Southern Mentors, Southern Mothers

Do you know that if a woman chews gum in public she may very well look like a cow chewing her cud? That, my friend, is according to my mom, who was a contributing author of the unwritten Southern Etiquette Book.
Do you know how to sit and how to stand? How about how to hold your hands? No, no, you only THOUGHT you knew that. The old South rule book I refer to is possibly on the verge of extinction and truthfully, that doesn’t make me sad.

When my children were small, I had a neighbor in Tallahassee that decided I was the daughter she’d never had. She told me, “You are a great representative for health, positive thinking and such, but when it comes to make-up, hair and the art of being a lady, I need to teach you a thing or two.”

She literally took me to her hairdresser, went in her closet and pulled clothes that she insisted I wear, and staged a community fundraiser class on “The Art of Being a Lady” and appointed me her assistant. (Uncommon Blonde still rolls her eyes at the memory as she was being homeschooled and I made her go too. Poor child) Seriously, when I look at the photos of me during that period of time it’s not good. She was markedly older than my mom and have you noticed that styles change?

Don’t get me wrong; I loved her and was grateful to have her love. One thing I learned from her is that you can’t be anyone’s mini-me. You have to find your own voice.

When I watch speaker and comedienne Jeanne Robertson, she makes me think I’m watching my mentor’s birth daughter. She was a beauty pageant winner many moons ago and knows all the rules. Granted, my mentor didn’t have a daughter as she was most unusual and focused on her career during her childbearing years (the 1940’s through 1960’s and didn’t marry until she was about 50 years old.)

I’m giving away a DVD of Jeanne telling some of her funny stories. My favorites are her tales of her husband, who she lovingly refers to as “L.B.” (Left-Brain)

I’ll draw a name at the end of the day Friday and post the winner this weekend. All you have to do is leave a comment to enter. If you want to leave an etiquette rule your mom taught you, I want to hear.

Here’s a clip of Jeanne if you’ve never seen her:

P.S. Disclaimer: This DVD case is not in perfect condition. I find getting the wrapping off of CD’s and DVD’s to be particularly irritating, don’t you? I took the scissors to this case and cut a bit more than intended. At least it wasn’t my hand that got in the way!

Best-Mannered City in the South

Charleston, South Carolina. Charming and Beautiful. She reminded me of a cultured and elegant old woman (who's had a face lift or 3) with a rich history, lots of character and oh, so many stories to tell. I thoroughly enjoyed our day that began with a carriage tour conducted by a native Charlestonian with the melodious and soft accent that is so distinctive to the area. We shopped the open-air market and then paused for a lovely lunch at Magnolia's. Appetizers on our table included fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese on flatbread. The food was amazing, but whoever wrote the menu descriptions should get a creative writing award. The words alone made us want to order everything on the menu. I felt like I gained weight as we read the menu to each other. Of course calories actually consumed with so much joy and pleasure are negated by the health benefits of happiness, right? I’m sure all the sweet potato french fries I’ve eaten this week are the low calorie kind. We had already visited the divine Charleston Candy Kitchen so we skipped dessert.
We took our own walking tour through the historic district and then wrapped up the day in the lovely and impressive Charleston Place lobby with piano music. We missed tea time, but believe me, we didn’t need any more food. I love creating memories with people I love.

Legends & Lore in the Deep South

I have had the awesome opportunity to travel to many countries and am always fascinated to learn about the people, the food, the culture, etc. Savannah, Georgia does not disappoint when it comes to history, legends and lore. More than a camera, I needed a tape recorder yesterday on our tour of this beautiful little city.

Our tour guide sounded like Gomer Pyle’s cousin and looked like Rosie the Riveter’s sister. She entertained us with her accent and her stories, including a recounting of her worst job as an onion picker. She said building carburetors was better than picking onions, but those jobs make being a tour guide seem like a picnic in the park. And boy oh boy does Savannah have parks. The city is laid out in 24 squares and each sqaure has a park in the middle of it.

We passed a restaurant on the way to Savannah that gets the prize for the worst name ever for an eatery. Squat and Gobble. Doesn’t that make you want to invite all your friends to meet you there?

We had a fun day and I’ve enjoyed a heaping portion of laughter. My sister could be a stand-up comic in her spare time with her unique brand of humor.

We’re off to the ferry to go to Dafuskie Island today and I am thankful for the opportunity to ignore the state of our country. I watched enough news to want to escape into vacation land. That’s all I have to say about that.

Beignets for Breakfast

Carol hosts Saturday Stirrings every week and I have been uninspired lately about cooking so haven't posted any new recipes but let me tell ya- I'm feeling inspired today. This may not count as a "recipe" but I did add water, roll them out and fry them and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. Oh - you wish you were here! With a cup of the chicory coffee.... what a way to start the day. Builderman was thrilled.

This is a great gift idea. You can order from Cafe du Monde online! Scroll down to yesterday's post for the rest of the story.

Plantation Day

Did I already mention I love weddings? The one I attended yesterday was full of emotion for all the expected reasons and some unexpected ones as well. It was another beautiful setting, just north of Tallahassee on an old (and now exclusive) plantation. It was poignant for me as the beautiful bride came down the aisle (and what bride is not totally beautiful?!) to remember the first white I ever saw her in was her diapers. Time is surely fleeting. Our daughter was married 5 years ago on the plantation just south of where we were and that was an unforgettably wonderful day.

Some fascinating history was thrown in as well. The reception was held in the building where the first showing of Gone With the Wind took place. The ceremony was held by the "pool house", where immediately following the ceremony, a peacock entertained us with his strutting. He did eventually show his full fan, but since I am no photographer, I didn't capture that.

I learned something unexpected on this occasion. This event created a gathering of business colleagues in a social situation. I found it to be cathartic. We all work together daily, often under stress to meet deadlines, goals and fulfill stringent demands for excellence. I don't recall that we have ever just done something relaxing or fun together in 7 years of business. It was good to do that. I think we all needed an opportunity to see each other in a setting outside of the daily hustle. I know my attitude was refreshed.