What Makes Me Southern...and What Doesn't

Quite some time ago, probably at least a year ago, while sitting in a doctor's office waiting room, I was skimming magazines when I stumbled across an article with a title something along the lines of "Why I'm a Self Proclaimed Southern Belle". I cannot remember for the life of me what magazine it was. But it enters my mind from time to time when I do anything that gets labeled "a Southern thing". I will preface this by saying, I married a "Yankee". Not the New York kind (which I am especially thankful for during baseball season)...the born in Illinois, raised in Wisconsin kind. My sweet, loving, Yankee husband just looooves to point out my innate "southern-ness". If it weren't for this, I'd probably never be able to make such a list as this...

What Makes Me Southern:
- I say "y'all" daily. Sometimes I say "y'all" and I'm only referring to one person. Oops.
- I say "yes ma'am/sir, no ma'am/sir", but not in the usual sense, like answering an elder or peer, though I do try to do that too. This is one of those things Ryan likes to point out. Example, recently, Chloe (yes, our cat) was scratching the carpet. I scolded her by saying "NO MA'AM!" in a stern voice. Ryan laughed. Apparently, this makes me Southern.
- 1/2 of my genetics make me Southern. My Maternal Grandparents were born and raised in Mississippi. My Mom was born in Knoxville, TN and raised in Louisville, KY.
- I call my mother "Mama". She called her parents "Mother & Daddy". Ryan swears no one up north does that.
- I have random little make-up tips that my friends who aren't raised by "Southern Folk" think are weird. Oh, you want an example? Okay. I never leave home without lipstick. That may seem normal...but my reasoning may not. Need a little color in your cheeks? Dab some lipstick on your cheeks and smooth in. My friend Heather, who is from Mississippi, already knew this trick. My friend Ashley, who is from PA, looked at me like I had lost my mind when she witnessed me doing this.
- Even though I fight it hard, I say a lot of words with a drawl.
- I'm overly girly. That's putting it nicely...Ryan calls me "dainty". I know, there are a lot of Southern girls who hunt and fish...I guess my point is that I tend to lean towards the "Belle" in the term.

What Doesn't:
- I don't like Iced Tea...or tea of any kind really.
- My favorite city to visit in the US of A is Boston.
- The other 1/2 of my genetics. My Dad was born & raised in a suburb near Chicago. My Paternal Grandmother was from Minnesota.
- I called my father "Daddy" growing up, but as I got older, that has changed to "Pop". Apparently, this is a "Chicago" trait. Its a totally learned behaivor, because my Dad and his brother both called my Gramp "Pop".
- I LOVE northern accents like PA (see Bam Margera), Chicago and especially Boston.
-Even though it's totally odd, sometimes I say words like I'm from the northern states. Maybe this is from my Dad's family...or Ryan...or both? Who knows.

So, there you have it. I guess instead of being a "Self Proclaimed Southern Belle", I'm a "Self Proclaimed Mutt". And I'm good with that. Oh boy, are our kids in store for some confusion...