A History of Honey

Honey is one of the sweetest and purest forms of natural sweetener, but it has remained a mystery in many ways ever since man discovered the golden liquid. Its use dates far back in history. Honey made more than 3,000 years ago was found still pure in a tomb in Egypt. Archaeologists also found records of beekeeping in northern Egypt, proving that ancient Egyptians farmed the honey and didn't just collect it in the wild. Later, the body of Alexander the Great was embalmed in honey and beeswax. Greek athletes drank honey before their events in the Olympics. Romans believed it prolonged life, and when Julius Caesar asked one-hundred-year old Pollio Rumilius what kept his mind so sharp, he answered, "Honey." An ancient poet referred to Scotland as the"Honey Isle," because the Highlanders drank so much mead made from fermented honey, water, and herbs.

The term, "honeymoon" comes from an old French practice that

required a couple drink honey for a moon or thirty days after they wed. This was supposed to ensure the blessing of children. Honey was often used in medicine. For example, Hipprocrates prescribed honey for many of his patients, and Pliny said it was "effective in easing many afflictions." Homer told Diomedes to add honey to his horse's barley. Horse breeders, ranchers, and farmers today still sometimes use honey and bran to help animals gain weight.

During the Middle Ages, honey was given for the relief of ulcers, digestive problems, raw throats, and mouth sores. It was also often applied to wounds to help prevent inflammation. In Medieval England, honey was used to help cure meat and leather. Women were known to use it on their hands, and French women applied it to their face to help preserve their youthful appearance.

Although much about honey still remains a mystery, many people believe in its benefits, and there is still a great demand for it. Beekeepers stay busy and suppliers often have a hard time keeping jars of honey stocked on their shelves.

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The Great Power of Prayer

I think Christians who have been long-time church-goers, like me, often overlook the tremendous power prayer carries. If someone asked us if we believe in the power of prayer, we'd likely answer, "Yes, of course," but do we really? I wonder if most of us really expect our prayers to be answered. Do we actually believe if we ask in faith, our prayers can move mountains?

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not (Jeremiah 33:3).

All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22).

It's almost as if we have grown up hearing prayers and even praying ourselves, but we say them as something we're supposed to do and almost take them for granted. Yet, prayer is one of the greatest assets a Christian has, and it strengthens us. It welds a powerful force and gives us an awesome advantage. Prayer is the greatest tool a Christian has and the most effective weapon against the enemy. Coupled with trust, it is invincible. 

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it will be done unto you (John 15:7).

Did you get this? The closer you stay to Christ, if He abides in you and you in Him, then your prayers will be answered. Now you put all you trust in Him, knowing that whatever happens will be the best for you, no matter how it appears, because you rest totally in Him and trust Him without reservation. When you get to this point, you will began to recognize more of the many blessings He sends your way

each day. As you have this thankful heart, your eyes are opened to what good care He takes of you. How wonderful it is to feel this close to Almighty God! Pray about it.

Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy many be full (John 16:24).

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Bleeding Patients

Doctor's supply shelf

For many years, the best way a doctor knew to rid his patient of maladies was to bleed them. This allowed enough of the harmful elements to be extracted from the body, so the body could make new, clean blood. Part of this theory stemmed from the old belief that humors determined much about a person, and one of the four humors was the blood.

A variety of implements were used to slit or puncture the sick individual, usually in the arm. Blood-sucking leeches were also kept and used. 

Leech jar and bleeding instruments

Blistering was a similar remedy. It used a hot glass or cup to blister the flesh. Then the blisters could be pieced to rid the body of maladies through the pus.

In Cleared for Planting, Part Two, Sarah does not like Clifton's method of bleeding.

           Clifton knew that Sarah didn’t like the medical practices of bleeding and blistering. He had been taught to rely on them for certain illnesses, but Sarah refused to participate in them. Coming from some knowledge of the medical practices of her Cherokee grandmother, she could not understand the presumed benefits.

            “How can causing new wounds on the body help heal anything?” she asked.

His mother would agree with Sarah, Clifton realized, but of course the same Cherokee woman that taught Sarah had taught Mama, so that was to be expected. Yet, when Clifton performed the procedures and a patient died, he couldn’t help but wonder if there might be some truth to Sarah’s opinion.

            Keeping up with developments in his field was important to Clifton. In doing so, he came across an essay written in 1815 by Dr. Ennalls Martin about an epidemical outbreak in Maryland. Dr. Martin had done his own study of bleeding and concluded that bleeding did more harm than good, and many of his patients who died might have lived had they not been bled.

            After consideration, Clifton became more skeptical of the procedure and used bleeding sparingly and only when the patient or the family requested it. The patients he didn’t bleed seemed to recover better than those he did, so he began to recommend skipping the use of bleeding and blistering altogether. Sarah grinned widely when he told her, as he had suspected she would.

