Imagine if nearly every single resident of Bartlett and Collierville decided to go the airport in the same two weeks.
That’s what officials expect for Memphis International Airport (MEM) during this Independence Day travel season. The Transportation Safety Adminstration (TSA) expects more than 101,000 people will fly through MEM between June 27 and July 8 this year. (The combined populations of Bartlett and Collierville are slightly above that figure, at around 109,000, according to Municipal Technical Advisory Service.)
More than 10,500 travelers passed through TSA security lines on Thursday, June 27, TSA said. It was expected to be the peak travel day in the holiday season. Wednesday and Sunday are expected to see the next-highest volume of travelers.
With all of this, MEM officials recommend that:
• Travelers arrive at the airport a minimum of two hours before their scheduled flight time.
• Prior to coming to the airport, passengers save time by checking in online via their airline’s website.
• Passengers should check directly with their airlines to monitor schedules.
• Airlines — not the airport — are responsible for all aspects of ticketing, scheduling, gate operations, and baggage handling. Check with your airline if you have questions about these subjects.
• MEM parking lots are likely to reach capacity during peak travel days. When this occurs, additional signage will be added, and additional parking staff will help direct drivers to available parking spots.
• For convenience, drivers parking in the blue or yellow lots may want to drop off luggage and other passengers at the terminal before parking.
• Shuttles are operating between the blue and yellow parking lots and the terminal.
The French have a saying: “The less you work, the more you produce.” I would translate that into the original French for you using the online Duolingo course skills that I’ve honed over the past three years, but it would take too much time. Besides, it’s summertime and il fait chaud and the living is supposed to be facile.
I’m old enough now to realize how fast the days of our lives fly by — or have flown by. And I’ve come to understand that in American life you have a couple of broad options: You can work hard, push your way up a career ladder or try to grow a business, and spend at least five of your seven allotted weekly days with your nose to the wheel of “achievement” until you’re 65. After that, well, you’re on your own. Hope you saved some money or can say, “Welcome to Walmart.”
The other option is that you can be a damn slacker, avoiding things that cause sweat or weariness or irritation, and spend your days just getting by in the easiest way possible. This lifestyle is called “laziness” by most Americans and is not much respected in the U.S. of A. Retirement for a slacker can also be difficult, though the “not working” part isn’t as much of a transition.
The truth is, in America for better or worse, most people buy into the “work hard” ethic — the Puritan gospel that was pounded into our wee brains from an early age: We’re put on this Earth to achieve something, dammit, not to loll around eating bonbons and drinking frosty mimosas. Remember the example of the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race. Keep grinding, suckers.
The deification of hard work is everywhere. There are literally hundreds of quotes about its benefits: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” “The greater the effort, the greater the glory.” “Nothing will work unless you do.” And so forth and so on, ad nauseam. It’s a religion, of sorts.
And I get it. We’re just following the lead of the Christian deity, who, according to the Book of Genesis, worked six long hard days putting all this together for us, then rested. But here’s the thing we forget: It’s not like God worked six days a week for the rest of eternity. He (or whatever their pronouns may be) is probably smart enough to chill whenever he/she feels like it these days.
Millions of Americans, on the other hand, have learned to be content with 10 or 15 paid vacation days each year. That’s way less than one day out of seven, meaning most of us work harder than God did in creating the world. Jaysus. And too often, when we do go on vacation, we don’t relax. We’re too busy making plane and train connections, zipping from city to city in a vain effort to see an entire country (or continent) in two weeks.
I know we all have to pay the bills and we need to take care of our families and there’s no question that hard work does pay off in many ways. But we need to be better about knowing when to buckle down and when to call it a day. We need to remember to give ourselves some time for napping, reading, daydreaming, eating, fishing, walking, drinking, stargazing, partying, lovemaking, staring into space — whatever relaxes us, whatever allows us to renew our hearts and souls.
We Americans should take cues from other cultures. Go to France or Italy or Spain in the summer and you’ll find entire businesses shut for the season. Europeans will stretch out their summer break for a month or even six weeks. It’s all about the joie de vivre, not the joie de travail.
Work gets all the glory, but working hard and relaxing fully are both essential skills for achieving a fulfilled and happy life. But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s Albert Einstein on the subject: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.” And for the record, this quote, handwritten on a piece of paper, sold for $1.3 million. That’s genius. You could look it up.
Some six days after District Attorney Steve Mulroy was verbally eviscerated at the Shelby County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day banquet, Mulroy had the opportunity, before a Democratic audience, to be celebrated instead and to respond to GOP calls for his official ouster.
Mulroy had arrived as an attendee at last Wednesday night’s monthly meeting of the Germantown Democratic Club at Coletta’s on Appling when the event’s designated speaker, state Senator Sara Kyle, temporarily ceased speaking and invited him to come to the front of the room and address the large crowd on hand.
