OurTupelo

Do you miss your childhood, or at least parts of it? Man, I sure do. I miss that little bitty Texas town I grew up in. I miss the good folks I went to school and church with, and I miss being surrounded by my family. Times back then were so simple. You never had to worry about hopping on your bike, riding through the East Hooks Courts, or being abducted. You never had to question whether or not someone was being honest with you. And you never had to fret about someone slipping a Mickey in your food or drink. (For clarification purposes, Mickey, when I was growing up, was a funny, little cartoon mouse we watched on television on Saturday mornings!)

I often tell my grandchildren, “I wish you could just spend one day in my life when I was your age.” How wonderful that would be for them; no fears, just good, clean, and electronic-free fun! 

Unlike the present day, when I was a child, we didn’t have a perpetual supply of store-bought sweets around the house. Candy bars, Cokes, ice cream, and gum were reserved for special occasions, and usually came into our lives only a few times each month.

But man, I remember every single candy that Moore’s Grocery in Hooks, Texas stocked. Being able to walk in and see all of those sweet confections sitting on the shelf made me feel like Santa had just dropped a bag full of toys into my lap!

And now, thanks to the folks at a little place called Dixie Country Store, I am able to do a little morph back in time and allow my grandchildren to experience with me a smidgen of that same happiness.

And for the record, when we are there, cell phones and iPads are the last things on their minds! You see, Dixie Country Store is a candy store. Not just any candy store; it’s a blast from the past candy store! 

If you hop on the Natchez Trace, Dixie Country Store is a mere half hour from Tupelo. Picture this: an old country store filled to the brim with literally ALL of your favorite childhood candies!

It’s a straight-up walk right down the middle of memory lane! In fact, I dare you to mention your favorite candy as a kid and not be able to find it there. Trust me. It’s there. And most of the candies are packaged just as you remember them. 

When you drive up, you are greeted by a quaint little white-washed frame house with a metal roof. You’ll also spot an old rusty truck, various signage from days gone by, antiquated gas pumps, and well-worn wooden barrels filled with flowers of the season; a perfect place to take a few family snapshots.

Once you step through the door, you had better be mentally prepared. You will have to practice serious restraint, for you are going to want one of every candy they carry — and that’s a LOT of candy.

“No!” says the voice of reason rattling in your head, as your gaze wanders to and from each delectable morsel stacked neatly on the shelves. 

“Listen to me! You cannot have one of everything! You must only buy a few pieces of candy! Stop it! No! Put that down. Think about your budget!”

“Oh! A buggy! That’s what I need!” you exclaim silently.

 “No! I did not say ‘buggy’! I never said that word. They do not have buggies! I said, BUDGET!” 

Don’t you just hate the voice of reason? 

So, what candies DO they have? Actually, it would be much easier to list the ones they don’t have.

But just for grins, here are a few of my favorites: Atomic Fireballs, Lemonheads, Cinnamon Suckers (the square ones!), Nesco Wafers, those cool wax lips that you can play with and then chew, Pop Rocks, Fruit Striped Gum, Golden Eagle Caramel Corn, Wacky Wafers, Gold Mine Bubble Gum (the gum shaped like chunks of gold and packaged in the little cloth bag), Clove Gum, Candy Cigarettes, Razzles, Nik and Nips (the little wax bottles filled with juice), Bottlecaps, Candy Necklaces, Now and Laters, Sweet Tarts, all things chocolate, vintage cold drinks, and of course…hand dipped ice cream cones!

LIONS, AND TIGERS, AND BEARS, OH, MY!

Those are just MY preferred candies. Don’t worry if I didn’t list the ones you liked as a kid. They have a massive selection of what I lovingly call, ‘Woodstock candies,” so I am certain the ones you long for are there!

Why not pack up the family on Saturday and head over to Dixie Country Store? I guarantee that it’s a trip the entire family will enjoy.

Be sure to check out their Facebook page for a full list and pictures of the products they carry! 

Dixie Country Candy Store is open on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is located at 11886 MS-371, Marietta, MS.

Monday, for many, is a dreaded day. It signifies the weekend has, once again, come to a hasty close. Wednesday is hump day; it gives us hope that we can make it until Friday. And Friday is a day of unsurpassed gladness, for with this day the joyousness of the weekend is but a stone’s throw away. But what about Tuesday and Thursday? Are these days simply mundane and unmentionable? Though I don’t have any clue about Thursday, I can promise you there will be a newfound happiness on Tuesday. Tuesday Morning, that is.

With all of the recent rains and flooding in our state, many have become house-bound. Though I love my home, sometimes a dose of cabin fever can be hazardous to my health, especially to my mental health. It is during these monsoonal moments, I long for a place where the sun always shines and offers a tantalizing taste of something a bit out of the ordinary. Heads up, my fellow Tupelonians, for I have found such a place!

It’s a place full of light — it’s fluorescent light, but light is light. Am I right? — tasty treats from far and near, fabulous finds, and a pirate’s boundless booty of bargains.

Tuesday Morning, just a few doors down from Sam’s Wholesale Club on North Gloster, has all of these things and more. 

Tuesday Morning is my pep-up place when the weather (or anything else for that matter) gets me down. On the dreariest of days, I can walk through their doors and instantly breathe in bliss, and breathe out that heavy sigh of relief that my chest has been begging me to release. Yes, Tuesday Morning is my load-lifter!

They offer literally a little of everything. They have furniture, rugs, bedding, linens, gardening tools, patio furniture and accessories, soaps and lotions from abroad, toys, stationery, pet items, kitchen necessaries, personal care products, baby gifts, luggage, home goods, and decorative items. But what I really love is their consumable products, better known as my favorite thing… food!

One of my all-time favorite confections is their tea biscuits. They are imported from afar, and offer those who have a taste for something a tad bit sweet an absolutely perfect choice for snack time. They come in a rather large package and inside, you will find four individually wrapped packages (My husband calls these “sleeves”). Since the tea biscuits have a light crunch and are quite easy to chew, I often take these as little gifts to some of the ladies, and my mother, at her assisted living community. They love them, and since they are only lightly sweetened, they won’t make your blood sugar teeter back and forth. That is, unless you are like me and scarf up an entire sleeve in one sitting! These darling little crackers are only $2.49 a package, and if you plan on using them as goodie gifts, all you have to do is pop a little ribbon on them and you have four gifts for less than $3.00! They tend to run out of these quickly, but don’t worry, they continually restock them.

Another fabulous find in Tuesday Morning is their vast selection of coffee and tea. I have a Keurig Coffee Maker and I can get 10 pods of Fleetwood Coffee (made in Chattanooga) for $2.99 — that’s 30 cents a cup, y’all! I will forewarn you: I just left the store and I bought every box they had on the shelf. Sorry, folks! Not to fret, they religiously reorder this product. Plus, they have more coffee and tea brands and flavors than any other store in this area. So many choices! Go snag a box or two and get your ‘sip’ on, Mississippi!

If traveling to Italy is on your bucket list, I can’t help you get there, but I can tell you that if you want a taste of Italy, Tuesday Morning has an extensive line of imported Italian food. Olive oils, spices, pasta, pasta sauce, olives and peppers don their shelves. Their pasta is colorful and available in many different types and textures, and shapes; it adds a bit of zip and zing to any meal! Grab a package of pasta, throw in a jar of one of their Italian sauces, and a box of breadsticks (all available at Tuesday Morning) and you have a greatly appreciated and inexpensive gift. They even have bags to wrap it in! Perfetto! (That’s the Italian word for ‘perfect’.)

I also adore the jam, jelly, and syrup selection at Tuesday Morning. Some are made in the United States, and others are shipped in from other countries. I tend to gravitate to the ones made in the US, because quite frankly, I know what they taste like. I did broaden my jelly horizon once last year, but it didn’t work out very well. Apparently, I am not a fan of figs, pomegranates, and prickly pears, or at least not combined. My bad. I made my selection based on how it looked, and in my hastiness, I failed to read the ingredients! But who knows? You may love that combination! With such awesome prices, you can afford to try a few new things. Dare to go where no Mississippian has gone before…try one of their exotic jams! 

Tuesday Morning has the proverbial market covered on snacks and tasty treats. I encourage you to take a little trip over and check them out. Don’t pack a bag for this adventure though. If you’re like me, you will have plenty of bags to unpack when you get home.

Happy shopping!

CIAO! (That’s Italian for goodbye, y’all.)

You all know the benefits of eating locally grown honey. It’s good for you. It is also one of the few tried-and-true naturals that, if consumed on a regular basis, actually helps combat a lot of common allergies. I have eaten honey for many years, and I use it in the all-natural skin products I make. But did you know that beeswax is just as powerful? 

I do not use the beeswax at Hobby Lobby, nor do I order my beeswax online. I buy mine from a local beekeeper. Why? Buying beeswax locally ensures that you are only getting real beeswax with no additives; that’s an important factor if you are using it to make products for the skin and body.

True beeswax smells like honey, and it never ruins or expires. Accept no substitute. Period. I purchase mine from a young man and his father at the Tupelo Flea Market. Their beeswax is the best I have used, as it has been filtered and the smell is heavenly. 

