Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas dear Readers!

Christmas is always a great time to tell people that you appreciate them and I want all of you readers to know what a joy it is to share Tennessee Mountain Stories with you.

I never quite know how to express the feelings I have when you tell me you enjoy the blog, or that you’ve read one of my books. Every time I have a chance, I always try to tell you how honored I am that you would spend some of your precious time with me and please allow me to reiterate that to you now.

7 years and 4 books ago, I never would have imagined that yu’ns would keep listening to me. And I guess I still find it hard to believe. Still, there are stories left to tell, history to learn and share, and I look forward to continuing the effort in 2021.

I’m going to take a little break this last week of the year and will see you here again in January.

God Bless and Keep each of you and please have a Merry Christmas.

The Mountain Dulcimer

The Dulcimores, Crossville, TN

Several weeks ago, I was honored to participate in the Cumberland Horizons Heritage Day alongside a local band, The Dulcimores.  As I enjoyed the sweet tones from 5 different dulcimers I grew more curious about this uniquely American instrument whose music seems to echo a mountain breeze, trickling brook and singing bird; surely it was created for such a purpose.  So I talked with the musicians a little then dug around the web some and wanted to share with you what I’ve learned.

Music is as old as time – it wasn’t by accident that God gave birds those beautiful songs!  Genesis 4:21 tells us that just 8 generations from creation, Jubal “…was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.”  Today there are a myriad of instruments – many I could not name.   And, in fact, I can scarcely pronounce the predecessor of the dulcimer, the German scheitholt. 

And then there was the great melting pot known as America…this is where it gets exciting.

So German immigrants brought their scheitholt along with them when they settled in Pennsylvania, alongside the Scottish, the Irish, and those unique Scots-Irish who were somehow a people all their own.   The British Isles had no such instrument; The Scotts played their bagpipes, the Irish their fiddles – and as they searched for a home among the rugged Appalachian Mountains they merged the two sounds into an adaptation of something they saw their German neighbors playing.

I can’t help but imagine those early days when immigrants from across Europe flooded the US bring unique languages and cultures.  The Germans came speaking a wholly different language that would have completely isolated them into their own communities.  The Irish Gaelic and the Scottish Gaelic no doubt came with the immigrants, however after centuries of invasion, landlords and oversight by the English, those coming from Ireland and Scotland probably had that language in common.   Yet music knows no border.  We have had radio for so many decades and now we have streaming platforms and internet music – it’s hard to imagine not hearing a wide variety of music, hard to picture what it would be like to stand in this strange new land among peoples I might never have imagined and to hear a brand new instrument.

These were unique people that I greatly admire.  They had something I’m pretty sure I lack – a drive to find something better, a willingness to take chances and face uncertainties and a work ethic that would allow them to survive extreme difficulties.  They also had an ingenuity that allowed them to sing the songs of their ancestors and play the music of their childhood – and they created a brand-new instrument to do it.  This instrument would be easy to learn – the dulcimer is said to be one of the quickest to master.  The dulcimer was portable, quiet and easily built from materials readily available in the mountains.  It is more than uniquely American – it is uniquely Appalachian!

Chincapin Nuts

The following article is re-posted from Backwoods Adventures. I’ve shared their articles a few times - Scott doesn’t blog very often but whenever he takes the time to share, I always learn something and I want to share it! He has been beyond gracious in allowing me to do so, as well as sharing pictures he brings back from his remote jaunts.

Just one note for you - I suppose this article was the first time I’ve ever seen the word CHINCAPIN in writing. We always call them “Chinky-pins” and I would’ve had to look it up to spell it correctly!

The American Chincapin

We recently ran across one of my favorite treats in the backcountry! A delicious wild nut called a Chinquapin.

The American Chinquapin (Castaneda pumila) is a “species” closely related to the chestnut although smaller. Also commonly known as the Allegheny Chinquapin or dwarf chestnut.

It is a deciduous tree found mostly in the eastern and southeastern United States. Sadly populations have declined over the last several year.

The Chinquapin tree can range in size from a small looking shrub to a small looking tree.

It’s nuts are edible and quite sweet when mature in the fall of the year. It has single seed burs. This means each burr that opens into two halves will have one small nut inside which gives the tree a distinctive chestnut look.

Legend has it that Captain John Smith not knowing what they were wrote the first European record of a Chinquapin in 1612. “The Indians have a small fruit growing on a little tree, husked like a Chestnut. This they call a “Checkinquamins”, which they esteem a great daintie.”

All the World's a Classroom

I’ve been sharing with you a little about my experience homeschooling, and you know I’m always making this mental comparison with things from the past.  This education-experience is no different.

Just a few weeks ago I wrote here comparing modern schools to education down through history and noted how much of education in the past came through the home and from parents.  Even understanding that historical model, it’s hard to tear myself away from what I know of school – textbooks and teachers, homework, tests and written answers.  But all of the world is certainly a classroom, isn’t it?

I have a growing circle of experienced homeschooling moms, and I hope some of y’uns will comment on this because I certainly recognize my inexperience.  They are well aware of the extensive resources available to them.  Sometimes that’s a museum or library, and other times it’s a walk in the woods.

As I open my eyes (and pray moment-by-moment for wisdom, I’m realizing there are lessons around every corner.

Caleb had a reading assignment that talked about the Jewish New Year, and of course he had a lot of questions about it.  In the story, a family immigrated to America from Russia and they missed the holiday traditions in their homeland.  So we skyped with my dear Israeli friends and they told us all about their celebration just days before, even showing us some of the foods they had left over – how I wish we could’ve visited in-person and tasted some of those!

We’ve been learning about evergreen versus deciduous trees and Daddy took a walk with us teaching what kinds of trees grow on the Plateau.  We collected acorns and talked about how Native Americans were able to use them as food – and the cleansing process necessary to make them safe. 

Science lessons on cold-blooded animals led us to the Tennessee Aquarium – but could just as easily have landed us alongside the pond with rods and reels in hand (now that I think about it, I can’t believe my husband let a perfectly good fishing opportunity pass him by!).

Ruthie is always eager to help in the kitchen, and as I was telling you last week, I try to take every opportunity to teach the recipes and techniques Grandma taught me. (And I hear Grandpa’s voice echoing in my head, “When you’re old enough to actually help, you won’t WANT to help.”)

We’ve just gotten a sewing machine for Ruthie and she has big plans to make clothes for herself and everyone around.  Thankfully (for my limited seamstress-skills), I have a dear friend who’s already volunteered to spend time with her and the machine. 

Most all children are faced with the task of learning to read, write and count.  In years past most also learned to care for animals, cook meals and raise food, but those skills are diminishing these days.  I certainly hope I can give my children the computer training, foreign language skills and higher math they will need in their 21st century life while also instilling the 19th century abilities that will see them through any unexpected circumstances they may face.