in 24 hours..

i will be on my way to memphis to meet up with my group. thankfully, i've completed most of the packing. it took all day yesterday, with much help from kat and my mother. today will include a wal mart trip and a bit more packing, but mostly just spending time with my family. i'm experiencing very mixed emotions, knowing that this will be an amazing trip but also being very spoiled from this time at home. it'll hopefully take just a few hours to get in the right mode to really make the most of this experience. i think more than anything, i'm worried about my wardrobe, as we will be travelling to some very very prestigious places (state dept., meetings with senators and governors, the blue house in south korea which is the equivalent of our white house). there are also different cultural norms and customs to consider. maybe i should have researched more on those, but its too late now. i have reading of my own to do (like a book that i haven't even started on that was supposed to be read in preparation for this trip). however, i'm still working on reading the articles included in the course packet, and i'm almost finished. the tiredness can be put behind me if its what needs to be done.

as for now, i'm off to prepare and pack, and i will be writing again tomorrow with day one details!

an nyoung!

or hello, as we like to say here in America. yet, as you may know, my time in America is getting shorter and shorter as i prepare (oh the process of preparation) to depart on my month long escapade. packing is getting extremely stressful, as it is requiring many trips to search for certain clothing items amoung a limited number of stores. my bedroom is no longer suitable for sleeping, so the couch has been serving a new purpose for the past few nights. today i received some Korean won (their currency), and it is much different from our money. i think i'm going to have a hard time adjusting to spending three thousand of anything on an item such as a hamburger. i've also finally received detailed packing instructions, albeit five days pre-trip. it just helps to know. tomorrow should be a full day of ironing, packing, and more of the same. oh, and also, to relieve stress i'm sewing a new nightgown. should be interesting to see if the project is completed in time to make the trip- its completing is directly proportional to my stress level. by that, it might be ready for wear by tomorrow night.

lets wrap up the tour of mississippi

i must confess, that in all of my blogging about the locales that my trip will take me to, i have left out a few. if there happens to be a day that contains two or three visits, i will occassionally single out only one to blog about. but, my conscience has gotten the better of me, so here i am attempting to right my wrongs. below will be all of the stops that are left-or have been left out- before we fly to washington, d.c.



winter institute for racial reconciliation at UM: from mississippi's tainted racial past came this institute named after former mississippi governor william winter. located on the ole miss campus, its goals and aims are evident in many of the things that take place not only on campus but also in our state. the student group one mississippi has done much over the past school year to unite students from all backgrounds in this group. this will be a very unique way for the koreans to witness the progress that our state has made.

north mississippi hill country picnic: i've never heard of this before this trip, but then again, this is the reason that i am researching. and i have just found something that truly makes me excited. as i have professed earlier, i love the blues. and this visit to potts camp, ms, is only going to allow me to hear more. some of my favorite bands (north mississippi hill country revue) will be playing as well as many well known artists of the area. sounds like a great day of great music.

korean presbyterian church: as this church doesn't have a website, i cant find much about it. but, i think this is going to be an amazing tool and testament to the unification that people of all races and nationalities experience under Christ's love. if anyone knows about this church, i'd love to hear about it.

lunch with william winter: the former governor mentioned above will be an interesting person to meet. i'm looking forward to hearing his viewpoints and insights into today's politics.

mississippi developemnt authority: rural development is so crucial to the economy of our small towns and our state. as i hope to possibly be a future mayor of my home town, i know that this visit will offer much to learn. mississippi is home to a nissan plant and future toyota plant, and the mda was critical in having these businesses placed here. this will be insightful to koreans and mississippians who benefit from its efforts.

mississippi state legislature: last but not least in our visit to the state will be a stop at the legislature. our legislature can get very heated and is, sadly at some times, much like a carnival. whether this day turns out for the latter or former, the state capital is a great place to spend the day.

where's katie?

so, all of you concerned readers who have been compulsively checking for new posts (don't deny it), here am i. after a busy weekend of sewing (a new skirt and top to add to the growing pile), weddings, and travel, i have returned to blog. i missed it and tried to write a few times, but never had the time and clear mind that is needed to produce this oh so interesting website that has your undivided attention at the moment.

presently, i am in a hotel room in houston in the midst of a storm brewing coffee. i have been up since 3 this morning and am very tired. i just want food and sleep. yet for some reason, i also have the urge to blog. it is as if i miss it. well, i did. so by way of that long digression, i have professed my love of and need for blogging to, if i am lucky, one reader.

dress of the week

i absolutely love wearing sundresses. i would rather wear a dress or skirt than shorts or pants. therefore, it was only fitting that for my second sewing project, i made a sundress. it was made from a mcalls 1977 vintage pattern that i purchased for 50 cents at a fabric store. thanks to my sewing teacher's gatherer on her sewing machine, i avoided a daunting task with a shortcut. i have several pictures that go from the cut fabric to the pattern to the finished dress. next up: a long linen skirt.

more on the trail of mississippi's literary greats

i guess to keep the pace with the previous day, our next day's visit is to the home of acclaimed mississippi author eudora welty, located in the capital city of jackson. this home was built by her family during her later high school years, and she was still inhabiting it when she died in 2001. i had probably never heard of her before then, but i knew that someone very great had been lost. welty reportedly loved to garden, and it is a key part of the tour of her home. i wish i could write more, but that will have to come after the tour when i have some interesting facts.

