ah law, y'all!
Celebrating Southern Appalachia
Information of Interest
ah law, y’all! magazine is published quarterly-ish by Tenasi Road Studio and sponsored by Tenasi Road Studio. All content is written by Publisher and Editor-In-Chief, Connie Clyburn. Articles by contributing writers as noted.
Photo contributions as noted.
No part of this publication (articles or photos) may be used without permission of the publisher.
Interested in contributing photos or content for ah law, y'all! magazine?
Contact (you guessed it!) Connie Clyburn at tenasiroadstudio@gmail.com
What’ s Inside
Wisdom from the Doublewide
Fall Photo Feature
North Carolina Mountain Treasure: Ridgecrest Conference Center
North Carolina Destination: Black Mountain
Good Gravy and Biscuits
Faith Stories: A Sweet Outcome, Healted and Whole
Musical Feature: Put a Song in Your Heart
Literary Feature: It’ s Good to Laugh
Wisdom from the Doublewide A Different Kind of Fall
It’s Fall in Appalachia! The season entered on soft cool breezes, falling leaves and roadside stands laden with fodder shocks, fragrant apples and pumpkins of all shapes. Fall brings excitement for change, a turn of the page accompanied by the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
This year has been different.
The turn of the season brought us warm tropical winds, rain and a hurricane that tried its best to destroy us. Yes, it whammed our mountains and valleys with flooding that washed out bridges, roadways, homes and many lives. We mourn the loss. We cry while watching videos and hearing stories about the tragedy. It goes from one community to the other, crossing state lines. We don’t differentiate between communities-we are one, neighbor helping neighbor.
Appalachia Strong. Mountain Strong.
These slogans have appeared on t-shirts, bumper stickers, on the backs of football helmets. Its true. We are strong people who make the best of bad situations, holding onto hope for a better day. We know our hope is not in vain.
I stand amazed at the progress already happening around me. At first, we heard the continued whirling of Black Hawks flying in and out of the devastation just a few miles from our home. It is odd to look around my neighborhood still in tact knowing everything has changed completely just over the hill. The entire landscape has changed around the river we would drive past to travel into North Carolina. That little green house I admired for so many years is gone now, carried away by the torrent.The fenced-in compound that sat by the river appearing impenetrable is now gone, as well. I haven’t seen it in person since the entire roadway collapsed into rubble, but I can imagine how apocalyptic it must be.
In the midst of the sadness, glimmers of hope arise. We hear of more rescues. People and pets considered gone are found. Towns are being resurrected just weeks out from the storm. Roads are being restored. People have dropped life as usual to come together. Whether it’s teams organizing supplies at churches dotting the rural landscape, drivers hauling loads of donated water, food and clothing into the mountains, or people traveling hundreds of miles to lend a hand, we are lifting each other from the muck and mire.
We will survive this catastrophe and grow stronger. Life may look different for awhile, but it will be alright God has promised to restore what’s been lost and heal the brokenh ever bef
North Carolina Mountain Treasure: RidgecrestConferenceCenter
Writerly friends, (l-r), Dee Dee Baxter Parker, and Cynthia and Dwayne Lovely enjoy sitting outside Clouds Coffeehouse during the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
The coffeehouse is a favorite of the conference crowd - you’ll find most of them camped out there morning, noon and evening sharing their publishing victories, encouraging one another and promising to meet up again next year.
*Editor’s note: Since I took these pictures during a visit to Ridgecrest and Black Mountain, NC earlier this year, devastation in the form of Hurricane Helene hit the Western North Carolina area. I considered taking the two features out, but decided to proceed as planned. I want to celebrate what Ridgecrest and Black Mountain were and will be again. I am trusting things will be restored back to better than ever before. I’m praying for a good outcome and. believing God will do great things, as He always doesover and above what we can ask or think.
The first time I stepped onto the Conference Center grounds, it felt a little like a dream. My first ever writer’s conference was about to begin. I felt overwhelmed, but didn’t let that dampen my excitement., In a few hours, my friend, Aundy, and I would immerse ourselves fully into a group of people just like us. Writers with similar dreams, stories and backgrounds We quickly made friends
Ridgecrest’s campus is inviting, from first contact with staff at the entry gate, to checking in at the desk in Pritchell Hall, pictured below. Pritchell is a familiar beacon to returning guests and a welcoming friend to newbies entering Ridgecrest for the first time. Inside its walls, comfy chairs and couches bid you to relax and enjoy times of fellowship. Readers seeking a place of quiet solace need look no further. Hotel rooms in Pritchell are centrally located with easy access to the cafeteria, the all important Clouds coffee shop and Spilman auditorium on the lower campus level.
