Road Trip: Oxford, The Grove

So the first stop on our main event (well, after we finally got off the exit and found a parking space–all part of the experience!) trip to Oxford, Mississippi was The Grove.

A  picturesque park in the middle of campus, this heart of Ole Miss is tailgating headquarters during football season.

Thousands of tailgaters bring their tents, “refreshments,” and friends out rain or shine and party until the game starts. And plenty of others keep on going through the game, bringing elaborate televison and sound systems to make sure to watch the game.

If you’re going to spend time in Oxford, the Grove is an absolute must. You’ll never see anything like it. Make sure you wear your Sunday best. You’ll see many more prim dresses and gentlemen in ties than you will t-shirts and hoodies. All part of the Southern charm!

 

NaNoWriMo

No, I’m not speaking in tongues. And no, it’s not a new technology that you have to keep up with. (Though I wouldn’t blame you if you thought that. I did too the first time I heard of such a thing.) Quite the opposite. NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth is a month long writing “contest” focused on getting us all to do that thing we all always mean to get around to, you know, someday, when we have the time, when we’re not so busy, or when we go on vacation, or when the mood or the story or the words strike us just right. You know? Get around to writing that Great American (Southern) Novel. But they rarely do, do they?

I first heard of NaNoWriMo in 2007. Newly married, living in a new city, knowing no one, and a little overwhelmed, to be honest, this mission was just what I needed. I heard of the project, beginning November 1st, in late October, so with not much time to worry, or anticipate just how difficult this might be, I embarked. Armed with only an 8-year old laptop (perfect, by the way… as there was zero temptation to browse the internet when I was supposed to be writing my 2,000 words a day), I began the project with a goal of writing a 50,000 word novel in the span of only 30 days.

Remember that part where we were talking about how we’ll all get around to writing that novel, someday? Well, see, as we all know, even as Southerners who take it slow, that someday rarely comes. And even if it does, we stress ourselves out to much about quality to get out more than the first few pages.

So NaNoWriMo’s mission is simple. Just do it. And do it fast. Quick. Jump right in like that freezing cold lake the first of spring and just swim. For 30 days. Sure, when you get out, your numb, can barely think straight. And hey, yes, your fingers can barely move (wow, didn’t realize how well that metaphor was gonna work out), but you have something. And no, that thing is not usually the Great American Novel (though if you’re lucky, you’ve got the makings of the beginnings of a thought of one). No, you’ve got… the perfect cocktail party anecdote. Just try not impressing your friends when you casually mention, “In my first novel, I explored the character named Joy.”

And even if you’re too shy to tell anyone, you have written a novel. How many people can say that? Well, I’ll tell you how many more people can say that as of November 30th. About 15,000 of them. And you can be one of them.

So, I tell you all this to say, that this year, I’ll embark again. To be honest, the first year, I bored even myself by about the third chapter. Last year, I actually really related to my characters. And this year, I hope to be the next Dostoevsky (albeit, a Southern Mr. Fyodor).

So, in these high hopes, I’m giving fair warning to you, all our dear SIT readers (and to you, my dear friend, Becky, to whom I shall be indebted through all of Christmas season), that I will be a slacker this month when it comes to cooking, cleaning, sleeping — anything but writing will take a hit. Waking up early, staying up late, all but ignoring my dear in-laws as they travel far to risk their lives as I prepare Thanksgiving dinner while distracted on the final twist of the deeply dimensional, yet not overly contrived characters. Yes, dear friends, while someday I hope to share with you, and the world (excuse me, Random House, are you listening??) my Great American Novel, for this month, I pray you’ll forgive me while I ignore you, dear cyber friends, in pursuit of this goal. And in exchange, you can berate me, mock me, chastise me for the rest of time if I don’t finish (how’s that for motivation come November 27th when I’m certain I can’t write another word?). That is, unless you’d like to join me?

P.S. – For those of you who are not crazy, I’ve “banked” a few articles to automatically post thanks to our beloved WordPress publishing feature, so you won’t be totally left devoid of all Ginger POV (that’s point of view, for those of you non-writers — look at me being all cocky so far) this month. You can look forward to some savory doughnuts, a little Athens love (of course), a tribute to one of my inspirations, Flannery O’Connor, and of course, a few Tuesday Tips. Cheers!

Released Released

Released by Tina Thompson

You’ll all remember my wonderful mother (whom I affectionately call Lady) who wrote for us a great post a while back about her historic home. Well, she’s not just a great guest blogger, she’s a published author.

Today, my sweet mom’s book Released was, well, released!

About her experience of struggling with depression and anxiety, she wrote this practical guide to help those struggling with the same through it. But it’s so much more than just a guide.

She shares her experiences, troubles, and how she found answers, ultimately in God, with us all. While I feel like I knew my Lady better than almost anyone, I was shocked and surprised to learn about how deep a depression she went through when I was much younger, too young to remember. What a strong Lady! (And not technically a Southerner by birth, but she got here as quick as she could, and has lived in the South more than half her life.)

While hundreds of thousands of folks write books every year, few of those ever get read by publishers. And even fewer of them get picked up to be published. And for most of those, it takes years of submission.

