I have three nieces (all my only sister's girls) and they are all teenagers now. Unbelievable. Today is my middle niece's sweet 16 birthday. Yeesh. It seems like we were just building sand castles last week. Now she has a driver's permit and is all excited about getting her license. I'll never forget taking her for a walk around the lake near my parents' house one Autumn day. She was about three. She was wearing a little dress with big hip pockets and she was stuffing leaves into them. Red, orange, yellow, along with a few interesting looking rocks and some sticks. Gosh, where does the time go?
Joanne and I went to our good friends C & J's house last night for Thanksgiving dinner. We haven't gotten together with them much this year because we've all been so busy, so it was really great to see them. We usually take at least one vacation together every year to the beach or the mountains... sometimes both. We are planning on going to Vegas in the spring.
C is quite the amateur chef and made a wonderful turkey dinner. He and Joanne both love to cook, so they talked shop about the culinary arts and work (They are both nurses and used to work in the same unit. That's how we all met.). J and I - well, we are nurses, too. She's considering applying to the same grad school program. We may even be able to take some classes together. That would rock.
The pooches are buds, too. Annie and Ernie love to play with their dog. So, last night was terrific. Old friends, a G-R-E-A-T dinner, and a wine called "Fat Bastard" - what more could you ask for?
I didn't take any photos last night, but here are a few from one of our recent trips to the Outer Banks.
Once we checked into the beach house we had to go shopping for the necessary supplies:
(I waited in the car. That's Joanne in the middle.)
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior." John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"
But have you read this? It's an open letter that she just posted to him at The Huffington Post earlier today. It's scathing. Makes you wonder how two siblings could be so different. My sister and I will certainly never be accused of being two peas in a pod, but thankfully we do get along a little better than these two.
I don't blame her for calling him out - and, for obvious reasons, I do side with her - but it's still kind of sad and shocking to read this.
I was up kinda late last night... and then I awoke to some really tough decisions this morning.
Like both of my favorite coffee mugs were clean.
Which to choose? Which to choose?
"Xena Warrior Princess" or "Get To Work: You're not being paid to believe in the power of your dreams."(Gotta love Despair Inc.)
Tough call.
In light of my burgeoned To Do list I went with the Work one, although Xena might have been a better choice.
And then, despite starting the day right with the proper coffee mug theme and all, I got nothing done... unless you count taking the dogs to the park as productive.
So, I'm cutting class tonight to work on my paper.
Joanne is from Buffalo, NY. I was born and reared in a small town in Mississippi... and I have spent most of my adult life in Tennessee. I'm sure I've mentioned this before.
Anyway, as you can imagine, there is a bit of a culture clash and it makes for an interesting mix sometimes.
She is not much for subtleties and I tend to get my feelings hurt looking for those subtleties. I don't think I'm terribly thin-skinned, but I'm sure she'd disagree... vehemently.
There are just certain things that a girl reared in the south does and looks for in others...
Like using lots of endearments. All of my patients are "honey" or "sweetie." (I realize that offends some people and I do say Mr.---- or Ms.-----, too. But if you are my patient and I like you, then you get an endearment.)
If you have gray hair or look to be somewhere near the age of 60+ then you always get "Yes, sir" or "No, sir" or "Yes, ma'am" or "No, ma'am." I could never choke out anything else no matter how hard I tried. Those are the rules. I don't make them. I just follow them.
If you are a male between the ages of 10 and infinity (unless you are infirm) it is expected that you hold the door for any female(s) in the vicinity. (I know some people will say that chivalry undercuts a woman's strength socially or professionally. I disagree. I think that those who feel that way operate outside the system that I refer to and therefore could never fully appreciate the advantage that a woman - I should say "lady" - can hold in such a situation.)
Also, if you are, for example, approaching a check out line at the same time as another individual then the only time you, as a lady, defer is if it is an older lady who is vying for the spot. A gentleman should never, I repeat never cut off a lady. This is as good as saying that you think the female is not a lady and that she doesn't deserve to be treated like one. It's an affront.
There are tons more rules like that. I could go on and on and on, but I won't. These rules aren't written anywhere, but any lady or gentleman reared in the south knows what they are.
If you weren't reared in the south you get a free pass. We know that you don't know. It doesn't mean we like it, but we know.
