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“A Mother’s Advice
Manners matter, regardless of your position in society. There is no excuse in this world to practice bad manners, especially at the table. I found that out in high school. I was invited to my boyfriend’s house for dinner. His parents were somewhat formal, and I knew the dinner would be “fancy,” at least in my mind. My family wasn’t upper class (or even middle class), and my mother never had what would be called “social graces.”
Before I left, my mother gave me a piece of advice: hold your head high, be quiet, and take the lead from his mother. Even though I was scared to death, I did what my mother advised and got through the experience with flying colors.
To this day, my mother’s advice has gotten me through many difficult situations, especially ones that are totally new to me! With my mother’s simple advice, I know I could dine with the Queen of England, just by following her lead. Thanks, Mother!
-Deborah Ford”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Manners matter, regardless of your position in society. There is no excuse in this world to practice bad manners, especially at the table. I found that out in high school. I was invited to my boyfriend’s house for dinner. His parents were somewhat formal, and I knew the dinner would be “fancy,” at least in my mind. My family wasn’t upper class (or even middle class), and my mother never had what would be called “social graces.”
Before I left, my mother gave me a piece of advice: hold your head high, be quiet, and take the lead from his mother. Even though I was scared to death, I did what my mother advised and got through the experience with flying colors.
To this day, my mother’s advice has gotten me through many difficult situations, especially ones that are totally new to me! With my mother’s simple advice, I know I could dine with the Queen of England, just by following her lead. Thanks, Mother!
-Deborah Ford”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Southerners have a lot to be proud of. We have survived, and we have overcome. Southern women, especially, have learned to be proud of what they have and patient for what they want--even revenge. That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, as the old saying goes, and darlin’, there is just no way to ever kill the pride and joy of being a Grits.
Wisdom, courage, sacrifice, and determination are the lessons of our history. Southerners know and understand our past as a people, which is why we are all connected, no matter our status in life. We recognize kinship as the golden threads that are woven through our past: the struggles, the pain, and the power of overcoming.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Wisdom, courage, sacrifice, and determination are the lessons of our history. Southerners know and understand our past as a people, which is why we are all connected, no matter our status in life. We recognize kinship as the golden threads that are woven through our past: the struggles, the pain, and the power of overcoming.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
““The biggest myth about Southern women is that we are frail types--fainting on our sofas…nobody where I grew up ever acted like that. We were about as fragile as coal trucks.”
-Lee Smith, North Carolina Grits and author of The Last Girls”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
-Lee Smith, North Carolina Grits and author of The Last Girls”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Southern girls know the sweet smell of summer…
Confederate jasmine
Sweet wisteria
Purple lilac
Suntan lotion”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Confederate jasmine
Sweet wisteria
Purple lilac
Suntan lotion”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“The Baptists gave the South Billy Graham and Stonewall Jackson. The Methodists gave the South Martin Luther King, Jr. (Not that we’re reading anything into that, we’re just stating a fact.)”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Anyone who’s spent time below the Mason-Dixon line knows this truth: Southern women are anything but ordinary. Our unique, often unspoken code of conduct has allowed us to survive good times and bad, and never lose the sense of who we are. Margaret Mitchell, the belle of Southern female writers, got it right when she had Scarlett O’Hara come down the stairs in a dress made out of curtains: a Southern girl knows that pride and endurance always come before vanity. Our character is both created by, and essential to, the fabric of our society. Without the strength of the Southern girl, the South couldn’t have survived its rich and rocky history; without history, on the other hand, the Southern girl wouldn’t be who she is today.
It’s sometimes suggested (by Yankees, we’d wager) that Grits are one-dimensional. This is not surprising: those who don’t understand us see only our outward devotion to femininity and charm. What they are missing is the fact that, like the magnolia tree, our beautiful blossoms are the outward expression of the strength that lies beneath.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
It’s sometimes suggested (by Yankees, we’d wager) that Grits are one-dimensional. This is not surprising: those who don’t understand us see only our outward devotion to femininity and charm. What they are missing is the fact that, like the magnolia tree, our beautiful blossoms are the outward expression of the strength that lies beneath.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“It is a special vanity of Southern women to believe that they are different from other American women.”
