Country roads take me home... to the place... I BELLLOONNNGGGG!!!

We had to make a trip to good ole GA last Thursday for D's grandmas funeral. While it was a sad occasion, we decided to try and make the best of it. Sure, it was emotional and devastating for the family, but everyone came together to say their goodbyes and it was nice.

We even got to spend a little time with D's dad (Kerry Dale) and cousin (Travis). 

The funeral was in D's great grandad's hometown in GA, and when I tell you that the church/cemetery we laid Carol Ann to rest in was in BF GA, I am not exaggerating. We drove so far out that even I was like, umm... did we take a wrong turn somewhere? 

Damn, I miss living in the middle of nowhere.

We stayed at Little Ocmulgee and honestly, I so wanted to swipe the vanity mirror from that bathroom. Seriously, that thing was huge and had amazing lighting and if D hung it in our bathroom just right, I could have it for my entire body. He's probably not going for it, because then I'll be obsessed with staring at everything in HD and he'd rather not have to deal with that nonsense. 

*that seems fair to me, but also, I want that damned ole mirror*

On the way home, we decided to trail Travis so the three of us could spend some time together and hit up a few sites. We all agreed that the scenic route through TN was the way to go and I for one was super excited for D to see the places I got to grow up with and in.

It was nice to show my hubby where his wife came up and get to see the wonderment on his face while we were traveling through those mountains. I swear, there is nothing like home to me. Say what you will, but I wouldn't have wanted to be raised any other place and come retirement, God willing and the creeks don't rise, that's where our happy asses are planning retirement.

Because I want to go back to the peacefulness that is the country and spend the rest of my life with the person I love living a calm and utterly devoted to each other kind of life. 

Until then though, we're rolling with our Southside Indy lives and making the most of it. 

We stopped by Fall Creek Falls to do some hiking (that the pups LOVED by the way... even though they almost wiped me and D out on the side of a mountain) and you know we couldn't pass up the scenic overlook. 

There was even a suspension bridge that I crossed solo, because my hubby is petrified of heights and his cousin wasn't having any of it either.

Our trip ended up being about four extra hours, but it was worth it to make all those stops and get to spend that time and do those things with D. With everything happening within his side of the family, things are a little bit on edge and scary, so any time we get the chance to spend some quality time and I get him to relax, even for a little, is more than worth it to me. We even found out his cousin lives about 15-20 minutes from us and I think he'll get to finally have someone around from his side to hang out with. Which I know he is looking forward to (we stopped by his house after we got back to Indy to hang out).

So yeah, it was an extended weekend for horrible circumstances, but we tried to make the best of it. And any day that my hubby smiles is a damn good day to me.

Call it the holler in me, but I don't trust it.

**5:30am**

D: "Wait until you feel the weather outside. It warmed up and it's nice."

**6:45am**

Me: *walks outside, feels the breeze, peers around suspiciously and texts husband** "This feels like some tornado weather bullshit and I don't trust it." 

If somebody else had my voice.... I would hate them.

Have y'all ever listened to your own voice on recording? Like, legit, never heard your own voice and then you hear it on a video from someone's phone or something and it completely blows your mind? No? Just me? Alrighty then....

I've always had problems with my ears/hearing. I'm not sure what the problem stems from (#growinguppoorwedidntgotothedocoften), but the fact that it has always been a factor in my life is forever real. Sure, it's been a problem in the past and it still is from time to time, but I accepted long ago that I'll probably have to have hearing aids or some form of help earlier in my life than alot of people.

And I'm ok with that. I accepted it long ago. Not to mention, between my inability to hear and my penchant for zoning out of most conversations and not even recognizing others, let's just say life can and will be peaceful.

But, with all random things, I found myself in complete bafflement when I heard my own voice on D's phone. To me, my voice sounds fairly deep and I don't have an accent at all. Like, NOT ONE BIT. However, that is apparently not the case. You see, when we were in Florida, we spent a few days at D's dad's house and we shot off fireworks and ammo. And let me tell you, D was so excited to see me shooting rifles that he immediately started filming.

Don't get me wrong, I've shot plenty of guns in my day, after all I used to hunt growing up living in Tennessee, but I haven't shot anything other than a handgun (at a range) for many years. So, D had never seen it. (But now that he has, I'm convinced that the whole "guns and ammo" centerfolds are necessary, because the dude loved it).

What I didn't expect though, was to hear my own voice talking to his dad in the video and me being completely flabbergasted at the fact that I sound.... like a straight up high pitched hick. 

I mean, I've always known I was a hillbilly. Once you grow up that way and it's engrained into your bones and soul, there's no going back. But, I didn't realize how thick my accent still is. As in, it's not going anywhere. My voice is much higher pitched than I could tell.... almost like I'm secretly calling dogs to me like a special whistle (maybe I am, you don't know my life!) and my accent is STRONG and THICK.

I know that sounded dirty, but try to refrain yourself. 

No one could believe that I didn't know I actually sounded like that, and when I told some of the guys at work that I didn't realize I had an accent they all slowly turned to look at me dead in the face with a "are you f*cking serious?" look on their faces. It was quite comical to say the least.

The look on my face the first time I heard my own voice had to have been priceless and when I cringed and shut my face behind my hands in embarrassment and asked D if I truly sounded like that, he just laughed and insisted that yes I did in fact sound like that ALL THE TIME. He claims that it's cute and it's one of his very favorite things about me (and that all of his family also adores the holler coming out with my words), but I'm still debating on whether or not he truly does love it and thinks it's adorable, or he's trying to placate me and not be my costar on an episode of Snapped.

The jury is still out on that one.

Either way, it's my voice and while it might not be all that appealing and it is in fact a tad bit embarrassing, I have lived with it my entire life and I'm always immensely proud to have been raised in the middle of nowhere surrounded by good people and no matter where I go, a little piece of my roots is forever with me every time I open my mouth to say a few words.

No matter where I live in my life, Tennessee is in my soul. ❤️