Anyway, since Joanne and I have been together we've been to TN numerous times on vacation. She has fallen in love. I keep trying to point out the faults: It's a red state. People can be judgmental. Did I mention that it was a red state? Nothing I say seems to bother her.
I say, "Joanne, we could move to Syracuse or Buffalo, even NYC. Aren't you homesick?"
Invariably, her answer is "NO! It's cold and the people are rude!" (said in her NY accent, which makes it especially funny to me.)
"But, honey, what about all the prejudice? I'm from TN. People can be reallynarrow-minded! You've never lived there. I have and I know."
To which she says, "People can be narrow-minded in NY, too. Remember my sister's neighbor? She wouldn't even speak to us."
"Oh, yeah..." I don't say it. I just think it.
"The majority of Californians just voted against us!"
"Oh, yeah..." This time I say it.
Then she's quick to point out that at least in TN they'd speak to you, they'd be polite, even if they didn't like your lifestyle.
I have no argument for that. It's true.
So, we go around and around and around.
She has her heart set on Nashville and I...
Don't.
That is until we take a trip to NY or CA and I realize that I'm a bit like a fish out of water. And then we drive to TN and just as we cross the VA/TN state line I notice that all the guys at the gas stations start to hold the door for me again and nod "hello" and let me get in line first... and then my heart melts and I think - "Who am I kidding?"
I guess you can take the girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl.
I guess we are looking at Nashville in a few years.
Her parents have already started pricing property around the city.
I think I'm losing this battle and I'm really not even sure why I'm fighting it.
So, I went to iTunes and downloaded about fifty bucks worth of country music just now.
When the alarm went off yesterday at 05:15 the last thing I wanted to do was roll out of bed and hit the shower. Ugh. But, somehow I managed and the next thing I knew I was heading down the interstate on the way to the hospital. I arrived in the parking lot, jumped out of my car and headed to the staff entrance beside the ER. The elevator ride up to my unit was a blur. I cut through the nurses' station to the lounge to drop my lunch in the fridge and get morning report.
I was pleased to hear that I had been assigned to care for a critically ill post op patient who was requiring extensive intervention and had not yet stabilized. Her condition merited one on one nursing care in order to keep up with the frequent lab work, IV medications, continous dialysis and airway maintenance. Ten years ago this would have scared me to death. Now I look forward to those assignments in a way, because I know they will keep me busy, engaged. They will challenge me and make me feel useful.
And my work day will fly by.
And that it did.
The next thing I knew it was 1600.
I was sitting at my patient's bedside charting. I didn't dare wander out of earshot for fear of not hearing an IV pump beep or seeing her start to struggle against the ventilator. A moments delay in my response could mean the difference between status quo and a code situation. It is entirely possible to stabilize a patient on life support, but she was anything but stable.
One of my peers peaked into the room. She had a big smile on her face. "Guess who just called?"
"Who?" I asked.
"M-----," she said.
I knew right away who she was referring to. M----- was the daughter of a patient we had taken care of in the days prior. We all loved her. She was so nice and her little elderly mother was cute as a button. She was sassy and independent. She was like the grandmother I always wished I had. (I guess we can't all be lucky in the grandparent department.)
"How is she?" I asked.
"She is doing just fine. M----- baked us cakes! She said to come up there (the floor we had transferred them to) and get them. She said she'd be there at 19:00."
"Oh. That's so sweet," I said. "They are just the nicest people. Did you tell everybody?"
"No!" she said. "That's just it! I told her I'd come and get the cakes and everybody would be so tickled and she said 'no'. She said to wait until 19:00 (the end of our shift) so that we could take them right home with us. She asked if you were here. She baked two cakes. One for me and one for you. I told her I'd be happy to share, but she said 'no'!"
"Wow." I was so surprised that I cried a little.
My friend and I couldn't wait for 19:00 to arrive so that we could make the trek to their new room. When the time finally came we slipped away in our conspiracy and took the elevator up to the 10th floor.
And this is what was waiting on each of us:
It's an Amaretto-Almond Cake. (Of course, it was whole at the time!) It's made with real Amaretto liquor which makes the cake really moist and it gives it a touch of heat (kind of like rum balls) which is delightful. It goes really well with coffee. She said they freeze well and that we could save them for Thanksgiving, but I assured her that this cake would never make it to Thanksgiving! :o)
Yesterday from my patients and their families I got three hugs. Count 'em. One. Two. Three. And a cake!
