Tag Archives: memories

Teatime Treasures

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, farm living, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, shop local, tea time, thrifting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Morning, from the mountains of Kentucky. I hope your week has been filled with happiness, good food, family, and lots of sunshine. We’ve gone from 70 plus degree temperatures to forties within a few days and now, we’re expecting up to six inches of snow for the weekend! March weather in Kentucky is always full of surprises.

I love a good surprise! One my favorite kind of surprises comes from thrifting! When you thrift, you never know what you’ll find. I have found thrifting to be a therapeutic hobby, and a lasting tradition in our family for generations. When I grew up in the mountains of Kentucky, spending time with family was a priority. We found joy in things that we loved to do whether it was congregating for a big family dinner, attending a special church service, gathering on my Mamaw’s store porch to catch up on the events of the week, working the gardens, or thrifting at the dime store.

A Hidden Gem

I am a bit of a creature of habit. I love many of the old traditional dishes from my youth, but I also love trying new dishes. However, I find it a bit of a struggle to change a timeworn tradition. As a child it was a tradition to go to the dime store on Saturday mornings. The dime store was what we called the second hand mission store where everything cost a dime. My cousin, and I, would load up with our grandmother, great aunt, and uncle who was the designated driver. Neither my grandmother or grandfather ever learned to drive, but they never planned a trip that didn’t include a family member who enjoyed driving them. It was an exciting time as kid to hold those well earned dimes in our hands and dream of the treasures that awaited us.

As time passed thrifting wasn’t as much of an interest for us as teens. But, what most of us discovered is that the love of thrifting never completely left us, but lay dormant waiting for just the right time to surface. Since the days of our youth in the late sixties and early seventies, dime stores have grew in popularity. They’ve become the stores to find retro clothing, farmhouse decor, and much more. The prices have increased from everything being a dime to various different prices, depending on the store. But the love of searching for treasures remains the same and for many a way of carrying on a mountain tradition.

Redbird Community Store in Beverly Kentucky

Our daughter, daughter in law, and two of our granddaughters share a love for this time worn tradition. We enjoy a couple of days a month browsing vendors malls, GoodWills, estate sales, mission stores, and flea markets. There’s something about searching the shelves that are filled with dishes, glassware, odds and ends, baskets, and bins of household goodies, shelves of books, and racks of clothes, that brings an element of excitement and unity. We’ve learned that the joy lies not only within the findings, but also in the search and spending time with family.

I’m excited to begin sharing weekly treasures with you! I’ll share just a few of the treasures we found, but it would be impossible to share them all. The picture below is one of my new favorites! This absolutely gorgeous hand embroidered and crocheted table runner was definitely a score for only 1.25. Once it is washed and pressed, it will adorn the fireplace mantle in my bedroom. Based on the material and research, it appears to be an early 1950’s piece. Whoever made this treasure, really put a lot of tender loving care and obvious heart into the intricate details. It’s also in excellent condition.

A gorgeous hand crocheted and embroidered table runner.
Seven Star Vintage colander

I also found an aluminum seven star vintage colander. It didn’t look like much when I pulled it out of the bin, but after cleaning it up… it was in excellent condition. It has been housing bananas in our kitchen, and I’ll be honest, I’ve enjoyed using it as well. There’s something about the simplicity of its lightweight design that makes straining foods easy. Truly another great find that has stood the test of time. I’m not sure about the date, but I’m still researching and will update you later.

I’m truly a nerd at heart. I love to strap on my vintage apron, and cook barefoot in our kitchen while using some of my thrifting treasures. I like to imagine who’s kitchen the sifter or crock came from. I like to imagine their homes, their faces, the dishes they’ve prepared, and wonder what their lives were like and what their names may have been. I also enjoy decorating with vintage utensils, crocks, linens, and other tried and true treasures.

