by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 3, 2013 | Family, Miracles, Waiting
My grandmother has been gone for a year now. This past Christmas I didn’t buy her a present. In February, we didn’t celebrate her birthday. This will be the second Mother’s Day that I haven’t sent her flowers or fruit or candy. And I miss her....
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 1, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Food, Friends, Nature, Waiting
When I was a kid my father and one of the more mature ladies of the church would have pretty much the same “discussion” every spring. She believed strongly in planting by the signs and Dad was determined to convince her it was not only silly, but...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 24, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Miracles, Nature
We’ve gone from winter to grass-mowing season here in Western North Carolina. Lawns are suddenly lush and thick and green . . . and in need of maintenance. Let me just say, I’m not a fan of cutting the grass.But mowing our yard still beats mowing Laurel...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 19, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Nature, Reading
Earlier this week when I wrote about going out on the Hogback on our family farm to think, read, and write, I realized not everyone knows that word. A hogback is simply a hill that slopes like the back of a hog, but on our farm it’s a specific place–The...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 17, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Food, Nature
It’s that time of year. That time when the old folks would be shunning preserved foods for something fresh. Something green. Poke sallat is tender and green. Fiddleheads look like belated Christmas ornaments. Ramp dinners are raising money all up and down the...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 15, 2013 | Appalachian, Family, Miracles, Nature, Reading, Thistle
I took Thistle for her morning walk yesterday along the same side road we take most mornings. As we headed up a steep bit, she stopped to nose through the leaves on the side of the road (whew–puff, puff–suits me!). As she poked around, I noticed an opening...
