Since I was born in 1956, I was a little kid during those early TV years. The Nightly News was the big show at our house. Supper was scheduled around this nightly summary of world events. I don't remember really watching but I do remember being very afraid. I got a nightly dose of Race Riots and the Vietnam War. It took me years and Denzel Washington, to objectively look at Malcolm X and what his life meant. I'm not sure any of us who were young during the Vietnam War have resolved the conflicts. A friend, who was there, suggested "Apocalypse Now" as the film that gave the best overview.
The news stories are pretty much the same. We are still fighting each other. Bigotry and prejudice still smack us down. Now our young men and women are fighting another war, with the enemy and innocent once again looking the same. So, when you are thinking about putting that control on a movie or tv show due to violence, do the same for the nightly news. Watch later, after the little ones are asleep. Home needs to be their safe sanctuary, don't put scary things in the living room.
Stories, recipes, country living on the creek bank, preserving a simpler way of life.
Hey, you found me....And Welcome
Thank you for visiting “Cabin by the Creek” The creek is “Teges Creek”. The land it sits on is part of the original track of land settled by Adoniram Allen, back in the early 1800’s. He set up a mill a couple of miles up river from the cabin. As an Allen descendant, I am proud of my heritage. That heritage includes my physical genealogy as well as the history and culture which make me, well, me.
The mountain culture has long taken a beating over the stereotypical accumulated “junk”. Pictures printed in magazines and scenes viewed on television make us look like we are just too lazy to clean up and throw away the junk. There are several reasons for the junk. One of the reasons is the self-sustaining tradition that has everything to do with our geography, history and culture. Nothing got thrown away. Clay County folks were recycling 200 years before recycling became cool. That tradition still exists in the form of crafts.
Back in the day, going to the store meant traveling 25 miles in a wagon. Purchasing “Brought on” items was limited. Only the most needed items that couldn’t be made at home were bought ready made. Most everything could be and was recycled into something needed. The artistry and craftsmanship was born from the individual pride worked into handmade items.
My grandfather’s whittled. They searched out perfect pieces of cedar. I never did know what that ‘perfect’ was, other than it was about 12 to 18 inches long and small enough in width to hold comfortably in one hand. Sometimes I think they competed as to who could cast the finest curled shavings. My grandmothers took the shavings stuffed them in cheese cloth, gauze, or lace packets, creating closet and drawer sachets. Cedar is a natural insect deterrent.
“Cabin by the Creek” is my way of preserving a bit of that culture and tradition in the 21st Century. Crafted items are recycled from something else; with materials I happen to have at hand. The items are meant to be used. No two are exactly alike. My skill level is limited and thus my crafted items are simple. My grandmother Allen made ‘Postage Stamp’ quilts with a needle and thread (not sewing machine). Each quilt piece was the size of a stamp. After the third one, she even said “No more.” She was in her 80’s, at the time.
Examples of the tradition continuing into this century include a set of dinner napkins I made. I needed a set of good ‘white’ napkins to go with my good dinnerware (purchased at Wal-mart). I had an old white bed skirt with lace edging that had been allocated to the linen drawer. I took the skirting and made 8 new dinner napkins complete with lace edging.
Better yet, I hope I’ve given you ideas on which to ponder, specifically to your family heritage and heirlooms.
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