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Published by Carmen Eckard, 2018-12-14 10:42:17

WinterIssueforAnyflip

WinterIssueforAnyflip

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WSitnytleer

Silver was hot on the runways this year and IV Hydration is the quickest and most effective
you can expect to shine wearing this glitzy way to hydrate, prepare, and recover when the
hue. Here a sweater made with metallic body has become, or will become, depleted of fluid
wool is mixed with a knit tailored jacket and and vitamins. Our special blend of vitamins and
silver velvet pants. A grey bag with silver medications will help an athlete prepare for a rigorous
details accentuates the look quite well. workout or competition, a traveler reset from jet lag,
a patient recover from illness or surgery, and those
You can achieve this look by mixing up wanting to stay well and prevent aging to feel at the
some of your favorite silver pieces. Don’t top of their game. 100% of the fluids, vitamins, and
be afraid to be bold, and keep everything medications are absorbed immediately and provide
silver or mix in one accent color if you’d like. rapid results.

Remember: good style is about what Feel Your Best!
looks good on you, and what makes you Be Your Best!
feel just right. Pay attention to trends, but One DROP at a time.
let your own personal style guide you.
A few of the IV Hydration therapies offered at
Oversize jackets are popular this year, which V-Infusion are:
is part of an overall nod to vintage couture, • ”About Last Night”- Hangover Relief
which we appreciate. • ”The Recovery Room”- Recover from illness,

Velvet is back in a big way, which we love for surgery, or Injury
winter. It is warm and luxurious, and we’re • ”Reset The Clock”- Jet lag recovery
thrilled to add “hip” to its descriptors. • ”Game ON”- Pre and Post workout
• ”Turn Up The Heat”- Fuel your fat burning Power
Red was also popular on runways this year, • ”The Vice Grip”- Migraine and headache relief
and it’s easy to incorporate into any outfit. • ”An Apple A Day”- General wellness
We like hues that lean in the direction of
wine colored, but all sorts of reds are a go (828) 322-1498
this season. A pop of red is a great way to
warm up a cold day. 103

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FROST, SNOW, SLEET, AND FREEZING
COLD!! WHAT IS THIS NIPPING AT
OUR FINGERS AND TOES??

By Amber Starnes, owner of Kelly and Company in Hickory, NC
828-323-8477 2613 N Center St, Hickory, NC 28601

Could it be Jack Frost ready to paint a new pattern on a cold winter window? Or is a
inspiration for what is to come for beautiful hair trends that compare to a Christmas fairy
tale?

Icy tones are always a go to for switching up our look in the winter season! But this year
we are seeing lots of chalky pastel blossom tones! You can translate this to your stylist
by asking for pops of multi colored highlights in tones of pastel rose, peach or almond. For
those brave enough pastel plum can take your look to the next level ensuring you are the
most fashionable in your friend circle!!

If Color isn’t your way of expressing your style with your hair there are other options.
Organic color and texture are making a huge come back! Natural colors of gray and white
kissed by Mother Nature are excepted and appreciated. Let’s thank Father Christmas for
this trend! Messy wind blown looks have graced many salons letting us except the natural
beauty we already possess in winter of 2018 we are celebrating what has been given to us
in inherently!

Finally as color trends evolve and stylist become more artistic one thing that never
changes is our past generations popping back up on runways and in magazines! 1990s old-
school style is all the rave for winter. Banana clips, scrunchie bands and zigzag parts are
being seen everywhere! This may seem like a high school classic but it’s a oldschool trend
twisted with a edge by social media influencers and our rising generation. As seasons end
and later are reborn it seems like past trends will go through this same transition helping
us to appreciate our past. But at the same time treasure the present helping us to achieve
winter bliss this season!

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foothills

fashion

Available
exclusively at
foothillsdigest.com.

At left, Foothills Bear Tee
Bella + Canvas Triblend
Soft with a stylish fit.
At right, Bless Your <3 Tank
Next Level Ladies Triblend
Modern fit and on-trend colors.

Be Unconventional Tee Find Your Wild Side Tee Fog and Trees V-neck
Bella + Canvas Triblend American Apparel Raglan Bella + Canvas V-neck Jersey

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SOUTHERN CHARM STAR

Kathryn dennis

TEAMS UP WITH DONNA STEELE

TO CREATE FURNITURE LINE KENSIE + SAINT

Donna Steele of Opulence by Steele is
working with Kathryn Dennis, star of
Southern Charm. The duo will design a
line of children’s furniture that is named
after Kathryn’s children, Kensie and Saint.

The furniture design uses clean lines, classic
colors and a heaping dose of Southern
charm to create a beautiful and cohesive
style that is functional. The furniture is
crafted for the children to cherish, and
is made to be versatile as their needs
change. Simple changes and additions
allow these pieces to follow their owners
to college and even their first apartment.

The line is Made in America and is built in
Hickory. This means that it’s being crafted by
highly skilled hands, in a community that’s
dedicated to its furniture industry.

“Y’all, the day has finally come!” Dennis wrote
on Instagram. “I am so excited to announce
…. Kensie + Saint furniture for kids! I feel
so blessed to have the opportunity to pour
myself and my passions into something the
same way I have poured myself into my
children. I have paired up with an amazing
woman Donna Steele with Opulence by Steele
to create one of a kind, functional furniture,
that your children will enjoy for years and
years. The launch will be soon! Couldn’t hold
my excitement any longer from y’all! Love y’all
for all the love and support!”
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Your beauty, like the natural splendor of our mountains, is timeless.
Your beautyJust like the rocks beneath our feet,
endures. But unlike

the abundant nature around us, which bares marks of time and storms, you

don’t have to let time leave its marks on your face.

Vital ity Ant i-Aging Center & Med ical Spa

strives to help you feel your best on the inside and look your best on the

outside to achieve a sense of complete well being.

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(828 ) 32 2-1498 www. vital itymed icalspa.com

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A Winter

Wonderland

On the appalachian trail

Story and Photos by Kat Dellinger

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If you aren’t a fan of big crowds on your outdoor wet. On my feet I wore two pairs of wool socks and
excursions, the one way you’re guaranteed to hardly my hiking boots. I had a pair of micro spikes in my
see another soul is to go when no one else wants to bag in case we ran into ice on the trail (because it
be there. During a snowstorm or when it’s below 20 was snowing so heavily, we weren’t too concerned
degrees is the perfect time. with ice). Mark wore just as many layers as I did.

