Character Connection
It used to be that learning cursive was a right of passage for third graders. The forming of script letters was taken very seriously. As...
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lbottoms0
- Apr 19
- 2 min
Peaceful Protesting
I recently drove by a small town courthouse located by the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Two opposing groups were protesting. No one had...
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lbottoms0
- Mar 8
- 2 min
Paladin (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...
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lbottoms0
- Jan 29
- 2 min
The Inevitability of Conflict
Conflict is inevitable. It is simply part of life. The question is not whether conflict will happen, but how do we handle conflict when...
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lbottoms0
- Dec 16, 2021
- 2 min
Copy of Seeking Shoes
I recently attended a ladies’ event. The speaker talked about the importance of seeking things of eternal value. She specifically...
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lbottoms0
- Dec 16, 2021
- 2 min
Seeking Shoes
I recently attended a ladies’ event. The speaker talked about the importance of seeking things of eternal value. She specifically...
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lbottoms0
- Nov 12, 2021
- 2 min
Overhauling the Overall
Pictured 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,”...
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lbottoms0
- Oct 8, 2021
- 1 min
Big Boy
The 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...
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lbottoms0
- Jul 8, 2021
- 2 min
Moonshine Jelly
I 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...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Aug 18, 2020
- 2 min
God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise
My 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...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Jun 9, 2020
- 2 min
Needed Questions
I recently read an internet article written by an American expat living in Germany. https://www.caliglobetrotter.com/15-questions-im-aske...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- May 4, 2020
- 1 min
Problems With Passion
Tonya Jewel Blessing www.tonyajewelblessing.com christonyablessing@gmail.com I just read an article by Peter Mead called 4 Problems with...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Feb 12, 2020
- 4 min
Ready to Woo
I found the picture above when I Googled Appalachian love stories. Because there was no story included, I decided to write my own. Ready...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Jan 24, 2020
- 2 min
Black Eyed Peas
It 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...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Dec 13, 2019
- 4 min
Celebrate Lit
I recently completed a virtual book tour with Celebrate Lit. Although I was a little intimidated by the process, the experience was...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Oct 31, 2019
- 2 min
Disgustingly Disgusted
On a recent lovely fall day, I decided to visit a Denver area Barnes & Nobel bookstore. The idea was to browse through the shelves, to...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Sep 11, 2019
- 1 min
The Arms of an Aunt
One 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...
19 views0 comments
Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Jul 6, 2019
- 1 min
Big 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...
5 views0 comments
Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Mar 9, 2019
- 2 min
Hosting A Literary Luncheon
To 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...
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Tonya Jewel Blessing
- Feb 7, 2019
- 2 min
Lebola
Paying the bride price or lobola is a controversial issue in South Africa. Some believe that the tradition of paying the bride price...
20 views0 comments