Why Bless My Little Pea-Pickin' Heart!

"Why bless her little pea-pickin' heart",  is a phrase that I have grown up with down here in the south and have heard to referenced to myself on many of an occasion. This is a phrase that all true Southern women add when they are saying something vaguely insulting. Nonetheless, I find it a strangely charming affectation.

I am sure that at times my neighbors have thought that I have totally lost it..what ever it is, or perhaps that I wasn't the smartest of human beings to start with and of that fact they probably have been correct. After all I have been known to work in my garden under the moon light, go fishing at night, and yes even go hunting at night but simply because it is just too hot and humid during the day. " Why her porch light doesn't shine very bright, why bless her little pea-pickin' heart!

My Mother could always take this phrase to new heights whenever I would pout or whine as a child, saying in Southern tones dripping with pure mock sympathy, "Well, bless your little pea-pickin heart, you have got it just so bad! Hearing this always made me realize that I was either being rude or ungrateful and sometimes both.

By now,  my Bow knows all of my porch light's eccentricities so I feel that I have nothing to hide and have become something of an open book. After all, I have been known to wrinkle my nose at the idea of a dozen long stem red roses and a candlelight dinner for two at some romantic and expensive restaurant,  but have squealed with excitement and delight when he brought me a Carrot Stick Fishing Rod.

So on this beautiful Sunday afternoon in September, "Bless all your little pea-pickin hearts", though I am sure that you are never rude or ungrateful but lovely and kind. Why if your comments about my blog are anything to go by, the readers of my blog are the soul of graciousness and gentle wit.

Well Kiss My Grits!

Now you know us Southerners are known for our Grits, and I am sure that all my Yankee friends, and Yes I do have a few, are still trying to figure out just what exactly this Grit thing is all about. Well pull yourselves on up a stool rights here at my kitchen counter and we will explore exactly how to make true Southern Grits.

Now I am here to tell y'all that there truly is no magic secret to great grits...and there are no short cuts either. Unfortunately what you may read on that label in the grocery aisle that says "Quick Grits" please be warned Do Not Pick This Up and certainly Do Not Purchase It! You will never make true Southern Grits using one of these packages, truly an impostor.  All Southerners know far too well that great grits take time and the "Quick Grits" label simply means that the grits have been milled finer which causes the texture and flavor to suffer. Which means you will never see them in my house or served at my table.

Now fortunately great grits do not require a great deal of what I call "Active Cooking", just an occasional stir from time to time. Start your grits a full 2 hours before you plan to serve them, chose yourself an adult beverage, and go enjoy the company of your guests while the grits simmer slowly on the stove.

Now for the technical instructions, start with 2 cups of quality dry grits I particularly like Anson Mills Grits. Put the grits in a medium saucepan, add a generous pinch of salt and about 7 cups of water. Now here I have found that it is better to err on the dry side, its easier to add a little water later than it is to cook em down if you used too much. You may want to add one or two bay leaves, and you can also substitute 2 cups of chicken broth or beef broth for 2 cups of water depending on what recipes that you are using the grits for. Now bring your grits to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Now stir every 15 minutes or so, and when you've got them cooked and the texture is starting to become more firm and 1 cup of buttermilk which makes the grits creamy. Now if'in you are wanting you some cheese grits now is the time to add some fresh grated cheese, lets say about 1 cup, stir again and let simmer another 15 minutes and serve.

Now I usually make mine with some Poached or BBQ Shrimp and Fried Country Bacon  mmm..mmm..good.

Now that is how you make yourself some real Southern Grits, enjoy!

The True and Indomitable Spirit of the Southern Belle

Erstwhile but essential social graces of proper etiquette, penmanship, ballroom dancing, needle work, mourning customs may be lost to the ages; however, the true and indomitable spirit of the Southern Belle is alive and well. Albeit transformed and reinvented to meet the demands of a twenty-first century modern society moving at warp speed, in comparison to the previous more thoughtful and genteel pace of Southern Life for young ladies.

Belle, from the french "beautiful" most certainly does apply to today's modern Southern Belle who remains free to pursue the qualities of hospitality, the cultivation of beauty, flirtatiousness, and a certain upper class demeanor and taste. This same Southern Belle also allows for compassion, kindness, care for their fellow men and women, and all creatures on God's earth.

A strong sense of community allows the modern Southern Belle to leave behind old stereotypes such as the idle gossiper or the flamboyant surface beauty with little to nothing on the emotional inside, stale, selfish, and yes self centered. A knowledge of history reminds her to learn from the mistakes of the past and not repeat them. Curiosity allows new information to permeate new ideas and an ability to continually question motives and circumstances.

Southern Belles or True Grits (Girls Raised In The South), are today free from the vestiges of readying for the next Cotillion and are interested and active in local and national politics. No longer forced to ride side saddle as part of the silent majority, Southern Belles today care about the issues of inalienable rights, the economy, abuse of any nature, and world hunger and they are actively doing something about these issues by participating front and center to bring these issues to public awareness.