Coffee and Conversation at Ridgecrest
While there are several gathering spots around the Ridgecrest campus, none are more popular and welcoming than Clouds coffeehouse located in the center of the action. Volunteers serve as baristas, mixing up cups full of deliciousness to order. The shop also features a huge cinnamon roll smothered with cream cheese icing, among other munchables like pound cake slices, yogurt and fruit cups. The shop’s intimate atmosphere makes it aa frequent stop off during the Blue Ridge Writers Conference as the writerly crowd filters from one workshop to the other, pictured below. At night, the place buzzes with excited conversations between conferees gathered at the shop’s indoor tables and spilling out into wooden rockers lined up on the covered veranda. It's also a great place for agents to meet talk over book deals with their clients.
Above, my friend, Jodie Bailey (left) and I reunite for a quick pic and catching up while she shopped the variety of t-shirts and other items available.
North Carolina Mountain Destination: BlackMountain
Black Mountain, North Carolina is the kind of town you want to linger in. It’s easy to get caught up in gazing through store windows, stopping to shop at one of the eclectic boutiques or grabbing a bite to eat on an outdoor veranda. Feel free to take your pooch along - Black Mountain is dog friendly!
Quirky shops and one-of-a-kind finds lend to Black Mountain’s charm
Pictured above, Bramblewood, located in downtown Black Mountain, greets visitors with a gorgeous store front. The shop carries flavored coffees, outdoor decor, goodies perfect for gift-giving and also features a Christmas area year round.
Right top, a Blackmountain Artisan works on a piece of handmade pottery much like the finished cups pictured below. .
The Black Mountain range of the Southern Appalachians hovers over the little town like a guardian (left). This photo, taken from a main thoroughfare, shows a portion of the mountains. Notice dark shadows from passing clouds settled into dips in the range. Pictured below, the Black Mountain Visitors Center showcases interesting facts about the town, including its famous citizens. The museum is also a great source of historical information.
Long before the establishment of Black Mountain the town, Native Americans inhabited the area. The Cherokee and Catawba people lived in and around the surrounding mountain range and lowlands. They called the area Grey Eagle*.
It’s easy to envision what Native Americans enjoyed before progress moved in and established the town of Black Mountain in 1893. The abundant beauty and natural resources surely drew in people looking for adventure.
The short interstate drive from Asheville to Black Mountain fuels a spirit of adventure, like you’ve left the “big city” motoring toward an exciting destination. Road signs point out the town’s exits, beckoning to visitors, “come on in, we’ve been expecting you ”
*resource: townofblackmountain.org
Appalachia is known for its hearty, down-home food, and there’s nothing better than a big ‘ol plate of tender biscuits smothered in creamy gravy.
Method to the Gravy Goodness
Everybody has their own way of making gravy. The methods vary by cook and long held views on the perfect gravy recipe, but mostly, you make it the way mama or mammaw taught you. The best recipe is...no recipe at all. Stirring up a good pan of gravy usually involves sausage (to provide grease for the roux), flour and milk. You can use other types of meat, such as bacon, but sausage seems to be the favorite among country gravy makers.
One thing to remember in making gravy-in general, there is no set recipe. As the Wizard of Oz said, start at the beginning. First, brown the sausage, as pictured below. Then add flour, but not too much or too little. Too much, and the result will be gravy you can cut like bread. Using too little flour could produce gravy you can drink. You don’t want that, either. There’s an art to learning how to make a perfect pan of gravy. Oh, don’t forget to use an iron skillet.
Fry up a pan of sausage to get the gravy party started. Once the meat browns, transfer it to a plate. Using the grease remaining in the skillet, add flour to form a roux, then stir in milk until the gravy reaches the right consistency. Allow it to cook a few minutes until thickened. Finally, stir the sausage back into the gravy mixure. Serve and enjoy!
Yes, please.
Plop a plate of fresh baked biscuits down in front of a hungry crowd and watch how quickly the flaky treats disappear. If you’re making biscuits from scratch, be sure to whip up plenty.
