Shoes in Mississippi

[horseshowmom]

DD returned yesterday from Denver where she was competing in the Western National 4-H Horse Classic. Hooray! Her horse bowl team (very similar to Knowledge Bowl) is now the Western National champions. She was also the Individual High Point and won a $500 scholarship.

But, to the story...
While DD and her friends were on the elevator going down to the dance one night, three very nice girls from California also got on the elevator. They immediately exclaimed over DD's reptile print spike heels and how much they liked them.

The California girls commented that the shoes were incredible and asked DD where she was from. She told them Mississippi. The California girls looked at each other and then at DD and said, "Wow, we didn't know they had shoes like that in Mississippi!" Sorry girls, DD left her burlap sacks at home!

 

[mtblujeans]

CONGRATULATIONS on the great participation and win! Any and all scholarship $$$ help alot!! What an accomplishment!!

Did she make it out of Denver before all the snow fell?

And, yes, there is other life outside of the sunny states!

 

[horseshowmom]

Thanks for the kind thoughts! They had a wonderful trip, and since this will be her last 4-H competition (she'll still be helping out with the other kids though), it was a great way to end.

The kids that attend Nationals are really great kids (and hard workers), and DD enjoys meeting people from all over the country. She said that it is funny how people still seem to view Mississippi (and everybody loves to listen to her talk!).

They left Sunday afternoon about 4 p.m. Denver time (went to the Stock Show for awhile that afternoon). Mississippi State University donates their athletic bus for the trip, so they have a first class ride, but it's a long, long trip. She didn't mention it if it was snowing when they left. I know there wasn't any snow in Denver when they got there. They did go to Breckenridge (she went snowboarding for the first time) and had a great time. She said it's incredibly beautiful.

 

[SC Minnie]

The girl would probably be surprised that people in the South have indoor plumbing too.

 

[bballmom56]

Congratulations! That's awesome!! I know very well the work and dedication involved as we are a 4H horse program family. Our state goes to Eastern National Roundup held in Louisville every November. DD went her first year for Horse Bowl (finished 4th as a team, 17th as an individual), her second year for Presentations (formal speech) where she was 4th high individual, and her third year for Presentations (team demonstration) where she and her partner were 5th. She had also qualified for Hippology and Horse Judging, but just didn't have time to do either in the years after that. Those trips were some of the best times we have had!!!

That scholarship money will be nice!

Again, congratulations to you and your DD!

 

[mtblujeans]

Oh, sheesh, I can't imagine that trip in a bus.....but the kids are young and they can handle it!

I saw on the news last night that Denver got about 6" of snow yesterday afternoon and it put the fires, they were fighting, out.

Our 4-H group is talking about reviving an 'exchange program' where the kids host a group from another state one summer, and that group hosts kids from the area they visited the next summer. I guess they used to do it and the groups traveled back and forth by bus. Our first group will come up next summer from Corpus Cristi, Texas. I have not heard if they will be using bus or plane for the transportation, tho'. My poor, old body couldn't do the bus thing anymore!

 

[alabamaalan]

I was one of a few seniors that represented my school for "Presidential Classroom" in Washington DC.

It was interesting meeting other students from around the country as we discussed/debated different topics and issues.

It did not take much to convince them that "Dukes of Hazzard" was a documentary on typical Southern life. They believed that my father was a moonshiner, etc.

That same year some of our 4H students went up there and sold a few banzai trees for fun. They sold them as grits trees.

 

[tekmom]

Your post really hit home with me. I'm from Mississippi but have lived on Long Island since I was 22 (17 years this week) and I still get people that just DON"T get it. There's always a comment like "aren't you so glad you live here, now?" Uh, no. Mississippi gets a bad rap when it and most of its people do not deserve it. Sure, it has a past and there are always going to be bad neighborhoods and people, no matter where you are. Congrats to your daughter on the competition and her cool shoes!

 

[CEDmom]

The girl would probably be surprised that people in the South have indoor plumbing too.

You do?

To the OP, Congratulations to your DD .

 

[SC Minnie]

You do? .

Yeah, we finally put a 'honey pot' inside so we don't have to run to the outhouse in the middle of the night!!!!!

 

[Sparx]

what about the age old, sittin in a rocking chair on the front porch drinking sweet tea with a shot gun in one hand? someone actually asked me if we did that.

 

[horseshowmom]

what about the age old, sittin in a rocking chair on the front porch drinking sweet tea with a shot gun in one hand? someone actually asked me if we did that.

And to think that my DD won't even touch sweet tea! What a disappointment for us. (I'll have to work on the shotgun thing too!).