Tate Publishing picked hers up almost instantly. We tease because my dad is a writer by trade, and my mom is the first in the family to complete a book. (Though my third pursuit starts on Sunday!)

If you know anyone who is struggling or has struggled with depression or anxiety, this book is worth a read. At 96 pages, it won’t overwhelm someone going through these types of trials. And if you’re fortunately enough to never have undergone such a time, I can tell you from personal experience, I’ve learned so much from this book. We as humans are designed to live and work a certain way. Our souls are designed, while not to always be happy, not to be in the bondage of depression or anxiety. So it’s definitely worth a read.

Pick it up here at her site, or at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.

Congratulations, Lady! We’re so proud of you for overcoming and for writing this guide to help others through it!

Washington Horse Show

Photo from About.com (Washington, D.C.)

It’s ironic that this Kentucky girl doesn’t ride horses. I’ve tried a time or two, but everytime I get on one of these powerful animals, I start to holler, and the last thing you want to do on a trotting horse is to holler unless you want that trot to turn into a gallop.

But I do love to watch them. There is no animal more beautiful in the animal kingdom. Whether they are performing, racing, or simply being walked by an owner, this ancient creature has a long history with humans. (Who didn’t cry as a child, reading Black Beauty?)

So if you’re lucky enough to live in Washington D.C. this week, I hope you get a chance to attend the Washington International Horse Show.

Road Trip: Chattanooga Pics

Here are few pictures of the inside of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.  This historical sight in Chattanooga, which we will talk more about next week, is worth a stop on your next trip.  

All pictures are from www.sweeticedtea.wordpress.com

Like Buttah!

Ok, these are the reasons we Southerners get a bad name, but somebody tell me this doesn’t look delicious.

It’s that fall time of the year. Time for visits to the apple orchard, picking out pumpkins, and state fairs.

And Dallas-native Abel Gonzales Jr. is at it again (he’s the guy who invented such delicasies as fried cookie dough and fried Coke. This year, he’s dreamed up fried butter.

I mean, we’d all have to eat salads for a month, but I would love to get my hands on a pipping hot ball of fried butter!

Pumpkin Patch

What could be more fun than the absolute joy of finding the perfect pumpkin?  I will tell you, not much.  Whether you plan on carving, stenciling or just admiring your pumpkin, they are the quintessential fall accessory and usher in a feeling of fall, even if it is warm outside.  On our road trip this past weekend, we happened upon the best pumpkin patch at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford, Mississippi.  The pumpkins reminded me of the many endearing aspects of a southern fall, such as, hay rides, October festivals, changing leaves, mountain ranges, SEC and ACC (minus Boston College) football, and cooler weather.

What do you plan to do with your pumpkins this year?

All pictures are from www.sweeticedtea.wordpress.com.

Road Trip with Sweet Iced Tea

Sweet Iced Tea Roadtrip

You might of noticed we’ve been m.i.a. the past week. Where were we, you ask? We’ve been in the good ol’ South, of course! (We’re glad you missed us!)

As promised, we’ve seen some of our favorites states: Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi. So, in the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you highlights of our favorite points of the trip. Of course, through all the iPod playlists, references to the map, and snack breaks, we were thinking of you, friends and readers!

On the road again…

Now the Summer’s Over Roundup

Well, y’all… the summer’s officially over, but I know most of us still have a few hot days out there of shorts and backyard cookouts. Still, we thought we’d round up our list of things we suggested you do as a Southerner all in one place. So if you didn’t get to these all these past few months, don’t worry (neither did we!). Sweet Iced Tea will be here all throughout the year, dreaming up more activities, nostalgia, and just plain ol’ Southern charm. We know you’ll get around to them eventually.

We kicked off the summer with a dance! It’s not too late to get out there and dance in the streets, your living room, or a community hoedown.

Then, we planned our great Southern road trip. Where did it take you?

Next, we ate some veggies (seasonally summer, of course).

Becky took us out to the beach, of course.

We found ourselves a summer theme song.

… went shopping.

… learned about the joys and pain of owning a historic home from Tina Thompson.

And ate some more veggies! (My, weren’t we enjoying our Southern right to eat this summer, weren’t we?)

Went to Graceland.

And took a walk.

There was so much more throughout the summer, including visits to North Carolina, New York City (through the eyes of a Southern girl, of course), and Alabama. We learned about bees and honey, watched the moon, made some cobbler, and caught some fireflies. Shew! We were busy between all that relaxing!

So now that summer’s over, here’s to fall at Sweet Iced Tea!

Deep South Art Exhibit

I’ve written before about Grace Bonney from design*sponge. I love her, and she loves the South, so we just wanted all our fellow Southern readers to know about this great art exhibit, curated by Grace of D*S. Artists include Tim Wirth, Katie Runnels, Denise Falk, Stephanie Howard, and Emily Marie Cox.

The South certainly doesn’t receive enough exposure for its many charms, let alone our up and coming and thriving art community. So through August 31^st, this New Hampshire-based art gallery is featuring this Deep South art exhibit in their Northeastern gallery. Even if you can’t travel up to Yankee-ville, make sure you stop by and check out some of the beautiful and interesting designs by fellow Southerners.