Thanksgiving

I am not typically one to be warm and fuzzy and share sappy sentiments. In fact, I know that I can be hypercritical about most things. But I do love the season of Thanksgiving. So, without getting too sappy, here's a list of the things I am most thankful for...

1. My parents, for everything
2. My little brother, for making me laugh on a daily basis
3. My grandparents
4. My extended family
5. My church family from Springfield, Fayette, Sulphur Springs, and Mt. Harmony
6. The opportunity I had to be involved with children's ministry at Sulphur Springs
7. MUW and my great professors
8. My mentor teachers at New Hope
9. My retail job (even on days like Black Friday)
10. My Aunt Wanda, for being the best roommate ever
11. The ability to cook (especially Thanksgiving specialties like turkey and dressing)
12. My (ever growing) book collection
13. Baseball, a.k.a. The Greatest Sport Ever
14. Alabama Football (Roll Tide!)
15. America and all the soldiers who have sacrificed their time and lives so that I can enjoy my freedom
16. Country music (especially the old stuff)
17. Being Southern
18. Big, comfy sweatshirts
19. Family recipes that have been handed down for generations
20. Family traditions

The Hissy Fit

I have thrown many school-stress-induced hissy fits this semester. They look a little like this...

According to Urban Dictionary, a hissy fit is defined as "a sudden outburst of temper, often used to describe female anger at something trivial."

While hissy fits are not exactly lady-like, sometimes they are just necessary. They are also uniquely Southern. I am sure that women from every region have meltdowns at some point (because, honestly, no woman can be expected to get through life without falling apart every now and then), but the term "hissy fit" only applies to those ladies who are lucky enough to be from somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon line.

As a Southern woman, I can totally vouch for the benefits of throwing the occasional hissy fit. They aren't pretty, and I truly feel sorry for any witnesses or (heaven forbid) victims of irrational Southern female anger, but sometimes a girl just needs to let off some steam. And when you go to Subway during your already way too short lunch break and stand in line for twenty minutes only to find out that they are out of wheat bread and turkey (WHAT KIND OF SANDWICH SHOP RUNS OUT OF TURKEY???) sometimes you just can't help but to snap.

Not that being stressed makes it okay to rant and rave like a crazy person. It is never okay to take your anger out on others. Before you start thinking that I screamed at the Subway worker, you should know that my mama did raise me to be more of a lady than that and that I let out an annoyed sigh, marched out of the store, and reserved my hissy fit for when I was totally alone in my car. I am totally aware that having a hissy fit did nothing to fix the situation. Subway didn't instantly get more turkey and make me a sandwich after that. But having that hissy fit led to something else. After I did it, after I screamed and punched the steering wheel and kicked the tires on the car, I did something else. I laughed. And what is it they say about laughter? It's the best medicine, right? Right. Especially for stress.

We Southern ladies know that our hissy fits are not rational. We know that they are slightly ridiculous. And we usually laugh at ourselves after we throw them. But they are so engrained into our personalities (probably because we saw our mothers and grandmothers throw them from time to time) that we really can't help it.

So cut us Southern ladies some slack about our hissy fits, okay, y'all?

And, if anyone from Subway is reading this, don't EVER run out of turkey, okay?

Nutty November

This month is going to be nuts! On top of having a 20 page research paper, my creative writing portfolio, and a major instructional unit due for school, I am trying to get a part-time job and I have to get 20 observation hours done so that I can begin my student teaching in the spring. I'm also going to be helping my parents finish remodeling their house and I am supposed to help my grandmother paint her bathroom. Add apartment hunting to that, and my plate is going to be pretty full.

I am determined to end this November in better shape than I am starting it, so I am going to be doing this 30 day Ab and Squat Challenge on top of my normal workout routine. (I really need a workout buddy for this so that I can't slack off just because I get busy.)

I may not get a chance to post much this month, but here are some of the things I am really looking forward to in the crazy, jam-packed month:

The Good Doctor presented by MUW Theatre Department - November 7-9

Alabama vs. LSU - November 9

Thanksgiving - November 28

The Iron Bowl - November 30