Hiking in the snow or when it’s We both wore two head
below freezing isn’t for the faint beanies, flannel buffs
of heart. A lot of preparation for our faces and down
needs to take place before you mittens for our hands.
head out. Are the roads to your We headed north on the
destination going to require AT and into the snow.
4WD? Is the snow fresh or has Hiking in snow is slower
it been a few days and iced because you aren’t as
over on the trail? Do you know sure footed. Falling and
the area like the back of your twisting (or breaking) an
hand or is this your first time ankle out there could be
on that particular trail? Do potentially catastrophic,
you have the right clothing/ so we took our time
shelter for warmth to last you and enjoyed the trek.
overnight if something happens The majority of the hike
and you can’t make it out? Do gave us less than 20 ft
you have a water reservoir that of visibility. Other times
won’t freeze? Dehydration is a we could see for 100
real issue when it’s that cold. miles due to the speed
Evaporative loss is the main of the clouds moving.
issue - it sneaks up on you We stopped for a quick
because you’re not sweating snack on Grassy Ridge and
like you do when it’s hot. All turned around. The snow
of these things need to be never stopped falling,
answered before you start your so heading back to the
trek. parking lot after reaching
Grassy Ridge was difficult.
Carvers Gap and Roan Mountain A lot of our tracks had
on the NC/TN border is a great been covered up by fresh
place to “try out” your first snow, so finding the
winter hike. The roads are trail on the balds was a
usually salted and plowed when challenge. Fortunately,
it snows, but you should really we’ve hiked this section of
have a 4WD vehicle to make the the AT over 20 times and
trip. The parking lot sits right in were pretty comfortable
the middle of the Appalachian with navigating it. With
Trail (AT), giving you easy side excursions, the total
access to your hike. One of my mileage was around 6 for
favorite hiking partners, Mark, the trip and we were done
and I hiked from Carvers Gap to by 1030. Plenty of time
Grassy Ridge Bald and back at for lunch and a post-hike
the end of November and were beer.
greeted with one of the most Hiking in the snow is
beautiful and challenging hikes pretty singular. When the
we’d ever done. wind isn’t blowing you feel
like you are on another
The temperature in the parking planet - the trees are still,
lot was 8 degrees and the wind there are no birds chirping
was gusting around 20 mph in the distance and the
with active snow flurries. We silence can feel like a
knew the temperature and thick blanket. Sometimes
wind on the mountain would you think you can hear
be even colder and stronger so the rocks breathing from
we bundled up in layers before the water melting and the
getting out of the Jeep. I wore ice cracking. Be prepared
three undershirts (silk, thermal before going out in it. Let someone know your plans,
and wind proof) and two coats (nanopuff under bring plenty of food and water, and take more than
and down on top). For my legs I wore wool leggings you think you need to keep you warm. Above all,
under winter leggings and had a pair of rain pants in know your limits.
my bag in case the snow melted and I started to get

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wpsymphony.org 115

(828) 324-8603

Knowing You

by Carmen Eckard
When the wisest men and women
share the same message,
across millennia, we should
listen. From Ancient Greek
Philosophers to Dolly
Parton, their message
is consistent, but
don’t take my
word for it:

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This above all: to thine own self be true. Shakespeare

Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing yourself is

Enlightenment. Lao Tzu
Find out who you are, then do it on purpose. Dolly Parton

‘Know thyself’ was written over the portal of the antique world. Over the

portal of the new world, ‘Be thyself’ shall be written. Oscar Wilde
There is just one life for each of us: our own. Euripides 

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. Carl Jung

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter

and those who matter don’t mind.  Dr. Seuss 
Be yourself. The world worships an original. Ingrid Bergman

To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker,
the stillness underneath the mental noise, the
love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom,

salvation, enlightenment Eckhart Tolle

The better you know yourself, the better your relationship with the rest of the

world. Toni Collet te
If you want to sing out, sing out, and if you want to be free, be free. Yusef Islam

(Cat Stevens)
γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Know thyself) Engraved on Apollo’s Temple

I have only two rules which I regard as principles of conduct. The first is: Have

no rules. The second is: Be independent of the opinion of others. Albert Einstein

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to
make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human

being can fight; and never stop fighting. e.e. cummings

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Most people spend tons of energy trying to be like search for yourself is very easy.
everyone else. Or maybe like everyone else, but just Positive emotions-happiness, joy, those exist to tell
a little bit better. This makes for a population that you that you are moving your points closer together.
feels like a freezer full of vanilla ice cream. Vanilla Things that make you feel happy are helping you stay
ice cream with perfectly manicured lawns, fancy cars, true to yourself. All negative emotion is there to tell
fake eyelashes and sprinkles on top. you that you are currently moving those points away
But we aren’t meant to be like everyone else. Each of from each other.
us is unique and it’s our uniqueness, not the part of Our job then becomes to listen to our emotions, to
us that can fit into the expected boxes, that makes seek out happy feelings, and to find ways to focus on
us special. When we know what makes us special, our situations that cause more positive feelings. Many
we better know how to better our lives and make a times, the cause of suffering is external. Something
difference in the world. happens in our lives that moves us away from
Why should you know yourself? ourselves and we can’t find happy feelings. That’s OK.
You will be happier when you can express who you are. Happy isn’t always a feeling that we can get to…it’s
You make better decisions that will benefit your life. near the top of the emotional scale. It goes something
You’ll have less conflict and resistance. You won’t be like: loving, joyful, happy, Inspired, at ease, hopeful,
so likely to fold to social pressure. More importantly, neutral, insecure, worried, angry, sad, hopeless.
you will enjoy your life more. Vitality will increase. You So if you’re listening to your emotions to be true to
will sparkle. Most importantly, you will be singular, as yourself, your goal is to move up that emotional scale.
no one else is like you. Your individual interests, talents That means if something has happened that makes you
and skills make you better than anyone else on earth feel hopeless, it’s helpful to you to focus in a way that
for some specific things. helps you find anger. If you are angry, it’s helpful to
You will never find your “thing” or the best career path find a way to focus that brings you to disappointment.
if you don’t know yourself. Just being alive until you From there, it’s easier to find hopefulness, and from
are an adult is NOT enough to teach you about yourself. hopefulness, you can get to happy. When your two
It doesn’t automatically happen as you age. You must points of relativity are far apart, take small steps to
intentionally learn you. move them together.
What does it mean to know yourself? Your goal is also to notice the things that make you feel
It means respecting your values in life, your beliefs, happy or joyful and to put more of those things in your
your body, your habits, your personality, your priorities, life. It’s to remove the things that make you feel sad or
your moods, and your relationships. It means having angry, when possible, and when it isn’t, to move up the
a grasp on your strengths and weaknesses (without scale as needed.
fearing either), your passions, what scares you, what This is the most simple tool available to us, because
you want most…it is being aware of the ways you are we all have emotions and they are generally pretty
a total weirdo and the ways that you are like other loud inside of us.
people you see. It means exploring your limitations. It We have been taught to ignore and to push down
isn’t comfortable, because you have to look yourself our emotions. Expressing them sometimes gets you
square in the metaphorical eyes. Being honest with labeled as needy, or even hormonal, but that’s because
yourself about your weaknesses is very hard for some most people don’t know themselves and don’t value
people, but it’s an important step. Required, even, for what makes them unique. You can’t let that steal
you to live your best life. your own joy and progress, so trust your emotions and
express them when you need to.
How do you know yourself? Take stock of your interests. What keeps your interest
Listening to your emotions is the MOST valuable tool. for a long time? What fascinates you?
We, as people, have two points of reference. One never What traits are important to you? What words do you
changes - it’s who we are at our basic level. This point want people to use to describe you?
of reference is what you’re trying to get to know, in What sort of temperament do you have? Where do
fact. The other point of reference is who we are in the you get your energy? From being alone, an introvert,
moment. This one is incredibly changeable. External or from other people, an extrovert. Do you go with the
and internal stimuli are constantly tugging at this. Our flow or do you really like things to be regimented? How
goal is to keep these two points of reference as close do you process a problem?
to each other as possible-TO THINE OWN SELF BE What sort of life goals do you have? They ask
TRUE. elementary students this all the time, but it’s better
Emotions exist as a guide to tell you directly, moment if you’ve answered these other questions first. I never
to moment, if you are succeeding in keeping these two personally knew what I wanted to “be”. Mostly because
points close together. It’s very simple, and once you that’s asking someone to fit their desires and goals into
get the hang of checking in with your emotions, the a prepackaged box that’s sitting there already, which