 

[horseshowmom]

Congratulations! That's awesome!! I know very well the work and dedication involved as we are a 4H horse program family. Our state goes to Eastern National Roundup held in Louisville every November. DD went her first year for Horse Bowl (finished 4th as a team, 17th as an individual), her second year for Presentations (formal speech) where she was 4th high individual, and her third year for Presentations (team demonstration) where she and her partner were 5th. She had also qualified for Hippology and Horse Judging, but just didn't have time to do either in the years after that. Those trips were some of the best times we have had!!!

That scholarship money will be nice!

Again, congratulations to you and your DD!

Do you know who won Horse Bowl in Louisville this year? North Carolina is in our Southern Regional competition and usually wins, but we beat them and won at Regionals. I know that they go to Louisville.

This was DD's 3rd trip to Denver. Two years ago she went in Hippology (3rd High Individual - I think the team was 8th). Last year, they asked her to help coach the Hippology team that went. She qualified in Horse Judging this year too, but as you know, you can only do one event, and Horse Bowl is her greatest love (at least off of the horse! LOL).

She kept meaning to try the demos or public speaking but never got around to it. She actually has one more year of eligibility, but like your DD, she just doesn't have the time anymore (she's a freshman in college now).

Please congratulate your DD for us too! 4-H is a wonderful experience, and there are so many opportunities to participate. It's always good to hear from another horse program family who has enjoyed it as much as we have!

 

[horseshowmom]

I was one of a few seniors that represented my school for "Presidential Classroom" in Washington DC.

It was interesting meeting other students from around the country as we discussed/debated different topics and issues.

It did not take much to convince them that "Dukes of Hazzard" was a documentary on typical Southern life. They believed that my father was a moonshiner, etc.

That same year some of our 4H students went up there and sold a few banzai trees for fun. They sold them as grits trees.

I've known of Mississippi kids who told their unsuspecting cousins from other parts of the country that sweet gum balls were porcupine eggs! Now, y'all wouldn't do anything like that over in Alabama, would you?

 

[horseshowmom]

Oh, sheesh, I can't imagine that trip in a bus.....but the kids are young and they can handle it!

I saw on the news last night that Denver got about 6" of snow yesterday afternoon and it put the fires, they were fighting, out.

Our 4-H group is talking about reviving an 'exchange program' where the kids host a group from another state one summer, and that group hosts kids from the area they visited the next summer. I guess they used to do it and the groups traveled back and forth by bus. Our first group will come up next summer from Corpus Cristi, Texas. I have not heard if they will be using bus or plane for the transportation, tho'. My poor, old body couldn't do the bus thing anymore!

The exchange program sounds great! We could always use more kids to help clean stalls and feed horses!

 

[bballmom56]

There is a website for Eastern Nationals: www.4hroundup.com. They have the results from 2000-present for all the events. North Carolina swept HB, HJ, and Hipp. this year. They were always a powerhouse, but particularly in HJ. We've had one of their coaches up here a couple of times to do clinics for our kids.

HB was DD's favorite event, too. She would have done HJ or Hipp., but the practices for those required a lot of driving. Practices for presentations were much easier as the National coaches were from our county, so we didn't have to travel. Plus, she really got into them. And, boy, when she had to do presentations in college, she looked like a star! They were a piece of cake to her and she got many compliments (and good grades!) Great experience!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

I saw on the news last night that Denver got about 6" of snow yesterday afternoon and it put the fires, they were fighting, out.

OMG! That's hilarious! I live in the Denver area and we haven't had snow in weeks! It's sunny outside and probably about 60 right now!

The snow must have been in the mountains. That's where the fires were. This just cracks me up, and it happens all the time. Weathercasters who seem to think Denver is up in the mountains.

Anyway, to the OP -- congratulations to your dd, and don't mind those girls -- they are the ones showing their ignorance!

 

[mtblujeans]

OMG! That's hilarious! I live in the Denver area and we haven't had snow in weeks! It's sunny outside and probably about 60 right now!

The snow must have been in the mountains. That's where the fires were. This just cracks me up, and it happens all the time. Weathercasters who seem to think Denver is up in the mountains.

Anyway, to the OP -- congratulations to your dd, and don't mind those girls -- they are the ones showing their ignorance!

Actually, it was on our local news....with video! Just goes to show you how the news and networks work.....only get part of the story! Well, I am glad the snow helped fight the fires!

 

[Southern4sure]

I've known of Mississippi kids who told their unsuspecting cousins from other parts of the country that sweet gum balls were porcupine eggs! Now, y'all wouldn't do anything like that over in Alabama, would you?

Uh Huh..shore did dat.

There is always going to be a misconception how the south really is. We are modernized, we go to the dentist regularly (no missing teeth) and we do not eat road kill.

BTW I do not drink tea either.

 

[caitycaity]

i spent some time in mississippi (mostly central and southern) this summer for work and i was pleasantly surprised how beautiful your state is. i would love to go back some day with dh.

the last time i was there before this trip we didn't have a lot of time to see the sights, but i had lots of free time on my trip and got to see lots of civil war stuff - neat!