Corie, Miss Cindy, Katie, and Matt
Tipper, I’ve been trying to form my feelings into the words that would be a beautiful poem like yours but it just won’t seem to come together. But to honor your words I want to reply. These gentle mountains (WNC) are my soul. I am in them and they are in me. I am the colors I use to frame pictures and I am the clay I sculpt into heads that speak without saying a word. I am the family I always wanted–a son, a daughter and two beautiful granddaughters. I am the one who takes care of stray cats and feeds raccoons and bears. I am home made bread and jam, I am homemade pickles and sauerkraut. I am the old ways and the old values. I am independent. I am loyal and true. I love the earth from which we come and I love myself. I love to read and I love to think. I’m an idea person, ideas are my toys. I have friends, I am a friend. I am friends with myself.
—Miss Cindy 2008
Miss Cindy knew much more about the modern world than Granny and Pap did, yet she knew a lot about the old ways too and over the years I’m thankful she shared that knowledge with me. From cooking and canning to folklore and language Miss Cindy was full of information connected to the mountains of Appalachia.
Last night’s video: Father’s Day Supper: A Fish Fry, Trifling Dessert, & The Monkey Has Been Found!
Tipper
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You can really see how much Matt resembles Miss Cindy in this photo!
I love this post.
Beautiful words from a beautiful soul! Miss Cindy clearly loved her life and those in it, leaving blessings like this even beyond her life here on this Earth. I know the pain is still there, but I’m sure these little tidbits of wisdom and love she’s left sprinkled behind are comforting. Thanks for sharing her awesomeness with us!
So beautiful!
That was beautiful! Just like Miss Cindy.
Miss Cindy must have been very special. Treasure her memory.
Lovely!!!
Miss Cindy was beautiful, may the good Lord give you peace about her passing
Miss Cindy you did write a beautiful eloquent poem. I want to know more about this strong and beautiful woman. One of my favorite of your videos is Miss Cindy making ham—not because I need to know to make ham but because she was featured. Did she ever do an interview with you about her life?
Fantastic post! Brought tears!
I’m so glad that I got to meet Cindy through her long, wonderful friendship with Robin. I’m actually very proud that she was the one to teach me jelly making and got me started on the fabulous world of canning.
She was both beautiful and classy…and at the same time so down to earth and personable. That’s a rare combination and she carried it off to perfection.
You were blessed beyond measure to have her in your lives.
Love y’all!
Dear Tipper and family,
Miss Cindy was such a beautiful, wonderful and spiritual woman!!! Just looking at the above picture of Miss Cindy with the loves of her life makes sweet tears come to my eyes; and, I feel such love and happiness, even for myself, knowing how much she loved all of you, and also, how much you loved her!!!!! My own grandmothers have been gone now for many years, but not a day passes that I don’t feel their sweet presence. I know you will never cease to treasure the memories of Miss Cindy, nor will you ever stop missing her!!!!! My heart goes out to you as you go through the first year anniversary of Miss Cindy’s passing. In my mind’s eye, I can see Miss Cindy looking down upon each one of you every day and night. What sweet memories each of you have to carry with you as you go through each day!!! Miss Cindy’s love and protection will always be with you!!!!! I can see Miss Cindy in Matt and the girls—what a beautiful woman Miss Cindy was!!! May God rest her beautiful soul and give each of you peace today and in the days to come…!!!!!
The last two lines of Miss Cindy’s writing are profound. “I have friends, I am a friend. I am friends with myself.” Those are profound words because they reflect what we all should be. They are life changing words. They have brought to my attention what I should be and therefore, those words have changed my life. I am grateful Miss Cindy for sharing your wisdom, and I’m grateful to you Tipper for sharing that wisdom with us.
a beautiful tribute memory of Miss Cindy. You all were richly blessed to have had her share your lives for a time.
Oh, to be able to express myself in words would be a true blessing. Miss Cindy had a wonderful way with words that just painted the picture of what she was saying deep in one’s mind. Thank you for honoring her this week. Hugs!
Miss Cindy’s words touched my heart, she expressed her feelings as well as any of the greatest writers could. What a beautiful woman, and her heart, the same beauty was there. Matt was so blessed and fortunate to have a momma like Miss Cindy. Blessings to all.
Just beautiful…like her.
How blessed y’all are to have miss Cindy’s words to look back on. I wish I had something like this to remember my loved ones that are gone on but I will have to rely on the memories in my heart and a few old photos. God bless y’all
Beautiful words to match a beautiful lady.
I think Miss Cindy expressed her thoughts perfectly in this poem. It’s beautiful and speaks of her heart and soul. I hope I get to meet her in heaven someday.
That was lovely. Miss Cindy was more of a poet than she realized. Enjoying getting to know her through these posts.