He began by thanking the audience for an extended round of applause — “It stiffens my soul” — and acknowledging his current predicament — “These are trying times right now.”
Even before the events of the last few weeks, he said, “Strangers come up to me all the time. And they say, ‘Man, I wouldn’t have your job.’ I get it. There’s no lack of stress in the job. But, you know, obviously, things have ratcheted up lately.”
He pronounced a vow by Republican state Senator Brent Taylor to launch an ouster mechanism in the next General Assembly as “pure partisan politics” and continued, “It’s unprecedented in Tennessee history to remove somebody over what are essentially policy differences. It’s never been done. Under what we call the ‘for-cause standard,’ you have to identify specific acts or omissions that are official misconduct, or wholesale dereliction of duty.
“You know, the triggering event” — a tentative proposal to offer official diversion to nonviolent felons caught with illegal firearms — “was a program which I’ve now withdrawn. So as far as I’m concerned, there’s no need to talk about it anymore. But if anybody wants me to explain it, either now or one-on-one, I will, but the main takeaway is, don’t get caught up in arguments about these discrete little issues here and there. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. But the overarching theme is there’s no official misconduct.”
Mulroy professed to be “offended on behalf of my staff … because I happen to have 230 hardworking staff in those courtrooms every day, doing the best they can to keep Shelby County safe.”
“But, you know,” he said, “nothing’s going to happen for another six months. Six months is a long time. A lot can happen in that time. What I would ask you to do is spread the word. There’s going to be a lot of BS on social media. Over the next six months, I’d like to deputize you all to be my social media warriors, as it were, and counter the BS because at the end of the day, either Shelby County’s district attorney is chosen by the voters of Shelby County or is chosen by politicians in Nashville.”
The governing politicians of the Republican supermajority came in for criticism as well from Kyle, a candidate for re-election this year, when she resumed her remarks. She condemned a variety of alleged GOP misprisions, including corporate tax rebates granted at the expense of maternal healthcare, inaction on gun safety bills, and Governor Bill Lee’s push for student vouchers.
Although she didn’t address the matter in her speech, the senator is devoting significant time these days to caring for her husband, Chancellor Jim Kyle, who is afflicted with CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) and has had to suspend his judicial caseload. More on this anon.
Tulsa 1921 (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Media Masters)
At the corner of South Main and Huling, on the sidewalk around Urevbu Contemporary, look down. You’ll see tiles marked with titles like Tulsa 1921; Johnstown, PA, 1923 Massacre; and Memphis Massacre 1866. Scan the QR code with your phone, and you’ll be led to a page revealing the history behind the titles.
All of this is part of Ephraim Urevbu’s The Naked Truth Art Project, a project, he says, that’s been nine years in the making. “What we wanted to do was [find a way to] use the arts to ignite conversation,” Urevbu says. “While I was doing this project, I was asking people questions like, ‘Do you know anything about Memphis Massacre of 1866?’ A lot of Memphians who live here don’t even know about that. I have to come from Africa to just to share it. … But how can we genuinely begin to address some of these differences we have if we don’t know what is causing it? So, I wanted to go back to the beginning, bringing up all these stories.
“Let us talk about these stories, engage each other about them. And maybe we can have a common space where we can really begin to reason together. That is what this project is all about. … The reason we’re doing tiles is because not too many people come to galleries and museums, so we created tiles with QR codes on them.”
Memphis Massacre 1866 (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Media Masters)
The project goes beyond the tiles, though, as it’s an ongoing collection of over a hundred works exploring American history — the history that America is most ashamed of — its violence, racial injustice, mass shootings. “American history is a rich history,” Urevbu says. “There is the good; there’s the bad; there’s the ugly. [That’s true for the] history of every other country in the world, but every other country in the world embraces their stories. America wants to run away from their story, which is disastrous in the end, because if you don’t know your stories, there’s a tendency for us to repeat them.”
In that vein, layers of mixed media, including newspaper and magazine print, in the tile art indicate a need to uncover what’s underneath. “Our stories our embedded, hidden,” Urevbu says. “So, what I’m doing [with the tiles] is … I’m encouraging people to peel [back the layers]; as you peel, things like this begin to show up. … Each of these events ended up with blood being spilled. That’s why you see the red dots. It’s like spilling of blood. Sometimes I have to go real graphic to get people’s attention.”
As of the official unveiling of the tiles on June 19th, The Naked Truth Art Project has installed 12 tiles, all of which were manufactured in Italy to last 100 years of weather and foot traffic, but the goal is to install more in Memphis and one day have them all over America. “We have a big ambition here,” Urevbu says. “Memphis should be proud of this project. Memphis should own this project. Memphis should run with this project because this is a project that a lot of cities would be dying to have.”
