“I owe everything that I am to my granny, my great-granny, actually. Her name was Vera MacPherson Forrester. I owe everything in this world I am to that woman. She raised me since the day I was born, and she didn’t know how to do nothin’ else except for to piddle around with roots and weeds. She was a midwife around our community. They call it Pine Mountain now, but back then it was still considered the Warwoman Community. By the time I was three or four years old, she had me running up and down these mountains, digging at this, poking at that, and pulling up this.”
“The first thing Granny ever taught me how to make was rose petal cream. She had some big old pretty red English cabbage roses, and her and my two great-great aunts, her sisters Rose and Pearl, they loved that stuff. They’d take and dry them petals out, they’d mash’em down, mix them with hog lard and they’d put it on their hands, and it’d make their hands soft. They’d use it for rouge and lipstick and different things like that.”
—The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a used copy of —The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women. To be entered in the giveaway leave a comment on this post. Giveaway ends November 26, 2024.
Last night’s video: Simple Oven Stew – The Perfect Winter Supper.
Tipper
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great books
I would love to read about the strong and resourceful women in Foxfire: Mountain Women.
Oh I love the FoxFire Books and would love to have the copy! So very interesting! Thank you Tipper!
I was not blessed to have wonderful grandparents and great grandparents who could teach me the “old ways” but I did have a wonderful childhood exploring the great outdoors and a wonderful mother who taught me many different kinds of things. Only one of my grandparents was still alive when I was born and I didn’t see her very often. I love reading about the North Carolina Appalachian Mountain ways of the past and watching Tipper and Matt’s You Tube channel. They are so inspiring and just plain awesome to watch. I have Tipper and Jim’s cookbook and absolutely love the recipes. God Bless you, Matt, Katie, Corrie, Austin and those baby boys. May you have a most wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas this year with just the perfect amount of snow thrown in for you to enjoy and be sure and make some snowcream to eat by the fire! I love you and your whole beautiful family! God Bless You!!!
Carolyn,
Just wanted to compliment you on your beautiful comment about Tipper and her family and Appalachia.
I feel the exact same way! I’ve learned so many wonderful things about Appalachia……so much more than we were ever taught in school, and I’m forever grateful! Have a happy day!
Jackie
Many of us who had the privilege of “spendin’ time in the holler” have memories of very strong, lovin’, and influential women in their lives. My mother, one of thirteen children, was born on this day in 1916 was one of those storied ladies …… Am sure this book is a great read!
I don’t know much about growing herbs but I certainly enjoy cooking with them. Your oven stew looked delicious. I will definitely have to try it. I love anything that is in one pot and made in the oven.
Thankful for bath and body works today so I don’t have to wear hog lard:)
I have knock out roses blooming at the corner of my house and whenever I pass by it I sure do try my best to “stop and smell the roses.” they smell so good. I’d like to try my hand at making some rose petal lotion and I wonder if it would work with Crisco shortening? I’ll bet it might be almost as good. I’ll try it anyway. I sure would like to win this book. Foxfire reading is one of my favorite pastimes. I guess that one reason that it’s so special to me that at 78 years of age, I can remember and relate to lots of the readings in the books. My grandma and grandpa taught me many of the way to survive back in the good ole days when times were hard.
Extremely interesting history of the older hill generation.
What a beautiful memory!
Wow that was really interesting. I have the first 3 foxfire books. My husband found them for me at a thrift store. I have never heard of this one about Appalachian woman. I would love win it.
I enjoy reading about how the older folks did things years ago. I enjoy the foxfire books. Everyday I look forward to reading Tipper’s posts.
Sure enjoyed your post. My grandma who raised me (Grandma Pearl) sounds a lot like your granny. She knew every plant and tree and what it could do. She showed me how to make dolls out of foxglove flowers, perfume from rose petals, “coffee” from chicory. She had a wonderful garden and grew peanuts for us kids. She spent TIME with me, looking into my eyes and listening to me, even when I was very small. Her sister’s name was Ruby because her dad said his daughters were his precious gems. We all are from far Northern California, although her people came from back east. It’s so nice to know we all have things in common.