Thrifting is a year-round hobby, that brings joy to my heart, keeps a tradition alive, and family time well spent. We found an abundance of treasures on our last thrifting spree. I’ll share more teatime treasures next week. For now I’m going to relax with a cup of sweet and spicy hot tea and enjoy re-browsing our treasures. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

Canning Green Tomatoes For Frying

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, canning, clean eating, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello from the mountains of Kentucky. Can you feel fall in the air? With the days becoming shorter and the nights getting much cooler, you can tell that fall is just around the bend. With fall also comes garden remnants. Lingering tomatoes here and there, an occasional head of kale that decides to sprout new growth, and the last nubbins of corn. We’ve had a really good tomato crop this year. We’ve ate our belly’s full, canned nearly one hundred quarts of tomato juice, an abundance of tomato sauce, and a good deal of crushed tomatoes. We’ve canned pickled tomatoes and and fried quite a few, which by the way is one of my all time favorite dishes!

A few of our tomatoes early in early summer.

A few years ago while frying a pan of fried green tomatoes memories of eating my mom’s delicious fried green tomatoes filled my thoughts. I savor those memories and enjoy the trips down memory lane. When I was growing up life in the mountains was simple, plain, and a time filled with family and always good southern cooking, With that thought, I decided that fried green tomatoes didn’t have to be a seasonal food. I wanted to enjoy them year around. So, I began the journey of trying new recipes.

I fried the tomatoes as if they were ready to eat and froze them in vacuum sealed bags. That was a great way to have access to a quick dish of deliciousness, but it wasn’t quite the same as frying them fresh. They’re good, just not as good as fresh fried tomatoes. So, moving forward, I decided to try an idea to can green tomatoes. This is what I died. While canning a batch of my grandmothers pickled tomatoes, I made up a jar of sliced tomatoes with a few preserving ingredients, sealed the jar and added them to the canner of pickled tomatoes. All I could lose was one jar of tomatoes. I was excited to see how they turned out. The rest of the story is why I’m posting about my recipe for preserving green tomatoes for frying! It was a success!

Sliced green tomatoes preserved for frying!

It’s a simple recipe. I hope you like it.

Ingredients: Green tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, and water. You’ll also need clean pint bars and a canner.

Process: Wash and sterilize jars. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to each jar. Rinse tomatoes, pat dry, and slice tomatoes. Place slices of tomatoes in pint jars leaving about a half inch for head space. Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil and using a funnel add boiling water to each jar. Don’t forget to leave about at least a half inch of space for head space. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon of salt to each jar.

Wipe rim of jars and place clean and sterilized flats and rings on each jar. Place jars in a canner of water with water covering the jars by at least two inches. I use a stove top canner because I enjoy the old fashioned method of a water bath for canning. Allow water to come to a boil. Allow to jars of tomatoes process under the boiling water for 35 minutes. Remove carefully and allow to cool. Always add the date to the lid of all jars. This year, I added a 1/8 teaspoon of pickle crisp to few pint jars as an experiment. When I fry the first batch, I’ll let you know how they turn out. Experimentation is one of the best methods of learning. Feel free to check out my pickled tomato tomato juice recipes!

I hope you enjoy this method of canning and winter fried green tomatoes as much as we do! Feel free to leave comments and also check back for my new recipe of refrigerated spicy pickled grape tomatoes. I’m going to try to post that easy and delicious recipe next week. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

Reflecting on the Past

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, canning, clean eating, coffee time, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Spiritual life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope your day is off to a great start! The weather is beautiful here in the mountains this morning. Temperatures were in the mid-fifties when I awoke this morning. Mornings like these transport me back to mornings that I cherish. Cool September mornings reminds me of my childhood in the mountains. I loved early cool mornings and porch sitting with my mom or grandmother. We called our grandmother, Mamaw. She and Papaw were a huge part of all of our lives, and our small community.

Enjoying a good book on a cool September morning.

While porch sitting this morning, I began to think about days of my youth. I thought of how when we were children the days seemed to last forever. Now as an adult days often don’t feel long enough to get everything on out to do list done. Maybe we’re rushing life instead of appreciating it. Have you noticed fall holiday decorations come out in the stores before the hot days of August have passed? What are you supposed to do? Do we enjoy days by the pool, a summer walk, or are we supposed bypass August and begin decorating with pumpkins?

Maybe, it’s that we don’t take time to cherish the moments in the day. Maybe we’re overlooking the smaller things that amazed us as kids. A school of minnows swimming in the creek, a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter, or the amazing web a spider so cleverly wove. Maybe, we spend too much time on social media wishing our lives were like others, or worrying too much about things we can’t fix anyway. Before we know it, we’ve been robbed of precious hours of our day worrying and wondering, instead of appreciating the simple things in our life. Simple things can be a flower bloom, a gentle breeze, a good book, an afternoon of fishing, or spending time with grandkids canning and preserving, and teaching them about family traditions.

