Pure Products Review Part 2

What is Pure? It is a brand of wellness products. There are so many brands of wellness products that it’s hard to choose which one is best. This article is a Pure products review. 

That being said, I have continued to use Pure for almost a year. At first, I used the products to be more healthy and because my husband bought the largest starter bundle that they sell so that he could be bonus qualified more quickly in case he ever wanted to do anything with the business side of it.

Well-being and/or weight loss

After about three months of using the products, I understood the products more and saw the potential in using them for weight loss. I got serious about losing weight and have lost around 24 pounds.

I was able to lose weight because I believe that the products I consume have helped my own body utilize sugar more properly. Because I drink a smoothie for lunch as a meal replacement, I have cut my sugar intake drastically without even thinking about it. I have never been one to “diet” prior to this. I feel so much better on a daily basis, and I thought I felt fine prior to starting Pure. 

Costs

Additionally, I have changed my view of budgeting for wellness products. If you think about it, it is smart to spend money to keep yourself healthy. I no longer feel guilty for spending money on consumable products that will help my family and me stay healthy. I think of it as grocery money and preventive prescriptions money. It is better for me to spend my money this way, and after a year of use, as I said, I feel better, and thought I felt fine.

Reviews

This is a Pure products review, and over the next several months, I will review all of the products that we use. In a previous article, I reviewed three more Pure products. 

I wrote another article called how we became associated with Pure which talks about how I’ve never been one to sell these kinds of products since as a realtor, I already have to be sales-oriented enough as it is. I really only talk about Pure when people ask me how I have lost 20-24 pounds and how I “look so healthy”.

In the future, I will be writing about how the “fish chef friend” in my appendicitis article has reduced the number of Diabetes medicines by half since being diagnosed three years ago. He eats well, exercises, and consumes Pure products. 

Green Coffee Bean~~product review

Green Coffee Bean is a a capsule containing green coffee beans which is the original form of a coffee bean. Coffee beans turn dark and lose their bitterness when roasted. When roasted, however, they also lose their chlorogenic acid. My understanding is that chlorogenic acid reduces the absorption of carbs from the digestive tract. Another way to say it is it reduces glucose absorption and lowers insulin levels to improve metabolic function.

When I first began taking Green Coffee Bean, our sponsor said to take it before eating something “gross”.  Ha. I take two before dinner each night. There is a 30-day supply in each bottle, and it contains 50% chlorogenic acid.

Cleanse~~product review

The next product I will review is Cleanse. I use this product once a month for five to seven days. I have used both the liquid and capsule form. The company says the liquid form is more effective, but it tastes bad. It tastes like cloves. I put a dropper full in two to four ounces of water at night.  

It’s very inexpensive. If you only use it one week a month, one bottle is a three-month supply. I cleanse during the week of my cycle, and other people I know cleanse the first week of every month. Pure’s motto is cleanse, balance, build. Basically, this motto means that Pure products help rid your body of toxins through seven channels, keep the body alkaline instead of acidic, and put the right minerals in it. Your body can then heal itself or prevent illness. The product Cleanse helps with the first step of this motto. 

Daily Build~~ product review

So, this is a product that I changed my mind about. As I’m always trying to cut what I should be taking to try to save money, this is one that my husband kept telling me was a very good product. I wanted to consume cheaper vitamins. I grew up on Flintstones vitamins and never cared or saw any importance in taking good vitamins. However, after researching all of the ingredients in the Daily Build vitamins, I can’t pronounce much of them but am impressed.

For me, this is a two-month supply because I only take two a day since I drink their Energy drink in the morning, which starts off my day alkaline and is loaded with vitamins and contains zero sugar as opposed to drinking coffee, which starts your day off acidic.

If you are a coffee drinker, you could drink Energy in the afternoon for a pick-me-up.

Only taking half of the recommended dosage makes Daily Build very affordable for me. Also, my meal replacement smoothie for lunch each day is loaded with vitamins.

My husband takes the liquid form, which Pure highly recommends. This product helps with the third step in Pure’s motto of cleanse, balance, build. 

Pure products review summary

There is a business side of Pure as well. It is an MLM company which means multi-level-marketing. I do not like nor participate in the pushy side of these types of businesses. I do believe in these products, though, and had to start doing something different when I realized that as I was getting closer to 50 years old, my metabolism wasn’t what it used to be.