I would love this book. I have the Fox Fire set & have read it several times. I would love this book to add to the rest. Thanks for the chance to do so.
Being raised by my grandparents, I ate Vicks Vapor Rub every winter. My pap would always have me stick a finger in the jar and get a lick out when I had a cold. It worked and I’m still living over 55 years later.
It’s fun to think about my grandmothers trying all sorts of different things when they were young girls.
Morning Tipper. Hope you and all yours are well and happy this day. I love reading about the “older-than-me” folk ways and those FireFox books sure have a lot of good knowledge in them. Take Care!
My Mamaw was raised on Clinch Mountain in East Tennessee. Her mom was Cherokee but I didn’t get to meet her. She moved to Bean Station, TN when she married. Raised everything they needed, including ‘baccer’. Made biscuits and gravy every morning for Papaw. Biscuits made with lard from their hogs and milk from their cow. Gravy made with their bacon and sausage grease. Lord have mercy were they good.
I’m thankful for my grandmother that taught me how to crochet. She passed when I was 13, but have fond memories of my time with her.
I’ve never read one of these books but it sounds so interesting.
Well, there’s good news!
There’s jelly on the way,
And with any luck,
It’ll be there today!
Holly 🙂
I guess my luck,
has gone away.
It’s stuck in Greenville,
Or so they say!
It’s probably smears on somebody’s toast bout now.
This book sounds like a treasure trove of good mountain lore and info of things we shouldn’t forget. If this is a sample of the stories, it’s filled with so much that I can picture my gr’grandma and gr’aunts using and making in the hills of WV.
I am so grateful for my Granny and great grandmother also. My grandmother cared for me for my first years and I toddled at her heel as she dug ginseng and listened to her words as she told me to gather down the hill from the parent plants as the seeds rolled downhill and made more. She taught me how to use dock and poke salad and plantain, and so many more.
It seems like only a few days ago…
I would love to read the Foxfire Women book. I grew up with some strong Women from the mountains of NC. Taught me all I know.
my grandma and great grandma made every concoction under the sun. my favorite was and still is wormwood ointment I just love the smell of it. it wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I learned we were descendants of Narragansett Indians from Rhode Island. that information explained so much, from how we gardened , why we tan so easily and why we are drawn to the earth and all it’s bounty.
Oh I would love The Foxfire book of Appalachian Women! Sounds like a wonderful book! Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your family!
My Granny was a wonderful Appalachian woman. Her homemade remedies included different types of plants and roots. Later in life, I learned they were similar to things the Native Americans used to treat ailments. But Vicks Vapor Rub was the magic potion. She would rub it all over my throat and chest, pile 10 quilts on top of me until I couldn’t move, then stick a little bit on my tongue!
I never would have dreamed of making a cream like that. That was very interesting. I remember my oldest brother reading the Foxfire books. They are wonderful. ❣️
Miss Tipper, A very good morning to you. Hope all is well and y’all are getting ready for Thanksgiving with all that wonderful food in mind. I was also thinking about all these wonderful, intelligent and wise women how they’d have done if they had a full education back in their day. Just think how rich they would have been, maybe, developing and growing their products. I’d love to read this fantastic sounding book. Have a great week and upcoming weekend. Love and blessings to all this Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful time and remember to thank God from whom all blessings flow.
Oh I would so love that Foxfire mBook!!!
Sounds like another wonderful treasure of a book ! I would love to read it ! Praying for Bethany & her parents! Love to all the BP&A family !
I love the Foxfire books! My parents had the whole set and I loved reading them when I’d go visit them in their later years. One of my siblings has them now. I have two of my own that I treasure, but not this one. Would love to have it to read and add to my collection.
All my grandmother’s AKA “Nannys”Have gone to be with the good lord!Oh how I miss them!
Good morning to all. Well, Tipper you are so amazing to find these books.