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never sat well with me. But lots of people love those
boxes and take pride in filling them perfectly. What are
your goals? What does your perfect life look like?
Take stock of your positive and negative traits. We are
all flawed. Being scared of our flaws and hiding from
them is destructive and doesn’t help our lives. Being
open and honest about our flaws leads to finding ways
to get around them. When we know what we aren’t
good at, we know how to ask for help.
Take a personality test. It isn’t even that the answer
is that important, but asking yourself the questions
and coming up with the answers will give you a lot of
insight. The MBTI and Enneagram tests are both very
good and widely accepted tests.
Here’s the thing: you might not immediately like what
you find every time. You may find, in fact most do, that
what they thought they valued doesn’t line up with
how they are spending their time and energy. In that
case, don’t land on sulky and hurt and stay there. Make
adjustments so that your life fits what you are.
That, in fact, is the whole purpose of knowing yourself.
Until we know ourselves, we put ourselves on a life
path that was built for someone else, someone much
more generic than us. But when we know ourselves, we
become in charge of that path. We can let it meander
into places we enjoy being, or we can build a direct and
short path that leads straight to our goals. But until we
know ourselves, we don’t have the required tools to
build a path.

The day came when the risk to remain
tight in a bud was more painful than the

risk it took to blossom. ~Anais Nin

Your life can be rich and full of all of the things that you
enjoy, excel at, and love. The very first step is finding
out what you enjoy, excel at and love. The next step is
to blossom. You’ll know what comes after that.

Use these QR codes to take personality tests which
will help you know yourself better.

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Men’s Guide to Health Screenings

As we age, we become more vulnerable to certain health issues, many of which go undetected
until they start producing symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have routine screenings. Routine
screenings are performed before symptoms appear, and designed to catch diseases early - when
they’re more easily treated. Below you’ll find screening recommendations based on your age group
to help you stay healthy now and going forward.

MEN AGED 18-39* • Colorectal Screening:
• Full Checkup with Height, Weight, Skin at • Colonoscopy at least every 10 years
• Fecal Occult Test yearly or
least every 3 years • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Blood Pressure Check Yearly • Influenza Vaccine yearly
• Blood Tests for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and • Sexually Transmitted Diseases, both

kidney Dysfunction at least every 3 years partners should get tested, including HIV
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases – both before initiating sexual intercourse
• Eye (including glaucoma screening if your
partners should get tested, including HIV have family history or if you are African-
before initiating sexual intercourse American) and Ear Exams every 2-4 years
• Eye and Ear Exams, if problems occur • Dental Exam 1 to 2 times a year
• Dental Exam is recommended 1 to 2 times • Tetanus-Diphtheria Booster every 10 years
a year • Shingles Vaccine – 2 doses
• Tetanus-Diphtheria Booster every 10 years
• Influenza Vaccine annually

MEN AGED 40-49* MEN AGED 65 AND OLDER*
• Full Checkup with Height, Weight, Skin at • Full Checkup with Height, Weight, Skin

least every 2 years Exams yearly
• Blood Pressure Check Yearly • Blood Pressure Check yearly
• Blood Tests for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and • Blood Tests for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and

Kidney Dysfunction at least every 2 years∙ Kidney Dysfunction yearly
• Colorectal Screening, discuss with MD if • Discuss with health care provider about

you are African American or have a family the pros and cons of prostate cancer
history testing
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases, both • If a long-term smoker, discuss benefits/
partners should get tested, including HIV risks of lung cancer screening with
before initiating sexual intercourse physician
• Eye (including Glaucoma Screening if you • Colorectal Screening:
have family history or if you are African- • Colonoscopy at least every 10 years
American) and Ear Exams every 2-4 years • Fecal Occult Test yearly or
• Dental Exam 1 to 2 times a year • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Tetanus-Diphtheria Booster every 10 years • Sexually Transmitted Diseases, both
• Influenza Vaccine partners should get tested, including HIV
before initiating sexual intercourse
MEN AGED 50-64* • Eye (including glaucoma screening) and
• Full Checkup with Height, Weight, Skin Ear Exams every 1-2 years
• Dental Exam 1 to 2 times a year
yearly • Tetanus-Diphtheria Booster every 10 years
• Blood Pressure Check yearly • Influenza Vaccine yearly
• Blood Tests for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and • Pneumococcal Vaccine –two doses
• Shingles Vaccine – two doses if you
Kidney Dysfunction yearly haven’t had the new shingles vaccine that
• You should talk to a health care provider came out in 2018
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening
about the pros and cons of prostate cancer with ultrasound one time for men who
testing so you can decide if testing is the have ever smoked
right choice for you.
• If a long-term smoker, discuss benefits/
risk of lung cancer screening with
physician
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Catawba Valley Health System is providing this guide to help men and their families manage their
health. The best way to manage one’s health is with regular visits to a primary care provider. If you
do not have a provider, you can call our Physician Referral line at 828.326.2876 to find a family
practice near your home or business.