Teaching even the youngest grandchildren about gardening.

As a young girl growing up in the mountains, September days were filled with days of canning the final vegetables from the garden. It was a time to can and preserve the final lingering tomatoes and peppers, dry the last of the beans that were left clinging to the fences, and a time of preparation, work, and family. This was and still is a time of a mixed emotions; happy and grateful for the bounty of our hard work, and also sad that the fresh vegetables will soon be gone. It’s always a time of reflection for me. Cool foggy September mornings takes me back to my youth in the mountains of Kentucky when life was simple, hard, yet a life filled with love, family, and respect.

Fog rising above the mountains.

I remember rising early with excitement to sit on the porch of Mamaw’s store with her. The air was cool, fog lingered near the tops of the mountains, and relatives were busy getting their mornings started. Papaw was usually in the garden, mommy would be working in our garden or the flowers. Customers walked to Mamaw’s store to spend a few dollars or sometimes just to share conversations or news they had to share. Neighbors passed always waving or greeting us with a howdy, hello, or good morning. All the while, we worked for hours stringing the last of the garden green beans on heavy quilting thread. The long strings of beans were then hung on the front store porch from old rusty nails near the ceiling of the porch. They hung there to dry during the later days of summer. Once the beans were dry, they were removed from the string and placed in a plastic container and stored in the old deep freeze that stood in the back of the store. They were later rehydrated and cooked as what we referred to as, shuck beans. I remember Mamaw cooking them with a piece of pork and plenty of seasonings. They were delicious served with potatoes and cornbread.

Mamaw, my aunts, and my mom were always planning ahead for cold days of winter when traveling to a grocery store was not as common as it is today. Life in the mountains in the sixties and early seventies was a simple time devoid of social media, television drama, opinionated media, and especially devoid of a lazy society. We were raised hard, but raised with pride, good work ethics, and raised to know about Jesus. Life was simple, but yet life was happy and we knew how to plan ahead for a rainy day.

Mamaw’s pickled green tomato recipe still alive today.

Life in the mountains has changed since I was a little girl, let’s face it life as we all know it has changed a lot in the past three years. However, we still have a choice to enjoy the simple things in life, take time to stop and smell the roses, rise early to greet the day, savor family time, work hard, love deeply, forgive others, help a friend or neighbor, and to plan ahead for our rainy days. With the many recent changes in our world, I am even more determined to hold on to traditions of the past. They were good traditions filled with checking on neighbors, baking a friend a cake, checking on the elderly, taking time to listen to their stories of the past, attending church on Sundays, praying for others, taking pride in our homes, working, and loving others, while also planning ahead through canning and preserving.

Fresh canned tomato juice from our garden tomatoes.

There’s something rewarding about planting seeds, watering them, watching them sprout from tiny sprout into a beautiful plant filled with a rainbow of vegetables. It’s even better to set a table for your family that is spread with a meal that was 90 percent grown on your land with love of your own labor. Yes, planning ahead for a rainy day was a tradition that I enjoy still carrying on. I also enjoy sharing with our elderly neighbors who seem to ever so quickly be leaving this life for their eternal home.

I’ve thought much about that dying generation of elderly grandmothers and grandfathers a lot lately. I miss my grandmother even more when I think of all the memories that we made stringing beans and also canning them. I miss the days of porch sitting in the afternoons, listening to my relatives stories of days gone by, laughing at their funny tales and also quivering a little from the scary stories. I miss star gazing at night with my cousins in the backyard, playing red-light, green-light in the lane beside Mamaw’s store, catching crawdads in the creek, hearing my relatives praying at night before they turned in for the night, and miss those that have passed on.

Yes, cool September mornings brings back a flood of memories. I recall happy memories, sad memories, and memories of a time when the simple things in life, hard work, our neighbors, and self was appreciated. A time when people took time to love deeply, enjoy the fun times and work through the hard times without blaming others. When respect was taught, caring for elderly neighbors was just what we did, and days that families planned and worked together planting, tending, harvesting, preserving, and enjoying the time together listening to stories of days gone by, while carrying on a mountain tradition.

