Apple Houses

I grew up in Wilkes County, North Carolina, noted for things like the birth of NASCAR, moonshine, the filming of Thunder Road, the Legend of Tom Dooley, and Brushy Mountain apples. Each year, I seem to forget how much better fresh apples are than those stored for a length of time. And, for the last few years, I've made it a habit to go by the Brushies to get some apples when I'm anywhere in the area.

Apple houses are extensions of orchards. I've found my favorite ones to be reliable, honest, knowledgeable, extremely helpful, friendly, and reasonably priced. They not only have apples, although that's their main product, but also other produce like, honey, jams and jellies, fresh apple cider, etc. I think it's worth the trip, and the apples from any of them are great. If you don't live where it's practical to get to the Brushies, maybe you can find an apple house near where you live. After all, John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) spread apples across the country.

If you're looking for an apple that cooks up, like for applesauce or apple butter, choose varieties like Roma, Jonathans, Winesap, MacIntosh, Gayla, Heirloom, or Cortland. For pies or dishes where you want the apple to hold its shape, apples, such as Red Delicious or Golden Delicious, are usually good. To just have to eat, choose what you like best. I like Gayla, Fuji, Red Delicious, or Golden Delicious. If you go to Deal's, the staff there can give you even more information.

Many of the apple houses have different varieties coming in during most of the three main seasons. Two years ago, I bought several boxes and brought them to the coastal plain to give friends. One church member said the Gaylas were the best apple he'd ever tasted. He'd had Gaylas before but never fresh from the orchard. It does make a difference.

In the Brushy Mountains

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Knapping Arrow Points

Early Native American civilizations were among those who made arrow points and weapons from stone. Groups often had knapping sites they went to at least annually, if suitable materials weren't available close to their traditional village sites. I know the Hardaway site near Badin, North Carolina, and Arrow Point close to the Missouri River on the Santa Fe Trail were such places.


Flint was a common material, because it flaked off when stuck, it would break with sharp edges, and pressure could be applied for the finishing touches. Other materials often used included obsidian, quartzite, chert, and jasper. Expert knappers knew how to get the stones to break the way they wanted. To finish the point, they applied pressure with a tool, such as a deer antler.

Point for hunting

The arrow points in which the corners at the broad end hooked deep toward the blunt end where it would be attached to a stick were made to be used in battles. An arrow point shaped like this would do even more damage coming out. The ones without this, especially the ones with rounded corners on the broad, end were designed for hunting. Arrows with these points would be easier to pull out, so they could be reused. Of course, smaller arrowheads would be meant for smaller prey.

Today, there are still knappers around. A few community colleges have courses in it. Bow hunters are sometimes interested in the skill, as well as those of us who love history. Of course, stone was not the only material used for points, but it's one of the oldest.

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Men's 18th Century Hats

When we think of men's hats during the Colonial Period and in the eighteenth century, we usually think of the tricorn. Although it may have been the most popular, men wore other styles of hats. For example, a farmer needed a hat that protected his face from the sun, and therefore tended to chose hats with a brim for outside work. Those with clerical positions often wore a hat with one end turned down but the others up.

18th c, clerical style hat at Hezekiah Alexander House, NC

Hats then were viewed as more of a necessity than we see them today, and boys as well as men wore them. One could choose hat making as a profession, and some hat makers became well-known for their work. The most famous ones were established in London, but American cities and towns had their own.

Colonial style hats at an Old Salem shop, NC

Of course, styles and materials for hats also varied as to the location. Those in warmer climates might wear different hats than those in colder ones. Men in the East, might dress differently than those on the frontier, too. No matter where they were, however, men in the eighteenth century would normally own at least one hat.

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Why Can't We Move Mountains?

..for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20).

If you asked, you'd find most Christians today are hesitant to say they can move mountains. Why not? Jesus says that we can, and the Bible repeats it several times. The obvious answer is that we don't have enough faith, but that's not exactly true. At the time of salvation, when the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us, we have enough faith, because it's a gift and not something we achieve. Most of us just don't recognize the fact. Like the disciples who couldn't cast out demons in Matthew 20, we don't believe that we can.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

I think some people have also tried to figuratively move a mountain to test God, and this is wrong. In my recollection, God only gives us permission to test Him in one area, and that is tithing. In Malachi 3:10, He says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the window of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Miracles are not to be seen as a way to prove or test God. 

