Beth Durham's Blog, page 3

Paper Flowers

I’ve written here before about our beautiful, Southern tradition of Decoration Day. And, we know that with all of our traditions, we enjoy them in unique ways based on the day in which we live.

I have many times heard the stories from Decoration Days gone by of how the flowers were all homemade....

The Mystery of Manson, Tennessee

I’ve talked here a number of times about Tennessee’s ghost towns.  These boom towns that popped up around a mine or timber tract often had their own post office, railroad spur and even hotels. Sometimes their names are humorous, like Grief, Deposit or Pokeberry.  More often than not, they are named for a prominant family in the neighborhood, like Cravens, Allred or Wilder.

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When did we get Wheelchairs?

Civil War Era Wheel Chair from Museum of Civil War Medicine

We should never for a moment take for granted the health and abilities that we enjoy. You may be reading today’s Tennessee Mountain Story from a wheelchair or in a hospital room. Ma...

County Poor House

Photo courtesy of Josephine's Journal

Sometimes when I’m researching I make discoveries and I want to ask, “Does everyone else know about this?”  Those are often topics for these blogs.  And such is our subject today – The Poor House.

Of cour...

Cold Slaw

We are really enjoying fresh garden vegetables this summer.  My husband has discovered cole slaw and tells everyone that “Beth is making a new thing.” I’ve blogged here before about the virtues of cabbage, but failed to mention cole slaw at that time.

As I’m writing, I want to paint a picture of...

Grass String and Duct Tape

For a lot of years – probably my whole life, actually – we’ve joked about the farm being held together with grass string and duct tape.  There was a time that I was certain when I had control, nothing would be tied up, wired together or taped.  Like so many youthful declarations, I have now cha...

Historical method of: Restoration of Drowning Persons

You know that I’m always very interested in historical medical procedures.  It just amazes me how much we’ve learned about caring for the human body – and still we know so little!

[SPOILER ALERT: In my next book someone is very sick.]
In researching for my next book, I was reading the Inglenook...

Sweet Taters

The latest addition to my garden are sweet taters.  This hardy and super-nutritious root crop has always been a standard on the mountain.  I wanted to share my love for the root and took to the internet to find some history on it.  I...

Preserving the Plants

Did I mention to you that one of my summer projects is propagating a bunch of heirloom seeds?  In my capacity as a professional product reviewer (what kind of title is that?) I received a package of Suvival Garden Seeds.  This included some carrots, tomatoes, lettuce and spinach.  There were al...

A Healthy Legacy

Above all, I long to leave my children a godly legacy; to have them think of verses of scripture and remember me teaching them about it, to have them repeat my salvation testimony as well as their own to their children.   And I have those memories from family members that have gone on to their heavenly home.  I also have the very healthy legacy of learning to garden alongside my grandparents.

Learning how to raise fresh, healthy food; to pull from the dark soil food for the winter, this is the he...