(I mentioned this earlier in the week, but I'm reposting to help get the word out!)
Tomorrow presents a wonderful opportunity for members of the LGBTQ community and our supporters. In just about every major city in the United States there will be a protest held against the implementation of Prop 8 - Yes, a powerful, national, grassroots protest has been organized and it will go live tomorrow!
If you want your voice to be heard, if you want to stand up and be counted, then go to http://jointheimpact.com/, find your city's time and location, gather up your friends and go make some noise!!!
For maybe the second time this season I felt like I really needed a coat when Joanne and I set out to run some errands this morning.
The leaves were so pretty in their bright yellows, oranges and reds. This one landed by my front door:
And this was the view from the car window as we started out:
We have been trying to find the time to drive west into the Shenandoah Valley. The mountains are ablaze with color this time of year.
And
I just had to snap a picture of the two signs below. I guess this is the one bright spot in our crappy economy right now! This is the first time I've seen gas prices fall into the $1.80's range in... umm... a long time:
My 5 bucks on the megamillion got me squat-ola again.
Dang it.
Speaking of which, I saw an episode of Life the other day. You know that cop show with the hot chick that used to play Carmen on The L Word? Well, anyway, the murder victim of the episode had these initials on some of her stuff: LWA
Turns out they weren't a person's initials like they had initially thought. LWA stood for "Lottery Winners Anonymous." The victim was a member of the group. Apparently, there is actually such a thing.
I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking if I won the megamillions I wouldn't need a support group.
I'm just sayin'.
Gratuitous picture of Sarah Shahi:
Dah-um. If that doesn't make you want to go out and break the law, I don't know what would.
If you've happened by here any time in the past month then you may be aware that I have been trying my best to get a local company to change one of their policies:
American Family Fitness has several gyms in the Richmond area and they do not extend family memberships to same-sex couples and/or their children.
Of course, the easy thing to do would be just to go down the street to some other gym that does and spend my money there - and that may well be what I have to do in the end - but, in the meantime, I am guardedly hopeful and I'm pressing on.
I never really set out to do this. But when Joanne and I asked and they said "no" and we asked "why?" and they didn't have a good reason something inside me just clicked. I have been trying ever since, in as diplomatic a fashion as I can, to get them to come around. It looks like my best chance will be on December 4th.
A quarterly meeting of the branch managers is scheduled for that day. I have been in communication with my branch manager and she assures me that she will present my request at this meeting. Although she has been receptive and polite, she has intimated to me that the odds are against me. I think the best chance for success is in numbers. The more people that they hear from the more likely they will be to make a change.
So, I asked that anyone who'd be willing to fire off a quick email requesting that they change their policy (to include same-sex couples and their children in family memberships) to please do so.
If you already have, then THANK YOU so very much! If you haven't then please consider taking a second to let them know how you feel.
These are the email addresses of the branch managers and their CEO:
I guess I'm on a roll, but today is definitely the day for it. I really like what this guy is saying.
(We cannot ensure the continuation of democracy if we only teach one side of an argument.)
“Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual.” - Thomas Jefferson
I was thinking about the whole Veterans Day thing and I started reminiscing. Then I started looking for old photos. The box which holds all of my Army and Navy mementos is in a crawl space off of my loft. I peeked in and spotted it just past the Christmas decoration boxes, which were just past the Thanksgiving and Halloween decoration boxes, which were just past the... Well, you get the idea. So, I opted not to haul all of that out to get to them, but I did find a few photos in with some of my other things.
This was fun. We were practicing on the repel tower at Ft. Sam Houston. This was about... mmm... seven years ago. Gosh. I can't believe it's been that long.
I wish they weren't so blurry (disposable cameras from the PX).
On that last one I'm smiling from ear to ear. Once I got over being afraid to jump it was actually a lot of fun!
