraordinary place and time.  When the foxes decide they have better things to do, they move on out of sight.  The woman slowly drives on toward her home, understanding that this brief encounter will be treasured for the rest of her days.  ​