Why I Love It Here

I have been trying to write this post for a few days now.  I kept writing something and then erasing, writing then erasing.  I just couldn't put it into words how I felt about this place.  This is Kentucky.  Not the Kentucky you see on Derby Day.  This is Eastern Kentucky.  We don't have million dollar horses here that can run like the wind, but we do have the Kentucky Mountain Horse that can go all day long at a smooth gait.

 It's a different kind of place here in Eastern KY.  People have asked me what it's like here.  It's hard to describe.  First off, the land is beautiful.  There are many hills, some are steep, some are rolling.  The trees range from pines to massive oaks.  There are many rocky creeks and rivers also.  Great to fish in!  The wildlife is very abundant.  This is a beautiful place but if I want to get to the heart of it all, I must talk about the people.

The people here are different than any you will meet any place else.  Imagine stepping back in time at least 60 years.  That's kind of how the people think around here.  Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so good.  Not many businesses do their business by Internet. They don't trust the Net.  They can't tell if someone is telling the truth or not by the way they type.  They like to do things face to face. Although they are really getting into Facebook right now. :-)

There are a lot of people who still grow gardens and can here.  That's what their parents did so that's what they do.  Although I have to admit, it is starting to become more rare.  The new generation is starting to get a little lazy.  Video games and computers are important to them.  I'm sure it's like that in a lot of places around the U.S.

Family is very important here.  Your identity is based on who you are related to.  I was not born here but my Dad was.  He came from a family of 12 kids.  That's right folks! 12 KIDS!!!  My poor Grandma.  :-)  But since my family was from here, I'm not considered an outsider.  Families will fight with themselves.  But, they will stick up for each other when it comes right down to it.  Remember the Hatfields and the McCoys?  Ya, they were from this part of the Appalachia.  That kind of mentality is still here.  Although, it may be more quiet and sneaky.  Families have each others backs.  We are a scrappy type.

There are much more that I can get into about the people and the places here.  I don't have enough time to write about it in one post.  My plans are to write about it periodically on here.  We'll see how that goes. Hehehe.

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl,  Appalachian American