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Thursday, July 29, 2004
Knit One, Purl TooThe Thursday Threesome: Onesome: Knit one: Do you have a crafty hobby? Knitting, stitching, scrapbooking or model building, whatever it is, tell us about it! Or is there a crafty hobby you'd like to take up if had the time and/or money to do so? A. I wouldn't call it really "crafty," per se. I'm a photographer, professional interior designer, and a mixed-media artist. I used to work heavily in pastels, charcoals and watercolors, as well as throw my own pottery. I'd like to get back into painting and working with clay again. Twosome: Purl: Or rather, pearl. What's your birthstone? And while you're at it, what's your sign? A. My birthstone is a golden topaz. My sign is Scorpio, and I am a typical (or stereotypical) Scorpio! Threesome: Too: Too much? Have you had enough of the political coverage already? ...or are you waiting for things to really gear up in the Fall? A. I do not discuss politics on-line (or off, for that matter) - simply a rule I have always held. There are certain topics I consider "off-limits" when it comes to my own personal preferences. I may talk about some *HOT* topics, but politics isn't one of them. current mood: Exhausted from another long day current music: The drone of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" on the tele downstairs (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Jet-Lag, Minus the JetI will admit . . . it is hard to explain the phenomenon of jet-lag when no jet is involved but, jet-lag or something very akin to it is exactly what I'm experiencing these days. During the last fourteen (14) days, I have spent a total of sixty-seven and a half (67-1/2) hours in a car - some of it traveling between Virginia and Tennessee/Georgia (twice), and the rest of it traveling around Georgia looking at houses (until they all began to look the same). Intermingled between the days we were back in Virginia (a total of four days between the first and second trip), those hours were crammed with packing, packing and more packing. My dreams now have been reduced to nightmares of constant driving, constant packing, and constantly looking at the same house over and over, and over again. At least, from all indications, the new business venture is progressing in a positive manner, the sale of the VA house is secure (because a second contract is coming in on it this week - it never hurts to have a back-up!), and the purchase of the new plantation manor in GA truly fit for this Southern Belle is well on its way to becoming a reality. *break out the mint juleps, darlin'* In the meantime, does anyone have some good remedies for jet-lag?!?!? current mood: Going slowing i-n-s-a-n-e current music: The drone of the t.v. downstairs (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Thursday, July 22, 2004
Bizarre Sleep-Blogging AccidentLate yesterday evening, we began the trek back to the Old South again. More house-hunting lies ahead for tomorrow. Today is simply "r-e-c-o-v-e-r-y" mode, since we did not arrive until 3:00 a.m. this morning after a longer-than-average drive, due to several road delays along the way. When checking my blog today, I noticed that most of my right side links had disappeared. Evidently, more of my sleep-blogging fiasco from earlier in the week. I may never recover all that I had on my blog because of this bizarre sleep-blogging accident. Once I return north again (next week), I'm going to have to "recreate" the rest of my links again. So, for those friends that I was originally linked to, please forgive the temporary absence of your link until I can add everything back again. Sleep-blogging definitely has long range consequences! current mood: Frustrated by my sleep-blogging mess! current music: The hum of the computer and the pounding of my headache (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Monday, July 19, 2004
Note To Self . . .Try to remember that the html coding of websites and blogs should not be altered at 3:00 a.m. in the morning, even if you think you're wide awake in a bout of insomnia. It seems that in some catatonic state, I altered the templates to my blog that completely eradicated my archives and all of my buttons. I've managed to re-create my buttons but, . . . my archives are lost in a jumble of html coded nightmare! My s.o. found my passed out - sleeping - upright in my leather office chair around 4:00 a.m. in front of a brightly radiating computer monitor. How did I manage to create such chaos while sleeping? (on top of all that - all my comments have vanished, too -- bummer!) current mood: Exhausted & Angry over the computer fiasco current music: Construction workers making minor repairs outside (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
