Caddywonked is an idea that has long been in development. What does it mean? Any self-respecting southerner knows that it is a crazy word for "sideways," unconventional, askew. Apparently, I'm not very self-respecting, as this word only recently entered my vernacular. But it perfectly describes exactly what this space is all about. I was born and raised in the south. But I'm a little caddywonked. Also sometimes phrased "caddywompus" and I've also seen "cattawompus." My Daddy was a methodist preacher's son and nearly a preacher himself. He was a desegregationist and a libertarian and came to distrust organized religion. My mother is part-Cajun and part-Mississippi Irish, raised Catholic in New Orleans and now avowedly non-Catholic. She was also a speech pathologist, so I have excellent non-regional dialect. And, bless my heart, I'm a mess.
I love food. I mean...I LOVE food. Not sea urchin, though. I am obsessed with azaleas, dogwoods, redbuds and hydrangeas. If I could turn my backyard into the green of the 12th hole at Augusta National, I would do it in a heartbeat. I love books. All kinds. Even trashy romance or "chick-lit." Despite my southern heritage, I prefer weather in the 40s and 50s. I've lived in New Orleans, Arizona and Arkansas. I loved living in Scotland's weather the most, and I've had the itch to move away from Arkansas for a few years now. I want to try the Pacific Northwest now. Or Colorado. Or Florida. Maybe New England. I'm a recovering lawyer. I rashly quit my cushy job with the big corporation and sent my husband off to pastry school. I have no idea where we are headed. So, naturally, I adopted a third dog to go along with the two young kids. My mind is horribly scattered and I'm woefully disorganized. There's no telling what I'll talk about on any given day.
