Southern Belle

For once, I'm not talking about this in reference to one of my favorite songs. :)

Today, a friend e-mailed me this article from Garden & Gun magazine. In its entirety, it's eight screens worth of reading, but I'm only concerned about the first three.

My friend's note to me (and the others to which she sent this) included the following:

It discusses a new meaning of "southern" 

and I know for me, explains a lot about who I am.

We talk a lot about "culture" in reference to other countries and the way they do things. Until this afternoon, I'd never really considered the culture in which I was raised. Even though I know different parts of the good ole U-S-of-A have their different nuances and personalities, I never really put much thought into how much being from the South helps define who I am...in a good way.

Aside from "Southern hospitality," the only other aspect of the South that I've thought much about is the Southern twang (which I proudly do not have).

So bring on the meat-and-three, the true Southern hospitality, the self respect, the babies and the community. I'm proud to be a real Southern Belle!