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that :If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (1John 5:14).

photo bu Hugh Morton

Then, sometimes our motives are misplaced. Are we trying to glorify God and do His will or exalt ourselves and satisfy some goal of ours? We may be trying to move the wrong mountain, because it may not be in God's will. First, we need to attune ourselves to His Word, His nature, and His will. Then, like Elijah and many others, we can ask anything in His name, and it will be done. Now, go move those mountains in faith.

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How "Romance" Is Defined

I used to think "romance book" was a synonym for "love story." It's not, at least not in the publishing world. It took me a few years and a couple of conversations with those in publishing to understand this. In publishing realms, a book is only labeled as a romance, if it meets a very prescribed format. There must be boy meets girl, problems ensue, but eventually they get together in the end. It must follow this exact formula. I dislike writing books by a formula, and that's probably why most of books I write will never fit the romance category.

However, all my books have a bit of romance in them, some of them more than others. I think all humans seek love and acceptance; it's a basic need. Still, none of the books I've written so far fits the romance category, even though I've written thirteen manuscripts and am now working on the fourteenth. Both of the ones I've already published in my Appalachian Roots series, Cleared for Planting and Sown in Dark Soil, are historical fiction, but that series does have a romance element, too. 

The manuscript I'm writing now, the second one in my New Mexico series, may fit that label, but I won't know until I get it finished. I'm not writing it with that in mind. My characters drive my stories, and I don't make them fit into any particular mold. Many of my readers seem to like this. They say they have a hard time putting the book down, because they never know what is going to happen, and they read to find out. Most of my novels are labeled "historical fiction," although 4 of the manuscripts so far are contemporary fiction. My next series may be a contemporary series about betrayals, but there's likely to be about 5 in the New Mexico series I'm working on now, so the betrayals will be quite a while coming. I'm just having a great time, because I do love writing!

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Mykonos

Mykonos is a small Greek island sitting in the Mediterranean Sea. With only 33 square miles and a population of about 10,000 people, it is still a popular tourist destination. In fact, its main industry is tourism, and most of its inhabitants live in the main town, also called Mykonos. One reason for the tourism and the town dwellers is the town's pristine appearance. All the buildings are a stark white that gleam in the Mediterranean sun. The streets are clean and the storefronts well-kept.  

Mykonos has a long history. Archaeologists have found evidence of a Nebolithic tribe on the island called Kares who date back to 3000 B.C. Ionians from Athens were likely the first permanent settlers in the 1200's B.C., and the island became important to Greek transport and supplies. The Venetians occupied it for a while after the fall of Constantinople in 1204. The Ottomans came in the 1500's.

The island still prospered as a trading center in the 18th century, but this also brought the threat of pirates. The French and the British fought the Battle of Mykonos in their harbor in 1794. The Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire erupted in 1821, and Mykonos took an active role.

In the early 1900's, the island experienced a slump, and many residents left to find work elsewhere. However, tourism had become important, and many archaeological digs, especially by the French, aided the local economy. In the 1930's it became the place to be for artists, politicians, and the wealthy, and tourists began to flock to the hot spot in groves. The island still impresses visitors.

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Margaret Mitchell's Apartment in Atlanta

If you love books and literature, like I do, Margaret Mitchell's apartment in Atlanta, where she wrote most of Gone with the Wind, is a must-see. Today it looks much as it did in Margaret's day. You can walk through the rooms and almost feel her presence.

The house was built in 1899 as a single dwelling but became apartments around 1919. When Margaret and her husband lived in apartment 1 on the ground floor, the building held 10 units and was known as the Crescent Apartments. It was located in walking distance of Margaret's parents and close to the trolley lines.

Today the apartment is a museum in honor of Margaret Mitchell, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Gone with the Wind. The classic movie from it starred Clark Gable and Vivian Lee. Although I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the apartment, I still enjoyed the tour.

