What's a country girl's rite of passage? I'm so glad you asked! Well, there are several but here's my top three:

Yep. I...killed...a...snake. All by my lonesome.  Forgive me for the self patting on my back but I am terrified of snakes! Anyone who knows me knows this.  Well, they know it if they have ever seen me around one!

But back to my story about this particular snake. Of course, Herman decides to show up while Barry is at work.

Barry is my husband (whose nickname used to be snake, which is kinda ironic in this case!). The snake I named Herman.  Yes, I named the snake. Don't judge me.

I was enjoying my second cup of coffee and went to look outside my dining room window.  And there he was, on the top step to my back porch! Lucky for me, this was my second cup of coffee and I was able to think fast.

For those of you who don't know me, I simply can not function until my second cup in the mornings.


But since I was halfway thru my second cup I was able to remember that there is a back door in the kitchen...which has a kitty door... which leads to the back porch...which leads to the back steps...which leads to the snake who was about two feet from entering my home!

I ran to close the kitty entrance and barricaded the door. It was shut up tight with anything I could find...pots, pans, cases of water. Then immediately I went to put on my shoes (you simply can not fight a snake in houseshoes!)

It was at that moment I realized that the shovel was right on the back porch, where Barry left it after planting his tomato plants.

Right thru the door that I just locked up and barricaded.

Crap.

I had to move the barricade, open it back up, grab the shovel, get back in, and rebarricade all the while, keeping in mind not to wake the kids.

I didn't want them involved in the snake hunt before I had given them their morning meds!

That would be all I could take: a snake, Chad screaming "I'm scared, hold me!" and then screaming "I want to see it!", and Lauren screaming "Don't kill it!" then "Can I keep him?! Why can't I keep him!"


Jeez, after all I had only started my second cup of coffee, I would need to have had my second pot to handle all that!

But, I digress, sorry. Back to Herman.

Now I had the door properly closed, shovel in my hand, kids still asleep, and snake still in the top step. So far, so good!

 I had to quickly go out the side door, thru the garage, and across the back yard to the steps.

Yes, I know I was just standing on the back porch.  You don't think I was gonna try to go down those steps with the snake on them, do you!?

Well, I didn't.

I went around and came up on the snake thru the yard just as he crawled under the steps.

Crap.

Let me introduce myself.

My name is Shannon Dewease and I grew up in a little town in South Mississippi.

I was born, however, in Louisiana. I guess you could say I was born a Cajun but raised a redneck!

Let's just say I'm a born and raised Southern country girl who loves her Southern roots!

I grew up at a time when your neighbors knew your name and came to check on you if they haven't seen you outside working on your flower beds recently.

Those same neighbors would, also, call you to let you know that their peas or corn was ready. So you would grab your bucket and head on over to share the bounty.

It was a time when front doors and cars were left unlocked, the screen doors had a squeak then that bang when shut, Grandmas always wore aprons, and hearing the crickets at night was all you needed to sleep.

Ahh... I love the South and those memories of bygone days. And those days are definitely gone.

Don't get me wrong! I love my air conditioner, my cell phone, and, well...all the luxuries of today!  But everything is so much faster, sleeker, rushed, and chaotic!

It seems that the older I get, the more I have to remind myself to slow down and take time to just breathe. When I do, I can focus on the many many blessings in my life.

"Just slow down... and take time to breath"

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So, that's how I came up with the name Southern Blessed Chaos.

Clear as mud, huh? Let me see if I can explain it a little better.

I am the very proud Mother of two children, both with separate special needs.  I am homeschooling one while the other attends public school.  My days are filled with numerous doctor appointments, IEP meetings, tantrums, and frustrations.

I have been "potty training" my son, Chad, for numerous years and he still waits until the very last second to run to the bathroom. 

This results in him peeing slowly from one end of the house to the other as he tries to get to the bathroom. To learn more about Chad and his super powers (that's what we call his disabilities), feel free to check out the page dedicated to Meet Chad!


My daughter, Lauren ,who is being treated for Tourettes Syndrome, Asperger's, and high anxiety (you can read more about these conditions in my post Perceptions), has physical tics and will let out yips, screams, and random words with no notice.

She, also, will argue me down if I say that the sky is blue, not "teal peacock blue" as she sees it.

Meet Lauren page is still under construction, but to find out more about her super powers, check out The Laurenism!

Our house is not a quiet one, as you can see... Chaos.

But my chaos is blessed in so many ways. I have a hard working husband working long hours so that I can stay home. We don't have any extra money but by the beautiful Grace of God, family, and friends, we have what we need.


As I am, once again, cleaning up the four room path of pee, I can't help but to smile because when he does reach the bathroom he screams every time with self pride "Whew, I made it Mommy!"

My daughter, even though she is arguing with me, has amazing insight and sees the beauty in most everything. Yep, now that I take a second look, I think that sky is teal peacock blue.

So you see...Blessings.

Southern Blessed Chaos, my life contained in three wonderful words.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little about my life. And I look forward to sharing more with you soon.  But right now, I've gotta go. I just heard my son holler "Whew! I made it Mommy!"

Until next time, remember to look for the blessings!