This week, if you go look outside New Years Eve, you will see a “blue moon”. You will be ringing in 2010 with a special treat that only happens every 17 years. A Blue Moon is this romantic vision portrayed in many songs & many tales; but really it is little more than an occasional celestial happenstance.

A blue moon is considered the second full moon in a month. It is NOT blue. Our last full moon was on Dec. 2.  On Dec. 31, there will be another. This one will be really bright. Truth is that a blue moon is defined as the forth full moon in a season where there should be only three. Who cares?  Me!

I like the idea of something special happening, something festive.  My family has a special reason to look up at the moon, any moon.  My Mom would always look up with wonder & comment that this or that child or grandchild was seeing the same moon she was enjoying.  Somehow, it connected her to us when we were far away.  We still hold on to that warm touch. 

This particular moon is special, since it’s a bit rare. We will see this Blue Moon on New Years Eve.  It will be gone when I enjoy my black eyed peas. We all like lucky stuff.  Maybe, this Blue Moon is some lucky stuff.  Why don’t we choose to look at it with eyes that see it as news of good things to come?  Let’s decide to work hard & make next year a great year.  Let’s decide to spend some time making next year good for someone else.  Who will be the beneficiary?

Happy New Year.

How do you hold a dream in your hand?  Drive down to Jones County Junior College and view one road to success.  It is called the Math Bowl.  The entire math department, led by one dedicated algebra teacher and supported by the Academic Dean, hosts a competition of math teams that comes from High Schools in 8 counties in Southeast Mississippi.  Public and Private schools appear on a Wednesday, pair off in a double elimination tournament to see whose team is the best that day.  In the end, one team can claim the honor. Sadly,  few know about the competition.   Let’s find a way to change that.  Let’s find a way to use this event as a spring board to create a league of math teams who compete all fall, just like the football teams do. In the end, there will be a winner.

If there are rewards, more students will seek to be a member of the elite team. More will practice after school to learn the skill they will need to make the team.  All the sports are like this, why not math? In math, however, practice means that when the students are tested, as all are, their scores will improve.  ACT scores will improve.  The ranking of the school improves, and so does the student’s ranking.  You know where that leads.  Scholarships for sure.

Last month, the Math Bowl was held.  There was a winner, there were 20 losers.  All the students were bright, otherwise they would not have come.  There were all kinds of students from all backgrounds.  Their IQ’s most likely were all in the higher ranges.  Some were poor, some rich.  Some were outgoing, yet some where shy.  There were lots of girls, unlike football.  The truth is that all the teams were the same, but some were better than others.  How can they be so alike, yet some much better?

Here’s why?  Their teachers are different. 

Let’s go find more teachers like these who worked harder and brought winning teams.  If we do that, by any means necessary, our education problems will be solved.  Surely that will lead to many more solutions.  The days of being last will be gone.  No more jokes about Mississippi.

Wonder if some parent will one day say?  “Our math team lost again.  What is wrong?  My child is as smart as those others.  It’s the Coach! Get us one who will win.  My child deserves that?”  

This happens somewhere every year in football.  Why not Math?

More next week!

Some months ago there appeared an idea; it sprang from one of those long nights where there is little sleep but lots of BrainStorming.  That night the BS was about how to improve public education in Mississippi.  You see, Mississippi is a wonderful place to live, full of good people who care about their neighbors. The weather is mild.  “The fish still swarm & the pine trees keep growing all by themselves. The soil so acid the watermelons and tomatoes are cherished, both sweet and crazy good?  True, like everywhere else there are the bad days; but on the whole, it is a fine place to wake up to the Mocking Bird’s song and the magic smell of Sweet Olive”, he eloquently waxes.

Anyway, back to the idea.  It’s genesis emerged from “father football”.  A team won a State Championship. It was hailed as a “Great” school, a place where there were winners.  The media went wild about how fine School was, how great was the coach and the players.  Never mind that the annual teacher turn over rate was 40%, the drop out rate was 30%, parental activity was minimal.  The State Dept. of Ed had it listed as “Fail Watch”.  Sad news is that few were watching, regardless of the cost of a ticket. 

The questions kept coming, “How much money is spent on that football program?  How much extra time does the football coach spend teaching his team members how to play the game?  How much parental and community support is lavished upon the football program?  How much school time is spent announcing over the PA system that a pep really would take place at 2 to pep up the football team to win in Friday night?”  Question after question. One of the best: What happens at season end if the football team has gone 0 wins & total losses?  You know the answer.  

You see where this is going?  What if pubic schools used the same approach in academics as football?  What if one uses MicroSoft Word ‘find and replace’ function to substitute “math” for ‘football’.  Read the previous paragraph back with that substitution.