The Margaret Mitchell House
979 Crescent Avenue, NE
Atlanta, GA
404-249-7015

Tours: Monday - Saturday 10:30 - 4:30
                                Sunday  12:30 - 4:30
(Schedule may change on holidays)

Haystacks and Corn Shocks

At one time, the haystacks and shocks of corn standing in fields signaled fall. With corn pickers and hay balers, those days are long gone, for the most part. In fact, I found none that were being used. However, a few scattered farmers, especially in the Appalachians, seem to still shock some corn stalks and bundle them, more for decorations than use. I could find no haystacks to take pictures of, not even in Amish communities. The closest I could find was a little hay mound in Wilkes County, North Carolina - not really a haystack.

I remember, as a child, my father cut both his hay and corn by hand. He usually used a sythe for the hay and a sickle on the corn. Of course, we would pick the corn first. There were some years when he hired help, if he had several large fields. Other years, he, Mother, and I did it ourselves. We would pull the ears and make stacks of them along the field. Then Mom would pull the tractor and wagon up, while Dad and I threw the corn into the wagon. Dad always cut the corn and made the shocks by himself. In later years, he only planted a small field of corn.

One year, my grandparents had an abundance of corn and held a corn shucking. I can remember the homemade tool used to cut through the corn shuck. It was a fat, pencil-shaped piece of wood with a leather strip attached to put around a finger. I was too young to remember much about the games, contests, and singing, but I remember I had fun.

As a young child, I sometimes hid in the center of a shock of corn. I also liked to slide down a haystack, but I had to have permission for that, so Dad wouldn't be angry when I scattered the hay too much. Those times are long gone, too.

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Spring Houses

When their property had a nice clear stream or water bubbling from underground, families in earlier times often built a spring house. This not only gave them a place to gather protected water but also a place to store foodstuffs that needed to be kept cool.

The spring house usually had water coming in from one end, it pooled in a small holding area, and then it left at the other end. My grandparents had such a spring house on their farm in Wilkes County, North Carolina. My great aunt and uncle had a similar setup in Watauga County, but their spring house was right beside the front porch, which gave easy access from the house. This water came from a nearby mountain and always stayed cold, even in the summer.

In my first historical novel set in the Appalachians, Cleared for Planting, Emma's family didn't have a spring house, like the Moretzes did. Instead, they build a little holding area at the edge of a mountain stream. However, spring houses became common for mountain and rural people. As Granny Em told in the second novel, Sown in Dark Soil, you'll never find any better tasting water.

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Some Cabins at Cades Cove

Peaks of the Appalachian Mountains guard Cades Cove like sentinels, seeming to offer some protection for the valley. Families began trickling into the cove around 1818. One of those first families was the Olivers. John and Lucretia Oliver arrived in 1818 and spent their first winter in an abandoned Cherokee hunting hut. In 1822 they constructed a cabin in front of it. In 1826, the Olivers bought land, and John built a wedding cabin for his son.

Dan Lawson built a cabin in 1856, after he purchased the land from his father-in-law, Peter Cable. The most unusual feature is the brick chimney, because most were built from stone. The clay was gathered and the bricks made on the site. Originally it was constructed of logs, but additions were added with milled lumber. It also has a granary and smokehouse.

Colonel "Hamp" Tipton built a house in Cades Cove in 1870, but he never lived there. He'd fought in the Mexican War and returned to live in Tuckaleechee Cove. However, two of his daughters, Lucy and Lizzie, lived in the cabin when they taught school in the Cades Cove. James McCaulley also rented it for a time before he bought his own property in the cove and built his own house. 

Carter Shields had fought in the Civil War, was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, and remained crippled for life. When he returned from the war, he married and moved to Kansas. He came back to Cades Cove in 1906 and bought property in 1910, but he only lived there for eleven years before he left again. Even with the houses built in these later dates, they still showed a primitive lifestyle of years earlier.

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How to Be Content

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life; and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

We seem to be living in a time of discontent. Few people seem to be really satisfied with their life, but yet they choose not to change it. If you're a Christian and still find yourself dissatisfied, perhaps you've fallen into living a mundane, lifeless Christianity. Hopefully, you've not become lukewarm, because the Lord says He will spew you out of His mouth if that's the case.

