friday five: gotta have it?

Yes, this scene is actually quite typical in my area!

At RevGals Kathryn writes:  I'm heading from unseasonably warm temperatures and no snow to a place of GREAT SNOW. Sadly, for reasons that don't need to be boringly laid out here, I am sans decent winter boots at the moment so I need to find some... NOW!

In the meantime I am shaking my head at myself. How could I possibly be without one of the key essentials for living in my environment?

Every area is different. What are the 5 key essentials needed for where you live?
And bonus - what have folks looked twice at you for because you wore it out of place.

Hmm. I live in a moderate climate (middle Tennessee) which rarely experiences extreme cold, and though it certainly gets hot and muggy in the summer, such a climate is hardly unique to Tennessee.  I don't think there is really anything that is essential in terms of living here, but there are a few things that help one "fit in" if you're a transplant, like me. Being something of a nonconformist, however, fitting in isn't high on my list. Therefore:

1) I'm proud of my Yankee heritage. Lots of it. If someone is giving me unending grief about that, however, a word about having ancestors who fought and died for the confederacy generally renders a running mouth still.  I've recently been reminded (in reviewing the family tree) that my great-great-grandfather was born in Connecticut and migrated south as a young man. He was a fairly new father when he went off to war, and I have no doubt that he did so with a conscience weighted with complexity. 

2) How could I forget bug spray?!?! Or the sweet tea!

3) I own a shovel, and I'm not afraid to use it. About ten years ago we actually had a snowy winter here, and after 8 inches had fallen one day I went out and shoveled my driveway like any good Yankee would.  I lived on a cul-de-sac and none of my neighbors opted to follow my wise example. I'm sure they thought the temperature would rise to melting by the next day, but after six days of below freezing temperatures they were still struggling to get in and out of their now ice-packed driveway and I pulled in and out free and clear. It's smug, I know.  I suspect none of them actually owned a shovel.

This tornado is getting ready to cross the street I now travel on my way to work every morning. 

It hit on Good Friday three years ago.

4) Under threat of extreme weather today with a strong likelihood of tornadoes, one essential thing to living here is a mindset of preparation in the face of such weather. The closest a tornado has come to us at home is that we heard the proverbial sound of a freight train from about five miles away, where the tornado passed through. We know where our safest place is, leashes for the dogs are always handy, and hardhats are tucked away with water bottles and flashlights. I keep forgetting that we need to include a substantial mallet in the mix. If debris were to block the door of the closet we would need to smash our way out. Note to self...

5) If you're going to throw a baby or bridal shower in this part of the world, mints and nuts are de rigueur. I don't get what makes them essential, so I don't serve them. I'd much rather make finger sandwiches and put out the veggie platter.

Bonus: You won't catch me in Tennessee orange. I wear my UConn Huskies sweatshirt with great pride.