Got this movie clip the other day and think it’s wonderful..not to mention timely! The more things change the more they seem to stay the same huh? Have a wonderful day and a good laugh always helps!

Okay honey…you probably know I was born and raised right here in the upstate..so yes, as if you didn’t know by my accent, I am Southern.  I am blessed to be such and so very thankful for my Southern roots that run deep into the Carolina clay!  I love the South and ALL she stands for…the weather, even the humidity!  I love the men…even the rednecks as some choose to call them.  I love my ya-ya’s and time we spend supporting each other through life’s every day problems like the kids, the costs, and the  difficulty in finding good help these days.
Anyway…I got this email from a couple of our listeners and couldn’t resist sending it on to y’all…so here ya go…enjoy…and Bless your heart!

Southern women appreciate their natural assets:
Clean skin.
A winning smile.
That unforgettable Southern drawl.

Southern women know their manners:
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why, no, Billy!”

Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions :
“Y’all come back!”
“Well, bless your heart.”
“Drop by when you can.”
“How’s your Momma?”

Southern women know their summer weather report:
Humidity
Humidity
Humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:
The beach
The rivuh
The crick

Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August:
Colorful hi-heel sandals
Strapless sun dresses
Iced sweet tea with mint

Southern women know everybody’s first name:
Honey
Darlin’
Shugah

Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Driving Miss Daisy
Steel Magnolias
Gone With The Wind

Southern women know their religions:
Baptist
Methodist
Football

Southern women know their country breakfasts:
Red-eye gravy
Grits
Eggs
Country ham
Mouthwatering homemade biscuits with momma’s homemade jelly

Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:
Chawl’stn
S’vanah
Foat Wuth
N’awlins
Addlanna

Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:
Men in uniform.
Men in tuxedos
Rhett Butler

Southern girls know their prime real estate:
The Mall
The Country Club
The Beauty Salon

Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:
Having bad hair and nails
Having bad manners
Cooking bad food

More Suthen-ism’s:
Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don’t “HAVE” them, you “PITCH” them.
____

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up “a mess.”
_____

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of “yonder.”
_____

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long “directly” is, as in: “Going to town, be back directly.”
_____

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.
_____

All Southerners know exactly when “by and by” is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.
_____

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who’s got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor’s trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!
_____

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between “right near” and “a right far piece.” They also know that “just down the road” can be 1 mile or 20.
_____

Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol’ boy, and Po white trash.
_____

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.
_____

A Southerner knows that “fixin” can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.
_____

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, … And when we’re “in line,” . We talk to everybody!
_____

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they’re related, even if only by marriage.
_____

In the South, y’all is singular, all y’all is plural.
_____

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
_____

Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.
_____

When you hear someone say, “Well, I caught myself lookin’,” you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!
_____

Only true Southerners say “sweet tea” and “sweet milk.” Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it — we do not like our tea unsweetened.  “Sweet milk” means you don’t want buttermilk.
_____

And a true Southerner knows you don’t scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,”Bless her heart” … And go your own way.
_____

To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southerness:
Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning.  Bless your heart!
_____
And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, … Bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin’ to have classes on Southernness as a second language!
_____

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y’all need a sign to hang on y’alls front porch that reads “I ain’t from the South, but I got here as fast as I could.”

Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fahevah!

Now…… Shugah, send this to someone who was raised in the South or wish they had been!

If you’re a Northern transplant, Bless your little heart, fake it.  We know you got here as fast as you could. And love ya for it…really…LISA

Hi there!
The other day I was checking various websites and found a story on the importance of pets in our lives.  The story went on to show the many ways pets are an important part of our lives.  Pets are important to children, to the elderly, to families and to those who are alone!  To EVERYONE!

I never realized just how important they really are…and we’ve had a number of pets in our family…but that was before OTIS!  He’s our black lab and was CERTAINLY NOT my favorite pet when he came to live with us…but he MADE me love him.  He sought me out and has become by buddy!  He loves me …he protects me…he obeys me with no back-talk whatever I tell him to do and he follows me everywhere whether I want him to or not.  Wish my children did that half as well.

Anyway, it all made me think of an e-mail one of you sent me a while back about dogs and what we TRULY could learn from them if only we paid attention.  So Otis, thanks for the lessons…I’m going to try to love life as much as do you.  Here ya go..enjoy!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR DOGS!