This isn't the best shot because I had to take it through my screen window:
When I've tried to get closer in the past the hawks have just flown away. I didn't want to risk it this time, so I stayed indoors and observed this one from my window. He(She?) sat perched there for probably about ten minutes. He was balancing on top of one of my tomato stakes just overlooking the garden. The garden is right at the border of our backyard. Just past that wood line behind him there is a little stream which runs the length of our property. Little critters are always coming up into the yard from the stream in search of loot from the garden and such.
I've seen deer, hawks, woodpeckers, owls, turtles, raccoons, opossums and on and on... and, of course, the occasional domestic neighborhood cat happens through.
Sometimes the hawks land on the railing of our deck. It is quite high up and it overlooks our whole backyard. I suppose it is a good perch to occupy if you are on the hunt. Once I saw a big, beautiful owl on that railing. I was walking through the kitchen and I saw movement on the deck, so I looked out the window. He(She?) was huge and so majestic. He turned his head all the way around without moving the rest of his body and looked toward me for a while. I just froze and stared at him until he flew away. He was beautiful. I wish I had a picture of him.
Never in a million years did it ever occur to me that California, of all places, would take marriage back from us.
...I guess this is the part where I am supposed to say something like, "The children are the future..." or "We shall overcome..."
But I'm just not feeling it.
A smart lady once told me that depression is anger turned inward. I don't want to say that I'm "depressed" because that seems too heavy... so, let's just say that, like Picasso, I'm in a blue phase.
(Hmm... Maybe we should all do an "8 Posts in 8 Days" thing. What do you think?)
Okay, I know I've already had one rant this week, but there is something else that I just have to say: It never ceases to amaze me when people, especially other gays and lesbians, ask, "Why MARRIAGE? Why does it have to be marriage? Why not just settle for civil unions? Who really cares? Why is it such a big deal?"
Well, I'll tell you why it is such a big deal!
It is such a big deal because you deserve to be treated just as well as any other citizen of this country!
It is such a big deal because "separate but equal" does not exist. That concept is mythology and it's mythology that we've already debunked.
Been there.
Done that.
(think Brown vs. the Board of Education)
No matter how much you try to convince yourself that separate can be equal, it can't. By its very nature it is a contradiction in terms, an absolute impossibility.
There is no way around it.
Two parties are distinguished from each other because they have some discernibly different characteristic(s). Then they are kept separate and the party with the upper hand enjoys benefits from which the party with the lower hand is not allowed to partake. (Clearly, if the two groups shared truly equal benefits there would be no need to distinguish between them.) The oppressed party begins to complain and ask for equal treatment. The oppressors respond by codifying their discriminatory practices in order to maintain control.
Sound familiar?
You can sit there, but you can't sit here. You can drink there, but you can't drink here. You can have a civil union (Most states won't even give us that.), but you can't have a marriage. They are writing prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination into our constitution.
Like overgrown adult bullies on the political playground, right-wing exclusionists invoke biblical passages and pseudoscience to justify their prejudice. They derive purpose and self-satisfaction from oppressing and vilifying a vulnerable minority. To me, it feels much like being the lone kid on the playground who is singled out. You don't have the right clothes. You're too skinny. You're too fat. You aren't pretty enough. You can't be on the cool team because you are a "dyke" or a "fag." (How could anyone possibly think that this is a "choice?") The psychological impact alone is undeniable, immeasurable, and unacceptable.
But this isn't just about hurt feelings, people. Yeah, my feelings are hurt, but this about something far more tangible than that.
This is about
Cold.
Hard.
Cash.
If I die tomorrow my loving, devoted partner will not be able to collect my social security benefits. I have paid my part over the course of my lifetime, without question (or recourse), and they have taken that money from me and relegated me to a marginalized, subordinate position in society. They have taxed my paycheck and assessed fees against me which were, in part, taken during two tours of duty with the United States military, during which time I served my country with honor, pride, and dignity. As you can imagine, I'm a little indignant about that!
What if I worked for my city's police department or the state highway patrol? How many lesbians, do you suppose, are employed in law enforcement? And where do you think all of those city, county, state and federal pension benefits will go when they die? There are a lot of estranged dads, sisters and second cousins twice-removed hitting the jackpot. That's where. (Or, worse yet, the government can just reabsorb that money.)
Ever see "If These Walls Could Talk: II?" Remember the sweet little old lady who fell off the ladder and died? Then her greedy nephew came in from out of nowhere and put her life partner out of their home. He took everything they had built together. Think it can't happen to you? Depending on your age it may not seem important now, but you will be sixty before you know it and the world will look a whole lot different when you are.
