Welcome to the latest in my occasional series on southern expressions! Seriously, one of my favorite things about living in the South is hearing all the interesting things that people say here. I've picked up on a couple more since my last post on the topic.
Might could
Meaning: might be able to
Example: I might could stop by your house on Saturday after the kids' soccer game.
I actually first heard this expression in Seattle. I had a coworker who I believe was also from the Northwest, but her parents were from the South. One day I heard her on the phone with a customer discussing when a product would arrive, and she said, "We might could get that to you by Friday." I was seriously scratching my head over that one and figured she had mis-spoken, because what in the heck was "might could" supposed to mean? Would the product arrive by Friday or not??
In the South, though, might could is alive and well! There are many variations of this phrase, I've discovered. For example, you can say, "might ought to" (which is actually pronounced might otta).
Example: We might otta leave soon or else we'll miss seeing Suzy.
Translation: We should leave soon
It can also be used in the past conditional tense, like this.
Example: Oh, I wish I'd known you were coming to Memphis last weekend! We might coulda [could have] met up for some BBQ!
Early Attic
This phrase is so unique that I can't really find many references to it on the internet, at least to its definition. I feel as if I've stumbled upon a cultural relic, a rare archaeological-linguistic discovery! I just heard this one last week when a group of ladies were discussing furniture. One said, "Oh, when we first got married, most of our pieces were early attic." Another said, "Our house was full of early attic!" A couple of them laughed. I was really confused. I wondered if "Early Attic" was a brand of furniture or something, so I asked the person I was sitting by. She explained that it's a Southern expression meaning "hand-me down" because it refers to items that have collected in someone's attic. It's like a joke on "Early American" style furniture and is supposed to make your hand-me-downs sound fancier when you call them "Early Attic."
Ha ha! I like it!
A Hitch in Your Getalong
Meaning: you're moving/working/doing something too slowly, perhaps because of some impediment, whether temporary or permanent
I'm not 100% clear on the meaning of this expression. It was explained to me thusly: a person is walking too slowly and not keeping up with the rest of the group. One group member might turn back and say, "What's the matter? You got a hitch in your getalong?" I think that's a way to tell the person to hurry up.
However, the internet is now telling me it could mean the person has a limp or other type of problem that prevents them from moving as quickly as desired. It seems further field research is required on this topic...
Good thing I like field research :)
Southerners - if I have mangled any of these, please correct me! I'm trying to be a good anthropologist/social observer!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
I Want a Parliament
Babies are demanding lots of attention today so I don't have lots of time to research this topic and see what others have said. Instead, I'll just chime in with my 2 cents.
I think the U.S. should switch to a parliamentary system of government.
Yes, this would be a major change. But you know what? Our current system is so dysfunctional that we need to something radical to get things moving again.
If we had a parliament, we wouldn't be stuck in this two-party world, where every issue gets reduced to a binary equation of "pro" or "con," nuance is thrown out the window, and gridlock gets worse every year. I mean, even if you tend to side with one party more than the other right now, I bet you can think of a few issues where you don't really toe the party line. And our congressional districts are so gerrymandered that it just leads to further polarization.
It would be better if we could have lots of different political parties with representatives chosen by the percentage of votes that their party received. Voters could choose the party that best matched their values or represented their interests in that election. Then when it's time to undertake the hard task of governing, the politicians of the various parties would have to work together to reach consensus to get things done. Shocking idea!
I realize that this is probably never going to happen. I have lots of ideas that are unlikely to come to fruition. But I'll keep dreaming :)
I think the U.S. should switch to a parliamentary system of government.
Yes, this would be a major change. But you know what? Our current system is so dysfunctional that we need to something radical to get things moving again.
If we had a parliament, we wouldn't be stuck in this two-party world, where every issue gets reduced to a binary equation of "pro" or "con," nuance is thrown out the window, and gridlock gets worse every year. I mean, even if you tend to side with one party more than the other right now, I bet you can think of a few issues where you don't really toe the party line. And our congressional districts are so gerrymandered that it just leads to further polarization.
It would be better if we could have lots of different political parties with representatives chosen by the percentage of votes that their party received. Voters could choose the party that best matched their values or represented their interests in that election. Then when it's time to undertake the hard task of governing, the politicians of the various parties would have to work together to reach consensus to get things done. Shocking idea!
