My Virginia

It's easy to determine the obvious. There is no question that Mississippi is the South. Or Alabama, or South Carolina.  Or Georgia.  But there's the "Deep South", and then there's "The South"... That Mason Dixon line is a good start, but the closer you are to the line, the more ambiguous.  I made some maps here as to what I determine the area of predominant Southern culture to be. Instead of making a black and white chart of "North vs South", I include "transition zones"- those areas that are kind of the in between region, or some times "no  man's land". In my maps, notice only the Eastern 1/3 of the country is shaded in. I do not generally consider Texas or anything west of it to be "South". But it can be considered a transition area. Unlike most, I consider the Mid Atlantic region to be a sub region of the South, and not the Northeast.  For that reason, I feel some states can be both Southern and Mid Atla...

Years ago, I remember getting annoyed as a teenager when some dolt on "The Weather Channel" would refer to Virginia as part of the Mid-Atlantic region. Boy, was  I in for a surprise. Forget Mid Atlantic. Now we're considered the part of that frozen tundra called  "The Northeast".  Has the North moved South? Yes and No. But I think I don't really mind being called Mid Atlantic now. In fact I would long for it. Please call us Mid Atlantic or South Atlantic, East Coast,  or a border state. Anything but the Northeast!  If North Carolina is often referred to as "The Mind of the South", then Virginia is just above it. We are north of North Carolina,  and just below the Mason Dixon line. And we straddle the fence on what was once known as the "Upper South". But I don't think we are the Northeast. That is something I don't understand. How is Virginia the Northeast? Not by culture, certainly not by history, and no , not even geographically...

Born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8th,  1932, Patsy Cline grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, and spent most of her life in the sleepy laid back town of Winchester. She was affectionately called  "Ginny",  and got her start singing in bars and roadhouses of the Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland area. Patsy Cline was known as tough, but a stand out. A "rough hewn"  cowgirl singer, she developed her singing talent to become synonymous with "The Nashville Sound": The smooth and lush arrangements with backing vocals, and added stringed effects, that took Country Music "Uptown".  In her earlier days she sang on "Town and Country Time" hosted by Jimmy Dean- a regionally syndicated Country Music program in the Washington DC. area. It wasn't long before her powerful bold Contralto voice and charisma would take her to the top. She wanted it badly, because she wanted to get the heck out of Winchester, Virginia. The truth i...

When I joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans, it was hard to choose which ancestor to use, for I have so many. But I chose John Campbell Hagan of Richmond, who owned a grocery store on Venable Street. He was moved by a speech at St. Paul's Church that the Reverend gave in favor of Virginia and the South defending their homes. So, just a little after April 1861, he joined the Confederate Army and served in the 10th Battalion. While many of my ancestors did have servants and slaves, I think they were not even considering that when defending their right for States of Independence. The War of Northern Aggression left a mark on all of Southern Soil, but most notably Virginia. For it was in Virginia where most all the battles during the entire campaign took place. It is so very much a part of our history and pride. The flag to me is not a symbol of hate, but to honor our ancestors who so bravely fought for their noble cause. And justly doing so, as it is part of our American Constitu...