-Sharon McKern, author of Redneck Mothers, Good Ol’ Girls and Other Southern Belles”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
-Sharon McKern, author of Redneck Mothers, Good Ol’ Girls and Other Southern Belles”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Well, I declare!:
The Appalachian dialect of the mountains of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee is linguistically closer to Elizabethan English (the language of Shakespeare) than any other dialect spoken today. That includes the dialect spoken by the British royal family!”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
The Appalachian dialect of the mountains of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee is linguistically closer to Elizabethan English (the language of Shakespeare) than any other dialect spoken today. That includes the dialect spoken by the British royal family!”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #36:
A Southern family’s prized possessions are not only free, but freeing: family memories. Please don’t forget to pass them on.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
A Southern family’s prized possessions are not only free, but freeing: family memories. Please don’t forget to pass them on.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #27:
Count your blessings first thing every morning…then add to them as the day goes along.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Count your blessings first thing every morning…then add to them as the day goes along.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #20:
Preparing for a Southern guest is a labor of love, but remember: after three days, fish and guests start to get unpleasant. After that it’s okay to drop-kick that straggler like an old piece of cod, especially if he’s your brother-in-law.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Preparing for a Southern guest is a labor of love, but remember: after three days, fish and guests start to get unpleasant. After that it’s okay to drop-kick that straggler like an old piece of cod, especially if he’s your brother-in-law.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
““No one in the South ever asks if you have crazy people in your family. They just ask what side they’re on.”
--Julia, played by Tennessee Grits Dixie Carter, on Designing Women”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
--Julia, played by Tennessee Grits Dixie Carter, on Designing Women”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Grits Glossary
Southern vegetarian \ ‘sǝ-thǝrn , ve-jǝ’ter-ē-ǝn\ n: poor soul.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Southern vegetarian \ ‘sǝ-thǝrn , ve-jǝ’ter-ē-ǝn\ n: poor soul.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
““I’ve always pictured myself as a clydesdale.”
-Sandra Bullock, Virginia Grits”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
-Sandra Bullock, Virginia Grits”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #31:
Grits can admit their mistakes--and we all make some bad ones--but we never accept defeat.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Grits can admit their mistakes--and we all make some bad ones--but we never accept defeat.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Men are important to Southern girls, but they don’t define us.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Life is good in the South, and it’s not just the weather. It’s the people. Southerners know how to live with an attitude of gratitude. We take things slow, enjoy every day, and make the most of what we have.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“South mouth \’saůth maůth\ n: a loud mouth; enough said”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Well, I Declare!:
According to a recent survey, the Bible is found in 96 percent of households in the South. We’re wondering how many of those households ever look inside.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
According to a recent survey, the Bible is found in 96 percent of households in the South. We’re wondering how many of those households ever look inside.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Well, I declare!:
Hush puppies are rumored to have gotten their name from hunters who threw the leftover ends of their cornbread to their dogs to keep them quiet at night.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
Hush puppies are rumored to have gotten their name from hunters who threw the leftover ends of their cornbread to their dogs to keep them quiet at night.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #13:
If anyone tries to tell you a Southern girl shouldn’t drink, just tell them the truth: we don’t drink, we sip…a lot.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
If anyone tries to tell you a Southern girl shouldn’t drink, just tell them the truth: we don’t drink, we sip…a lot.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“While Dixieland men may have struggled with a language inferiority complex, the opposite is true of Southern women. We’ve always known our accent is an asset, a special trait that makes us stand out from our Northern peers in all the best ways.
For one thing, men can’t resist it. Our slow, musical speech drips with charm, and with the implied delights of a long, slow afternoon sipping home-brewed tea on the back porch.
In educated circles, Southern speech is considered aristocratic, and for good reason: it is far closer linguistically to the Queen’s English than any other American accent. Scottish, Irish, and rural English formed the basis of our language years ago, and the accent has held strong ever since. In the poor hill country there haven’t been many other linguistic influences, and in Charleston you’d be hard pressed to tell a British tourist from a native.
In the Delta of Mississippi and Louisiana, the mixture of French, West Indian, and Southern formed two dialects--Cajun and Creole--that in some places are far more like French than English.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
For one thing, men can’t resist it. Our slow, musical speech drips with charm, and with the implied delights of a long, slow afternoon sipping home-brewed tea on the back porch.
In educated circles, Southern speech is considered aristocratic, and for good reason: it is far closer linguistically to the Queen’s English than any other American accent. Scottish, Irish, and rural English formed the basis of our language years ago, and the accent has held strong ever since. In the poor hill country there haven’t been many other linguistic influences, and in Charleston you’d be hard pressed to tell a British tourist from a native.
In the Delta of Mississippi and Louisiana, the mixture of French, West Indian, and Southern formed two dialects--Cajun and Creole--that in some places are far more like French than English.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“If, on the other hand, you’re in a relationship and you’re not having a good time, honey, it’s time to hit the road. Don’t let that dream package--dress, ring, cake, ceremony, handsome man, children--turn into a blindfold. As Grits, instinct is our greatest asset. You know it when you’re getting less than you deserve, and there’s no teaching old dogs new tricks. If he’s not putting up, it’s you who should be shutting up--shutting up shop and movin’ on to the next town, that is!”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Physically and socially, Florida has its own North and South, but its northern area is strictly Southern and its southern area is definitely Northern.
--Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State by the Federal Writers’ Project”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
--Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State by the Federal Writers’ Project”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
““You’ve got to continue to grow, or you’re just like last night’s cornbread--stale and dry.”
