by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Mar 28, 2019 | Appalachian, Family, Nature, superstition
It’s finally March and while we still have redbud, dogwood, and blackberry winters to go (at a minimum), country folks are thinking about plowing the garden. When I was a kid my father and one of the more mature ladies of the church would have pretty much the same...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Mar 14, 2019 | Appalachian, Food, Memories, Nature
It’s officially the time of year when seed catalogs become irresistible. I pore over gaudy pictures of corn with luxurious silks, scandalously red tomatoes, strawberries glinting like jewels, and squash that make me wonder why I don’t eat vegetables ALL...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Mar 7, 2019 | Appalachian, Family, Nature
I got to spend a few days last week back home at the farm in West Virginia. While trips are usually steeped in family time, I did have a solitary morning to soak in the peace. I thought you might like a little dose of that as well . . . Just me, the morning mist, and...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Feb 21, 2019 | Appalachian, Food, Nature
Vermont gets most of the maple syrup press, but Appalachia produces it’s fair share of the sticky, sweet stuff. West Virginia has 75 or so farms producing more than 2,500 gallons of syrup in a given year. And February into March is harvest season. The trick is...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Feb 4, 2019 | History, holidays, Nature, superstition
You probably know that last Saturday was Groundhog Day. Not exactly one of the big ten holidays, but still, there was a bit of hoorah around Punxsutawney Phil who did NOT see his shadow which means an early spring! Of course, French Creek Freddie, a resident of the...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Dec 10, 2018 | Nature, Reading, Thistle
Well, we didn’t quite get the foot and a half of snow predicted, but I’d rather the weather forecasters overestimate than under. Still, it began snowing Saturday and there was a lovely layer of snow when we woke Sunday morning. The result was a...
