THE SOUTH

There is something about living in The South that is wonderful indeed.  Not that I have much experience living anywhere else outside The South, except for two years in Pennsylvania during my husband's Army years.   It was a good experience for us, as we were 22 years old, fresh out of college and with a newborn baby!  We were on our own and had to grow up very quickly; to lean on each other; to lean on God in ways we had not had to before.  But PA was NOT home.  We made good friends; we liked Amish country; and Philly cheese steak sandwiches!  But it was not where we wished to establish home and raise a family.

We have traveled some, and there are areas that hold potential as places-we-might-like-to-live.  Like The Northwest:  with its lush forests and abundant wildlife and diverse landscapes...proximity to the Pacific and to Canada...and delicious apples and cherries!   But it's cold-weather country, and my hubby is not a fan of winter and cold and snow.  Or perhaps Hawaii :)  True paradise!  If it weren't so far away...and isolated at that...and expensive to boot, I would move there in a nanosecond!  But it is, so I guess we are out of luck there.  Sedona, AZ is awesome!  I loved our visit there, with it's gorgeous Redrocks, canyons, forests.  But home?  I don't think so.

There are places I've never visited, which sound wonderful:  the Napa Valley of CA or maybe San Diego, with it's 300+ days of near-perfect weather.  Maybe Colorado Springs/Denver...I really like what I see and hear about that area.  But with our family history of altitude sickness, we probably would have an uphill battle there!

So we're back to The South, one of the most beautiful areas of our country.  With its four distinct seasons...beautiful flowers...seashores...mountains...lakes...rivers...big cities and small towns...great restaurants...reasonable cost-of-living...wonderful architecture...fun places to visit like Biltmore House and Gardens, Charleston and Savannah, The Greenbrier, St Augustine, Key West, Hilton Head, Sanibel and Naples...zoos and aquariums (is that the plural of aquarium?  My Latin aludes me!)...Locally, we have Norris and Tellico and Douglas and Cherokee Lakes...and Cades Cove and Clingman's Dome and Mount LeConte and Mount Cammerer; the Appalachian Trail among 900 miles of hiking trails in The Great Smoky Mountains.  We can be in Asheville in two hours, Nashville in 3, Atlanta in 3-4, Lexington in a few hours...Birmingham is relatively close-by and full of great things. Oxford, MS is one of my favorite "new" places to love.  College towns have their own allure, and the history and architecture and spirit of that quaint and fun town is just very appealing.  Not to mention it has a town square!  If you love small-town America, you have to love Murfreesboro and many other county seats with the mid-town courthouse-on-the-square.  Americana at its best.

We are spending lots of town in north Florida, and I have been amazed at the lush landscape possibilities there.  Gardenia bushes are HUGE, as are the Camellias and Azaleas.  It's a flower/shrub lover's paradise.  Because of the heat and humidity, shrubs we pamper and feed and water at home just thrive on what God alone gives them.  Of course this same heat and humidity can be oppressive, and bugs and other undesirable critters thrive.  But I really like the ease of gardening and all the colors and aromas of this near-tropical climate.  The seashore, with its own special magic, is so beautiful and refreshing.  There is just something about the beach, isn't there.  I have wonderful childhood memories of my mother's family, all 20 something of us, in a big ole beachhouse, unairconditioned, with too few bathrooms...but full of all the joy and happiness in the world.  We cousins played and swam and jumped the waves and built sandcastles til our hearts' content. I cherish those memories, of grandparents and aunts and uncles...of seashell-gathering, the smell of suntan lotion (not to be mistaken for sunblock!)...seagulls and pelicans and the moon rising above the ocean, casting its moonbeams upon the waters...the wonderful scents of surf and salt and sand...and the seafood!  Nothing better.  Til I was 25 years old, I ate more shrimp, crab, and clams than any child around...and asked for lobster on my birthdays!  Then, sadly, a shellfish allergy presented its ugly head.  That's a whole 'nother story...suffice it to say, life isn't fair.  I miss my shellfish!  Maybe in heaven, huh?  We can always hope!

Enough reminiscing.  Here's to life in the South.  To southern hospitality.  To friendliness.  To living gladly and joyfully in a place where we can live and worship and play and serve in a warm atmosphere of love.  God, after creation, said, "It is good."  I know He was referring to ALL creation.  But I think He outdid Himself with The South.  And I say, "Thank you very much."