Three generations picking poke salad.

After a beautiful morning of emotional reflection, quiet time of prayer, finishing a chapter in the book I’m reading… I’m off to work on canning tomatoes today. I hope you have enjoyed my reflective ramblings this morning. Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky.

A Mountain Way of Life

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, clean recipes, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Uncategorized, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky! It’s a beautiful and finally dry morning in the mountains. Rain has been a part of our daily forecast for most July! With rain comes growth. Growth of garden delicacies and also growth of unwanted weeds. We’ve been busier than ever pulling weeds, hoeing, and tilling. Because of our hard work and God’s grace our garden is flourishing, all except our cucumbers. We’re still picking quite a few cucumbers each day, but not as many as we should consider the amount of plants we have. But, I’ll not complain as we’re truly enjoying the harvest!

Early July Garden
Beans are ready for picking!

With the cool spring-like temperatures this morning, I took full advantage of the comfortable morning breeze. It was a perfect morning to trim and prune the herbs. Growing and harvesting fresh herbs is another mountain tradition I thoroughly enjoy. I love the smell of fresh herbs. I enjoy growing them, cooking with them, and most of all the taste of them in home-cooked meals. I also love to dry them for spices. Fresh, dried basil is so much more fragrant than store-bought basil. There’s no other sage quite like fresh sage! After the cutting and trimming, I spread the beautiful green herbs on a clean cloth and enjoy the aroma of fresh herbs in the kitchen and through most of the house for days. Once the herbs are dry, I grind, crush, and store them in empty glass jars and place them in a dark cabinet for future dishes!

Fresh cut sage
Discerning the Voice of God, a great book written by, Pricilla Shirer.

Rainy days are also a great time to sneak away from all the responsibilities that come with working from home, maintaining a home and the farm to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Simple pleasures such as snuggling up with a hot cup of coffee and a good book. There’s also something about a rainy day that inspires me to cook. I’m excited to share two new recipes I tried this weekend with you. I plan to post both recipes later this week. For now, I’ll give you a visual taste with pictures! The first picture is a new summer squash soup I created. It’s rich and full of flavor, fiber, and also very satisfying served with rice, a few croutons, or with crusty bread. The second picture is the delicious apple bread that I created this weekend. Both recipes are vegan friendly and also clean. Be sure to check back later this week for both recipes.

Summer Squash Soup
Apple bread… log in tomorrow for full recipe!

However, weekends are not complete for me without attending a church service. The fellowship is much needed in the day we live as is hearing the word. During church last night, I thought about how important it is to know God’s word, but also the importance of the knowledge of how to apply it to our own lives. During the sermon, the thoughts of my own words rang loud and clear in my mind. One concept that I teach students is reading comprehension. I remind them that recalling and summarizing is only part of comprehension. The goal of comprehension is application. That was the exact thought that I had about God’s word. It’s vital that we know the word, can recall it, but we must also know how to connect it and apply it to our lives to truly receive the full benefits from it.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Monday memories for this week. Be sure to come back daily for new posts and for new recipes. I’ll be posting both the summer squash soup and the apple bread recipes later this week! For now, we’re off to the garden to pick beans! God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

Seasons and Traditions in the Mountains

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, coffee time, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Spiritual life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy Independence Day from the mountains of Kentucky! Independence Day in the mountains is a big deal! The sounds of fireworks can be heard ringing throughout the night sky. Family picnics are common. Trail riding, music, drag races, boating, fireworks displays are only a few of the events that are happening in the mountains to celebrate our freedom! Holidays are not the only days that are special. Each Season is full of opportunities to be had! Seasons in the mountains are each unique and each filled with blessings and wonders. Spring in the mountains is filled with vibrant blooms, lush green mountains, fishing, fields of corn and beans, majestic wildlife, trails awaiting to be blazed and familiar trails that are well worn by those who love the scenic and serene mountain rides.

Marigolds in full bloom!
A well blazed road! Great ride!