Also, another pull for me to use the products is that the foods we consume aren’t as nutritious as they used to be due to the chemicals in the soils. 

So, my husband participates in the business side of it, and if we make money while I’m getting healthier, that’s fine with me.

If you consume Pure products and want write a Pure products review, let me know! What are your favorite Pure products? Please comment below. You can also learn more about Pure products and the business side at livepure.com/lauriemcclintock, purelifechangers.com, or pureteamglobal.com from people who know a lot more than I do.

Read Laurie’s story of how a recent life experience led to the birth of this blog White Cotton. 

 

 

The Steele Bayou Gates 

No more water

The South Delta in Mississippi was flooded for six months in 2019. Most of the water that came as an uninvited guest, who stayed too long, has finally drained off of the land via the Steele Bayou Gates. I posted a video of the water leaving the area through the gates further down in this article. 

Unfortunately, the damage is done.

The people in this area are reminded of the Forgotten Backwater Flood of 2019 every time they look outside. They are reminded that they still need the pumps to be passed and built so that this will never happen again. 

First, the water stain lines that remain are a daily reminder. These stain lines are everywhere. People can see them on trees, signs, houses, and sadly, the gravestones of family members. If I saw a water stain line on one of my relative’s gravestones, it would break my heart. 

Another way they are reminded of the flooding disturbed me as I took a left on Hwy 16 in Rolling Fork recently. I drove from Rolling Fork to Satartia when driving back to Jackson from my hometown of Greenville.

This is a 52-mile stretch. 

Barren, desert wasteland

Normally, there are beautiful fields of crops all along the highway this time of year~~cotton, corn, and soybeans. 

Instead, if someone asked me what month it was solely based on what I was seeing, I would have said it was November or December. The reason I would have said that is that there are no crops in the fields from Rolling Fork to Satartia.

This is a 52-mile stretch.

But even with that being said, it really didn’t even look like November or December. And it was 100 degrees outside that day. I would have known something was “off” because when it’s 100 degrees outside, normally, crops are in the fields. 

What it really looked like was a barren, desert wasteland like a place you would read about it the Bible. Like a place that was once vibrant and thriving and now, poof, nothing. To me, even the color of everything was “different”. Everything looked waterlogged and tired, which makes it ironic that a waterlogged area could look like a barren, desert wasteland. 

Yes, the area will hopefully eventually recover one day, but seeing it like this does something to you.

There are some positives. The roads in this area that had been previously closed, which I wrote about in my article 5 eye-opening issues from the forgotten backwater flood, are now open. Secondly, Junae’s Grocery in Holly Bluff is now open again. She closed down for a period of time during the flood. 

Preparing for the future

But, the damage is done.

For example, my husband has to clear the debris and prepare the fields for next year’s crop. Doing this costs money. It costs money to run the equipment. They already spent money last year getting the ground ready. They spent the money to get the ground ready for their uninvited guest~~water. 

This year, he will prepare the land with borrowed money which he normally pays back with income from sold crops. Unfortunately, there will simply be very few sold crops this year.

He was only able to plant 20% of the land that he leases. He doesn’t own any of his land, but leases from seven different landlords, and some of them are family members. Imagine if you were to make 20% of your salary this year through no fault of your own and have to depend on crop insurance and government relief to ‘help’. (#finishthepumps)

My husband has also informed me that next year is looking very rocky. There are many reasons for this, but for simplicity purposes, the ripple effect that I have talked about in a previous post called 5 Eye-Opening Issues From the Forgotten Backwater Flood sums it up.

If the farmers do recover from this, there are still more questions and unknowns. Will the soil be fertile after having water on it for six months? Do farmers need to spend more money than usual to properly prepare the soil? Will this flooding happen again while we wait to see if the government and the EPA pass the pumps and build them?

The Steele Bayou Gates

How did the water finally leave the area? Very slowly through the Steele Bayou Gates. This video shows the water leaving the area. The government will build the pumps at Steele Bayou if they are ever passed.

According to an article written by Alex Rozier for Mississippi Today, “Just north of Vicksburg, sits the Steele Bayou Control Structure, a set of gates that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closes when the Mississippi River rises above the water level inside the structure.”

