Summers in Mississippi are extra southern sometimes, aren’t they?  Now that it’s nearly summertime, the Mississippi heat is definitely here to stay…until at least October.

Luckily, there are plenty of places to cool off in the Magnolia State. Mississippi offers a variety of beautiful beaches, lakes, watering holes, and there are also several waterparks.

Charlie’s U-Pik is part of many people’s summer traditions. The farm started in the ’90s when Mr. Charlie planted too many tomato plants and advertised in the paper for people to come pick them. There are two locations of the U-Pik farms, one in Lucedale (the original) and a second location in Wiggins. Lucedale is a 100-acre farm and serves the Leakesville, Meridian, and Mobile, Alabama area. The Wiggins farm is 50 acres and serves the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, and Louisiana.

More people are discovering the wonders of truly good olive oil. Occasionally you will find a pretty good oil at the grocery (Rouses has a good one that is an unfiltered oil from Sicily), but the best way to shop for olive oil is online, where you will find countless great oils to choose from.

I went to school in Vardaman, Mississippi, from seventh through twelfth grade, and those years provided me with some of the greatest memories of my life. That school also gave me some lifelong friends who would stand beside me and fight for me even today, 44 years after graduation.

As we approach Mother’s Day, it’s common to reflect on our mothers and how they have influenced our lives, both as children and, if we’re lucky, as adults.

Mothers have a lot of sayings, don’t they? Between terms of endearment, words of wisdom, and your full name being said with “the look,” we all have phrases that remind us of our Moms.

Teacher and Army veteran Ed Abdella is gearing up to cycle over 3,000 miles from Oceanside, California, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to compete in a gurgling test of endurance, Race Across America (RAAM). Since 1982, RAAM has become an iconic event, attracting elite athletes and adventure enthusiasts eager to conquer an extraordinary test of mental exercise.