More Monday MadnessFrom Monday Madness: Let me preface this by saying . . . I don't mean to be ambiguous with some of my answers, but some cannot be answered with a simple choice between one or the other. 1. Do you prefer to be out in the sun or in the shade? I prefer the sun for a while (with a good sunscreen - this pale Irish skin does burn and freckle - quickly and easily), but after a bit of heat and blazing sun, I still enjoy the outdoors in a shady spot. 2. Regarding the walls in your house, do you prefer neutral colors or bright colors? I hate white walls but, as a professional interior designer, I must say that any colour can be considered a neutral, depending upon the context it is used. I think the word "bright" is a little hazy in its meaning – but, I do prefer deep, rich, dark colours for my walls. 3. When hanging pictures on your walls, do you like things symmetric or asymmetric? Symmetry has its place, depending upon the vignette it accompanies. As for a grouping of pictures, painting and other wall art, I much prefer an asymmetrical design - it is more pleasing to the eye (imo). 4. How about where you'd like to live; country or city? Definitely in the country (with acreage) but close enough to the conveniences of city living. 5. Your blog; Blogger, Blogdrive, Blog-City, or another one altogether? I have three at Blogger, one at Xanga, and another one somewhere else (I'll have to get back with you on that). 6. Email; Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, or other? Several Yahoo accounts, I let all of my Hotmail accounts deactivate, and I just received to Gmail accounts - plus, I have e-mails through my own server, as well as my ISP server. 7. Air conditioning or just a fan when it's hot at night? Crank down the A/C to frigid, turn up the ceiling fan to high, then layer on the linens! 8. Dinner; seafood or steak? Depending upon my mood - I adore both! 9. Your all-time favorite music media; CD's, cassette tapes, or vinyl (or 8-tracks)? LPs are still my favorite, with CDs a close (and more convenient) second. 10. When learning a new software program, do you find it easier to follow a book or an online tutorial? Neither - I usually just use the trial-and-error method. I learn better from hands-on, first-hand experience. If all else fails, I'll consult the manual. current mood: Still Exhausted (still awake - insomnia sucks!) current music: Total (1:00 a.m.) Silence (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
Weekend ReviewFrom "Baker's Dozen Monday" meme. As the Baker's Dozen Monday meme says, use: twelve thoughts and one pic to describe your weekend, so here goes my list for this week: 1. Returned home after a week in the Old South, mega-house hunting; 2. Attempted to recuperate from the week away from home (attempted being the operative word!); 3. Cleaned house (yippee, what a thrill!); 4. Read, deleted, responded or otherwise processed 387 e-mails that downloaded upon my return; 5. Watched Wild Things 2 on DVD (similar to the first but with a few unexpected twists); 6. Scanned www.realtor.com for more potential properties to look at upon our return later this week or early next week for more house hunting; 7. Soaked in the hot tub after a week of withdrawal; 8. Went riding on the Harley after a week of withdrawal; 9. Did laundry (woo-hoo, how exciting!); 10. Contacted two celebrities to ask them to help with planning and brainstorming for my new annual event beginning next April - Southern Belles' Month, recently accepted by Chase's Calendar of Events, and received positive feedback from both; 11. Received a phone call from old friends that we haven't heard from in a very long time; and 12. Spent time planning out my upcoming week in my Franklin Covey Planner, so as not to forget a detail (and, it is filled to the brim!). (no pic this week -- too tired to search for one that truly reflected the weekend!) current mood: Exhausted (insomnia, again!) current music: Total and absolute (midnight) silence (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Fun In The SummertimeHere goes my Ten on Tuesday meme for this week (only a day late, again! -- but, give me a break -- I'm eight hours away from home in my beloved Old South once more!): "Summertime is here, the sun shining down, the humidity up and the air conditioning on. Kids are out of school, festivals are everywhere and the beach is the place to be. So have fun with this week's list . . ." 10 Things You Love to Do in the Summertime 1. Traveling extensively; 2. Going to the beach as often as possible; 3. Dropping the top on my convertible at every opportunity; 4. Sitting on a porch swing during an afternoon thunderstorm; 5. Piling into the convertible with friends in the evening and going to Steak-N-Shake for french fries and milkshakes, or Krystal for burgers; 6. Taking the boat out on the river for tubing, skiing, and riding around; 7. Hiking though the mountains and trails; 8. Cooking out with friends and playing volleyball, horseshoes, and other games; 9. Riding the Harley down winding country roads with no destination in particular; and 10. Horseback riding at my cousin's horse farm. current mood: Thrilled to be "home" for the week! current music: Beethoven for Book Lovers (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Tuesday, July 13, 2004
