I’ve never done one of these Thursday Thirteens before, but it’s a means to a posting end today. :-) If you have one posted on your blog, let me know in the comments and I’ll link to you here. I was going to do the auto-link thing, but that seems a little, um, unnecessary for someone who only has tens of readers.
Thirteen Things I Love About The South
1. I could count on my hands the number of times that I’ve been introduced to someone – aside from a job interview – and he or she has shaken my hand. Down here, we hug. We meet, and we hug.
2. Everybody speaks to everybody. Even a three year old is not immune. Yesterday we were at the grocery store, and as we wheeled by people in the aisles, Alex would wave and say, “Hey! How you today?” And people answered him. Kindly.
3. A trip to the grocery story is not complete until someone – and it happens almost every single time – approaches me in the produce section or the meat department or the checkout line and says, “So, what ‘cha makin’ with that red onion / cubed steak / can of corn?…REALLY? Oh, that DOES sound good!”
4. There’s nothing better than summertime lunches where fresh tomatoes, fried okra, fresh corn, fresh green beans (cooked to the point that they’re flat and have no redeeming nutritional value), and homemade cornbread are the order of the day. Meat becomes an accessory – it’s not even necessary.
5. In the springtime, you can’t turn a corner without being confronted by huge masses of hot pink azaleas.
6. The accent. It’s divine. At least to these ears.
7. When girls are engaged, their mamas set up big tables in their houses, cover the tables with white linen tablecloths, and display all the wedding gifts. And about once a day, friends will stop by for “cake and coffee,” visit for a bit, and then ooh and ahh over the china and crystal and whatnot. It’s a charming little tradition to me.
8. Double names. Two of my very closest friends are Emma Kate and Norma Kay. And can I please tell you how many “Mary-somethings” I know? Mary Allison (2 of them), Mary Margaret (3 of them), Mary Caroline (3 of them), Mary Katherine (2 of them), Mary Alice, etc. – and that’s just the tip of the “Mary-something” iceberg. And then there’s Lea Margaret! ;-)
9. Sweet tea.
10. There’s a mentality in the South that we’re all connected, that we’re all family, and I guess in some cases we really are, since some of us have family trees that don’t fork very much.
11. The music. Country, jazz, blues, Southern gospel – we have a rich little soundtrack in this neck of the woods.
12. The hospitality. Come visit, and you’ll see what I mean. We’ll take real good care of you and yours.
13. Two words: fried chicken.
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What DON’T I love about this post! I should be cleaning my house, but instead I’m reading just a few of my faves. :D
Well you already know how I feel about Sweet Tea! :D And I’m just imaginin’ those lunches out on a great big front porch with ceiling fans whirring above. (Maybe I’ve watched to many movies.)
But the name thing just CRACKED ME UP! Growing up, I was always entertained when we would go to family reunions for my moms side. Everyone we knew in everyday life, just called her by her first name, Rhea (pronounced Ray). But when we got together with her family (many from Arkansas), they ALWAYS would yell out “RHEA LYN!” in that completely southern accent. I thought it was so fun and would try to immitate it.
Thanks for the smiles. Loved the post!
Addie’s comment made me laugh — I grew up with a girl named Rhea Len and to top it off her last name was Rhea too. Rhea Len Rhea, no joke.
#7 — I didn’t get to do that for my wedding but my grandmother made me do it for my graduation.
I love the south too!!
I feel like I could drive up to your house and be right at home, boomama. We share a lot of the same traditions and culture here in Arkansas. Mama used to tell anyone visiting from over a couple hundred miles away, “We’ll treat you so many ways you’re bound to like one of them!” Anybody who lived closer than that already knew about our Southern welcome. Southerners really extend that “Love thy neighbor” thing farther than just the folks who live on either side of us. After all, you never know when you’ll slide off in the ditch and need Bubba Joe to pull you out with his 4-wheel drive, so you’d better greet him just as politely as you do one of the beauty shop ladies when you see them at the grocery store. :)
okay, so you want to know what we’d do in the northeast if someone looked in your grocery cart and asked what you were making for dinner (which no one would actually DO in the northeast…) We would shoot you a look of disdain, probably raise an eyebrow, and maybe say something sarcastic. Then we’d walk away fuming about how someone has the gall to invade our privacy and, GASP, LOOK IN OUR SHOPPING CART!
SO, Rude!
Oh, I love your list! All but #7 are true for me.
Re: #8, in my family if your first and middle names aren’t “double friendly”, they’ll give you a new one. My sister (Cynthia Diane) and I (Brenda Denise) were called “Cindy Lou” and “Brenda Sue” by all of our relatives, except the cousin who got a little confused and called us Cynthia and Brenthia.
I’ve never had anyone do the shopping cart thing, but I have had ladies in the dressing room ask my opinion – and give theirs, even if I didn’t ask!
My mom did number 7 for me. My husband (from Denver–originally) thought this was very strange.
Thursday Thirteen? Another new thing Im completely clueless about? Have to come back tomorrow and check it out. Is that allowed if its Friday, what does it become Friday, fourteen???
WHO am I???? Excuse me…do I not get a mention?????
All 13 of these wonderful traits that us Southerners have are the reasons we moved home. Lori, while living in PA, people looked at me too many times like I had 3 heads when I asked them what they were cooking for SUPPER. I don’t know if they were upset that I asked or if they just didn’t know what “supper” meant.
You can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl.
LEA MARGARET – check it out now. :-) With a link and EVERYTHING. :-)
LOL!!! You are TOO much! I am, as you know, very proud of my name…4th generation MARGARET and all. And I am very serious about the spelling and pronunciation of LEA. It is not LEAH, it’s LEA. Just like SEA. Then you have to put them together….
:)