by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 3, 2023 | Appalachian, Family, Food, holidays
Back home in West Virginia there was always a bean supper at George and Lucille’s for the Fourth of July. George and Lucille were first cousins to my dad, and they had a little, white house up on the ridge above the church. Each year, Lucille would organize the event...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 29, 2023 | Appalachian, Church, Family, holidays
When I was growing up in West Virginia, Memorial Day was less about a day off from work or school and more about “decoration” at the church cemetery. We didn’t always hold Decoration Day ON Memorial Day, but it was always around this time. The idea,...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 1, 2023 | Flowers, holidays, Traditions
There’s an old-time tradition of hanging May baskets on people’s doors on the first day of May (May Day). Small paper cones or other containers would be filled with candy, small gifts, or flowers, then hung–anonymously–on someone’s door. Of course, hanging a May...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 10, 2023 | Family, Food, holidays
So many holiday traditions are centered around food. And Easter is no exception! When we were kids, Mom always made deviled eggs for Easter dinner. I think sometimes they were even made from the eggs we’d dyed earlier in the week. Of course, that was back in the...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 3, 2023 | books, holidays
I’ve been remiss in bragging about my fabulous Christmas gift from my husband. I MAY have dropped a pretty strong hint that this is what I wanted, but he gets all the points for following through. When I’m out and about with my crossover bag I get tons of...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Dec 12, 2022 | Family, Food, holidays, Memories
I’ve been in the kitchen today, whipping up treats for Christmas parties. I’m making peanut brittle and Saltine Cracker Toffee. These recipes are so easy I almost feel like I’m cheating. Mom, on the other hand, made sugar cookies, spritz cookies,...