The Corps of Engineers opened and closed the gates several times during this six-month event. The draining is a slow process, and it took several weeks for the water to leave the South Delta once the gates opened “permanently” in July. The water levels dropped at a rate of six inches per day.

I had never seen pictures or videos of the water leaving the Steele Bayou Gates before this year.

In addition to the levees and gates, the government and EPA must pass the pumps to help alleviate the flooding in the South Delta when the Mississippi River is high. To learn more about why the pumps were never put in as promised, you can read 92 years of the Yazoo Backwater Project in 1400 words. 

The future

Some farmers may not be able to farm any longer due to this year’s losses.

There is a misconception that farmers “poor mouth” but get tons of money from crop insurance claims and government assistance. This is a misconception that I’m aware of because I live it. 

Dr. Keith Coble, a professor at Mississippi State University, validated me when he said this about farmers and crop insurance in the Mississippi Today article, “Even with the insurance, in all likelihood you’re going to absorb a pretty significant loss. It (having crop insurance) will help but it won’t make them whole.”

As with anything, some farmers will be “fine” eventually. For many others, this may be their last year or second to last year to farm. This has been a year that will take a long time to recover from. The ripple effect reaches many. #finishthepumps

How has the Yazoo Backwater Flood affected you? Have you ever even heard of the Yazoo Backwater Flood? Please comment below. 

Read Laurie’s story about how a recent life experience led to the birth of this blog White Cotton. Be sure to subscribe to the blog and share articles on social media. 

Summer Camps in the Southeast

The summer is coming to a close, and my kids will soon be back sitting in desks instead of lying around the house. (Preventing them from lying around the house is one good reason to find one of the summer camps in the Southeast.)

So, the other day, I reflected their favorite part of summer.

My kids all have gone to summer camp for years. They are different from me in this aspect. 

I hated camp.

One time only, I went to Camp Hopewell near Oxford, Mississippi for a week, the summer after second or third grade. I will never forget the night that my best friend and I each had to sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground. I was terrified. We didn’t sleep a wink.

The scariest part that actually happened was that a large carpenter ant crawled across the sleeping bag, near my face. The scariest part that did not actually happen is that my brain went into overdrive. It presented itself with every scary scenario that could happen.

Back to the carpenter ant, I think several of them crawled on our sleeping bags. However, the one that crawled very close to my face was the only one I needed to see to be “done.” My best friend and I were crying, and she apologized for having gotten me into this situation. She had invited me. 

Camp Hopewell is a great camp, and my nephews and their friends still go there today. But, it wouldn’t have mattered where I attended. I hated camp.

Lots of kids from our area attend camp. There must not be carpenter ants at any of these camps.

Alabama

Unlike me, my daughters have gone to Camp Skyline Ranch, a two-week camp, for seven years, and my son went to Alpine Camp for Boys, a month-long camp, for three years. Both of these camps are located in Mentone, Alabama, about an hour from Chattanooga, Tennessee and an hour and a half north of Birmingham, Alabama.

Mentone is a great location for camps because it’s on Lookout Mountain, and the weather is great. Mountain air is the best. Every year when we return to our hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, I say that Jackson is like being in a sauna.

The Mentone area is the home of several other camps as well. Another camp for boys in that area is Camp Laney, which a two-week camp. The boys from Camp Laney come to Camp Skyline each year for a dance. There is also Camp DeSoto in Mentone, which is a four-week camp for girls. 

Arkansas

Another one of the summer camps in the Southeast that kids from our area attend is Camp Ozark near Hot Springs, Arkansas. You can go from one to four weeks, but most people whom we know go to the two-week sessions. It is co-ed.

North Carolina

Camp Greystone for girls is located in North Carolina. The younger girls can go to Camp Greystone for three weeks, and the main camp session is a month.

Mississippi

Strong River is a week-long co-ed camp in Mississippi for ages 7-13 that is well-attended from kids in our area, as well as Twin Lakes, in Mississippi, which is also about a week and is co-ed. Camp Hopewell, which I already mentioned, is located near Oxford, Mississippi, is co-ed, and about a week long. These are all great summer camps in the Southeast.

I recommend summer camps if your child seems interested. Once they go, however, unless they are like me, they will want to go back each year during the same session so that they can see all of their friends each year.

So, go ahead and think about setting aside money towards “that car payment” (ugh) each month because as I said, these camps are expensive.

