All Things Southern

So I have been thinking a lot lately...What exactly does it mean to be Southern?  I know people live here and adapt to the Southern lifestyle, but I also think there is something extra special ingrained in those of us who were born and bred here in the deep south! :)  These are some things that to me envision being Southern...

1.  Sweet Tea - You know...the home-made kind your grandmother taught your mother to make, and so on...no artificial sweeteners allowed!!!

2.  Cornbread and Greens...either alone or together (with a dash of some good ole' homemade pepper sauce!)

3.  College Football...The big three in our families are UGA, Alabama, and Florida! We are a split family between UGA and Alabama!

4.  Vera Bradley...I don't know a true Southern girl who hasn't owned a piece of Vera...usually for overnight stuff life duffel bags, etc...

5.  Monogramming, Lace, and Hand-me-Downs...Sometimes it seems like all of this comes together, but each are beautiful all on their own, and you usually see @ least one of these things in a true Southern home.

6.  Manners and Hospitality - The thank-yous, yes, ma'am, yes, sir, etc that comes with every true Southerner's manners and learned hospitality...when was the last time you walked into a home in the deep south and weren't offered something to drink, eat, etc the MINUTE you walked in?! :)

7.  Lilly Pulitzer - I LOVE me some Lilly...I used to have quite a few pieces, and in the past few years I haven't purchased much, but I still love it and it still reminds me of the beach, warm summer nights, and happy, perky, party days! :)

8.  Family trips to the beach...there are so many pretty ones down here near Georgia like the Florida panhandle, and pretty Georgia beaches like where my husband's family goes, like SSI.

9.  Fireflies, cookouts, and cold drinks on the porch during the summer.

10.  FAMILY...it is everything here where we are from...family stays close, and we fight, but we always make up and would do anything for one another! :)

Grandma's

This week my husband lost his sweet grandma.  She had been really sick for quite some time, but still when someone passes you love, it is always hard no matter how prepared you are.

Grandma N. lived to 89 years old...I hope that I can one day say that as well.  It seems that the generation she was from lived long lives and accomplished such great things...they endured great things as well; take the Depression for example...we think the economic downfall we have had the last year or so has been bad...imagine what that generation went through!

I know P. will miss her and today was exceptionally hard because we were unable to go to the funeral due to work and school obligations that couldn't be helped.  We did get to attend the visitation last night and had to drive home. 

I honor of P.'s wonderful Grandma I wanted to put some of my best memories of my two Grandma's...

1) Picking blackberries at the farm in Mickey-Mouse t-shirts as a child with my G-mom.
2) Making homemade peanut butter cookies w/ my Nana.
3) Laying on the front of the boat in bikini's "sunbathing" with my G-mom.
4) Shopping trips for fabulous shoes with my G-mom.
5) Playing in the yard and garden with my Nana...without her I would probably be truly terrified of bugs (yes-more so than I am now!)
6) Going to Church with my Nana, Aunt V., M., and Mom and having so much fun giggling and listening to sermons.
7) My homemade stuffed rabbit and dolls my Nana made me...I hope one day I can sew half-way as good as she can.
8) Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter with both grandma's...they were always special in their own ways from the toys, food, laughter, and love you felt when you walked in their homes.
9) My Nana keeping me and my younger brother during the summers...we had such fun watching movies, TV, cooking, and playing card games (nope, I never won!)
10) Cookouts and swimming in my G-Mom's backyard while reading trash mags during middle/high school years...she was the BEST cook (other than my mom and Nana) and had the best stash of magazines!

Happy 4th!

Here is hoping that everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July weekend! :)  We are going to my in-laws place this weekend and will have swimming, good food, family, and fishing!

I am so grateful for everything our troops do every single day to keep us safe...I hope we all can remember the real reason for the 4th and enjoy a safe and happy 4th of July! :)

Meanwhile, I have yet to pack anything for myself, Philip, or Porter!  I am going to see if I can find Porter a travel dog crate/bed that isn't so heavy to get into the car!  His metal crate weighs a TON!  This one from Target looks super cute...

 

Friendship

I thought this poem was wonderful and speaks so much about true friendships and all that you hope and pray for everyone, but most especially your true close friends!  I know I love mine and hope for them all the very best in life...

Send My Friend An Angel

by Corky Ferguson

Please send my friend an angel.

Send her one of mine;

A loving and caring one,

The best that you can find.

Please send my friend an angel,

And trust her with its care;

Someone or something for her to love,

And to always be there.

Please send my friend an angel,

One to help her fill her days;

With hope, love, and laughter,

And the warmth of sunshine rays.

Please send my friend an angel -

You know she gave me one of mine.

Please send her down an angel;

A true friend's hard to find.

One Kings Lane

Okay...So I stumbled on another GREAT shopping place, One Kings Lane...I'm only sad I stumbled upon it after the Lilly stuff was sold out! :( But just go here for some great sales!! :) Happy Hump Day!!!share

Summer Time Sweetness

So the summer is almost over for me as far as school goes...but otherwise it's still full steam ahead!

The downstairs is being painted tomorrow where the leak in the wall was so it should smell like "new house" some time tomorrow afternoon...

Porter has discovered that he is a master bird hunter and brings dead, mutilated birds to the back door and is just so proud I don't have the heart to scold him...totally disgusting little Pug that he is!

Fourth of July is here upon us this weekend and besides being grateful to our founding fathers and troops all around the world, it's also on the 3rd my father-in-law and grandfather's birthdays...thus celebration time!

St. Simon's is also upon us this year...we haven't been able to go w/ the hubby's family for a good length of time (if at all) in about three years...but NOT THIS YEAR!!! We are coming!!!!! :)

The hubby's b-day is in August as well...and our Pug Porter, who will be 1 year old! :)

Lots of fun things happening in the next month or so...will post pics when all of these fun things happen! :)

Testing!

So we are testing ALOT in this class I just started...in fact we have one this afternoon from 3-5pm. I am NOT a good tester...let me write you a paper or an essay, and I can do that all day long happily...but please, please don't make be answer a multitude of multiple choice and true/false questions! :(

I am on here blogging as I am procrastinating getting my power points out to study! I have four chapters on which I need to be cramming before 2:30pm when I have to head to the college.

I am saying a selfish prayer that I can get through this test successfully w/ a B or C...I'm not even aiming for the A on this one!

Happy Weekend to everyone...I will be studying! :(