Southern Girl at Heart

If you search deep into the center of my very soul you will find a southern girl.

My family roots are embedded in Georgia soil.

When Jalyn began speaking we noticed his "southern twang".

He has rarely been around family with a southern accent, so where he picked this up from is beyond us.

The other day Jalyn came home from school and said.........

"Mom, our next doggie is going to be a girl and I'm going to name her Georgia."

This is when I realized that not just my soul, but my son's as well, has a craving for the south.

Jalyn dreams of having a simple barn complete with cows and chickens (not to eat them but to eat their bounty, we are animal lovers!) He craves the simple life. His favorite book is about a young boy that lives on a farm and has to visit his cow for milk, the chicken for eggs and churn his own butter to make homemade pancakes with his mom.

I long for the day where I can provide this simple life for my children. Back to the basics. Reduce the stressful lifestyle that a big city imposes on you.

When Grandma recovers from her bypass surgery, I am going to take Jalyn for a long weekend to Georgia. He can ride the tractors with Great Papa, sip Great Mimi's sweet tea, take a stroll down to Aunt Ruth's old farm house, fish and create memories that will last a lifetime. Oh and it would be awesome to visit The Southern Tree.

"Down South everybody cherishes dreams. In dreams this world and the next mix like sugar and grits."
----Grandmother Ernestine, to novelist Jewell Parker Rhodes

A Country Way of Life

As I was driving to my favorite place of all time to visit when I'm in Michigan, I got to thinking. We passed modest homes sitting on large pieces of land, untouched, raw beauty of things left alone. Trees that seem to touch the sky with piles of snow gently hanging off each branch. Porches that stretch around the entire home with porch swings blowing gently in the cold breeze. I can imagine how toasty warm these homes are as the smoke bellows out of their chimneys.

My husband tries to stop me when he knows I'm taking a trip to the Wren in the Willow........Inside this modest little home resides country goodies just waiting to decorate our home.

I'm not sure what took place one day in Arizona, but it was nothing short of a miracle. My husband said to me "Honey, I now see why you like to decorate our home with a touch of country. It's because country is a way of life." I couldn't have said it better myself. How insightful of him.

As I was driving down the snow covered roads with my bubby (Jalyn) in tote and my mom in the passenger seat, I was pondering this whole country thing.

My resolutions for the New Year are all about bringing the country way of life into our home in the desert. If I can't be in the country, the country will come to us.

Someday I will have a modest home on a nice chunk of land complete with a wrap around porch, a pitcher of my grandmas sweet tea, a porch swing and my animals of course.

Someday...........

Until then, Arizona is my "country" and I will continue the country way of living for my children to feel warmth that comes from a homemade pie and the simple life.

***Update on mom: She is doing well and I'm excited to say she is home. We had a few days that scared us, but her strength and faith pulled her (and us) through. We've had a few visitors that brought some goodies and activities for Jalyn (thank you so very much!!!). Your prayers, phone calls and offers of help have been very much appreciated.