Not that I speak in regard of want; for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11).

Paul said he was content in whatever condition he found himself. That's because true contentment isn't based on circumstances. It's based in God. Once you establish a close, personal relationship with Him, His pure, unconditional love will overwhelm you, and you'll find that peace which passes all understanding. You'll find yourself wanting to study his Word and looking forward to praying, so you can talk with Him. In The Power of Unlimited Faith, Kynan Bridges says, "The Word of God gives form and purpose to your life" (kindle loc. 204).


And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

When you think about it, no Christian should be sad most of the time. None of us should be going around burdened and looking as if we're carrying the weight of the world. We have a heavenly Father who wants to carry them for us, and He is a much better Manager of our lives than we are. Why then do we find it so hard to surrender all to Him? When we do, we'll have so much joy and peace, we'll never be discontent for long again. Knowing and obeying God brings contentment.

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8).

Sown in Dark Soil Shipment Arrives

Last week, Jim and I spent time at The Cove, Billy Graham's Conference Center, just east of Asheville, North Carolina. While we were gone, UPS left the shipment of Sown in Dark Soil on our front doorstep. Luckily the clerk at the local convenience store told a church member that she saw a bunch of boxes outside our house, and it looked like it might rain. He came down, got the shipment, and took them to his house for safekeeping. We got home late Friday, and Billy and his wife brought our books over Saturday.

The odd thing is I still have heard nothing from the publisher, the printer, or the delivery company that the books were dropped off. From the packing slip, I did notice that my publisher used a different printer this time than with Cleared for Planting. This printer was in Pennsylvania, and the last one was in Michigan. The one in Michigan took 4 months to print the book, and the date was extended at least 3 times. This printer got them out at the date first proposed.

It's still exciting to open that crate and see all my new books facing me. Even the new book smell that fills the air is special. I've just finished reading through the manuscript for the 3rd novel in the Appalachian Roots series, Uprooted by War, set during the Civil War. While I'm traveling over the next several days to promote the books, I'm leaving the manuscript with Jim to read through and catch any mistakes that I haven't. Then, I'll go through it at least one more time before I send it to the publisher. Hopefully, it won't be long before I'll be opening boxes of them.

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The Bleak House

The Victorian Bleak House was built by Robert Houston Armstrong, a Knoxville lawyer. It was named after the novel by Charles Dickens. Slave labor molded the bricks for the house on the site. During the siege of Knoxville and the Battle of Fort Sanders, late in 1863, the house was commandeered by Confederate Generals James Longstreet and Lafayette McLaws as their headquarters. Today it's owned by Chapter 89 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Rarely am I disappointed in any historical site, but the Bleak House was nothing what I expected. The house itself and its history was interesting, but the policies aren't very friendly to visitors. First, the house is locked, and if a tour is being conducted, you might have to wait outside for as long as an hour. Then, once inside, adults pay $10 to tour the house, but no one is allowed to take photos inside. And, during the Civil War, the house had red brick, but since then they've been painted white. In addition, the house is open for historic tours on a very

limited basis. The property makes its money as an event venue site, especially for weddings. Still, however, it is a beautiful house, and, if you're a history buff like me, you might want to ignore the policies and go anyway. At least you'll know what to expect now.

The Bleak House
3148 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919

865-993-3397
http://www.knoxvillecmh.org

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Pie Safes

In earlier times, when a lady baked pies, she usually made several at one time. Fruit pies would usually keep for a few days, and the family would likely eat them quickly. However, she didn't want to leave them setting out where critters could get to them, especially overnight, and there were no special containers to hold them. The answer was the pie safe.

The pie safe was a special cabinet designed to hold pies. It was made from wood with punched tin inserts, at least in the front. Some ingenious homemakers would set the saucers under the legs of the cabinet and fill them with water to keep ants and other insects from invading the pies.

Pie Safes came in many sizes and designs. Some were rustic, where the builder was only concerned with its practicality. Others were elaborate and beautifully designed. However, the family was often more interested in the goodies the cabinet might contain than in its craftsmanship. Today, however, they've become collector's pieces.

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