During our own challenging era of Coronavirus, we can recall our ancestors' faithfulness, courage, and determination to prevail over difficulties. Janie Mae Jones McKinley invites you to remember times Back in the Day when her grandparents lived in their 1895 farmhouse on secluded Bear Mountain.
Despite not having a road or electricity, Granny's favorite saying was, "We live right well on the mountain." In
The Legacy of Bear Mountain, Volume 2
, Janie Mae includes over three years of regular newspaper columns from the Hendersonville, North Carolina, Times-News. Some new stories are added, along with seasonal pictures.
Winter was a slow time, so Granny pieced quilts while a pot of soup simmered on the wood cookstove. When spring finally arrived, she gathered wild creasy greens and prepared to plant crops.
During summer, Granny enjoyed her flowers and canned garden vegetables for the coming winter. When leaves on Bear Mountain turned golden, she baked sweet potato pies along with eight-layer pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. She and Grandpa were truly grateful.
Christmas was a season to remember kinfolks who were experiencing hard times, and Granny willingly and creatively shared what she had during the tough years of the Great Depression.