*National Comprehensive Cancer Network are the guidelines adopted by Catawba Valley Medical
Center’s Community Hospital Cancer Program

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Where the Wild Things Are: A Look at How We Look at Scripture

by Heather Woods Davis
How many of us feel confident when it comes to reading scripture? Would you consider yourself to be an
expert when it comes to knowin g your Bible? That’s so much pressure, isn’t? And so many of us leave it to
our pastors, scholars, and our theologians to be the experts for us. But I don’t think ‘expert’ isn’t really the
end goal. I think when we approach as expert or beginner or something in between—well we lose our sense
of adventure with the Bible.
Because if you only think of say, the pastor as the expert you will get used to relying on an “expert” to tell
you what the Bible says. And when we are constantly relying on someone else…well we don’t learn it, we
don’t dive deeply into it and we can end up making scripture something it is not. Scripture stops being our
story and becomes something we learn for the test.
It’s almost like approaching the Bible is like going to the dentist—you feel like every time you go, you’re
supposed to get something extracted—a tooth, the TRUTH, amma right? And so you end up fearful of what
the dentist will say and do; in the same you end up dreading going to a Bible study. You feel like you didn’t
brush enough or that you don’t know enough—that you don’t understand what you read, in the right way.
But that’s okay because the preacher will explain it on Sunday, right? There’s merit to how we view scripture.
And fear or dread or frustration are not the way I want you to feel about the Bible. How we see this book,
how we see the Bible—matters. If you do a Google image search of the word Bible, you will see a lot of
images that are a closed black book with gold lettering.
Or maybe it’s burgundy. I mean let’s think about the connection here; between this visual image of the Bible
as a CLOSED BOOK and how most of think about scripture. The Bible has a strong cultural iconic meaning—
this symbol, just the image itself communicates something very powerful that most of us know, without even
thinking about it.

As a cultural icon the Bible communicates:

-It means authoritative. A book called “the Bible”- is the ultimate authority. It is the first and last word on the subject.

-It means univocal. A book called “the Bible” speaks for itself in one, unified voice, without contradiction.

-It means practical. A book called “the Bible” promises to serve as a reference manual and a dependable guide
for how to proceed along the path its reader has chosen.

-It means accessible. A book called “the Bible” promises to speak to anyone and everyone clearly and
simply, without ambiguity, in terms “even I can understand.”

-It means comprehensive. A book called “the Bible” claims to cover everything human beings may ever
possibly need to know about its subject, past, present and future.

-It means exclusive. A book called “the Bible” admits no rivals, no alternative perspectives. It is complete unto itself, closed,
self-contained within a single book, A to Z, alpha to omega, Genesis to Revelation. Nothing may be added or taken away.


The cultural icon of the Bible represents religious faith as what closes the book on questions about the
meaning and purpose of life. It puts them to rest in the name of God. “Faith is about believing the right
things, and the Bible is the place to find them.” That is what the cultural icon of the Bible puts forth—most
all of us either agree with that OR we can agree that, that mentality is how we as “Christians” have been
taught to see the Bible via our culture.

122

How often would you say you read your Bible? Pause for a moment and count up how many bibles you own.
Go ahead, I’ll wait….(full disclosure, I counted all of mine, my spouse and our children’s and go a whopping
24) It turns out, people are buying Bibles in droves, but not reading nearly as much as we are buying them.
You can buy a Bible for almost any persuasion or personality. The Busy Mom, the Dad Bible, the Student
Bible, the Bible for Seekers…And I know what you are thinking, Heather this isn’t a bad thing, right? (Like
I’m totally a dad and that Bible is for me.) Well not exactly—but what it points to is that we are searching, as
mothers, fathers, students, as people for a Bible that holds answers; rather than the Bible holding stories and
therefore meaningful ways for us to encounter and discover truth; ways for us to remember and continue to
discover who God is and what God might be up to.
Enter Maurice Sendak. Now not many of us would consider a secular Jewish New Yorker who wrote his most
famous children’s story in the 60’s where we might go to think about Scripture. But preaching professor and
scholar, Dr. Anna Carter Florence insists that if we are to break the cycle of dependency and entitlement, if
we can break down our hope of “making sense of the Bible”, then she insists that we have to set ourselves
loose with the text.
And you know what? That is going to be hard for us. Even the mention of letting loose no matter the subject
has some of us sweaty palmed and nervous. But if we are to let the Bible free of the chains that say it is
a book only for answers, a book only about black and white certainty, if we are to let the Bible breathe a
little—then we too must let loose a little.
Or a lot.
We must learn to stop merely talking about the biblical story on Sundays and start living as people who have
been let loose with it. Because the scriptures are wild and dangerous and revealing. If we let ourselves loose
with the Bible we will discover that scripture is wild. And if we start reading scripture together the words we
speak are wild and let loose in the room and we don’t control what they do or where they will go. We don’t
know what will happen except that it will be the wild and free vision of God’s reign breaking its way in.
Imagine that! The wild and free vision of God’s reign breaking in on us, can happen if we will let ourselves
loose with this book! So let the wild rumpus start, Maurice Sendak. Let’s put on our wolf suit and make
mischief with the text. Ask the questions you never dared. Tease out a scenario even if it seems ludicrous.
Look at the edges and see what is lurking, ducking, hiding, flitting, sneaking, pouncing, breathing just at the
edges for us to see.
Because, scripture is art. “[Our] scripture encounters us in so many rich ways. It is a storehouse of
knowledge. It is a sourcebook of wisdom. AND it is art. Poetry, proverb, novella, epistle, epic, memoir, farce,
myth. Our scripture is art. When you interact with art, you have to take a different approach.”
In that space of making mischief isn’t important how much you do or do not know about the Bible. It isn’t
important if you are the expert or the beginner. In the space of making mischief the credentials you bring
is you—your stories, your life, your knowledge of who God is and what you see God doing. You are the one
who is willing to sail in and out of weeks and days and even a whole year to land on the island where the
wild things are. We need to be free enough to see where the text takes us.
Letting loose with the text will free you—because when you approach it as art it frees you from the need to
explain it or solve it, or torture a meaning out of it—we do so much better at making mischief; we’re less self-
conscious, less burdened about the outcome; we can set aside the old ways we read the biblical text and be
open to something new.
“When the people of God read scripture together in a let loose, wild rumpus (mischief making) sort of way;
with no other purpose than to simply speak and listen to the words that are written—the same thing happens
every time—we discover our script that is in scripture. We see that our biblical scripture is a collection of
scripts that God has given us to rehearse until something true emerges.”
Start with verbs first. Verbs are cross cultural; we know what fear and shame, love and joy are. We know
that to try and sew fig leaves together for a loincloth is as ridiculous as trying to hide from God.
We know the verbs. Maybe skipping supper like Max is a good idea; I mean what have we really been feasting
on this whole time? Empty calories? And when we open up our Bibles, do you think there are wild beasts
out there waiting to devour us or are they ready for us to join them, exploring what the triune God is doing in
this great world?
It is time to make mischief with the text. Let loose. Let the wild rumpus begin.

