Appalachian Heartwood Fall Update 2014

Yes...I know it's been a VERY LONG time for a blog update. So much has been occurring and I only have so much energy to do so much. I have to pick and choose what I put that precious energy on. What I have been doing has been trying to figure out what, in my condition, I can do to get some extra funding in here. What can I do to make myself useful again, to take care of my son and myself. Appalachian Heartwood is now a LEGAL small (and tiny) business. Doing what? Whatever I can do in this shape.

I contacted Virginia Rehabilitation and they reopened up my case again so they can help me, as a disabled person, do as much as I can. Basically, some taking over some of my son's business. He had an eBay store before he became very ill last year.  I opened an eBay store, to sell items he gathered and things we have here that can find a new home. Online yard sale. Getting ready to open an Etsy account to sell crafts I can get made. This blog you noticed has some ads on it...it's like a penny if someone clicks them but hey...every penny counts. I've been asked to help put together a book.

There are also some how to videos that I'd like to do to show folks some of the skills I've learned over the years and share those before I can't do them anymore. Only have to do that ONCE and it's preserved forever!!

Now it just is a matter of what I can get accomplished. This is not to get rich and it certainly isn't to work full time. Those days are over. I mean it's taken me weeks to get the accounts set up. I will have links on this page to those accounts, but as of today, nothing for sale is up. That will change this week.  Not as fast as I like. I am really seeing how hard it is for me to function on a normal level ....but THAT IS OK!!! I'm alive and it's up and going!!

Little concerned VA Rehab wants my resume? There is no way I'm working a regular job in this shape! I believe I made that clear. I can't be relied on to be at a certain place, at a certain time, everyday, anymore. Old body don't work that way. I have to have the full 24 hours to do any part time or partial work.

I have to take a lot of breaks and plan to be rested up just to go to the store or the doctors. If it's a big day for me to be somewhere, then I don't do any mental or physical stuff for a couple of days before. Seriously. If I don't pace myself, then I'm DOWN for the count. I've screwed up several times recently, and there is NO exact schedule I work in.

People see me out now and just by looking at me can't tell what's wrong. I was standing in line couple weeks ago and someone I know looked at me and said, "I don't see a thing wrong with you." I told them, "Well my condition really hasn't chopped off any arms or legs, or disfigured me with horns growing out of my head and I fight being in a wheel chair, using a cane or a walker, but believe me, my doctor's and myself know I'm not well." What else can you say?

They don't see what I had to do to get there where they, "see me", functioning. They don't know that I'm having heart problems, or brain fog, or I have the feeling daily of having a never ending achy flu that NEVER goes away, standing there talking to them.

Nor do they know that many times, as soon as I hit the door home, I'm back in the bed, and sometimes for DAYS. They don't call it Chronic Fatigue for nothing. They don't know I sleep in 3 or 4 hour increments because pain wakes me up. I just have to ignore all of that and let them think whatever. Though I really get tired sometimes of hearing, "you don't look that sick". Ever heard never judge a book by it's cover? It works for humans too.

But what's helped me the most since about last Fall is I work in 15 minute segments. That 15 minutes came from a site called Flylady, I found about a year ago.  It's a clean your house organization, motivation site. I was looking around at my disaster of a home looking for inspiration to take care of it. After being ill for a couple of years and then my son getting sick, I was trying to motivate myself to do something!!! Anything... it's still sort of a disaster but better than when I first started this.

They promote this idea you can do anything for 15 minutes and you take jobs you have to do in small 15 minute stages. There are days when I get very few 15 minute work segments done, but it helps me focus.  Ed bought me a timer and I use it. I work 15 minutes and rest, work 15 more and rest. This is working for me. But I know how I have to function today in the world, would never work for a regular job.

On top of that I'm trying to figure out how to get materials and labor to help to fix what I call my "old barn". It's really not a barn but it is an old home place. The main part of this house is an old cabin over 100 years old, the one side was built about 1910, the back had porches that were boxed in and that's where I need to really get to work on.

