Hooked On Libraries, Podcasts, & Alabama Author's Day

There’s nothing like holding a book that contains your words…or seeing that book in the library while on a field trip with your students! The award-winning anthology that started it all can found on library shelves across North Alabama, including: the Scottsboro Public Library, the South Huntsville Public Library, the Decatur Public Library, and the Athens-Limestone County Public Library.

Hopefully, Feisty Deeds II will be keeping it company soon!

The Talking Appalachian Podcast

Hosted by Amy Clark, the founding Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, this podcast dives deep into the the language, dialect, and culture of the Appalachian Region. For me, it’s an immersion into the history of my ancestors, a step back in time, and an opportunity to learn something new!

P.S. Both of my short stories (in Feisty Deeds I & II) are set in the Appalachian Foothills of Alabama.

The Caretaker by Ron Rash

Thanks to the aforementioned podcast, I’ve discovered a new author. The Caretaker is my current Audible “read,” and I am eating it up! Here’s the blurb from goodreads:

Told against the backdrop of the Korean War as a small Appalachian town sends its sons to battle, The Caretaker by award-winning author Ron Rash ("One of the great American authors at work today" --The New York Times) is a breathtaking love story and a searing examination of the acts we seek to justify in the name of duty, family, honor, and love.

Springtime! No, I’m just kidding…kind of. I do not love winter weather. Fellow Feisty Deeds I contributor D.W. Hogan and I will be at Alabama Author’s Day on March 7th. Join us at the Historic Oakleigh House and Museum in Mobile, Alabama. Enjoy book signings by authors from across the region, guided tours through historic Mobile, picturesque river cruises, and connections with authors and readers alike.

February 6th, 7th, and 8th are marked by the birthdays of three real-life feisty women—two of which I get to call family.

February 6th: From the day I first held her, I knew my Goddaughter was destined for great things. If there’s ever been a picture of a child rising above, pulling herself up by her bootstraps, Katelyn is it. She is strong, maybe more than she knows, and loved beyond measure.

Without a doubt, this tomboy, spicy, loud girl is our reason. We were made for her. She will graduate from college in May with a degree in Automotive Technology. Her “Hold my sweet tea, I’ve got this” attitude serves her well.

There she is with my sister’s beloved Chevy Cavalier, which she successfully revived.

February 7th marks the 159th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birth. When I was a little girl, I idolized Laura. I read and reread the Little House books and dressed up in “prairie skirts” lovingly stitched by my grandmother. In elementary school, my sister, best friend Anne, and I threw a birthday party for Laura Ingalls Wilder. We had a cake and everything.

One of my favorite stories, told by Laura herself, recounts the building of the fireplace of the Wilder home, Rocky Ridge Farm. Laura wanted a stone fireplace. Almanzo, whom she lovingly referred to as “The Man of the House,” grew tired of hauling rocks and declared they would use brick. Laura begged and pleaded to no avail. Finally, she cried. “For the only time in my life, I made use of a woman’s time-honored weapon, tears, and to my surprise, it worked,” she said.

February 8th: My husband’s grandmother (Katelyn’s great-grandmother) would have been 89 this year. Her name was Ruth. (Out of respect, we’ll call her Miss Ruth.) She was as feisty as she was sweet.

She enjoyed loafering at yard sales and auctions. More often than not, her yard sale purchases were “recycled”—basically, sold at her own yard sales. Miss Ruth made the best peanut butter cake, which she sold at local auctions for a dollar a slice. Her favorite pastime at auctions included buying money tickets. If she lost, the whole ordeal was “fixed.” She was quite a character and the heart of her family.

1 boxed yellow cake mix (like Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker prepared as directed on the package)

1 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter (Ruth preferred Peter Pan peanut butter.)

1 tsp of vanilla

1-2 tbsp milk (if the frosting needs thinning)

powdered sugar

1. Bake the cake according to package directions. You should end up with 2 cake layers.

2. Allow the cake layers to cool on a wire rack. If you frost them too soon, the frosting will melt.

3. Mix all the remaining ingredients (butter, peanut butter, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar) with beaters until creamy. Add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your preferred sweetness. Or, as Katelyn says, “Until your ancestors whisper, ‘That’s enough.’”

4. Set your first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the first layer, before placing the second layer. The frosting “glues” the layers together.

5. Frost the cake. Cover it. Make it pretty and homemade.

It’s the simplest recipe, but it is loved. My husband asked for his granny’s peanut butter cake every year for his birthday.

Sincerely,

Beth Anne Hill

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If you’re interested in my library of stories or want to learn more about my writing, please check out my website.