A SPOONFUL OF “SUGAR” OR “GIT A GRIP”

[sooZen]

Not much time this morning as we are planning to go to the Farmer’s Market to visit, replenish, and hunt down some garlic bulbs and harvest some Artemesia for my smudge sticks… So I will be brief (face it, I am a liar!)

If you haven’t noticed by now, I am from Texas, born and bred. Now, that statement can carry a lot of weight, (after all, it is a big state…) My father, Fred Elliot Appleby, Jr. was a Texan, my stepfather (who raised me) Robert Ramsey Ellison was a Texan, my mate Cecil B. Lee, Jr. is a Texan, my children, Noah and Nathan are Texan, my brother Martin Alan Appleby is a Texan and our family history here goes a long way back (before some states were even states.) So, “big deal” you may think…

I’ll tell ya, it IS a big deal to those of us that are from this wide and varied place. It is true that some in the family tended to look askance at those from other places unless it is New Mexico (my grands and uncles and an aunt peopled that place) or Oklahoma (where my Momma, Alma Faye Martin, and her Momma, Hettie Hollis, were born.)

What am I getting at? IF you were from somewhere other than the South, you were, as some put it, a “Damn Yankee!” You were considered brusk, cold (it was colder there), had no “couth” and a sh*t potful of other not so nice synonyms. Now, before you get the wrong idea… we had plenty of “Northerners” marry into the family, were family, and my mother especially, taught tolerance (she was way ahead of the times) of all people, be they gay, a different race, or (gulp,) a “damn yankee.”

She loved my mother-in-law, Bernadine Petraitis Lee, who was from Connecticut but she did marry a southern gentleman, Cecil B. Lee, Sr. who was a descendant of General Robert E. Lee (still researching this ‘fact’.) And my uncle married a woman that was not from around here either although she was the topic of many a conversation which I was privy to…

We Texans have a different way of thinking and a colorful way of speaking. We mix our spanish with our lingo like we were mixing a margarita. The late great governor Ann Richards is a prime example, “Poor George (Bush), he was born with a silver foot in his mouth…” Or Molly Ivans or Jim Hightower or some of the other colorful characters that loved to speak “Texan.”

If some complete stranger calls you “sweetie”, or “honey” or “baby” or “sugar” (I could list a million of ‘em) they are probably from this state. We do that. It is in our DNA. It doesn’t set well with some, I know (and understand) but, o well. “Tis what it ’tis” as we would say. My mother loved the southern expressions which, I, of course picked up. Colloquialisms are part of what makes a place special and we Texans think we are extra special (and don’t argue with a native about that!)

People come here, or move here, because of this unique flavor, this mix of cultures and desires. They absorb the beauty of the countryside, the amazing art and music, the tacos and BBQ, the welcoming smiles and “howdy’s”, and all the things that make us Texans. Don’t be put off by our expressions, our pushy ways, our loud heehaws, our in yer face attitudes because we mean no harm.

My family is a real mix of conservatives, yellow dog demos, liberals, Christians, agnostics and unbelievers. We tolerate every attitude with a mix of humor and grace. That’s really how it should be in my not so humble Texas opinion. So, if you meet a loud mouth, brash individual you can probably guess they might be from the great state of Texas.

Have a great day. I hope you and I find what we are searching for and if not, have a good time doing it. Adios, vaya con dios mi amigos y familia, my sweeties…and take it all with a spoonful of sugar and honey pie.

S.E.A. Lee aka Suzy
Sat. Sept. 12, 2015
6:04 am

[mnaz]

Nice . . . I'm glad I took the time to go to Texas a few times-- well, West Texas at least. To look around, to confirm or counter (mostly the latter) some of the attitudes and perceptions of the place often held by my fellow Northerners . . . Well, not just Northerners or Yankees, but folks in all of those coastal "liberal bastions" (where I live). It seems there has always been a "coast vs. heartland" phenomenon going on as well, in recent years rearing its contentious or ugly (at times) head in the form of all of that (almost ritualistic) "red vs. blue" squabbling.

And yes, I remember, the farther south I got in Nevada and Arizona, the more likely a woman bartender was to call me "hon" when I stopped for a beer. Enjoyed the read ...

[sooZen]

Thanks hon!

[justwalt]

woke in el paso once,
'bout a hundirt years ago,
and found frost on my beard...
coors, no doubt

W

[sooZen]

love this!

woke in el paso once,
'bout a hundirt years ago,
and found frost on my beard...
coors, no doubt

W

[justwalt]

true story... took the long way cross tx that time

[sooZen]

true story... took the long way cross tx that time

Every which way 'cross Tejas is the loooong way... Opps, unless you are panhandlin' across the upper reaches...

[saw]

a nice stroll 'cross the vastness that is, Texas....Married a woman from Dallas, and we stayed together for 20 years until we could no longer stand each other ( long story)...I've been there, the Big D, White Rock Lake, had the BBQ....yum....been to San Antonio, Houston, and my fave, Austin...frequented the bars on Sixth St....where there is a greater guitar player in each advancing club you step inside. took my fifteen year son in a bar in Austin, we sat at a table to listen to this female guitar whiz. the bartender walked over us and said, " you know how this works right ?"...I said " uh know, whatta ya mean?"...So he says, well I can't serve your boy over there at the bar, but if you ordered 2 beers and I brought them over and sat them on the table, well..." then he gave me a wry smile and a wink...and I naively responded, " oh wow, that's Texas law?"....and his smile vanished as he replied," No, That's MY Law !".......

Loved the late Molly Ivins, and used to get Jim Hightower's news letter....of course Ann Richard's I adored....and I know George bush is a fake Texan...up here in Maryland, which is technically southern, ha ha...'cause it's south of the Mason-Dixon Line, we like to call people,
"Hon "....Baltimore actually has a HonFest....music and eating, and a lot of crazy people that you normally don't get a chance to scope out....My dad's family is from Virginia, where I was born, and spent the first 5 years of my life...my great grandfather was named,
George Washington Weaver, and he drove a stagecoach between Winchester and Culpepper

Enjoyed my visits to Texas....hope to camp in Big Bend one day....

thanx for the ride across Texas and your family

[sooZen]

Loved the tale! Thanks Saw...