Because they are expensive, I recently wrote an article after I asked my two girls what they liked most about going to camp each year. It’s always been important to me to make sure sending them to camp was worth the investment.

My older daughter aged-out last year which means she was too old to attend this year. I liked her perspective since she had not been in a year. She hopes to be a counselor at Camp Skyline next summer.

What camps do your kids attend? Which ones have I missed? Were you yourself a camper?

Read Laurie’s story here about a recent life experience that led to the birth of this site, White Cotton. 

 

Enneagram 101?

The Enneagram…Hmm…Where do I even begin? Can I possibly give an Enneagram 101 crash course on such a large topic?

As I was riding to an out-of-town funeral with friends several months ago, one of my friends in the car asked us if we had ever heard of the Enneagram. She had been to a marketing conference, and the speaker told them about it.

I texted her a couple of days later and thanked her for my newest addiction. Ugh.

The Enneagram has to do with personality types, but it’s different from the Meyers-Briggs four-letter personality types. (I like the Enneagram better.)

So back to our car ride…my friend read us a little bit about each number and told us there was a test we could take.

According to all of the experts, there are nine numbers which represent nine basic types or approaches to patterns of human character. Once you know your number, you will better understand why you think, feel, and act the way you do.

Knowing your number

Knowing your number helps you self observe and tell the truth about who you really are and come clean from your delusions and illusions, according to Enneagram Worldwide. It can also help you understand others better and get along with people who may not think or act like you do.

I can’t remember if I took the test that she suggested (I’ve taken several), but I did initially take the test that costs $12. It’s called The Enneagram Test. Here is a good free test if you don’t want to spend the money, and my results were very similar on both of the tests.

There is no way I can adequately write about the Enneagram in just one post or really give an Enneagram 101. But, here are a few observations I have after studying it for several months.

Testing vs researching to determine your number

Should you take the test or research to determine your number?

Do both!

First, you could take the test. Second, you could listen to podcasts and read about each number. Listening to podcasts really helped me nail down which number I was. If you are like me, as you listen to podcasts and read, when they get to your number, you will know.

It’s creepy…it’s like someone has been following you around since birth AND living in your subconscious. A couple of numbers very accurately described me, my characteristics, and even my motives for sometimes doing what I do.

Warning

Be careful when you take the test not to answer it the way you think you should or the way that makes you sound better. (Ha.) Be honest.

I have two fairly prominent numbers, but a little bit of several other numbers. Unfortunately, I do have the good, bad, and the ugly parts of my numbers in me.

We all do.

And, of course, not everything you read about your number will apply to you, obviously, but enough will!!

You will know.

The Enneagram Institute

The Enneagram Institute website is where I learned a lot. That is the real Enneagram 101.

The experts say you aren’t supposed to try to figure out what number other people are.

Well, I do this….a lot. It’s hard not to.

But, it makes sense because we don’t know the motives behind what people do. We may not see the real person. Only you can decide what number you are. And you may change your mind the more you learn.

The numbers

The 9 Numbers: Type 1–The Perfectionist/Reformer, Type 2–The Giver/Helper, Type 3–The Achiever/Performer, Type 4–The Individualist/Romantic, Type 5–The Investigator/Observer, Type 6–The Loyalist/Loyal Skeptic, Type 7–The Enthusiast/Epicure, Type 8–The Challenger/Protector, Type 9–The Peacemaker/Mediator

With each number, there is a basic fear and a basic desire.

The instincts

One of my favorite aspects of the Enneagram that some people don’t even know about is the instincts.

These are three survival strategies. For example, three different people could be a “1”, which is the perfectionist, but all be very different. The “1”, in general, likes everything to be in order and correct. But, this can manifest itself in different ways, depending on what the person’s strongest instinct is.

Most people have two strong instincts, with the third in the distance. This is not always the case, but common.

Instinct one–self-preservation

According to Enneagram Worldwide, the first instinct is self-preservation. These people have a strong need for material supplies and security including food, shelter, warmth, and family relations as their way of responding to perceived threats and needs.

One way to understand this is to look at what someone does when he/she enters a party. The self-pres person, no matter what his/her Enneagram number is, walks into a party and immediately scopes out where the food is, the bathroom, how hot or cold it is in the place, etc, whether consciously or subconsciously.

