I began writing these columns for the Delta Democrat Times about two years ago. At the time, I was managing editor of the newspaper, the Cardinals were in the playoffs, Wesley and I had one child, and I was still deeply mourning the loss of my mom. Some things haven’t changed; my beloved Cardiac Cards … More Changes
Sweet corn, watermelon and monkey grass I miss my mom yearround, but her memory is never closer than in the summer. She was raised in a tiny town 8 miles south of where I grew up in Sikeston, Mo. A lot of her family still live there, and her brother is the mayor there, although … More Grape Tomatoes
My dad’s mother — Mimi, we called her — was one-of-a-kind, as I suppose everyone’s grandmother is. She was a lady. She used phrases like “two shakes of a lamb’s tail,” and when anyone walked in her back door, before she saw who was there, she said, “Yoohoo.” She had a sweet, high-pitched voice, and … More Mimi and New York City
Motherhood is tough. It is wonderful and magical and the best thing ever, but it is not easy. I sometimes talk with another mom-of-two in town, and we laugh because we both feel like we slide into every appointment or meeting on two wheels with our hair on fire. It’s sometimes hard to know what … More Motherhood.
In August of this year, I will have lived in Mississippi for as long as I lived in Missouri. I left southeast Missouri in August 1996 for college at Ole Miss, and I haven’t been back except to visit on holidays, weddings and funerals. For a long time that was by choice. I was eager … More The Delta’s Most Important Asset
Albert Pujols, the super slugger who played for the Cardinals for 10 years, hit his 500th homerun on April 22, a feat only 25 other major league ball players have done. Pujols left the Cardinals after the 2011 season for more money after telling St. Louis fans, “It’s not about the money.” It was about … More Big League Forgiveness
laura hough smith 