I must admit, most times if you asked I would say that I would rather not live in The South, particularly Florida. But, tonight, as I was driving home from church I came across one "southern" thing that makes me glad I'm here.
It might sound a bit odd, but I love Magnolia trees. About two blocks away from my house is this old, old southern home with a huge Magnolia tree in the front yard. The tree is well over three stories tall (however many feet that makes it) and is full of beautiful white blossoms from top to bottom. If you've never seen a Magnolia you've missed out (I might have to go take a picture and rectify that situation). The leaves are a very dark shade of green on top and the underside is almost sage. And the blossoms, well, they are beautiful, ivory and huge. They don't last long (only a couple of hours) once you cut them, but they smell so great. It's one of the things I love about summers in Florida...Magnolia blooms.
If you've ever seen the movie Steel Magnolias you might wonder at the title. Let me explain, a Magnolia tree is beautiful and graceful, and yet it is unpenetrable; nothing, not even grass, grows under a magnolia tree because it's leaves are so dense. The idea behind the movie is that Southern women, like Magnolia trees, are beautiful and graceful, but completely unassailable. I'm not so sure I agree with the analogy, but I still like the movie.
So, there it is, my one southern thing I love.
