In the fall, Ma, Pa, and we children picked up buckeyes and gave them away. By the time the old tree by the church had dropped most of its crop, the shiny, brown seeds had shed their rough, prickly burr husks and were waiting to be gathered. The Indians carved decorations on them to make necklaces and other kinds of jewelry out of the hard, brown shells. The only thing we did with buckeyes was give them away. They’re not edible, but they make beautiful ornaments to have around the house. They were often passed down from one generation to the next. I still have my own lucky buckeye. It was Pa’s and it’s over a hundred years old. Courting couples sometimes opened the husks and each took one of the seeds. The buckeye is a symbol of love because two seeds fit together inside one pod—sort of like the Bible verse about marriage, where two become one.
—Dorie Woman of the Mountains written by Florence Cope Bush
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a used copy of Dorie Woman of the Mountains written by Florence Cope Bush. To be entered in the giveaway leave a comment on this post. Giveaway ends November 8, 2026.
Dorie Woman of the Mountains is one of my favorite books written about the southern mountains of Appalachia. I feel like I have much in common with Dorie even though she was from a different time period.
If you’d like to listen to the book go here.
Last night’s video: Every Thing We Broke While Matt Was Gone & A Big Day Of Cooking.
Tipper
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