The Sweet ole South

I'm a Southern gal. I live in Alabama and have lived here for 28 of my 33 years. I lived in Louisville, KY for 2 years, but I was ages 0-2 and don't remember it. I also lived in Tallahassee, FL for 3 years. Other than that, It's been all Alabama.

And I love it.

But I'm beginning to see how limited my knowledge is about other places in the USA. I mean, I've traveled extensively across our fair country, but have never LIVED outside of the South. And the more I get into this Bloggy community, the more I'm starting to realize how many people aren't from the South and really don't understand it. So I thought I've have a little South tutorial.

(I can totally give credit to Boo Mama for this idea. You gotta read this post of hers.)

Here are some things about the South that you may not know.

1. If you've ever watched a movie where an actor/actress plays a Southern person, you can pretty much guarantee that they will have the accent all wrong. We don't all talk like we should be barefoot, chewing grass, and riding in the bed of a pickup truck. The exception to this rule is Reese Witherspoon. She's from Nashville and her accent is genuine.

2. We do not sweat all the time. Yes, it is hot down here. And yes, the humidity is so thick that you can cut the air with a knife, but we do have airconditioning in our homes and cars. The movie "A Time to Kill" totally bugged me because they were drenched the whole time.
And by the way, we also have paved roads, cordless phones that don't have a rotary dial, and shoes. We love our neighbors and take "welcome to the neighborhood" cakes and/or casseroles to people who move in. We also do the same for neighbors who have babies, get married, or have a death in the family. If you have a baby, you won't have to cook for 2 weeks, minimum, because neighbors will bring you food.

3. We do eat grits and not just for breakfast. They are a great addition to many meals. If you've never tried them, you aren't allowed to say you don't like them.

4. Sweet, iced tea is a food group. And when I say "sweet," I mean syrup. And when I say "iced," I mean jam slam packed with ice. Not just a few cubes. That doesn't count. Your tea should have to fight to get in between the spaces of the ice.

5. "Coke" is the generic term that is used for all soda. When you are at a restaurant and order a "coke," the waitress will say "what kind?" Then you specify. Dr. Pepper, Sprite, etc. We do not say Cola, Soda, Pop, or any other generic caffeinated beverage term. It's all coke.

6. We cannot drive in the snow. That's because it rarely snows. If we are fortunate enough to get an inch or two of the white stuff, the city in which we live shuts down. We don't have the equipment to drive on snowy roads. No chains for tires, no snow plows, etc. We are stuck. And I guarantee that you will see someone wearing a tshirt that says "I survived the blizzard of 2008" within hours after a snow. I can remember every snowfall of my life. I can also count them on 2 hands.
(Also, if you live in the south and can drive in the snow, you aren't truly Southern.)
((The kids in my neighborhood all own sleds. They aren't used for snow, though. They are used in the summertime when we wet the grass with the sprinkler and they sled down wet hills.))

7. Southern Hospitality isn't a myth. It's really true that people down here are NICE. We help each other. We let neighbors borrow eggs and never ask for them back. Men hold doors for women. Manners are taught at an early age. Every little girl in the south has been to a tea or shower by the time she's 4 and knows how to act like a lady at it. We say hello (or at least smile and nod) to perfect strangers all the time. Auburn University, my alma mater, even has a day called "Hey Day" where they promote friendliness. The requirements of Hey Day? Say "hey" to as many people as possible. Be nice. It's awesome.

8. The beaches in the south (especially Alabama and the Florida panhandle) are the prettiest beaches in the USA. The sand is white. Not white-ish. WHITE. The water is clear and blue-green. Plan a vacation here soon.

9. "Y'all" is the plural form of you. And I bet I'll say that word 1000 times today.

10. Tomato sandwiches in the summer are the best things ever. Tomatoes in the winter aren't even worth the energy used to cut them up. To make a summer tomato sandwich, put enough mayonnaise for 3 regular sandwiches on 2 pieces of white bread. Add sliced tomatoes, salt, & pepper. Pair with sweet tea. That'll be my lunch 5 out of 7 days a week this summer.

