When the girls were little I read to them all the time. Even today they remember their favorite books from those days. There were two books I read so often I was able to recite them verbatim.
One was a book titled “Twinnies” about a girl who was shocked and unhappy when her mother had twins, bringing two squalling babies into the quietness of her single child home and taking all the attention away from her. Of course by the end of the book the big sister helped out her mother and father when the landlord complained of the crying babies and threatened to throw the little family out.
The other book was actually a Halloween book, “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything,” but we read it throughout the year. It told the story of a little old lady who went out into the woods to gather plants to use for medicinal purposes. At that time the girls really didn’t care about the medicinal part—it was the interesting characters the old lady met along the way they adored. Every thing the lady ran into tried to scare her, but she refused to let it deter her from her chore of gathering. The book concludes with the little old lady putting all the scary things to work in her garden as a scarecrow.
Eventually Chatter and Chitter did become enamored and interested in medicinal remedies. There’s likely many reasons why, but to name a couple: Miss Cindy has always tried to doctor herself and us with remedies you won’t typically find at the doctor’s office and being raised close to the land lends itself to being more aware of what nature has to offer for your health.
Over the years the girls have made various tinctures, teas, and salves to treat our entire family.
I remember when Chatter first learned the many medicinal benefits of coconut oil. Pap was suffering from some sort of rash and Chatter went down everyday and slathered him in coconut oil. She went on about it so often that Paul started teasing her about coconut oil being the remedy for everything that was wrong in the world.
Chitter makes an amazing calendula oil from the flowers we grow every summer. It’s the best thing ever to heal a scrape, cut, or burn. I swear you can see marked improvement with just one application.
Chatter harvesting Mountain Mint
We recently ate supper with some dear friends and got to talking about medicinal remedies that can be found right outside our front doors. The friend has much more experience than we do so a couple of days later Chatter went back and spent time combing the woods with her in an effort to learn more.
A few days after that Chatter took her basket and headed out to see what she could find growing near our house. I tagged along.
As I watched her adding pieces of this and that to her basket I was reminded of the little old lady from the book and was happy that she wasn’t allowing fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or even fear of the things you encounter when wading in high weeds and deep woods stop her from learning how to take care of her family.
Last night’s video: Eating Chipped Beef Gravy on Toast in Appalachia.
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Tipper, I would very much appreciate that calendula remedy – is it possible to buy some? I ordered seeds and planted calendula for the first time this year *specifically* so I could try making salve with it, but the plants didn’t survive past a very leggy seedling phase.
Thank you.
p.s. Just want to say I still read your blog all the time, but just don’t have much to say anymore.
So glad to hear that the girls are interested in medicinal herbs. There is a lot to learn. They are smart cookies though so I have faith they will do well with this subject. I’m still learning 10 years into studying herbalism.
I am not from Appalachia, but originally from southern Illinois. I now live in San Antonio, Texas. I love your stuff so much. I teach ESL/EFL to international military personnel who come to the USA for training by our military. Most of my students are pilots/aviators. That’s how I came across some of your videos on YouTube. You are a remarkable person and have a beautiful family. Thanks so much for what you do and share this. I mentioned that I came from southern ILL. I would guess in some respects I have retained some of what we used to call “Hillbilly” since I have used a fair amount of Appalachian dialect. Anyway, you are much appreciated by people who discover you.
I wanted to mention too that all these comments are really nice. This evening I ordered a couple of the books mentioned, which I’d never heard of. Thanks again!
I understand about reading a book over and over to your child so many times you have every word memorized. I read “Home for a Bunny” to my older son probably a couple of hundred times but he enjoyed my reading the book so it was worth it. I still have the book. I should give it to my grandson so maybe he would want my son to read it to him a couple of hundred times! Dennis Morgan
I would like to add a few comments, first I apologize to Jim for getting the title of his book wrong, I am like an old computer, my memory don’t work so good. Second, I have a good friend that is a firm believer in buttermilk for stomach ailments. I have read “The Old Man And The Boy” and “The Old Man’s Boy Grows Older” and they are two of my favorite books.
I’m checking in a little late today but I had to recognize Ron Stephens and Jim Casada’s comments. Robert Ruark’s books are on my list of the all-time greatest. If Jim had never done another good thing in his life–of course he has done many, many other outstanding works–organizing and publishing previously unpublished Ruark works, would alone make him one of our favorite heroes! Read Ruark’s books.
Our children had favorite books too. And I can recite bits of those books even though it’s been nearly 50 years. I recently bought a book on herbs that can be used medicinally. I wish I had someone nearby who could share their knowledge of the local plants.