I just love that you’re sharing Miss Cindy with us this week! What a joy she was!
RIP Miss Cindy
“Ideas are my toys . . .” Love it.
Straight from the heart. Nothing added or taken away♥️
I would like to have known Cindy, personally. I am NOT a good loner. I DO love, and am loved. I do love nature, all life’s extras (caught from Mom’s little booklet by Archibald Rutledge) that aren’t essential but God gave us to enjoy. But I know that God created us for fellowship, relationally, with Him, and with each other. I don’t like waking alone. Yes, the dog is a comfort; a joy, a companion. Yes, taking care of the farm is more than just a responsibility. But taking a walk; taking a ride, working in the garden, sitting in the sunshine is SO much more enjoyable with a human companion. But this is a quiet time; a time to be still with God.
So Cindy is a sculptor? I heard an old-time preacher on the radio, surely parallel with Jeremiah 18, said he was in Calcutta and heard there was a potter and went down a side street to a potter’s “shed.” (don’t remember what he called it, but didn’t sound like it was the potter’s “home”). There was the potter who saw this American tourist as someone he could make a vessel for a price. The preacher said it was a dark, dank place, and the potter reached way down into filthy muck and pulled up a handful of murky clay. He turned the wheel with his foot and was busy shaping it into the best he could with what he had to work with. But then something hard that wouldn’t be formed like the potter planned cracked the vessel. The potter quickly made the best he could of it, and set it aside and hurriedly reached down for another big handful of clay but the preacher stopped him and said he’d like the one that he’d already made; the one that did have a defect, but was still his handiwork, his “art.” And he gave what was surely a generous price for it, for the pot, but mostly for the lesson and what the pot represented. Of course it is like that with God. He has a grand plan for us; offers us the very best to enjoy Him here, then gave the very best in Jesus so we can find our way back to Him; if only we choose Jesus the Christ as our Saviour and Lord.
Paul-thank you for sharing the story. Yes Miss Cindy did some sculpting when she lived in Black Mountain 🙂
This post too brought tears to my eyes. Such a beautiful and peaceful lady, inside and out. I miss seeing her posts. She was always such a cheerleader for you Tipper, and for Matt and the girls. How I wish she could have seen these grandbabies. There would have been a lot of spoiling going on—not that I don’t think you and Matt are spoiling them enough, hahaha. So much love and peace and appreciation for the simple life in so few words, that was Miss Cindy. Love and prayers to Granny and Little Mamas and all of you too.
if more people would just listen to others like Ms Cindy, they would learn so much more about the world around them. My husband’s people have a lot of Cherokee in them and his grandmother ( long gone) would take him out in the woods and tell him about all these plants she had used for years for healing, how he wishes he had listen more and wrote this stuff down. He hid one time and watched her remove a wart from someone. She was also a granny woman and helped to deliver many babies. She also wrote her own songs and sang in churches. Your writing of Ms Cindy brought back memories of Birdie singing. She sounded like the Cherokee’s. Thank you as always for sharing. The Word says that people die everyday from the lack of knowledge. We need to listen more.
Such a beautiful soul inside and out. Gone too soon but certainly never forgotten. Thank you for sharing your beautiful Miss Cindy with us. Blessings.
This made me cry..It was so beautifully put . Miss Cindy was beautiful on the outside as well as on inside .
Beautiful memories of a beautiful lady!
In that beautiful photo I see a lot in your daughters facial features that looks exactly like Miss Cindy who was a beautiful lady. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. As I read Miss Cindy’s words from years ago, I could get a sense of her inner strength and compassion. Those are 2 things in short supply these days amongst the young. However, I sleep dang good at night KNOWING what you reap , you will sow in due time…
Miss Cindy was much better at forming her words into poetry than she believed—her words are beautiful—as are the posts you are writing about her this week.
When I first started reading you on a daily basis I would read the comments and Miss Cindy’s always stood out. It was a while before I realized who she was. Thank you for sharing her beauty again with us this week. Today’s brought tears to my eyes.
She was a wise woman and such a blessing to you, Matt, the girls and those she came in contact with! She is still living on in each of you even though she is physically gone on to heaven to her eternal home.
Miss Cindy always seemed somehow legendary. She loved you all and devoted herself accordingly. She was stunningly beautiful, humble, gracious and giving, and she always seemed to live a life steeped in wisdom. Equally, it was always clear how strong she was in confidence and character. What a blessing, what a loss; she was somehow timeless and an incredible human being.
Rest in eternal peace, Miss Cindy. Tipper, your familial dedication to loved ones present and passed is an inspiration to us all. Thank you for this.
I am enjoying the beauty of Miss Cindy this week. Everyday is a great testimony of her love and guidance in all of your lives. God bless you and yours.❤❤