I realize that this is probably never going to happen. I have lots of ideas that are unlikely to come to fruition. But I'll keep dreaming :)
Friday, February 19, 2016
8 months!
It's the boys' 8-month birthday today! This means they are almost at the 6-month mark for their corrected age, since they were born a little more than 2 months early. I was looking back at some photos from their early days. Oh my! They certainly have come a long way in just a few months.
They have checkups with a physical therapist every 3 months. (Since they were preemies, they are more likely to have developmental delays.) At their last appointment earlier in February, they were on track for their corrected/adjusted age in most categories. That's good! I've noticed lately that B seems more into moving and rolling around than A is. B likes to flip over and flail about to get toys. A will maybe roll once, then after that he tries other techniques like kicking toys so he can reach them, or stealing things from his brother when in reach.
On the "mom" front, I think I might finally be getting the hang of things. I know I've said that before, but really, it's true this time :) The boys have settled into a fairly predictable routine. They get up at 7am and eat about every 3 hours. They are still napping after every feeding, however briefly. I think their 5:15pm "cat nap" will not be with us much longer, but maybe I can move bed time up a bit. As it is, they go to be around 7:15-7:30pm. They are still each waking up a couple times at night, but it's getting to be less and less, and they go back to sleep pretty easily (usually...hope I'm not jinxing myself by proclaiming this on the internet...).
I try to get us out of the house once a day. If we have nowhere specific to be, we at least take a walk or visit a park. When the weather is not cooperating, we might just go for a drive. We went to Kroger for the first time last week where we only got accosted by a couple grandma-types going, "Oh, are those twiiiiiiiiins? They are so preeeeeeeecious!" Seriously, if I ever need a pick-me-up, I just have to take the babies out in public and let them bring joy to the world.
They are really getting to be more active lately. I feel like they are kind of starting to figure life out, and it doesn't overwhelm them so much. They understand that bottles are for eating - they get excited and open their mouths widely when a bottle is in the vicinity. They both love to chew on their toes, or socks if I am so rude as to cover their toes with fabric. We've started feeding them a few solid foods. A thinks all food is awesome. B thinks it's mostly gross, except for pears, which are acceptable. A is happy to eat all of B's leftovers.
Well, that's the update from twin land. I suppose it might sound kind of boring to you, but to me, this is life now, and I'm enjoying it :)
They have checkups with a physical therapist every 3 months. (Since they were preemies, they are more likely to have developmental delays.) At their last appointment earlier in February, they were on track for their corrected/adjusted age in most categories. That's good! I've noticed lately that B seems more into moving and rolling around than A is. B likes to flip over and flail about to get toys. A will maybe roll once, then after that he tries other techniques like kicking toys so he can reach them, or stealing things from his brother when in reach.
On the "mom" front, I think I might finally be getting the hang of things. I know I've said that before, but really, it's true this time :) The boys have settled into a fairly predictable routine. They get up at 7am and eat about every 3 hours. They are still napping after every feeding, however briefly. I think their 5:15pm "cat nap" will not be with us much longer, but maybe I can move bed time up a bit. As it is, they go to be around 7:15-7:30pm. They are still each waking up a couple times at night, but it's getting to be less and less, and they go back to sleep pretty easily (usually...hope I'm not jinxing myself by proclaiming this on the internet...).
I try to get us out of the house once a day. If we have nowhere specific to be, we at least take a walk or visit a park. When the weather is not cooperating, we might just go for a drive. We went to Kroger for the first time last week where we only got accosted by a couple grandma-types going, "Oh, are those twiiiiiiiiins? They are so preeeeeeeecious!" Seriously, if I ever need a pick-me-up, I just have to take the babies out in public and let them bring joy to the world.
They are really getting to be more active lately. I feel like they are kind of starting to figure life out, and it doesn't overwhelm them so much. They understand that bottles are for eating - they get excited and open their mouths widely when a bottle is in the vicinity. They both love to chew on their toes, or socks if I am so rude as to cover their toes with fabric. We've started feeding them a few solid foods. A thinks all food is awesome. B thinks it's mostly gross, except for pears, which are acceptable. A is happy to eat all of B's leftovers.
Well, that's the update from twin land. I suppose it might sound kind of boring to you, but to me, this is life now, and I'm enjoying it :)
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Am I Middle-Aged?
