Yes, Jeff Foxworthy, I probably am a Redneck...

and proud of it. No, I don’t live in a singlewide trailer but I’m not too proud to, if that’s what I have to do. I don’t cover every bare spot in my yard with colored lights at Christmas nor do I have two blow up snowmen and three Santa Clauses out there either but I do still call it Christmas and not holidays – as I expect my Jewish friends to celebrate Hanukah with the same freedom as I celebrate the birth of Jesus.

I have sunspots on my hands and I cherish the memories of how I got each one of them out digging in my garden. I can look back four generations on both sides of my family and see farmers and gardeners. Proud God fearing people as good and solid as the ground they tilled, most with horses and mules.

I’ve raised two redneck boys in the country where they learned to find the best bass spot in the creek, have known the thrill of reeling in a six or eight pound catfish from Papa’s pond, have taken their four wheelers places I don’t even want to know about. They both know the value of a day’s work well done. They have been taught to respect the elderly; they love and respect their Grandmother, are proud of being an American citizen and believe this is the greatest country in the world. I have a sweet little grandson who would rather ride the tractor with his daddy than eat! I’m proud of all of them.

I have lived in the country, raised chickens for their eggs-there’s nothing like a fresh brown egg right from the nest – I’ve had ponies and horses, goats and pot bellied pigs. Miss Piggy got into my house once and let in her friend the rooster – I was on the phone with a customer at the time that she pushed open the door. I can’t even imagine what that woman must have thought when I yelled at the kids to “Get that pig and chicken out of the house!”

My boys know how to grill a rack of ribs with the best of them –I make a pretty mean dry rub myself! I know that pit bull dogs make terrific pets and if they are raised right and socialized properly, they will not bite a child or another dog. That's my son Zack and his dog Toxic in the canoe on the red river at the top of this post.  I have had a Great Pyrenees dog that stayed in the house as much as he stayed out. He positioned himself between me and the door no matter where in the house I was. Woe be it to the person who came through that door with the intent to harm me but a friend was likely to be greeted with very sloppy kisses.

Yes, I have a bottle tree in my garden, a compost bin out back, meal worms for birds in my studio and I’d rather go to the creek to look for rocks than spend the day at the steeple chase.

At least I’ve earned my redneck honestly, planting flowers and pulling weeds under the hot southern summer sun – no better place to be - well maybe walking the beach to pick up sea shells is good too.

So if you love God and Country, aren’t afraid to say you belong to Jesus, think a biscuit and gravy for breakfast is just great, like your tea sweet and cold (well, I like mine hot with lemon too), you would rather dig in the dirt than go to a fashion show or most any where else, if you would choose a pickup truck over a sports car, a pair of jeans over a top designer outfit and a day in the sun versus a day at the office, you just might be a red neck too! Come on over, we’ll sit on the porch swing, have a glass of tea and talk about this years garden crops.