These boys performing in my town.....





Combined with the third blizzard of the season blowing through....





Equals having four awesome people snowed into my house and being serenaded at whim...




What a lucky gal I am!

A West Virginia hoe-down and a little nepotism....

We know how to have a good time in Appalachia. I was caught on tape recently flat-footing at the Cd Release party for my friends, The Fox Hunt. If you love traditional music, you'll love their new album. It can be ordered here.

I miss all of you and hope to be posting again soon!

With Love.... Blue

feelin' the love......

I was loved on twice yesterday by two fellow bloggers. First, I received this awesome homemade citrus soap in the mail from Brandy, a gift to celebrate the opening of her new online Etsy shop. She trepidly contacted me to ask for my mailing address last week, not sure if I would give it to her. I assured her that I didn't mind, and that if I were to have a stalker, who better to have than a knitting, baking, soap-making mama who sends me free things in the mail. :) I encourage you to check her new shop out.... she has soap, cloth napkins, seeds, reusable bags, and felted goodies, with more to come. All are handmade.

Then, to add to the beauty of my day, I was contacted by L.L. Barkat, letting me know she put up this post about me. I clicked over and was moved to tears and extremely humbled by it. If that is all that ever came from my music, it would be enough.

So much love from this little blogging community of mine.... I never would have dreamt it when I put up my first post a little over a year and a half ago. Thank you, ladies... and thank ALL of you who have come into my life and moved me and encouraged me time and time again.

Alex....

when i tried to sit down and write this last year, on the first anniversary, i couldn't.

the tears flowed so heavily that i couldn't even see the computer screen.

the words weren't ripe yet.... it was too soon.

in this season of quiet in my heart, where i have been trying to sort through some sadness in my life , the words have finally come.

i told your sister i would write about you. and now it's time.

when she called me that morning and told me, she was so calm.

i didn't believe her at first. but then i understood. i think we all knew it was coming.

all my childhood memories of us came flooding back....

the most prominent, when you really established a permanent place in my heart, was a time when we were sitting in my bedroom together.

i was crying because my big sister had locked her door and wouldn't let me come in and play with her and your sister.

i thought she was trying to steal my friends.

you put your arm around me, looked in my eyes, and said,

"don't worry, amy. no one will ever steal me away from you."

that's just how you were. even though you were younger than me, you wanted to be my protector.

we spent almost a decade together, trodding back and forth on the forest path that we had made to connect our farms.

one day, while playing in the hundreds of acres of woods, we stumbled upon our special place and we named it 'paradise'.

it was a little clearing in the woods, where water pooled beneath a small, trickling waterfall.

it was our secret spot. we gathered old flowers that people dumped at the back of the cemetery and placed them in the ground, and weaved them through tree branches.

we cleared the brush and thorns away. it was beautiful and magical to us. we spent almost every day there.

but when we were older, my family moved away. your family stayed.
our paradise got overgrown, and the thorns grew back.

we talked regularly, wrote letters, and visited. we grew up.

you grew into a tall, handsome, caring young man.

but we both struggled with inner turmoil and poor life choices in our later teen years.

during those years, i thought the best way to deal with my problems was to run from them.

i ran away from home, and ended up on your front porch once.

your family took me in, and provided comfort and reassurance. my parents knew i was safe there.

once again, you acted as my protector.

we spent long evenings on the couch, talking into the wee hours of the morning.

we talked about the realities of growing up, our disappointments, the bittersweetness of it all. we longed for our innocent, carefree days of childhood.

one morning, after a very late night, i awoke to hammering.... and found you outside, hammering a dent out of my car that had been there forever.

you wanted to surprise me before you left for work.

you tried to give me your hard-earned money during my stay, because you knew i had little.

you brought me gifts to cheer me up. you wanted to know i'd be okay.

eventually, i garnered the courage to return home. i was able to sort through my problems, heal, and take control of my life again.

but, dear alex, you weren't so lucky.

i'm not sure what the difference was.

i guess big boys don't cry.... they just turn reckless to hide the pain inside.

you fell into the oppression of that area where we grew up.

you turned to drugs.

and the next time i visited, i found you in a place that scared me deeply.

all i could do was plead with you and pray.