The Heart of Dixie[writing from a remote computer at Big Daddy's house] For a true (although temporarily transplanted) Southern Belle who has just recently been informed by such a prestigious institution as Chase's Calendar of Events that her annual event has been accepted by the official publication, recognized as the ultimate authority on national and international events for every day of the year, as one of the newest events to be honored and celebrated beginning in 2005, what better way for me to celebrate than to spend a week in my beloved Old South at Big Daddy's house? We arrived on Sunday evening to a glorious homecoming as I have not seen Mother & Big Daddy since late March. Way-too-long for a proper Southern Belle to be away from her family! This trip, although a wonderful visit with Mother & Big Daddy, is also even more special in that we're house hunting for a move back to my dearly loved Old South. Yesterday was spent with a realtor visiting old houses, some even listed on the Historical Registries, trying to find the perfect place that whispered "home" for any respectable Southern Belle to consider afternoon teas on the veranda, and costumed affairs in the ballroom. I think a glorious 1906 beauty with gleaming hardwood, original woodwork, 12' ceilings, and plenty of acreage has the potential to be completely restored to its original turn-of-the-century grandeur, complete with splendid gardens, statuary, water features and a multitude of other renovations, restorations and decorations to transform this into something uniquely my own. Not dwelling upon all of those silly 'ole business ventures, partnerships agreements, meetings with attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, business planners, and all the other things my s.o. is doing this week to wrap up his affairs to perpetuate this move, I am merely reveling in the fact that I can envision the transformation of this already beautiful house into something absolutely spectacular, and beyond anyone's wildest imaginations. current mood: Ecstatic current music: A little light jazz (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Thursday, July 08, 2004
Our (Annual) "Fifteen Minutes"For all who are familiar with Chase's Calendar of Events www.chases.com/ (and, for those who aren't, here's the link), A Southern Belle's Life made the submission this year for an annual event, beginning in 2005, and we HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED by Chase for inclusion in next year's calendar! So, beginning in 2005, I (and A Southern Belle's Life) will be promoting the month-long observance of "Southern Belles' Month," an annual celebration each April, ". . . honoring all Southern Belles, whether born or re-born to the title." We welcome any and all suggestions on what special events you would like to see occur in your area during this month-long celebration. Let me hear from all those Southern Belles out there that want to celebrate Southern Belles' Month next April. Contact me at a.southern.belle@gmail.com and let's start making plans to make next April a month that no one will forget! current mood: Thrilled to be accepted by Chase! current music: The scanner scanning documents to send .pdf to business partners (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
Addictions?The Thursday Threesome: Onesome: Not so much- to do now that school is out for the students? ... or maybe a little too much to do for those student's parental units? What are you up to this July? Back for Summer Sessions? ...off to the beach? ...headed out on a weekend adventure? Surely you must be doing something A. Packing for a move the end of August. Planning a day trip (or 2, or more) to the beach before the move. Planning a trip "home" for business, house-hunting, and pleasure prior to the move. Twosome: easy as- Pie? Sure, how about your favorite pie? ... and hey, homemade versus store bought! Would you rather have Mom's Apple Pie or head on over to Marie C's for a slice of heaven there? A. Key Lime Pie - homemade. Followed up by a close second tie of cherry cheese cake and chocolate cream (homemade, of course!). Threesome: addicted- Okay, what is it you are addicted to, that element of your life you simply cannot do without. Reading? The Net? Little porcelain dolls? Oh, yeah: Money? Nah, make it something you'd spend your spare change on ... A. Victoria's Secret lingerie. current mood: Overwhelmed with work current music: The fax machine spitting out more documents (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
