Laurel Fork
For a long time my tagline has been, “Everyday miracles happen every day.” Very nice. But maybe a little long and a little narrow. I mean, what happens when I write books that don’t focus on miracles?
So my editor looked to cast a wider net. He suggested blessings might be a word that would cover more ground. So I toyed with all kinds of blessings until my husband looked at me and said, “How about Appalachian.” Well, yes.
So really, I didn’t come up with the new tagline at all–my editor and my husband did. And I LOVE it. It’s exactly what I hope my books do–bless readers while celebrating Appalachia.
So today, I thought I’d come up with a list of Appalachian blessings–things from home that have made a difference in my life.
- Mom and Dad–both born and reared in WV. One in the city (yes, we have them) and one on the farm.
- Chestnut Hill Farm–we put up hay, gardened, raised animals, and generally looked to the land for life. I highly recommend it as a way to grow up.
- Laurel Fork–a beloved stream where we swam, rock hopped, caught crawdads, built dams, and generally got our good clothes wet.
- The Barn–good for hiding, building hay forts, and listening to rain beat against the tin roof.
- The Woods–the best playground ever with trees to climb, mossy glades to hide in, old home sites to explore, wildlife to scatter, and rocks-sticks-leaves-flowers to gather.
- A Family History–I’m the seventh generation of my family to grow up on that land. Without those stories, I wouldn’t be the writer that I am.
What about you? What do you think is an Appalachian blessing?
Love the tagline! And Appalachian blessings…too many to count. Family nearby, the greens of spring, the bullfrogs in summer, the sense of privacy yet community…yup. All this and more!
Plus, Appalachian blessings like you!
Way to go Jim! I love it. It would take me way to long to list Appalachian Blessings, but I would start with the WV hills, the four seasons, the people, the music……
Yeah, I had to limit myself or the post would have gone on for pages.
Sarah I love, love, love the new tag line. I so enjoy your list of blessings because they’re so familiar to mine. Blessed indeed! I’ve just moved to a new website because I wanted my title to reflect my mountain heritage. I was The Drowsy Bee and now I’ve moved to Yonder Mountain. Do you like it?
Sorry I forgot to give you my new URL.
http://www.myyondermountain.com
I REALLY like Yonder Mountain–almost makes me want to steal that line! And your link to I’ll Fly Away just juiced up my afternoon.
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Thanks for letting me know!
The woods, the lakes, Elk River, grandparents, homemade Christmas decorations and a sense of a special place to call home.
Yes!