Take a qualified MATH COACH, let them recruit a team, spend the time and energy to teach the game staying after hours, summers, and evenings to their team and then go out and challenge other teams to see who has the best.

It came to me that we need to find a way to recruit teachers willing to live like that.  I used ‘live’ since many, many teachers don’t work for the money, they live to teach, it is a calling.   Let’s find a way to unlock the talents held back by school Systems stuck in the past where old ways no longer work with today’s youngsters.  Let’s do what it takes to get them rewarded, if it’s money, so be it.  If it’s trophies, Great! Most likely, it’s the reward of sending to college well prepared students ready to build on the foundation they got at that teacher’s side.

More next week:

It’s Thanksgiving week.  We all have much for which to be thankful, especially me.  I am taking time out of my busy schedule this moment to be thankful for having the best recipe for a cookie ever to crisp up in an oven.  This one came originally from a Heart Healthy clinic when the nutritionist was giving me instructions on how to keep my cholesterol down after I had proven that when the stuff builds up & breaks up in your cardiac system bad things happen.  Bad things did happen; but I was a lucky one, so being Thankful comes easy.

Crisping in a Warm Oven

Over the years this recipe has become an amalgam of things that suite my sweet, crunchy needs perfectly. This ingredient was added, that one item was decreased, & here we are today with the Cookie to Love for.

Raisin-Oatmeal Cookies

All Purpose Flour                            1 Cup, sifted

Baking Soda                                   ½  tsp

Baking Powder                               ½ tsp

Salt                                               1 tsp

Quick Cooking Oats                        1 ½ Cups         

Steel Cut Oatmeal                           1 T

Egg Whites                                     2, beaten

Vegetable Oil                                 1/3 Cup

Cinnamon, ground                           ¼ tsp

Brown Sugar                                   1 Cup, packed

Milk                                               ½ cup

Vanilla extract                                1 tsp

Raisins, seedless                             1 Cup

Preheat Oven to 375°.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon.  Stir in oats & oatmeal.

Combine egg whites, brown sugar, oil, milk,, vanilla & raisins. 

Add these two mixtures together & mix well.

Drop batter a teaspoon at a time into a Pam sprayed cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly.

Bake 12 – 15 minutes. (Shorter = chewier, longer = crispier.)

Makes 24 cookies, 2” each.

When I make a batch, they cook for 15 minutes. Perfectly chewy & so fine.  They freeze so well, & after dinner some nights I take one out place it in the oven still warm from cooking dinner.  I leave it there until bedtime.  They are so crunchy, the milk bottle almost pours itself.   The steel cut oats come in handy.

“Education” is on everyone’s list of solutions these days. The Papers are full of stories. Most are about Football, Homecoming Queens, Clubs off to some event, or fundraising effort. It seems to me that what the articles and stories should focus on, in City Councilman Trey Chinn’s words, should be “educating” and not “education”.

To help educate our students, an idea about ramping up the JCJC Math Bowl was presented to the college some months ago. It is interesting how many people who hear about it say that the concept rings too true. The most important “people” was the JCJC Academic Dean. He likes it and said, “Let’s go!”.

Taylorsville High-Runnerup

The ramping up begins this month at the JCJC Advanced Technology Center off Interstate 59. It will have basically the same format as last year. This year a new concept for next year will be introduced. It is hoped that the competition can be ramped up so as to focus more clearly the importance of math and science in our schools.  That involves ‘educating’!

Businesses that were approached all felt the same way. They all need top quality employees who can read, write, do math, speak clearly, take good care of customers and clients- employees who have a quality education that meets the needs of business. Each one of these fine businesses believes that high quality academics are the major key to promote economic development in our region.

The concept is a simple one. Can JCJC help create an environment in our High Schools where high quality math scores, determined by team facing team competition, get the same degree of credit in having a great school as a winning football team gets? Just imagine what might happen if a high school math teacher was given the same incentive, tools, publicity, energy, parental support, and school system support with the budget as the football coach?

The entire issue has its foundation in our teacher corps. Where are those special teachers who, if given the tools and incentive to spend the extra time and energy to teach math skills at the same level a top quality football coach teaches his subject? Where are those students who want to learn math and show how good they are at it.

This year there will be some valuable rewards for being a winner. First State Bank, Magnolia Bank, Richton Bank and Trust, Community Bank, and Mike Foil, Architect are funding some exciting incentive for the participants to work hard and be crowned as the Math Team of the Region.  How does that sound to college recruiters?  We are dealing with scholarships for being smart now and extra training will work.

This program is not so much about good schools, as it is about economic development. How can we solve the problems in ALL our communities unless we educate our students well? Economic Development in our region depends on having schools that have great academic ratings. We’ll never get a Toyota plant here without them. 

If you have a comment, make one.

