Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Learning to Shine

The Kindergarten at Will's school put on a program this morning. I am disappointed with my pictures. I think my camera has been acting funny. But, I wanted to quickly share what I got.
They have flashlights around their necks because they did a really cute version of "This little light of mine" using the flashlights. I loved it!

Will and John Burton- his best little buddy
Avery, Maggie, and Will

I made star cookies for our little "stars."

The top cookies have a lemon glaze and yellow sugar glitter

These have the same lemon glaze and yellow icing dots

Southernness

Lest you think "Southernness" is not a real word, I assure you it is. Merriam-Webster defines it as "of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated South."

This definition doesn't really do it for me. I mean, how can a region be "conventionally designated South?" It either is, or it isn't. Graciously allow me to expound....

Many factors have me thinking about the South lately:

I recently finished reading The Help, one of the most extraordinary books I have read in years. Kathryn Stockett is my favorite new author. This is her first book, but undoubtably will not be her last. She captures the mood of the South in the 1960s down to the chicken salad and starched table cloth at bridge club.

Tim McGraw (not my favorite) has a new song out titled "Southern Voice." The lyrics are catchy. I even find myself humming along "C'mon in chile, i'm sure glad to know ya." He references all kinds of Southern icons: sweet iced tea, Faulkner, Daytona Beach, Scarlett, and many others. The band Alabama had a song many years ago called "Song of the South." It is, in my opinion, a much better song about the South than this new "Southern Voice" song. It speaks of "sweet potato pie and a shut my mouth." Oh, to have the perfect opportunity to use the phrase "shut my mouth" is indeed a glorious thing!

My parents recently had a neighborhood garage sale and my mother cleaned out attics, closets, and my old room. I found an envelope full of graduate school applications that were never mailed. One was to the University of Mississippi Center for Southern Studies. That is right, I wanted to get a Masters Degree in Southern Studies. Can you think of anything more fascinating than an entire course load full of classes such as: Anthropology of Blues culture, The South in Film, Civil Rights and Liberties, and Appalacian Folk Craft? I can't. But, then I met JohnWill. So instead of a Masters Degree in the South, I got John Will. Not a bad trade-off. (I tell him I am still going to go down to Oxford some day and get that degree. We both know that's never going to happen.)

Monograms. Southerners love monograms. We love monograms on our clothing, towels, bedding, bags, dishes, silver, stationary, hair bows, slippers, and even cars. I recently had a conversation with a friend from Illinois who is a convert to our monogramming ways. She said her friends up "there" don't understand why we want our name on everything. I don't understand it either, I just know we love them. Maybe if I had my Masters degree in Southern Studies I would have learned this in History of Monogramming 101.

I took Southern Literature in college. It was my favorite class of all the classes I took for my English degree and it was taught by a beloved teacher. As a part of the class, she took a group of students on a literary tour of Oxford, Mississippi. We toured Rowan Oak, home of Faulkner, and the cemetary where he is buried. My final paper for this class was titled "Is the South in Danger of Losing its Identity?" I don't remember the answer to this question. All I remember is some vague reference to deviled eggs and funeral food. Maybe this is the answer.

11-20-09

In case you were wondering, why yes, I have already purchased my movie ticket from Fandango. Why yes, I will be seeing this movie on 11-20-09.

(I must apologize. I have been cooped up in this house with a very sick 3 year old all week. I need something to look forward to....)

Happy Halloween!

Ryan, Will, Owen, John Burton and Miller

We had some friends come over tonight to trick-or-treat

Owen and John Burton are Will's friends from school and Miller is JB's little brother

John Will and Will next to the pumpkins they carved

Will is a Jawa. Don't ask me what a Jawa is-- it is some random Star Wars character from Tattoine that all you die hard Star Wars fans will know.

Ryan was Superman for the second year in a row. He likes to stick with what he knows.

I was a black cat. It was too cold to be Tinkerbell.

Will with the pumpkin he helped carve.

Serious Jawa at Trunk or Treat

Superman at Trunk or Treat with Meme's witch hat

David, Will, Ryan and Dawson

David and Dawson were super cute as Batman and Robin

Fall Break at the Beach

I must admit, I posted pictures on Facebook before my blog for the first time ever!! Never thought that would happen, poor blog.
We spent all last week in Hilton Head. It was wonderful. JohnWill took off work the entire week. He didn't work at all from the beach or anything. My parents joined us for the first time in 3 years and stayed in a condo just down the breezeway from ours. It was great being there with them.
The first two days were chilly, but the rest of the week was perfect beach weather. Highs in the 70s and 80s and sunny everyday.
I didn't really do anything except sit on the beach, read, sleep and eat seafood. It was perfect. A much needed vacation for all of us.

The boys did nothing but play on the beach, play putt-putt, work puzzles (the really difficult jigsaw kind) with my mom, and play Uno with John Will.

Thanks to my parents, JW and I got to go out to eat ALONE at our favorite restaurant on HHI, Red Fish, on Friday night. We sat out on the porch and enjoyed our last night there. (I must share what I had for dessert- Cream Cheese Apple Bread Pudding with homemade cinnamon ice cream. It was amazing.)
We came home Saturday in time to see the UT football game- booo! that was a hard loss!

And now we are back to life. It doesn't slow down. There is something everyday. I can never get caught up on the laundry. Ryan still only wants to eat peanut butter, bread and chocolate milk. I still need to lose 10 pounds. Beds are still unmade. Phones ring, dogs throw-up, ice makers don't work, and the carpet is still dirty. It is wonderful and God is good.

Ryan wanted to play football on the beach everyday

Will with his boogie board

Ryan had to be pulled on his boogie board. And he is heavy.

Will at the Pirate's Cove putt-putt coarse

The 4 of us playing putt-putt

In front of the condo

Will finally lost his other front tooth! And the Tooth Fairy found her way to Hilton Head!

Recent Read that Rocked

I am not going to review this book. Nothing I have to say would do it justice. I have a kind of reverence for Pat Conroy and my menial words can't fully explain how much I love his writing.

I have waited fourteen years for this book. His previous work of fiction, Beach Music, was published in 1995. He is a literary genius and his knowledge and understanding of the South is

unparalleled among today's writers.

My family used to vacation on Fripp Island, SC, where Conroy lives. His house is small and unassuming, not even on the beach. Like his house, he is an unassuming man, not given to many interviews or media hype. Read more about him here.

This book has caused me to become some what of a book club slacker. We were supposed to read the Outlander, but South of Broad came out and I just couldn't seem to get into the Outlander. I am going to try to get back on the book club train now.

Mr. Conroy, please don't make us wait another fourteen years!