Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Hoover Stew

The great A Coalcracker In The Kitchen website has a good introduction to this dish and a recipe. We called this "slum stew" when I was a kid. You can't go wrong with this, and it saves money.


You're going to need:

* 1 (16 ounce) box of elbow macaroni. A Coal Cracker In The Kitchen reminds us that you can use any mix of pastas that will cook in approximately the same time like shells, rotini, etc.)
* 2 (16 ounce) cans of stewed tomatoes. We get a reminder from The Coal Cracker In The Kitchen that whole tomatoes can be used
* 1 (16 ounce) package of hot dogs
* 1 (16 ounce) can of corn

You can add a can of beans, tomato paste, and other suitable ingredients that you like, but remember to adjust quantities for taste and add water or use the water you're cooking your macaroni or pasta in. Most any kinds of beans will work.

Cook your macaroni according to the instructions on the box. Slice your hot dogs into thin slices. Don't drain your tomatoes and corn. Combine everything in your cans and your hot dog slices in a large pot, cover, and let everything simmer. Stir and break up the tomatoes as it cooks.

Drain your macaroni just before it is almost done. Hold on to your cooking water for the stew if needed.

Add the macaroni and continue simmering. You want everything well mixed together and hot. I have used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cheap wine for flavoring it up.

Something to smile on, something to think about

 







Taken from the Fannie Lou Hamer's America Facebook page. The
 caption with the photo reads "Making a way from no way..."






You can be a good parent and have a messy house.⁣

You can have a cluttered counter with art from school to old mail and be a good parent.⁣

You can have piles of laundry in corners and unmade beds and be a good parent.⁣

You can have toys scattered on the floor and be a good parent.⁣

You can have dirty dishes in the sink and remnants of lunch on the kitchen table and be a good parent.⁣

You can have unfolded laundry on the living room couch for weeks and be a good parent.⁣

Because if you peel back the layers of mess,⁣ in that house are kids who can talk to their parents about anything: from friendships to struggles,⁣ who are involved in things they are passionate about,⁣ who are covered with hugs and kisses and “I love yous,”⁣who spend a lot of time laughing,⁣
and who know to be kind.⁣

Because in that messy “lived in” house are wonderful parents who love their kids more than anything in this world.⁣

And that’s what matters most. ⁣

The beauty within us and around us

Tonight we have a photograph of a homemade wreath from M.L. Stephens.





Pastor Jerrell Williams: Advent gives me hope that God has not abandoned us

The following lines come from an article by Pastor Jerrell Williams of Salem, Oregon's Mennonite Church. There is a link to the full article below the excerpt.

Let’s be honest: This has been a depressing few years for many of us. Through all of the sickness, financial struggles, climate disasters and political tension, I have gotten more pessimistic. I do not know how we can make things better anymore.

It seems that for every happy -moment there has been a terrible -moment. The circumstances I have gone through over the past three years have changed me.

And yet: Joy is still possible. I think of God’s people 2,000 years ago carrying God’s promise with them as they walked through the hardships of their lives. They were waiting for God to do something. God finally responded by entering their world — our world — to walk with us.

Advent gives me hope that God has not abandoned us. It gives me hope that God is moving, sometimes in mysterious ways.

Woody Guthrie's vision of heaven (and mine, too)


"No debts and no burdens in Heaven,
No mortgage or loans to repay,
No banks on the great streets of glory,
No homes shall be taken away;
There will never be landlords in Heaven,
No rent to take from you each day,
And we all will be equal in glory,
and happy forever we'll be."

Taken from The Woody Guthrie Center Facebook page


Jesus Christ - Woody Guthrie



We are not all in the same boat...


 

Please support the railroad workers and our unions!


 Please support the railroad workers and our unions!

Aretha Franklin!


 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Santa Claus in Appalachia



 

Pumpkin Butter!

I think that I got this recipe from The Mountain Eagle newspaper, published in Whitesburg, Kentucky. This is a favorite recipe, and The Mountain Eagle is probably my favorite newspaper.

You're going to need:

1 can of pumpkin puree--29 oz.
1 cup of apple juice or apple cider
One-half cup of granulated sugar
One-quarter cup of honey
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
Three-quarters-of-a-teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Mix everything into a large saucepan or pot. Bring it to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium low; simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. The mixture will become smooth as it is heated and stirred. If you want it thicker, continue heating and stirring over medium-low heat for an additional 10-15 minutes.

LaShun Pace---I Know I've Been Changed


 

The Moral Monday Movement In Georgia Yesterday

 


The Moral Mondays movement has been active for many years and has been led by Bishop William J. Barber II and is associated with the Poor Peoples Campaign. This shows that people of faith speak with many voices and from many traditions and that we form a mighty bloc when we do that. This is the faith experience that masses of people are looking for without knowing it, something that speaks directly to us.

The beauty we create

This is part of an on-going series on this blog. I'm enjoying posting photographs of things that are made for the sake of making something useful, beautiful, decorative, touching, or thought-provoking. We so often overlook these things and don't credit ourselves with being creative people. Let's work on changing that and spend more time celebrating one another.