A year or so ago, I had an order for some of my natural Neosporin (aka Boo-Boo Cream), and I ran out of beeswax. I did not know how to contact my usual fellows, so I scoured the Internet searching for a local beekeeper. I called four or five beekeepers listed on Google, and finally found a young man who had some blocks of wax he agreed to sell. I met him at Fair Park that afternoon, and it was there I discovered that all beeswax is not alike. Yes. He had wax from his hives, but he failed to tell me on the phone (and I had stupidly failed to ask) it had not been filtered. Why is that important? Let’s just say that there were so many pieces and parts of the actual bees in it, I ended up throwing all of it away; all fifty pounds! So, make SURE you ask for and buy FILTERED beeswax! 

Filtered, natural beeswax makes perfectly poured candles that are both smokeless and have an increased burn time. Beeswax candles have been proven to help facilitate the elimination of airborne pollution, such as bacteria, dust, and allergens. They are also believed to promote overall physical and mental well-being by providing you with more energy and reducing stress. 

Back when I was making candles, I never added essential oils, because the beeswax had a tendency to strongly enhance the fragrances. (They were so strong, in fact, you didn’t even have to light them in order for their scent to fill up a room; it was awful!) So, take my advice if you decide to make beeswax candles; leave out the essential oils and just breathe in the fresh, sweet smell of honey that the wax offers. 

Native American used beeswax for a multitude of things. I once read that the Indians would melt beeswax and pour it directly onto their cuts and scratches. It did not specify how deep the wounds were, or what they had been scratched by. I do remember thinking to myself that pouring anything hot into a fresh wound must have been excruciating. 

One afternoon while I was slicing and dicing vegetables, the knife slipped and made a rather deep cut on my thumb. I could not get the cut to close, even with the aid of butterfly bandages, so I went back to my Native roots. I quickly popped a little beeswax into the microwave and then stuck my thumb into the melted wax. Yes, it hurt like the devil for a moment, but by the time the wax had dried, I noticed the bleeding had stopped and the pain subsided. Within two days, the cut had closed up completely. I would never suggest anyone try this, but for me, that time, it worked. And for the record, I will say this: ANY deep cut or wound should be treated by a physician! BEE smart!

Other, not so drastic uses of beeswax are plentiful on Google, but here are a few just in case your Internet happens to be down. Rubbing the metal portion of your tools with plain beeswax will keep them from rusting. You can also rub it onto the tool’s wooden handles to prevent splitting and cracking. I have tried this and yes, it does work, but make sure your tools are clean before rubbing on the wax!! 

Got a pair of canvas shoes that you want to wear this season and next? No problem. First, clean the shoes to remove any dirt. Next, rub some beeswax directly on the shoes with a cloth and then use a blow-dryer to melt it. Rub away any excess wax with a towel and admire your handiwork. I have not personally tried this, but I do wish I had when I went through my ‘Bob’s Shoes’ phase a few years back! If you decide you want to try this, I would do a ‘test’ patch on the shoes before waxing the entire thing! 

If you have a sticky furniture drawer or a finicky zipper, rub on a little beeswax. You will see, and feel, a dramatic difference!

I made wonderful wooden furniture polish bars a few years back by melting beeswax and olive oil together and pouring them into heart-shaped, silicone molds. They were beautiful and made my furniture looked new and refreshed!

If you are sewing by hand and your needle is having a tough time going through the fabric, poke the needle in a block of beeswax a few times, and ta-da! No more snagging and dragging!

Beeswax is a staple when making homemade salves, lotion bars, and lip balms. The color is rich and the anti-inflammatory properties found in the wax helps heal and nourish your skin.

As I stated, these are merely a few of the hundreds of uses of all-natural beeswax. I leave you with a few important things to remember when using beeswax: 

It is highly flammable! Be sure, if you are melting it in a pan on top of the stove, in lieu of the microwave, to heat it SLOWLY. Never leave the pot unattended, and keep children away from heated or melted beeswax; it is a burn hazard. I made such a mess on my stove while melting it, I finally purchased a cheap, electric hot plate to use especially for this purpose. This greatly reduced my clean up time. 

Lastly, if you are allergic to bees, do NOT use local, all-natural beeswax. Even if it has been filtered, you will still find tiny particles of the actual bees in the wax. Those little black dots in the wax represent a small portion of the millions of bees who risked their life, so that we might enjoy the fruits of their labor. Give thanks.

Bee safe.

Bee happy.

*Many of the recipes I listed can be found on the Internet. You can take any basic recipe and tweak it to your liking.