11. Everyone in the South has members of their family that totally blow the "sophisticated southern men & women" image out the window. Yes, I have family members who define the word "redneck." However, they'll give you the shirt off their back, will help you fix your garbage disposal, will jump at the chance to change a flat tire, and will lend you eggs whenever you need them. It's just part of being Southern.

For my non-southern friends, what characteristics do you think of when you think about the south? I'd love to hear them, even if they're wrong.
For my southern friends, please feel free to add to my list at any time.

Now, I'm going to get a Coke, y'all. You can guess what kind....

WFMW - Glass shower door cleaner

I have a big shower in my Master Bathroom. I love it. But with big showers comes big glass shower doors. And if you are like me, you have a hard time keeping those silly things clear.

Here's a secret. Spray-n-Wash.

Yep, the laundry pre-treater.

Clean your shower like you normally do. Then spray the glass doors with Spray-n-Wash (the generic kind works, too) and rinse with water. Don't scrub, just rinse. That's all. Your glass will be clear and will stay that way for a long time. Plus, they don't fog up as easily.

It's that easy.

For more easy "Works for Me" tips, head over to Shannon's blog.

Things I Think About (Part 2)

I've blogged before about random things I think about, but that was almost 2 months ago. You can that post here. I've had many more random thoughts since then, so I thought I'd make this a recurring theme. You'll soon find out (if you already haven't) that I am pretty random. I think about some crazy stuff sometimes.

Ok. Part 2. Here goes.

1. Have you noticed that Benjamin Linus (LOST) never blinks? Never. That's just weird.
2. I have an uncanny ability to remember phone numbers and addresses. I can also remember the name of any child I've come in contact with. I can't, however, remember an adult's name. Ever. It's so frustrating.
3. I don't understand people who don't wear seatbelts.
4. I am not a friend with the hot weather we're having right now. I love winter and being able to cover up in warm clothes. Hot weather brings out small clothes. I don't have the body for small clothes.
5. My friend, Erin, is going to the Siesta Fiesta in San Antonio with me. I am so excited I have been doing happy dances for weeks now.
6. There's nothing better than an ice cold glass of milk.
7. I really, really can't wait to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Holler.
8. I think I would be a really good actress if I ever had the guts to try it.
9. One day, my goal is to run a marathon. Guess I'd better start running, huh?
10. I have 51 episodes of Reba (the TV show) recorded on my TiVo. I doubt I'll ever get the time to watch all of them. I never get sick of them, so I doubt I'll delete them in case I get about 3 days solid to watch TV.
11, I'm so much of an optimist it can possibly be labeled a fault.
12. I love Law and Order SVU. I wonder how a person gets cast as a dead person. I mean, I totally could lie still and be dead. I'd love to be on that show.
13. I wonder what it's like to wash windows on a skyscraper.
14. I love interesting houses. I'm tempted every time I see a cool house to knock on the door and ask if I can look around. Dangerous, I know - which is why I haven't done it.
15. I drive around and intentionally get lost just so I can find my way back. I like finding new ways to get places in my city. It's not odd to hear me say, "Ooo, I wonder where that street goes - I'll have to drive down it and figure it out."
16. I ate shrimp one time and got food poisoning because of it. Since then, I have a really hard time eating shrimp. Why can't I have the same experience with chocolate? It would totally solve my weight issues.
17. I'm bribing my 2 1/2 year old daughter with M&Ms to use the potty. Is that bad?
18. My daughter's All-Star softball team is asking each family to raise "x" amount of money for the team. I am quite possible the worst person at asking people for money in the whole world. I would sooo rather just write a check than ask people for money.
19. I never win at any sort of random contest. Ever.
20. I'm so sleepy right now that I'm falling asleep while I'm typing. But I'm too stubborn to stop and go to bed. I'll regret that at 6:30 in the morning.
21. People who misspell contractions make me crazy. It's "y'all." Not "ya'll." "You're" means "you are." It does not mean that something belongs to you. Don't even get me started on "their," "there," & "they're."
22. Last one, I promise. My husband gave me a 55 minute massage for Mother's Day. A friend gave me a gift certificate for a manicure/pedicure. I'm looking so forward to a day of pampering that I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.

