by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Aug 20, 2018 | Appalachian, Church, Family, History, Writing
I had the pleasure of attending the French Creek Pioneers gathering this past weekend with my dad and brother. This is a meeting of folks descended from the original settlers of French Creek, Va., back in the early 1800s (before West Virginia became a state). There...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 19, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, History, Nature
There’s been some talk lately about how hillbilly is a derogatory word that shouldn’t see the light of day. So I’m going on the record to say I not only don’t mind the word, but that I think we should reclaim it. Consider the word’s...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 16, 2018 | Church, Family, Friends, Love, Memories
This past weekend a good friend and her family hosted a yard sale to empty out her grandparents’ house. Health issues and advancing years have forced the couple into a facility and it’s time to think about selling the little house they’ve lived in...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 12, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, Memories, Nature
Of an evening, I often sit out on the front steps and watch the daylight linger. As the fireflies rise and Thistle nibbles grass it’s fun to think about what a fabulous playground the front yard supplied when I was a kid. There were endless yard games with...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 18, 2018 | Family, Food, Memories, Nature
I remember the first time I heard of free-range chicken. Having grown up on a farm, I couldn’t think what that meant. What other kind of chicken could there be? Then I found out about tiny cages, cut off beaks, and other abominations. And I learned that...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 14, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, Memories, Miracles, Nature
You know it’s summer in the mountains when the lightning bugs start putting on a show. As kids, we loved to catch them and drop them in a mason jar with holes poked in the lid. Then we’d put that jar on a dresser in our rooms to watch them twinkle until we...
