Today’s guest poem was written by Julie Hughes.
I Am From Hills And Hollers written by Julie Hughes
I am from hills and hollers, from King James Bibles and berry dumplin’s.
I am from the ridge above the bottom where my Granny lived. I am from maple trees and lilac bushes, the colors of fall and spring.
I am from loving, strong, and steadfast; from Granny Watsie and Papaw Hughes and the Saylor’s urge to roam.
I am from stubborn, never quit mountain stock who told me to always be savin’ with everything. From God’s grace and stand your ground. I am from Baptists, Methodists, and whiskey makers and sippers.
I am from Swartz Ridge in Monroe County Indiana, and Scots-Irish Kentuckians who loved butter beans and cornbread.
From a rolling stone Granddaddy who was always ready to move on and the folks who kept the home place waiting for his return.
I am from people that read the signs of the woods and thank God each day for their blessings. They are something to be proud of.
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I hope you enjoyed Julie’s poem as much as I did! I love this line: I am from stubborn, never quit mountain stock who told me to always be savin’ with everything. It makes me think of Granny who saves EVERYTHING and the never quit mountain stock I’ve been blessed to live among.
Tipper
Julie, thank you for letting me know this poem was here. We did have wonderful memories of that hill and valley
Brought me to remembering our maternal Grandmother who saved every bit of string she ever laid her hands on, every rubber band, every pencil-no matter how small, and when the family went to move her out of her little place to come live with them, they found dozens and dozens (maybe hundreds) of washed and dried, rolled up and rubberbanded plastic bread wrappers – another thing she never tossed out, but used for leftovers. LOL
She was a truly GREAT yet humble woman – the salt of the earth, and I wish I were more like her than I am. I miss you Grandma and wish I’d cherished you far more than I did when you were alive.
God bless.
RB
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That’s the template for the poem. Everybody should use it and see what it says about them. I’ve done it at least three times for myself and once for my husband. I cry when I read what came out of it.
Eva Nell – I have heard the phrase “hell and half of Georgia” but never NC and half of GA. Being from NC, I resemble that remark.
Tipper, this has been great. This reminds me of so many things that just like the way we were raised in the mountains. I’m glad I lived through this hard time in my life. Makes me appreciate and value all I have been blessed with.
Peggy L.
I am English, Danish, German,One eight Jewish ,Portuguese, Cherokee Indian, French,Irish,Scottish, related to sister of Robert The Bruce king of Scotland in the 13th century, French ,Raines. My ancestor Robert Raines was a body guard to George Washington durung the revolutionary war.
That is pure soul talk.
Thanks for the sharing.
Grandmother Joy Muncie In.
Tipper,
If I would’ve had a sister, Julie
Hughes could be her. She writes
just about the way I was raised.
A lot of the things Julie mentioned
is a wonderful memory and I thank
her for sharing and expressing her
way of life.
There’s a lot of feelings in a
famous gospel song “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now.” …Ken
Hey Tipper: I have no trouble relating to these IMPORTANT RULES for living! Even today I can not waste a sprig of anything!
So sorry we can not make Chitter and Chatter’s performance tonight – THE VERY ONE NIGHT I DO NOT WANT TO MISS! But we have run the wheels off my car going all over NC and half of GA!
I am HOPING for a book signing @ the CH later in the Fall when “Fiddler of the Mountains” is released in Sept.
Sept 7 there is a GARDEN CLUB COMING UP FROM ATLANTA for a day @ the BHR Farm. I want so much to pop over and meet their fearless leader – but that also in a maybe!
Have a wonderful FRIDAY NIGHT IN GEORGIA!
Love, Eva Nell
I love these “I am from” poems. It’s funny how when you read these everything from your past that has had an influence on you comes flooding back.
What a thought provoking poem to read and start my day! Thanks to the writer for sharing it with others.
Julie Hughes, you just outdid yourself. This could exactly be me except for the names of the folks. You have captured two things I dearly love–Appalachia and poetry. It just don’t get any better while I have my morning coffee with Angel Band playing in the background. My favorite line: I am from Baptists, Methodists, and whiskey makers and sippers. Yes indeed, sounds so much like my dear extended family. Also savin’ was so stressed that I catch myself saving everything.
Tipper, I have so enjoyed you getting us all so involved, and we sure had to feel comfortable with you to do this
I enjoyed Julie’s poem. That photo was great. I used to have a little girl just like the one on that pony. She’s all grown up now.
Oh I love it. Thank you Julie for putting into words what’s in my heart and many thanks to you for posting it Tipper.
I loved the poem, it could be autobiographic of so many here in the Appalachians. Most of us are a mix of Scotch-Irish, English, French, German with a smathering of Cherokee who scratched a living from the wilderness. They were recyclers, not because it was cool but because it was a necessity. I still have jars of nuts, bolts and bent nails which my wife doesn’t really understand but old habits die hard. We come from stock who believed that you only bought what you couldn’t grow and then you only bought what you could pay or barter for. We would be better served if we were still true to our raising instead of buying into the credit economy of today.
Tipper, that’s the same part of the poem that stuck in my mind. Yep, never quit mountain stock. Those are my people too!
Thanks Julie, love the picture!
What a talented bunch, another fantastic story.
Love the “I ams”. Great idea, Tipper.