100 Things I like about the South

 Ok, posting a list is not exactly a blog entry.  But its my blog, so this is my entry.

I think of myself as a Southener.   Sure, I was raised in Missouri, but both my parents grew up in Arkansas, as did their parent and most of the parents before them.  Before that they were spread out from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to Alabama and Tennessee.  I went to Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas, and have held Arkansas, Florida and Alabama driver's licenses.  Did I mention I was born in Louisiana?  The point being, I am a southerner, I even have bacon grease running through my veins.

A year or so ago, I sat down and tried to think of reasons I liked the South. Without straining my brain cells, I came up with over 400.  Today, I am picking out the 'Top 100 Things I Like About the South," and am sharing them with you.  Sounds like a lot of fun doesn't it.

Oh, one other thing, you may some of thoughts, you may have some of your own, no one is wrong unless they put down this wonderful part of the world.

Ready?  Here goes, the top 100.

1.  The people

2.  The Weather

3.  Charleston

4.  Savannah

5.  New Orleans

6.  The Shoals

7.  Hilton Head

8.  Panama City Beach

9.  Key West

10. Bless Your Heart

11. Fishing at a creek with your dad or grandpa

12.  Friend catfish

13. Fried okra

14. Cornbread

15. Homemade pickles

16. Collards

17. Tomatoes off the vine

18. Duke's Mayonnaise

19. Crepe Myrtle

20. Red beans and rice

21. Shrimp and grits

22. Coconut cream pie

23. Coca-Cola

24. Sweet tea

25. Chik-Fil-A

26. Bacon

27. Purple Hull peas

28. Augusta National

29. Sweet potato pie

30. Ribs

31. Biscuits and sausage gravy

32. Church

33. Church potlucks

34. Family reunions

35. Gatlinburg

36. Daytona

37. Talladega

38. Bristol

39. Beale Street

40. Iron Bowl

41. Egg Bowl

42. Third Saturday in October

43. Calling the Hogs

44. Rocky Top

45. Alabama Crimsonettes

46. Saturday night in Baton Rouge

47.Graceland

48. John Grisham

49. Harper Lee

50. Margaret Mitchell

51. Truman Capote

52. Lewis Grizzard

53. Fannie Flagg

54. James Faulkner

55. Kudzu

56. Spanish moss

57. Lightning bugs

58. Beignets

59. Rodney Scott's in Charleston

60. Crab Shack on Tybee Island

61. Drago's in New Orleans

62.Two Fat Sisters in Tuscumbia

63. Waffle House everywhere

64. Front porches

65. Porch swings

66. Hank Williams Jr.

67. Johnny Cash

68. W. C. Handy

69. Allman Brothers

70. Charlie Daniels Band

71. Lynyrd Skynyrd

72. B.B. King

73. Bread pudding

74. Robert E. Lee

75. Jimmy Carter

76. Mint juleps

77. Jack Daniel's

78. Martin Luther King Jr.

79. John Lewis

80. Booker T. Washington

81. Jimmy Buffett

82. Peanuts

83. Rice

84. Cotton

85. Designing Women

86. Dixie Carter

87. Sela Ward

88. Cybill Shepherd

89. Tennesse Williams

90. Bill Clinton

91. Muhammad Ali

92. Publix

93. Dollar General

94. Walmart

95. Peaches

96. Palm trees

97. Pecan pie

98. Natchez Trace

99.  Blue Ridge Parkway

100. Smokey Mountains