I could just kick myself for not asking questions to my grandmother’s when I was younger. My Mammaw, my mom’s mom was quite knowledgeable, was of Cherokee decent. So she always knew what to do when we visited in the Ozark mountains. To this day I have her snuff tin, still filled with stuff.
Why why why didn’t I pick her brain!!
Tomorrow the 22nd of November will be my big sister’s 78th birthday . She is a RN and was for many many years a midwife. She loves to read, and I know she would love to read this book. She is currently with her daughter in Fort Wayne, Indiana and it’s currently snowing there.
I’m not ready for the snow yet here in central Oklahoma, as the farmers are still trying to get the wheat sown.
Blessing to All.
That sounds like a great book!
I always enjoy your stories and others peoples stories that you share!
Oh yes, homemade creams and moisturizers. My Granny taught me how to make beeswax moisturizer for lips and dry spots on the body. It always smelled like honey!
I love how knowledgeable those living in Appalalchia were about roots and herbs. I thought it was a lost art, but recently I’m hearing those on YouTube sharing how to use them for tinctures, wounds, etc. I’m glad it’s being taught again.
Love this story.
Oh I would love this book! It’s too bad these ways have been forgotten. I’m glad to see a lot of people going back to them.
My husbands great grandma was like that.Knew all about herbs and such. She lived to be 101,still putting out a small garden at 93,and sharp as a tack. We have pictures of her,her daughter and then that grandmas son,then my husband and our two sons for a wonderful five generation picture. So special.
Thank you for your wonderful stories. First thing I do everyday, make a cup of coffee and read your post!
Mom made soap using lard but I don’t think she ever added rose petals. When I was a kid, my aunt used a little tin of Rosebud Salve on her lips and hands. She had a similar tin of Tholene that was medicated and used for cuts and sores. I heard someone say you can still buy those old-timey salves at Southern States Corp. I would love to learn how to make my own. Appalachian women can do anything!
Try Lehman’s of Ohio. They carry many old time products.
My Mother and Grandmother always has Rosebud salve. It was sold by the Watkins man who traveled around in an old brown woody station wagon. He also sold flavoring and other things. Thanks for bringing back that memory!
My precious grandmothers used herbal remedies and my Mother would tell me they worked. I had strong Appalachian grandmothers, and great-great grandmothers that took care of their families with that knowledge. I didn’t know Fox Fire had a book on it. I would really enjoy reading this book.
Wonderful story of how the young will embrace and learn the old ways and knowledge of their older family members.
This book has been on my “to find” list for a while.
God’s blessings and goodness to all.
I was just thinking about the people and life experiences that had made me what I am today and was thinking how my grandchildren’s psyche/persona/character, etc. is being formed by me and others along with life experiences. Somehow, I just don’t see my grandson or granddaughters riding a Farmall Super “A” plowing taters all day, but they might. That is an easy way of saying I could not replicate my parents lives due to “changes of time”. Knowing that and the fact that all my grandparents were born and raised in a 4 mile per hour world and lived pretty much a pioneer lifestyle until the electrification of the hills, improved roads, communications, etc. As most know, many factors influence a generation. It seems no matter how bad we wish things would change or stay the same at times, things rarely change quickly. So, we tend to not notice the gradual/subtle differences and most people to seem to pay change very little mind. I suppose I am sentimental and love the “old ways”, but I am having to accept the fact that I am fast becoming the “old ways”. LOL. My grandparents lifestyles would be impossible to replicate in minute detail. They probably thought their generation was the best, as did the previous and post and so on forever. The fact is they were some of the most influential people in my life. Their experiences and stories shaped me and are at the core of my constitution. So, I guess we “wash, rinse, repeat” all the while thinking we are the first people to think these thoughts and have it “best” or the “worst” when in reality we know that “there is nothing new under the sun”. Thank the Lord for old photos and memories (at least some of them. LOL).
