Nostalgia - Memphis in August 1982

While making a trip to Memphis last week, I began to remember the wonderful trip that I made there 24 years ago with my sister, Betty. She and I both had lost weight on the Cambridge Diet and we were selling it like crazy. I earned a trip for two to Memphis and I invited my sister to join me. We had never taken a trip together and we had loads of fun. We stayed at the famous Peabody Hotel.

One of the things that the Peabody is famous for is the ducks that live on the roof in their own little penthouse. Every day, they get on the elevator and parade to the fountain on a red carpet. They stay all day in the fountain and return back to their little house on the roof in the evening.


One day, Betty and I discovered the penthouse on the roof. As we were waiting for an elevator to go back down, here came the ducks. We all rode down the elevator together. This was the first time I had ever been on an elevator with a bunch of ducks!! Famous ducks at that!!!





See the little ducks floating in the fountain? They stayed there about six hours a day. Sometimes they jump out and run around a little before they make them get back in the water.

Betty and I had a wonderful time at in Memphis. We were treated as royalty. The meals were terrific and were always served with Cambridge cocktails (non-alcoholic, of course!) Ice sculptures were everywhere in the convention room. Here is one made into the Cambridge crown.

Our rooms at the Peabody were really nice. When we came back to our room for the night, our bed sheets were turned back with a mint on top!

We had so much fun on this trip. It was wonderful to be young and skinny!

(Wonder what happened?!)

Hey, Betty, maybe remembering this will be some incentive for us!? We may never be in our 40's again, but I would sure like to feel like I did then.

I'm telling you what. I never thought of myself as pretty; but, now-looking back-I was pretty good looking. Betty has always been beautiful and I have always envyed her with her beautiful olive skin. I was the one stuck with the fair skin and freckles.

Betty and I will never forget this trip that we made together. I would love to go on another trip with Betty sometime. One of these days . . . . ! Betty is a wonderful sister and I am so glad that God put us in the same family together. I am so blessed to have four wonderful sisters and four terrific brothers. One brother and one sister are in heaven today, but I know we will all be together again!

Touring in Holly Springs!

Anita wanted to see some antebellum houses while we were on our road trip. In a tourist guide book for Mississippi, we found there were some Antebellum houses in Holly Springs. When Anita mentioned seeing "Antebellum" house, I really didn't know what they were. Here is a definition for these houses: Antebellum means "before war" in Latin. The term Antebellum refers to elegant plantation homes built in the American South in the 30 years or so preceding the Civil War. Antebellum is not a particular house style. Rather, it is a time and place in history. The features we associate with Antebellum architecture were introduced to the American South by Anglo-Americans who moved into the area after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Most Antebellum homes are in the Greek Revival, Classical Revival, or Federal style: grand, symmetrical, and boxy, with center entrances in the front and rear, balconies, and columns or pillars.

"Walter Place Estate (above) is the grand mansion of Holly Springs, fulfilling the desire of its builder - Col. Harvey Washington Walter - that his home would be distinctive from other mansions across town. The bold castellated Gothic towers flank the classic lines of Greek Revival in a stunning, yet pleasing fashion." The grounds features 5 acres of botannical gardens with springs, ponds, and plants. Because we were touring on Mother's Day, everything was closed. We were so disappointed, so if you plan to go to Holly Springs, make sure the tours are open so you can see inside the houses. Walter Place has some significant history: "During the occupation of Holly Springs, Union General U.S. Grant recognized it as a house suitable for his wife, Julia Grant." Julia, her son, and her black slave moved into Walter Place in 1862." (Discovering that Grant's wife had a slave really surprised me, I guess I had never heard this. Since Grant was of the Union during the Civil War, I never suspected that he would have a slave.)

A little more than a dozen years after the end of the Civil War, a more deadly enemy invaded Holly Springs. Walter Place became a hospital for victims of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878. Col. Walter sent his wife and daughters to live in another town, but he and three of his sons died from the fever within days of each other."

There were lots of other homes, but these were some of my favorites. All in all, Anita and I had a great afternoon. The day was beautiful and sunny and the temperature was wonderful. We certainly enjoyed our little "vacation".

Road Trip

My friend, Anita, and I just returned home from a spontaneous road trip. Our first stop was Memphis, Tennessee, where we enjoyed the lazy Mississippi River, Beal Street, and touring Graceland (home of Elvis Presley).

Graceland has changed so very much since my sister, Betty, and I visited back in 1983. There is so much more to see as they have built new museums and added Elvis' airplane, the Lisa Marie. We walked until we didn't think our legs would go anymore! It was a lot of fun remembering the days when Elvis was so much a part of my teen-age life. He became famous in my first year of high school and he was the "heart throb" of all the teen-age girls--including myself!!















Beal street was so much fun! I loved the neon lights and excitement. Different bands were playing and people were dancing in the street. Music was everywhere!

As I was asking directions to a good eating place, I turned around and Anita was gone! Around the corner I found her posing for a picture, grinning from ear to ear! Anita said she had never posed for a portrait before and it was very disconcerting to have someone starring at her for such a long period of time. People passing by on the street stopped and watched. She was a main attraction!!

The man drew a very good likeness of Anita and she was so pleased with her portrait.

We had a great time on our trip. I will post more pictures tomorrow about our stop in Holly Springs, Mississippi where we went on a road tour of antebellum houses.