Summer mountain traditions are the best! Summers in the mountains are filled with summer fruits and vegetables, grilling, cookouts, ATV rides through the mountain trails, fishing in the rivers and lakes, family gatherings, and thrifting, which is one of my favorites. We also enjoy traditions that have been handed down generation after generation. Traditions such as cemetery church services, river baptisms, potluck dinners, horseshoe tournaments, church picnics, and homecoming services to celebrate the foundation of churches, honor our Heavenly Father, enjoy family, and the blessing of fellowship.

Reminder of hope…

The tradition of thrifting is and has been a way to find hidden treasures in the mountains of Kentucky generation after generation. When I was growing up it was known as junking. There were junk stores, thrift stores, rag sales, and dime sales to pick from or rotate. One of my favorite childhood memories was going to the junk store early Saturday mornings. My cousin and I would load up in our uncle’s old red and white pickup truck. We’d ride in the back under the old camper top, while mamaw, aunt Doshia, and Roy rode up front. We held tight to our money, which usually consisted of one dollar in silver. We knew that meant ten items…ten treasures! Those days have long gone and most items in “junk stores” today range in various prices, but still it’s always a treasure hunt, a tradition that’s carried on, and a lot fun!

Redbird Community Store

Another favorite mountain tradition is the handing off of family recipes. The tradition is to hand down a recipe that you created to another family member. That family member can tweak the recipe to fit their taste buds, palate preferences, or dietary needs. I find particular joy in cooking following a hand written recipe. My all time favorite as was our kids when they were small was my great aunt Doshia’s peanut butter fudge candy. I’ve made many platters of this unhealthy delicious treat! There’s not much modifying that can be done to make this recipe healthier, so it stays carefully tucked away in my recipe binder. I seem to find more joy in trying new recipes in the winter, but enjoy cooking year around.

Fall in the mountains is a time for bonfires, cookouts, hunting, festivals, harvesting, trail riding, and camping. The mountains in the fall are majestically beautiful and alive with brilliant oranges, yellows, reds, and hints of green still hanging on to the days of summer. People travel from far and wide year around to view our beautiful Kentucky mountains and experience the tranquility of mountain living.

Fall colors in Kentucky.
Beautiful wildlife
Church picnic 2021

Words cannot accurately describe the beauty of the snow covered mountains of Kentucky during the winter. The cold snows of winter transforms the once green mountains into white mountains of tranquility.

Light covering of snow in the mountains.

Thank you for stopping by and spending a little time with me in the mountains of Kentucky. If you feel yourself craving a road trip…I encourage you to come and experience the culture of Kentucky and the beauty the mountains! Feel free to leave a comment. I always enjoy hearing from my readers. For now, God bless and happy Independence Day from the mountains of Kentucky!

Treasures From the Mountains

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, coffee time, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Spiritual life, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The house is quiet this morning with the sounds of rain pattering softly outside my windows. There’s something about a rainy morning that inspires me to write, cook, and be creative. I have to admit, rising early to greet the day and working in the early morning hours has always been a treasured time for me. Regardless of the task at hand, morning hours always feel special to me. Somehow I feel a closeness to the time at hand, to the past, and to our Heavenly Father.

I enjoy watching the morning fog lift.

As a little girl growing up in the mountains of Kentucky, I recall waking to hear our mother up working in early morning hours. Some mornings the hum of her sewing machine let me know she was sewing. While I rubbed the sleep from my eyes I would wonder what she was making. Other mornings she would already be out in the garden hoeing, picking, or standing with her coffee cup in hand admiring the fruits of her labor. I was a morning person way back then! I loved the smell of the fresh brewed coffee, the smell of the mountain air, the feel of the dew on my bare feet, and smell of fresh plowed dirt. Even then, I knew there was no place like home in the mountains of Kentucky! There was always an adventure awaiting me… or at least I believed there to be. After all, an adventure was and still is what we make of it!

While most kids enjoyed sleeping in on the weekends and the relaxing days of summer, I enjoyed being up early listening to the sounds of my grandfather plowing behind the old mule, my mom humming as she worked, mamaw tending the store, the creek flowing over the smooth worn rocks, and my favorite thing was scavenging for hidden treasures along the creek bank, in the back yard, or buried in the barn. I loved tromping through the mountains with my side kick, who was either my sister, one of my cousins, or both.

