Now, for a Proper Introduction

 

We figured it’s time for us to meet all of you splendid readers out there!

 

So… Meet, the Girls.

Hi, y’all! We’re Becky and Ginger! We met in October of 2006, working in Jacksonville, Florida. Over countless lunches at the Garden Shed Café, behind our office, we quickly discovered a mutual love for all things Southern.

 

Well, I guess it started way before all this.

 

Becky: “Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, where my father is a chef, and my mother is a music minister at church, my life is a ménage of their loves and also integrally affected by living in the south.  I have been blessed to travel and study abroad but lucky enough to realize the south is a little piece of heaven. 

Don’t fret, I do not subscribe to any theories of the south succeeding from the good old US of A, but I am partial to sweet tea, grits, roadside stands, Sunday school, winding porches and rocking chairs. 

There is something so soothing about seeing the sun rise over the mountains, or fog roll in over the pasture and even when you think the humidity and mosquitoes will run you ragged, the ocean’s breeze reminds you to be thankful and love each day while the ‘gettins good.’”

 

Ginger: “It’s Ginger here now! I was born and raised in the South. That’s the only way to put it. I came into the world and spent much of my time growing up (summers, every weekend we could spare…) in Lexington, Kentucky. That’s home to me. I love the blue grass, the rows and rows of beautiful fences surrounding pastures of thoroughbred horses grazing, and especially visiting my parents in their old, historic home in the heart of downtown. But growing up, my family soon moved to Nashville, Tennessee and then later to Birmingham, Alabama. I’ve also lived in Southaven, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; and Jackson, Tennessee. Whew! So, as you see, I’m a southern girl through and through. And from all these different areas, enjoyable customs, loyal friends, and definitely a close-knit family.

About two years ago, my husband and I headed down to Jacksonville, Florida, on our honeymoon, stopping in Birmingham, Atlanta, and Savannah along the way. We moved down here for Matthew to be commissioned as an officer into the United States Navy. I’ve fallen in love with living 3 miles from the beach, live oak trees, and the laid-back lifestyle that Florida offers.

Becky has become a dear friend, both at work, and around the town. We both love to spend an early summer evening sitting at a wrought-iron table at the Lemon Bar, or heading to the theatre to watch a good foreign film, and especially making each other come by respective desks each day to check out the other’s outfit!”

 

Sheryl Crow, A Southern Girl’s Rocker

 Sheryl Crow is the southern girl’s rocker.  People either love her, or hate her, but I just love her.  While I am the girliest of girls (no dirt between my toes please —evidently, I hated dirt, fuzz, and even sand between my toes and the toes of others as a child.  It really explains so much about me but we can save that for another day), I often dream of being a rocker.  You know the type, Gwen Stefani, Pat Benatar, Chrissie Hynde and the Sheryl Crow’s of the world, but in all actuality I would probably be a Maria Osmond (no offence but good god!).   There is something about some of these rockers that is so motivating, but knowing me it is probably just the clothing I love!  

Nevertheless, seeing Sheryl live in concert, is amazing.  This being the second time to see her in concert, I think the most recent experience was the best.  Two years ago, we drove to Tampa to see her and John Mayer in a double headliner.  The show was outdoors, super relaxed and the weather beautiful.   Her show last night was a bit different.   The Times Union Center in Jacksonville is a bit stuffy for her crowd and for some reason people attending at this venue never stand up.  Here I am, a young, southern, single gal and I just paid $70 to sit down all night and blissfully watch Sheryl sing her heart out.  NO, I do not think so, that is just not me.  I am going to stand with the rest of the weekend rebels and stand/dance for as long as my TopShop wedges will hold me. 

