Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sunday series, A Poem for Hill Country

The regular daily feature, A Poem for Hill Country, today presents four poems from Patricia Neely-Dorsey's book, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia: A Life in Poems. The book, which is also reviewed in today's article, is a delight to read. Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia is an account of growing up in Hill Country (Lee County around Saltillo and Tupelo). The four poems from Neely-Dorsey's work presented in the review are (click to read):
Country Doctor
Right to Vote
The Rules
If Mississippi's In You

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Blocks 4, 5, and 6. A Stitch in Time

Three additional posts in the series, A Stitch in Time, are linked below. View the individual quilt block and names on the block from a circa 1930s Friendship Quilt in Itawamba County, Mississippi, by clicking these links, Previous articles in the series are linked in the left-side bar.

Block 4
Block 5
Block 6

Friday, January 29, 2010

Blocks 1, 2, and 3. A Stitch in Time

The first three posts in the series, A Stitch in Time, are linked below. View the individual quilt block and names on the block from a circa 1930s Friendship Quilt in Itawamba County, Mississippi, by clicking these links

Announcing a new series, A Stitch in Time

A Friendship Quilt prepared as a fund-raiser in Mantachie, Itawamba County, Mississippi, about 1931, is the source of information for a series of forty-two articles called A Stitch in Time. The inspiration quilt has 42 squares and 208 names of individuals and businesses from early Itawamba Country and surrounding region. Each of those squares will be shown and the names on each transcribed and discussed in this series.

For a general introduction to the quilt, click here. All of the articles in this series will be linked in the left-side bar of this page under the general heading Friendship Quilt: A Stitch in Time.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Monroe Journal Hill Country column for January 20, 2010


Jobs reported on the 1860 census
of the Hill Country of Monroe County Mississippi are examined in the Monroe Journal column for January 20, 2010. Click here to read the column.

"Looking" ahead . . .



and

Terry Thornton's Hill Country H.O.G.S. WebPress (and his other blogs)

are

now open on a limited basis.

Eye surgery # 1 was completed yesterday and eye surgery # 2 is tentatively scheduled in mid-February --- when I can see more clearly, I'll return to regular posting. Meanwhile I'll post articles only on a sporadic basis.

Thanks for your understanding and for being loyal readers of Hill Country.

Terry Thornton
Fulton, Mississippi

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A look ahead . . .

~~~
~


and

are

closed temporarily.

Vision problems are being addressed --- when I can see more clearly, I'll return.
Thanks for your understanding and for being loyal readers of Hill Country.

Terry Thornton
Fulton, Mississippi

~
~~~

A Hill Country Story Told in Stone

The series, Hill Country Stories Told in Stone, continues today with a brief look at stoneware makers --- the connections between the Stewart Pottery of Louisville, Winston County, Mississippi, and modern-day potters Jerry Brown of Hamilton, Alabama, and Keith Stewart of Taylor, Mississippi. Click here to read the brief article and for photographs of some of these potters' stoneware pieces.

Monday, January 11, 2010

My Hill Country Assurances: First Words & Advertising Signs

The series, My Hill Country Assurances, continues with "First Words and Advertising Signs." ESSO may have been the first word I learned to read. Click here to read "First Words and Advertising Signs."

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Monroe County Mississippi POTTERY FOR SALE

UPDATE 01-11-10: Both these churns were sold today to a Hill Country collector.

James Cormany of Alabama, author, collector, and expert on local Hill Country pottery has two remaining pieces of Monroe County Mississippi stoneware for sale. Both are churns --- one is a piece turned and fired by the McNeil Pottery of Amory and the other is an early Davis Pottery piece from Smithville.

Here are photographs of each piece.
L.R. McNeil Pottery, Amory, Mississippi


McNeil stamp


Davis Pottery, Smithville, Mississippi

Davis stamp

Prices:
McNeil churn: $300 plus shipping (or else make arrangements for pickup)
Davis churn: $125 plus shipping (or else arrange for pickup)

For more information contact James Cormany at jamescormany@bellsouth.net or telephone 205 879 5950

A Poem for Hill Country: THE SNOW MAN by Wallace Stevens

With bitter cold air settled over the Hill Country and with old snow lingering on the ground for days (old bones waiting for some new skin?), I couldn't resist selecting Wallace Stevens' wonderful short poem, The Snow Man, for today's poem. This poem has been called the best short poem in the English language by some --- and I leave it to you to determine what the words of the poem mean if anything. Click here to read The Snow Man.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Ashcraft School: Part 3 -- The View from Ashcraft School

The series, A Hill Country Hootie Hoo, continues with Horace Baker's short essay about the view of Hill Country from Ashcraft School. Mr. Baker obviously knew a lovely spot on earth when he saw it --- and he, too, felt the close presence of God on that high ridge between Weavers Creek and Splunge Creek. To read Ashcraft School: Part 3 -- The View from Ashcraft School, click here.

Friday, January 8, 2010

A Hill Country Family: The Ashcrafts --- and Ashcraft School

The series, A Hill Country Family, continues with "Ashcraft School or Brock School." Click here to read Part 1 --- The Ashcraft Family.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

From the MONROE JOURNAL

Monroe County Founding Fathers Ride Horses to Texas and Back is the Hill Country column for January 6, 2010. Based upon a journal/diary kept during their exploratory trek to Mexican Texas in 1835, the small party of men included Gideon Lincecum and Frederick Weaver, two of the earliest leaders in Monroe County both of whom were instrumental in the formation of the county.

That Frederick Weaver was my great-great-great-grandfather makes this account even more special.

To read Monroe County Founding Fathers Ride Horses to Texas and Back, click here.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A Hill Country Place: Bodock Alley or Bois d'arc Alley

The series, Hill Country Places, continues with a second look at Bodock Alley (Bois d'arc Alley), an old road in extreme southwestern Monroe Country. To read this account and for an additional photograph of this tunnel-like road through a thick growth of Bois d'arc trees, click here.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

To the hills --- assurances of home

After a sixteen day stay in the city, I'm glad to be back in the hill country. Here is the link to my short essay and two photographs "Home --- To The Hills" (click to read).

Sunday, January 3, 2010

A Poem and a Challenge: TO BRING THE DEAD TO LIFE by Robert Graves

The series, A Poem for Hill Country, starts the new year with an excellent short poem by Englishman Robert Graves, To Bring The Dead To Life. As family/local history writers the poem also offers a challenge to ignite the embers of the dead so that they live again through our writing.

The link to the poem and to the challenge is http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/poem-for-hill-country-to-bring-dead-to.html

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year Greeting

Older and/or Wiser in 2010? is the topic of New Year's Greetings posted at link http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/older-andor-wiser-in-2010.html

HAPPY NEW YEAR!