I am turning into a Southerner. It will take a few more months of summer to do it, but I am well on my way to becoming unrecognizable to my family and friends. No, it's not a new haircut or new clothes. It's not new eyeliner, new nose job or even new accent. It's me.

Back in my northwest days, there wasn't ever a really dull moment. I would be busy carting my kiddlings to the play place or a park or a play date. If all of that failed, we would take a walk or visit Mom or just hang out with my sisters. I might go to the zoo or the Rose Garden or Sip 'n' Krantz. I was always on the troll for things to do with the kids, outings to out on and freebies to go to. There was MOPS. There was the weekly puppet show, the library and the monthly Veggietale movie, not to mention church and twice weekly bible study and the small group meeting twice a month.

As I write this, I shudder. How could I have ever been so insane to think that this was healthy for my kids? And then I remeber that it's because it is cold, rainy and gray for nine months of every year in the Northwest IF there is an exceptionally dry summer. And, I think that is the difference between the Northwest and the South.

In the Northwest, I would pack the kids into the car and go to the zoo. In the South the kids just play in the backyard and occasionally come screaming to me about some strange bug or insect they've just caught. In the Northwest, I would take the kids to a fountain on a nice day so that they could splash around in rainboots. In the South, the kids just play on the sidewalk during a rainstorm. In the Northwest, I would meet someone at a coffee shop in order to talk and socialize. In the South, I just sit outside on the porch and if someone wants to chat they join me.

And that is what has led me to believe that very soon no one will recognize me. I already have the rocking chair, though it isn't on the front porch, yet. I've learned how to make a great lemonade, though I don't have the clear, tall pitcher that everyone else seems to have. I have fans galore, though none of them are outdoor fans, yet, and I have a nice tan, though I've burned a couple of times so it is peeling.

Soon, ver soon, I expect to have a permanent Souther drawl. I expect to not notice tan lines. I expect to master the concept of ice tea. I also expect to get a porch swing and a couple of big oak trees in my front yard. That's when I know I've turned 100% southern.

My dentist asked me how we were doing with all the heat, and my remark was: I'm still waiting for the unbearable part. She said that the unbearable part was pretty much over. Good'onya!
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