Category: Living Southern
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Ten Things I Like About October and Five That I Don’t
Having lived in 8 different decades, it occurs to me that my favorite month of the year is October. Ok, April and December are close seconds, but the first full month of the Fall is always a welcome sight on the calendar. Of course there are some minor distractions and dislikes for every month, even…
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My Southern Affections
My last post addressed the language of the South and the manner of speaking that is uniquely our own. The South is known for more than its linguistic distinctions; we have our own distinct culture, with different customs, accents, fashion, architecture, musical styles, and cuisines. So, I thought I might muse upon some of the things…
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The Language of the South
Growing up in Georgia in the 1950s and 1960s, I became saturated and steeped in Southern speak. So, when Southern Living Magazine recently published an updated list of “50 Southern Phrases You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else,” (shown below) I read them as if taking a trip down memory lane. None of these expressions needed defining…
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Buttermilk and Cornbread
Driving to Grandma’s house in the late 1950s and early 1960s usually meant a day-long pilgrimage. It was an hour’s drive from our home in Decatur, Georgia, as we wound our way through small towns like Stone Mountain, Snellville, Loganville, and Bold Springs until finally arriving at the family’s ancestral home of Winder. Mom and…
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Southern Accent Fading Fast?
I am a son of the South. And I say that proudly. My accent may not be a drawl or as slow as sorghum syrup, but I still throw in a “y’all,” an “ain’t,” or an “I reckon” from time to time. Hopefully, my manners and inbred spirit of hospitality make my Southern upbringing evident…
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15 Signs That Toe is About to Meet Leather
It’s that time of year again. Yes, schools have started back and the prospect of cooler temperatures grows increasingly likely as Summer transitions to Fall. But that is not what I am talking about. Decades ago, when I was a student at Georgia Tech, our football play-by-play radio broadcaster was a guy named Al Ciraldo.…
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Heavenly Dining in Small-Town America
One of the most enjoyable experiences one can have is driving through a small-town community, stopping at some out-of-the-way restaurant, and discovering a culinary treasure. You know the place, a local non-chain eatery that, at first glance, may cause you to hesitate to go inside, only to be blindsided by the sheer mouth-watering deliciousness of…
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Summer Daze and Asphalt Waves
It’s summer in Georgia, where saunas are free. All you have to do is step outside to learn the true definition of “sweltering.” Yes, you know it’s summertime in the Southland when the heat, humidity, and mosquitos rise to unbearable levels. Thank God for Willis Carrier! (Inventor of the first electrical air conditioner in 1902.) …
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Good Golly Miss Dolly
Recently, my family spent a week vacationing together in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. And when I say family, I mean FAMILY. All my children, grandchildren, a brother, his wife and son, along with my wife and her grandson — a total of 23 related-by-DNA and marriage kind of people — shared a three-story, cliff-hanging, ten-bedroom cabin…
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The Varsity P.C. Blues
The end is near! The apocalypse is upon us! Another pandemic? No. More civil unrest? No. A giant meteor approaching earth? No. The AJC (Atlanta Journal and Constitution newspaper) announced on June 11th that “P.C.” is no more. Unfortunately, they are not referring to the term “Politically Correct.” They reported that the Varsity, Atlanta’s iconic…
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