The iconic Carter Family of Country Music origins (A. P., Sarah, and “Mother” Maybelle) were known for their classic songs. “The Storms are on the Ocean” is one of them. I have been dabbling in autoharp playing for a while … Continue reading
Back in 1989 I was appointed to the Belfast-Midway Charge in the Tazewell District of the Holston Conference. My first appointment out of seminary, it was my first charge as a pastor, and I was given the reigns of two … Continue reading
It’s a Spring ritual. Old timers say it used to be an autumn ritual, but that’s before my day, and since I never experienced it, I can only write from what I know. But every year when the Day Lilies … Continue reading
Vacations were not something we enjoyed a lot in my youth. Getting my Dad to take us all somewhere was a challenge. But once in a while we got to go. The first time I ever went to the Great … Continue reading
There’s something about the way we mountain people view health. I think we value our health, but we have odd feelings about medicine. For instance, one of the most widely practiced ways of getting people well in these hills and … Continue reading
Nine generations of the family lived in the lap of mountains. Like doting grandparents they watched over us, protected us from whatever was beyond and taught us lessons in silence. The sounds of our stories and songs echoed from the … Continue reading