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Known.

by Leeann Mangum

Three hundred and twenty. The number swirls in my head as I pour the formula in the
bottle and shake. Three hundred and twenty. “I want more cereal please mama.” There
are three hundred and twenty children in foster care in the county we live in. Two of
them live with me. Sometimes, two out of three hundred and twenty feels like a drop in
the ocean, insignificant and small.
Small. His small pudgy hand grabs for the floor as he learns to crawl. Her small eyes
light up with laughter as my husband tosses her up in the air. I do not know the three
hundred and twenty. I know the two. I know what day his cheek muscles parted into
his first toothless grin. I know the day she came to us, too scared to sleep so we rode
around in the car until the crying gave into exhaustion. I know the softness of his baby
skin after a bath and the way he smells after he is milk drunk on a bottle. I know the day
she conquered her fear and went down the slide at the pool. I know.
I drink from my “mom” coffee mug. “No Morning Sickness, Just Papercuts” it reads on
the side. This has become my battle cry – a way of normalizing this journey we find
ourselves on. Every journey – at least ones worth anything – come with hardship. This
journey is no different. We have given up the luxury of sharing DNA and a last name to
know two of the three hundred and twenty.
Their days are pieced together from court date to court date as their permanency is
decided. I sit in court and hear her life story, the story I know. This life story which has

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taken three years to live is recounted in two minutes. The words spoken are not the
story of the dimples on her face when she laughs or the look of fear in her eyes when
she thinks she is being left. The words spoken are the short version of the moments that
have defined her life in her short three years. I know the timeline and dates better than
the social worker telling the story. I know her story – someone has to.
Three hundred and twenty. Most people do not want to dive into the uncertainty of
foster care. But somebody has to dive to know. To know the three hundred and twenty.
I know the two. When she cries my name in the middle of the night to come hold her;
when he squeals when I walk in the room, I know. I know, they know they are known.
Children are meant to be in families - would you like to find out more about how you
can welcome a child in foster care into your family? Visit https://www.adoptuskids.org/
adoption-and-foster-care/how-to-adopt-and-foster/state-information/north-carolina
for more information about your local foster care agency or speak with your local county
Social Services. Want to help, but not ready to have a child in your home? Foster care
is more than foster parents - it is a wide arrangement of Guardian Ad Litems, donors
and support systems. To find out to how to become a Guardian Ad Litem and represent
a child in court, visit https://volunteerforgal.org/. For other ways to support children in
foster care, contact foster care agencies at near you, listed at adoptuskids.org.

125

Dear David,

Everyone always says "Be yourself" but how are you supposed to know what "Yourself" is?
Sincerely,

Confused in Consciousness
Dear CIC,
This is certainly a question for the ages and one that neither I nor most have an easy answer for.
My immediate thoughts however, turn to passion. In my classroom and with my clients I often ask
what makes someone passionate. What fires the engine of the hearts and minds to motivate them
to move forward each day? Being able to clearly articulate and identify this often gets us on the
path of figuring out who we are, at our core. It is also my observation that children are typically
much more sure of who they are, before we socialize them to manage and control it in favor of
fitting in. From this perspective “being yourself” is often actually uncovering the person that is
already there and being them on purpose regardless of what others think.
With hope to be helpful,

DavidZealy-Wright LPC, LCAS, CSS

Dear David,

When the weather is cold, I always feel a little extra isolated and a
little extra sad. What can I do to feel more connected and happier?

Sincerely,

Seasonally Affected Depressive
Dear SAD,
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a common
experience for many of us as the temperatures
drop and it suddenly is dark before dinner. A
few suggestions would be to consider taking
Vitamin D to compensate for the lack of sun
as well as consider some light therapy. It is
also important to make specific plans to get
out of the house and connect with friends and
or loved ones during the cold months. It is not
uncommon to feel isolated if family is not near
or there is simply less of a desire to get out in
the cold. If family is not nearby or healthy for
you to be around, try to set up a regular lunch or
dinner date with a friend each week. Consider
joining a book club or volunteering for a local
nonprofit. There are many worthy causes in our
area that are always looking for new volunteers
to assist the populations they serve. Depending
on the severity of your feelings of sadness and or
isolation you may also consider consulting with
a therapist to assess if there is a more serious
issue present.

With hope to be helpful,

DavidZealy-Wright LPC, LCAS, CSS

126

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127

128

Event fu ll y Your s. . . Winter is my favorite time of year! I love the idea of snow and
twinkling lights but I am not sold on hosting my upcoming
wedding during the winter season. What should I consider
about the pros and cons of hosting a winter wedding?

Winter is a lovely time to host a wedding but you must consider that the wedding should be inside as well as the
reception, unless you choose to get married closer to the equator.

You must also be completely cognizant that weather plays a major role in the overall planning of a winter wedding.
Over the past few years the piedmont of North Carolina has experienced milder winters. We potentially have one or
two snows and minor icing but not nearly to the extreme you would find in the mountains or northern areas of the
United States. If you choose to host a winter wedding you should have plans for inclement weather to assist with guest
travel to your venue. Contracting drivers through an established and insured agency to provide shuttle services is a
wonderful idea. You should also discuss inclement weather planning with the venue you contract for the ceremony
and reception, as well as the caterers, to see what their policies are concerning snow, ice, etc. as to their operations.

Personally I have planned and coordinated winter weddings that have occurred during snow storms, and although
it was a little more work to get guests to and from the event, the winter white coating on the ground added such a
beautiful flair the wedding pictures, as well as the ambiance and feel of the day.

