Beth Durham's Blog, page 9

Old School New School

Last week we were talking a little about the resurgence of homeschooling and how that was the original education method.  In America today we have schools across the country ranging in sizes 10 students (according to a 2015 article on The 74) to 8015 students in Acero Sc...

Old School New School

Photo by Patricia Broyles “Life Flash Photography”

Well I’ve embarked on the adventure of a lifetime – homeschooling.  Just a few years ago, homeschooling sounded like craziness – maybe it still does to some of you.  ...

Family All Around

Last week I got to visit with a cousin – now isn’t that just the best way to start off any Mountain Story?  Anyway, it seems like I used to see him a whole lot more, but we grow older and busier and the time flies by.  Well Paul is my Daddy’s first cousin and they have history and stories galore – so you can imagine I was eager to sit a spell while the two of them reminisced. 

As I’ve been thinking about the visit, I wondered if this would be too repetitive to share with you so I hopped onto t...

More about Taters

Perhaps it’s our Scotts-Irish ancestry, but potatoes are more than a staple food on the mountain.  Most local folks would tell you that you can’t live without potatoes and the bounty of the fall potato harvest is the number one measure of the kind of winter we’re about to face.

I grew up with potatoes on the table every da...

Changing Seasons

The temperatures are falling, leaves are rustling in a brisk breeze and it just feels like fall of the year.  The changing seasons make for changing routines, and I can’t help but think of the differences in those changes for me and you compared to the changes our mountain predecessors experienced.

On the farm it seems like you spend the whole summer getting ready for the winter.  You plant corn and maybe some grains to feed the stock, cut hay, put up garden vegetables, and fatten a hog or calf ...

Cooking for the Sick

In last week’s post I shared some observations on “The Original Fanny Farmer 1896 Cookbook” and one fascinating chapter was Recipes Especially Prepared for the Sick.

I remembered another cookbook I have, “Inglenook Cook Book” (The Brethren Publishing House, 1911) which also includes a chapter entitled “For the Sick” and you know that got me to thinking…

I’ve written here before about treating the sick, about the Granny-women who doctored when professionals were unavailable and about mountain med...

19th Century Food and Recipes

I recently came across an old cookbook, The Original Fanny Farmer 1896 Cookbook.  The book’s subtitle includes “A facsimile of the first edition,” and I found copies of that edition named “The Boston Cooking School Cookbook.”  Miss Farmer’s book was printed in 21 editions...

Modern Preserving

I’ve talked here many times about canning and preserving, and while I’m going to try hard not to repeat myself, I will doubtless re-visit this subject because it’s such a huge part of our mountain life.

This week my sister’s well-stocked freezer went out.  (We’ll pass mom...

A Boy and His Dog

I just love it when I get to meet folks that read my blog or books and my adventure on the 127 sale recently was no different.  I even came away with someone else’s story!

 

Jeff Green wrote a few years ago about his son Samuel’s start running dogs and hunting.  This is a ...

Signs of Hard Work and a Home Well Made

Four and one half years ago, I wrote “A Life Worth Celebrating”, sharing with you the story of Gladys Pell.  Then two weeks ago I mentioned the handiwork of my husband’s grandmother (Gladys Pell) and great-grandmother, Gertrude Crow, with a promise to share some of it with you.  Well here you go…

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