shortly after returning home from that last trip, i received news that you were in jail.

i wrote to you..... probably one of the longest letters ever.

and you wrote back, and sent me a picture of you and your family.

you said it was the only picture you had with you in jail, but you wanted me to have it.

you ALWAYS wanted to GIVE...... that was your true heart.

we wrote regularly during that year.

you wrote of your regrets... and your hopes and dreams for when you got out.

you were confident that you could reclaim your life, and i believed you.

those letters were our last regular correspondence. you got released early for good behavior.... and you started your own roofing business. you began carving out a life for yourself, and working to find inner peace. but you were never quite able to find it. but it wasn't drugs anymore.... it became speed. your dad warned you about your motorcycle, and your recklessness on it.

he even called my dad and voiced his fear for you.

and one evening, almost two years ago, your dad's fears were realized. a beautiful soul, taken too soon.

' i got the call today....

my childhood friend has gone away.

he took that ride that took his life...

friend, i hope you've found your paradise.'

Alex (1978-2006)

Rest in peace, Alex....

I'm Waiting .......




Checking the mail......

in anticipation of this....

I love the people I have met in this blogging community of mine. There are so many wonderful, creative souls. One being L.L. Barkat.... and I couldn't be happier for her as her new book is arriving within the next couple of weeks. I am anxiously awaiting its arrival and my heart is eager for the revelations in it.

Great reviews are already coming in, such as these:

"Stone Crossings walks the reader through the foggy landscapes of life, arriving at subtle moments of true grace. Barkat's courageous, unblinking honesty is a gift, a gift offered in gentle, delicate, literary prose." (Don Everts, author of Jesus with Dirty Feet and God in the Flesh)

"With a storyteller's charm and a Bible teacher's grit, L. L. Barkat weaves memoir, humor and spiritual insight together into a satisfying read. She challenges us to open our eyes anew to the amazing graces God lavishes upon us every day, in ordinary and surprising ways." (Edward Gilbreath, author of Reconciliation Blues)

And there is a party going on here, at her bookclub site, as we all await the arrival. This post is part of the celebration. If you'd like to participate in the "Waiting for Stone Crossings" challenge, go to the Bookclub Wiki and you can post your own 'waiting' picture. It's a great opportunity for us to give a boost to a fellow blogger's creative endeavors. You can also contact L.L. through her blog here, or contact me for more info on how to participate.

Little Cabin in the Woods........

It was quite apt that Sir Laughsalot and I had been reading that first book by Laura Ingalls Wilder when we went to this Harvest Party at Fiddle Girl and her husband's cabin.... I could have sworn we went back in time and were at Half-pint's little house in the big woods....

The bounties of the harvest were brought by everyone..... canned and preserved, baked, or made into other tasty dishes.... the tables overflowed.....



Home-made chicken and dumplings were cooked in the kettle over the fire.....

Even Fiddle Girl's son got in on the action and showed his young entrepeneurial spirit by cooking up Hot Chocolate in his own little kettle..... 50 cents a cup, he said.... to go towards buying a steam engine. I guess you can't start dreamin' and schemin' too young....

And if you drank too much hot chocolate, or enjoyed the fruits of the harvest a little too much.... you had to wait your turn to use the johnny-house, as there was no indoor plumbing or electricity.....

We drew the evening to a close by getting our instruments out and playing by the light of oil lamps and candles that were scatterred about the cabin.... Even Sir Laughsalot played along on his harmonica.

Living history.... or maybe a more appropriate term would be 'Living traditions'......

"Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fields, The gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth.

And you walk under the red light of fall..

The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain

The sharp, gentle chill of fall.

Here as we move into the shadows of autumn

The night that brings the morning of spring.

Come to us, Lord of Harvest...Teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us ..."

A Door For Anna......

For my friend, Anna, who loves doors...

Welcome back to the states, friend! Wishing you many new adventures and much blessing in your new home...

Can't wait to see your new front door!

On paths, journeys, 100 posts....... and convergences along the way......

