Appalachian Blessings
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That Country Roads Song
West Virginia has FOUR state songs. If that seems like a lot, Tennessee has something like a dozen. I've always sung "The West Virginia Hills," when entering my home state. It's been an official state song since 1963. But the song most people think of as our state...
Ain’t Nature Grand??
I attempt a small garden most years. And by "garden" I mean that I tuck fruit and vegetable plants in the flower beds. Or I grow them in pots on the porch. At our last house I quickly learned not to grow anything a rabbit might like unless I just wanted to feed the...
GetLit! in Hudson, NC, with Me
As the director of Jan Karon's Mitford Museum, I have the pleasure of putting on our annual fall literary weekend--GetLit! This year we're featuring Patti Callahan Henry, Mark Powell, Jan Karon, and MOI! Okay, so maybe I'm presenting because, well, I'm here anyway....
The One with the BIG Smile
If you saw the photo of my second-grade class last week, I challenged you to point out which one was me. The folks who know me best were pretty quick to spot my SMILE. I've always been a big smiler. I joke that smiling is my spiritual gifting. Hmmm. Maybe NOT a...
Adrian Elementary School – Second Grade
I ADORED school. Well, I ADORED elementary school. Middle school, not so much. Here we are, second grade circa 1978. (In case the clothes didn't tip you off.) Anyone want to guess which one is me?? Mrs. Lashley was our teacher. I've since reconnected with her, and...
Writing to an Irishman–33 Years Later
When I was in high school and college, I was an avid letter writer. I had legit pen pals abroad as well as letters flying up and down the east coast to my cousin, quite a few young men, girlfriends, and even an Irish musician I saw perform on Mountain Stage one...
10 Ways to Keep Cool in Appalachia
It’s hot. Oh, I know, it’s a lot hotter other places, but when you opt to live in the Appalachian Mountains it isn’t because you love toasty summers. We’ve been in the 90s every day for too long now. At least it cools down at night! The heat has me reminiscing about...
Summer in Appalachia Means . . .
Summer in Appalachia has long meant supper from the garden for me. A platter piled high with buttery corn on the cob. Great slabs of brilliant red tomato. Green beans boiled with new potatoes. Kilt lettuce. Cucumbers and onions in apple cider vinegar. No one even...
Meet Sarah