In case there was any doubt that I'm not a Southerner, I'm going to do something very un-southern for a lady - reveal my age! I am, in fact, 35 years old. Born in 1980, I'll be hitting 36 later this year. (Eeek!)
Why does this matter? Well, I recently read an article about primary voting that referred to "younger" voters as those under 35, and "older voters" as those 45 and up. A couple thoughts came to mind: A) Does this mean I am no longer young? B) Since when is 45 old? C) Are political demographers saying that middle age only last for 10 years?
I guess I've always thought of myself as a young person. At some point, I'll have to acknowledge that I'm middle-aged, but couldn't we wait until I hit the 40 mark? And then I plan to hang on to the "middle" label for several decades. As I used to tell my grandmother, "You aren't old until you're over 85."
However, my body lately has been reminding me that I'm not as spry as I used to be. Taking a quick inventory, I could lament about issues or pains in my back, wrists, hands, knee, and toe. (Ha ha, I think I just wrote a new song to sing to the babies!) I'm sure that picking up two 15-pound little people multiple times a day isn't helping my situation, nor is crawling around on the floor with them...
Ok, time to go do some yoga stretches!
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Mental Health Check-In
Before I ever got pregnant, I was concerned that I might struggle with postpartum depression. Without going into specifics, let's just say that given my extended family tree, it wouldn't be a big surprise. And although I've never been officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I've certainly struggled with neurotic worrying from time to time. (DF has actually really helped me calm down in the years that I've known him. I have never met someone so even-keeled and unflappable as him. He's a good influence on me!)
Once I did become a mom, I was definitely on the lookout for any warning signs of PPD creeping in. But, it was hard for me to tell if I was depressed, or just exhausted from the sleep deprivation that comes with taking care of two babies. And I was too tired and stressed to really spend a lot of time pondering it, so I just plodded ahead, trying to keep the ship afloat and hoping things got better.
Recently, I found a website that is really helpful in this regard. It lists out what is normal new mom stress vs. PPD. The "healthy postpartum adjustment" list describes my experience pretty well. I only found about two things on the "postpartum distress" list that applied to me. That was a relief, actually! It seems like the main differentiating characteristic is that new mom stress comes and goes, whereas PPD is more constant and persistent. My emotions have been all over the place, both positive and negative. Apparently this is normal. I like being normal, mental health-wise.
I'm starting to feel even more like myself again now because I actually have time to do stuff. In the last couple weeks, I've really cut down on pumping. The boys seem to be doing just fine on formula (and a few bites of solids, too!). I'm glad I was able to provide breastmilk for them, at least in part, for the first 6 months. So now I have all this "free time" on my hands. Also, I get to sleep more. It's kind of amazing! I've been trying lots of new recipes and remembering that I actually do sort of like cooking. DF has been a good sport about my creations, including one attempt at using up leftovers that involved half a box of spaghetti, a can of queso, BBQ sauce, and shredded beef (technically ropa vieja). It was odd, but edible :)
In closing, let me just say that if you are a new mom and struggling to cope, please click here to read about the symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD. A lot of women experience these conditions. You are not alone, you're not a bad mom, and there is help available for you!
Once I did become a mom, I was definitely on the lookout for any warning signs of PPD creeping in. But, it was hard for me to tell if I was depressed, or just exhausted from the sleep deprivation that comes with taking care of two babies. And I was too tired and stressed to really spend a lot of time pondering it, so I just plodded ahead, trying to keep the ship afloat and hoping things got better.
Recently, I found a website that is really helpful in this regard. It lists out what is normal new mom stress vs. PPD. The "healthy postpartum adjustment" list describes my experience pretty well. I only found about two things on the "postpartum distress" list that applied to me. That was a relief, actually! It seems like the main differentiating characteristic is that new mom stress comes and goes, whereas PPD is more constant and persistent. My emotions have been all over the place, both positive and negative. Apparently this is normal. I like being normal, mental health-wise.
I'm starting to feel even more like myself again now because I actually have time to do stuff. In the last couple weeks, I've really cut down on pumping. The boys seem to be doing just fine on formula (and a few bites of solids, too!). I'm glad I was able to provide breastmilk for them, at least in part, for the first 6 months. So now I have all this "free time" on my hands. Also, I get to sleep more. It's kind of amazing! I've been trying lots of new recipes and remembering that I actually do sort of like cooking. DF has been a good sport about my creations, including one attempt at using up leftovers that involved half a box of spaghetti, a can of queso, BBQ sauce, and shredded beef (technically ropa vieja). It was odd, but edible :)
In closing, let me just say that if you are a new mom and struggling to cope, please click here to read about the symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD. A lot of women experience these conditions. You are not alone, you're not a bad mom, and there is help available for you!