So, for example, a self-pres “1” would in general be more anxious than other “1”s. They channel their survival concerns into having “things” or their necessities in order as a way to be a good person and to do the right thing. For them, family, home, and food preparation takes precedence over other needs.

Instinct two–social

The second type is social. This doesn’t mean that they are necessarily “social people.” It means that they have a need for belonging and membership within the larger group or community. They create social structures within communities per Enneagram Worldwide’s research.

In the party analogy, the social instinct person, no matter what his/her number is, walks in and immediately begins to see who is talking to whom, which group he/she might belong to, or who is in charge of what group and where everyone fits in. They do this either consciously or subconsciously.

So, for example, the social “1” is not very adaptable. They like clear sets of rules. They tend to be irritated when people don’t “act right”, and they don’t do as well in new situations, especially when the group isn’t “just so.”

Instinct three–sexual or one-to-one

The third type is sexual or one-to-one. This doesn’t mean they are necessarily “sexual people.” It means that their main needs are intimate relationships, close friendships, and they find vitality within their bodies. Primary relationships and coupling are their focuses. Also, they like one-to-one conversations.

In the party analogy, the sexual or one-to-one person, no matter his/her Enneagram number, walks into the party and immediately begins to look for one or two people to click with and talk to, whether consciously or subconsciously.

The sexual or one-to-one “1” perfectionist struggles with more jealousy and zealousness than their fellow “1”s. They are very self-controlled and regimented and may experience jealousy towards those “who seem to have more room for self-expression,” according to Enneagram Worldwide.

I think the instincts are fascinating.

The centers

Then, there are the centers which I’m personally not as interested in. For an explanation of the centers, you can read about them on integrative9 enneagram solutions.

The wings

Next, there are wings, and I’m personally also not as drawn to that aspect of it. Here is an explanation of the wings.

The potential rabbit hole

If you take the test, begin listening to podcasts, and do the research, you can certainly find yourself going down a rabbit hole. What I mean is there is tons of information out there. But that’s a good thing if you end up liking the Enneagram.

Podcasts

Since listening to podcasts is a great way to learn about the Enneagram, here are some of my favorites.  Typology by Ian Morgan Cron, Understanding your Enneagram by Rob and Veronica Noble (best info on the instincts), and The Enneagram Journey by Suzanne Stabile, and Probably the Enneagram.

Videos

When I first got started, I listened to a pastor on youtube at Sandals Church. I listened to his videos about each number. Search for “sandals church enneagram” and they will pop up.

That was a quick Enneagram 101. What are your favorite enneagram sites or podcasts? I would love to hear about them.

Read Laurie’s story of how her recent life experiences led to the birth of the site, White Cotton.

 

5 Eye-Opening Issues from the Forgotten Backwater Flood

Brief overview

550,000 acres of land is flooded in the South Mississippi Delta.

The forgotten backwater flood in the South Mississippi Delta is a catastrophe. Sometimes words become so familiar, that people gloss over them without really stopping to think about the depth and power of the words.

That is the only plausible explanation that I have for the fact that we have had very little national media attention while our area has been flooded for five months, and that the federal government hasn’t solved the problem yet, a problem they created years ago.

Hopefully, the words of the flooding just innocently haven’t sunk in yet. 

Because if people were to really picture in their minds that 550,000 acres of land have been flooded for five months, then surely this issue would get the attention it deserves.

How large of an area is 550,000 acres? 550,000 acres is larger than New York City and Los Angelos combined. If those cities were flooded for five months, we would know about it.

Yazoo Backwater Project

Especially if three out of the four areas with the same federal plan to prevent flooding received the final part of the plan, and the one area that did not, happened to be one of those big cities.

In our case, we farm in the one area that did not receive the final part of the plan, and this area has been flooded for five months. 

According to the MS Levee Board, over the years, the federal government has put in levees, a connecting channel, and gates as part of the Yazoo Backwater Project. However, they did not put in the pumps, which was the final step. 

I’m sure the argument is that it doesn’t affect as many people as it would in NYC and LA since it is the South Mississippi Delta. However, it affects me and many others, and in my mind, our livelihood is as important as anyone else’s.

We need more national media attention and awareness so that the federal government will approve and start the pumps, which is a 4-year project.