Sheryl’s show included some of her best and my favorite songs, Strong Enough, If it Makes You Happy, Soak Up the Sun, My Favorite Mistake, and The First Cut is the Deepest (formerly Cat Steven’s cover, formerly Steven Demetre Georgiou.  How many times can you change your name?).  However, the better part of the show featured her new album, Detours.  This album wasn’t my favorite but I wasn’t initially impressed by Wildflower either.  Somehow along the way you fall into the melodies and change your mind. Perhaps all of the politics in this album, so readily accessible in my ipod pushed me away or perhaps it was the harshness in her tone but all was forgotten to see even the songs I hated performed live.  Nothing, absolutely nothing can compare to a live performance.  Her band, back-up singers, lighting and sheer personality on stage gets me every single time, well, at least the two times I’ve seen her live.

My only regret for the evening is that we didn’t hear “Lullaby for Wyatt.” It is true, Sheryl Crow is a phenomenal lyricist and while I may never be a rocker or even a southern rocker, I can put on my concert clothes and dream.

 

Jailhouse Baby Rivers

Every good blues and jazz musician has a good stage name. Fats Domino, B. B. King, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters.

Last night, my husband and I, in search of decent bar-b-que, ate at Sticky Fingers, a local “Memphis style” chain. We moved from Memphis to Jacksonville about two years ago, and haven’t had a good rack of dry rub ribs since. So, our hopes were high. As we sat and waited on those steamy plates full of pork, we immersed ourselves in the atmosphere–black and white photographs of musicians, soulful music, and a big sign guiding us how to pick our “Blues Name.” I’ll thank you to now call me by my new name. I’ll go by Ginger “Jailhouse Baby” Rivers.

The formula is pretty simple: pick a good and salty adjective for your first name, any old object for your middle name, and then a simple Southern last name. Or, use this guide with your initials.

 

First Initial

A = Fat	J = Boney	S = Blind
B = Muddy	K = Curly	T = Big
C = Crippled	L = Pretty	U = Yella
D = Old	M = Jailhouse	V = Toothless
E = Texas	N = Peg Leg	W = Screamin’
F = Hollerin’	O = Red	X = Fat Boy
G = Ugly	P = Sleepy	Y = Washboard
H = Brown	Q = Bald	Z = Steel-Eye
I = Happy	R = Skinny

 

 

Middle Initial

A = Bones	J = Fingers	S = Bad Boy
B = Money	K = Boy	T = Baby
C = Harp	L = Liver	U = Chicken
D = Legs	M = Gumbo	V = Pickles
E = Eyes	N = Foot	W = Sugar
F = Lemon	O = Mama	X = Cracker
G = Killer	P = Back	Y = Tooth
H = Hips	Q = Duke	Z = Smoke
I = Lips	R = Dog

 

 

Last Initial

A = Jackson	J = Washington	S = Davis
B = McGee	K = Smith	T = Franklin
C = Hopkins	L = Parker	U = White
D = Dupree	M = Lee	V = Jenkins
E = Green	N = Thompkins	W = Bailey
F = Brown	O = King	X = Johnson
G = Jones	P = Bradley	Y = Blue
H = Rivers	Q = Hawkins	Z = Allison
I = Malone	R = Jefferson

 

Now all you need is a good name for your best girl–your guitar.

 

What’s your Blues alter-ego?

 

 

 

A Sandwich Short of a Picnic

The south hosts some of the best and yet overused terms of endearment.  Oh no, they are not insults, but rather extremely diplomatic ways of communicating disgust, revolt and all out horror. 

Hello, South!

Howdy! How y’all doin’? Yo’ momma ‘n’ dem doin’ aight?

Ok, so this blog won’t be THAT southern. We don’t all speak in that manner (though I do say y’all a fair amount). We are just two girls, Becky and Ginger, who do things that normal folks do, just with a Southern flair. We read books–good Southern literature, like To Kill a Mockingbird. We throw parties–just with a “Kentucky Derby” theme. We go on road trips–to gorgeous Southern cities like Savannah and Oxford. We watch movies–if we can, at the Art Deco theatre downtown showing “Gone with the Wind.”