There are many pros to a winter wedding. This is not considered a “wedding season” so you may find better rates on
rooms, entertainment and venue costs. Generally you are not fighting for your “date” with others as there are many
more options. If you are hot natured you can definitely benefit from the cooler temperatures as well. The lack of
humidity will make any bride completely happy.

Concerning décor, darker jewel tones for floral and dresses set a romantic backdrop. You may also choose to get
married in December when more venues are set up for the holiday’s cutting your décor budget in half. A winter wedding
is definitely more cost effective for the couples budget, just be positive that you have made sure that all details are
covered.

Eventfully yours,

Tara B

Tara H. Bland is owner and event specialist of Tara B’s Eventful Planning and It’s My Party Rentals. Tara has planned, designed and

directed weddings and events for the past 18 years in the Foothills of North Carolina.

129

Rosemary’s

Remembrances
by Carmen Eckard Photo by Jon Eckard
130

Ireckon I’m getting old. That’s why I’ve decided to write all this down. I was writing my
Last Will and Testament (not that I have much money to leave folks) but I realized the
things I really wanted to leave to people, well they won’t hardly know what they are, so I
figure I need to tell ‘em.
I’m full of stories, but people are too busy for that these days. Anyway, I don’t even think I’m
good at tellin’ tales, so I guess I feel better about writing them down and tucking them away.
I suppose everybody collects stuff over the years, but I’ve tried to only hang onto the things
that’s real beautiful to me, or make me remember something I love to remember. I’m gonna
write about what each one of these things make me remember, and I might ramble, but
darlings, my memory rambles these days, so it is what it is.

Rosemary and Rue

I’m starting with the one that makes me remember the hardest and brightest. If you’re reading
this, you probably know me, and if you know me, you’ve probably seen the embroidery piece
hanging in my dining room.
It says:

For you there’s rosemary and rue; these keep
Seeming and Savour all the winter long:
Grace and remembrance be to you.

Most people think it’s a bit of nonsense but it’s really a quote from Shakespeare, from The
Winter’s Tale.
And that’s appropriate because that piece brings me right back to the winter of 1960, when
I was 16 years old. It was one of the worst winters anyone could remember. We lived near
the top of Long Arm Mountain, which is before the mountains get too mountainy. We weren’t
usually isolated from the world, but that winter, we couldn’t get anywhere. It snowed almost
every other day, like clockwork. It must of been February 13th that it all started because I
remember that it ruined my Valentines plans and I was sore about it.

The first blizzard swallowed up the roads.
We hunkered down. We kept a fire burning, we kept our livestock alive, even bringing them all
inside more than once. Mama had been canning food for near two decades and we had plenty
to eat, but it was close quarters for us. My mama, Rue, and my Daddy, Earl and me, plus our
two cows, two dogs and 8 chickens in our little house. Seemed like plenty of room all year
long, with those cows and chickens outside of course, but suddenly, it was pretty tight. Felt
like everyone’s breath was right up on your neck just about all the time.

131

We only had two books in the house: the tell we both needed a distraction so she
Bible and The Complete Works of William asked me if I finally wanted to learn how
Shakespeare. Mama read to me from one to stitch. Usually her requests for me to
book or the other every night of my life, ‘til learn to stitch were met with groans and
I was old enough to read myself, then we dramatic rolls of my eye. I’d take those
took turns. After the first week of being back now if I could. I miss my Mama
snowed in, she settled in to reading me The everyday even all these years later and
Winters Tale. She had the sweetest, softest I regret all the sass I gave her. But that
Southern lilt, and once Mama settled into day, learning to stitch seemed like a
Shakespeare’s rhythm, it was like listening grand idea. Planning is the first step of
to music. When she came to this passage, any thing good, so we talked over what
she paused before reading our names, a our first project would be. I knew from
smile hiding at the corner of her mouth. the start I wanted it to say “For you,
“For you there’s rosemary and rue” there’s Rosemary and Rue”. My Mama
Up to that minute, I didn’t know Rue was thought we should write the whole verse,
a plant. I thought it was just my Mama’s which suited us well, especially as we
name, and I don’t think she knew it was a were trying to gracefully weather a hard
plant either. The footnotes said rue was “an winter.
evergreen plant used medicinally”. I was We opened up her cedar chest, which
filled with joy at the idea that my Mama was a rare treat. The earthy scent
and I were both named for something enveloped me and I closed my eyes
so similar, and that Shakespeare put as my Mama lifted up a box of colorful
the words together. Rosemary and Rue. thread, with fabric and a hoop. Again, I
Rosemary and Rue. Rosemary and Rue. felt joy. And connected to my Mama in a
Just whispering it made me feel joyful. special way, like I knew her secrets. Even
now a whiff of cedar takes me back to
The second blizzard swallowed up the that very second.
yard. We stitched. We talked. We stitched
The snow was so deep it was dangerous more. My Daddy--he was there, quietly,
to walk in. We hunkered down harder. but in my memories, it’s just me and
The wind coming down the chimney kept my Mama, endlessly stitching, talking,
putting out our fire, but we worked to laughing, loving.
fight the bitter cold. We ate more green
beans, more canned beets and the last of The third blizzard swallowed the world.
our bacon. We huddled closer together, Walking outside meant risking your life.
warming our hands by the fire. We lost one of our cows and 4 of our
We were getting a little cagey. Mom could chickens. With snow so thick you couldn’t
see, keeping the livestock close and alive
132 proved impossible. And still, we stitched.
It was during the third blizzard, when it
snowed so hard the whole sky was white,
that I first noticed my Mama’s cough. But
still, we stitched and we talked and we
laughed. That laughter was ending with
coughs more often than it didn’t. Mama
always kept a good herb garden, and we

