JENSIZED LAST ACTIVITY IN MEMPHIS TOWN

Memphis Botanic Garden Farmers Market

By Jen

Continuing my frozen treats bender, I asked Twitter Tuesday where I could get some Italian ice like the cup I had at Italian Festival. I got several good recommendations, among them Mama D’s, a staple at farmer’s markets around town.

The Memphis Botanic Garden hosts its farmers market every Wednesday from 2-6. It just so happens to be right between my job and my house. Lucky me! I’d never been to this farmer’s market so I was eager to check it out. It’s not new, I just hadn’t had either the time or a reason to go before.

The market is in a grove of pine trees, so there’s lots of shade. Yesterday was breezy and a little cool (by Memphis-in-June standards at least) which made for perfect produce browsing conditions.

Mama D’s stand is right at the entrance. Here’s the menu, which I assume varies week to week:

I got a strawberry lemonade ice on my way also got… uh… some other stuff. I didn’t plan on buying produce but everything looked so fresh and delicious. Those peaches cost $3. How could i resist? I had one at breakfast this morning and it was perfectly ripe. Money well spent. By the way, anyone have a good squash casserole recipe?

The zinnias came from Whitton Farms . $5 for a bunch of 12. They had hydrangeas, sunflowers and lilies too… and some other flowers my black thumb knows nothing about. Wait, I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. it’s more of a grey thumb since I’ve managed to keep my verbena and lantana alive.

I also saw Las Delicias chips and guacamole; vegan bread; local honey; jam; handmade soaps; Aunt Lizzie’s cheese straws (and other Southern delicacies), McCarter Coffee; Mathis Creek Farms beef and pork; some jewelry, crafts and accessories; lots of blackberries, blueberries, peaches and everything else that’s in season.

The market’s open every Wednesday until Halloween. It’s on Cherry Road between Park and Southern. Admission and parking are free.

Growing out a lion cut: Five weeks

By Jen

Trish’s fur is still shorter than Buddy’s… but not for long.

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Summer of Frozen Treats, part one

By Jen

“It’s hot and you need a pool.” Or a refreshing icy treat. Since the temperature hit 80 (and kept climbing) I’ve been obsessed with all manner of freezes, ices, and sno things.

Hawaiian shave ice from Sweden Kream. The flavor is “Wild Thing” which I believe means “all the red flavors.” Sweden Kream has great burgers and is very inexpensive. Two ices, a burger and a 5-piece wing cost $11.

Double bubble sno cone from Jerry’s Sno Cones. This photo is actually from last summer. The last time I went to Jerry’s I got half-banana, half-coconut supreme (“supreme” means it’s infused with soft-serve ice cream). It tasted like banana pudding. I thought I was the smartest person in the world for coming up with it.

Caramel coffee shake from Java Cabana

Water ice from Parker’s (read about the experience here)

Frozen yogurt from YoLo

Brick claim at the Pyramid

By Jen

The Pyramid is being converted to a Bass Pro Shops megastore and the statue of Ramesses that once stood at its entrance has been relocated to The University of Memphis. Those who had purchased commemorative bricks to benefit MIFA are allowed to claim them today and tomorrow. The unclaimed bricks will be moved to UofM to be reunited with Ramesses.

I arrived to pick mine up today at about 3:45, about fifteen minutes after the bricks became available. There were a couple hundred people in line, with lots more arriving after I did.

Once I got to the red tent, all I had to do was tell a woman what was inscribed on my brick. She had a binder with all the inscriptions on the bricks listed alphabetically. She directed me to the section where I could find my brick.

Found it.

Once I found the brick, I signed a release form with my name, address and the inscription. And that was it.

The press release had said I needed a form of identification connecting me to the brick. I worried since my name’s been changed that I’d have trouble, so I brought my birth certificate just in case. I didn’t need it. Several people in line had the original certificate from 1991 and they didn’t get their bricks any faster than I did. I think as long as you know what your brick says on it you should be fine.

They’re out today (6/1) until 6:30 and will be out tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s easiest to park on Front St. or nearby and walk.

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Memphis: Dont call it a comeback

By Jen

A few weeks ago I had a great conversation with a bar customer named Richard.

Richard’s lived in Memphis pretty much forever, and has been in Midtown about as long. He told me one of his adult children — who like many of my friends left for what seemed like something “bigger and better” — is returning to the city.

She realized she had all she needed in Memphis; she just had to find out the hard way. He’s welcoming her home with a big “I told you so.”

Memphis has everything, he told me. Food, professional sports, entertainment, culture, business — Memphis has all the trappings of a big city with the friendly closeness of a small town.

“But we’re our own worst critics,” Richard said.

I thought of my conversation with Richard after I watched the video for Memphis CVB’s new campaign for the first time on The Memphis Egotist.

There goes that civic self-esteem problem again. “Comeback” only lends credence to the idea that Memphis is unsafe or uninteresting. As one commenter on the Commercial Appeal website remarked, it’s like a restaurant with an “Under New Management” sign.

The aforementioned CA article (warning: paywall) says comeback can be interpreted two ways: as the city making a comeback, or as an invitation to come back. Neither interpretation is particularly positive. “Hey, yeah, this place has kinda sucked, but things are lookin’ up!” versus “Hey, please give us another chance?” Excuse me while I call my travel agent and tell him to book me a flight to anywhere but that steaming pit of desperation.

The idea that Memphis is on the brink of a comeback? Couldn’t be further from the truth. The Memphis this campaign is trying to promote — to quote LL Cool J — has been here for years. Has it gotten better? Hell yes. Was it awful before? No.

(And don’t even get me started on the obvious nod to Elvis . Will he ever get a chance to rest in peace?)