--Loretta Lynn, Kentucky Grits”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
--Loretta Lynn, Kentucky Grits”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
““When a New Yorker asked a Savannah society woman what she did, she looked at him, puzzled, ‘Why ah live--ah live in Sa-vannah!’ she replied with proper hauteur.”
--Rosemary Daniell, writer and Georgia Grits”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
--Rosemary Daniell, writer and Georgia Grits”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“Your Right Man is out there, waiting--you just have to know where to look. It’s a challenge, but it’s just about the most fun you’re ever going to have. Remember, he’s as anxious as you are. If not, there’s something wrong with him already.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“
The Call of the Lord
By Sue Buchanan, Tennessee Grits
My young daughter Dana often visited her grandparents in a small Southern town where every day a siren blew to mark the noon hour. It was so loud that it terrified the poor girl and left her screaming. In order to soothe her and held her understand, her preacher grandpa (my daddy) told her the horn was to let the children know it was time to go home for lunch. He even suggested that Dana say the words “Go home and get your lunch” each time the whistle blew, which she would do at the top of her little lungs, albeit with the fear of god written all over her face.
One Sunday, our entire family was packed into the second row of the church, listening to Dad deliver his sermon. He was pretty wound up that day, if I remember correctly. It was breezy and all the church windows were open.
Well, right in the middle of his railing, and before we realized what was happening, darn it if that noon whistle didn’t blow. Dana stood up in the pew, turned toward the three hundred people in the congregation, and shouted, “Go home and get your lunch!”
Do I have to tell you what happened? Church was over at that very moment. No benediction and no sevenfold amen! Later my preacher daddy, who had the world’s best sense of humor, admitted: “It wouldn’t have been so bad if half the congregation hadn’t shouted amen!”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
By Sue Buchanan, Tennessee Grits
My young daughter Dana often visited her grandparents in a small Southern town where every day a siren blew to mark the noon hour. It was so loud that it terrified the poor girl and left her screaming. In order to soothe her and held her understand, her preacher grandpa (my daddy) told her the horn was to let the children know it was time to go home for lunch. He even suggested that Dana say the words “Go home and get your lunch” each time the whistle blew, which she would do at the top of her little lungs, albeit with the fear of god written all over her face.
One Sunday, our entire family was packed into the second row of the church, listening to Dad deliver his sermon. He was pretty wound up that day, if I remember correctly. It was breezy and all the church windows were open.
Well, right in the middle of his railing, and before we realized what was happening, darn it if that noon whistle didn’t blow. Dana stood up in the pew, turned toward the three hundred people in the congregation, and shouted, “Go home and get your lunch!”
Do I have to tell you what happened? Church was over at that very moment. No benediction and no sevenfold amen! Later my preacher daddy, who had the world’s best sense of humor, admitted: “It wouldn’t have been so bad if half the congregation hadn’t shouted amen!”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“
A Southern Vegetarian’s Story
By Erin Stewart, Alabama Grits
It wasn’t easy being a vegetarian in Huntsville, Alabama, but I managed it throughout my high school years. At least I thought I did. I remember one trip with my parents that threw everything into doubt.
It was a Saturday, and we had reservations at Miss Mary Bobo’s, the famous restaurant in Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Miss MaryBobo’s is known for serving at least one item cooked in Jack Daniel’s at every meal: this time it was the apples. What really interested me, though, was the greens. I think they were mustard greens. I was just eating my third bite when a large man next to me turned to our hostess, who was watching us all eat at one communal table, and said, “Miss Mary Bobo, these are the best greens I’ve ever had. What’s your secret?”
Without a second thought, she replied, “Why, real lard, of course.” I must confess: I took one more bite before I put my fork down! (Don’t tell anyone!) To this day, those are some of the best greens I’ve ever tasted.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
By Erin Stewart, Alabama Grits
It wasn’t easy being a vegetarian in Huntsville, Alabama, but I managed it throughout my high school years. At least I thought I did. I remember one trip with my parents that threw everything into doubt.
It was a Saturday, and we had reservations at Miss Mary Bobo’s, the famous restaurant in Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Miss MaryBobo’s is known for serving at least one item cooked in Jack Daniel’s at every meal: this time it was the apples. What really interested me, though, was the greens. I think they were mustard greens. I was just eating my third bite when a large man next to me turned to our hostess, who was watching us all eat at one communal table, and said, “Miss Mary Bobo, these are the best greens I’ve ever had. What’s your secret?”
Without a second thought, she replied, “Why, real lard, of course.” I must confess: I took one more bite before I put my fork down! (Don’t tell anyone!) To this day, those are some of the best greens I’ve ever tasted.”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
“drawl \’drȯl\ v: to speak slower than average while prolonging a word’s vowels; not to be confused with the drunken slurring of cowboys, a drawl is a beautiful thing to hear”
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
― Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life
