![]() ![]() That week before Santa came seemed longer than a Baptist tent revival. That’s when time slowed and the real wait began. When school finally let out, with students poised in their desks like they were starter blocks for a race, we shed the smells of paste and musty Dick and Jane readers and ran for home. They all play as an 8mm reel through my mind, set to the songs of my mother’s Christmas albums – Elvis, John Denver and Bing – that played on the console stereo. Looking in the rearview mirror, I see the joys of my childhood Christmases, as scattered and plentiful as pecans dropped from a tree. That’s why adults find less joy in the season, I suppose. What made our childhood Christmases special.Ĭhristmas miracles are like haints in a way – you can’t see them if you don’t believe. READ MORE: Some of our favorite Southern grannyĤ. If you want to be a jerk, go live on a mountain in Tibet. We need one another to survive and thrive. Sure, it would be nice if we only had ourselves to consider, if we could drive anywhere we wanted on the roads and parking lots, or if we could sneeze on someone next to us and they’d be like, “Thanks! That was refreshing.” But human beings were created to work together. We do not live in a world where our actions do not affect others. Southern grannies are filled with wisdom, such as the excerpt below: The South's most accurate weather forecaster: Granny A true Southerner would feed anyone who walked through the door into a blissful stupor of banana pudding, sweet potato casserole, and pecan pie. But I believe in this South – this hopeful South – one whose motto should be “Peace, Love & Biscuits.”įood is comfort. ![]() Some might say that’s a naïve view based on history and on modern headlines. My South is a place of inclusion and of kindness. It’s a place where grandparents are treasured for their wisdom, their stories, and for instilling in each new generation the importance of manners. It’s a place of porches dotted with step-over dogs and fly swatters hanging on nails. Where our definition of a fine cuisine is Vienna sausages and saltines, and a science experiment consists of throwing all the leftovers into a bowl with cream-of-something soup and calling it a casserole. My South is a place where people greet one another – even if it’s with a finger wave popped up from a steering wheel – pull over for funeral processions, and don’t mind their business. The South is more than the stereotypes used to define it. Here are 12 things you’ll learn about the South in the new It’s a Southern Thing book. In this book of columns written for It’s a Southern Thing, award-winning humorist Kelly Kazek evokes the beauty and quirky character of the South that raised her. But, in some indefinable way, we are a family. We don't all think the same, or look the same, or have the same genes. Some people wonder, what makes the South the South? Is it the borders of a group of states? The food? The mindset? Why do we Southerners think of ourselves as having an “otherness,” a sense of togetherness, that no other region in the nation can match? Look past their (admittedly pale, finger-like) appearance though, and you'll see Vienna sausages are a savory food that'll always be there when you need a quick, tasty bite - and not just because they never expire. We also recognize that using the word "meat" to describe 'em is being very generous. Vienna sausages aren't all that appetizing when it comes to appearances, and the way they come out of the can a bit jellied can be a little.icky. We all grew up eating 'em before we went off and decided to get too big for our britches or, in this case, too sophisticated for canned meats. Mostly, we wouldn't be surprised to find that petition because we're the ones planning on starting it, and why shouldn't we? ![]() While Vienna sausages aren't technically Southern - we'll give you one guess at where you can trace their start to - we wouldn't be surprised if one day there's a petition to officially name them an honorary Southern food. When it comes to talking about snacks that are popular in the South, Vienna sausages get overlooked far too often, and we're here to change that. ![]()
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