Homemade biscuits are a delicacy around the Mountain South and beyond. Just as with gravy, there are many different recipes out there with a few ‘tried and true’ tips to turn out scrumptious, mouth watering treats time after time.
Go shopping for flour and you will find a variety on store shelves in every brand known to man. Downhome Southern cooks swear by a couple of flour makers. Since this isn’t an advertisement for one over the other, choose your favorite and get to work!
Be sure to have a big pan of gravy ready, along with butter, apple butter, jelly and local honey on the table so diners can enjoy a sweet treat or two to top off the meal.
Faith Stories
A Sweet Outcome: A Sweet Outcome: A Sweet Outcome: Healed and Whole Healed and Whole Healed and Whole
Break out the cake, because Olivia Harvey has a faith story to tell!
She recently shared her story of being miraculously healed of cancer to a packed house at her home church. Her husband and several family members were among the crowd clapping and shouting as she detailed each step of her journey through the diagnosis, subsequent surgery and treatment.
Olivia also shared the Bible scriptures she stood on with each step.
Her faith story on a Sunday in February 2024, when she went to an urgent care near her Southwest Virginia home for discomfort in her chest.
Between February and August 20, 2024, when she had the last radiation treatment, Olivia stood on her faith in God and His Word that He would hold her close and not let her down. That faith proved to be the key to her complete healing from Hodgkins Lymphoma.
“December, 2023, I developed a small discomfort between the second and third rib on the left side,” she recounted. Since she worked as a nurse in the cardiac cath lab of a local hospital, she said she thought she had pushed a patient bed the wrong way. She assumed it was something muscular that would soon go away. Then a dry cough started.
Olivia, an RN, modeled her student nurses uniform while studying to get her degree..
“I honestly thought the cough was because of being required to mask back up at work (because of high numbers of covid)-that it had to do with wearing a mask and it would eventually go away.” She said.
“I had a dream that I was lying in a hospital bed...at the foot of the bed was a curtain like a door. I saw this figure come in on the right side.”
Olivia continued her testimony, recounting a specific dream she had one night, even before she received a diagnosis.
“February first (2024) I had a dream that I was lying in a hospital bed, and at the foot of the bed was a curtain that acted like a door. I saw this figure come in on the right side. He looked at me and smiled. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and he smiled. Then he turned to the side and I could see a side profile. He had another face on the back of his head-one that was evil and mean and hateful, and I knew right then it was satan.”
“In my dream I said, ‘Leave, in Jesus’ Name!’ He cursed. His head turned around to the mean face, he cursed, and then he left. That tells you the whole story.”
The next day, on Feb 2nd, while at work, Olivia shared that she suddenly felt weak and had to lie down on one of the patient beds. “The blood drained from my face, I laid down on a clean cot and I was later sent home.” She continued.
A couple days later, on February 4th, Olivia and her husband, Jason, made a trip to urgent care. Since she had had a good physical a few months prior, they saw no reason for alarm. But they received a different report as the nurse practitioner showed them the results of Olivia’s chest scan.
Olivia described the image they saw that day,“The nurse practitioner came in and turned the monitor around, and there was the largest mass you have ever seen sitting in my chest, right behind my breastbone. Huge thing. They didn’t know if it was in my lungs, they didn’t know what it was, but it was the biggest thing you’ve ever seen.”
Time for celebration! Olivia and her husband, Jason, pictured right, are all smiles, celebrating God’s goodness and planning their next adventures. Olivia shared how Jason never left her side and prayed for her constantly as they battled together through faith in God’s Word and prayer
The news they received at the doctor’s office that day could have knocked Olivia off her feet, but she and Jason chose to stand strong in their faith. Years of studying and teaching scripture had prepared and equipped them for the battle.
“If you kind of know my personality type, I’m not really an emotional person in the beginning,” Olivia shared from her memory of that day. “It takes a while for my emotions to kick in. and let me say this – I encourage you - if you ever, ever receive news like this, don’t ever consult your emotions. Do not ever consult your flesh. No offense to your feelings. They are important, but they do not have a vote when you get a message like this.”
“I could remember thinking, if you had asked me how I feel. I would say, I don’t know, but I know what the Word of God says. Go to Him quickly whenever you have news like this –whether it’s through worship, through prayer, through His Word. Or a combination - -go to the Holy Spirit first.”