The new office of Chris Wilson, Realtor is in downtown Laurel.  What began in downtown, now has returned. Opening a small commercial real estate business in Laurel, Mississippi long ago involved some social networking, even back in 1974.  (There’s hardly anything really new under the sun.)  One way was starting a Civic Club not represented in town, and I chose Sertoma.  It is a great Civic Club whose motto is “Service to Mankind”.  The Laurel Speech Language and Hearing Center has been supported by volunteers from Sertoma for many years.  Much needed funding comes from their efforts in support of the Center, which is directed by Anita Thames. She is very qualified and genuinely cares about helping her students.

Today’s fun began during a walk downtown from my new office, down Camper’s Alley & up the hill to the Tax Office.  There was Anita coming out her door holding the shoulder of a young man accompanied by surely his mother.  We waved just like downtown friends are supposed to do, social networking at its very best.

Walking on over the grave of the old Pinehurst Hotel, across the street to the Court House, I saw my friend Pat Clark at the Pumpkin Patch at our First Methodist Church.  Here was another chance for smiling and waving the South Mississippi way.  The Patch was full last week.

My work done, I started back to the office.  Good luck prevailed. There was Pat in the Patch with Anita, her young student and his Mom.  As I walked over, the little fellow held aloft for me his new Pumpkin. He came up to me with the face of the pumpkin toward me, two smiling faces to see.  When I held out my hand to greet him, out his came, confident that I was his friend.  Yes Sir, I like that.  I like good manners.  It means parents are working hard helping their children get ready. Anita told me that he is a good student.  His mother, her eyes shining, is proud of her son. His name is Zion, what a strong name. It was easy to see the pride and love in her smiling face. Take a look for yourself.

So here we are all standing in the Pumpkin Patch on a wonderful Fall day with the weather just perfect.  Maybe the best part of any day is the moment when one makes a new friend.  Today, mine is Zion.  

To see a young child being led by his Mother and his teacher on a walk downtown to make new friends was a blessing. Maybe it was a walk he will always remember as the day he made friends in a Pumpkin Patch. Today the Internet introduces Zion to this whole world.  May he meet many millions just as we met today- a smile, shining eyes, and warm hand shake. I wish such a day for you all. 

Laurel, Mississippi is full of this.  Come join us.

Working in the Commercial Real Estate world is so fun. Guess what else is fun? 

GOLF. 

Here is why:

Let’s start with the part that everyone thinks about first:

1. Technique  (Putting)

 
“The distance measured from the center of the ball at the point of rest to a point set at the end of the follow through should exceed the distance measured from the center of the ball at point of rest to a point set at the end of the backswing by a factor of two.”
 
In algebraic terms:    FT =  2BS

If one follows this axiom, one will putt well.  Then the game is about…..

2. Competition

One competes with the course design to see if they can beat it. One competes with the weather. One competes with one’s human opponents: individuals-teams.   One competes with oneself……OH MY! Hard to beat him.

There have been books written on the psychological side of this game. The levels are compounded as you play each hole.  Now, let’s start to really have fun……..

3. Company

There is just nothing like the fun of being with true golfers.  True golfers are the ones who state their correct score, don’t tee it up, and pay little attention to how you are playing, instead trying to beat you while you play the best game of your life because they played better.     

Be Careful, the game can consume.  The desire to try again is burning, but it’s worth it.

Another way to look at it is, “If you find a path in which there are no forks, you will get where you planned to go too quickly and miss something.”

Last week an opportunity to serve a client’s interests working with his commercial real property led me to Waynesboro, then Leakesville, Mississippi. There is no interstate highway between the two, only state highways and county roads. Actually, the one main road follows the beautiful Chickasawhay River as it meanders South toward its confluence with the Leaf to become the Pascagoula River.

William Faulkner mentions often the “Big Woods” in his streams of word pictures about North Mississippi. The main road I took to Leakesville has more “Big Woods” along either side than either Yoknapatawpha or Bolivar County could ever boast, imaginary or otherwise.

Here’s where the amended quote above comes in. The road had a fork, and as I passed, I peeked down the way and saw a restaurant sign on the side of a small building. It was a squat little building with faded wood siding, a store front just visible close to the road. After I slowed, turned around and drove down to it, I found the eatery long closed and abandoned. With no place to turn around, I drove down the road to see the river bridge. No question now, I had to go see it up close, without traffic screaming by. When I got near, I lost all interest in the River, which I was not dressed to go touch anyway, since there on the road side was a sign beneath a catalpa tree announcing that here was an enterprise. A business was there, most likely not booming, but one that came from the past when people were more in touch with what they ate. From in front of a wood frame home behind a picket fence, a sign proclaimed the presence of not only food to eat, but a means of acquiring the same from Big Wood’s bounty. Here is what I saw.