Mmmmmmm! Chocolate (and more)!Wednesday Mind Hump - Week 26 (yet another day late - my life is completely upside-down these days!) "Today is Chocolate Day (be still my heart!), commemorating the introduction of chocolate in Europe in the year 1550! In honor of this beloved day, and to get us all in hump mode, using the letters C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E, tell a little about yourself." C - Caring (sometimes to a fault); H - [I] Have lots of secrets; O - OCD (just a little); C - Cop-groupie; O - [an] Only child; L - Love the Beach; A - A typical Scorpio; T - Tempting & Teasing are an "art" to a Southern Belle; and E - Eager to move back to the real South. Ok! Are you all hungry for more?? Here we go! This week's hump will be a dozen of "I say ____, you think ____". . . 01. bust - a-move 02. cream - cheese 03. kisses - & hugs 04. elbow - -s & a-holes 05. shopping - spree 06. snap - crackle, pop 07. brush - -y mtn. state penn 08. serve - yourself 09. under - wear (I'm a Victoria's Secret junkie!) 10. bubble - gum 11. race - relations 12. banana - splits "For extra fun, hump away with this: The Guess-A-Hump!! . . . but this week let's give it a new twist! Think of an item ... But this week let's not make it just any item, but an item you can find in your kitchen! ... don't tell us what the item is. Now, describe that item in a brief paragraph (the size, the color, etc) but don't give it away. Okay, now you're ready to hump it up! Replace the name of the item with the word "hump". Other players will come to your blog and try to guess what your hump is. Tomorrow morning, add the answer to your hump and for big fun add a picture." My "hump" is cylindrical. My "hump" has a needle on the end. My "hump" uses CO2 to power it. My "hump" has a high-tech look to it. My "hump" can open many wonderful things. What is my hump? current mood: Doin' the (Wed.) humpty-hump (a day late) current music: The dogs snoring (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Cool BannerMy friend, CoolMattyG made this really C-O-O-L banner for me -- whaddaya think???  CoolMattyG is going to make me even more . . . I can't wait! current mood: Super-Duper-Pleased with Matt's wonderful work! current music: Metallica (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
Hot & BotheredHere goes my Ten on Tuesday meme for this week (only a day late): Ten Scenes from the Movies that Make You Hot and Bothered 1. The fridge scene between Kim Basinger & Mickey Rourke in 9-1/2 Weeks; 2. The elevator scene between Glenn Close & Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction; 3. Every scene between Sherilyn Fenn & Richard Tyson in Two Moon Junction; 4. The extended (uncut) version of the bedroom scene between Lisa Bonet & Mickey Rourke in Angel Heart; 5. The stairwell/alley rain scene between Kim Basinger & Mickey Rourke in 9-1/2 Weeks; 6. The kitchen sink scene between Glenn Close & Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction; 7. The loft scene between Barbara Williams & Steven Bauer in Thief of Hearts; 8. The kitchen table scene between Jessica Lange & Jack Nicholson in The Postman Always Rings Twice; 9. The voyeuristic telescope scene between Melanie Griffith & Craig Wasson in Body Double; and 10. The candle-overloaded bathtub scene between Susan Sarandon & Kevin Costner in Bull Durham. current mood: I need a shower after that! current music: Madame Butterfly (a Fatal Attraction flashback) (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
Weekend (Revisited)From "Baker's Dozen Monday" meme. As the Baker's Dozen Monday meme says, use: twelve thoughts and one pic to describe your weekend, so here goes my list for this week (only two days late, but it was a long weekend): And, what a l-o-n-g weekend it was! Rain, rain and more rain - the fireworks extravaganza was even canceled on the 4th due to all the rain. 1. We had four sets of potential buyers come to see the house - and, from what we've heard back from the Realtor, two of the sets are currently writing contract offers that will be presented to us on Tuesday afternoon; 2. Watched Club Dread on DVD (from the Broken Lizard troupe); 