Yes, we may have lost our monogrammed stationary and laced handkerchiefs, but they have proudly been replaced by symbols of greater meaning like the Pink Ribbons representing the Susan G Koman Foundation for the Cure against Breast Cancer.

Today, striving to be a Southern Belle is a full time occupation with no room for part-timers. Today's educated, strong willed, and informed Southern Belles are "Bulldozers" disguised as "Powder Puffs", yes we still desire to be your Sorority Sister, Honorary Chairperson, Junior League, and a member of the Garden Club however, we are longer satisfied to be the window dressing but demand an ever evolving role  with prospect for personal growth. We are making our mark on Society, and changing the world that we live in one day at a time. Yes,  the True and Indomitable Spirit of the Southern Belle live on.

Yes, Scarlet "Tomorrow Is Another Day"!

This morning I did something that I have never done before. I consciously decided to stop reading, in my opinion one of the greatest novels ever written, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind at the beginning of Part Five. Now I know this goes against the grain of every red blooded Southern Belle both living and deceased, and most importantly the author's intentions. I also know and understand from my studies of Margaret Mitchell that she wrote the last chapter of the book first, and the first chapter last. However, as it has been pointed out to me on many occasions, I have in fact read Gone With The Wind numerous times and seen the movie version more times than I care to remember,  I do know how this story ends. Today however, I cannot bear to live through the heart-ache, no not today but maybe tomorrow. I have found myself on too many occasions agonizing enough over why Scarlet cannot see past her childish obsession with the stupid and helpless Ashley and recognize the greatness that is Rhett Butler!

For isn't that exactly what a great novel does? It draws you in, it ignites your imagination, and it takes you to another time and place completely. I have lived through the Civil War and the Reconstruction of the South with Scarlet O'Hara and I have longed for the good ol' days of the Antebellum Plantations and the period of life at Tara. I have become frustrated and angered by the other characters in the book, I have faithfully cheered Scarlet for her gumption and strong will, and I have fallen madly and hopelessly in love with Rhett Butler over and over again.

Having grown older and hopefully wiser,  I had fully expected not to like Scarlet O'Hara this time around. However, I do so adore her she is selfish and short sighted; spoiled and greedy; and yet I must ask who is not? The fair Scarlet is fierce and passionate and I cannot help but to think, as I am sure Rhett does, what she would have been like had her world not fallen apart and hardened her heart. I can relate to Scarlet on so many levels, as my world has fallen apart on several occasions and yes has hardened my heart. Scarlet's character is so deliciously complicated and so imperfect that she literally jumps off of the pages. So much about Scarlet is self-biographical of each and every Southern Belle.

Yes, I can relate to Scarlet O'Hara. I have had people and events in my life that have affected me, made me less trusting, more guarded, a bit jaded, and yes even bitter at times. To quote Grandma Fontaine from the novel, " You have to always keep something to fear and something to love". I pray that I will always have something to fear and something to love in my life.

The first time I read Gone With The Wind, I was in the fourth grade the novel had been a gift from my Mother on her birthday to me,  which was her favorite. The last time I held the same novel in my hand was this morning at the age of fifty three. I am sure that I will open up the cover and read this wonderful novel again and again just not today for I cannot take the heart ache today nor the memories. So despite 786 pages of pure genus and reading pleasure, I am closing the book and saying farewell to Scarlet O'Hara, Rhett Butler, Grandma Fontaine, and yes to the memories of my Mother,  if only for today.

It's Good To Be Back Home.

Now in my fifties, which I view as both a blessing and a curse,  I can look back upon my life and the years that have flown by too soon. It seems like only yesterday that I was playing with my friends in Springfield, riding horses at Bit & Spur Saddle Club, singing to the radio with my feet on the dash headed to the North Jetty's, and driving my first car, holding my Son for the first time, so many cherished memories.Yet here I am, and all those years, and cherished memories, friends and family are so far away it almost feels like a different lifetime. Today as I look back upon my life I must admit that I have truly been blessed.

Born in the South and brought up in steep Southern Traditions,  I was taught at an early age the value of friendship and family. However, sadly like many of you have experienced I am sure,  life moves forward, the demands upon you are increased, you become transplanted to another City another State, and some how some way the things and people that we cherished the most in our lives seem to slip away along with the years.

As I reminisce I remember a song that was recorded by John Prine called "Souvenirs", my favorite verse of the song is "I hate graveyards and old pawn shops for they always bring me tears, I can't forgive the way they robbed me of my childhood souvenirs".   The verse holds so much truth for me for I have lost so much to pawn shops and graveyards through the years. Yet I have been so blessed and I cherish each and every memory.