Jeffery I agree with you. I know my parents had a hard time and money was always in short supply but there was never a shortage of love. I am so thankful for the influence and values my parents, grandparents and so many of these saintly old church members had on me. Their influence made me the man I am. I often think back to those times and wish there was a way to go back. I drove my grandfather’s Farmall A many times and now own a Farmall Super H and M that I still use. I also own my Daddy’s pride and joy, a 1946 B F Avery tractor. My son and grandsons have grown up with these tractors. All of the Farmall Super models were made in the early 50’s before 1955. A good Super M will put today’s newer tractors of similar horse power to shame.
First, my Grandpa Smith was born in Pine Mountain (Rabun County) Georgia. The family relocated to Salem, SC, where my great-grandparents are buried. Second, I knew a Georgia biologist who roamed the mountains collecting various wild plants he sold to a pharmaceutical firm. It was a side job and, I think, a hobby as well, much hill folk search for ginseng (‘sang). Third, as Randy described, we passed around our childhood diseases, to get it over with. I remember they kept the shades down to darken the sick room during one of them, but I can’t recall which one. Fourth, someone gave me two Foxfire books years ago, but, again, I don’t remember who that generous person was.
I wish my grandmother had lived long enough to pass along her knowledge! She died when I was five. As the mother of 12 children during the depression she had to make do with what she had. Mama, who was the youngest, remembers her going out in the woods with her gun to find something for supper. Such a strong woman!
The Foxfire books sound so interesting. I would love to have a copy. Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely love this excerpt and can totally relate. My grandmothers taught me just about everything I know, and I’m so thankful for their presence in my life.
I am going to try to make some rose cream out of some dried roses I have. I would love a copy of the Foxfire book. Happy Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for you and your consistency
I have several of the foxfire books but I don’t have this particular one. It sounds very interesting! Would love a copy. Maybe it will include that recipe for the rose cream, 🙂
I love reading the comments! You could compile a whole new Foxfire book from them.
Granny’s are the best and I thank God for the blessing of my beloved Granny.
I have yet to read any Foxfire books. Random selector please pick me!
I got stung by three yellow jackets one time when I picked up a cup that someone had left with something sweet in it. My sister-in-law (who was 21 when I was born) dipped snuff and she put snuff on the places I’d been stung. Took the sting right out of it!
God bless my Granny Wilson
These Foxfire books sound interesting. This one in particular.
Praying for Bethany’s mom and dad.
Hard working mountain women know the value of soft skin and radiant face. A simple pleasure that’s doubled because it’s basically free.
I never knew there was more than one version of the Foxfire book. I bet the Appalachian Woman one would be great reading!
I bet that smelled wonderful!
My husband’s family came from the hollers in Monroe County. One place his moma lived was in Jefferies Holler. His grandmother was a mid-wife. She delivered many of a baby. She would leave her family and move in with them til the baby was born. She also knew everything about the roots, flowers and trees and knew how to make medicine from them. She wrote and sung Old Harp music. She and her husband always lived with or close to my husband’s mom and dad. When we dated and got married, she would always be in the living room with her dress, apron, black shoes, her can of snuff and her pocketbook that held a little purse full of change. She wad also able to remove warts from people. I grew up in Sevier County. Killing hogs, wringer washers, and churning was the way of life. The knowledge I have to know how to survive, I wouldn’t trade for anything. In fact I have written a cookbook about my life and the foods we lived on. God has been so good to my family all these years. I love to read the Fox Fires book because I can relate to them. I tell you that there are no more smarter or stronger women than those who have been raised in the mountains.
The world would be a better place if everyone grew up with a Granny like that! This book sounds truly fascinating.
I am so interested in this book. I have not heard of it before. Thanks for sharing, Tipper!
I love the self sufficiency of mountain folks! I am trying to learn about the natural bounty of food and medicinals on our property, the explosion of growth in the summer is completely amazing! Looking forward to learning more every year the Lord allows me to be here!
My Grandma had her herbal remedies but so far as I know never passed them down. I don’t think she ever made lotions or creams though. I have posted this before but she made a very effective salve in which the main ingredient was pine resin (rosen). As much as I love the outdoors, I have not done much with natural remedies. There is a book I recall entitled “Medicinal Plants of Eastern North America” (if correctly remembered). If I don’t forget I’ll look on Internet Archive to see if I can find it.