"To understand the world, one must first understand a place like Mississippi." -William Faulkner

I find this quote fitting for our trip, not only because cultural understanding is a main goal, but also because we will visit Rowan Oak, the famed home of Mississippi author and Nobel prize winner William Faulkner. I am ashamed to say that while I have spent much time on the grounds of Faulkner's home, I have never toured the inside. Notably, on the walls of his office are scribbled an outline for his novel "A Fable". The entire town of Oxford seems a tribute to Faulkner, complete with a statue of him sitting on a bench in front of City Hall and a historical marker near his grave. I believe that if he appeared walking the sidewalks of the square, Oxonians would tip their hats, bid him hello, and continue on with their business. His legacy is alive around this fair town, and visiting his home is a perfect way to showcase a classic American author and his immense talent.

something to be proud of

i've heard my fair share of mississippi/redneck/southerner jokes. being from the south, i inevitably am asked to "say something" whenever i travel past the mason-dixon line. i vividly remember being on vacation in Hawaii one spring break, and my mother telling me to say "the south" when asked where i was from because i martyred the word "mississippi" when speaking. let's all hope that my accent has improved, although i never would want to mask it or intentionally alter it in favor of sounding more neutral and homogeneous with the rest of the nation. many people don't see what the south, or mississippi has to offer. a good friend of mine (who happens to be from texas) loves to pick and prod on my mississippi roots, and we often go back and forth making jokes on one another's home state. he once jokingly said that "mississippi was the armpit of america"; and while i knew that he was only poking fun (he attends school in mississippi, you see), this is the view that many hold. one of my favorite stories in regard to these comments is one about the beginning of the mississippi believe it! campaign. i've taken this excerpt from their website as to how these public service announcements got their start.

"A conversation between a 12 year-old boy from Connecticut who asked the Mississippi businessman sitting next to him on an airplane if the businessman, “still saw the KKK on the streets every day” … and whether or not he “hates all black people” was all the motivation the businessman needed. This stunning revelation was the catalyst to the businessman fighting back against the erroneous stereotypes that plague Mississippi. After months of research and numerous meetings with prominent citizens across the state, the businessman, who happened to be the COO of The Cirlot Agency, determined that the first step in changing Mississippi’s perception was to change that of its own citizens."

from this conversation grew the mississippi believe it! campaign, which highlights several of the accomplishments that have come out of our great state. i have seen these posters hanging in libraries, and i personally own one of their t-shirts with the slogan "yes we can read. a few of us can even write." the poster that bears this slogan goes on to illustrate mississippi writers like eudora welty, tennessee williams, william faulkner, shelby foote, willie morris, nevada barr, john grisham, and more. if you go onto the website, you can see the host of posters that show such things as:

*Viking ranges began and are still produced right here in Greenwood.

*blues music's birthplace is mississippi.

*mississippians give more to charities per capita than any other state in the union.

*many sports greats like brett farve, archie, eli, and peyton manning, steve mcnair, and jerry rice all hail from this great state.

*we have more black elected officials than any other state (897 in the year 2000).

*the first heart transplant, lung transplant, and kidney autotransplant were all performed in mississippi.

the list could continue on and on, so for more positive facts about mississippians, check out mississippibelieveit.com. we just may surprise y'all.

And Day Three Brings Us To The Beloved Delta

i would be the first person to jump in with a trip going to the mississippi delta. as a southern studies major, southern culture enthusiast, and proud mississippian, i love the history and culture that the delta exudes. the city of clarksdale is especially rich and full of history. it is the home of the famous intersection of highways 49 and 61, where blues musician Robert Johnson reportedly sold his soul to the devil. morgan freeman has even started several successful businesses there. i ventured to the delta during my spring break this year, and was utterly amazed at what i found. i stayed at the legendary shack up inn, visited morgan freeman's ground zero blues club, toured the blues museum in town, tracked down dockery farms (a supposed birthplace of the blues), and made an innumerable number of random stops to interesting places. it was by far one of the best "vacations" i had been on; and i asked countless times why i had never been before, being that the delta is a 2 or 3 hour drive from my home. luckily for me, my trip will bring me back, specifically to the blues museum and ground zero blues club. i'm attaching pictures of my trip, and i cannot wait to see what the next will bring.