The Naked Truth Art Project, Urevbu Contemporary, 410 South Main, on view now.
Brandon Claybon and Cristina McCarter (Photos: Michael Donahue)
Brandon Claybon, a native Memphian now living in Los Angeles, was one of 636 guests at the fifth annual Craft Food & Wine Festival, which was held June 23rd at The Columns.
The fundraiser for Church Health featured more than 30 food-related businesses.
Jervette Ward and Jason HendricksonChastity Pointer-Gibson and Courdria PointerMarcus Hamilton, Kula, Debra Westbrook, Verlisa Westbrook, and Verles Westbrook
“It was my first time at the event,” Claybon says. “I thought it was amazing. Absolutely extraordinary for Memphis to have something like this. And bringing people from all walks of life to come together, break bread, and drink wine. It was amazing.”
Asked how many stations he frequented, Brandon says, “I probably stopped at about 20. And then I ate a hamburger after. I waited the entire day for the festival, so I didn’t eat before.”
Justin Gallagher and Veronica GomezBetty Joyce (BJ) Chester-TamayoCaleb Knight, Vino Wright, and Josh Mutchnick
Claybon and event organizer Cristina McCarter were best friends at Bolton High School. “This year, it was just in the cards. So, basically, I had wrapped up a shooting with Tyler Perry in Atlanta.”
This year’s Craft Food & Wine Festival raised about $7,000, McCarter estimates. That brings the total raised over five years to “close to $60,000” for Church Health, she says.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The “nirvana fallacy” is the belief that because something is less than utterly perfect, it is gravely defective or even irredeemably broken. Wikipedia says, “The nirvana fallacy compares actual things with unrealistic, idealized alternatives.” Most of us are susceptible to this flawed approach to dealing with the messiness of human existence. But it’s especially important that you avoid such thinking in the coming weeks. To inspire you to find excellence and value in the midst of untidy jumbles and rumpled complexities, I recommend you have fun with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi. It prizes and praises the soulful beauty found in things that are irregular, incomplete, and imperfect.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are coming to a fork in the road — a crux where two paths diverge. What should you do? Author Marie Forleo says, “When it comes to forks in the road, your heart always knows the answer, not your mind.” Here’s my corollary: Choose the path that will best nourish your soul’s desires. Now here’s your homework, Taurus: Contact your Future Self in a dream or meditation and ask that beautiful genius to provide you with a message and a sign. Plus, invite them to give you a wink with either the left eye or right eye.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Last year, you sent out a clear message to life requesting help and support. It didn’t get the response you wished for. You felt sad. But now I have good news. One or both of the following may soon occur. 1. Your original message will finally lead to a response that buoys your soul. 2. You will send out a new message similar to the one in 2023, and this time you will get a response that makes you feel helped and supported. Maybe you didn’t want to have to be so patient, Gemini, but I’m glad you refused to give up hope.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Fates have authorized me to authorize you to be bold and spunky. You have permission to initiate gutsy experiments and to dare challenging feats. Luck and grace will be on your side as you consider adventures you’ve long wished you had the nerve to entertain. Don’t do anything risky or foolish, of course. Avoid acting like you’re entitled to grab rewards you have not yet earned. But don’t be self-consciously cautious or timid, either. Proceed as if help and resources will arrive through the magic of your audacity. Assume you will be able to summon more confidence than usual.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): All of us, including me, have aspects of our lives that are stale or unkempt, even decaying. What would you say is the most worn-out thing about you? Are there parts of your psyche or environment that would benefit from a surge of clean-up and revival? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to attend to these matters. You are likely to attract extra help and inspiration as you make your world brighter and livelier. The first rule of the purgation and rejuvenation process: Have fun!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): On those rare occasions when I buy furniture from online stores, I try hard to find sources that will send me the stuff already assembled. I hate spending the time to put together jumbles of wood and metal. More importantly, I am inept at doing so. In alignment with astrological omens, I recommend you take my approach in regard to every situation in your life during the coming weeks. Your operative metaphor should be this: Whatever you want or need, get it already fully assembled.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When Adragon De Mello was born under the sign of Libra in 1976, his father had big plans for him. Dad wanted him to get a Ph.D. in physics by age 12, garner a Nobel Prize by 16, get elected president of the United States by 26, and then become head of a world government by 30. I’d love for you to fantasize about big, unruly dreams like that in the coming weeks — although with less egotism and more amusement and adventurousness. Give yourself a license to play with amazing scenarios that inspire you to enlarge your understanding of your own destiny. Provide your future with a dose of healing wildness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Your horoscopes are too complicated,” a reader named Estelle wrote to me recently. “You give us too many ideas. Your language is too fancy. I just want simple advice in plain words.” I wrote back to tell her that if I did what she asked, I wouldn’t be myself. “Plenty of other astrologers out there can meet your needs,” I concluded. As for you, dear Scorpio, I think you will especially benefit from influences like me in the coming weeks — people who appreciate nuance and subtlety, who love the poetry of life, who eschew clichés and conventional wisdom, who can nurture your rich, spicy, complicated soul.