You know you're from Iowa when...

1. You are from a town that has nearly as many churches and bars as houses. (I'm not, but know several people that are! )

2. You bought a case of beer in one of those little towns when you were 16. (Ummm, yes. Yes, I have.)

3. You live in a beautiful old house with transparent plastic sheeting over all the windows.

4. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

5. “Vacation” to you means driving through the Amanas or going to Adventureland or Okoboji. (awww, my beloved Okoboji.)

6. You’ve seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular. (so, so true... Although, I have to admit it's getting better.)

7. Snow tires are standard on your car. (Duh)

8. You “go into town.” (I didn't because I lived in a city, but my best friend lived in a small town. A small town that was the size of my high school. Haha!)

9. You have no concept of public transportation. (not unless you count CyRide)

10. The only reason you go to Missouri is for fireworks. (Not true for me, but very possible for many folks around here!)

11. You wear shorts when it’s 50° in March but bundle up and complain in August when it goes below 60°.

12. You have gone trick-or-treating in two feet of snow. (Absolutely do...)

13. You “warsh” your clothes. (Nope... don't warsh, but I do know some people that do.)

14. State wrestling was a big deal at your high school. (Oh yeah. We were excused from school for it!)

15. You measure distance in minutes.

16. The nearest Gap and Anne Taylor are 90 minutes away.

17. “Down South” to you means Missouri.

18. You know several people who have hit a deer. (Including myself. Sad face. )

19. You were allowed to get a school permit to drive at age 14 if you lived more than a mile away from school. (Yup.)

20. You have no problem spelling or pronouncing Des Moines. (Do you? It's Duh Moyn. Please, please, please for the love of God do not say Dez Moynz...)

21. You’ve ever played Iowa bingo with county road names while traveling from town to town (C-65, D-15, P-36, N-19, etc.)

22. You know the answer to the question, “Is this Heaven?”

23. Your school classes were cancelled because of cold.

24. Your school classes were cancelled because of heat.

25. You know what “Hawks” and “Clones” are. (I'm a Clone! And proud. Smiles.)

26. You’ve ridden the school bus for an hour each way.

27. You’ve ever had to switch from heat to air conditioning in the same day.

28. You know what’s knee-high by the Fourth of July. (This year we were MORE than knee high!)

29. Stores don’t have bags, they have sacks.

30. You see people wearing bib overalls at funerals.

31. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year it is. (We wouldn't do this in Des Moines. Unless you're super scatter brained like me...)

32. You end your sentences with unnecessary prepositions. Example: “Where’s my coat at?” or “If you go to the mall, I want to go with.” (Oh, definitely do this all the time!)

33. All the festivals across the state are named for a fruit or vegetable.

34. Detassling was your first job. (Thank God, no it wasn't!)

35. You’ve ever been on a geode hunt.

36. Your idea of a really great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun and accompanied only by ketchup and a dill pickle slice. (Yum!)

37. You learn your pickup will run without a muffler.

38. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

39. You think of the four major food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.

40. You drink “pop.” (Yep, I call it pop. I don't care.)

41. When asked how your trip was to any foreign, exotic place, you say, “It was different.”

42. Going to Wal-Mart is your idea of fun.

43. Being a bit younger, you remember Terry Branstad as governor the whole time you were growing up. (Absolutely!)

44. You consider being called a Pork Queen an honor.

45. You carry jumper cables in your car.

46. You know what the numbers I-80, 280, and 380 mean.

47. You know what cow tipping is.

This was a forward I received a very long time ago and I thought I would post it! I got the idea from one of my favorite bloggers ever! Jamie at This Kind of Love -- she's from Georgia and is possibly one of the sweetest people I have ever "met". Enjoy! I would love to hear your comments or your own quirks about your home state!

PS: Thank you all for your wonderful comments and sweet advice to yesterdays post. It really lifted my spirits and I am so grateful to each and every one of you every day. xxx