Now on Ebay

i have just listed my first item on ebay. it is a very cool, cream colored Frankoma vase. if interested, please check it out!

three memphis landmarks in one

our second day in memphis is filled with three stops. first to the national civil rights museum, then to graceland, and lastly we will visit the fed ex corporation hub.

the lorraine motel is now home to the national civil rights museum, but its place in history goes far beyond being a building to house a museum. in april 1968, this motel was the sight of the assassination of martin luther king, jr. as business declined, a group raised the funds to purchase the building and create the historic place it is today.

i've never been to the "real" graceland, but i have however made a few stops to graceland too. luckily for me, our itinerary includes a stop at elvis's actual home in memphis, graceland. this historic home receives visitors from all over the world, so i'm proud to say that i will finally be joining the ranks as one who has seen it.

one of my dream jobs (oddly enough) is to fly a fedex plane, and i'm thrilled that the last stop in our jam packed day is to the fedex hub. the number of packages that filter through this airport are truly staggering. i wish i could find the exact numbers now; i'm sure that after touring this facility i will.

rolling down the river..

"When I find a well-drawn character in fiction or biography I generally take a warm personal interest in him, for the reason that I have known him before--met him on the river."

-Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

the first excursion during our month-long trip will be a dinner cruise down the mississippi river leaving from memphis. i have tried to do some reading on these, and it seems that what you do on your cruise varies depending on your boat, company, time of day, etc. however, they all seem to provide a glimpse into the history of the river, from it being the lifeblood of the cotton industry long ago to one of its present day purposes of being a venue for casinos (which must be located along the river or gulf coast as stated by mississippi law). while on the boat, we may also hear some blues and eat food that showcases the favorites of our area (maybe some good memphis barbeque?). this will be the first taste of america for the koreans who will arrive earlier on this day, and i feel that this will give them a complete picture of several aspects of southern life. i also know that i have much to learn as well.

the journey begins...

in 24 days or so, i will be beginning my "exchange" through Ole Miss with students from South Korea. i've recently received the itineraries for the trip and feel that i could use some brushing up on the sites that we will be visiting. we will first be travelling throughout the southeastern united states before flying to korea for the second leg of the trip. we'll be hitting some of my favorite places such as the mississippi delta and literary sites around the state. but most of the trip will be to new locations for me. so i have decided to take one day's stops and each day research and tell about them. not only will it be good for me to know about the places i will be visiting, but i can also impart some useful information to anyone reading (most likely my family and friends- i know y'all want to keep tabs on my travels!).

my first sewing project now complete!

well folks, i've finally done it. i have just completed my first sewing project, a fun, vintage style, red and white striped apron. it was made using a vintage Butterick pattern (style number to come later). don't miss the quirky strawberry button either. i can't wait to do some cooking in this!

Ole Miss

it seems to be mentioned alot on my page, so i thought i'd post some of my pictures of the Ole Miss campus. these were taken after a rain, and a rainbow is visible in some. i must say though that these hardly do justice to such a stunning campus. also of note, the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama will be held on the Ole Miss campus in late September.

Way down south in Mississippi

There's a spot that ever calls

Where amongst the hills enfolded

Stand old Alma Mater's Halls

Where the trees lift high their branches

To the whispering Southern breeze

There Ole Miss is calling, calling

To our hearts fond memories.

-Ole Miss Alma Mater

domestic life

i'm home for one month this summer, before a trip to South Korea. while home, i like to keep myself occupied with reading or projects. i view this "down time" as an opportunity to catch up on all of those hobbies that get placed on the back burner during busy semesters. over Christmas, i read five books. but, i'm a little burnt out on that; so, this summer, i am taking a sewing class. it's actually a "camp", with lessons being one hour every day this week. i cant quite put into words how much i love being at the sewing table, but i can tell that this will be a permanent hobbie. i'm currently making an apron with red and white striped fabric. i'm making it out of a vintage pattern that my teacher happened to have in her collection. i'm making this apron hoping that it will be put to use in the kitchen. cooking is always something that i've loved to do, but i've never been truly dedicated to learning. but now that i am home, and in this domestic state of mind, i've been cooking every day. not necessarily anything major, but lunch or a dessert. tonight i made apple dumplings with a recipe that is seemingly well known, as i found it online. but i thought i'd post it below. now i wish i'd taken a picture, but i dug in as soon as this was out of the oven.

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:
2 (8 count) can crescent rolls
3-4 tart apples
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (12 ounce) can Mountain Dew

Directions:
1.Spray a 13x9 baking dish or pan.
2.Peel and slice apples into 16 pieces.
3.Roll each apple slice in 1 section of crescent roll.
4.Place rolled slices in pan in two rows, put extras along side.
5.Melt butter, add sugar and cinnamon and pour over apples.
6.Pour can of Mountain Dew over all.
7.Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
8.Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

hopefully this dessert will be a regular around the house and pictures will follow. also, the apron should be finished in class tomorrow, and i will be sure to model with pictures.

my p.o. box

about one year ago, i attended my orientation session at Ole Miss. while there, i rented my own p.o. box in the student union, and for some reason, it made me very happy. i immediately went home and ordered a return address stamp for letter writing and switched my subscriptions to my new address. i believe my excitement stemmed from it being my first real possession away from home- something that was in my own name and that could hold my own things. now, i am creating a blog that in essence fulfills the same function. this blog is my own little space for whatever i choose to put into it. i can fill it with pictures and ideas or my thougths and opinions. needless to say, i am terrible giddy over it. so, enjoy what it is and feel free to comment. i look forward to reading what you think about my p.o. box.