This came from Avery Jane Lewis:


This is from Sam Swan:


An old recipe posted by Ms. Virginia Duggins on Appalachian Americans;


Dried Apple Stack Cake from Appalachia:



An Appalachian egg basket:



Our baggage and our solidarity

The following post is getting passed around the Internet. Whatever its authenticity or original intent, many of us are going to be moved by this. And this got me thinking. Would something like this work in other settings like your church or synagogue or mosque, or at a union meeting, or at other community gatherings? In my world this is about learning solidarity. If you don't learn it as a kid, where and how can you learn it later in life?

This starts my 22nd year of teaching middle school. Yesterday was quite possibly one of the most impactful days I have ever had.

I tried a new activity called “The Baggage Activity”. I asked the kids what it meant to have baggage and they mostly said it was hurtful stuff you carry around on your shoulders.

I asked them to write down on a piece of paper what was bothering them, what was heavy on their heart, what was hurting them, etc. No names were to be on a paper. They wadded the paper up, and threw it across the room.

They picked up a piece of paper and took turns reading out loud what their classmate wrote. After a student read a paper, I asked who wrote that, and if they cared to share.

I’m here to tell you, I have never been so moved to tears as what these kids opened up and about and shared with the class.

Things like suicide, parents in prison, drugs in their family, being left by their parents, death, cancer, losing pets (one said their gerbil died cause it was fat), we giggled and on and on.

The kids who read the papers would cry because what they were reading was tough. The person who shared (if they chose to tell us it was them) would cry sometimes too. It was an emotionally draining day, but I firmly believe my kids will judge a little less, love a little more, and forgive a little faster.
This bag hangs by my door to remind them that we all have baggage. We will leave it at the door. As they left I told them, they are not alone, they are loved, and we have each other’s back.

I am honored to be their teacher.


Credit: Karen Wunderlich Loewe



Some things to smile on, some things to ponder on










An old nun, who was living in a convent next to a construction site, noticed the coarse language of the workers and decided to spend some time with them to correct their ways.

And so, she decided she would take her lunch and sit with the workers. She put her sandwich in a brown bag and walked to the spot where the men were eating. Sporting a big smile, she walked up to the group and asked: "And, do you men know Jesus Christ?"

They shook their heads and looked at each other, very confused.

One of the workers looked up into the high steel and yelled out, "Anybody up there know Jesus Christ?"

One of the structural iron workers yelled down. "Why?"

The worker yelled back,

"Cause his mom's here with his lunch."


The photograph is from Cameron McGinnis in Eastern Oregon.
Winter is here!












Monday, November 28, 2022

La Shun Pace---There's A Leak In This Old Building


 

Maybe God Is Tryin' To Tell You Somethin' (From "The Color Purple" Soundtrack)




Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Piano, Hammond B3, Conductor, Chorus Conductor: Andrae Crouch
Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Producer: Quincy Jones
Conductor, Chorus Conductor, Associated Performer, Percussion: Sandra Crouch
Associated Performer, Vocals: Tata Vega
Associated Performer, Vocals: Jacquelyn Farris
Choir: Christ Memorial Church Of God In Christ Choir
Associated Performer, Upright Bass: David Stone
Associated Performer, Drums: Bill Maxwell
Associated Performer, Guitar: Tony Phillips
Associated Performer, Trumpet: Snooky Young
Associated Performer, Tenor Saxophone: Benny Golson
Associated Performer, Trombone: Al Grey
Associated Performer, Violin: William Howard Armstrong
Composer Lyricist: Andrae Crouch
Composer Lyricist: Quincy Jones
Composer Lyricist: B. Maxwell
Composer Lyricist: D. Del Sesto

Leslie Jordan and Cheyenne Jackson---"Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth"


 

Peanut Butter Pie!

This is the best recipe that I can think of today. And, yes, I do want to make this as soon as possible!



Flour Sack Clothing

For a few weeks now I have been posting pictures of beautiful homemade items on this blog. Some of them are things that we pass by or don't think about much, but they do make our world more beautiful and are often gestures of love. Many of them would not be taken seriously as art by art critics, but I do believe that they are art and that many of the objects you have seen here are made by people with creativity and inspiration running through their veins.

Someone recently recalled for me how many people of my parent's generation wore clothing made from flour sacks. I know that some people hated those clothes and didn't even want to talk about them in the 1980s and 1990s. But some other people do have a kinder view of the clothing and what it signified. These folks attach family stories and stories of love to their memories of flour sack clothing.


“THE FLOUR SACK” by Colleen B. Hubert

IN THAT LONG AGO TIME WHEN THINGS WERE SAVED,
WHEN ROADS WERE GRAVELED AND BARRELS WERE STAVED,
WHEN WORN-OUT CLOTHING WAS USED AS RAGS,
AND THERE WERE NO PLASTIC WRAP OR BAGS,
AND THE WELL AND THE PUMP WERE WAY OUT BACK,
A VERSITILE ITEM, WAS THE FLOUR SACK.