"Traveler...there is no path...paths are made by walking.." -Antonio Machado

"We do not belong to those who only get their thoughts from books, or at the prompting of books... it is our custom to think in the open air, walking, leaping, climbing, or dancing on lonesome mountains by preference, or close to sea, where even the paths become thoughtful...."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

"Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate...." -J.R.R. Tolkein

This summer I sat in the back of The Floyd Country Store with Colleen. We tried to hear each other over the din of bluegrass music and the 'whooping and hollerin' of dancers having a grand time on the dance floor. She saved me from having to do the Texas two-step with a sweaty hillbilly with no regard for personal space. We talked of things of the heart and similarities in our journey.

The next night, I spent an evening with Fred First and his wife, Ann...under a canopy of old-growth Oak trees...listening to traditional Appalachian music.

It seems fitting.... the first two bloggers I met in person were the authors of the first blogs I read. The two that inspired me to start blogging.... They both add a little beauty to the world with their words, musings, photography, poetry.

Blogging has been a pleasant journey for me...a creative outlet.. a voice for my thoughts.... a world opened....and I have stumbled into an incredible community of fellow journeyman that I consider friends. Some of whom I have shared on a deeper level with....beyond blogging. And I am grateful for the new paths made and shared. This was most evident over the summer, when I had to attend to personal matters and blogging was put aside for a time. I was moved by all that checked in regularly, words of well-wishes and prayers, and thoughts and lovely words sent my way.

What an interesting world... where the thoughts of a country girl in Appalachia could reach India....and Britian.... Canada..... the Netherlands... and all points in between..... and foundations of friendships could be laid out.... journeys could be shared with people who are also climbing the mountains.... living life... dancing....leaping.. and sharing along the way.

And here's to future friendships and meetings, where our paths get to leave the virtual world and converge in the flesh.... my set date with Anna to chat over Diet Coke and a Dr. Pepper.... and perhaps some margaritas, as she has been known to boast about her skills as a margarita mix master. She's been with me from the start of my blogging journey.... and I'd be hard-pressed to find a post without an encouraging comment from her. And a future date with Moi, who lives near one of my sisters......to watch cheesy Bollywood movies while we paint our toe-nails and eat bon-bons. And who knows what other encounters might follow.....

100 posts ...... 'and miles to go before I sleep'......

Tag-Teamed.......

Last week, Anna from Anna's Photo of The Day let me know that she had bestowed on me a "Thinking Blogger Award." Apparently, this is a tag going around in which you choose 5 blogs that you enjoy and that make you think....I felt very honored and humbled by the kind words she said on her post about my blog. Well, lazy blogger that I am, I hadn't gotten around to accepting the Award and posting.... so I just received news from Elise at A Path Made Straight that she had given me the award, also. Needless to say, I was especially shocked and again, humbled, to receive it a second time. So, thank you, Anna and Elise- you both inspire me so much as well....both as mothers, and as creative individuals. If you haven't visited these two amazing ladies, I highly recommend a stop-over at their sites.

So, here I am..... and I must only choose 5...... a very difficult task. Just to note, Anna and Elise would have been on this list if they hadn't already been tagged. So, here it goes.....

1. Fragments From Floyd : If you have been reading my blog for a while, the name Fred First will be familiar to you. His was the first blog I ever read and I discovered it at a time in my life when my "cyber" visits to his front porch on Goose Creek were just what I needed. Writing from his old, white farmhouse in a narrow valley of southwest Virginia, his writings flood me with memories of my childhood....growing up in an old , white farmhouse on 65 acres in Kentucky. He is a wonderfully gifted writer and photographer, and he has an incredibly amazing gift of drawing attention to the small, simple, and beautiful details of the natural world around us. He also, through this gift, encourages good stewardship of the earth and always has great resources to check out. I have dubbed him "the Blogfather", as I feel he is somewhat of a blogging pioneer...... and through his 5 or 6 years of blogging, he has produced a wonderful book titled Slow Road Home. A great read for warm summer mornings while sitting on your porch drinking coffee.... :)

2. Loose Leaf Notes : Colleen Redman has also been an inspiration to me and I asked her advice before starting my own blog. She had the same reservations as me when she first started blogging, so she was a great resource. Colleen is a witty, intelligent, free-spirited woman who also happens to be a great writer and poet. I never know what to expect when I click over to her site each day, and that's what I love about it. We are on opposite poles in regards to politics and certain other subjects, but that is part of the fun. It's a bore to me to always be around like-minded individuals. Colleen makes me think, makes me smile, and moves me on a regular basis. She also keeps me in touch with that little bit of bohemian free-spirit in me that tends to get buried as I grow older....

3. The Creativity Blog : Tom Atkins is the consummate romantic, poet, and photographer . He is currently taking a blogging sabbatical, but I had to tag him because until then, he gave me my daily dose of poetry. He sees poetry in everything......nature, people, photographs, life. Anyone that can write poetry every day, and good poetry, at that, is high on my list. He has plenty of poetry still on his site, so go over and take a peek.

4. Lilies Have Dreams: Christianne is a blogger that I have crossed paths with over the past several months. I think the name of her blog fits her perfectly....she is a blooming writer and a lovely flower. She is honest and open about her life as a young woman trying to follow her dreams and calling within the context of being a Christian. She is a dreamer and an encourager....... and I know she is going to be blossoming within her giftings and writing as she continues to hold it up to the Light.....

5. Lattes and Rainy Days : Kirsten is a package deal with Christianne :) ....I "met" them both around the same time and through each others blogs. First, let me say that anyone with the word latte in their title HAS to be a kindred spirit. Kirsten is also a wonderful writer and encourager. She has recently bought a camera and has been gracing her blog with wonderful photos of the Pacific Northwest.... a beautiful part of our country that is still foreign to me. Kirsten keeps me in touch with my young, hip side and I love her stories about her adventures with her Comedian boyfriend.

There are SO many other great blogs out there, as most of you know. The blogging world has opened up so many windows for me and it has been so cool to come in to contact with people from all over the world that I would never know otherwise. I have enjoyed all you guys that I visit regularly and who visit me....

For those I tagged, The participation rules are simple:
1) If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2) Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3) Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

FARYN DAVIS.....

“We wake, if we ever wake at all, to mystery, rumors of death, beauty, violence…” -Annie Dillard

The above artwork is a work by my friend, Faryn Davis. Although she originally hails from the mountains of western NC, she now resides in Seattle. Faryn is an incredibly talented artist and uses a lot of mixed media, including natural objects, resin, wood, clay, and paint to make wonderfully unique, organic art. Her resin ornaments and paintings are my favorite and she will even personalize text in them.

Faryn also makes jewelry and sculptures. You won't be able to see the full scope of what she does until you browse her site, which is here. Enjoy!!!

FRED FIRST.....

"IF you live in or long for the southern mountains-- IF you find yourself drawn toward the pace and pleasures of unhurried, out-of-the-way places-- IF you hope for a home you are waiting to find, then you will feel at home in the pages of this "memoir of place", Slow Road Home ~ a Blue Ridge Book of Days."

I just finished this book by Fred First, a fellow blogger friend. For anyone who lives in, loves, or longs for the Blue Ridge mountains or just enjoys nature and a slower pace of life, this is a must-read! Fred has an incredible gift with words and an eye for the ordinary and small things that most of us pass by and take for granted. The book is made up of short essays and vignettes about his life on his farm in a little narrow valley of southwest Virginia. He takes the reader along with him as he discovers the wonders that are just outside his back door.

I loved the book, which is best read slowly, one essay at a time, to take in the thoughts and imagery of each entry. It would make a wonderful winter read and a wonderful gift- and I'm sure Fred would be more than happy to personalize each copy. For more info on "Slow Road Home" and Fred First, click here. And while you're there, check out his blog- it is my daily must read blog and he posts wonderful photographs along with it.

Country Boys and Girls Getting Down on the Farm.......

A growing trend in our area is for local farms to do elaborate corn mazes in their dried fields. It is a really fun fall activity and we went with friends to one of the best ones recently. You can even do it at night with flashlights and they have bonfires going and provide hot dogs and marshmallows to roast. These are the things that i hope will make for lasting family memories.....
(you can click on the pics for a larger version)

1. Getting lost in the maze

2. View from bridge in the middle of the maze

3. Me with my fellow mountain momma's

4. Guard your hearts all ye lasses

5. How tall in the fall?

6. Winding down at dusk