I've Been Here Too Long

It's official: I'm a Kentuckian. It won't be true chronologically until 2008, when I will have lived here as long as I lived in Ohio. But, it is culturally true right now. It has seeped into my bones. How do I know? This supposedly educated woman told her daughter that, though she'd been invited to go to Germany this year for a horse competition, it would depend on "who'all is going".

All is a word used liberally here. It doesn't seem superfluous because it is artfully blended into the word preceding it. Y'all might understand if your'alls neighbors all talked this way, even the ones that are teachers. You'all (saying YOU instead of y'all is used when emphasizing YOU)might know who'all is from around here if you'all just listen to the way we'all talk.

You can shoot me now and put me out of my misery.

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On another note, I received this correspondence from my dad about the storms in northeastern Ohio:
(note: Diane is my sister and Dad's apartment is attached to her house)

I suppose you really don't think much about your electricity till you don't have it. Last night about 11:15 pm I heard what sounded like a freight train off in the distance and I have always heard this means a Tornado is in the area.

I kept listening to it and all of a sudden a torrent of rain slashed against my bedroom window for just a minute or so and then the lights went out.at first I groped my way into the living room to retrieve my flashlight and sat there in the glow of that waiting for the lights to come back on as they usually do (They did not!) I then lit up my old time kerosene lamp which wasn't much better. Diane fussed at me saying it was too dangerous to use so I turned it off and tried to do some reading by flashlight.

After an hour of that I went to bed. In the morning we still had no power but Diane came to my rescue with a large 20oz. cup of coffee I think Joe picked up on the way back from his workout, It really tasted good as I was sure I Was sure I would have to go without.

So I went TV shopping today and on my way out you could see that what looked like a mini tornado came across the property and took off a large limb by the gate which brought down the power line. You could see the line it traveled as it crossed the field knocking down one fence crossed the field and knocked down another one and toppled several trees beyond that, a neighbor also lost a very large tree.

When I got home from shopping I had to leave my car at the gate as the power co. truck was blocking the drive. The power did not com back on till about 3:30 this afternoon. I have to go now and get my car at the gate.