celebrate my Southernness

this weekend. Do they do this up North too? I never know if the things I THINK are Southern really are or not. Anyway, amusing tidbit….I was trying to spot all the Confederate flags in the area…TONS of people out there this weekend…and do you know…the ONLY Confederate flag I saw all night was on my boyfriend’s father’s T-shirt. So there ya go.

It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s hot. It’s humid. Does it rain? Not really…..it’s just 99.9% humidity. Sometimes it rains in the afternoon but I think it all evaporates before it even hits the ground. Dry, crunchy, horrible yard. Did I mention how hot and humid it is?

is another goal on my list…but related to Southerness, I feel. Today I was a bit down for a bit but my good Southern neighbors (people I’ve never seen before, mind you) in town smiled at me and said hey and how are ya and I felt better immediately. I am happy to be living in the South.

have exploded with blooms….do they look like this in the North too? This is the one in my front yard…it looks so lush and tropical and it’s grown so so so fast…gives me privacy and shade despite the years I tried to mow it down. :-)

Wow….how ‘bout that for a bit o’ Southern Culture? All day in the sweltering heat…dust…dirt…rednecks….all in good fun? Well, we were right by the flag stand where all the wound up parents like to come and yell at the way the races are being run….that was an experience. Does everyone get that upset or was I just lucky to be in that particular place that day? Well I didn’t see a fight, but I heard that a couple were about to happen. Is this fun? It’s fun for the people I went with…usually they win but this weekend – 2nd place both races. People get pretty uptight about this thing….I’m still digesting it.

made me feel oh so Vehry Southern!!!! After a weekend in Sunny Florida with them…I got to come back to Sunny South Carolina and THEY had to go back to 50 degrees and raining. I LOVE SOUTH CAROLINA!!! And I had to explain the aforementioned Grits to them. And that it’s not necessary to be offended when someone calls you “ma’am” – really, our boys are raised that way! ‘Tis only a matter of respect.

What??! If you knew me, that’s what you’d say. But I was hungry and G left them at my house with the phrase “now when you’re hungry and have water and five minutes, you’ll have food.” And I did. I had to spice them up with garlic, onions, cheese and hot sauce. Is that OK?

More Suthen-ism’s:
Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a
conniption fit, and that you don’t “HAVE” them, you “PITCH” them.

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip
greens, peas, beans, etc., make up “a mess.”

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general
direction of “yonder.”

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long “directly” is, as in:
“Going to town, be back directly.”

Even Southern babies know that “Gimme some sugar” is not a request
for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl
in the middle of the table.

All Southerners know exactly when “by and by” is. They might not
use the term, but they know the concept well.

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of
solace for a neighbor who’s got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken
and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor’s trouble is a real
crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between “right
near” and “a right far piece.” They also know that “just down the
road” can be 1 mile or 20.

Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference
between a redneck, a good ol’ boy, and Po white trash.

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing
turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

A Southerner knows that “fixin” can be used as a noun, a verb, or an
adverb.

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, ... and when
we’re “in line,” . we talk to everybody!

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they’re
related, even if only by marriage.

In the South, y’all is singular, all y’all is plural.

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee
are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food;
and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

When you hear someone say, “Well, I caught myself lookin’,” you
know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

Only true Southerners say “sweet tea” and “sweet milk.” Sweet tea
indicates the need for sugar and lots of it—we do not like our tea
unsweetened.
“Sweet milk” means you don’t want buttermilk.

And a true Southerner knows you don’t scream obscenities at little ld
ladies
who drive 30 MPH
on the freeway. You just say,”Bless her heart” ... and go your own way.

To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southerness:
Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the
morning.
Bless your heart!

And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding a ll
this
Southern stuff,
... bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin’ to have classes on
Southernness as a second language!

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long
time, all y’all need a sign
to hang on y’alls front porch that reads “I ain’t from the South, but I
got
here as fast as I could.”

Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fahevah !

Now…... Shugah, send this to someone who was raised in the South or
wish
they had been!
If you’re a Northern transplant, Bless your little heart, fake it.
We know you got here as fast as you could

and he is fully aware and supportive of this goal. This weekend he had me eating grits, porkchops, cornbread and pinto beans. (he cooked all weekend, by the way – hooray!) Now, I’m proud of the South and I love living here (well, for the most part!) but as my parents and I moved to the South from California…well, I just wasn’t really brought up on Southern food. My man LOVES some boiled peanuts and I am willing to give them another try…because I love the South and I love him. So there ya go.

Not in a derogatory way, just a descriptive way. Do they say such things in the North?