Girls raised in the South . . .

What an exciting week ahead! First, we get our first "Hartford visit" from baby Kate this week -- just in time for Father's Day! She just over 3 months old, and I cannot wait to show her off at work and church! This is Casey's latest photo! Doesn't she look like she's saying, "What in the heck has she put on me this time?" My true little "southern girl" -- they're raising her right!

Second, the whole crowd is coming home -- Casey, John and Kate -- and Anna and Zach! And third, my new furniture will arrive on Wed. just in time for the crowd -- and we'll have a sofa sleeper so Anna won't have to sleep on the sofa! I haven't quite got Stacy on board for the entertainment center change, but he's coming along!

I love being from the South -- and here's something that was sent to me a while back that I love. You know "GRITS" stands for "Girls Raised In The South?"

SOUTHERN WOMEN

• Southern women appreciate their natural assets: Clean skin. A winning smile. That unforgettable Southern drawl.
• Southern women know their manners: "Yes, ma'am." "Yes, sir." "Why, no, Billy!"
• Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions : "Y'all come back!" "Well, bless your heart." "Drop by when you can." "How's your Momma?"
• Southern women know their summer weather report: Humidity - Humidity - Humidity
• Southern women know their vacation spots: The beach - The rivuh - The crick
• Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August: Colorful hi-heel sandals - Strapless sun dresses - Iced sweet tea with mint
• Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts: Fried Green Tomatoes - Driving Miss Daisy - Steel Magnolias - Gone With The Wind
• Southern women know their religions: Baptist - Methodist - Football
• Southern women know their country breakfasts: Red-eye gravy - Grits - Eggs - Country ham - Mouth-watering homemade biscuits with momma's homemade jelly
• Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm: Chawl'stn - S'vanah - Foat Wuth - N'awlins - Addlanna
• Southern women know their elegant gentlemen: Men in uniform. Men in tuxedos. Rhett Butler
• Southern girls know their prime real estate: The Mall - The Country Club - The Beauty Salon
• Southern girls never insult; they just say, "Bless her heart . . ."
• Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins: Having bad hair and nails - Having bad manners - Cooking bad food

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 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.
• 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 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.
• 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 (not available above the Mason-Dixon line) 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 old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" ... and go your own way.