A SPOONFUL OF “SUGAR” OR “GIT A GRIP”
Posted: September 12th, 2015, 8:31 am
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
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
love this!