Squall Line 6 - Song of the South, Sweet Potato Pie & Shut My Mouth

This squall is dedicated to those of you from the South. I'll tell you straight up, I stole the idea for this post from the Seven Chicks.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Bless your heart”? Perhaps this was spoken by a well-meaning old lady with clucking tones and good intentions. I heard a comedian say this figure of speech has evolved into something that’s said when you’re struck speechless. Translated, it means, “You’re so stupid”. That’s delivered with a smile, by the way.

When you don’t know how to respond to a judgemental, insensitive or just plain annoying remark, in the South, we say “Bless your heart!”

Case in point: I was in a line with my mother (who is 30 years older than I am) and a man of indeterminate age (in other words- old) said, “You two look so much alike you must be sisters!” The best response I could come up with was “Well, bless your heart!” In other words, “Do you need glasses or do you want a sock in your mouth?”

I am inviting you to share your own version of a “Bless your heart” response.
I borrowed the examples below from the comments section of the Seven Chicks post on this subject last week.

“You think that just because I stay home with my kids that my husband must be rolling in the dough? Would you like to see our pay stubs?” Bless your heart!

“You think that just because I have a demanding career that I don't have my priorities right? Bless your heart!

This is for the ones at my office who are upset because you are asked to work all 8 hours at your job. Bless your hearts!

“I don't have children and you want to know why I have failed to produce at the ripe old age of 31." Well, it is really none of your business. Bless your heart!

"I don't know if I could adopt, because I’m not sure I could love it like my own."
Well let me assure you I love mine and he is my own and babies are not called IT. Bless your heart!!

“What do you think Jesus thinks of your tattoo?” WELL BLESS YOUR STINKIN HEART.

Okay, it’s your turn. Leave a bless your heart comment. You’ll feel better. ; )

And if you have a squall you want to link here for others to read, Mr Linky awaits. Please be sure to put the direct link of the post.

Banana Pudding

Since I mentioned the easy peasy, absolutely delicious banana pudding that serves an army, I decided to share the recipe. The problem with having it in the house is that I can eat it for breakfast (bananas are healthy, right?), lunch, dinner and dessert. How to gain weight in 4 easy steps. You can just make HALF the recipe, but what fun is that?

Banana Pudding

3 8 oz Cool Whip
5 cups milk
1 8 oz sour cream
2 lg Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 1/2 boxes Vanilla Wafers8 bananas

Blend cool whip, milk, sour cream and pudding. Layer wafers, bananas
& cream. Best if refrigerated overnight before serving.

Song of the South

It’s a gourgeous day in the south. Sunny and looks like we'll hit 70 today. I love spring- even if it's just a tease for now.

I’m getting ready to drive into L.A. again this morning. (Lower Alabama of course)
I’ve read a lot of posts this week about the differences between the north and the south. My favorite comment regarding why the humor is different said that it’s the humidity down here. Northern humor is drier. One phrase that has always tickled me in the South is “Bless your heart”. I think it has two meanings. It can mean “I’m so sorry” or “You’re so stupid”, depending on the sincerity of the person speaking. Think about that. You’re so stupid with sugar on top.

And incidentally, even Southern babies know that"Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

New Mercies & Grits

I just finished a good novel called New Mercies. (Great title!) It was set in Natchez, Mississippi in 1933. A character who had recently moved to the South from Chicago quipped, “Why would you take a perfectly good ear of corn and make it into sand?”, referring to grits. I shared this with the lady behind the desk when I returned the book to the library and her response echoed mine. “Well, he obviously hasn’t it had it cooked right!” I love grits. I had some this morning as a treat to start Saturday off right. It is a true comfort food to me and to everyone in my family. If you haven’t ever had it “cooked right”, I’m the one to show you.

It’s a cold and rainy day in the South, but I am thankful for grits and good books and fellow bloggers who create fascinating reading material that is often better than fiction. I am discovering a lot of talented writers out there who now are published through the world of blogging. Gotta love it.