October means football, festivals, and fall-like weather are finally in full swing in Mississippi! The leaves and our wardrobes aren’t the only thing changing with the season. Transitioning to shorter (but still busy) fall days can be challenging. Less daylight often moves people indoors more, making spreading cold and flu viruses easier. Use these simple tips to keep your mental and physical health in check. 

If you were fortunate enough, you might have known Chef Paola Bugli, the room chef (casino talk for head chef) at Stalla, the Italian place at the Beau Rivage. She is a great chef and an interesting person, and I was sorry to see her sail away to Las Vegas.

We all enjoy watching butterflies flitting about the flowers in our yards. But the adults are not the only life stage of these creatures. Their caterpillars are less often noticed, and not necessarily appreciated, especially if they are chewing on your bedding plants. Monarch Butterfly caterpillars are an exception to any admonishment about chewing up the plant that sustains them. But what about all the other butterflies, skippers, and moths that are pollinating your flowers? What are their caterpillars eating?

Mississippi is well known for its genuine hospitality, and that is precisely what you will get when you visit the Southern Sisters of Laurel, owned by true Southern sisters Suzanne Williams and Sandy Williams Hanna.