Ok. My random brain has now shut down. Nite nite, y'all.

Happy Birthday!

I can't believe it. On Sunday, Mary Emma will turn 7. SEVEN. She is my oldest daughter, so it's appropriate that her birthday is on Mother's Day. I can't think of a better person I'd like to share my day with. I actually brought her home from the hospital on Mother's Day. It was the best present I've ever received.

Mary Emma, I love you so much! I love your happiness, the way you want to wear skirts that will stand out when you spin around, the way you love your sisters and Daddy, the way you love Jesus, your prissiness, your love of polka dotted fingernails and toenails, your love of playing softball, your endless Webkin collection and the awesome names you've given them, your sweet spirit, the way you care for other people (even your teachers at school tell me that you are the most caring child they've ever taught - I could bust with pride), your love for unique hair-do's, and your desire to become a country singer and a vet when you grow up. Of course you can do it.

Jesus is so proud of you. Mommy and Daddy smile when we think about you and when you make silly laughing noises in the car. Tait and Camille ADORE you and want to be just like you. The highlight of their day is when you get home from school. You make people smile and you definitely make us smile.

Happy Birthday, my baby girl. I am so proud of you.

Really?

Several years ago, my husband, who travels frequently, decided that it was worth the money to hire a lawn service. Spencer didn't want to spend his Saturdays cutting grass when he was gone so much during the week. We both LOVE spending time with the kids on Saturdays, and it's especially important to him.

Anyway, our lawn service guys have come on Tuesday mornings forever. Then they suddenly switched and started coming on Mondays. Because I wasn't used to being awaken by the lovely sound of a weed eater on a Monday, I was a little aggravated when they came last Monday instead of Tuesday. Also, I have been aggravated for a while with them because the foreman, Mike, hasn't been showing up lately, and the only men who come speak NO English. And I speak No Spanish - besides counting to 10. This is frustrating when you need to ask them to do something new or different.

All of my neighbors used to use Mike's lawn service. Then one by one, they have been switching to Joey's lawn service. I didn't fully understand it, because Mike's guys have been doing a pretty good job.

Until Monday.

When I witnessed, with my own eyes, one of Mike's guys mow around the newspaper lying in the grass. Around it. Didn't pick it up and mow the grass under it. Really? Come on.

I've been trying to make sense of that in my head. I guess he thought that newspapers have a special power that automatically makes the grass under them as short as the newly mowed grass around them. Or that newspapers can magically levitate so he can mow under them without touching them. Ugh.

Needless to say, we're now with Joey's lawn service. Duh.

Total Praise

Ok, I was riding down the road tonight heading to get Jim-n-Nick's takeout and I plugged in the iPod. Avalon's Total Praise came on. If you haven't heard this song, STOP NOW and go listen to it. iTunes, your local Christian bookstore, borrow the CD from someone, whatever. Just go find it. It's by far the greatest praise song ever. I don't have a sunroof, or my hands woulda been raised out of it. So instead, I just rolled down my window and raised my hand out.

Yes, I did.

It's that good.

What are your favorite praise songs? I would love to hear from you so I can go listen to the ones I haven't heard.

PS - I also think that pretty much anything Travis Cottrell sings would make the "best praise song" list. And Darlene Zschech. Whoa, that chick can sing.

PPS - If Darlene Zschech happens to read this blog (yeah, ok, right), please don't take offense to the word chick. It's a term of endearment from me.

PPPS - If Travis happens to read this blog (again, yeah, ok) I'd like to book you to sing at my daughters' weddings. They're only 7, 2, and 18 months old, but I'm pretty sure you'll still be in the plans when they do get married. You know, when they're 54.

Um.....

Nope. Can't think of anything to blog about right now. Just thought I'd jump on here and say hey, though. I've noticed that my stat counter is really going up, which means a lot of people are reading this blog! That's WAAAAYYYY cool to me. I thought only about 4 people read it. So I'm thrilled that people are reading!
Leave me a comment and let me know who you are! I'd love to know you. I like friends.

PS, an exterminator who specializes in mice is on his way to my house. Holler. And I promise not to use the glue boards. Cross my heart.