Yeah. This is about your wallet, folks. Don't think for one minute that it isn't.
I cannot get a family membership discount at my local gym because my family is not recognized by the state of Virginia and, per their policy, only families recognized by the state of Virginia are legitimate families. The open enrollment period for benefits offered by my employer was last month. As I read through my options I noted that they were very careful to spell out that health insurance was only provided for "a spouse of the opposite sex." Don't talk to me about "separate but equal!"
Show me the money! ____________________________________
Have you ever heard of "urban exploration" or "infiltration?"
It's sometimes called "urban spelunking," also.
Well, I hadn't. That is, until very recently. I came across a book entitled "Creepers" by David Morrell. (A "creeper" is the name given to an urban explorer.)
Anyway, here is the deal:
These "creepers" make an adventure out of sneaking into abandoned buildings and other sites in urban areas and exploring the man made landscape that has been left behind. Apparently there are clubs for this. There are groups of people all over the world who meet and go on these outings. They find hospitals, military bases, bowling alleys, you name it (any structures that are no longer in use) and they go into them and explore. There is excitement and adventure involved because you never know what you might find. Often they take pictures to chronicle the adventure. There are some urban exploration web sites out there with really cool looking photos.
Obviously there are risks. The buildings may not be safe for any number of reasons from dilapidation to gang use. Some of the web sites that I've seen have safety tips posted such as "...never go alone, always take a cell phone, and tell someone where you'll be." Sounds like good advice to me.
Here are a few links if you're interested in seeing some of the photos and/or reading a little more about it:
And here is a cool video that some creepers shot at an abandoned hotel. (But they took a baby with them! Somehow I don't think that's on the standard list of safety tips.)
I have tried really hard not to weigh in on the whole Prop 8 issue. I wanted to see the progress in the small gap that resulted in our loss and take heart. I tried not to think about it too much. I tried to distract myself with being happy about the outcome of the Presidential race, but... I feel it. And I know that all of us in the LGBTQ community are feeling it.
I see so much nastiness out there from people who are supposed to represent Jesus and I have heard and read too many stories of hurt feelings to keep quiet.
I've got to weigh in.
So, here's my two cents:
Do we really want religious beliefs informing our laws?
One of the catch phrases that Republicans used to justify the war in Iraq was "they hate our freedom." Remember that? Well, if we are supposed to be opposed to terrorists because they "hate our freedom," then why are we voting to take away the freedoms of our own citizens?
If you say that it's because they (gay and lesbian citizens) should have never had the right to marry in the first place, then I'd ask you - Why not? Why should a heterosexual couple be allowed to marry any more than a same-sex couple? If your answer takes you right back to the old "because marriage is between a man and a woman" argument then my response to that is - Why?
Invariably bigots will either quote the bible or mention something about the natural laws of procreation. Well, then why don't we just do away with secular law all together and follow biblical law? Which one do you want to go with? The King James bible? The Book of Mormon? (Anyone else think it's effing religulous that Mormons, of all people, want to get in on an argument about marriage?) The Koran? The Torah? Which one can we all agree to abide by?
And if you really believe that the ability to procreate somehow sanctifies a family unit then I suppose you'll be all for it when the Earth is populated to the point that we are all walking on top of each other like cockroaches and fighting to the death for a last morsel of food. Fucking is a lot more spiritual when you are in love, but anybody who thinks that it doesn't, or shouldn't, or couldn't happen outside of holy matrimony is obviously either a sanctimonious liar or has shit for brains.
And if you think that it's in any way appropriate for civil rights to be put to the popular vote then I sincerely hope that you are not black, not a woman, or do not have so much as a drop of immigrant blood in your body, because if you are in any way a part of - or love someone who is a part of - any of the aforementioned groups then you can thank supreme court justices for your ability to cast a vote in favor or against someone else's civil rights right now.
And if you think judges are "legislating from the bench" then you really are ignorant. Mob rule will never protect the rights of a minority. May your God help you if you ever find yourself in a minority at the mercy of a majority vote.
And don't tell me that next it'll be "a man and a cat" or "a woman and two birds" or some moronic crap like that. You know better than that shit and if you don't then you really should just keep your mouth shut anyway.
