books, men and being ourselves

I'm reading an "Amanda Pepper Mystery".... I'd Rather be in Philadelphia.

I don't know if you remember, but the "guy" in the Amanda Pepper Mysteries is C.K. Mackenzie and he's from the south. (In my mind he is Alan Jackson) and his famous quote--the one who made me rethink Southern men, was--'we southern men might talk slow, but we don't think slow'.
I'm sure he was implying he was going to do something intimate with Amanda Pepper in mind, but I remember it, the line/quote, because I have a horrible stereotype in my mind of Southern men...especially grown men who call their father's "daddy" and like I said, it made me "rethink" Southern men.

But here is my thought..... the book is, of course, a mystery book (hence Amanda Pepper Mysteries) and this one, book #3, is about spousal abuse, which gets me to thinking. Southern men/women, and old standards (not Frank Sinatra songs)

okay....

1. Why are Southern Women seen as more "fragile" than the rest of us? There is just something about that accent that lends itself to more courtesy from men. (well, okay, disregard the Southern, lower educated, backwards thinking man...) One just doesn't speak "curtly" to a Southern woman.
but then.....they're not on the up and up either.
they do that womanly wile thing...."I'm not gonna give you a kiss....it just make you want me morah.... " "you just want my sugah"

personally i can't stand the "womanly wile" thing. I don't get it.... (perhaps i do need to flirt more with my husband and wile him.... but seriously, he would be suspicious about what I wanted. he is no fool)

****OKAY, HE JUST CAME IN and interrupted this blog... I smiled coyly and rubbed his ear. He backed away... I told him I was trying to be feminine, but LOL (he just asked how can I be it, if I can't spell it? i had asked him how to spell feminine. he is still here) it made him uncomfortable.

back to blog....
do you think that men, on average, are really looking for a girly-girl or an interesting, smart, true to herself, girly or not girl?

thins brings me to
#2. Old standards.
It used to be we were taught that if we were to catch a man and keep him we had to do these things.
act interested in him (okay)
take up HIS hobby (naw....my grandma tried to tell me it was my duty to do so...golf. Because if i wasn't going to golf with him, someone else would. )
we do all kinds of things.....or our mothers were told to do these things, take up hobbies we don't like, read magazines we don't like, join clubs they take an intest in, etc etc etc.

I'm not a feminist, but jeepers creepers....... didn't anyone ever like you just the way you are?

well, this blog is not exactly an example of perfection. It's unorganized, my thought jump all over the place and I'm not sure I make any sense.
i was interrupted by my husband
and many customers..... I guess they do come first! LOL

Tumble and Other weeds

Most of you live out west (those of you who read..or not...my FF blog), and know what a tumbleweed is. You can see them on any given windy day rolling across the highway, on their way to join the their brothers who are all gathered along the fence line.
Sometimes there seems to be a gazillion of them. They line up, they start to get on top of each other, they multiply, and then you'll see someone burning them.
They are prickly and annoying.
But Rich told me this morning on our walk, that people back east will actually purchase a tumbleweed or two on "e-bay". for $35/piece.
The decorate their yards with them in the "western" style.
Interesting. Since all of us out west are trying to get our yards lush and green and relaxing. Who would want a nasty old tumbleweed in their backyard?
And who ever thought of selling one on e-bay in the first place? I have no originality of thought. I have tumbleweeds, I have boxes, I have acces to the internet for selling, why couldn't I have thought about this?
I'm going to look around for more noxious weeds to sell!
I'm going to become a gazillionaire....with......tackweed!! (goatheads)

Goatheads. I had never heard that term until we moved to Winnemucca. We always called them "tackweed" in Washington. Remember how they would stick into the bottom of your rubber "thongs". (flip-flops). Sometimes if they had an extra long prong, it would go right thru your thong into your foot. Ouch!!
But I wonder why they are called "goatheads"?

I'm sure close up, they must look like the head of a goat?
Just imagine what a selling bonuse this will be! I'll take great close-up photos of them and put them on e-bay.

heh, heh......I'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

Stephen King

Rich was flipping thru the channels this morning (by the way...no one filed to run against him for City Council) and on Book-TV they had a panel consisting of Stephen King, his wife Tabitha and their son, Owen.
Someone asked them a question, "do you ever, or have you ever felt the need to criticize, or critique one of your parents, spouses, children's book. (and how harsh that would be since they just talked about book reviewers and how much it stung even when you were a successful artist/writer)
Stephen said.... well, we think of ourselves as PARENTS first, LOVERS first, MARRIED first, CHILDREN first, so the writer/artist always comes 2nd, so no, we don't ever feel the need to tell each other we don't like what the other is writing.

Tabitha, his wife, said the same thing, that they are always there in a supportive role.

But I'm stuck....on LOVERS. There is just something weird about Stephen King saying "LOVERS"

That word is so antiquated....we've talked about it before.
So, using it is weird because one rarely uses it in the 2008 United States...and WEIRD because Stephen King just doesn't look like a LOVER, as he implied he was.
LOL

again...lets bring the word back!!!

I did turn to Rich and say, "yeah, we are lovers first too, just like Stephen King and Tabitha."
He nodded his head. (I don't think he was paying much attention to me, but rather sulking that he had stopped on that channel and knew better than to change it, for fear of me, his LOVER, yelling at him. )

A Family Thing

It's a family thing....
about 6 months ago, my nephew, Jeff, backed into my dad's PT-Cruiser.

My nephew felt HORRIBLE for only having his license for a few months and then backing into his Papa's car. And in the drive-way no less!!!

My dad is a "car" guy, so....this is pretty serious stuff. :~)

But you know...it's family, so you forgive and forget.
I had to call Jeff and commiserate with him, because, I too, have backed into my father's car. The Ranchero. In 1976.
These things are hard to forget. Jeff and I can laugh about this now, but....

I talked to my mom this morning. Last night she was "watching" Jason, while Kevin was at work and Sylvia was at a function and Jeff was working.
(family history, Jason my other nephew, Kevin my brother, Sylvia his wife....)
Jeff works at Dairy Queen and got off and went home, where my mom and Jason were. so, my mom gets ready to leave, because Jeff is home to stay with Jase now (Jason is 11, but....it was night and he was all alone).
so, my mom gets into her car...the PT Cruiser and backs out of the drive way.
BUT.....hits something that stops her in her tracks. It happens to be Jeff's car!!!!
She backed right into it. :~0
about that time Sylvia arrived home, got out of her car and said, "are you trying to pay us back?"

LOL
A family thing.