by Kristen Bagwell

Before we begin, let me explain the title of this post. I spent many of my formative years in Maryland near Washington DC, and when we moved here, I was a naive foreigner - a stranger in a strange land, if you will. There was even a new language, and everyone I met seemed surprised that I didn't understand this strange southern lexicon.

Much like "People over age 70 drive huge cars" and "Don't talk to Mom until she's finished her coffee," I was expected to instinctively know the following:

- All iced tea is sweet. Period.
- In this strange land, there are 8 weeks of winter and 18 weeks of summer. (spring and fall are about even)
- Everyone here is dreaming of a white Christmas because it probably won't happen.
- There is a whole 'nother language here. (southenglish? southlish? englern?)

While I was learning that people here cut on lights and put up groceries, I also learned a new term for rude or unsavory behavior - "ugly." That is what I mean when I say "your ugly is showing"...which is a long intro to a short post. Let's discuss.

I've been feeling uncharitable. A lot. I think it has to do with too many balls in the air: we're moving to our new house this week  - finally! But wait, think: movers, kennel, buy a mattress, get cable installed, write another check, stuff out of storage, and so on. This in addition to the normal lunacy of 2 working parents and 2 kids under age 5. I am always a parent with too much to do (aren't we all) so when I truly have too much to do, ugly shows up.

I think ugly may mean "unplanned" for me, or un-confident. Un-something, to be sure. (Unattractive, according to one resident of this household last week...uff.) What do you do when your ugly is showing?