Enter the age of the Intranet Highway and I find that I am thankful for Facebook for it has brought me back in touch with so many of my friends from my childhood, JR High School and SR High School. It is wonderful to sit and spend the day or evening conversing for hours over the Intranet with friends that I have not seen or spoken to in over 30 or 40 years, and yes these are my friends my cherished friends through my lifetime. To reconnect to the people that was once such a part of my life growing up, to learn about their life today and their families,  as they learn about mine. To connect to family members that for one reason or another had been left behind but never forgotten. Yes, I am blessed with friends and family that loves me and accepts me with open arms just as they did so many years ago. 

To my cherished loved ones I extend my sincere gratitude and my apologies. If I was ever cruel in my childhood ignorance, if I left you behind in my haste to become an adult, if as an adult I have not simply taken the time to just sit and spend time with you for all these things I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to be cruel, to hurt or harm you in any way, for each of you have made an impact upon my life. You are all apart of my life, you are etched permanently within my memories and kept within  my heart and I love each of you.

It is good to be back home, even if I only get there through the Intranet Highway.

  

She's A Grand Ol' Southern Belle an Ode to "Beulah Beal"

She stands proud and tall as she always has, constructed with love of mortar and brick she now celebrates her 100th year,  and yet she still remains a Grand Ol' Southern Belle. She was constructed in 1911 and labeled "PS #11", the eleventh Public School constructed within the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Upon her Grand Opening she was christened with the name of "West Springfield Elementary". In the short time span from 1911 to 1920 she had made her mark on the community and was renamed "Beulah Beal Elementary", respectfully named after her first Principal, Beulah Beal and a name which suited her so much better than "PS #11" or "West Springfield Elementary". Yes she stands proud and tall and has witnessed many changes throughout her lifetime of caring for the students and families that have passed through her doorways.

She has witnessed segregation and with just one glance down her hallways she tells you the story of segregation between the whites and blacks in the South. Her separate water fountains and restrooms remained in service for over sixty years with the plagues that said "Whites Only" or "Negroes Only", truly a sad part of her history for she viewed all students equally.
She watched helplessly as the "Great Depression" affected the students that she cared so deeply for, for it was the children that brought life to her. She survived the "Fifties" with Bobbi Socks, Poodle Skirts, and Sock Hops in her Auditorium. Again she stood strong through the "Sixties" and she survived the riots of the "Seventies". During the "80's" her brick and mortar walls became a school for "Unwed Mothers" as a "Young Parents Center", and I know that she shed tears over this transformation which shook her to her foundation. Yes, she has seen many changes in her 100 years of serving the community of "Springfield" that came to love her. Today as she stands proud and tall she graciously undergoes yet another transformation being equipped with technology for the 21st Century, complete with WiFi and Computer Labs.

On her 100th Birthday I extend my sincere "Thank You" to this Grand Ol Southern Belle "Beulah Beal Elementary". In 1962,  she welcomed me with open arms and nurtured me. Within her classrooms she taught me to "Pray" at the beginning of every day and to say the "Pledge of Allegiance" to our Country. Within her walls, on her steps, and on her playground I was taught the importance of Friendship, Respect, Fairness, Patience, Tolerance, Honesty, Values,  and I learned. "Beulah Beal Elementary" helped me to grow into the educated  adult that stands proud and tall before you today.

Long may you stand tall and proud and serve the community of Springfield Beulah Beal Elementary School!

Of Speaking Southern

Unfortunately like many of my fellow Southern Belles, the plantations of our Grandfathers disappeared years ago and we were forced to enter the working world in order to attempt to keep ourselves in the lifestyles of which we had become accustomed to. In today's society of the working class,  of which we have become apart of, though not entirely of our choosing we find ourselves working with many Northerners as well as people from other Countries and no I do not mean the Northern Aggression States. These fine folks not being raised in the South seem to have some difficulty in understanding the basic English language, so I have listed some of the very basic sayings along with definitions which I sur hope helps.

1.  "You are barking up the wrong tree!" - You are wrong!
2.  "I'm as busy as a stumped tail cow at fly time."- I am very busy.
3.  "Don't count your chickens till they hatch." - Know the results before you proceed.
4.  "Gone back on your raisin" - Deny heritage.
5.  "Got your feathers ruffled" - Upset and pouting.
6.  "Happy as a dead pig in sunshine" - Has no clue.
7.  "In a coons age" - Its been a long time.
8.  "Like a bump on the log" - Lazy.
9.  "Too big for your britches" - Taking yourself too seriously.
10. "That dog don't hunt" - Your story is not truthful.
11. "Don't let the tail wag the dog" - The Boss should be in charge not the workers.
12. "Mend your fences" - Settle differences.
13. "Sun don't shine on the same dogs tail all the time" - You will get what you deserve.
14. "Stomping grounds" - Familiar territory.
15. "Well shut my mouth" - Shocked and speechless.
16. "Directly" - In a little while.
17. "Fixin to" - About to.
18. "Reckon" - Think or suppose so.
19. "Piddle" - Wasting time.
20. ""Good Ol' Boy" - A Southern man that likes anything involving a challenge or expression of virility.

I sur do hope this helps some of you folks that are not from the South, I sur do kit mighty tired of explan'in myself everyday.