My house is magical! I know everyone feels the same about their own homes. After all, home is where the heart is, right? But I am serious. My house really is magical! It’s not the size or décor (certainly not MY Wal Mart and Home Depot Clearance Rack Décor). My house is magical because of the feeling it emits. And, yes, before you call me crazy, I just said my house emits a feeling. But it really does. From the first time we walked into the house, we got a feeling like this was not just a house; but this was a home. You could almost hear the echoes of children laughing and running in the sun room. Slingshot (my husband) and I had just gotten married, and our niece had just moved in. In just a blink of an eye, we went from a family of three to this huge familial mass of chaos with three kids, two adults, two dogs, a cat, tons of friends staying over and Slingshot’s massive firearms collection!! We needed the room! This house fell in our laps, and we immediately felt like this could be our home! As soon as we moved in, I realized why this house felt the way it did. This house was a home because of Mimi.
You see, the Mohamed family lived here and Mimi (as she was lovingly called) was the woman of the house. I did not know her, but everyone that did loves to share stories with me about her and about life at “The Mohamed House”. From living in the home she made for her family, I’ve learned that she loved to cook (my kitchen is huge), and loved to garden (I’ve inherited an array of beautiful flowers and shrubs and have found the most precious garden happies while weeding); and that’s about all I knew of her. That’s why I invited Sarah Goldberg over to visit and tell me about her sweet mother; and share one of her famous recipes!
As it turns out, Mimi wasn’t just the sweet Southern lady that everyone knew. Annelle Mohamed was a bit of a revolutionist, even if she didn’t realize it! Ollie Mohamed was full-blooded Lebanese. His own father had run away from home in Lebanon and arrived to the great promise land of the United States by Ellis Island among the thousands of immigrants that came looking for a better life. He worked his way down south and settled in Belzoni, Mississippi. Young Ollie was farming one summer when he met the woman that would change his life. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that goes: “When the wind of change blows, some people build walls, others build windmills.” Well, when the wind blew on this particular day, it blew up the skirt of a young Annelle, the new Youth Director of the First Baptist Church who had just moved to Belzoni and Ollie knew then he had to make this woman his wife! With the help of his neighbor, Mimi Bridges, they were formally introduced and their love story began! Not a big deal now, but think of how brave it must have been for a young, conservative Christian girl to marry into an immigrant family from Lebanon. The wind of change that blew on that particular day broke down a couple walls and changed the course of time for not just two young lovebirds; but a whole community. These two crazy kids started one of the most prominent and influential families in this little Delta town.
Annelle became the second Mimi, and totally embraced married life and her husband’s culture. Over the years, she raised six children, ran a business and made the house on Oak Street a home while Ollie Mohamed led a successful business and political career. With stretches of days and even weeks of him being away, it was up to Mimi to make this a home for her family. And apparently she was the best at it! Everyone in town has a Mimi memory and everyone who knew her loved her and her cooking! Their life had a few rules (dates only on Saturday nights and no out-of-town boyfriends), a few hours of work at the store after school, and lots of food! LOTS OF FOOD!! As Sarah stressed it, “Most people gain weight their first year of college. I LOST weight! My mother always had food! When we got down to two slices of cake, she always baked another!”
This was their life. Annelle would get dressed up and stand by Ollie at inauguration ceremonies and balls. And when he was home, he would sit on the window bench in the kitchen and watch as she flourished as a wife and mother. They watched each other grow and succeed and find their true selves; always side by side.
Holidays and special occasions always had both traditional American and Lebanese cuisines. With dishes filling the counter space around the kitchen, all the girls/women would line up “buffet style” first and make their plates. And Mimi always made her beloved husband’s plate for him. That was who she was; those people were her life; and she relished every second of it! One traditional dish that still reigns today is Mimi’s Lebanese Meat Pies. These little delicacies are not only simple to make, they are delicious. And a little bit goes a long way! I’ve included the recipe below with some of my favorite photos of Mimi that her sweet babies have shared.
Mimi- thank you for the recipes; and thank you for making such a wonderful home for your own family and now my own! I didn’t know you; but I’ve enjoyed getting to know you through the love you showed this home while raising your babies and grandbabies. I will continue the tradition! And the kids enjoyed their meat pies for dinner!
Sarah Goldberg- thank you for believing that we were the perfect family for your family home; and thank you for sharing your memories!
Lessons Learned From The Rainbow 