Monday, February 1, 2016
How We Change
When I was a kid, I really didn't like being away from home. Inevitably, I wound up sick to my stomach at every sleepover I went to. My parents had to come pick me up from summer camp once because I was in such a miserable state. Perhaps this is a normal phase to go through, though it seemed to hang around for the better part of my childhood...
I recall when I went to college, about 200 miles away from my family, wanting to just quit and go home in the first few weeks. But I have a pretty vivid memory of walking through campus, feeling nervous and uncomfortable, when I told myself, "I am going to stay and it's going to get better. I'm going to enjoy college life." You know what? I made it! Not only did I survive college, but I really liked it. I branched out and tried new things like student government. I went on retreats, and my parents didn't have to come rescue me because I was turning green in the nurses office!
By my senior year, I got super brave and studied abroad in Central America. Knowing what I know now, I'm kind of surprised I got accepted into the program at all since I wrote in my application essay that I was "a paranoid hypochondriac"...uh, that's a red flag, people! Perhaps it explains why I got waitlisted, actually :) When I arrived in Costa Rica, I did have to deal with some nerves and anxiety at first, but my host family was really kind and patient with me. I settled in soon enough and had a superb experience overall, even though I was encountering new and different things every single day.
Before long, I was moving from Seattle to DC for school without batting an eye. That began my jet setting lifestyle, where I was flying back and forth across the country at least twice a year. Then upon relocating back to Seattle, I got a job that required such frequent travel that I was routinely achieving "elite" airline status. Travel no longer made me nervous; it became routine to the point that I always had my quart-sized zipper bag of liquids filled up and ready to go.
I say all this to explain why it's so strange to me now that I haven't been on an airplane in nearly a year. My subconscious is getting restless, I can tell - I keep having dreams that involve travel. I am not joking. Recent dreams have included airports, hotels, convention centers, boats, cruise ships, various types of buses, bus stops, and all sorts of travel-related scenarios.
Who would have thought the girl who used to be scared to spend the night at a friend's house would now be itching to go explore somewhere new? I hope I can instill a love of "newness" and adventure in my kids. Maybe they'll inherit their father's easy-going nature, rather than their mother's penchant for worrying.
I recall when I went to college, about 200 miles away from my family, wanting to just quit and go home in the first few weeks. But I have a pretty vivid memory of walking through campus, feeling nervous and uncomfortable, when I told myself, "I am going to stay and it's going to get better. I'm going to enjoy college life." You know what? I made it! Not only did I survive college, but I really liked it. I branched out and tried new things like student government. I went on retreats, and my parents didn't have to come rescue me because I was turning green in the nurses office!
By my senior year, I got super brave and studied abroad in Central America. Knowing what I know now, I'm kind of surprised I got accepted into the program at all since I wrote in my application essay that I was "a paranoid hypochondriac"...uh, that's a red flag, people! Perhaps it explains why I got waitlisted, actually :) When I arrived in Costa Rica, I did have to deal with some nerves and anxiety at first, but my host family was really kind and patient with me. I settled in soon enough and had a superb experience overall, even though I was encountering new and different things every single day.
Before long, I was moving from Seattle to DC for school without batting an eye. That began my jet setting lifestyle, where I was flying back and forth across the country at least twice a year. Then upon relocating back to Seattle, I got a job that required such frequent travel that I was routinely achieving "elite" airline status. Travel no longer made me nervous; it became routine to the point that I always had my quart-sized zipper bag of liquids filled up and ready to go.
I say all this to explain why it's so strange to me now that I haven't been on an airplane in nearly a year. My subconscious is getting restless, I can tell - I keep having dreams that involve travel. I am not joking. Recent dreams have included airports, hotels, convention centers, boats, cruise ships, various types of buses, bus stops, and all sorts of travel-related scenarios.
Who would have thought the girl who used to be scared to spend the night at a friend's house would now be itching to go explore somewhere new? I hope I can instill a love of "newness" and adventure in my kids. Maybe they'll inherit their father's easy-going nature, rather than their mother's penchant for worrying.
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