had lots of dried herbs in our kitchen. I made worrying about how small our log pile
her tea with honey and brought her blankets was, and making tea and food. In my spare
to keep warm. time, I sat next to my Mama and read her
Shakespeare. We’d been distracted by all
The fourth blizzard swallowed our lives. the stitching and we hadn’t finished The
Drifts of snow higher than the walls of our Winters Tale, so I picked up where she
house made any notion of escape or rescue left off. She savored the story, especially
impossible. the part where Hermione, who had been
We had no way to contact anyone. frozen into a statue, came back to life. She
Actually, after all the snow melted, we laughed in delight when it happened, which
found a pallet of food and supplies that set off a coughing fit that broke my heart.
the government had dropped, but it had She faded, and we tried to help, but we
fallen silently in the snow and was covered couldn’t. That Winter was a ravenous thief.
instantly. We still had food thankfully, but By the time the snow melted, my Mama
our only water supply was melted snow. was gone. She took my childhood with her,
My dad started fraying at the edges a bit-- although it wasn’t her fault. Maybe it was
I’d call it cabin fever. My Mama said he was the Winter that took that too. Couldn’t be
stir crazy. He yelled a lot. I think back on it helped, either way.
now and I suspect my Daddy had a drinking But after that, I was a woman, just as quick
problem, and he ran out of drink during the as a flash.
storm. Like a lot of people in these hills, my So I reckon I always kept this on my
Daddy had a proper still. He’d built it a few wall because it brings me memories of
years earlier and made a good drink. That innocent joy, even as it follows them with
still got busted up a few years later by heartbreak. It makes me feel, and I think
Sheriff Oaks, like about half the rest of the that’s the most important part of being
county’s. I reckon not being able to get to his human, to feel.
still was making my Daddy on edge. Grace and Remembrance be to you.
We stitched. We whispered. We really didn’t
laugh anymore. And my Mama’s cough got 133
worse. I could see the worry behind her eyes.
We finished our stitching. It was beautiful,
but it didn’t ring true anymore. We were not
keeping our Seeming and Savour.
The fifth blizzard swallowed my Mama.
On the first day of that blizzard she started
coughing up blood, and there was no help
to be had. My Daddy, he was a mess. He
couldn’t decide if he wanted to cry or hollar,
so he settled on both.
I spent the days keeping the fire going,

A Winter Ride
Amy Lowell, 1874 - 1925

Who shall declare the joy of the running!
Who shall tell of the pleasures of flight!
Springing and spurning the tufts of wild heather,
Sweeping, wide-winged, through the blue dome of light.
Everything mortal has moments immortal,
Swift and God-gifted, immeasurably bright.

So with the stretch of the white road before me,
Shining snow crystals rainbowed by the sun,
Fields that are white, stained with long, cool, blue shadows,
Strong with the strength of my horse as we run.
Joy in the touch of the wind and the sunlight!
Joy! With the vigorous earth I am one.

SNOW WHITE
Katherine Riegel
I dreamt I woke in winter—
even the river since I understood winter
silent, its tongue caught mid- so well I knew it to be inside
sentence, like mine my own bone-cage, since I had
when someone looks at me smelled that kind of white.
too closely. It had been years

134

White of the frozen rabbit and almost-knew what I had always
my spaniel dragged in from the back almost-known, back in those dark
yard, white of horse-breath in the barn, five o’clock walks home for dinner:
white of birds so desperate something about loneliness living
for seed they pretend colorlessness— in the well of the throat, something
except the cardinal, drop of heat, about fur and burrowing
too neat to be blood, too brave and black eyes
to be symbol. I woke in winter waiting for the thaw.

Photo by Mike Koenig
MikeKoenig.org 135

136

A Winter Blue Jay
Sara Teasdale, 1884 - 1933

Crisply the bright snow whispered,
Crunching beneath our feet;

Behind us as we walked along the parkway,
Our shadows danced,

Fantastic shapes in vivid blue.
Across the lake the skaters
Flew to and fro,
With sharp turns weaving
A frail invisible net.
In ecstasy the earth
Drank the silver sunlight;
In ecstasy the skaters
Drank the wine of speed;
In ecstasy we laughed
Drinking the wine of love.
Had not the music of our joy
Sounded its highest note?
But no,

For suddenly, with lifted eyes you said,
“Oh look!”

There, on the black bough of a snow flecked maple,
Fearless and gay as our love,
A bluejay cocked his crest!

Oh who can tell the range of joy
Or set the bounds of beauty?

137

You ol’ Noisy Girls

by Anna Wess at Appalachian Ink

For too long now, as I see it, there has been cooking something good. My nose can’t tell
a smart handful of us ol’ girls that have just yet what exactly it is, but ol’ Ruby ain’t
been quiet for too long, like we’d been told never fixed a bad meal, and that’s the truth.
to be. I figure it’s time to get loud, manners I hear her slurping up a quick taste. It might
or reputations or not. Sometimes, we need to be a venison stew. I hope not. I never could
speak up, lest the devils win. They won’t win stomach venison. It’s too wild for my tastes,
today, my sisters. Not today, nor ever again. like that buck deer standing there on the
If, and only if, you get loud. mountain where the devil used to live. It’s
too wild like us ol’ noisy girls. Wild and noisy
If you stand out on the front porch here and things like us should only be in storybooks
look real close, you can see the devil’s old and love songs. You know it’s the truth. We
house over there on the mountain. Nobody don’t belong in a bowl or on some hapless
lives there now, and the house is all but plate. I hope it’s a good vegetable soup with
fallen in. In front of that ol’ woebegone house plenty of tomatoes, the ones that Granny
stands a stately buck deer, his crowned saved and canned up last September. I
head held high and regal against the fog and hope it’s got last summer’s green beans and
lingering snow. I see him out there right now, sweet corn and taters in it. I’d even welcome
all glorious and proud against the backdrop a handful of lima beans or some okra and
of the white mountain and what’s left of macaroni. I hope Big Ruby ain’t licked the
that house where the devil used to live. He spoon and put it back in the soup. Even if she
reminds me of Aunt Margene and Mama and has, I’ll eat it just the same.
Big Ruby and Snoot. He reminds me of… me.
That ol’ deer stands there like he owns the And I hope she makes cornbread to go with
place. it, with plenty of lard or bacon grease and
Granny’s homemade cow butter. I hear
I reckon he does. that ol’ iron skillet crackling and popping
(it sounds like lard to me), and then Big
I’ll get back to the devil in a minute. Matter Ruby starts singing along to the radio, her
of fact, there were several devils running smooth voice lilting and ringing throughout
around here back in the day. I’d wager there’s the old house like a regular summer bird.
still a few devils out there somewhere. It goes with everything, her singing. Like I
Granny always talked about sheep’s clothin’ said, Big Ruby ain’t never fixed a bad meal,
and sweet talkin’ and hot mouths that’ll tell despite what she’s been through, and those
us we’re the only ones, even when the ol’ old songs she sings are like a dessert before
noisy girls like Ruby and Mama and Cousin dinner. It’s a Patsy Cline song, I think. I …fall
Snoot know better. Oh, yes, we know better. …to pieces…
And so do you. And we’ve been silent for too
long, just like we’d been told to be, but now Big Ruby would never fall to pieces. There
the roost is open for rule. I reckon it’s time was too much of her, both in body and in
we become noisy ol’ girls like them. We’re talk. She was Granny’s oldest girl, my Aunt
past due, truth be told. Ruby, and buddy, she’d had a time. Her first
husband, a handsome but shifty boy with
In the warmth of the kitchen, Big Ruby is a little bit of family money, left her when

