Southern – Deep Sand

Goodbye Ms. Sugarbaker

April 11, 2010April 11, 2010 John Designing Women, Hal Holbrook, Julia Sugarbaker, Sugarbaker

I woke yesterday listening to NPR as always, only to hear the sad news that Dixie Carter had died. She was 70 years old and is survived by her husband, Hal Holbrook, and two children. I guess most people know her as that steel magnolia, Julia Sugarbaker, from the TV Series Designing Women. I certainly remember that, as it was always one of my favorite shows. Besides some fine comedy, and a great cast, they were very progressive for their time, and that was usually expressed through one of Julia’s soliloquies. I’ve included one of the more famous, “The Nights The Lights Went Out in Georgia.”

Business Culture Family Food Friends Fun Stuff Kings Mountain Places Southern Travel

A Visit to North Carolina

November 10, 2008November 10, 2008 John Barbecue, Bridges Barbecue, Burlington, Greensboro, hushpuppies, Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Shelby

No blogging or politics last week, as I was on the road from Monday to Friday. I drove up North Carolina because we had a business meeting in Burlington Wednesday, and then I took two days off, visited Mom and drove home. It was actually a pleasant week. i also took some photos around Kings Mountain and Shelby.

Books Culture Featured Fun Stuff Places Society Southern

Gray Court Apartments

August 3, 2008February 2, 2010 John Apartments, Audible, Audible.com, Chapel Hill, David Sedaris, Grey Court, NC, When You Are Engulfed In Flames, Winston-Salem

The most recent book I’m “listening to” from my Audible.com subscription is David Sedaris’ When You Are Engulfed in Flames. It’s a collection of essays on the banalities of life. I was listening to one of his essays this past week during a drive to St. Pete, and it stirred up some strong memories about one of the best places I lived for some years. In his essay, Sedaris talks about an experience he had living in a rooming house in Chapel Hill, NC when he was between attending school. This reminded me of living in Gray Court Apartments in Winston-Salem, NC.

Culture Family Featured Kings Mountain Places Southern

Salvaging A Small Part of A Small Town Downtown

June 5, 2008June 6, 2008 John Belks, Downtown, home, Home Town, Kings Mountain, Plonks, Small Town

I’m from a small town, Kings Mountain, North Carolina, just across the South Carolina state line. It’s right off Interstate 85. Recently my Mom sent me a clipping from the local paper. The main article on clipped page was about an effort to restore the downtown local theater. This started me thinking back to the downtown where I grew up, and considering how it’s changed.

Culture Gay Issues Religion Right Wingnuts Society Southern

N.C. Baptist State Convention Boots Myers Park Baptist

November 14, 2007April 13, 2009 John Charlotte, Myers Park Baptist Church, North Carolina, North Carolina Baptist State Convention

The North Carolina State Baptist Convention claims that it allows for autonomy for their local churches, and has only a few requirements for membership in state convetion…mainly that you send money and hate homosexuals. Well, the members of Myers Park Baptist Church had decided to be Christian rather than Southern Baptist in their thinking, so today the Executive Committee found this church is not “in friendly cooperation with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina” and today the membership as a whole gave Myers Park Baptist the boot. The decided to not go without comment…

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