Another great post!
Tipper–I would like to add a bit to not one, or two, but three comments. 1. I appreciate Randy’s gracious mention of my book, “A Smoky Mountain Boyhood” and that he enjoyed it. I’ve got a sort of sequel or companion volume just out, “Fishing for Chickens: A Smokies Food Memoir.” 2. I suspect Matt has read the two Robert Ruark volumes mentioned by Ron Stephens, but if not, he has a treat ahead of him. I consider “The Old Man and the Boy” the finest single volume on the outdoors ever written by an American author. I’ve been a lifelong student of Ruark and have been privileged to edit two Ruark-connected books, “The Lost Classics of Robert Ruark” (stories of his from magazines that had not previously appeared in book form) and a biography by Alan Ritchie, “Ruark Remembered.” Ritchie was his secretary for many years. 3. Gene Smith’s mention of the plant identification app draws attention to something that is phenomenal to me. I don’t have the technological savvy God gave an addled goose and don’t even use a cell phone, but I’ve seen others snap a photo of some plant I didn’t recognize (I like to think I’ve got a moderately good knowledge of practical natural history) and voila, there was the identification. Like Gene says, pretty darn amazing to an old hillbilly like me.
Jim, I have not read any of your books, but I certainly intend to order some. Which book do you recommend I start with first? Enjoy those beautiful mountains for me until I can return. Many thanks!
I am replying way late to this post and the comments but I can’t help myself. Jim, those plant ID apps are great. And there’s lots of identification info on pics taken with an iPhone, even without the apps. It’s not always right, but that’s understandable because lots of plants have look-alikes. It’s very helpful for those who don’t carry around a field guide. I even have an app to help me identify stars, planets, constellations, etc and one to help me sort out the bird songs and calls. Though that one’s not always right, either. It “heard” me gurgle a bit as I swallowed a big gulp of water and it ID’d me as an American Turkey.
Great post!!
Wish I knew more about this
Where can I buy the medical things that Chatter makes?
Loretta-she isn’t selling any right now but if she does I’ll let everyone know 🙂
I spent most of my life in the medical field, but learned to mistrust some of it. I took extra required courses in the benefits of alternative medicine. It is as if the medical field got on a total path with chemical treatments, and could never get back off. They had this network of doctors with degrees and so much money and research tied up, they could not then pursue natural remedies. Fortunately, I have a wonderful doctor who understands me, and he hardly blinks when I tell him about my use of fermented products for probiotics and about live cultured buttermilk for stomach ailments.
It is wonderful how the girls have become interested in all that is available on God’s earth to heal and mend our bodies. Medicine does have great diagnostic tools, and I appreciate that. I wish there was not chemicals foreign to our bodies to treat everything…that just cannot be the best route. My other curiosity is how much our own body tells us about our health if we pay attention. For instance when one gets that terrible craving for some specific food.
I wish I had read that book to my daughter instead of the book about little people hiding in walls. She loved “The Borrowers.”
I collect mullein flowers each spring and cover them with raw honey. They are left for a couple weeks, covered, and shalen every day. Then strained and the honey kept in dark place. When me or the kids get chest cold, we take a spoonful and we can sleep wonderfully then in morning, another spoonful and begin feeling better right away – no coughing. A spoonful of honey makes the medicine go down so nicely but preserves the benefits of mullein, ready to use when needed. Mullein is pictured on many cough syrups in Europe as the main ingredient. Research for yourself – don’t take my word!
It would be nice if sometime you could post some of those old home remedy recipes. I remember something about mullein leaves for swollen joints….but not the details.
You all remind me – again – of my Grandma. She was a genuine, old time hunter/gather and a gardener as well. She gathered year round, whatever was in season, and she had trips she would walk to certain favored and fruitful places within about two miles of her house.
You make me think again to about how I have posted before the girls need a still. Wonder how much it would cost to make one out of chemistry glassware? Too much, I suspect. And it would be on the fragile side. I never heard of it or read about it but I wonder if, back about Colonial days, folks had small stills that were used to make medicines, flavorings, dyes, etc. in small batches? Could sweet birch flavor be distilled I wonder, or mountain tea or mint? The ‘essential oils’ as they call them are expensive, I know that.
About reading, two books I think the Deer Hunter would really like are “The Old Man and the Boy” and “The Old Man’s Boy Grows Older” by Robert Ruark. They are sorta mostly about hunting and fishing along the NC coast but also about life. Our daughter remembers me reading the first one to her and her brother on our camping trips. Our son in law reads to our grandson most everyday. There is just something about it that has lasting effect. I wonder if anybody has ever discovered what all it is.
