Pocahontas - Pettus genealogical connection

New information has come to my attention about an intriguing family tie between Pocahontas and our family's Pettus line. According to William Walker Pettus, IV, author of Thomas Petyous of Norwich, England and his Pettus Descendants in England and Virginia, Ka-Okee, the daughter of Pocahontas and Kocoum, to whom Pocahontas was married before John Rolfe, married Thomas Pettus and was the mother of two of his children, Christian and Stephen, from whom many American Pettuses descend. For more information: http://www.southern-style.com/pettus.htm

Southern-style.com

I spent the better part of last week giving my website a facelift. I started my genealogy website using FrontPage which I found easy to use. Unfortunately, servers quit supporting that WYSIWYG and I have had to teach myself Dreamweaver. I chose Dreamweaver because I was told it had become the industry standard. I must admit there is quite a learning curve when one is determined to do one's own website with no formal training in such things. I have so many interests and pages, however, that it just seems logical for me to do it myself. Besides, I am one of those impatient people that does not like to wait for someone to have time to do it for me.

I am a writer. Right? And writers write. So, why not let the website be my format. A blog spot is rather limiting, I find  for the diversity of topics upon which I write.

Southern style is a website devoted to Southern Culture. I hope you will visit: http://www.southern-style.com.

We Southerners are a unique breed. Pride of place, manners bred into us from birth, the foods we eat, our bond with the land and our relationship with our family and friends make us who we are. Most practice true religion. For most of us football is nearly a religious experience.

Southern-style began as a genealogy website. It expanded to become a general interest website (generally anything I am interested in). Those interests evolved with the discovery that not only did this born and bred southerner have ancestors on the Mayflower and in Jamestown, but among those Native Americans who originally inhabited these lands.

You will see that history intrigues me, particularly the people and area in which I grew up, Southeast Alabama. Folks greet each other asking, "How's your mom an 'em?" Wondering how all those folks were related led me to doing lots of genealogy which many of you may find interesting. The same was true for Wilcox county, Alabama, my father's old stomping grounds and Escambia, Alabama, where my mother was born. Of course all of that took me back many generations and into the history and founding of this nation and those from which those ancestors came. This tapestry has threads that lead to fascinating people and their stories.

I grew up in a privileged home, the daughter of a small town doctor and a stay at home mother who met my father after a World War in which my father served in the Phillippines and my mother served as a nurse and earned a battle ribbon at the Battle of the Bulge. Mattie Martin, the black housekeeper who helped them raise their children did much more than cook and keep house. She supported our parents in teaching us manners, morals and values and our place in the world. She was also the very best cook in town. The profound impact she made on me influenced my view of the world and the books I have written.

If you have a wedding coming up you might enjoy reading about our daughter Brooke's home spun wedding. The Wedding Raising was a lot of fun! The "how to" might give you some ideas. I also share the Mother of the Groom perspective on a wedding as well.

As I write this, my kitchen is getting bedazzled with new Jenn Air appliances just in time for my renewed efforts toward writing a cookbook. I hope to share with you more recipes and menus from my own Southern experience.

I also threw in a few short stories you might enjoy.

Please visit this very personal view of the South.
Sharman Ramsey
Roll Tide!









By the way, my novels Swimming with Serpents and In Pursuit are available through Independent Book Stores, Barnes and Noble, Mercer University Press, and Amazon.

Great review for In Pursuit and Netflix recommended shows

Thank you, Megan Wessell, for the fantastic review of IN PURSUIT on your blog! http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-in-pursuit-by-sharman-burson.html 

I've been watching Netflix lately and want to recommend the Emily Owens, MD series with Mamie Gummer, Meryl Streep's daughter. She is fantastically talented and reminds on immediately of her wonderful mother. Two cooking movies captured my attention. Haute Cuisine relays the story of Francois Mitterand's personal chef. One learns a LOT about the French obsession with food. But, apparently the French are not alone in their culinary interest.

According to the Korean movie, there are two great joys in the world: Water going downhill and food going into your child's mouth. As a mother I can relate to that.

Le Grand Chef - Kimchi War Every mother should watch this. I found it on Netflix and was profoundly moved. We have so much more in common than we have that makes us different. Take the time to watch this movie. It is worth it.

http://www.dramastyle.com/movie/Le-Grand-Chef-Kimchi-War-Korean-Movie/#.UnQ6aRCIbJg

The two books now with my agent, Holly McClure, are about two sisters long estranged who get back together after the deaths of their husbands. During a tipsy night at Antoine's in New Orleans, they finagle their way onto the Dishing It Network using their family plantation house as their gimmick. I've already written a cookbook, so I guess my interest in food shows is understandable.