When my husband and I took on the family farm in West Virginia, a big part of the reason was to preserve family history. Turns out I’m pretty sentimental and I’m fascinated with history–especially my own. I’ve known for years that my brothers and I are the seventh generation to live on that particular parcelContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – 187 Years of History”
Category Archives: History
Appalachian Thursday – Tyree Tavern
I love digging into random bits of history about my home state. Sometimes, when I’m traveling through on my way to or from the farm, I take side roads and just see what turns up. Like the Tyree Tavern aka Halfway House in Ansted, WV. It’s an old stagecoach inn that was built around 1810.Continue reading “Appalachian Thursday – Tyree Tavern”
40 Days and Nights
Did you know quarantine comes form the Italian, quarantina, meaning 40 days? Having just concluded the 40 days of Lent by celebrating Easter, that number seems particularly significant. And it is–there are quite a few Biblical 40s: After Noah shut up the ark, it rained for 40 days and nights. Moses led the Israelites throughContinue reading “40 Days and Nights”
Appalachian Thursday – WV Schools for the Deaf & Blind
When I decided to write a story about a deaf boy who discovers a dead body (The Right Kind of Fool–Nov. 3, 2020), I knew I wanted him to know sign language. But how would a 13-year-old boy in West Virginia learn sign language? Just a little research solved the problem! The creation of theContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – WV Schools for the Deaf & Blind”
Appalachian Thursday – the care and feeding of elk
When we visit the farm in West Virginia we ALWAYS see deer. Lots of deer. But elk? Well, there are some at the Wildlife Center we drive past on our way in. And yes, I did try to trick my husband by pointing one out the first time we drove by as if seeing elkContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – the care and feeding of elk”
Appalachian Thursday – State Flowers
Ever have one of those weeks when you can’t keep track of what day it is? Yeah, me too. On January 23, 1903–117 years ago–the Legislature of West Virginia passed a joint resolution naming the Rhododendron as the state flower. I’ve known our state flower for as long as I can remember knowing there wasContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – State Flowers”
Appalachian Thursday – Breakin’ Up Christmas
We’ve rung in the new year and Christmas is over . . . or is it? I’ve written before about Old Christmas–the mountain tradition of celebrating the holiday on January 6 due to some calendar confusion dating back hundreds of years. But there’s also an Appalachian tradition called “Breakin’ Up Christmas” that only goes backContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – Breakin’ Up Christmas”
Appalachian Thursday – The Day After Christmas
It’s over. Christmas is done. Anyone tempted to take the tree down? Oh, the kids are still out of school and maybe there’s still family to visit, but for so many people these are the days when the blahs strike. The anticipation has been building since Halloween and maybe the day met your expectations–or maybeContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – The Day After Christmas”
Does the Dress Even Matter?
I’m a bit of a girly-girl. (When I’m not being a tomboy.) So when I realized it would work out for me to go to the Christy Awards dinner–which is semi-formal–I began looking for a fancy dress. Oh, I have a dress that would work but who wants to settle for that?? There aren’t aContinue reading “Does the Dress Even Matter?”
Appalachian Thursday – Rural Mail Delivery
I love getting mail. Well, REAL mail. And there’s so little of it anymore. Email has become a nuisance (often a convenient one!) and even physical mail is diluted with catalogs, flyers, and other junk mail. But when I get a real package, card, or the oh-so-rare handwritten letter delivered to the box at theContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – Rural Mail Delivery”