My great-grandmother on daddy’s side was a Granny Woman. She went all over the county in KY delivering babies and helping people with other ailments. Her name was Hannah Hall. This is the Irish side of my family. My grandmother, my mother’s mother, used to make up remedies to treat different ailments in the family. While visiting her when I was around eight or nine, I was out by the creek and cut my heel pretty deep. Mamaw mixed lard and Sulphur together, put it on my heel and tied a rag around it. In a day or two it had closed up. In the medical field Sulphur is used for treating different afflictions and is especially effective on burns. A lot of the treatments used today were taken from old time remedies.
Tricia, one of the old time remedies for dogs with mange was burnt motor oil and sulphur. It would be mixed together and rubbed on the dog. In the late 70’s, I told a coworker about this after a Vet had told him his dog would have to be put down because of not being able to cure the mange. He tried this remedy, and his dog got well. He said he took his dog back and showed him to the Vet and had some choice words to say to him. Burnt motor is just used motor oil that has been drained out of an engine.
I remember this mange cure from when I was a kid—and it did work—but I had not thought of it in years … thanks for the memory nudge Randy
Oh, of all your giveaways so far, this is the one I’d most like to receive! I know you use a random number generator but my fingers are crossed that it indicates me.
I would love to have this Foxfire book!
Sounds like such a good book!
We are truly blessed by those who came before, paving a way for the future we now have. Would love to read about the strong women who made us, us.
I love Foxfire books but I didn’t know that there’s one on Appalachian women
I’m glad someone gathered the knowledge of our great aunties!
Prayers for Bethany mother
Grandmothers know things. They learned from their grandmothers. Very often when I got skinned up, cut or injured in some way Dad would say, “Go show it to Grandma.” They also seem to always have time for their grandchildren.
Sounds like another interesting read. We had pink cabbage roses when I was growing up.
I have not even heard of this book before now. But I sure would like to have it!
My paternal grandmother basically raised me because mama started working at the shoe
factory when I was six months old. She and my great maternal grandmother put all kinds of herbal concoctions on me. Their favorite was goat tallow and golden rod. It had an odor I found offensive, but when sick with few options you do as told. Any way it must have worked, I always got better! Everyone take care! Hope No Snow comes my way. I picked three of my best looking tomatoes so far this year yesterday. But it is 32 degrees right now so I wonder if the rest of them will have to be picked green. I have done that before and they did ripen inside. One year (2009) I think: we made pizza with fresh tomatoes the Friday after Thanksgivings! We had guests fomerly from this area, but then living in California and they were so impressed. But, I didn’t do anything special. It was Nature’s quirks! Good day to all.
My mother told me how she made rose petal beads and I made some years ago but they weren’t very pretty. I wish I knew those old-timey remedies. I didn’t even know this book existed. It sure does sound interesting. The Appalachian women past and present certainly need to be recognized. I have been fortunate to observe a talented great-grandmother and her 6-7 yr-old great-granddaughter as members of a club I attend. I’ve often thought that I would like to she the young lady when she is grown. Some are fortunate to learn so much from the older generation.
And to think, we are now returning to the benefits of animal fats. So nourishing for skin, and internally! My Mamaw was an Apallachian woman. I would love a copy of this book. Thank you, Tipper!
I’ve read several of the foxfire books.
Would love to have this one !
Such strong, smart women! So industrious & creative…and they had so much to teach us.
I’m so fascinated by the ways in which women created things to keep their skin nice. Love it!
Foxfire books are a treasure! I came across some saved copies of the original magazine at a used book store here, Alabama Booksmith. Fantastic treasure trove of knowledge, and just love reading this story, and also the history of Appalachian ways. Thank you!
Wise woman that granny. I want to plant some Carolina roses next spring!
