'Round here

Family Garden

I grew up less than five miles from where we bought our first house.  Growing up, my grandparents lived in the house next door (later moving in with my parents for their care).  In our rural area clusters of homes are separated by large farms and the towns consist of local businesses sprinkled with franchises.  After any introduction with a "local", the question "Well who's your Daddy?" is never far behind.  "Oh! Your one of Donnie/Anne's babies." (There are four of us).  "Yeah, I knew your Granddaddy too, he used to farm __so and so's__ land..." or "Yeah, I went to church with your Grandma was a real sweetheart, loved to laugh..."

Start 'em young

I don't consider it prying, although I can see how some people might think it's being nosey.  Around here it's just another aspect of southern living. 

Getting chicken out of the smoker

Throughout my childhood I heard stories of how my grandparents made their own mattresses stuffed with straw, washed their clothes in the nearest creek, and when the river was too high to cross to get to the one room school, older kids would wade across carrying the younger ones on their shoulders.  Work started before dawn and the day ended shortly after supper.  I considered these stories of an era past, true accounts of hard work, times, and living.

Dad and Corey installing our wood stove

My experience living in this small southern community:  Church parking lots packed on Sundays.  Men break their backs working hard for their families and women are the glue that hold it all together.  It's okay to tell the neighbors you'll be out of town for the weekend, as a matter of fact, tell our neighbors we are out for the weekend so they can watch the house.  I have had the same best friend since kindergarten and our kids have regular play dates.  When driving around you'll notice that you will get a wave or head nod from almost everyone.  The bag boys at our grocery store carry out the groceries and neatly pack them away in your car.  We grow our own vegetables and what we don't eat we can away for the winter.  Our freezer is stocked with locally grown and locally butchered meat.  It's a down home, swinging screen door, sweet tea kind of feeling that you can easily take for granted having lived it your whole life.

Playing in leaves with Daddy

Four wheeling baby

When I was in high school I would roll my eyes at "Drive Your Tractor to School Day" (and I'm not talking about lawn mowers). But now that I'm older, wiser, married, and a parent I find a lot of comfort in that southern charm.  I feel safe here.  I'm happy to raise our kids here.  As they say, home is where the heart is and there's no place like it.  Maybe I'm turning into an old hick.  Maybe I've been one my entire life and I'm just getting around to accepting it, either way is just fine by me.