I've always called it a purse, but Grandma, born in Ohio, called it a pocketbook. Like cilantro's family, she also had a "coin purse" that she kept change in, it looked like a small bag with a metal clasp. She also had a "compact" for face powder. Mother had a purse and a wallet. The wallet had a small compartment for coins, slots for driver's license and credit card and a place for paper money as well as one for her check book. She had a matching "cigarette case" which held a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She did eventually quit smoking, and now a cell phone case has taken the place of the cigarettes. Now I have a purse and a wallet, much like Mother's, but mine has more spaces for the endless supply of today's cards, from insurance cards to Costco to the local gas station, AAA, AARP, the library. You name it, they got a card! cacaobird, I refuse to go out in public in my pajamas, although I live near a college town and it seems like 90% of the students go to morning classes in their pajamas. Since I live out in the country, though, I can walk out with a cup of coffee and curse the beavers in the pond without anyone else seeing me. I've never worn a house dress that I remember, and I'm 61. Annie

I grew up eating tacos and tortillas, but not from fast food restaurants. Here in L.A., I like El Abajeno in Mar Vista (typical family style Mexican), and there are plenty of regional Mexican restaurants here (especially Oaxacan) that I like, and even a couple of Yucatecan restaurants. Yucatecan food is my favorite in Mexico, and Oaxacan (especially in Oaxaca) is low on the list, but I'm able to find some exceptions. MacArthur Park is a good place to find tamales, and there are several local companies that make gourmet tamales that I like, but they can get expensive. I don't know that much about Taco Bell, except that it began in California and I think has food that is similar to Tex-Mex. Growing up in Texas I went to locally owned Mexican restaurants - I don't remember chain Mexican restaurants from when I was a child, but that was forever ago. I'm almost never in a hurry to get food - there are some things (actually quite a few) that I do not rush. Lars

Plllog, I think your comment about grits being served at any meal in the South is absolutely accurate, at least in my experience. I commented that we served Gruyere Grits to our Chinese guests as a side dish for filet mignon. I also listed Shrimp and Grits as a dish that I would serve as representative of my region. Just this morning, I was thinking that I needed to make up a batch of Gruyere Grits to freeze in meal size portions. P, your comment about salad on a burger reminded me of our trip to Australia. On a couple of occasions DH or DD ordered a burger. It was listed as coming with salad. We expected a small side salad. We finally learned that “salad” meant lettuce on the burger. I regret that we never chose to have a slice of beet on our burger. When we returned, a woman who worked for me who was married to an Aussie told me that it was pretty classic. I also agree with Outside Playing, that grits are not served every day at breakfast in the South. My momma never served them, but my daddy would eat them every chance he got. Nevertheless, I would say that grits are often served at breakfast in the south, see pic below of instant grits in individual packets. Just for fun, I googled “Southern Living grits.” Boy, are there lots of ways to cook grits! I’m not sure, but I think grits became less regional when Jimmy Carter went into the White House. I have a vague recollection of people trying to figure out the singular of grits. Annie, my mom must have been kin to your grandpa. She thought the finest breakfast was a piece of chocolate pie! I just looked up “peameal bacon.” I found it is what the North American Meat Institute calls “Canadian bacon.” I’ve had plenty of Canadian bacon, except I’ve never seen Canadian bacon rolled in cornmeal. Interesting. Thanks for sending me on the quest to figure it out! Elmer, bless you little trollish heart, you’re just not happy until you’ve insulted someone, are you?

In response to someone saying it seemed to her many thought grocery delivery was new, I said that that hadn't been my experience, not what I've heard people say over the past year. Is this something people think is new? No, not in my experience. I think the words are very clear. I also said pretty clearly that while I "never saw or knew of anyone who had grocery deliveries" when I was growing up over half a century ago, it wasn't an unknown concept. Just not commonly done where I was. Others like me (friends and others, many of whom grew up in similar areas and in similar circumstances) were of the same view. We've heard of it, it's not new, not something any of us had seen or that our families had used. If something I say seems to have been understood by others but not by you, and you have a sincere misunderstanding I might be able to help with, feel free to message me. I don't think that's what this comment is about.