Mrs. Lucy Hyatt was Blanche's teacher. She decided her students would have a happy holiday. "Who wants to make paper chains to decorate our classroom?" she asked. The students clapped their hands and rushed to the worktable. They cut strips from construction paper and pasted them together.
The teacher also asked if anyone would like to help the janitor cut a cedar in the woods. Blanche and her brother, George, volunteered. They selected a white pine and dragged it into the classroom. The pupils made decorations for the Christmas tree. For several days they cut bells, stars, and ornaments. Some children brought silver foil from chewing gum wrappers to design an angel to top the tree. They threaded strings of popcorn and put them on the tree.
While the kids made decorations, Mrs. Hyatt made hot cocoa on the pot-bellied woodstove that stood in the middle of the room. She poured cans of Carnation condensed milk, water, sugar, and cocoa into a pan. The teacher baked gingerbread and served it to the students with the drink. The children loved the treats.
A highlight of the holiday celebration was a program given by the John C. Campbell Folk School. Danish dancers and musicians entertained the mountain children. Blanche enjoyed the lively show that introduced her to the arts and culture.
Although times were hard during the Great Depression, one dedicated teacher brought a lot of joy into the lives of her students. She was a God Send during the time when many kids wouldn't have much for Christmas. This is a true story about my mother, Blanche.
by: Brenda Kay Ledford
I wish all my blogger friends:
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
They decided to stop at Hazel Henson's house and invite her to go turkey hunting with them. Blanche and Oma wore feed sack dresses. Patches dotted George's overalls.
Night fell and they still hadn't spied a turkey. A Full Harvest Moon ricocheted through the pine trees and an owl screeched in the holler. Blanche grabbed Oma's arm and they screamed at the same time.
George laughed and slapped his knee. "What's wrong with you chickens? I was just mocking a hoot owl."
Blanche and Oma tried to hit George, but he took off like a racehorse through the woods. He reached Hazel's house before they could catch him. Hazel joined them on the turkey hunt.
Since they didn't have any weapon, Oma suggested that they stop at Jim Power's log cabin. They stepped on the rickety porch and knocked on the door.
"What brings you younguns out on this fine night? Ought you be home getting ready for Thanksgiving?"
"We wanted you to bring your shotgun and join us turkey hunting," said George.
"All right. I'll be glad to go. Just let me finish my supper." The old gentleman crumbled cornbread into a glass of buttermilk and wolfed it down.
He grabbed his shotgun, put on his cap and got a lantern. He whistled for the hound dogs and they headed up the mountain. Oma, Hazel, and Blanche followed the guys. Old Blue, Spot, and Buck spied a squirrel and chased him through Greasky Creek. Their howls resounded across Brasstown.
They came to Pauline Payne's house and stopped to ask the family if she was still in the hospital. Her daughter invited them into the house. She said Pauline was feeling better, but still in the hospital at Murphy, North Carolina.
Oma asked Mr. Payne if he still owned a fiddle. He got the instrument and asked Jim Powers to play it. Jim started making music and they danced all night long. They never got around to turkey hunting.
by: Brenda Kay Ledford
I hope all my blogger friends will have a
Happy Thanksgiving!
The mountain dulcimer (beside the gentleman's photo) was played often by mountain people. Gordan Parris of Hayesville made Appalachian musical instruments. These instruments included the guitar, banjo, and the dulcimer. Gordan was regionally recognized for crafting fine musical instruments. I was fortunate to interview he and his wife at their mountain home off Cold Branch Road in Hayesville. He had several piles of wood drying in the yard that he had collected to craft his instruments.
The banjo was brought to Appalachia by the blacks. Although only 10% of the Blue Ridge was populated by African Americans, they also contributed to the rich musical heritage of this area.
Interestingly, the fiddle was frowned on by some religious leaders in the community. It was often played at barn dances. Some mountain preachers were opposed to dancing and thought the fiddle was associated with the "sin of dancing." Clogging and buck dancing were favorites of the Appalachians.
Ballads were brought from Ireland and Scotland to Appalachia. They were stories in songs. Most had a sad theme such as the traditional Scots-Irish ballad, "Barbara Allen." This is a sad love story where Barbara Allen rejected her fellow and he died of being lovesick for Barbara who refused to visit him on his deathbed when he called for her.
The ballads were passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth. Many of the Irish in the homeland, were not able to read, so they preserved the songs by singing them.
The churches contributed also to the musical heritage of the Blue Ridge. Christian Harmony music was sung without any music. John Wesley, Fannie Cosby and other great songwriters penned powerful songs that are still sung today in many congregations.
Many of the mountain people sang to help them overcome hardships. The black people often lifted songs of lament for the day they would be free as they picked cotton. Blue Ridge people gathered for singing at churches during the Great Depression in the 1920s to give them strength to make it through very trying times and poverty.
Music continues to lift the spirit of downtrodden people not only in Appalachia, but around the world. It's a universal language that binds people together in fellowship and worship of God.
by: Brenda Kay Ledford
Brenda Kay Ledford and Mrs. Thelma Howard My wonderful neighbor, Mrs. Thelma Howard, observed her 100...
