by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 26, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Uncategorized
In my second novel a character visits the New River Gorge Bridge, playing “tourist” in WV. I drive over that bridge every time I travel between my home in NC and the family farm. I generally don’t give it a whole lot of thought other than to admire...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 19, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Waiting
Tomorrow is West Virginia Day and 2013 is a real milestone–the state’s 150th birthday. Once part of Virginia, western Virginia became its own state in 1863. Many residents of Virginia who lived west of the Allegheny Mountains weren’t happy when the...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 12, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Food, Friends, Nature, Reading
The house we live in has the sorriest excuse for a front porch. But it’s still a porch and I’ll take it. Because a need to sit on the front porch is embedded in my genetic material. Porch sitting is simply a way of life in the mountains. It’s for...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 5, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Food, Nature
Just about everyone around here has their garden planted by now and the Farmer’s Markets are gearing up. Early produce includes sweet peas, green onions, spinach, and, of course, lots of lettuces. Which puts me in mind of a wilted lettuce salad. This is...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 29, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Food, Nature
We’re finally having some truly warm weather with days that might even be what you would call “hot.” And as summer approaches, I’ve seen some folks in the area start to put up the first cutting of hay. When I was a kid, the first cutting...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 22, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Food, Friends
Once upon a time, people in Appalachia were poor and didn’t have much. (Now too many of them are poor and have lots of stuff, but that’s another post.) When it came time for a wedding there was no question of going down to the bakery to flip through pages...