She shared one of many scriptures she stood on, including 1 Peter 2:24, “By His Stripes I was healed and made whole. WAS – that is past tense.” she said.
Olivia quoted several scriptures she and Jason stood on during her healing journey. She said she never allowed herself to give in to fear, though it presented itself many times. Second Timothy 1:7 is one she went to many times.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but (He has give us a spirit) of power and of love and of sound judgement and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].
2 Timothy 1:7 AMP
Olivia has the date February 8, 2024, 8:30am recorded in her Bible for a significant reason. “That was the (date and) time I recieved my healing.” She added, relating the morning her nursing coworkers gathered around her bed to lay hands on her and pray before taking her into surgery. She recommended everyone to record the date of their healing or deliverance in their Bibles, explaining that it will come in handy when satan comes against them, trying to convince them it didn’t happen when symptoms may still be present.
“He (satan) will try to talk you out of your healing, your deliverance, and any other thing you have asked God for. You can look back at this date and say, no , I received the moment I asked, and this is the date and time.. Use it.
Another prayer God answered as Olivia stood in faith. She came through the chemo and radiation treatments without losing her hair. Her scripture for that prayer comes from the Daniel 3:27 account of the Hebrew children who were thrown into the fire for not bowing to the king’s command, ...nor was a hair of their head singed....
A couple more significant dates she noted include June 25, 2024, when she recieved the last chemo treatment, and August 20, 2024, when she sat for the last radiation treatment. She credits God for brining her through the ordeal and now stands on Nahum 1:9, which says, Affliction shall not arise a second time.
SongsfromtheHeart
The Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, founded by Mary Munsey, meets regularly to promote and perpetuate the fine art of songwriting in the Appalachia region. Picured above, left to right, Mary, Jon Bolt and Greg Franco collaborate during a gathering in Mary’s home. Second photo, Gerald Sheppard mezmerizes the group with his song and vocals. In the third photo, Dona and Mike Jenkins lend ear and their website expertise to the group. For more information, visit highlandsappalachia.org
ongwriters look into our lives, take the best parts along with the worst, carefully weaving our stories into three-minute sagas of life, love and finality. These wordsmiths know how to turn a nice phrase, but it goes beyond mere words. Songsmiths are poets who connect us, whittling the human experience into an epitaph, a tale describing all our lives in three-quarter time.
How do they work this magic? One word at a time. One phrase joined with another and another until a song emerges to move and groove us They have us crying along with the poor soul who has lost their true love one minute and dancing the next. Humorous stories also appear just when we need a good laugh.
The Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, based in Abingdon, Virginia, has members traveling in from Southwest Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama to meet with instruments in hand and songs in their hearts. They meet regularly to share ideas and songs.
“Songwriters are usually the people behind the scenes who can tell a story,” quipped Mary Munsey, group founder. Mary, a local music educator, originally had group meetings in her home. Now they regularly gather at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center in Abingdon.
The Songwriters in the Round bring the lyrical wonders to their gatherings Like stirring up a scrumptious cake, each songwriter contributes an ingredient - one may supply the lyrics and another the instrumental accompaniment. At a recent gathering, one singer/songwriter, shared a tune she had written. Her voice resembled that of a Broadway songstress. The group listened, her vocals wrapping around each word crafted from deep within her heart.
The songwriters, singers and musicians who make up the group are professionals, blessed with the ability to perform on any stage. Yet, when they meet together it’s not about the spotlight. They are eager to hear from each other The gatherings provide a time to grow, listen, receive feedback and hone the craft they so lovingly share.
Songwriters in the Round invites all to attend their public concerts at select times. Check out the final page in this article for all the dates and infromation for upcoming performances.
Following are personal songwriting stories from two of the SOHA members.
Songwriting Journeys
Mary Munsey:
From Student to Music Educator
I bought my first guitar at age 17. My love of music took me through piano lessons, playing sax in the high school band, and my decision to become a music teacher In college, my idea of a fun time involved playing guitar and singing. Ballads and other story songs drew me in with their lyrics, evoking emotions singers had when they presented their music to the world.
James Taylor, Carole King, Dan Folgelberg, Gordon Lightfoot, Emmylou Harris, The Eagles, George Jones, Waylon and Willie, Dolly Parton, Dave Loggins and more captured the art of telling four-minute stories with melodies. The magical way they combined words and music enthralled me.