3. Experienced yet another lightning strike to the house that fried the fax/scanner/copier/printer (AGAIN!). This is the third one I've lost in six months (the second in one month!); 4. The lightning strike also knocked out all of our phone service - no dial tones - nothing but dead silence on the line; 5. Watched Scary Movie 3 on DVD; 
6. Watched Under The Tuscan Sun on DVD; 
7. Watched Kill Bill, Vol. I on DVD; 
8. Watched The Matrix Revolutions on DVD; 
9. Had another bout of insomnia (again) and watched four straight late-night hours of home design shows; 10. Finished packing the rest of the stuff from the family room built-ins and re-installed the two shelves that had been removed for the artwork display area; 11. Soaked in the hot tub first thing every morning before beginning each day (and before it began raining again each day); and 12. Spent the 4th (and 5th) in a most un-celebratory fashion by not doing any of the "standard" 4th activities (cooking out, spending time with friends, watching fireworks, etc.), but it was just as pleasant, nonetheless. current mood: Needing to work, not wanting to work (waiting for the day-trip to the beach tomorrow!) current music: The hum through the air vents of the A/C (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Tuesday, July 06, 2004
A Little Bit Of MadnessFrom Monday Madness (okay, I'm a day late - do I get a break since it was a long weekend???): 'Tis Monday once again! This week we're going to try some more 'fill-in-the-blanks' questions . . . 1. I usually clean my house on n/a, or about every 1-2 days. 2. My favorite Sunday night program to watch on television is Law & Order: Criminal Intent. 3. Monday morning I usually waking up thinking, "What all must I do this week?." 4. To wind down at the end of a busy day, I like to soak in the hot tub. 5. I try not to call anyone on the phone until after 9:30 a.m. 6. And I NEVER call anyone after 9:30 p.m. 7. When I don't have to get up to go to work or school, I sleep in until 7:30 - 8:00 a.m. 8. I have six telephones in my house. 9. I usually answer the phone on the 3rd or 4th ring. 10. When I know I should be sleeping, but am having a hard time falling asleep, I usually read, watch t.v., or over-medicate (I'm a chronic insomniac!). current mood: Still catching up after the long holiday weekend current music: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
The Letter "Q"A few days ago, I received the following message from a new friend John at Stumbled Upon, which read: "Today I'm writing each one of my mutual friends a letter. Yours is the letter "Q"." I thought this was:
Even more curious, is the fact that, although I utter it often to close friends and relatives, I've never mentioned it on-line or to John . . . that is that I often compare myself to the letter "Q" on many days. Not so much in the Sesame Street sort of fashion but, because I have fibromyalgia, my muscles, joints and entire body often feels contorted into odd shapes and forms, leaving me to feel as if I'm an example of a portion of a live-action alphabet. But, not to dwell on my malady, I chose to make something fun out of it (with John's help and unknowing assignment of my letter of choice), and write about what it is like to be the letter "Q." Hmmmmmmmmmm?!?!? How to describe life as the letter "Q." That may be a bit difficult unless you're willing to expand your thinking to extend "outside-the-proverbial-box," and understand how, as the day progresses, I can feel my shoulders rounding over, my upper body feeling heavy and fatigued, and wanting nothing more than to give in to the sincere desire to lie on the floor in the shape of a "Q." You may be wondering why I would have chosen a "Q" instead of simply an "O." That's simple! When you get comments and wolf-whistles about being related to Dolly Parton, there's no way you could contort into the letter "O." Therefore, to take into consideration the "shape-of-things," so to speak, I must say that a "Q" is more in tune with the description. Be sure to check out John, and come by and "stumble-around" with us, if you get the chance. current mood: Catching up after the long holiday weekend current music: The non-stop ringing of my phone (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Saturday, July 03, 2004
Opinions And ReviewsI have been accepted as a contributor to a new magazine called Zik Magazine, for which I am the new Book Reviewer, writing my reviews in a column entitled "IN THE STACKS," as well as the new Magazine Reviewer, writing my reviews in a column entited "OFF THE RACKS," both for the sub-magazine of Zik called +humanoid. I am also the new Opinions Columnist & Editor for another of the sub-magazine sections of Zik called black_mosquito writing opinions, and reviewing submissions by others, with a column entitled "THIS GIRL'S OPINIONS." How FUN is that?!?!? I will probably be combining all of my reviews and opinion columns here for ease of use, once the magazine gets rolling. Susan Reno-Gilliland southernbelle@susanrenogilliland.com A Southern Belle's Musings [originally posted at the new ebloggy site where all of the combined writings will be stored once they begin accumulating within the magazine] Friday, July 02, 2004