What knowledge our grandmother’s possess! They are real treasures to the family, and I’m blessed to still have both of mine!
I never knew anyone to do anything like this. When I was very young we had an old well liked neighborhood lady that may have done some of these things. I just remember her for dipping snuff and smoking a corncob pipe. The pipe may have been homemade. My Mother caught one of the different measles from me I guess and they wouldn’t “break out”. This lady came and put Mother in bed , covered her up with quilts and place some hot old time cast iron irons around in order to get her hot. The measles soon broke out and Mother began to get better. I know the words I used are not medical terms. I am going to show my ignorance, back when I was just starting grammar school, it was common to have an outbreak of 2 or 3 types of measles, mumps and chicken pox every year in schools. My parents along with other parents would take use and intentionally expose their children to these diseases if another kid in the neighborhood had them. It was thought that the younger you were when you got these diseases the easier it would be on you. I know we now have vaccines that have eliminated these diseases, but back in my childhood they were considered being just a matter of course for children.
We have our first good frost of the season this morning. Makes me think back to the past, Thanksgiving, cold weather and hog killing time. When I was younger, by this time of the year, I would be more excited by now than I would be for Christmas, it was almost Thanksgiving and the hunting seasons for birds (quail) and rabbits would open.
Love reading about the remedies of yore.
Good Morning Tipper and all! Woke early this morning to our first Indiana snow. Not sure I am really ready for it but it is that time of year so we will make the best of it. Have you ever had rose petal jelly? My dear aunt in KY made some a few years ago and shared it with me. It was absolutely delicious. I would sure love the rose petal hand cream. I can just imagine the lovely smell.
Cathy-I have never had any 🙂
Cathy, I live in Kentucky and would love to have some of your aunt’s rose petal jelly. My Mommy and her people are from Harlan County. She had an aunt that was an herbal doctor. Whatever was wrong with you she knew what herb or root was good for it. I’d love to have that kind of knowledge and wisdom. I believe we’d be a lot better off if we used more mountain medicine and less of the prescription medication that causes so many harmful side effects. 🙂
I would enjoy reading this book!
Reading about making rose petal cream makes me realize what a resurgence I see here locally with people looking to the woods for flowers and various plants for their healing properties. I personally don’t do anything like that as I don’t have the knowledge, but others do and I’m sure it’s very helpful.
I love the old ways. We have lost so much over the years.
I have many of the Foxfire books but not this one. I like to keep a library of all things Appalachian. Someday I hope to visit the Foxfire Museum in Mountain City, Georgia.
I’m sure they had beautiful skin. I like to use tallow with lavender as moisturizer.
Imagine a world where we still made rose petals cream.❤️
Tipper, thanks for sharing another great post and I HOPE YOU SEE SNOW THESE NEXT FEW DAYS.
Lots of us were lucky to have memorable women in our lives.
Oh my! This will be a book I want to write on my list! Momma always said her grandfather would send them hunting over the mountains for the cures. I love that they mixed roses and lard for hand cream. To this day when I grease my skillets with lard I wipe the extra on the backs of my hands. A dermatologist once said Crisco was good for eczema, but I believe I would rather use something more natural.
Thank you for sharing!
This brings back so many memories as I, too, had a wonderful granny who knew so much.
I hope you all have a lovely day.I’m excited to know that Thanksgiving is coming!! Please pray for my Mom. She’s 80 and STRUGGLING with terrible Lymphodema (spelling questionable) in her legs. It’s very painful. It hurts me to see her like this. Her name is Delorice (Delores) Bell and Daddy still works TWO jobs, at 81 years old! He takes parts for NAPA to Knoxville, every day. Thank you.
Bethany-I will pray for your dear mother!! So wonderful your daddy is still working 🙂
So sorry to hear this. Does she have thearpy? It really will help. I thought our handicapped daughter was going to lose her leg, but after 11 days in the hospital they sent her to the Lympendema Clinic for thearpy and she is fine now. They massage the fluid to move it back up in the body. She only had to go about 6 weeks. Hope this helps. God bless.