Throughout my lengthy music teaching career as an elementary, middle, high school, music store, private and Community College music educator I still found pockets of time to create my own songs. I started entering contests to keep me motivated to write, edit, record and improve my songwriting. I won some and lost some but the effort helped me improve and kept motivating me In 2010 I won the International Woody Guthrie Folk song of the year and got to perform at the 4 day Festival in Woodys hometown of Okemah, OK . That was an awesome experience! It helped validate my ability to write a good song. I had to do a whole set up my originals live there.
Since then, I have really enjoyed writing and sharing my joy and craft with others.This current group of writers bring their diverse perspectives and life experiences and points of view to the group in many ways. It is a joy to hear them perform and to share music with them. Folks can listen to some of my music in the Mary Munsey channel on Spotify or on Mary Munsey on YouTube.
I just retired from teaching this summer and currently play sax and sing back up with the Bristol TN based Samantha Gray Motown, Soul, Blues Band. I am also reviving my originals music group Rosewood Emerald soon. Folks can hear Nine Days Old on YouTube or on Spotify. It was the 2010 Woody Guthrie Festival song of the year.
Sandra Lambert: Writing Songs to Preserve Memories
Sandra grew up in Claxton, a small town north of Knoxville, TN. She began learning the mountain dulcimer at the ripe old age of 56. She fell in love with the instrument and used it to write her first song which was about her grandfather making cider from the apples he grew on his property. The song is titled, Hard Cider and the story behind the song along with the tablature was included in the Fall 2021 edition of Dulcimer Player News magazine.
Sandra calls the mountain dulcimer her gate-way instrument that led her to learning the ukulele, tenor guitar, bowed psaltery and writing more songs. She has 50 songs under her belt and she learns a little more about the craft of songwriting with each song she writes. She is a member of the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club and helped to start the Boones Creek
Dulcimer Clan monthly jam. She and her husband relocated to the Tri-Cities area and are now retired. Occasionally, they perform as The Butternuts. She likes all kinds of music and enjoys songs that tell a story.
She has a few of her songs on her YouTube channel under the playlist titled, “Songs I Wrote”.
https://www.youtube.com/@sandralambert6778
Sandra Lambert’s first song described her grandfatther’s cider making, a memory she still holds dear.
JOIN US FOR UNFORGETTABLE AND FREE!
IN THE ROUND CONCERTS
11/16, 12/14 2-4PM
SOUTHWEST VA CULTURAL CENTER AND MARKETPLACE MUSIC, COMMUNITY, AND GOOD VIBES! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
12/21 2-4PM ARTS DEPOT, ABINGDON
2ND SATURDAYS BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2-5PM BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM, BRISTOL
EACH DATE - FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY 4 TALENTED SONGWRITERS FROM OUR REGION. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS A BEAT! WIDE VARIETY OF SONGS. THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: HIGHLANDSAPPALACHIA.ORG OR MARY@HIGHLANDSAPPALACHIA.ORG
It’s Good to Laug
Laughing makes life grand! You have to admit, a good laugh that starts all the way down deep, bubbling over the top makes you feel like facing another day - or at least one more chore before the day is done.
Wisdom from the Doublewide is guaranteed to make you hee-haw It is chocked full of fun stories along with devotions anchored in God’s Word. The next time you feel like pulling the covers over your head and staying in bed for the day, or a week...grab a copy, dive in and be prepared to laugh while gaining some wise insight.
All of the stories contained in Wisdom from the Doublewide are true happenings. They may sound far-fetched, but I promise they all really happened. Life out in the country can be a bit different Hey, it’s Appalachia, so anything goes!
Reading through the pages of Wisdom from the Doublewide will not only tickle your funny bone, it might just have you looking at your own circumstances a little differently. You might just start to see the funny in your own life circumstances.
Wisdom from the Doublewide is available on Amazon. And since Christmas is getting closer, why not get several copies to give as Christmas gifts. Give the gift of laughter! They will love you for your thoughtfulness.
Great gift idea: Find a cute basket, put in a copy of Wisdom from the Doublewide, fill it with fun goodies like flavored teas, cookies and chocolate (you can’t leave out the chocolate!).