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The coming weeks will be prime time for you to re-imagine the history of your destiny. How might you do that? In your imagination, revisit important events from the past and reinterpret them using the new wisdom you’ve gained since they happened. If possible, perform any atonement, adjustment, or intervention that will transform the meaning of what happened once upon a time. Give the story of your life a fresh title. Rename the chapters. Look at old photos and videos and describe to yourself what you know now about those people and situations that you didn’t know back then. Are there key events from the old days that you have repressed or ignored? Raise them up into the light of consciousness.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1972, before the internet existed, Capricorn actor Anthony Hopkins spent a day visiting London bookstores in search of a certain tome: The Girl from Petrovka. Unable to locate a copy, he decided to head home. On the way, he sat on a random bench, where he found the original manuscript of The Girl of Petrovka. It had been stolen from the book’s author George Feifer and abandoned there by the thief. I predict an almost equally unlikely or roundabout discovery or revelation for you in the coming days. Prediction: You may not unearth what you’re looking for in an obvious place, but you will ultimately unearth it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarius-born Desmond Doss (1919–2006) joined the American Army at the beginning of World War II. But because of his religious beliefs, he refused to use weapons. He became a medic who accompanied troops to Guam and the Philippines. During the next few years, he won three medals of honor, which are usually given solely to armed combatants. His bravest act came in 1944, when he saved the lives of 70 wounded soldiers during a battle. I propose we make him your inspirational role model for the coming weeks, Aquarius. In his spirit, I invite you to blend valor and peacemaking. Synergize compassion and fierce courage. Mix a knack for poise and healing with a quest for adventure.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): What types of people are you most attracted to, Pisces? Not just those you find most romantically and sexually appealing, but also those with whom a vibrant alliance is most gracefully created. And those you’re inclined to seek out for collaborative work and play. This knowledge is valuable information to have; it helps you gravitate toward relationships that are healthy for you. Now and then, though, it’s wise to experiment with connections and influences that aren’t obviously natural — to move outside your usual set of expectations and engage with characters you can’t immediately categorize. I suspect the coming weeks will be one of those times.
It’s officially July and we are now half way through 2024. July is a month rich in spiritual symbolism and significance. As the heart of summer, July represents a time of growth, abundance, and inner illumination. In many cultures and traditions, the seventh month of the year holds deep spiritual meaning, connecting to themes of transformation, creativity, and personal empowerment.
July, named after Julius Caesar, carries the legacy of leadership, power, and transformation. The very essence of its symbolism is intertwined with the zenith of summer, where the sun’s energy is at its peak, illuminating our lives with warmth and vibrancy. This period represents growth, fruition, and the manifestation of all the hard work put in during the earlier months. This month stands as a beacon of hope and a reminder that no matter the challenges faced, the light of endurance shines brightest in the warmth of this month.
July’s symbolism is also marked by the celebration of independence and freedom in various parts of the world. It’s a time when we reflect on the concepts of liberty, self-determination, and unity. This brings a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made for the freedoms we enjoy and the ongoing struggles for liberation across the globe.
July is a testament to the bountiful gifts nature has to offer. The lush landscapes and the plentiful harvests that characterize this time of year symbolize a spiritual abundance that extends beyond the material realm. This invites us to shift our focus from scarcity to gratitude, acknowledging the wealth of blessings that surround us. Whether it’s an abundance of love, health, or happiness, July reminds us to approach each day with a spirit of openness and appreciation.
By embracing this mindset of prosperity, we can cultivate a deeper connection with the divine and find joy in the simple pleasures of life. The generosity of nature during this season serves as a powerful inspiration, encouraging us to share our own bounty and uplift those around us.
The intense heat of July presents a physical but also spiritual challenge. The Southern summer requires us to tap into our inner reserves of strength and resilience. This month serves as a reminder that the flames of adversity can forge the steel of our character.
The fiery energy of July symbolizes the passion and drive that fuels our actions, urging us to confront our fears and emerge victorious in our personal battles. In July, we move out of Cancer season and into Leo season. The astrological sign of Leo brings its passion and fire to the forefront this month. By embracing this inner fire, we can tap into a wellspring of courage and determination, allowing us to overcome obstacles and reach new heights of personal growth. The unwavering spirit of the sun during this season serves as a guiding light, inspiring us to stand tall in the face of life’s challenges and to never surrender in the pursuit of our dreams.
