Here we are - 2 days from the end of June. Can you believe it! I want to take a moment and list some things that have been a special blessing. Come join us over at Living to Tell the Story and tell us about yours. And thanks, Susanne for giving us this spot each week.
~Air conditioning: Yes, I listed this one last week, and probably will each and every week through the summer. I'm so thankful that I'm not like those hearty pioneers here in Appalachia who endured summers like this one. But then, they were made of heartier stuff.
~My new coffee maker: I mentioned last week that I was in need of a new coffee maker and toaster. I found both this past Monday and on sale! My new coffee maker is a Keurig K-Express and I really am enjoying it. It's easy to use and makes great coffee and it's a pretty blue. Now I'm on the hunt for those K-pods on sale. I'm also going to get the reuseable filters as well so that I can use bulk coffee.
~Online dulcimer concert: Stephen Siefert is a master dulcimer musician and teaches workshops at the Quarantune Dulcimer Fest held 2 or 3 times a year. This all started back in 2020 when we were all quarantined. There are lots of folk musicians who make their living through touring for concerts and especially workshops and that was all taken away. A bunch of them began an online festival of workshops which grew to be so successful that it has continued long after quarantine ended. I've taken a workshop with Stephen online and last week he rewarded past participants of his workshops with a free online concert. It was great!
~You Tube: Don't laugh but a lot of my TV viewing is on You Tube. There is a lot of ridiculous stuff to weed through but also a lot of good things if you know where to look. I'm a history buff and I've found a couple great channels that I really enjoy watching. And I've learned a whole lot as well. One is called
History Underground. JD's specialty is Civil War history and WW2 but he also touches on Revolutionary War history. Anything you want to know about Gettysburg, he's your man. Another one I enjoy is Donnie Laws. He's as Appalachian as you can get and is a treasure trove of the history of the Great Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove. Those early settlers were made of strong stuff!
~Family treasures: My mother and maternal grandmother kept EVERYTHING! And as a result, I have some treasures. I have a sewing kit that my great-great grandfather John carried during the Civil War. Another treasure I discovered when my mother moved in with me years ago. She brought with her a pitcher that she didn't know much about. It didn't look very pretty to me, but it did look old, so I've kept it safe. A few years back when I was packing up to move, I found way inside the pitcher a piece of torn off envelope and words written in pencil...
"This belonged to my mother's grandmother. and also the wooden bowl."
I have no idea where the wooden bowl ended up but this pitcher, if I'm figuring this correctly belonged to my 4 great grandmother! I would estimate perhaps it's from the early 1800s! The note was written by my Great-great Aunt Pearl whose mother was my great-great grandma Jane (who was married to Civil War veteran John). Her grandmother would then be my 4 great grandmother! Am I correct? This pitcher I used to think wasn't very pretty is now precious to me.
I guess that's it for this week. Stay cool, my friends and have a great weekend.
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