Appalachian Blessings

Happy Leap Day! It’s February 29. The odd day that crops up every four years to make sure we plant our crops in the right season. There have been around 66 leap years since we adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752. That means if there were no leap years, we would be...

Spring approaches in the mountains in fits and starts. Days in February alternate between bone-chilling cold and balmy. Sunday was in the 60s and sunny, Thursday in the 30s with snow. But the signs are here. Our neighbors' yard is dotted with crocuses. Purple, white,...

My word to think on for the last five days of the Lenten season has been "noble." It's one of those words I know the meaning of, but when I tried to define it for myself . . . I wasn't so sure. So I looked it up. "Of an exalted moral or mental character or excellence....

We tend to put a little more effort into weekend breakfasts. Pancakes and sausage. Eggs, bacon, and toast (with sliced tomatoes in the summer!). French toast. Gravy. Often, when I'm on kitchen duty, my husband will prep for me while I walk the dog. He'll set the...

Do you remember those days in high school when Valentine’s rolled around and you waited to hear your name called over the intercom to come pick up flowers sent by an unknown admirer? Then you'd carry your vase from class to class so that the whole world (meaning the...

Easter is early this year. Which means tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and the next day is Ash Wednesday. It's time to spend 40 days preparing for the death and Resurrection of Christ--to get my mind right for the celebration of the greatest moment in history. Typically, this...