We live in a tiny blip on the map in East Tennessee with our grandson, 3 Yorkie Poos, a herd of barn cats and a bazillion fire ants & mosquitoes. We just celebrated our 30-year wedding anniversary, have 4 beautifully intelligent children and 7 of the biggest blessings God has ever given us…our grandchildren. We have 5 boys and 2 girls, and the personalities are strong with each and every one of them (they come by that honestly). I was born and raised in this holler, actually right down the road from where we live now. I was raised by some strong Southern women, who all influenced my life heavily, in every aspect, in their own ways. Each of them gave me pieces of their knowledge, strength, and determination and for that I am truly thankful. I grew up on a farm and learned the ways of being self-sustainable from a very early age. We had all the animals, grew tobacco, cut our own hay, had huge gardens, canned, froze, smoked and preserved all of our foods; we wanted for nothing. It was all hard work, but we didn’t know life any other way. My Grandmother and my Ninny made sure I knew how to cook, can and preserve so that I could continue to be self-sustainable and take care of my family long after they were gone. I am truly one blessed woman.
