by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 7, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, Memories, Nature
In the cool of the evening my husband and I often sit on the front porch steps. We chat lazily, watch Thistle poke around, and wave at passing cars. It’s a very Appalachian-summer thing to do. Of course, if we were kids, we’d be up and off the steps...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 17, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, History, Thistle
We just returned from spending several days at The Farm in West Virginia. My niece is the eighth generation of my family to grow up on that land. The house we stay in is just a few months older than I am since my parents built it while Mom was pregnant with me....
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 3, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, History, Memories, superstition
I’ve attended several funerals lately and it got me thinking about how much a part of growing up in Appalachia funerals have always been. As a child I often went with my parents to funerals. Shoot, everyone went. It’s just what you did. The two things I...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Mar 15, 2018 | Appalachian, Family, Nature
I saw a Facebook post earlier this week sharing how to speak “Appalachian.” Some of the phrases weren’t exclusive to Appalachia–they definitely overlapped with the south. But one was 100% Appalachia. “Watch out for deer.” And...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Feb 5, 2018 | Family, Memories, Poetry
We all have special people in our lives. Folks who have an impact on us–whether fleeting or long term. I’ve been thinking lately about how many of those people in my life are gone now–Grandma Burla, Aunt Bess, Dusan & Marsha, Aunt Dorothy &...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jan 22, 2018 | Church, Family, Reading, Writing
I gave up making new year’s resolutions a long time ago. This year, though, I felt like I needed to not so much resolve to do better, but take steps to get a grip on all the STUFF going on in my life. Work, writing, church, family . . . there’s just so...
