Home At Last! with Patty Gironda

I long for the beach and warm sun along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I adore the 27 miles of well-groomed beach that is only steps from the car door. I appreciate that I don't have to be surrounded by hoards of sunbathers and "party-ers". There is plenty of convenient parking along the highway with easy access away from traffic! The tides ebb and flow provide plenty of entertainment as well as great photo opportunities! This year we hope to change it up a bit and try Biloxi's Chateau Blessey Bed and Breakfast !  Referred by a friend it will offer a nice change of pace from the hectic casinos. This pretty renovated home decorated with a bit of a French flair sits directly across the street from the beach I love so much and offers spectacular views of pretty sunsets!  

I rush through the calendar to get to the "parts" of the year that I love! This winter I'm planning a cocktail party, refinishing furniture, re-doing a bath . . . projects that keep my mind off of the cold, dreary days. Spring and Summer are my seasons and the only other way for me to keep ny spirits high during the short, cold months is by enjoying and reliving experiences from the road. This is my 1967 Ford Galaxie convertible and I am READY to put the top down and make memories on the road! It's been a great car and a comfortable ride for the long stretches of sandy beach that we seek out! Our longest trip with the "top down" was 1350 miles-along the Florida coast and back! Wonderful warm nights and pleasant days. We didn't stop to put the top up when it started to drizzle. . .just wrapped up in a blanket to keep warm. One of my favorite memories was last spring's visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast! 27 miles of white sand, seafood around eve...

Caught the big one on The Mississippi Gulf Coast!

        It was a perfect sunset! The water was exactly the temperature I remembered. Growing up along the Mississippi Gulf Coast has provided me with a lifetime of pleasant memories - including this quiet stretch of beach across from the new location of the White Caps Restaurant, a favorite of my parents back in the 60's!

    There aren't adequate words to describe the breeze blowing off the Gulf Coast during the twilight hours. I can't imagine a more tranquil setting in the south . . . The twenty-six miles of magnificent shoreline stand as testimony to the resiliency of the the people rebuilding the post-Katrina Mississippi Gulf Coast.

        I meant the IP Biloxi Casino Resort and Spa! We just couldn't resist a few photos in front of the massive live oaks that I very well could have climbed as a child! I was a BIG tree climber as a small tomboy and was even called from a tree climbing adventure to be informed that at that very moment I had to begin to wear a bra! My tree climbing days were never to be as carefree again. The IP has done a fabulous job of re-inventing itself in this post-Katrina town. Thoughtful design, interesting textures and sea glass abound on the stunning first level. The roof level pool and cabana area arereminiscent of a grand ocean liner. Mahagony wicker and ocean blue striped towels create a island feel and proved casinos can be a great getaway for those of us just want to get away for a little R & R!

        The Biloxi-Gulfport International Airport celebrated the arrival of AirTran's new service from Atlanta to the Gulf Coast this morning with a formal water cannon salute by county and city firetrucks lining the tarmac. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau and IP Biloxi are hosting Home At Last! for a few days as we plan upcoming shows and an exciting deep-sea fishing trip for future episodes! I will be cooking one of my childhood favorites of deep-fried hardshell blue crabs-a recipe prepared by my father after learning the recipe from locals back in the 60's!

      Whew! Every once in a while, life and work, gets in the way of this blogging thing. With a little bit of extra time each day, I opted for sleep. . . rather than eating. . .and that didn't leave much time for cooking! My company, Paper Moon Productions, was chosen by the University of West Georgia, to produce a pretigious APPA Award video, as a result of their Campus Facilities being honored. With less than two weeks to deadline there have been many early mornings and quite a few late nights. Ok, it's probably sounding like I didn't eat very well at all . . that's not entirely true. I enjoyed two more of the most delicious soft-shell crabs this side of the Gulf Coast! My husband tried his hand at his first delicious meatloaf for meatloaf sandwiches! And, what else. . .my son made a skillet of lime-cilantro shrimp. We also stocked up on Vidalia onions and have slated Beer-Battered Onion Rings for the weekend. I am making a Vidalia Chow-Chow for a hamburger topp...

    Most of my father's military tours were in Europe and Turkey, but when we were lucky enough to live in the states my father was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. As a young girl I loved the Mississippi Gulf Coast! There was so much for a little girl to do back then. We fished and crabbed the piers and rocks. We hunted tadpoles and sold them for pocket money. There were always school presentations, talent contests and fun family entertainment nights that took us a week to write, produce and perform. One of our houses intersected with the road that emptied onto Beach Boulevard, with the Jefferson Davis Home, Beauvoir, on the corner. Back then, my mother allowed my sister and I to walk to the beach and even tour Beauvior by ourselves. My mother's only rule-hold hands when we crossed the big highway! School lunches in the south were remarkably different from the school lunches on military bases overseas. Both left lasting impressions and hol...