Raindrops sparkling like diamonds…

One of our favorite places to dig for treasure was in our mamaw’s old store house that was filled with “dime store” clothes. Talk about treasure! That place was truly a treasure trove for a trio of nine and ten year old girls. Picture it! A couple of young bright eyed little girls who each had an overactive imagination digging through clothes that were either left behind or donated from another generation. Old formal prom dresses suddenly became dresses that were worn by a princess, a queen or two, but each of us were suddenly transformed into royalty. Rhinestone buttons became diamonds that were worth more money than we could imagine. Small leather handbags adorned our arms and were filled with pins, buttons, lacy hankies, odd and end jewelry, hairpins, and various other items/treasures we found among the remnants of the past!

After reflecting on fond memories of the past I feel inspired to ask this question; How do you define treasure? Treasure, is one of those words that is often used without giving much thought to its definition. It can be defined differently by each of us. Treasure is defined as much beauty… however the true definition lies within the eye or the heart of the beholder. Some people describe treasure as an object of value. While others may believe treasure to be family, memories, certain objects, special trinkets, while even still others treasure time as a treasured gift.

Regardless of how you define treasure or what you hold dear in your heart as treasure, know that time, family, friends, and memories are all treasures that we should never take for granted. Time passes all too quickly. Often times We idle our time away doing nothing when we could be spending time with family or friends making new memories. We can’t turn back time. Once time has passed… it’s gone.

Sunset in the mountains.

I encourage you today to enjoy this day that we have been blessed with. Build memories, enjoy family and friends, go search for hidden treasures that might be just below the surface of where you at this moment. Maybe treasure is within your view, but you just don’t recognize it. Above all, take time to love deeply, to forgive often, and live for this is the day the Lord has blessed you with. Today will soon pass and tomorrow will be here. What treasure(s) will you find today?

Feel free to leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Also, feel free to follow my blog for inspired moments in the mountains, recipes, and much more. From the mountains of Kentucky… have a wonderful and blessed Tuesday!

Memories in the Mountains

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean eating, coffee time, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Spiritual life, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. A day to pay tribute to those who served and those who gave their lives for ours. A time to reflect and to remember how our service men and women fought for our country and for our freedom. Some of those brave warriors came home while others gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.

Memorial Day is a time to celebrate freedom, but also an opportunity to make memories. While we were preparing for a cookout with family and friends Saturday, I found myself reflecting on the past and thinking about the future. I thought of how quickly time passes. Yes, it is true, life is much like the comparison of vapor over water. It appears and then quickly evaporates right before our very eyes.

Today, let us pause and enjoy the blessings of life, family, friends, and our freedom. Take time from the fun of grilling, fishing, swimming, and all of the other festivities that await us on this beautiful day. Let us take time to remember and pay tribute to all of the dedicated, unselfish, and brave warriors who gave their time for our country, and for each of us.

As I reflect on our day with family and friends, my heart swells with love and gratitude for the opportunity to spend this day surrounded by laughter, good food, and those that I love. A bit of sadness stings my heart as I remember those that have passed and are no longer with us. I recall their laughter, stories, guidance, and their love. I also find myself consumed with an unwavering love, and gratitude for the one who truly gave all…our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us love deeply, cherish our freedom, life and our family, and let us never forget our soldiers and always remember our Savior.

God bless and Happy Memorial Day from the mountains of Kentucky.

In The Eye of the Storm

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, coffee time, faith over fear, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, Spiritual life, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

During my lifetime, I have encountered many changes, witnessed a few miracles, seen devastation, had my fair share of surprises, blessed to have more happy times than I can count, encountered more than enough sadness, but I have never encountered a time like our world is facing today. A friend of mine made a recent Facebook post about feeling as if she were living in a dystopian society. After considering this statement for a few minutes, and being well-read in the dystopian genre, I found myself agreeing with her.

As I set here this morning drinking coffee and counting my blessings I also began to reflect on the events that are happening in our state, across the nation, and all over the world. We have entered a time of many unanswered questions, many predictions of which some have proven to be accurate, while others remain just predictions.

