lbottoms0May 122 minCharacter ConnectionIt used to be that learning cursive was a right of passage for third graders. The forming of script letters was taken very seriously. As...
lbottoms0Apr 192 minPeaceful ProtestingI recently drove by a small town courthouse located by the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Two opposing groups were protesting. No one had...
lbottoms0Mar 82 minPaladin (a champion of cause)Professional gunfighter Paladin was a West Point graduate who, after the Civil War, settled into San Francisco's Hotel Carlton, where he...
lbottoms0Jan 292 minThe Inevitability of ConflictConflict is inevitable. It is simply part of life. The question is not whether conflict will happen, but how do we handle conflict when...
lbottoms0Dec 16, 20212 minCopy of Seeking ShoesI recently attended a ladies’ event. The speaker talked about the importance of seeking things of eternal value. She specifically...
lbottoms0Dec 16, 20212 minSeeking ShoesI recently attended a ladies’ event. The speaker talked about the importance of seeking things of eternal value. She specifically...
lbottoms0Nov 12, 20212 minOverhauling the OverallPictured above: My mom, Ginny Carter, when she visited me in South Africa. First appearing in the U.S. in the 1700s and known as “slops,”...
lbottoms0Oct 8, 20211 minBig BoyThe term “big boy” can mean a lot of different things. The big boy was covered in Big Boy sunscreen while riding his Big Boy enjoying a...
lbottoms0Jul 8, 20212 minMoonshine JellyI have been making Vodka in my potato bin. I did not set out to be a moonshiner, it just happened. Maybe it is my Appalachian roots. I...
Tonya Jewel BlessingAug 18, 20202 minGod Willing and the Creek Don't RiseMy mom, who was raised in the Appalachian hills, often used the phrase, “God willing and the creek don’t rise.” As a young girl, I...
Tonya Jewel BlessingJun 9, 20202 minNeeded QuestionsI recently read an internet article written by an American expat living in Germany. https://www.caliglobetrotter.com/15-questions-im-aske...
Tonya Jewel BlessingMay 4, 20201 minProblems With PassionTonya Jewel Blessing www.tonyajewelblessing.com christonyablessing@gmail.com I just read an article by Peter Mead called 4 Problems with...
Tonya Jewel BlessingFeb 12, 20204 minReady to WooI found the picture above when I Googled Appalachian love stories. Because there was no story included, I decided to write my own. Ready...
Tonya Jewel BlessingJan 24, 20202 minBlack Eyed PeasIt is an Appalachian tradition to eat black eyed peas on New Year’s Day. A mountain folk belief claims that the beans resemble a coin and...
Tonya Jewel BlessingDec 13, 20194 minCelebrate LitI recently completed a virtual book tour with Celebrate Lit. Although I was a little intimidated by the process, the experience was...
Tonya Jewel BlessingOct 31, 20192 minDisgustingly DisgustedOn a recent lovely fall day, I decided to visit a Denver area Barnes & Nobel bookstore. The idea was to browse through the shelves, to...
Tonya Jewel BlessingSep 11, 20191 minThe Arms of an AuntOne of my favorite things in life is being an aunt. I have four nephews and four nieces. I also consider myself an aunt to their spouses...
Tonya Jewel BlessingJul 6, 20191 minBig Purse or Little Purse?I like big purses. I always have. I somehow feel a need to carry diverse articles with me: random receipts, a collection of pens and...
Tonya Jewel BlessingMar 9, 20192 minHosting A Literary LuncheonTo intentionally kill a honey bee brings bad luck. (Appalachian Folk Belief) Wouldn’t it be fun to host or attend a literary event? If I...
Tonya Jewel BlessingFeb 7, 20192 minLebolaPaying the bride price or lobola is a controversial issue in South Africa. Some believe that the tradition of paying the bride price...