by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Aug 12, 2019 | Appalachian, Speaking, Writing
I’m so excited! I’ve had the opportunity to teach classes at several regional writing conferences and book festivals (this past weekend I taught at a Pennwriters event in Leesburg, Va.). I really enjoy sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned and...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Aug 8, 2019 | Appalachian, Nature, superstition
Honeybees aren’t native to WV, but they came to the state with European settlers and, escaping their hives, decided to settle in themselves. Locals soon discovered the sweet treat inside the wild hives and began developing techniques for discovering bee trees....
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 25, 2019 | Appalachian, dogs, folklore cures, Nature, superstition
You’ve almost certainly heard this time of year referred to as the “dog days” of summer. But do you know WHY it’s called that? I always thought it’s because this hot, muggy time of year isn’t hardly fit for a dog. And I had a...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 22, 2019 | Appalachian, History, Reading, Waiting, Writing
It was 89 years ago today. The notorious Dunglen Hotel in Thurmond, WV, burned in what was then reported to be faulty wiring, but is generally believed to be an act of arson. Although–to this day–the arsonist has never been named. The popularity of the...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 18, 2019 | Appalachian, Miracles, Nature, superstition
I love mysteries and unexplained phenomenon. Miracles even. Lately I’ve been reading about the Brown Mountain Lights–a mysterious occurrence people sometimes see on a mountain about an hour east of where I live in NC. Brown Mountain is in the Linville...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 15, 2019 | Appalachian, Family, Memories, Poetry
The hero of my next story is Colman Harpe. I chose the name Colman for two reasons–first, he’s inspired by Jonah (the one swallowed by the whale) and both of the names–Jonah and Colman–mean “Dove.” The second reason is that I grew...