Since we are more than halfway through the year, it is also a good time to check in on the goals that we set in January. Are we making progress? Have we reached those goals? Do we still want to pursue those goals? If you are still working on manifesting things that you set your intentions for earlier this year, use the energy of July to help you refocus and make those dreams a reality.
Astrologically, July is dominated by the signs of Cancer and Leo, each bringing its unique energy and lessons. Cancer, represented by the crab, emphasizes the themes of home, family, and emotional depth. It teaches us the importance of nurturing our relationships and creating a safe and loving environment for our growth and the growth of those around us. Leo, symbolized by the lion, roars with the energy of leadership, creativity, and self-expression. This sign encourages us to embrace our personal power, to shine our light boldly, and to pursue our passions with courage and confidence. The astrological significance of the month thus lies in its invitation to balance our emotional depths with our desire for expression and visibility, weaving a tapestry of personal and collective growth.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.
(left to right) Alberto Ari, Rafael, Alberto, and Sacorra Gonzalez (Photo: Michael Donahue)
Rafael Gonzalez’s dream of owning an ice cream shop never melted.
He got the idea when he was 4 years old, living in Chihuahua, Mexico. “I knew I was going to do this for life,” says Gonzales, 36.
He and his brothers, Ari and Alberto Gonzalez, are now owners of seven La Michoacana ice cream shop locations in the Mid-South.
On a recent Thursday evening, customers streamed into the La Michoacana at 4091 Summer Avenue. They stood in a long but fast-moving line that stopped at a sign reading, “Wait here for your turn!” The walls on the almost-cafeteria-size room were painted pink, blue, and white. People began filling up the numerous tables and chairs, frozen treats in hand.
(Left to right) Alberto Ari, Rafael, Alberto, and Socorro Gonzalez (Photo: Michael Donahue)
It Began in Michoacán
The La Michoacana story began in the 1900s when a group of people from Italy moved to Mexico and taught residents of Michoacán how to make sandals, guitars, and ice cream, Gonzalez says. “This was in a little bitty town, Tocumbo, in Michoacán, Mexico.”
The sandals were made out of rubber and leather, the acoustic guitars were built out of wood, and the ice cream was chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. “So, basically the first ice cream in Mexico was in Michoacán,” he says.
Roberto Andrade was one of the first people they taught to make ice cream in Michoacán, Rafael says. That was the start of the “La Michoacana” ice cream shops. Andrade then began putting the shops “in every single state of Mexico.”
In 1980, Rafael’s family moved from their home in Michoacán to Chihuahua, Mexico. Rafael’s dad, Alberto Gonzalez, began working for La Michoacana. Luis Andrade, the grandson of the founder, taught Alberto how to make the ice cream and the paletas — frozen fruit-flavored treats on a stick.
Four years later, Alberto opened his own La Michoacana shop in Chihuahua.
“I was born in an ice cream shop,” Rafael says. “I learned to walk in one of them. I learned to speak in one of them.”
And, he says, “When I was a little bitty kid, I said, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to open a store.’”
Rafael Gonzalez at 9 in his dad’s ice cream shop in Chihuahua, Mexico (Photo: Courtesy Rafael Gonzales)
Once he was 8 years old, Rafael began helping his father in the store. “I was one of those kids asking my dad, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘What is that for?’ That’s how I learned. He had a lot of patience and he explained to me everything I asked.”
The recipes weren’t written down on paper, Rafael says. Somebody just teaches you how to do it “and it kind of sticks in your mind.”
His father wanted to put Rafael through college. “I said, ‘No, dad. I’m not going to college.’’’ He already had his life figured out. “I knew what I wanted to do and I’m still doing it. I graduated from high school and I was ready to come to the United States and open a store.”
A Sweet Move
In 2006, Rafael, who was 18, and Ari, who was 15, moved by themselves to Horn Lake, Mississippi. “To study English was one of the main reasons we came to the United States,” Rafael says.
They moved to Horn Lake because one of their cousins lived there, Ari says. He and Rafael and their brother Alberto now live in the area, he says.
Ari “fell in love with the idea of opening La Michoacana in Mississippi,” Rafael says.
Two years later — on March 7, 2008 — Rafael and Ari opened their first La Michoacana store at 1038 Goodman Road in Horn Lake. They opened without any advertising on TV or radio. “We were nervous,” Rafael says. “We just opened it and started working.” They thought, “Let’s see where it goes.”
The first day was a success. “Thank God there were a lot of customers that day. They were waiting for it to be open.” Customers told them they’d been waiting 10 years for the type of ice cream La Michoacana makes. It tastes like the ice cream they used to eat in whatever little town in Mexico they were from, Rafael says.
When they opened, they were making 18 flavors of ice cream and close to 30 flavors of frozen treats. Today, La Michoacana makes 36 flavors of ice cream and 50 flavors of frozen treats.
