Early Coffee 

I enjoy a good cup of coffee. Coffee is believed to have originated in Africa, however it spread to the Middle East early-on and was in Europe by about 1600. It landed in New Amsterdam (later to become New York) in the mid-1600's but never really caught on at first. Most people still

preferred tea, until King George became obstinate about taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War. His tax on tea was so unpopular, many of the colonists switched to drinking coffee instead.


The first coffee consumers in America bought the roasted beans and ground them. They then placed some of these grounds in a pot

with water and heated it. When brewed, they would set it aside to let the grounds settle to the bottom and tried to pour without stirring up the grounds. Soon special pots were designed to aid in keeping the grounds from pouring out. To help matters some people began tying the grounds loosely in cloth. Eventually, coffee makers with a special compartment for the grounds evolved.

It wasn't until around 1865 that a ground coffee was introduced. American John Arbuckle marketed the first packages of ground, roasted coffee, but others followed. By World War I, the number of coffee companies included Maxwell House, Folgers, Hill Brothers, and others.

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Painting

If you have read several of my blogs, you may already realize that I'm interested in a multitude of things. My writing seems to be a way to pull it all together and use some of it.

At one point in my life, I took a special interest in painting. Oils were my favorite, although I dabbled in many mediums. I had enjoyed art when I was in school. I remember an art contest we had in sixth grade. We had to draw a plantation house. I came in second to a student I considered an excellent artist. Sure, I would have liked to win, because I've always had a competitive side, but I recognized his was better than mine. The contest had been judged fairly, and I was just happy to have placed.

When I was adding elementary certification to my teaching degree, I took an art class for teachers at West Chester State University in Pennsylvania. I thoroughly enjoyed the drawing, paper sculptures, and different projects. The professor tried to talk me to coming back and majoring in art. Since I had a family, I didn't think it was the right thing for me at the time, but I was honored that he encouraged me and felt it was a huge compliment.

I used to have a small craft shop, and Mother and I did craft shows. Over the years, I've sold most of my paintings. The two pictured here are the only ones I have left. I quit painting years ago, when I turned to quilting and other crafts. Getting out my oils, having the right canvas, and storing it all just became too much. Besides, I had other hobbies to explore.

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Leather Britches

On cold winter days, my mother liked to put on a pot of leather britches to cook for a vegetable, like her ancestors had done long ago. Before the process of home canning came about, families used to dry what foods they could to use during the winter. In the Appalachians, we called dried green beans "leather britches." They likely got this name from the fact that they become tough and leathery as they're dried. 

There's two ways I've seen the beans dried. Mother sometimes removed the strings on the beans and, without breaking them, strung them up like a long necklace using a large needle and thread.

She then hung them in the rafters in the hot summer to dry. She also strung and broke them as if she were going to cook them and lay them out on a clean sheet in the sun or in the attic to dry. When the broken ones dried, she would sack them up. She'd leave the ones on the stings hanging.

These dried beans didn't taste like fresh ones, but they tasted all right when there's nothing fresh available. Mother would soak them overnight and rinse them, much like she did pinto beans. She would bring them to a boil and simmer them for a couple of hours or more. Then she would season them the same way she did any green beans. Most of the people in the Appalachians knew what leather britches were.

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Knowing the Lord Intimately

One of the books I'm reading now is The Listening Heart: Hearing God in Prayer by Judy Gordon Morrow. I have just started it, but it's already touching me. I decided to share a portion with you today, along with some Bible verses to ponder. She explains how the life she was living all fell apart. Then she says:

 Away from all family and longtime friends, I counted on one constant: God. I knew of one source of peace and hope and unconditional love: God. I found out when every prop gets knocked out from under you there is always One who remains: God. He proved to me that He in His fullness is more than enough.

Although I had known Jesus since I was a young child, I didn't know how intimately He desired to be involved in every detail of my life. In getting to know Him daily on a deeper level, I came to love Him like never before - and I learned to trust His wild and wonderful ways in my life. The result? Absolute wonder at every juncture of my journey....   [Kindle location 94-97]

"Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 1:3b).

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:15).

"Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 23:37).

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4) 

"Oh, Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:9).

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Foods to Help Prevent Cancer

I don't know if people are getting more health conscious, but I know I am. I'm getting particularly more aware of foods and spices and their benefits. 

Because of components, like antioxidants, some foods are known to help prevent cancer. Here is a list I've compiled:

Berries
Grapes
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage

Brussel sprouts
Greens, especially kale and spinach
Legumes
Whole grains 
Flax seeds
Garlic
Green tea (black tea to a lesser extent)

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The Year of 1804

Cleared for Planting opens in 1804 with the Cagle family moving to a location near the Linville River in the Appalachian Mountains. As we also begin a new year, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the main events in 1804. Of course, in their isolated setting, the characters in the novel never hear of most of these.

Jan. 1 - Haiti gained its independence from France.
Jan. 5 - The Ohio legislature passed the first laws restricting the movement of blacks.
Feb. 14 - The first Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire occurs.

Feb. 15 - New Jersey becomes the last northern state to abolish slavery.
Feb. 21 - The first locomotive run takes place in Wales.
Feb. 24 - London's Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground.
Feb. 25 - Thomas Jefferson is nominated to run for President.
Mar. 26 - Congress orders all Indians east of the Mississippi moved to Louisiana.

Meriwether Lewis

May 14 - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out from St. Louis to explore and plan to reach the Pacific Ocean.
May 18 - The French Senate proclaims Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of France.
Jul. 12 - Vice-President Aaron Burr mortally wounds Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
Oct. 2 - Great Britain begins measures to defend against a French invasion.
Dec. 5 - Thomas Jefferson is reelected President.

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A Take on Time

As we click into a new year, we usually think about time in some way - times in the past, right now, and how much the future might hold. Do you agree with Einstein that time is relative? It sure can seem so.

Do you remember how slowly time crawled as a child. The time between Christmases or birthdays seemed to take forever. At first, I can remember looking forward to turning twelve where I wouldn't be so "little" anymore. When I was twelve, I couldn't wait to get to sixteen, when I could get my driver's license. Funny thing, though, when I got to be an adult, it wasn't as gloriously freeing as I had imagined.

Now, time has taken a fast track. It seems that I barely get one year's Christmas tree put away before I am turning around and putting up another one. I switch out summer clothes for fall and winter ones (my closet won't hold both), and with a snap of my fingers, it's time to pack up the winter ones and get out those for spring and 
summer. 

We often stay so busy that we fail to enjoy the time we have. As a pastor's wife, I don't know how many times I've heard people say they don't have the time to do something, even attend church. I read a comment years ago that has always stuck with me. We all have the same amount of time in each day. The difference is in how we choose to spend them. How you choose to spend your time says a lot about you. Maybe we all need to do a little self-examination as we begin 2015 and make more conscious choices on how we budget our time.

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