What's My ****Okay, on Wednesday for the "Wednesday Mind Hump", part of the exercise was to create another Guess-A-Hump like last week. So, here was mine for this week, repeated for your convenience . . . Q. My "hump" is a set of two. My "hump" are rather hard and unyielding. My "hump" were very expensive when I made the decision to purchase them. What is/are my "hump?" And, the answer is . . . may I have a drum-roll, please (since I am a day late in posting my answer and photo)?!?!? * * * * * * * 
(shame on all of you that thought silicone was involved! *tee-hee*) current mood: gotta get busy; my day was hectic even before I rolled out of bed this morning (and that is a hard thing to manage) current music: the weed-eater in the front yard (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life Thursday, July 01, 2004
Yankee Doodle DandeeThe Thursday Threesome: Onesome: Yankee- Hey, this is the 4th of July weekend here in the States; do you have any plans? Fireworks? Watching the Boston Pops? Hiding under the bed with the dog? A. No specific plans . . . yet. We might ride our Harley down to the local park to watch fireworks, or we might stay home and cook out. It all depends on how we feel when Sunday arrives. Twosome: Doodle- Is there any paper safe from you, or are you a doodler? If you are, when are you most likely to doodle and what do you draw? A. I sometimes doodle. I'm more of a creative sort with a particular plan in place of what my finished art piece will be. But, doodling sometimes happens when I'm not paying attention; a free-flowing expression. Threesome: Dandee- Or dandy. It's one of my favorite words. How about you, do you have any favorite words that you like to use, just because you like the way they sound or just because you can? A. One of my favorite words is serendipity. It just sounds so . . . magical. current mood: Rushed, my planner is staring me in the face with lots of to-do tasks, and phone calls to return current music: Hall & Oates (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
Careful With Your Mud-Slinging
In further explanation to my "Extremes" answer to question #2, this is a post I made on March 22, 2004 at 21:09 on a "certain" site in response to a column that was written in a less-than-thinly-veiled manner attacking Southern Belles. This was my "restrained" response to the horrible, unprovoked criticisms that were hurled in my direction without provocation:
[begin copy of original post from other site] --- *pardon me, I feel a rant coming on* --- Oh, MY! Even though I had already turned off my computer and had it all completed un-hooked and ready to take to the computer whiz to work on while I was out of town, he called this afternoon to say he would be out this evening and could I drop it by on my way out-of-town in the morning so that he can re-format my hard drive and reinstall all of my programs while I'm away, and although all of our bags are packed and ready for an early Tuesday departure, my telephone has been literally ringing off the hook today asking if I had read this column. When I finally arrived home just a few minutes ago, I had to hook everything back up, log on, and see what all of the hoopla was about. How horrible that you've had such a bad experience with someone purporting to be a Southern Belle. Obviously, she isn't a true Southern Belle if she has offended you in such a way that has caused you to write such a scathing column. Your broad generalizations might be a bit too broad if you are genuinely referring to one specific person that you say you recently met. If this is your overall opinion of all Southern women, that is truly your right, as we all have the right to our own opinions. Of course, we Southerners have the same rights to our opinions, including our opinions on Yankees and the dreaded "transplanted" Yankees, better known in the South as Damn Yankees. I just don't think we would be expressing it in such a manner in a widely read column (just mho). I did find it quite astonishingly coincidental, though, that many of the characteristics that you attributed to the "person" you spoke of in your column happen to be some of the exact same things that you know (for a fact from many of our previous conversations by phone, e-mail, and here on [deleted]) also happen to apply to me as well. Granted, my s.o. has what some consider a prestigious