Spooky Storytelling

Storytelling is not uncommon in the Appalachians.  You could ask most Appalachian people and they would be able to share a story passed down one or two generations.  There are stories of haints (New word for the younger readers, look it up!), mad dogs and panthers.  The back stories had usually come from a personal experience and they leave the listeners with creepy feelings. 

There are many professional storytellers that travel all around to share their captivating stories.  In "Our State: North Carolina" magazine they have featured many Storytellers that travel around.  Some of them include Willa Brigham, Philip Gerard, Woody Durham, and Jeanne Robertson.  These professionals have won Emmy's for their abilities in storytelling!  I would love sit in on their stories. 

Considering it is such a good day for storytelling, I figured it would be a good day to share a couple stories from Foxfire: Number 9.

"Ruth Holcomb: A long time ago, these people sent for this lady who was a midwife.  The only way she had of getting to their house was to ride a horse.  This panther came up behind her when she was riding to their house.  She took off her scarf and throwed it down at him, trying to scare him off.  It tore that scarf up and kept on coming.  She kept her horse a-running and kept pulling off her clothes piece by piece, trying to stop that panther.  When she reached the house where she was going she almost had all her clothes off and the panther was still right behind her."

"Jennie Arrowood:  They said there was somebody that used to go across to Shooting Creek-- across that mountain over there-- and play the fiddle and make music for people. They said one time a painter (panther) got after him and he climbed a tree, and the only way he ever got down was to play the fiddle and scare it away.  If he quite playing, it'd go to climbing the tree towards him!"

If you get a chance to listen to some stories past down from generations long ago, don't pass up the chance!  You might just find yourself experiencing the best entertainment you've encountered in a long time!

Fun Fall Fashion: Scarf Pom Poms

Hurricane Sandy is moving in & boy this wind is a force to be reckoned with.  It is most definitely time to whip out the scarves.  I really love to crochet, so I have my fair share of scarves around the house.  I was trying to think of something to add to scarves to make them a little more fun and I got it!  Pom poms! 

Here is Lydia, my daughter, I talked her into doing some modeling for her Mom; She is a fashionista! :)  She matched the burnt orange scarf with a white jacket. 

If you're not familiar with crocheting scarves, they are really easy to make and the entire project can be completed in a few hours.  Below, I've got a few pictures to show you how to create some pom poms!

1. Your going to need yarn, scissors, a sewing needle, and a pom pom maker (who would have thought!)



2. Thread your needle, and start winding the yarn around the pom pom maker. 

 









3.  Cut around groove and tie off and then trim as necessary to shape them.

4.You can mix colors to make different designs. Then you can also use them to make hair bows, decorate pillows, attach to backpacks and more.

 We hope you like the way we used them!



Apple Strudel: A Fall Favorite

Fall always changes my appetite.   I leave the taste for fruit salads behind and long for more comfort foods. One of my favorites is Apple Strudel.  This year I wanted to add a healthy touch to the pastry and substituted 1/2 cup regular flour with a 1/2 cup of flax seed flour to add in some Omega 3 to the mix.  As you can see below in the picture, the flax seed changed the color of the pastry a tad.  But don't worry, it only enhanced the flavor.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup regular flour
1/2 cup flax seed flour
3 large apples, chopped
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 brown sugar
1 stick margarine
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon




Get to Mixin'!
Make a pastry out of 1/2 cup of regular flour & 1/2 cup of flax seed flour, 1/2 stick of margarine, and a tablespoon of water (Adjust if necessary).  Roll pastry up with apples in side like a jelly roll.  Cut in 1 inch slices, sugar and spice.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.






If you happen to get in the cooking mood, give this a shot.  I promise you won't regret it.  Serve with a scoop of ice cream and your taste buds will jump for joy!

Fresh Halloween Decor Ideas!

Is your Halloween Party in need a few fresh ideas but you don't have the funds to buy tons of new decor?  I've got some money saving ideas for you!  My daughter-in-law, Cassie, had a great get-together last year for Halloween.  Her decorations were a hit!

Instead of spending loads of cash, go to the Dollar Tree and get yourself some construction paper & poster board.  Some black, purple, green, and orange sheets should do the trick!  You might want to grab some stick glue and glitter, if you don't have any at home.  Not everyone has spray glue on hand, instead use some cheap hairspray, that will help your glitter to stick. Get ready for some ideas!

1. Everyone's got the goblins and pumpkins all over the yard but how about cute and simple Halloween words?  Try this bit!  You might can use some old coat hangers to unwind and make a stake in the yard to prop up the letters.

2. Cut out your own clever little Halloween inspired critters (bats, mice, spiders, etc) and strategically place them around your house.

3. Use your imagination and create your own "monsters" to peak outside your windows for your guests to giggle at.












4. And lastly, also at Dollar Tree, I bet they will have some colorful buckets somewhere!  So gather some bright colors and cut out some Halloween critters to tape or glue onto the buckets.  You might could even put a tea light in the bottom of the bucket to make them glow at night.







 Well folks, thats all I got!  Does anybody have any ideas they would like to share? 

Stuffed 'Possum'

Like any other Mammy, my most favorite treasures are my grandchildren.  Heath is my 3rd grandchild.  He was given a stuffed opossum by his Nana (my mom, Nancy).  Now this long tailed creature has become his favorite tag along.  Opossum was dragged by his tail to just about every event in the day; To church, to bed, to the table, and even the restaurant.  And when we lose it, we go opossum huntin'. Although hideous in theory, this has been quite an adorable sight to see.


While we played he learned a little game-- Maybe you can share it with one of your little ones. 

It goes like this:

Person 1: "I found an ole' dead opossum in the road.  I one it."
Person 2: "I two it"
Person 1: "I three it"
Person 2: "I four it"
Person 1: "I five it"
Person 2: "I six it"
Person 1: " I seven it"
Person 2: "I eight it"
Person 1: "Ooh! You ate it!"

The smallest things can bring the biggest smiles. :)

Appys Debut!

Oh my goodness, the day is almost here!  This weekend, Saturday, October 13, Appys are going to be making their first appearance at the New Morgan Hill Church Bazaar!  The hours are from 7am-12 pm.  It is going to be a blast with all the other crafts on display.  Please come by and say hello!  I would love to hear your opinion of the girls (Appys, that is).

Snakes Alive!

A Copperhead in the wild.
 Courtesy of easttennesseewildflowers.com 

In early fall snakes are on the move. As the weather turns a little cooler many snakes come out to warm in the sun, on rocks or the pavement. During the day  non-poisonous and poisonous snakes are slithering about.  A realiable Appalachian source, my Dad, always says that at night only the poisonous snakes are out. In the Appalachians that means copperheads and rattlesnakes. If you are out at night as the season changes, take care and watch out for those snakes! 

Morning Glory. A Creeping Beauty!

Sometimes the most under glorified plants can surprise you. The Morning Glory is one of them. An aggravating vine in most gardens, but if placed in the right area, with just the right conditions the Morning Glory can take center stage.

They bloom from late spring 'til frost and October is a great month for them to put on a show...

 

Enjoy this plant before the frost comes or...the end of the month when the goblins come out and scare them away!