Also according to the MS Levee Board, in 1986, the federal government put in some of the features of the pumping station. The dirt work is there, and my understanding is there is a culvert around the pump site. 

Mississippi politicians, lawmakers, and the MS Levee Board are working tirelessly to get the pumps passed by getting word to Washington D.C. and taking some of the decision-makers on tours of the area.

5 eye-opening issues during the forgotten backwater flood

Unfortunately, during this period of the forgotten backwater flood that we are in, which has often felt topsy-turvy, there are 5 things that haven’t changed. And they are devastating. Life is still moving forward, and people must still pay their bills. 

1. Land location

Land doesn’t move and can’t be moved.

My husband’s family has farmed in Holly Bluff, Mississippi since the early 1900s. He currently farms there with his brother. Although we lived in Holly Bluff for three years when we first got married, we moved from the farm to the Jackson, Mississippi area in 2001. (My husband drives an hour and fifteen minutes to the farm to work) While in Holly Bluff, we lived in the white house shown below which is right across the street from the old infamous “Lurline Screws” sign. (the sign is no longer there; the house is, but his family sold it) His family built this home in 1912.

Occupation choice

My husband and his brother are smart and well-educated. They both have college degrees and Juris Doctor degrees. I’m not saying that you have to have degrees after your name, but my point is they both could have done anything they wanted, wherever they wanted, and probably would have been successful at it.

They chose to farm as their career. They are good farmers. Some people say farming is in your blood once you have grown up around it. I tend to agree.

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., the opponents of pumps that were already part of a plan that had been devised in 1941, and given to the other three areas many years later, didn’t think about my husband and his career choice in an area that had been farmed by his family for many years.

The eye-opening issue is that 80 percent of the land that they farm has been underwater for five months and still is. And this wasn’t in the winter. This has been during the prime planting season. They also spent money in the winter to prepare their land.

It would be like if your occupation was put on hold for over five months and really, for a calendar year, all because of where it is located. And imagine its being avoidable except that the federal government neglected to put in the final step for the flood project in your area but followed through in three other areas. You would probably feel forgotten, too.

2. Bank loans

There have been years when farmers were able to farm without having to borrow money from the bank. Those were ideal years. But, most years, farmers have to borrow money from the bank to buy seed, chemicals, and pay their notes on equipment and land rent. Then, when the money from selling crops at the end of the year comes in, they pay the bank back, pay their taxes, keep some in the farm account, and decide what to pay themselves as their salary.

This year, before the land flooded, most farmers still borrowed the money upfront to prepare their land for this year’s crop…the crop that wasn’t. Also, of course they had been watching the potential flood situation with help from the MS Levee Board but were in a catch-22 as to whether to prepare the land or not.

In farming, they have a small window of opportunity to get the land prepared and plant the crops. If they had not prepared the land and it had not flooded, they would have missed their window of opportunity to plant because the land wouldn’t have been ready. So, they spent the money and time to prepare the land, it flooded, and all of the money and time was for nothing. Complicated!

3. Equipment bills 

Farmers either finance their tractors and other equipment if they buy them, or they lease them like you would a car. Either way, unless they pay cash, they owe money for the equipment. These are very expensive vehicles. So, picture all cars that you own sitting in your driveway for basically a year, but you continue to write checks for them every month.

This was eye-opening for me.

4. Land rent

Some farmers farm land that they own. Other farmers lease the land from either family members or others. My husband leases 100 percent of the land from 7 different landlords. The landlords expect their money every year no matter what, as they should.

Some farmers do crop share leases which means on really good years, they pay their landlords more, and on bad years, they pay their landlords less.

My husband has done both types of leases over the years.

Currently, they have straight leases where they pay the same amount of rent whether there is a bumper crop or whether they can only plant 20 percent of their land like this year.

5. Family budget

I’ve been married for over 20 years. We may not have done the budgeting right or may be the only people who budget like this, but over the years, you begin to have expenses that occur every year or every month.

And sometimes you add things to your budget based on your “good years.”

For example, when we moved from the farm to the Jackson Metro area in 2001, we eventually decided to put our three children in private schools. We also have a mortgage. Having a child in college and another one in college in a year is expensive as well. Also, our teenagers have cars. We have to eat, buy clothes and enjoy life, too. 