138

she was expecting Cousin Snoot. He left Too much lard in that cornbread, I reckon.
her for some floozy up in Grundy, and Ruby Anyhow, Big Ruby married another fella when
was never the same, or so I’ve been told. Cousin Snoot was a little girl, a fella that
Granny had chased that boy off the hill with worked down at the Winn Dixie in the meat
threats of hell fire, but he just kept running department. Granny said ol’ Winn Dixie took
until he got to Buchanan County. He’d send a liking to Ruby because he figured her first
Snoot a dress or two or a birthday card devil had left her some of that family money
with fifty dollars or so in it. Small price to of his.
pay for having no daddy, I reckon. Aunt
Margene was just a young girl then, but she That’s how it is in a small town, you know.
remembers just fine how her big sister’s Everybody knows who you’ve been with and
first devil came up here and broke all our where, and often times, they’ll use it against
hearts, especially Ruby’s and Snoot’s. you. He was a pig’s ass, I’d heard Granny say.
And then they’d go talk in secret about what
Now Ruby was a lovely woman in her Winn Dixie had done to Cousin Snoot after
younger days, with coal-black hair and she’d come home from school when Ruby was
crystal blue eyes and loud laughter that slaving away down at the Mattie Williams
would shake the sadness off a widow Hospital in the kitchen, and how she’d found
woman. She was once as dainty and svelte out about it and pulled her revolver on him
as Granny and Aunt Margene. But now, and dared him to set foot in her house again.
Big Ruby is…big. She’d make a good three
or four of Granny, and that’s the truth. After that, Ruby gave up on a husband, and

139

Snoot slept with her mama until she was And it wasn’t too long after that when I met
in high school, and that’s the truth. Snoot my own devil.
had bad dreams and woke up talking about
ghosts and such. And then Snoot up and I wasn’t even thirteen yet, and he was going
married a boy with some family money on thirty-five, at least. And no, he didn’t
and broke Ruby’s heart again. And not long look like a devil either. Not at all. He wasn’t
after that, Snoot altogether disappeared, some stranger. He was an uncle, one I only
leaving that boy and her mama for a place saw when he needed a ride or a dollar, a
where no memories lived. jolly, round-bellied dimwit that I’d known
all my life. But in the span of one afternoon,
Snoot ain’t never said anything about it after he’d done his best to con me out of my
at all, but I wish she would. We’d go and culottes with a box of old cassette tapes,
find ol’ pig’s ass Winn Dixie and knock on I saw him for the devil he was. And he did it
his door and say, “you remember me?” while my mama was in the other room.
And we’d ask him why he did what he
did to Snoot and if he knows or cares He was brave. He knew what all the other
how bad he hurt her, and we’d dare him devils had known: good girls don’t talk about
to deny a notion of it. Oh yes, we would such things. He thought I wouldn’t say a
dare him. We might even tuck Big Ruby’s word. He counted on me being ashamed and
ol’ revolver in Snoot’s purse, just for good confused and taken with the idea of cassette
measure. If he hadn’t done what he had tapes.
done, Snoot might have been the sister I
never had. You never know. I was nearly He was wrong.
thirteen before Big Ruby spoke of Snoot in
my presence again, and even then, it was “My daddy will kill you,” I told him. Five words
to tell us about her big wedding to some only, but they were salted with enough truth
Yankee, some fella we hadn’t never heard to make him take his dirty hand out of his
hide nor hair of, some fella old enough to shorts and stick his tongue back in his mouth
be her daddy. and take his other hand off my skinny, twelve-
year-old knee. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t
I think about Mama and recollect how I say anything. He acted like he didn’t have a
was never allowed to go up to her folks’ clue why I would make such a threat. But he
house when I was a little girl. Daddy knew. Yes, he knew. I didn’t see him again
wouldn’t hear of it; he’d said he’d be dead until the day he was laid out in his casket at
and gone before he’d see his daughter the funeral home a good twenty years later.
within sight of that son of a bitch. And
I didn’t lay eyes on my mama’s devil, They all know.
unbeknownst to my daddy, until my
twelfth summer, and I swear, he didn’t Oh, those devils are everywhere, I figure. I’d
look like a devil to me at all. He was just a wager that most of us have laid eyes on one
skinny old man then, with not a tooth his or two. Or three, like Big Ruby. They count
in head. But it was around that time that on us being quiet. Ashamed. Confused. They
I learned what he had done to Mama, and warn us about our reputation and tell us
her just a little girl like Cousin Snoot had nobody will believe us. Or worse, nobody will
been, and how her own mother had told care. Not too long ago, they were right. But
her just to shut up about it and not tell not anymore. Not even here in the hills with
anybody. Good girls don’t talk about such a clear sight of the devil’s house over there on
things. the mountain. No, sir. And my own girls have

140

been warned about you devils and your $35 Per month is the Best kept secret in Hickory.
threats and your cassette tapes. My girls Come see what the Spa Athletic Club has to offer.
will holler and scream, right after they tell
me and Mama and Big Ruby. (828) 328-5949 920 2ND AVE NW HICKORY

Like that ol’ piano man said, we didn’t
start this fire. But for some reason, we’re
being criticized while we try to put it out.
If anybody wonders why I go a’ mentioning
devils and stirring that old pot, all they’d
have to do is look at Mama or Snoot or Big
Ruby and a right smart handful of girls I’ve
talked to in my time. And you, too. Don’t
let them shut you up, you ol’ noisy girl,
you. You go on and holler and scream and
tell. They’ll listen, whether they want to or
not. They all know. They might even laugh
at you or call you names.

Sticks and stones, you noisy girls. Sticks
and stones.

But, Lord yes, Big Ruby is cooking
something good. I can smell the cornbread
and that soup a’ simmering. The hearty
scent of it fills this old house like a regular
blessing. And you, you, that ol’ noisy
girl there, you come on up here on the
mountain and we’ll have us a bowl and a
slice of pone or two with Granny’s good
cow butter, and we’ll eat and talk until
the sun sets on the devil’s mountain over
there. And then we’ll stand out here all
glorious and proud like we own the place.

I reckon we do.

Anna Wess is an award winning author who
writes at AppalachianInk.net.

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Moses Cone Manor

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Photo by Kat Dellinger.

Find info about this hike on page 112

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