Their shops, like their flavors, grew. “After the first year we opened in Horn Lake, we opened the one on Winchester [6635 Winchester Road]. Then the next year, we did the Summer Avenue location, the biggest and busiest one.”
The first Summer Avenue location was in a 1,400-square-foot space at 4075 Summer. Five years later, they moved a few doors down to their current 5,000-square-foot space on Summer Avenue.
A busy Thursday night at La Michoacana on Summer Avenue (Photo: Michael Donahue)
The next store was at 830 North Germantown Parkway, Suite 105-106, in Cordova, Tennessee. That was followed by two shops in Little Rock, Arkansas. They then opened one in Jackson, Tennessee, but, Rafael says, “After Covid, we had to close that one up.” Hopefully, he says, they’re going to open another shop in Jackson within the next two years.
They make all the ice cream and paletas — and one flavor of sherbet (lime) — at their 3,000-square-foot factory in Walls, Mississippi. They begin making everything at 6 “every morning,” Rafael says. It’s “ready to go” by 4 that afternoon.
Rafael and his brothers, along with eight employees, work at the shop Monday through Friday. They deliver the ice cream and paletas to the stores just about every afternoon. Saturdays and Sundays are strictly delivery days. “We all work together and we all do the same thing.”
Each day they make 150 15-liter buckets of ice cream and 3,000 to 4,000 paletas. “We split all the flavors into three days.”
Rafael starts working at 6 a.m. And he’s the last one to go home at 10 or 11 p.m., he says.
Fresh and Authentic Frozen Treats
Their ice cream is still made in “small batches,” Rafael says. Some businesses keep ice cream on the shelf for a long time. And that’s after it’s already been in a warehouse for a long period. Plus, it may have been made some time before it was delivered to the warehouse. La Michoacana ice cream “has never been in the freezer more than three days,” Rafael says. It was made either “the day before or the same day.”
Their ice cream “doesn’t have any preservatives and it’s all natural. The cream is a mixture of vanilla, butter, and coconut cream.”
“A lot of the fruit comes from Mexico,” Rafael says. Like nance, which are yellow berries, but not as sweet as fruit like apricots.
Other fruits they use in their ice cream and paletas include mamey, which is “like papaya. It also grows in Mexico”; pine nuts, which “almost taste like pecans”; and prickly pear, a “seasonal flavor” with a citrus taste.
Their other brother, Enrique Gonzalez, who lives in Chihuahua, helps them get supplies they can’t get in the United States.
Rafael, Ari, and their brother Alberto want to open more La Michoacana stores. “The idea is, yes, to keep growing.” But they don’t want to open stores all over the United States. “I would like to keep it around here. Just in the Mid-South.”
Rafael doesn’t want the stores to be too spread out because his customers, who he’s become friends with over the years, want to see him. And he wants to be able to get to each store each week. “We’d like to grow, but to grow into something I can handle.”
Rafael Gonzales (Photo: Michael Donahue)
We All Scream
As for his product, Rafael admits he eats “plenty” of ice cream. “I have to make sure that it’s good.”
His wife Ana, though, “can go through a quart of ice cream a day. Every day. She loves ice cream. She says marrying an ice cream guy was a blessing for her.”
Their daughters Shayla and Ellie also are big ice cream fans.
Strawberries and cream made with homemade jelly is Rafael’s favorite ice cream flavor. And it’s been his favorite since he was a child. It’s “one of those flavors that stick in your mind.”
He prefers the spicy-flavored frozen fruit treats, including spicy lime, mango, cucumber, and pineapple.
La Michoacana also makes a “frozen sour spicy fruit treat,” which comes in a paleta or in a cup. “It’s just frozen mango with sugar. It’s got this sauce, chamoy, which is a mixture of peppers and limes. That makes it not as spicy, but makes it sour.”
Every once in a while they’ll “pull up a new flavor” of ice cream or paleta at La Michoacana, Rafael says. The “German,” one of their more recent ice cream flavors, is their take on a German chocolate cake. It’s made with almond, coconut, and pecans and comes in a chocolate or a vanilla base.
La Michoacana also sells salty food, which balances the sweetness of the ice cream. They sell nachos, corn on the cob, and elotes, or grilled corn on the cob with mayonnaise and cotija cheese.
They also feature chicharrones, pickled pork skins, in a salad made of cabbage, avocado, cheese, sour cream, tomato, and hot sauce. The ingredients are put in a flour shell and fried.
A Family Affair
Their dad, who is retired, visits “every two or three months” from his home in Chihuahua. He and his wife Sacorro recently were in Horn Lake. “He’s the biggest supervisor and the biggest inspector.”
Alberto makes sure his sons are doing everything right. “He was strict with us and still is. If he doesn’t like it, he’s going to throw it away: ‘You’re not going to sell this.’ He wants to make sure everything is run the same way in each store.”
They’re busy year round, but traffic is heavier, obviously, in the summertime. “I counted last Sunday. It was 42 15-liter buckets on Summer. And I want to say more than 3,000 [paletas] a day.”
Like his forebears, Rafael never wrote down any recipes. “Everything is in my mind. Basically it’s a tradition. And, hopefully, my daughters will continue. And I will teach them how to do it so they can learn the way to make it.”
For about a decade, Jim and Virginia Cavender have been stopping at La Michoacana on Sundays for ice cream or paletas. “We just love all the flavors, the quality of the ice cream,” Jim says. “It’s always top-notch.”
The ice cream or paletas will be their dinner that night, Virginia says.
They got to know the family after they visited the Summer Avenue store on the night of Rafael’s birthday celebration. They were invited to stay for the party. “They’re just such a great family,” Jim says.
Virginia, a former school teacher, even tutored Rafael’s oldest daughter at one time.
They surprise Virginia with something different every Sunday she visits La Michoacana. “I take a picture and put it on Facebook every Sunday night,” she says.
Out-of-town friends are captivated by Virginia’s photos. “When they come to Memphis they want to get something like I had.”
“This is my life,” Rafael says. “This is my place. And I would like to come to my shops every day and hang out and work. Because, having been doing this all my life, even if I retire, I’ll still be doing it. I’ll still be coming in. I’ll be the one opening and the one to close.”
Enjoying the lazy river at the Kroc Center (Photo: Patricia Lockhart)
With this heat wave, we’ve had to find ways to enjoy our summer, but stay cool at the same time. While my kids, now 16, 12, 12, and 10, would be content lying around the house in their pajamas, I just want them to do … something else. Now don’t get me wrong, I love to play video games as well (my current favorite is My Time at Sandrock), but that can’t be all that they do. This city is too vibrant and their brains are too bright to be only used for video games.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
If you haven’t been to the Brooks Museum’s latest exhibit, “People are People” by Christian Siriano, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. This exhibit displays some of Siriano’s contributions to fashion. My daughter’s mouth dropped in awe. (Best mom-feeling ever!) She guided us around the exhibit, reading the captions while exclaiming her opinion of each dress. We saw dresses worn by Michelle Obama, Ashley Graham, and Ariana Grande. The gowns are exquisite and absolutely amazing. My daughter gained a lot of inspiration and drive from this exhibit. She talked endlessly about the alterations she was going to make to some of her clothes and how she finally knows how she is going to finish the shirt she’s been sewing. But the best part was when my boys got excited. The Brooks Museum had a runway set up with clothes on a rack that they could piece together to make a fashion statement. Were they excited to play dress-up? No. But were they excited to play dress-up with their little sister? Yes! We all ran to the rack, donned the coolest attire, and walked the runway. We had the best time! Next, my hubby and daughter used fabric to dress a mannequin while the boys sketched clothes.
The Brooks Museum is free Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. “People are People” by Christian Siriano will be around until August 4th.
Contributions to fashion (Photo: Patricia Lockhart)
Kroc Center
We have been members of the Kroc Center for a few years now, and the Kroc has this long hallway that displays the artwork of local artists. As we walked by, the eldest twin slowed his pace. He looked at the artwork, nodded, then moved along. He called our attention to several different pieces, noting content and technique. And then his world changed. Written in the bottom right-hand corner, on a small rectangular piece of paper, was the price the artwork was selling for. It then seemed like several dots connected together in his brain. “This piece sells for $65! That’s more than my allowance!” I just smiled and said, “Yes, it is.” My husband and I have always told him that he could sell his artwork to earn money. Ever since he was 5 and he stated that he wanted to be a “starving artist” when he grew up, we explained to him that he could be an artist without the starving part. But sometimes a parent’s words don’t resonate with their kids until an appropriate moment. Seeing artwork comparable to his own ability for sale ignited something in him. (Insert proud mommy moment.)
My kids also love to swim at the Kroc. They have a wonderful lazy river. (Yep, you read that right!) My kids are perfectly content going around and around and around, relaxing with each churn of the artificial currents.
Summer Curriculum Update
Here’s a brief update on how the summer curriculum is going. The MATA bus ride is scheduled for July. As you’ve probably guessed, they aren’t excited. While they have mastered how to operate Google Calendar and have put several things on the family calendar, they have failed to learn the lyrics to any Aretha Franklin song or “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas with accuracy. I honestly didn’t think it would be hard, but they are seriously struggling.