career making six figures, we live very comfortably, travel often, and enjoy many of life's pleasures yet, in our (and many others') opinion, that doesn't make us snotty, conceited, or elitist. We have friends from all walks of life - from a wide variety of socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and other diverse backgrounds, and we treat everyone the same, and they treat us the same - no better, no worse, than anyone else. And, yes, I admit it - I get a manicure and pedicure every two weeks. My fingernails are long and painted a bright shade of red. Yet, that doesn't mean that I can't do any work with them. I go to the tanning salon 3-4 times a week. My masseuse comes to my house twice a month for an hour-long massage session each time. I see my hair stylist every 5-6 weeks for a trim. And, yes, I have a Victoria's Secret Angels gold card and, it just so happens that I received a UPS package just today containing over $300 worth of bras and panties. But, in addition to all of this, I also change the kitty litter, take out the trash, pump my own gas, do the laundry, cook, clean, but do not have maids or servants of any sort (not even a gardener - I do the gardening myself), do payroll every Sunday for my s.o.'s seven companies, get up at 4:30 a.m. every Monday morning to fight the D.C. traffic just to get to Maryland by 7:00 a.m. to do paperwork all day for the same said companies - then UPS the paperwork to the home office in [deleted] for further processing. Then, I spend the rest of the week, aside from errands, housework, and assorted odds-n-ends, submitting my works (writing and photography) to the publications I work for by contract and freelance. I have three B.A. degrees in Fine Art, Applied Art-Journalism and Interior Design, with minors in Psychology and Sociology. I am involved in charities - specifically Breast Cancer Awareness as my mother is a survivor, and several animal protection and adoption organizations. I volunteer at Thanksgiving and Christmas at homeless shelters and soup kitchens. I have volunteered in the same organization as [deleted] mentioned at Christmas in collecting toys and gifts for underprivileged families and children. I am very active in many of the Arts organizations, and have served on several committees for charity fund-raisers. Next month, my s.o. and I will be traveling to a secluded B&B right on the beach in a small California coastal town for a week, with day trips to the Channel Islands, touring the wine country, and enjoying time away from the hectic east coast stressors and all forms of technology and internet b.s. True Southern Belles are NOT weak, manipulative women who use a southern drawl and a helpless attitude to make their way in this world. True Southern Belles are strong, independent, capable, secure, educated, and determined women who just know that we don't have to take sh*t off of anyone! So, if you mean a particular woman of southern inclinations, please be more specific - just don't lump the entire South into a generalization. And, if your particular woman was a euphemistic reference for someone in particular, why not share the specifics with us instead? Now, if you don't mind, I have to unhook my computer - AGAIN - and head off to bed - 5:00 a.m. will come awfully early in the morning, and we are heading South to visit family and friends, and to celebrate my s.o.'s birthday! HAVE A GREAT WEEK, EVERYONE! [end copy of original post from other site] --- As you can see, I do not take kindly to anyone who attacks the South, Southern Belles, or me in particular. If you have something to say to me, about me, or about my beloved South, there are ways to do it, and ways not to do it. This "person" picked the wrong way, and the wrong forum to voice her less-than-thinly-veiled opinions by mud-slinging my way. LONG LIVE THE SOUTH! (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life
ExtremesI got a little caught up in the  questions on extremes for yesterday (and I LOVE cheese!), so here goes:
1. What was the best thing that happened to you this week? The worst? A. Talking to an old friend on the phone, just like old times, and feeling the connection that always binds us, no matter how much time passes between conversations. The worst is probably spending hours making the house "showcase-perfect" to have the realtor call at the last minute to cancel out on the showing. 