Sure, the best answer is to live so far beneath your means, that you can handle the “bad years.” We have had our fair share of “bad years” but nothing like the potential of this year.

Thankfully, I am a realtor and have been able to help support us over the years. But, our expenses have also increased. And all of this very real current stress was caused because there was no follow-through by the government with providing the very last piece of the puzzle–the pumps. 

This one was the scariest eye-opener for me personally.

Ripple effects

Roads closed for long periods=more gas money put into the local people’s family budget

There are only three ways into the town of Holly Bluff. All three ways meet at a three-way stop at the hub of the town right in front of the house that we lived in. Two of these three ways were closed at some point during this event.

In fact, these two of three ways into the town are still closed after five months. Seriously!

***Update: The highway to Satartia which connected Holly Bluff to Hwy 49 to Jackson is now open***

***Update: The highway to Rolling Fork is now open. I drove through there recently. The water is gone is many areas, but the land looks like a desolate wasteland. Barre, depressing. I rode through in August. It felt like November or January. There should be beautful fields of crops every where. Instead, there are no crops for miles.**

The closest true grocery store to Holly Bluff is 15 minutes away in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. The road to Rolling Fork is still closed, so the residents are forced to go to Yazoo City, which is 25-30 minutes away, to get groceries. That’s double the gas money every time you need to go to the grocery store. This is probably also hurting the Rolling Fork economy since the Holly Bluff residents can’t get there.

Also, the road to Satartia, which eventually gets you to Highway 49, which is the quickest way to Jackson, is still closed as well. That is crazy! My husband has had to go a different route to work, for months. His hour and fifteen-minute one-way commute has turned into an hour an a half one-way. 

So, this may be a stretch in my thinking, but wherever you live, imagine if 67 percent of the roads that led into your town were closed for five months and still aren’t open…and all due to a lack of follow-through while three other areas were served, as promised. 

Other people’s family budgets and obligations

Others also have family budgets to meet, who actually live in that area. They have to worry about water in getting into their houses. Some have water in their houses, and some don’t. Just awful.

I also think about my husband’s employees. We are paying them instead of having them collect unemployment, but I can tell you, they usually depend on the long hours in the spring and fall of a year to help make their ends meet, and the hours just aren’t there. My husband pays them more hours than they work, but it doesn’t equal what they get on a normal year. This is awful!

Think about the farm equipment store employees. No one is buying equipment this year, and no one is using their mechanics this year when things break down. All of those employees also have family budgets and obligations.

Also, the seed and chemical companies aren’t selling as much this year. Their employees also have family budgets to meet.

Additionally, this affects the banks because obviously, the farmers aren’t borrowing as much as money usual because there is way less seed or chemicals to buy.

Sadly, one of the only places for my husband to get lunch in the town, Junae’s Grocery, closed down because the farmers haven’t been working much. She depends on the farmers in the area. I’m sure she also has a family budget and obligations. 

The answer?

Some people may be wondering, “How are farmers going to make their payments to creditors and draw a salary to meet the family budget?” I worry about that for sure.

Most farmers have crop insurance. The problem is, the payout could be as low as 30 cents on the dollar. Crop insurance, like any other insurance, isn’t free. They pay for crop insurance in order to get paid back potentially 30 cents on the dollar (or more). The federal government also subsidizes crop insurance.

In addition to crop insurance, farmers are depending on the federal government for some disaster relief. The problem is who knows when the government will pay it out or how much farmers will get. The government isn’t known for being swift. Meanwhile, we still have to pay our bills.

This is a very serious situation that could have been avoided if the federal government had followed through with the final part of their plan many years ago. (Remember they followed through with three of the four areas that received this flood control; they “forgot” Yazoo and caved to the EPA’s opposition of the pumps over and over hence the name forgotten backwater flood) We want them to approve and start this four-year pump project asap.

It’s the right thing to do. 

Learn more

For more information on the Yazoo Backwater Project, this is an excellent article on the MS Levee Board website. On Facebook, there is a group called Forgotten Backwater Flood which has tons of information about this. 

You can read a more general article on this in my article 92 Years of the Yazoo Backwater Project in 1400 Words. 

What issues have you faced if you are affected by the forgotten backwater flood? If you aren’t affected by this, had you heard about it?

Read Laurie’s story of how a recent health scare led to the birth of this site, White Cotton.