So I hope this little enterprise is successful to get some extra funds in here. It does make me feel hopeful and hopefully useful. I'm not the person I used to be that could work circles around a job and get things accomplished like I did. Ed used to say I was, "busier than a one legged woman in a butt kicking contest", but I'm not dead yet.

Ed playing up at Big Walker
Mountain Lookout

Speaking of my Ed...few weeks ago he was hanging out in Jim Lloyd's barbershop when a news crew came in to do a story. They interviewed him about Rural Retreat's master plan. It's a couple of minutes long and you need to watch it to the end...that's ED and why so many who know him, not just me, just love this man!! Classic Eddie Atwell! He's going to tell you what he thinks!

Ed's News Interview

In the next couple weeks there are about 4 blog posts just about completed. Had to find some papers, and books I had here to cite. Found them, now to get them cited.  Until next time, stay safe in the old world.

Appalachian Safari: A Virginia Mountain Man's Wild Stories - Book Review

I've never written a book review but in this case I really like this book.  I also know the author and his family very well.  David Adam Atwell's dad, Eddie Atwell, is my partner at this stage of my life. We've been together about 10 years now. Our family ties go back to the Revolutionary War when we both had grandfathers that were imprisoned for siding with the British. That will be another post at another time.

 

Appalachia is full of writers, crafters and creative people.  When one of us writes something I normally don't comment on it. I read and rejoice that something was written... but I really like this little book. And it is not because I know the person who wrote it, it is because it is out of the ordinary and full of information.

 

For one, this is from a family that is known in our area for their hunting and fishing prowess. Believe me, I have been more than amazed at their skills.  As an example, Ed once called me at work and asked what I'd like for dinner. He was home early and decided he'd cook supper. I told him anything simple would be fine.

 

We batted around a few ideas when he asked, "What about some grilled fish?" I said that sounds good. He said he would have to go catch it. If he couldn't catch anything, he would think of something else.  I looked at the clock and it was 3:30 PM and I got off work at 5.  I'm thinking, "Ok, it's going to be a late supper if he has to catch it!"

 

Imagine my amazement when I pulled up into the driveway at 5:30 and the fish (enough to feed 6 people) were on the grill cooking just about done. It was hard for me to comprehend these fish were swimming just an hour before!  That's when I realized that what folks had said about this family having some talent for hunting and fishing, beyond the usual, was true. Now David Adam Atwell has written a book about some of that talent.

 

This book is a very quick read and it's personalized stories, (some are hilarious) about the family but it is chocked full of some of their hunting, shooting and fishing tips.

 

Here is a brief excerpt on catfish: " My father ran out of bait once while fishing on the dam of Rural Retreat Lake and decided to scavenge for some. The waterline at the dam, like most man-made lakes, is rocky to prevent erosion and after flipping over a few rocks my dad scooped up a crawdad and decided to fish with it. Dad hooked it through the tail with the hook coming out of the top, placed a bobber around 4 feet up from the hook, and then cast the crawdad about 10 feet out. After a few minutes the bobber disappeared and dad reeled in a nice catfish. I started doing the same and we caught a lot of fish that spring, and saved a lot of money on bait.  Over time we also caught bass and muskies at the dam using crawdads. The secret is to setup your line and cast it out just far enough that the crawdad is bouncing around on top of the rocks, but also cannot get enough grip to actually crawl under a rock.  Unlike night catfishing there is no art to setting the hook, when your bobber disappears you just jerk the pole; and let me tell you that bobber vanishes suddenly and goes completely out of sight. Over the years we found late spring and early summer to be the best time of year and have always done this type of catfishing during the day."

 

And that's just on catching catfish in the daytime! There are excerpts on everything from shooting turkeys to hunting buffalo in the mid west. It's telling stories but in the telling a lot of information comes through about hunting and fishing. Thus Appalachian Safari is an excellent book for hunters, fishermen and anyone interested in that side of our Appalachian heritage. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you will too.

 

It can be purchased on Amazon and there is a kindle edition also. Appalachian Safari on Amazon.com