I'm not telling you not to follow your religious convictions, I'm just telling you to practice them in the privacy of your home and your church and keep them off my constitution. If you don't believe in same-sex marriage, then don't marry anyone of the same-sex. But leave me the hell alone and I will leave you alone.
It really is that simple.
P. S. Kelly, has a great solution! If this is all about "protecting the sanctity of marriage" then let's fight to amend the constitution to prohibit divorce. Wonder how that'll go over. Talk about hypocrisy!
So, I decided to use those foreboding gray clouds to my advantage. They made a great excuse to put off some much needed yard work. (Snap! Lemonade outta lemons just like that. I'm good.)
You gotta admit, it looks like the bottom is going to drop out at any minute:
The leaves are turning and it is so pretty in my back yard right now. It's still warm enough for t-shirts on most days, so I decided to go out on my back deck and sweep the leaves (read: look around and listen to the birds chirp).
The pooches got tired of playing in the leaves. They were like, "Is this all we're going to do out here?" That's when I uttered the phrase which any dog owner worth her salt knows better than to utter unless she's 100% ready for the response.
"Does anybody want to go for a walk?"
After I managed to wrestle my way up off the deck floor we did actually go for a little stroll! :o)
1. Joanne started snoring about twenty minutes ago. (She's like, "Is it over yet?") I guess that bottle of champagne will have to wait until tomorrow night.
2. Please, please, please go blue, Virginia! I know Obama doesn't need us, but I really, really, really want to deliver!
3. Isn't Soledad O'Brien a doll?
***11:00 - Update - We went blue! We went blue! We went blue! Virginia went blue!***
***12:20 - I just saw his acceptance speech and I just have to say I'm so proud! I'm so very proud! That's my President! We did it! We did it! We did it! God, I love my country!***
G.R.I.T.S. (girls raised in the south) aka Sweet Potato Queens, Steel Magnolias, Ya-Ya Sisters, and Southern Belles include a number of women among whom I am proud to be counted.
Disclaimer: I cannot attest to the political leanings of any of these women, but I was thinking more of the hotness factor - you may disagree depending on your age and preferences - when I came up with the list. I did intentionally leave off Sela Ward (Meridan, MS) since Lori recently broke the news of her unfortunate and misguided McCainishness, much like foolishness, only different... sort of...
In no certain order, and by no means all inclusive:
Reese Witherspoon (New Orleans, LA) Eva Longoria (Corpus Christi, TX) Julia Roberts (Smyrna, GA) Jennifer Garner (Houston, TX) Julianne Moore (Fayetteville, NC) Mary-Louise Parker (Fort Jackson, SC) Sandra Bullock (Arlington, VA) Robin Wright-Penn (Dallas, TX) Nancy O'Dell (Myrtle Beach, SC) Ashley Judd (Lexington, KY) Faith Hill (Jackson, MS) Brittany Murphy (Atlanta, GA) Beyonce Knowles (Houston, TX) Jessica Simpson (Abilene, TX) Jennifer Love Hewitt (Waco, TX) Courteney Cox (Birmingham, AL) Holly Hunter (Conyers, GA) Ellen DeGeneres (Metairie, LA) Oprah Winfrey (Kosciusko, MS) Kim Basinger (Athens, GA) Andie MacDowell (Gaffney, SC) Shannen Doherty (Memphis, TN) Renee O'Connor (Katy, TX) Renee Zellweger (Katy, TX)
I'm sure there are tons more.
...And, yeah, maybe you can come up with a list of hotties from the blue states, but if you are ever close enough to hear them whisper in your ear it will never be the low, slow, syrupy sound that only a southern woman can make. That's all I'm saying about that.
It's finally dipping into the 30s and 40s around here in the evenings. So, it just feels like the perfect time of year to start baking. Joanne and I had a rare night off together yesterday. So, we decided to build a fire and get out the recipe book. She has the most amazing recipe for apple pie. It's the perfect mix of apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon with little Heath Bar crumbles sprinkled on top for an added toffee-caramel crunch.
We built a fire and waited for the pies to cool. Then we cut into one, put a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream on the side, brewed a fresh pot of coffee and mmmmmmmmm....
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