1. Always be happy to see those you love.

2. Approach each day and each new experience with enthusiasm (even a walk).

3. Never underestimate the power of praise.

4. Play every chance you get.

5. Don’t be afraid to show your joy! When you are happy - show it.

6. Take lots of naps and always stretch and yawn before you get up.

7. Never turn down a car ride with someone you love.

8. Be loyal.

9. Lounge under a tree in the shade on a hot day.

10. Every once in a while put your head out the window and feel the air on your face and hair.

11. Have a favorite toy.

12. Don’t hold a grudge.

13. When someone is having a bad day - nuzzle him gently.

14. Eat each meal with vigor and enjoy anything that’s offered.

15. Sleep in any position you find comfortable.

16. Protect and defend those you love.

17. What you look like doesn’t matter - it’s what is in your heart (and the way someone rubs your tummy).

18. Enjoy every day to it’s fullest - even if you are sick, in pain, deaf, blind, wheelchair (cart) bound or just not mentally all there.

19. Take pride in following the rules.

In case you didn’t know, Tony Snow served as Press Secretary for President George W. Bush and was a wonderful man. No, I certainly didn’t know him, but felt as though I did and really enjoyed his contributions to Fox News over the years. He was so much more than an American Political Commentator, TV Newsman, and speech writer for President George H.W. Bush.  Well, he passed away recently and someone sent me the below article I wanted each of you to think about…he wrote it and I find it wonderfully amazing…how about you?

‘Blessings arrive in unexpected packages,
- in my case, cancer.
Those of us with potentially fatal diseases
- and there are millions in America today -
find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality
while trying to fathom God’s will.
Although it would be the height of presumption
to declare with confidence ‘What It All Means,’
Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time
trying to answer the ‘why’ questions:
Why me?
Why must people suffer?
Why can’t someone else get sick?
We can’t answer such things,
and the questions themselves
often are designed more to express our anguish
than to solicit an answer.

I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care.
It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact.
Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly,
great and stunning truths began to take shape.
Our maladies define a central feature of our existence:
We are fallen.
We are imperfect.
Our bodies give out.

But, despite this, - or because of it, -
God offers the possibility of salvation and grace.
We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end,
but we get to choose how to use the interval
between now
and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety.
The mere thought of dying
can send adrenaline flooding through your system.
A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you.
Your heart thumps; your head swims.
You think of nothingness and swoon.
You fear partings;
you worry about the impact on family and friends.
You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death,
but into life - and that the journey continues
after we have finished our days on this earth.
We accept this on faith,
but that faith is nourished by a conviction
that stirs even within many non-believing hearts
- an institution that the gift of life, once given,
cannot be taken away.
Those who have been stricken
enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight
with their might, main, and faith
to live fully, richly, exuberantly
- no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts.
God relishes surprise.
We want lives of simple, predictable ease,
- smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see, -
but God likes to go off-road.
He provokes us with twists and turns.
He places us in predicaments
that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension
- and yet don’t.
By His love and grace, we persevere.
The challenges that make our hearts leap
and stomachs churn
invariably strengthen our faith
and grant measures of wisdom and joy
we would not experience otherwise.

‘You Have Been Called’.
Picture yourself in a hospital bed.
The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away.
A doctor stands at your feet,
a loved one holds your hand at the side.
‘It’s cancer,’ the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God
and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa.
‘Dear God, make it all go away.
Make everything simpler.’
But another voice whispers: ‘You have been called.’
Your quandary has drawn you closer to God,
closer to those you love,
closer to the issues that matter,
- and has dragged into insignificance
the banal concerns
that occupy our ‘normal time.’

There’s another kind of response,
although usually short-lived,
an inexplicable shudder of excitement

Whatever you call it, it HURTS!

Tell you what…call it what you will…tell us the economic times we’re in right now is a situation, correction, a slump, a down-turn…call it whatever you like. But, let me tell you…while the economists and politicians are working on some stupid politically correct term for it…many are hurting! Some in MY family! Bet yours as well!

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says “Whether it’s a technical recession or not is not all that relevant. It’s clearly the case that for a variety of reasons families are facing hardship.”

In his semi-annual monetary policy testimony he cited numerous difficulties. Included among them…the ongoing strains in financial markets, declining house prices, a softening labor market, and rising prices of oil, food, and some other commodities.
We’re hurting! I have seen first hand people who have lost their job, in the midst of losing their homes, and in fear every time the phone rings that it will be a bill collector. Times are hard.
Gas and food are at the highest prices ever! I use diesel and pay almost 5 dollars a gallon. Think about upcoming fuel, natural gas, heating oil, and electricity prices for the colder months…MAN! I have a loved one with no insurance, no job and no way of paying for health care. Thank God they have family that pull together and care for those needs. They are WE don’t ask for and expect Government to help!