PILLSBURY'S BEST, MOTHER'S AND GOLD MEDAL, TOO
STAMPED THEIR NAMES PROUDLY IN PURPLE AND BLUE.
THE STRING SEWN ON TOP WAS PULLED AND KEPT;
THE FLOUR EMPTIED AND SPILLS WERE SWEPT.
THE BAG WAS FOLDED AND STORED IN A SACK
THAT DURABLE, PRACTICAL FLOUR SACK.

THE SACK COULD BE FILLED WITH FEATHERS AND DOWN,
FOR A PILLOW, OR T'WOULD MAKE A NICE SLEEPING GOWN.
IT COULD CARRY A BOOK AND BE A SCHOOL BAG,
OR BECOME A MAIL SACK SLUNG OVER A NAG.
IT MADE A VERY CONVENIENT PACK,
THAT ADAPTABLE, COTTON FLOUR SACK.

BLEACHED AND SEWN, IT WAS DUTIFULLY WORN
AS BIBS, DIAPERS, OR KERCHIEF ADORNED.
IT WAS MADE INTO SKIRTS, BLOUSES AND SLIPS.
AND MOM BRAIDED RUGS FROM ONE HUNDRED STRIPS
SHE MADE RUFFLED CURTAINS FOR THE HOUSE OR SHACK,
FROM THAT HUMBLE BUT TREASURED FLOUR SACK!

AS A STRAINER FOR MILK OR APPLE JUICE,
TO WAVE MEN IN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD USE,
AS A SLING FOR A SPRAINED WRIST OR A BREAK,
TO HELP MOTHER ROLL UP A JELLY CAKE,
AS A WINDOW SHADE OR TO STUFF A CRACK,
WE USED A STURDY, COMMON FLOUR SACK!

AS DISH TOWELS, EMBROIDERED OR NOT,
THEY COVERED UP DOUGH, HELPED PASS PANS SO HOT,
TIED UP DISHES FOR NEIGHBORS IN NEED,
AND FOR MEN OUT IN THE FIELD TO SEED.
THEY DRIED DISHES FROM PAN, NOT RACK
THAT ABSORBENT, HANDY FLOUR SACK!

WE POLISHED AND CLEANED STOVE AND TABLE,
SCOURED AND SCRUBBED FROM CELLAR TO GABLE,
WE DUSTED THE BUREAU AND OAK BED POST,
MADE COSTUMES FOR OCTOBER (A SCARY GHOST)
AND A PARACHUTE FOR A CAT NAMED JACK.
FROM THAT LOWLY, USEFUL OLD FLOUR SACK!

SO NOW MY FRIENDS, WHEN THEY ASK YOU
AS CURIOUS YOUNGSTERS OFTEN DO,
"BEFORE PLASTIC WRAP, ELMERS GLUE
AND PAPER TOWELS, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
TELL THEM LOUDLY AND WITH PRIDE DON'T LACK,
"GRANDMOTHER HAD THAT WONDERFUL FLOUR SACK!"

*Pictured- All of the dresses were made from Flour Sacks.



Appalachia, 1944


Coal miner, John Tom Blanton's residence, exterior (Tribbey, Kentucky) (1944)

Notes: Mr. Blanton with two of his four children on the porch of his home. Employed by Old King Mining Company. They are 9 miles from the nearest city, 1.5 miles from the nearest independent store. They do not have an automobile, bathroom facility or refrigeration. They do have a radio. Mr. Blanton earns $51.70 each week. He pays $12.00 each week for groceries, $5.00 for clothes and $3.50 for medical expenses.

That's what makes me holler...

The first three photographs are from the V & V Family Restaurant in Richlands, Virginia. Every day they post some photographs that just make my mouth water. I don't know where the last photo came from, but wherever it is they have the food I love and good prices. I think that the photograph and caption appeared on Somewhere Over The Rainbow on Facebook. Any place with this kind of eating will make me holler.







Some things to think about


This was posted by James Ujevich on the Steel Mill Pictorial Facebook page with the caption "I think every house in and around Pittsburgh and the Mon Valley had these items in a drawer somewhere." My family members in the Eastern Pennsylvanian coalfields also had these, or something like them, tucked away.  


This image comes from Philo Thoughts with the following caption:

The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. It may look paradoxical to you, but it is not. It is an existential truth: only those people who are capable of being alone are capable of love, of sharing, of going into the deepest core of the other person—without possessing the other, without becoming dependent on the other, without reducing the other to a thing, and without becoming addicted to the other. They allow the other absolute freedom, because they know that if the other leaves, they will be as happy as they are now. Their happiness cannot he taken by the other, because it is not given by the other. ~Osho

(Book: New Man for the New Millennium https://amzn.to/3F15mpr)
(Art: 'One Reflection', 1998 by Clive Smith)

















Jill Renee LaFear says...



If you don't know who Jill is, watch this: