So Thankful

Every year at this time I start really thinking about exactly what I am thankful for in my life. I thought I would share them with you:

1. I am extremely thankful for my family. I know I am biased, but I really do think I have the best family I have ever met. My mom loves unconditionally and happens to be the best hostess of all time. My dad is the most generous and understanding father and friend. I have a brother that has a sense of humor to liven any crowd; he got dealt the hand of two sisters and still smiles! My sister is forever young and has somehow managed to stop time. Her figure and dance moves put me to shame! Finally, I am so lucky to have two nephews that I adore. Being an aunt is quite possibly the best gift I have ever been given.

2. When people find out I have been to eleven schools, they always say they are so sorry. Even my mom has said she hopes I forgive her for having to change environments so often during my childhood. The ironic thing is, I wouldn't change it for the world. I have more true friends than anyone I know. Because I moved so often, I was able to make a couple of quality friends in each place. I am so thankful that I moved frequently and was given the opportunity the meet truly special people in each city and school that will be in my life forever.

3. I am thankful for my health, education, and being from the South. Seriously. Not only did I win the lottery by being born healthy and in the United States, but even more so by being born in Tennessee. I have had the luxury of being raised in an area that promotes friendliness, hospitality, traditions, football, fried food, and cowboy boots. Southern charm has been part of my life from the beginning, and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Stick To Your Roots

"No one comes from the earth like grass...we come like trees...we all have roots"

This is one of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou. When I recently saw the movie, Everything is Fine, I was reminded of it. In the movie, Robert DeNiro plays a father that has four children all located across the country. Although I felt so sorry for him in the movie because he was so lonely and never got to see his children, I didn't think this was a very plausible situation. It turns out it is. Everywhere but here.

Honestly, the thought of being more than 3 hours away from my parents is almost unacceptable. I can't even imagine living states away. I know I am just naturally extremely family-oriented, but I think it's more than that. It's being raised in an area that believes in sticking to your roots.

I'm not saying I'm scared to branch out or feel obligated to stay close to my family. If I moved far from my family to try and learn and grow into a a better person for life or work or whatever, I firmly believe I would be going backwards rather than forwards. I can't get better as an individual when I'm missing a huge part of who I am--that's my family.

I did come like trees. My roots run deep.

It's Fall, Y'all!

I have lived in Tennessee all my life, (except for about 8 months in Georgia when I was a senior in high school) so I realize people could think I am biased when I say how much I love it. The thing is though, I have traveled to numerous states and I find something I love in all of them. Omaha, Nebraska was especially a surprise! Everyone should visit the downtown area and stay at the DoubleTree if possible...best cookies ever! I have even visited some states where I believe I could live and be very happy: Georgia, Indiana, Texas. I'm sure there are many more. The thing is though, around the beautiful months of October and November I realize I will never love any state like I love Tennessee.

If you haven't been to Tennessee, come. Now. Tennessee is beautiful throughout the year, but I realize that is only my opinion. Saying Tennessee is beautiful in the fall, however, is a fact. I love coming home from classes these days just to have the opportunity to drive under the breathtaking colors and interlocking trees that provide a canopy over the road before you reach my apartment. The air is crisp, the mountains are overlooking, each tree is in competition trying to outshine the other. It's hard to imagine anyone luckier than those who have the opportunity to live in Tennessee in the fall.

Speak Now

In case you don't know, Taylor Swift's third album, Speak Now, was released today. I am always amazed at how many people criticize her and her previous albums. I know she isn't the best singer ever recorded, but why can't people just be proud of her and the success she has solely created? She writes all her songs, is willing to put her private life in the limelight and face ridicule, while still maintaining a classy, positive image in Hollywood which is clearly hard to do--just look at Britney, Lindsey, Paris, etc.

Her newest album has a few songs that I especially love and think you should check out: Never Grow Up, Mine, Enchanted, Ours, If This Was A Movie, and Superman. Although, you can't really go wrong with any of the songs.

Taylor is a strong, successful Tennessee girl and I love supporting someone like that. You should go buy her CD at Target (they have a couple exclusive great songs) like I did! :)

Off-Weekend Wedding

Sorry I have not had any new posts in the past few weeks. I have been a bit busy with school, concerts, weddings, etc. Speaking of weddings, I love them. It seems like I would be a nightmare for a guy, but it's not that I'm obsessed with getting married myself. I love other people's weddings! I would go to wedding if I didn't know a single person there. I just think a wedding is the most romantic, long-lived tradition still in practice. Poetry, Shakespeare and "courting" are all gone. A wedding is the one day when it is still commonplace to witness the kind of love and emotions great authors once wrote about. What could be better than getting to see two people share the same vows as our ancestors?

Because I love weddings so much, I would be willing to miss most any event to attend one. I realize most do not feel this way which is why I love the date my cousin, Hannah, set for her wedding. Down South, we love our football. Hannah knows this, which is why she specifically set her wedding date a year in advance based on the football schedule of the Vols! October 16, 2010, UT had its off-weekend. On that Saturday, Hannah officially became Mrs. Christopher Strong. No Southern girl would want to have to choose between cheering on her team and exchanging vows. Hannah certainly got the best of both worlds.

By the way, it was the best wedding I've been to yet. Just look how beautiful she is!

Chivalry

I was raised under the impression that a guy is interested in you if he takes you on dates, calls you, surprises you, uses respectful language around you, etc. I hate to break it to my parents, but I don't know any guys like this. My friend told me the other day, "Keely, you just have to understand guys. They don't go on dates in college and they never call you." That's unbelievable to me.

Southern gentleman? I realize it's hard to be a gentleman in a country where the f word has become so ordinary that it is showing up in magazine articles, texting is quick, easy, and extremely popular, and where the need for men to appear "manly" is so important.

I have never heard my dad cuss around a lady--and he loves to cuss, mind you. He still takes my mom on weekly dates after 26 years of marriage. He does this while still being the toughest man I know. I know my friends will continue to tell me to just cope with the fact that guys are different in this generation and that chivalry is dead. That's just not good enough. Guys, pick up the phone and ask a girl on a date, so I can stop hearing and believing we have seen the end of a true Southern gentleman.

You Might Be a Redneck If...

Check out this link to see a list of 300 reasons why you might be a redneck:
http://www.lilligren.com/Redneck/300_reasons_redneck.htm

Obviously these are exaggerated, but so many of them are not too far from the truth. For some reason I got to thinking about these little jokes and it reminded me of when my cousin, Hannah, made up one of these jokes a few winters ago.

My family was celebrating Christmas at my grandparents' house a few years ago and Hannah happened to notice the decor in the basement. My grandparents had recently bought a new, fancy television, and instead of discarding the old, wooden paneled tv, they simply plopped the new one on top of the old one.

Hannah laughed and said, "You might be a redneck if your tv stand-- is a tv!" This was three years ago, and nothing has changed.