Have any readers with smart phones tried the app that identifies plants if you submit a photo of the plant? A friend demonstrated it for me. Pretty amazing to a country boy.
I have one of those apps, it’s called “Picture This” and has worked fairly well. I can’t remember if there’s a free version, I do pay for a yearly subscription. I have many books that I use to verify what the app tells me. If I was using only a book I would cross reference with other books anyway. This app speeds up the process.
The apps aren’t always right but they’re pretty helpful to me. I also have one that identifies things in the night sky and one that helps me ID birds by their calls and songs. Those are some of the best things about smart phones. Don’t get me started on their down side…
I wish I could identify plants well enough to make my own medicine. My sister orders Chickweed Salve from an Amish guy and folks swear it will heal just about anything. Elderberry benefits could save me tons of money each year if I knew how to make my own syrup. I have used Chatter’s lip balm, soap, and calendula oil and it is all amazing.
One of the best things my mother taught me was to have a love for reading. The Greenville County, SC library has a truck that comes out into the county every two weeks that I get books from. I know they have been doing this for the past 60 years. Unlike Chatter, most of the books I read are for pleasure, not educational. Lately I have been reading a good many books about Appalachia. Some of these are books that Tipper has mentioned. I just finished reading three books that has stories about him being a doctor at Bryson City by Walt Lattiimore. I have really enjoyed Jim Casada’s book titled Boyhood Memories, a good bit of my boyhood was similar to his except the closet town to me was 15 miles away and still is to this day.
I so look forward to your time in the kitchen, Bless you heart. The recipe for the chip beef on toast was an ole favorite of my Mother from years ago and I had forgotten just how good it is…toast, biscuits, toast, biscuits…not an easy choice. I even thought about on cornbread/??…don’t know about that. Just so you know…I CANNOT wait for Friday to see what you have in store for us….
I read every Berenstein bear book there was to Carly and Mara. My personal favorite book HALLOWEINER was about a dachshund WHOS mom made him a hotdog costume for Halloween. All his friends laughed at him. He hated that costume. A bunch of cats climbed on top of each other and looked big and scary that way covered in a black sheet. All his dog friends jumped in a pond to get away and began to panic cause they couldn’t swim. No fear cause hotdog costume was there to save everybody. Then he loved his costume and loved being a hero and loved his mom too! Lol I’m going to tell you this. I broke my foot and it set up psoriasis in me. Out of desperation I put bacon grease on those spots and they healed up. I also used baking soda and table salt and water as a paste to dry them when they itch. The skin looks perfect. Now I do have a minor in human biology so I get a little experimental and usually come out to the good. I mean I can’t do worse than most jack leg doctor charlatans. In time to come herbalists will be greatly sought after and Chitter’s money is in the bag, not to mention the healthiest offspring in NC she will raise!!!
Good morning Tipper. We are at The National Fiddlers Convention in Galax Virginia. Had a big breakfast yesterday morning with friends. We made pancakes using your Pap’s recipe. They were wonderful! Everyone loved them ! Thanks for sharing. Bill Powers
Bill-that is wonderful! Hope you have a great time at the convention 🙂
Good morning Bill, hope you get the chance to stop by the Galax Smokehouse, old school diner, in down town Galax. I last ate there years ago, but if they haven’t changed, I think you will be pleased with the food. Be safe, there sure are some great fiddlers there, I sure do miss that area of the country.
God placed those herbs here for our benefit. It is truly amazing what is all around us.
Love this!
I am quite pleased to see Chatter studying the medicinal herbs. There is a lot of help for us there without all the chemicals in medications we buy over the counter.
Both of your girls are independent thinkers, finding their own way instead of following the crowd. Your husband has that same mind set of not following the crowd….
That book was one of my kids favorites, too, because my mom (a pre-k aid) used it in her classroom. She would read it to them all the time. And when we started homeschooling, we used the book for a project. I dimly remember some sort of paper scarecrow that they made to go along with the story. I had forgotten all about it! I read to my kids ALL the time. Of course, I trained to be a high school English teacher, so I was a bit biased towards reading. We read so much. (We don’t watch tv, as I always limited that). I am very interested in the healing powers of plants and try to read up on them. Unfortunately, all I CAN do is read. No one around me knows anything about any of it. The people where I live, even in rural NY, are so disconnected with the land/forest that there is an absence of practical knowledge. It is very hard to identify some plants without having an ‘expert’ to show you. Your daughter is very lucky to be able to tag along & soak up all the wonderful info.