Mommy and Daddy

When the oldies were with us, she would often instruct the husband:

You need to spend some time with your daddy.

Or, one of her sons would call and after their visit, she would say:

Now you need to talk to your daddy.

My mother and her sisters called their fathers (Wild Bill and Pa) "Daddy" until their dying day.

"Mommy" doesn't stick around as long. It changes to Mom, Mama, Mother, etc. Why is that? I remember the year I stopped being Mommy. I became Mom. I can promise you that my mother remembers this transition in her life.

I don't call my father "Daddy." But thanks to the southern influence in my life, "Dad" has multiple syllables so it sort of comes out the same way.

No Ma'am and Yes Sir

I haven't figured out if I'm more Yankee or Southern. I have a foot in both camps.

We've had two nephews visit recently. They're both well-mannered. Every sentence begins or ends with "Sir or Ma'am." If they miss something, instead of saying, "Pardon me?" they say, "Ma'am?" The oldies just scream, "What?!"

A lot of women get irritated if they are called Ma'am. It makes them feel old. In the south, it's the norm and I find it charming.

The baby doesn't say "Sir or Ma'am" very often. (If he does, it's tongue in cheek.) He does use last names, i.e Mrs. Lee or Mr. England. Many of these people have decided that he is now an adult and can call them by their first names. He can't do it.

I was sitting outside with my nephew last night and my neighbor came through the gate. He said, "Would that be Miss Pam?" I said, "Yes sir, it is."

I guess the southern side wins.

Well, Shut My Mouth!

I love southern expressions. This is one of my faves.

I think this one comes from someone doing something jaw-dropping and unexpected. In my world, it's taken on a new meaning. I'm trying to learn to shut my mouth. Everyone does not need to know my opinion. This is the hardest habit I've ever tried to change. I'm not there yet.

The oldies wouldn't say "sh**" if they had a mouth full of it. (Another of my favorite southern expressions.) Sometimes they look at me, all wide-eyed, like "I can't believe that came out of your mouth."

I do a little mantra in my mind: Shut up, shut up! Give me two glasses of wine and that's no longer an option.