Spring Has Sprung

I'm excited that spring has finally started. Ever since we began our move from Florida to South Carolina, I've been drooling over garden magazines and websites. We're staying at our daughter's house until the closing of our own place in May, so anything I plant now will be in her yard. So far, I've added a couple of tomato plants, a bell pepper plant, and some marigolds. Once we're in our house, I hope to add quite a few annual flowers in both the front and backyard. I'll probably have a small vegetable and herb garden in the side yard.

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We also hope to take a few small trips before the summer heat starts to sizzle. Of course we'll go visit our other daughter and her family in North Carolina as much as they'll allow. We'd also like to go to Atlanta since my husband has family members there. He also gets frequent cravings for the Varsity. I'm not a fan of hot dogs, but I do like the frosted orange drinks.

Here's a list of some etiquette topics that you might want to read this spring:

• Flower Etiquette
• 12 Tips on Cruise Etiquette
• 9 Beach Etiquette Tips
• 8 Basic Rules of Air Travel Etiquette
• How to Behave on Public Transportation

Tips for Gracious Living

Ever since I was a little girl, my parents insisted I follow proper etiquette - both at home and in public. My mother enrolled me in a variety of classes (children's charm classes, ballroom dancing, and a department store modeling program) to help me learn what she wasn't able to teach me.

My dad was in the Air Force, and it was essential that I know and follow protocol when we lived on base. My parents were also from the South, so I had an extra dose of daily etiquette lessons to follow so I could be a proper Southern Belle. And then when we moved to Japan, I had the opportunity to learn proper manners from a different culture.

Here are some basic etiquette tips that I think everyone can easily follow:

• Good Manners for All Occasions
• Courtesy and Acts of Kindness
• Neighborhood Etiquette
• Conversation Etiquette
• Know How to Apologize
• Acknowledging Others
• RSVP
• Thank You Notes

Etiquette for your children:

• Teaching Your Children Basic Manners
• Teen Etiquette
• Preteen Etiquette
• Good Sportsmanship

Proper manners for eating at home and dining out:

• Table Manners
• How to Set a Table for a Formal Dinner
• How to Use Utensils
• Casual Dining
• Restaurant Etiquette FAQs

Moving is Hard Work!

My husband and I are in the middle of a major move so we can be closer to our daughters and their families. I love the house we're leaving, and I enjoy the weather in Florida, but the heartstrings are tugging us toward the Carolinas.

Fortunately, I didn't listen to people who teased me about packing so early. Many of them said, "Don't worry so much about it. You know it'll get done." Well, yeah, it will get done, but that's only because I started packing early.

Here are some of my tips for future moves:

• Start collecting boxes when you first start thinking about moving. 
• It's never too early to start packing.
• Resign yourself to begging grocery stock clerks for bottled water boxes because they're super sturdy.
• Find your closest U-Haul store and purchase boxes for lampshades and hanging clothes.
• Accept the fact that you'll be using dozens of rolls of packing tape.
• When you stop using something, donate it, recycle it, or throw it away. You don't want to have that on your busy schedule while you're trying to move.
• If you can fit it into your budget, hire someone to pack your things and go have a massage.
• If you can't afford to hire someone to pack you, get it done as early as possible and then go have a massage.