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Emma's Imagination

Back in my August 25th blog, I gave you an introduction to Emma Cagle, the main character in Part One of Cleared for Planting. At that time, I said I would tell more about Emma's imagination at a later time. Here are some more excerpts on this from the novel, which should be released around Thanksgiving.

Emma became amazed at how quickly the weather changed:

            All of a sudden, ferocious black clouds began to march across the sky. Emma had never seen such ominous looking clouds develop so fast. The sun had been shining when the wagon wheel broke.

            The black clouds rolled and billowed like a mighty army and conquered all the fluffy white soldiers in their wake. They’d already conquered the ruling sun. At least no artillery clash followed, as often happened in the summer thunderstorms back home. Emma stood watching the battle play out. It started to rain, a cold drenching rain. They pulled out the tarp and huddled under it. 

When going up a mountain, Emma became frightened of the steep cliffs and drop-offs over the sides of the roads. Yet, she stills lets her imagination run:

...when Emma ventured another look over the side, she saw fog lurking down below. It reminded her of some mystical fairyland, and she could almost imagine a dragon come lumbering out of the forest across the road opposite the cliff. Maybe it would spread its wings and fly off the cliff. Perhaps she could hop on its back and get a different view of the mountains. She almost laughed at herself and her wild imagination. Besides, if in reality she feared even looking at the high drops, how would she ever climb aboard a dragon about to take flight?

Emma is fourteen at this time. Over the next months, as she deals with some harsh realities, she matures. Part of that comes from meeting and developing an interest in Edgar Moretz. Life on a small mountain farm could be rough, however, and a person had to be strong to survive.

I hope you're looking forward to the release of Cleared for Planting as much as I am. Waiting is always hard, but it's only about two months from now.

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Pesky Chinches

Water for washing often came from creeks or springs.

Have you ever heard of chinches? I learned of them through my Appalachian background. I've also run across several oral history collections that talk about them, and my mother, who came from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, knew about them.

Clinches are small insects that resemble a tiny tick, and they suck blood too. They'd invade a house, especially during the winter, a time when those in the Appalachians washed themselves or their possessions as little as possible. In bad infestations, the chinches would even be climbing the walls. 

Normally during spring cleaning, women would wash bedding, redo mattress stuffings, and scour down the cabins with extremely hot, soapy water to rid the house of chinches. From their descriptions, I've often wondered if they weren't a type of bedbug, but I've never come across that in any of my research.

In Cleared for Planting, when Emma and her family get to Uncle

Roy's cabin, it's infested with chinches and other varmints. They move everything out, wash the walls and floor with scalding water and lye soap, and launder all the clothes and bedding. Aren't you glad this isn't something we have to contend with on a regular basis today?

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The Fireplace in Early American Homes

The very first homes in the English colonies, like the ones at

Jamestown, had no fireplace, and cooking was done either outside or in the center of house on the dirt floor. Soon, however, all homes had at least one fireplace. The kitchen might have tiny windows, bare walls, and dingy rafters, but it tended to be the most cheerful room in the house. The fireplace gave a house warmth and was the heart of the home. Many of the household activities centered there.

The first fireplaces tended to be huge, but, as the forests began to gradually dwindle due to clearing and burning for things like home fuel, tar, and potash, the fireplaces also shrank in size. This is one clue to dating old homes.

Chimneys were hurried affairs at first. They were usually made with green logs and covered with clay. These soon gave way to stone or brick. By this time, many of the kitchen fireplaces had a baking oven to the side. The pots, pans, and fireplace implements were often the most valuable possessions in a small home.


Homes of the wealthy sported several fireplaces , because the larger homes needed them for comfort. Still, it wasn't uncommon for many rooms to remain unheated, especially the bedrooms.

The German settlers were first to use stoves extensively. These proved more efficient and eventually became widespread, but fireplaces were never completely replaced. Even today people appreciate their aesthetic value.

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From Flax to Linen

Flax was an important crop to Early Americans, although it involved at lot of work. For the best quality linen, the flax is harvested just prior to maturation. If the flax is being raised for linseed oil, then it is left in the field longer. The plant grows best in cool damp climates and isn't tolerant of extreme heat. It can be grown in many areas, however, by adjusting when it is planted. After harvesting, it is usually tied in small shocks and allowed to dry for a few weeks. Then, it's soaked in water until it begins rotting to break down the woody, outer fiber, and this causes a foul odor. The usable fibers, or straw are dried and run through something to further remove the unwanted parts.

Flax fibers are spun on a small spinning wheel like the one Rapunzel used in the fairy tale. Linen threads are fine, and if a coarser thread is needed, they can be spun again, joining the finer threads. The threads are dyed if colors are needed, and then they are woven into linen cloth on a loom. In some areas, flax and wool were mixed together to form linsey-woolsey. 

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