John Denver nailed it when he sang, "Life on the farm is kinda laid back..." I hum that tune often (especially when watering the plants), and yet, given the amount of work that goes into one garden alone (much less an entire farm) some might question his choice of the words "laid back" given the amount of blood, sweat and tears that can go into working the land.

Pretty darn certain John wasn't referring to physical labor when describing this homegrown life, as farm life and gardening can be as taxing to your body as any sport you'd care to take on. No doubt he was talking about the pace and the peace that come from dancing with Mother Nature, and watching her do her thing.

She'll slow you down, that's for sure. She'll teach you patience. She'll teach you humility. She'll teach you about life.

As one who lived the better part of her professional career waking up at 4 am, ripping and reading news while tackling the controversial topics that define political talk radio, my life today is a far cry from the Red Bulls and road rage we've come to associate with city living. Not that you can't have a laid back pace there (I'm sure you can if you're super disciplined), but simply hanging out with plants and breathing country air is a sure fire way to sync up your own biorhythms and finding your own natural rhythm in life.

I'm amazed at the number of folks who, like me, one day woke up and said "Slow down the ride, I want to get off." We laugh at how we spent the first half of our lives trying to get off the farm, and the second half, craving those very roots we once took for granted.

Whether a full time gardener or a simple lover of fresh veggies purchased from a roadside stand, one thing's for sure.
Being homegrown and Southern to the Core is not about geography. It's about a way of life.

And for that I say "Thank God I'm a country girl!"