This week as I was reassuring my students and trying to alleviate their fear about the massive changes that they have encountered in less than week, I was gently reminded that our hope lies within our heavenly Father. I began to council them that all would be well, and that our school, the state, and all of the professors were working together to make sure this time of uncertainty would not hinder their coursework, or their graduation. I recalled reading a post on face book from one of my favorite children’s authors and began to provide them with examples and a comparison to the novel, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which we are currently reading in our class. I have to give credit where credit is due. This wonderful children’s novel is one of my favorite Kate DiCamillo books, and was always a favorite of my students when I taught in the public school. In this wonderful children’s novel, the character of Edward travels on a long journey of uncertain events, new adaptations, and meets many new characters along the way. This heart-warming novel is also a novel of self-discovery for Edward, who grows immensely in many ways while traveling on this uncertain, yet miraculous journey.

I began to think about the journey that lies ahead of each of us, our families, and our neighbors. We are not on this journey alone, much like Edward wasn’t. I reassured them during this time, each of us needed to take time to rediscover and maybe even re-evaluate our principles, our religious beliefs, relationships, and our goals for life. I too, took my own advice and did a little soul-searching. I also realized that there will be days of uncertainty ahead of us, unanswered questions, and a menagerie of emotions that I, as well as others, will encounter. I also realized that I would have to be strong for my family, my children, grandchildren, husband, mother, my students, and my neighbors. I know that I cannot carry the load for all, but I can lighten their load a little, without increasing mine.

When my students began to think about the situation that we are facing and comparing the situations that the character of Edward faced, they began to delve deeper into the text, their fears subsided, and they were inspired that they would be okay at the end of this difficult journey, just like Edward was. I know, and they know, that life is not a fictional fairytale where a happy ending is commonly found. However, as a result of our comparison, our analyzation, and our discussion my students, as well as myself felt a sense of relief, accomplishment, and were inspired to take our newly found message out to others that God is still in control.

I encourage each of you to take the time that you have been given at home to love your family, yourself, and to dig deep into your own self-discovery. Re-evaluate your relationship with your family, yourself, and with your creator. Make this a time of self-discovery, new discoveries, and a time to love your family. Be strong and be there for them. Take time to read, study the word, and pray. This is a time more than any other time in my lifetime where prayer is warranted. Be the prayer warrior that others can rely on. Be the neighbor that can take a covered dish and leave it at the doorstep of your elderly neighbor, check on friends through social media, phone calls, or even FaceTime them, which gives allows them to realize that you are there for them.

Through all of the unanswered questions, uncertainty’s, and all of the worrying, I am reminded of a prophetic word that our church received quite some time ago. The words that were revealed to our church were simply, “preparation time.”

Members, as well as our Pastor, wondered if this meant a great revival, souls dedicating their lives to the Lord, preparing for the unexpected, or even still…all of the above. We, as a church, prayed for answers and prepared in a variety of ways. We have seen a spiritual revival break out within the hearts of our congregation and in our church, souls have been added to our church, and now we are facing uncertain days with many unexpected changes and unanswered questions looming over all of us, but we feel better prepared than we would have a year ago. We have been reminded that the Lord has been and continues to be with us, even in the eye of the storm.

I hope you enjoy this post. Feel free to comment and or follow. Wishing you a safe and wonderful Memorial weekend and day. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

Finding What Works

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean eating, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, organic food, plant-based, Spiritual life, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
Summer flowers

Hello from the mountains of Kentucky. I hope your week is off to a great start! A memory popped up on Facebook this morning reminding me of the changes that have happened in my life the past ten years. Weight loss changes, dietary choices, and health changes that have had me worried and also celebrating! I hope you enjoy learning a little more about my journey with food, weight loss, and health.

For me, weight loss was like a roller coaster ride! Many ups, many downs, unsure of what was around the next curve, and occasionally the feeling of accomplishment. Diets, like a roller coaster ride, left me with the feeling of accomplishment, but both were usually short-lived.

My journey with roller coaster diets began a long time ago, I mean a long time ago. I, like many others, would find something that worked but it always seemed to be temporary. I was always changing my diet up to try a new diet, fad, or what worked for someone else. My countless endeavors include low fat, low calorie, low carb, no bread, multiple tracking apps, multiple prepackaged diet foods, diets that famous people recommended, liquid diets, protein diets, and the list could go on and on. Were they successful? Some were and some were not. Did I lose weight? Sometimes I did and sometimes I didn’t. Did I gain the weight back? Sometimes I did and a few more pounds to boot! So when did this viscous cycle end? It stopped for me when I found what worked for me. When I found what I believed in, was passionate about, and most of all what I enjoyed!