2. What's the best thing someone's done for you (recently or not so recently)? What's the worst thing someone's done to you (again, recently or not so recently)? A. The best was I received a wonderful e-mail from someone who reads one of my columns, who was very lavish in her praise of my honor and presentation of the true South, and Southern Belles in general. The worst was I received a "personal" attack (online) by a "so-called friend" who blasted my Southern heritage, my Southern Belle persona, and my lifestyle in general in a very public forum, and not thinly-veiled at all. 3. What's the best thing about your job? Worst? A. The best thing is working in my jammies, if I choose to. The worst thing is, being self-employed, I'm dependent upon myself for my livelihood. 4. What's the best new website you've found? Worst? A. I'm really diggin' on StumbleUpon for the fun of it. As for worst, I've "stumbled-upon" more than a few really BAD sites using StumbleUpon, that its hard to narrow it down to just one. 5. What's the best book you've read? Worst? A. I read so much (and am such a bibliophile that our home libraries could rival most small town public libraries) that narrowing it down to just one is practically impossible. I'll say the most-recent best book I've read is "We're Just Like You, Only Prettier - Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle," by Celia Rivenbark. Probably one of the worst books I ever read was "Floaters" by Joseph Wambaugh - it definitely DID NOT meet his usual standards of excellence in writing, with a very flat ending. 6. What's the best movie you've seen? Worst? A. Again, as a die-hard videophile (or is that dvd-phile, now?), movies are a large part of my world, and narrowing it down to the best movie ever would be an impossible task, as so many have their merits on so many different levels. For entertainment, and sentimentality, I would have to go with Casablanca. It has been a favorite for many years. As for worst, again, there have been many - I would probably have to say Waterworld was right up there with many others, but that one was a real stink-bomb (imo). 7. What's the best meal you've had? Worst? A. I've been to some very fine dining establishments across the U.S., in the islands, and on many cruise ships but, I guess I would have to say that, one that stands out in my mind is a dining experience at Charlie Gittos on the Hill in St. Louis. Tommy Lasorda has his own private room there, and I had the chance to see him there one night while dining. The food and drink, from appetizer to dessert, is exquisite! As for worst, it had to have been a highly-recommended, overly-priced seafood restaurant near Sanibel Island, Florida that had no idea how to cook or serve seafood - a Red Lobster chain restaurant could have done a better job! 8. What's the best holiday? Worst? A. The best holiday has to be Thanksgiving because of all the wonderful food, especially turkey and dressing (not stuffing!). My mom makes the best cornbread dressing ever! And, I love having turkey sandwiches, leftover dressing, deviled eggs, and whatever else I can hide away after dinner for the next several days. The worst holiday has to be Christmas - I know! - I sound like a Scrooge or something, don't I? But, the reason is, on my s.o.'s side of the family, they ask for a wish-list at Thanksgiving so that everyone can buy from the list for Christmas. I include items that range from $2.00 to probably $30.00 on the list every year. And, every year for the last ten years, I've never gotten anything from my list. They just get me whatever they want to, whether it is anything I might like or not. I know Christmas is more than just about the gifts - and I help out with charities at Christmas, and celebrate the holiday for its true meaning - but, I dread the actual day when we open up the presents and I have to "act" like I like something when I don't. 9. What's the best thing in your future? Worst? A. The best thing is that, soon, I'll be moving back South, closer to my parents, family and friends. The worst thing is the waiting, the not knowing when, or where, or the specifics of the business venture that will ultimately take us back home. It's difficult to be in the dark on the major things that impact your life! 10. What's the best quote you know? Worst? A. The best quote is my company's trademarked slogan - "Darlin', don't ever take a Southern woman for granted!" And, probably the worst quote is one that has been uttered by thousands of people in thousands of situations . . . "...because I said so." ARGHHHHHH! That's NOT a reason; give us more reason than that! [late addition] 11. What's your best word? Worst word? (and yes, this is open to some interpretation) A. Best would have to be a toss-up between Serendipity and Love. Worst would have to be Hate. current mood: Slacking off (as in - all day) current music: Silence (rather peaceful) (c) 2004 A Southern Belle's Life I'm a Member of the: << # Bitch Club ? >> BlogRollin' other WebRing Members: 
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