All said and done, I found a path with a fork. Eventually, I got where I had planned to go, and also found something else; something that I shall not forget. Something about which I take pride, my community of South Mississippi is a wonderful place to live, so rich. Down every fork is icing rich as fresh butter folded with confectioner’s sugar.

 Saturday in downtown Laurel was a warm, friendly early Fall day that felt like “Community”.  There was an event called the Loblolly Festival billed as a fun day for family and friends to come downtown and enjoy our town.  There were a good many people milling around the streets in the warm sun.  All our neighbors were there.  There was music for everyone’s tastes.  Personally, I felt close to T-Bone’s style of traditional blues music. But really, there was a tune for everyone during the day.

Food? Oh, yeah, there was food. I had my first corn dog taste in some time.  PB&J, another food booth, had homemade hot tamales. It has been some 40 years since I ate a hot tamale from Jones County.  Anyone but me remember the stand against the rail road tracks at Central & Front?  That ribeye sandwich place that makes my wife salivate when she comes within 100 yards of the stand was there too. Food, yeah, and it was good. People I know making and selling it.

The downtown merchants were open and offering places to visit and shop. Like I said before, the place felt like Community.  It is a community that is a good place to visit, meet people, and do business.

Wonder what would happen if we, the citizens of Jones County, took over the South Mississippi Fair? What if, that week was a week to proclaim doing business in Jones County is a good thing? Imagine all those Fair Booths owned and run by local citizens, or civic clubs, or charities.  What if the local civic clubs ran the games and took the proceeds and spent them locally on the local need each one sees as its mission?  What if  a civic club ran the Fair “rides” like Sertoma manages the Christmas Parade? 

Think about all the possibilities.  All that money spent at home staying at home.  One idea can lead to another idea that helps a community grow and prosper.  What’s yours?

Some days it is easier to the Thankful for our Blessings than others.  Wednesday night brought one of those opportunities.  Discount groceries and ‘day old’ sections of the Supermarket are favorite places for me. Yes, that does indicate that I am easy to entertain; but that’s another Blog.  Regardless, at the Sunflower there was a huge sack of bananas marked down to a dollar.   They were fine.  When I got home Holly smiled & said that not only would there be enough for a baked one to go with our pork chop that night, there would be plenty to make some muffins & deliver them to the gathering family of one of our favorite community leaders who had gone on the day before.  Several more would be left & that would mean Holly’s favorite- Virginia’s Banana Pudding.

Here is where I begin to count my blessings. One on the top of the list was having a Mom who, among other things, never wanted to be remembered for a “clean house” or her cooking.  Who cares about a clean house!  Everyone cares about good cooking, so she did not get that wish, which takes me to my 2nd great blessing.  Good Luck strolled by, & I found a girl to marry who adored my Mother as much as I did, & found ways to connect to her in some things that I never would.  Consequently, my Mother lives on.  Holly & I have her close-by many nights, even as we remember her cooking.  I can see her puff up now, little regard did she have for being teased.’

At this point I have to say that my Sister & her husband still have Virginia living with them too.  I don’t even have to ask, but our Mother entered their conversation Wednesday night too.  Expand this bubble to include all our children.  They live with her too, every day, in countless ways.  In my memory abides the picture of my Elizabeth smacking her lips over those thin, crispy biscuits covered with creamed chicken.

Some people never die, even if one thing that keeps them alive is their Banana Pudding.

Virginia’s Banana Pudding

Bananas                            4,  (Nice & Ripe)

‘Nilla Wafers                     1 Box

Whole Milk                        2 Cups

Sugar                                1 Cup

Eggs                                 3, Separated

All Purpose Flour              2 T, Heaping

Vanilla Extract                  2 tsps

In a 2 Quart, oven proof dish (white ceramic soufflé bowl).

Method:

Preheat oven to 400º F.

In one sauce pan mix well the egg yolk, sugar, flour, & vanilla.

In a 2nd sauce pan, heat the milk to just before boiling point.

Stir in 1 Tablespoon of the hot milk to the egg mixture to temper the mixture.

Stir in another spoon full, then slowly add the balance of the hot milk, stirring well so it won’t lump.

Cook mixture over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

In the oven proof dish, place one layer of wafers along the bottom and side. Add one layer of bananas in the bottom. Pour over half of custard. Then add a layer of wafers & bananas & over that pour the rest of sauce.

Holly seems to end up with more layers than Va did so she just tries to remember to pour the custard over the wafers & bananas somewhere in what she thinks is the middle! Also, she says that Virginia never used the entire box of wafers, but then acknowledges, “I can’t remember, and it did not matter to her anyway”!  Such was Virginia’s style.

Whip eggs whites, gradually adding 3 Tablespoons of sugar, to stiffen.

Spoon the egg whites over the pudding & brown in a 400 degree oven.

Watch it, since it only takes a FEW Minutes!