First of all, I stopped dieting. Yes, you heard me right. I stopped dieting! I adopted a new lifestyle. My journey with fad diets and dieting period took on a new perspective and seriousness when my doctor asked me what I wanted to do. Did I want to live or did I want to die? I chose life! I prayed seriously about what I should do.

After much prayer, my journey began with clean eating. I soon learned that I could eat a wide-variety of good foods, but the food needed to be organic and with the least amount of processing and packaging as possible. I also discovered a new way to cook, new foods to try and new food foods I enjoyed. I also discovered that I could still eat, enjoy my food, and not be hungry. I could actually have dessert too! Clean dessert that is!

Clean apple bread

My journey evolved into my becoming a flexitarian, which meant the only meat I ate at that time was organic poultry, game meat, and seafood. That lifestyle eventually evolved into my becoming a vegetarian, which removed all meats from my diet. What I realized from this drastic change was that my joints slowly began to feel normal. I had less inflammation. My health was drastically improving and I felt energetic again. Did the change stop there? I was determined to regain all of my health and live a lifestyle that promotes life, not encouraged disease. No! I researched vegan lifestyles and learned that I could live happily, and even more healthy, without eggs and dairy products. My stomach felt better, my digestion was at its peak and I felt more energetic. I began to lose pounds slowly but happily.

My journey with eating vegan has evolved into whole food plant-based eating, which has really changed my life and my health. I feel that I have come full circle with my dietary choices as the whole food plant-based vegan lifestyle is truly one of the cleanest diets possible. The benefits have been tremendous! I no longer take any prescribed meds, other than the smallest dose of blood pressure meds available and expect that to be taken away at my next dr appointment. My blood panel is always good, and contrary to what many believe, my iron and protein levels are fine! Yes, you can get sufficient protein from plants! One of the most notable things that changed with this final change of roller coaster diets, is the positive impact that a plant based diet has made on my joints and gut health! I believe that good gut health is key to living a happy and healthy life! I said all of that to say this, find what works for you and what you are passionate about, not what’s popular.

A journey to remember.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about my journey with food, diets, and lifestyle choices! I’m happy to say the roller coaster of eating has come to a permanent stop. I’ve been vegan for two years and can’t imagine turning back. The benefits of plant based eating are far too beneficial! I enjoy eating again, I can maintain my weight, lose a little weight and also feel happy about what I’m eating while not feeling deprived. Feel free to leave comments. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Click follow to be notified of new posts. From the mountains of Kentucky, God bless and have a wonderful week!

Hidden Nuggets

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, Kentucky memories, ky author, my special days and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Evening from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope you’ve had a wonderful day! The sun has been shining bright in the mountains today, which was a welcome change from the chilly morning temperatures we encountered earlier today. Cool nights and cool mornings are to be expected in early May in Kentucky. Early May is what we refer to as, blackberry winter. My grandfather always called it the last cold snap of the season and time to begin planting tomatoes, cucumbers, and the rest of the garden goodies!

A beautiful Kentucky sky!

While working in my herb garden this evening, I discovered that the sage was already in need of pruning. Pruning the sage prevents it from becoming leggy and woody. As I pinched the leaves back, a rich and wonderful aroma filled the air. I began planning what great dish I would create with the fresh sage. Maybe stuffing, dumplings for my husband, or I might dry it for future dishes. Nevertheless, I was excited to have fresh sage so early in the season. As I pruned the already flourishing plant, I thought about how much more it would grow and how healthy it would be as a result of the pruning. In the still of the evening, I felt the Lord dealing with me about my own pruning.

Fresh Sage Leaves

I heard a sermon once that compared cleaning a closet out to that of purging ourselves with prayer and fasting. Pruning a plant is similar to the process of laying down weights that might prevent us from spiritually growing to our fullest potential. Like the sage, without pruning, we too, might become tough, a bit bitter, or even stop growing spiritually. I hadn’t thought of this analogy before. Spiritual pruning, I believe this was one of those hidden nuggets of wisdom that the Lord reveals through the simple things in our every day life to grow us spiritually.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Feel free to leave comments. I love to hear from my readers. Click follow to to be notified of new posts. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!