Employment is tough to come by and I’m very concerned about that! The dollar is not strong, the under-statement of the year! Inflationary pressures hurt consumers and Americans far more than low growth. Wall Street is nuts now! How’s your portfolio…or how would it be if you had one?

What drives me crazier than normal is that there are some who say…” the time is good for us…what American’s need…it’s cleansing the excesses and Americans are realizing that they will have to live a more austere life.” IDIOTS!

Give me a break! Excesses like what??? Food for the family, gas for a car to get to work if you have work to get to…no, not all of us can WALK or BIKE to the job! Excesses like medicine for life-threatening conditions or money for putting a roof over our head. To heck with wealth building…let’s worry about surviving! That’s what MANY Americans are going through right now. Just because you may not be, pray you never will..it’s not something I wish on anyone, but I have seen for myself how hardships are hurting more and more.
God Bless America, that is our only hope!

Lisa

Get over it!! That’s my advice to NAACP leaders who say they will step up their campaign against flying of the Confederate flag anywhere on state grounds in South Carolina.Okay, we moved it from atop the Statehouse dome in 2000 to the Confederate Soldier Monument on the grounds and that’s not enough! Thus, the boycott, which has been in place for a number of years…and aren’t we suffering terribly from that! RIGHT!

The latest…Dennis Courtland Hayes, interim president and CEO, says the Civil rights organization is working on action plans and that we should stay tuned for details.

The NAACP and other critics call the flag a symbol of slavery and racism. Its defenders call it an emblem of Southern pride and heritage.

The problem is that we caved in the first place and removed it! Some people will NEVER be satisfied…if they were, they would have no job!

NAACP…let’s see, that stands for The National Association against Caucasian People, right?

I cannot imagine losing the love of my life!  That’s what Mike Gallagher is suffering through right now.  His precious wife, Denise, lost her battle with cancer today, Sunday June 29th.  Tomorrow would have been her 52nd birthday.  Far too young…but, what a life she packed into those years! More in her short time here than many of us in a lifetime!    

Mike dropped me an email last week I will never forget…something like…” I never knew that a broken heart felt so much like a broken heart”…he was hurting, but not broken!  He put on the face of strength that only comes from his Maker.  He sat with her and watched her suffer wishing to take the pain from her onto himself.  He sought all means to keep her here with him…treatment, a number of doctors, everything humanly possible.  Mike stayed with her in laughter and tears and was her strength as hers was failing.  Mike did as Denise wanted him to do and tried to put some “normal” into his life by returning to the show of which she was so proud!  But life is not going to be “normal” for a long time! 

There will be a lot of lonely days ahead for him, so keep him in your prayers…keep the sons and family members in your prayers and keep the ones you love as close to you as possible so they will know as did Denise, that they are loved! 

While I did not know Denise as well as I wish I could have, I know the man who loved her very well ..and I know that she changed his whole life…as he changed hers. 

We should all be so blessed,

Lisa    

It was certainly shocking to hear that NBC’s Tim Russet passed away at the age of 58 last week.  I am so sorry for the family, co-workers, friends and those who truly knew and loved him.  What a loss!  Okay, enough said! Right?

Quite frankly, and not intending to come across as rude, I find the network’s self-indulgence a bit sickening.  Listen, take it from someone who knows, loss of a loved one is NEVER easy!  BUT…have we not seen a bit of over-kill when it comes to the national coverage of his demise.

On the “TODAY SHOW,”  they spoke to Russert’s son, Luke.  Nice!  But, was his daddy’s life more valued than the life of an American Marine killed serving his country?  Why not interview their kid?  Just because we saw Russert on TV and he had some notoriety, is his life more painful than the loss of a dad who’s life was taken at the hands of a drunk driver! Try telling that father’s loved ones why he’s not due the same sort of respect. 

All life is precious!  Russert wasn’t a pope, a president, a member of the royalty…he was like the rest of us…no more, no less…a beloved father, good husband, hard workers and proud American! 

He was excellent at his job, so are many of you on the production line.  He seemed to care about the people…so do many of you working in health care and truly savings lives! 

But, come on, 1 reporter said.: “His was the most noteworthy and untimely ‘public’ death in the past 20 years.”

Really? To me it seemed the coverage was designed to elevate one of their own to sainthood.

