*under construction*


13 February 2009

Southern Charm

Even though I was born and currently live in California, I lived my middle years and have deep roots in the South. Both my parents' and each of their families, are all original Virginians. My father broke protocal and took his little family away from the South and went out west to attend Stanford. While in California, much to all four of my grandparents dismay, my little brother and I were both born native Californians. My parents did, however, return us, eventually, to the bosom of the South, albeit to North Carolina, Virginia's closest southern neighbor, where my father did his residency, and later practiced medicine.

12 years later, like my father, I too left the South, destined for California to attend school -- but unlike him, I went to Southern California, and I never moved away again. I go back and visit the South on occasion, and I do truly love it, and part of my heart will always belong to it - but my life and the rest of my heart is and always will be here in California.

When I think of the South, I think of these things - and through the photos of Mr. Greenjeans, I thought I'd share some memories of my childhood -- the beauty and the grace of Southern Charm.




Gorgeous Iron Garden Benches
The touch of cool metal is nice on a balmy Summer evening...


Artifacts of Life
The country roads were and are beautiful living Art.


Carolina Jasmine after the rain
One of the distinct smells of my Southern memories...


Conversations and Contemplations
Come on and sit a spell...


Rusted out iron benches and falling leaves -
The epitome of Autumn


Glorious and tasty Honeysuckle
It isn't a Southern summer without it


I Smell Biscuits Baking ...
From age 6 to 18 I had horses - some of my very best memories...


From the Gardens -
this photo is from deeper South than where I lived - we had no Spanish Moss - but I saw it when we'd visit St. Simons Island, and as long as you didn't touch it, it was beautiful. I found that out the hard way as a kid, and grabbed handfuls of it from the trees, and got a bad infestation of chiggers on my hands and arms!

Rock away the afternoon
Sweet tea and stories


The end of the day and days gone by.
There is just something wildly romantic about the South.
There is a certain grace and beauty found nowhere else.
I miss that.
...that and the storytelling...
I'll have to go back and visit.
Soon.
*
Happy Valentines Day.
*
Come see what everyone else is hooked on over at Julia's Hooked on Valentines Party!
All Photos taken by Mr. Greenjeans

21 comments:

vicki archer said...

I adore this post Isa - I would so love to visit the South. xv

jerseygirl211 said...

Good Morning Isa,

Ahh, the South.... Our days are still cold here, although I do see a glimps of warmer weather to come every so often. The photos you shared today are so beautiful and warms the heart.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Hugs
'D'

Velvet and Linen said...

I keep telling Steve that our next trip has to be somewhere in the South. I know that we are going to New Orleans in April for a design conference, but I would also love to visit the Carolinas. Maybe when the kids are little bigger!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful images.
Happy Valentine's day, Isa.

xo
Brooke

cottage farm villa said...

Isa, this has to be one of the most beautiful posts I have seen! I LOVE it. The photos captured the southern life beautifully. It is like I say, California is heaven on earth (to those of us who love it)....but the charm of the south and the people of the south.... (there is nothing on earth like it!) Happy Valentines Day! ~Cheryl xo

~ Lisa @ AbidingThere~ said...

Chiggers! Reminds me of Girl Scout camp here in the South :) Thanks for the pretty post.

a quiet life said...

so many gorgeous pics, you sure know how to find them and evoke wonderful emotions with your musing~

happy valentines day

Carla said...

HI Isa, these photos are words are beautiful. We would all love the South after this. Thanks so much Carla x

Helen said...

Dear Isa ... what a wonderful trip down memory lane and to the beautiful South. My favorite photo today? The horse!
Happy Heart Day to you ....

Anonymous said...

Beautiful tour! I know a little bit about the south and would love to spend some more time there, especially in the Charleston with its islands. Have a great V!

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

What a lovely post! I love the South and your photographs are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful weekend! :-)

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Isa, this was beautiful! And elegantly shows that the South is a state of mind, not so much a region.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Anonymous said...

You make the south seem like another universe. It's positively hypnotic through your lens! It looks like the kind of place you have to live in to really enjoy the little things, like the dew, sunset, just quiet times of the day. Thanks for taking us there!

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

How lucky you are, to have lived in the South. -sigh- I never have, and I wish I had. -sigh-

I especially love the Southern way of referring to all 'women of a certain age,' as 'Miss.' Oh yes I do. I so wish all would do this for me, now. But -sigh-...

Aunt Amelia
"I stood and watched the evening star
As long as it watched me."
~ Sara Teasdale

Fifi Flowers said...

BEAUTIFUL photos!
ENJOY your day!
Fifi

Anonymous said...

Great post and your blog is beautiful!
-Kim

Musings From A French Cottage said...

Ahhh yes, the South - there's no place like it. I grew up in Virginia and my sister currently lives in Charleston, SC. Such beauty in those photos and ohhh the memories. Thank you for the beautiful trip down memory lane!

Happy Sunday,
Kathleen

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Oh the south. Still so foreign, yet familiar to me.

The pic of the horses grazing got me hands down. Life slows. For sure.

Beautiful post!

Anonymous said...

mmm...honeysuckle.

if you ever want to visit the South, come see me at my blog! i'm in georgia. :)

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Ah yes, this looks like home. There's even an iron bench in our back garden and honeysuckle rambling over the fence, and yes, I do make biscuits!

west by south said...

My Southern roots and West Coast views are in constant conflict...but not necessarily in a bad way...thus my user name! Thank you for sharing such lovely photos...they really are special.

The Antiques Diva™ said...

The images you use are so incredible... they make me want to paint, to decorate, to create, to color the world beautiful! Thanks for inspiring me. Did you ever read the book The Artist Way? One of the tenents is to take an "artist date" every day... my date today was visiting your site!
Thanks!
Toma, aka The Antiques Diva