Friday, January 28, 1977 Dear Janet, Can you believe we’ve been out of school another whole week? I’ve lost count of the days we’ve been out, but I know it’s getting close to 30 now. I’m a little worried about all the work we’ve missed, especially since it’s our senior…
Aunt Celia, who moved away from these mountains some years before even my parents were born, returned home often for visits until her age and Uncle Henry’s health slowed her itch to travel. We always looked forward to her visits and especially the gifts she brought, but the best thing…
Mom slipped into our room about 1:00 one morning when I was 7 and Libby was 4. We were both sound asleep, but as she gently shook us, we gradually woke. Libby wasn’t old enough to question why Mom woke us up, but I was. I was old enough to…
The vivid scarlet against the stark white of our snow covered world made my stomach turn, and I felt like I might be sick. Yet I couldn’t tear myself away from Maw and Paw’s kitchen door. I know Libby was there somewhere, but all I can remember is looking out…
The rain poured down–one of those summer rains that comes down hard and cool and makes your car windows steam up. After eight hours on my feet at Hardee’s, the last thing I wanted to do was fight the rain and the crowd at the A&P across the street. But…
Late one evening last August, Bill Gaut called to check on his 98 year old mother. When she didn’t answer, he did what any good son would do. Fearing what he might find, he struck out to her house to check on her. As he neared the home, he saw…
We rose early on this cold winter morning. Maw and Paw did the same at the foot of the hill. Today would be one of the biggest days of the year for us, and the adults had planned for it for months now. Both households started with a hearty breakfast…
Tom and I traveled to Boone last week just in time to get caught in the first snow of the winter. The thought of being in a vehicle on snowy roads filled me with anxiety just as it had for as long as I could remember. But as I drove…
Tomorrow, January 6, is Epiphany, the day the Magi arrived bearing gifts for the new Christ child. Tomorrow, January 6, is also the date of my mother’s birth in 1936. Those two events may seem completely disconnected, but I assure you, they’re not. Mirraim-Webster defines Epiphany as “an appearance or…
For the past several months, I have revelled in telling you stories of my childhood as I grew up in the mountains of northwest North Carolina. I am so honored and thankful to share these memories with you, and I have many more to share. Life is not lived in…