I have attended a couple of high school graduations this year and have been shocked by one of them in particular! It’s no wonder the kids don’t behave in class and that discipline is such a problem…the parents are at the root of the students misbehavior! You adults acted even more idiotic than are the kids! As parents we are to establish the boundries, the rules that are to be followed and the respect that is certainly due during this time.

As we all know, if you’ve attended the graduation ceremonies through the years, we are asked to hold the applause and be respectful of the occasion. You can hoop and holler all you want to at the end of the diplomas being handed out…but, are asked kindly not to clap, cheer, etc. as their individual names are called! So, to heck with the rules! This is the example you have set.

You showed your true colors…acting like a bunch of ill-mannered heathens! What an embarrassment for you and the grads. Is there no shame? Not only did I hear the wild yells, rambunctious applause as your kid was announced, but yes…bullhorns. Are y’all out of your mind? Is this the first person in your family to graduate from high school.

As Momma used to say, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” And some of these trees are rotten to the root! Shame on you for not being able to sit and then celebrate at the conclusion. Your behavior extended the ceremony and caused us to have to be there to witness your ignorance much longer than necessary as a result of your stupidity!

Get a life for heavens sakes!

Lisa

P.S.  Check out the article I found!

7 arrested for cheering during S.C. graduation

When school officials in Rock Hill tell commencement crowds to hold all applause until the end of the ceremony, they’re not joking.

Seven people were arrested Saturday by Rock Hill police and charged with public disorderly conduct after being accused of cheering during graduations. Six were at Fort Mill High School.

Police began patrolling graduations several years ago, Rock Hill police spokesman Lt. Jerry Waldrop said. He said district officials requested the patrols to end disruptions, including standing, yelling and clapping.

Hi everyone…Please take a moment to read the below story this blog refers to so we can be on the same page…
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Priest Bans Autistic Boy From Church
Mom Told She’d Be Sent to Jail if She Brought Autistic Son to Church
BERTHA, Minn.
May 19, 2008

A Catholic priest has filed a restraining order against the parents of a severely autistic 13-year-old boy in an effort to keep him from attending the church in Bertha on Sundays. The Rev. Daniel Walz alleges that Adam Race’s unruly behavior endangers others who attend the Church of St. Joseph. Race’s parents have ignored the restraining order, calling it discriminatory, and Carol Race, Adam’s mother, was cited by police and is due to appear in court on Monday for violating the order. “He said that we did not discipline our son. He said that our son was physically out of control and a danger to everyone at church,” Carol Race said. “I can’t discipline him out of his autism, and I think that’s what our priest is expecting.” Carol Race said it all started last June, when Walz and a church trustee visited the Races at their home address the behavior of Adam, who stands taller than six feet and weighs more than 225 pounds. In an affidavit, Walz said the church “explored and offered many options for accommodations that would assist the family while protecting the safety of parishioners. The family refused those offers of accommodation.”
Carol Race said the family of seven, which has attended St. Joseph since 1996, typically sat in the cry room or in the back pew to keep avoid disrupting the services and did not hear a complaint from the parishioners until Walz showed up at their home in June. Even after the restraining order was served, the family continued going to the church and would leave during the closing hymn to avoid contact with others, Carol Race said. The Diocese of St. Cloud issued a statement saying the petition was filed “as a last resort out of a growing concern for the safety of parishioners and other community members due to disruptive and violent behavior on the part of that child.” Walz said the boy’s behavior worsened over time, telling authorities that Adam has been “extremely disruptive and dangerous” since last summer. According to Walz, Adam struck a child during mass, nearly knocks elderly parishioners over when he hastily exits the church, spits and sometimes urinates in church and fights when he is being restrained.
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Okay…here’s what I think!  A church is a place for all believers, for those who want to learn more about faith, belief, their Savior and a place for those of us who want to associate with other like-minded believers.   Why shouldn’t this family be allowed to be there with their loved ones…ALL of them…and sit wherever they choose.  My Heavenly Father loves him just as much as any other one of us…I see nothing wrong with the family being in His House to worship along with everyone else. I can tell you this, if I was told that my family was un-welcomed, I’d find a new church!  There is NEVER A REASON TO DISCRIMINATE against someone based on such…and that’s exactly what this is!  This is wrong as far as I’m concerned, but particularly vile when it comes to the church. The members, pastors, all there should in pratice what they preach and encourage and love this family with their  support.  We need to recognize that this child, as all of us as believers,  are God’s own, and as such, one of THEIR own in the Church Family.   It’s un-thinkable!  So, what do YOU think?
Lisa