The grocery shopping and meal prep had an unexpected outcome. Yes, the kids created grocery lists and cooked meals. But we’ve also had to put a cap on “when” meals could be made. The kids were cooking the typical breakfast, lunches, and dinners, but also added “pre-lunch” and a “post-dinner” meals. I know what you’re thinking, isn’t “post-dinner” just dessert? No, not for them, “post-dinner” is the meal you eat after dessert. Usually served after you have stayed up too late and gotten hungry again. Therefore, the kitchen now closes at 10 p.m. (Those P-EBT cards need to hurry up and arrive!)
They’re finishing up their autobiography/biography and school-assigned summer reading books, too. As you probably guessed, they decided to pace their time with books by only reading a chapter a day. I had to gently remind them that at this pace, they wouldn’t finish their books in time for school. And as you know, the summer reading books include a mini-project.
So far they’ve created and gained inspiration, added movement, and nurtured their brains. I think this deserves a video game binge day, but no “post-dinners.”
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s a school librarian and writer, but by night … she’s asleep. @realworkwife @memphisismyboyfriend
When imagining a musician on tour, a series of stock images probably go through your mind: a scruffy van loaded with gear, T-shirts in bad need of a laundromat, fast food wrappers stuffed in the back of an amp. But in reality, musicians have their antennas out for any venue that works, traveling not only by road, but by rails, air, and even on the high seas. Take Memphis native Happie Hoffman, aka Happie, a singer/songwriter in the indie-pop-folk vein who recently played a cruise ship. That alone isn’t that novel — there are many musically themed cruises of the Caribbean — but this one left from Tromsø, Norway, bound for the Arctic Circle.
If that sounds like a dream vacation to any Memphian oppressed by the current heat wave, there was far more to it than that, and it’s emblematic of Hoffman’s unique commitment to community. She describes her fellow passengers not as fans or patrons to be entertained, but as “about 150 friends, friends of friends, and creative entrepreneurs.”
Uniting all these friends was a desire to heal the world in multiple ways. The many friends on the tour came together under a few organizations that approach the issues of our day in complementary ways. “The cruise,” says Hoffman, “was in partnership with a morning dance company called Daybreaker, the Pachamama Alliance that’s working on saving the Amazon and the rain forest, and the Belong Center. Their mission is to help end loneliness.”
The Daybreaker organization may be unknown to some, though word of their unique mission — “to dance with reckless abandon at daybreak, sans substances, turning nightlife on its head” — has rapidly spread over the past decade. And it’s evolved beyond dancing, with multiple global destinations and “immersive expeditions to the most tender parts of the planet … raising millions of dollars for climate initiatives,” as their website explains. Along the way, co-founder Radha Agrawal wrote the book Belong: Find Your People, Create Community, and Live a More Connected Life and founded the Belong Center.
And, given that the poles are indeed some of the “most tender parts of the planet” in this age of climate change, Hoffman’s journey makes more sense. “I have played on four voyages to Antarctica over the past two and a half years, that started with this group of friends traveling, and this was our first time going to the Arctic,” she says.
It all dovetails nicely with Hoffman’s concern for community in all its manifestations. As detailed in our 2022 feature on her, her melodious voice first found an outlet at Temple Israel, eventually leading to her being named cantorial soloist there. “I’m a fully integrated part of the clergy team at Temple Israel,” she said at the time. “My aim is to move people spiritually, and my mode of doing that is music.”
She now lives full-time in New York City and is no longer as involved in Temple Israel services, singing mainly during the High Holy Days here, but the quest to move people spiritually has remained. Lately, her approach to that has not been through Jewish spiritual music or protest songs about the petroleum-based economy, but through her own observations about love.
Happie Hoffman as a child with her father (Photo: Ann Margaret Hedges)
Indeed, her latest songs, dropping as singles throughout this summer and ultimately culminating in an EP this fall, focus solely on love. Still, that leaves a lot of emotional territory for her to explore as she travels and performs, single-mindedly pursuing her secular music career. The first single, for example, which dropped last month, is all about her father.
“This album is about different cases of love in our lives, whether they be romantic, or dear friends, or familial,” she says, adding, “and familial love is a beautiful aspect of that, a very real one.” It’s evoked beautifully by the album’s title track, “Shooting Star,” a meditation on how fleeting our lives are, even as the love between a parent and a child endures. The video for the song is being released on Wednesday, July 3rd, and it’s a work that comes very much from the heart.
“I wrote the song when I was home for the holidays, in a songwriting session with one of my best friends and cowriters, Ori Rakib. And as we began to write the chorus, he did a thing that people writing music often do. He said, ‘This song is about your dad.’ And I immediately started crying. And then the song poured out of us.”
Songs that pour out from that emotional place are what Happie Hoffman is all about, and these days, with the world in turmoil and climate disasters looming, she may well have found the key to the higher sense of community that we’re capable of, one that can span the globe: the many faces of love.
