Fifty-Nine Fingers…and a Few Updates
Toward the middle of October, my children’s Fall Break snuck up on me like it does every year…like a damn Prius on a freshly paved driveway. While I listened to people’s plans of beach getaways and Dollywood roller coaster dreams, I racked my brain on something I could do to entertain my children while still getting some work done. I swear, every year brings another made up holiday, half day, or excuse for our kids to stay out of school and mess with the structure of our already chaotic lives. After much thinking, I finally decided on the perfect adventure. We would visit my older brother, his wife, and his four precious children. The only problem was that the visit would be in enemy territory.
Now, for this die-heard, lifelong, Ole Miss rebel heart of mine, traveling to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during the fall can be a little tricky. I’ve rarely met a Louisianan I don’t like, and I tend to jive with all their traditions. However, the purple and gold pains me during football season. Despite the deep-rooted color trauma I hold, I knew in the bottom of my heart that my sports loving son needed to see his older cousins play a Friday football game and that he needed to see an SEC night game in enemy territory- Tiger Stadium. If I’m being honest, there’s nothing quite like it, and it expands one’s culture listening to all the explicit Cajun language that rings out in the air amongst the game day crowd. Besides, my children do have Louisiana roots on their dad’s side.
We started the trip with a flight into New Orleans, then zipped up I-10 to Baton Rouge. My son kept telling me how nervous he was to see an alligator, and I calmly explained that they don’t walk around like squirrels and chipmunks do in Nashville. My daughter went with the flow as if she had returned to the motherland and never missed a beat. Figures- no surprise her free-flowing spirit would adjust well to a jazzy, Bayou background.
Cousin time and Friday night lights came and went in a flash. I bumped into a few familiar faces and cheered my nephew on as he played his heart out in a rival game. Saturday morning greeted us with a delicious feast (thanks to my sister-in-law), and the decisions of what to wear to an LSU tailgate. I found myself partaking in self-guided breathing exercises as my daughter demanded to match her cousin in bright purple and my son very nonchalantly asked if I would buy him an LSU hat at the game. As I slowly breathed in and out, I gave myself a pep talk with the reminder that I needed to expand my horizons and accept other schools since my day job is now in sports and intertwines with particular LSU athletes. I gritted my teeth, gave a supportive smile, and took one last, deep breath before I chose a yellow shirt to wear myself. Thank God we were coming off a nail-biting Rebel win against the Tigers a few weeks prior or I would quite honestly never have been able to do it.
As we marched through the campus with our crew, the sites and sounds of an excited yet traditional SEC tailgate came from every angle. My daughter kept her eyes peeled for the famous LSU gymnast she loves while my son kept asking me why there was so much cigarette smoke. We stopped to visit with Mike the Tiger, who my children have always loved, and finally arrived at the “Fifty- Nine Fingers Tailgate.” Now, being raised an Ole Miss fan, I have been to any type of tailgate you can think of- The famous Zebra tent, a tailgate with smoke machines and hula dancers, plenty of areas with live bands, open bars, and string lights to take attendees well into the night, but I have never been to a better named tailgate than Fifty-Nine Fingers.
As told by my brother, Fifty- Nine Fingers was founded by six men who are avid LSU fans and great friends. They wanted to organize a fun group to spend their fall Saturdays with, and of course, had to come up with a name for their tailgate. It just so happened that one of the men cut a finger off in an accident at some point in his life, so rather than going into the group with a total of 60 fingers, there were now 59, and that’s where the creative name came from. How great is that? Now, there weren’t any chandeliers, matching pottery platters, or grand floral arrangements like I am used to in my beloved Ole Miss Grove, but there was some mean jambalaya, lots of very welcoming people, and one less finger than one would expect.
All in all, it was a perfect fall break. My children got to spend quality time with their cousins, expand their SEC horizons, and eat some delicious Cajun food. However, I will go to my grave saying they look better in red and blue amongst matching McCarty Pottery, chandeliers, and a fabulous floral arrangement.
*Life/ Writing Update:
While I will continue Sunday Short Stories when creativity and time allows, I have started working in the exciting environment of the Sports World. It turns out being dragged around as a little girl to every AAU basketball game in the South and every travel baseball tournament held in the worst places to visit in the 1990’s may pay off in the end. Apparently, taking in all the sports activities a child can absorb or watching the “play of the day” highlights on ESPN every night during my formidable days have imparted knowledge in the athletic area of my brain I didn’t know I needed. I’m extremely grateful to be able to use my understanding of traditional sports combined with my love of connecting people daily. And it sure as hell beats the monotony and politics of the American healthcare system. More to come on this.
On the writing front, I am currently looking for a new home for my two novels, The Carter Charm and Sister Bayou, after my original publisher was in breach of contract. While it often feels disappointing and like I am back at square one, I have faith these works will land where they are supposed to land and will be released exactly when they are supposed to be released.
It’s my honor to be working on a fun, gift book/ coffee table book with fellow author Honoree Corder called Southern Woman 101. I will update as we search for the best way to get the book out to the world when wrapped. Finally, after Thanksgiving, I will officially start the daunting yet thrilling task of my third novel, loosely titled Haskell.
September 14, I received the news that I was chosen as one of the screenwriters for the 100 Pages Movie. The 100 Pages Movie is an incredibly creative project that is taking 100 writers from across the country (as well as a few international writers) to develop a screen play. Each writer is responsible for one page of the screenplay that will be made into film in 2024. To be chosen is truly an honor and such an interesting plot twist in life- you just never know what twists, turns, and gifts will appear when you set away time to focus on your creative passion. I am humbled to be alongside some of the most talented creatives in the writing world and cannot wait to share the final product.
Images of the lovely tailgating experience with 59Fingers. While I laugh out at the stickers and name, the purple and gold does hurt my should quite a bit.
Everyone needs an authentic and delicious jambalaya recipe in their home! When you find yourself craving the Creole or Cajun flavors (and, yes, they are different) this recipe by Daring Gourmet is one you can use forever. Also, on this fine Sunday, take some time to learn about the other holy trinity if you don’t already know what it is.
Interested in learning more about the 100 Pages Movie? Click Here to find out or read more at www.100pagesmovie.com.
If you’re looking for incredible reads by even better people, check out the following by some of the Key Note Speakers at WriterFest Nashville 2023. I believe any and all would make a perfect Christmas gift. First up is Thank You For Listening by the humble, graceful, and genuinely kind, Julia Whelan. You can purchase here.
Next is I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt- a joyful, open-hearted, and hilarious human who celebrates the true essence of life. He is a walking heart. Click here to buy.
Finally, Patti Callahan Henry is truly an inspiration for me. The fact that she left a career in nursing while mothering young children to pursue her passion of writing hits home. She is a beautiful and talented writer and an even more beautiful person inside and out. Her warmth and sincerity radiates the instant you are around her! I suggest her latest novel, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, or one of my favorites, Once Upon a Wardrobe. Purchase her works here.
