Off chasing dreams, but the same that I've really always been

Today I'm celebrating magnolias and azaleas from back home!

Although I'm a proud Texan, today's a great day for this Southern gal who was reared in the deep South, down on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. On this date, in 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state.


Although I'm a proud Texan who's lived in the Lone Star State for almost 28 years and this Texas city-gal is not planning to leave anytime soon, there are many things that I miss from back home: the slower pace, trees, azaleas, magnolias, fresh shrimp right off the boat, going out to eat catfish with the family, family get-togethers at the farm (complete with homemade ice cream), drop-in visitors, dinner-on-the-ground, an early morning fishin' adventure, sitting on the houseboat feeding the fish all our bait, fresh vegetables right out of the garden, camp meeting, going to the creek, Southern Gospel music, being able to actually see the stars at night, shrimp gumbo at the county fair, hearing another Southern drawl, drivers who give a friendly wave at you as they pass, everybody knowing your Momma and your Dad, the open highway with no traffic, miles of open beautiful fields and working tractors, watching crop dusters, knowing everyone in your neighborhood, turning on the faucet and knowing exactly from where that water is coming (and you watched your Dad find that spot himself as he did for so many others back in those days), Barq's Root Beer in a bottle, ... Of course, there are some things that I don't miss (e.g., hurricanes, skeeters, luv-bugs, the humidity, the long drive to town for about you anything you need), but that list is very short!

Besides me (LOL), a lot of talented and famous people have come from my homestate, including Elvis Presley, Faith Hill, Oprah Winfrey, Bret Favre, 3 Doors Down, John Grisham, Lee Anne Rimes, Morgan Freeman, Lance Bass, Jerry Rice, Gerald McRaney, Diane Ladd, James Earl Jones, Eric Roberts, Jim Hensen, Kermit, Jimmy Buffet, BB King, Bobbie Gentry, Mickey Gilley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Mary Ann Mobley, Sela Ward, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Archie Manning, Dizzy Dean, Zig Ziglar, Eudora Welty, Trent Lott, John Stennis, Jefferson Davis, Jerry Clower, Beah Richards, just to name a few.

As they say, you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. Here's a neat song Mississippi Girl, sung by Faith Hill, another great Mississippi gal:

As posted on YouTube by faithhill

Today, I'm still off chasing dreams, but the same that I've really always been