Writing Thoughts

Confederate Soldiers Remembered

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / 1 Comment

Camp Chase is a Confederate Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

I’ve lived in Columbus, Ohio, most of my life and had never been to Camp Chase until this past December. I was part of a group who laid wreaths on the soldiers’ graves. There are over 2000 men buried there. Not every grave received a wreath but many did. At each grave the man’s name was said aloud and then we were asked to say something just for the person. I said a prayer. It was a very meaningful experience.

Camp Chase was a park that became a recruiting station and training grounds. It then became a prisoner of war camp that was over crowded and filled with disease. At one time it held 8,00 prisoners. After the war some soldiers bodies were taken home but most were left. The federal government bought the land in 1886 and built a wall around the two acres to protect the graves. In 1893, a former union soldier, William Knauss, saw the condition of the graves and went to work cleaning the cemetery and held a memorial service in 1895. In 1908, the wooden headboards were replaced with marble headstones.

You’ll notice the headstones come to a point. I read this was because the Confederate soldiers didn’t want a Yankee to sit on their grave. It could also be it was a way to distinguish the Confederate graves from the Yankees.

The word Americans is written on the top of the arch in the top photo. That is significant in that these men were not treated as the enemy or as traitors. They were honored as Americans. It is also significant that a Union soldier spearheaded the project to maintain a Confederate cemetery. I remember going to a little country cemetery as a little girl and was shown the graves of two family members who had died in the Civil War. One had fought for the North and the other the South. They were buried together in the family plot. They were family and those who fought against each other were all Americans.

Sin Eaters

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Sin Eaters were believed to be able to receive the sin of the deceased.

From the 1600’s to the early 1900’s in the British Isles Sin Eaters were paid to attend a funeral and eat bread that was placed on the deceased and then ingest the person’s sins. Immigrants carried this practice to America and it is believed to have continued until the 1930s in Appalachia. The question one might ask is why?

The Catholic Church had taught the people that sin was absolved after a person confessed and asked for forgiveness. If someone died before having the opportunity to confess his/her sins, the family hired a Sin Eater to accept the deceased’s sins. However, the Catholic Church called these people (both those who did the hiring and the Sin Eater) heretics and blasphemers. The crime of sin eating was punishable by death. The practice comforted the living and it grew to include those whose deaths were not sudden. It also continued because it was believed that the Sin Eaters prevented souls from lingering on earth as ghosts.

Sin Eaters were useful society outcasts. No one would associate with them and they lived outside the villages. People believed they worked for Satan. After all, they willingly accepted the sins of many so they were overflowing with sin.

We are approaching Halloween and remember that people wore masks at this time so evil spirits wouldn’t recognize them or maybe be scared away. People also gave treats to those who promised to pray for a family’s deceased loved ones on Beggar’s Night. Going to heaven was very important to the people. I’m not sure how many people are concerned with that today.

Granny Witch to Role Model!

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Mother’s day has been celebrated in America since 1914.

Every time I smell fried chicken I think of my grandmother. She was a hard working farmer’s wife who cooked a huge noon meal every day for my grandfather and uncles who worked the farm. Endless chores filled her day and I believe my work ethic was influenced by her. “Take time to do it right. If it’s worth doing, do it right. Finish one job before starting another.” These are all sayings I grew up hearing.

A friend of ours asked his university freshmen students who their role model was growing up. He said that 20% of the students said their grandmother and that was followed by a parent or a teacher. That led me to doing a little research on grandmas.

I had never heard of Granny Witches, but am familiar with herbal medicine. Appalachian grandmas became known as Granny Witches because they used plants, prayer, and wisdom in treating people. German, Scottish and Irish traditions for healing came to America with the first settlers and they learned more about plants from the Native Americans. This knowledge was needed since doctors were scarce. Religion came with the settlers and Bibles were regularly read and church was attended. Superstitions about the grannies’ abilities were not erased by attending church. Grannies believed in prayer and superstitions.

A part of a girl’s education was identifying plants. Women passed their knowledge from one generation to the next and were able to find water with a forked stick, treat ailments with herbs and deliver babies. Grannies quoted scripture, read tea leaves, and gave advice. The importance of the Granny Witches in the communities can’t be emphasized enough.

Today many grandmas receive gifts and cards. I recently taught my 13 year old granddaughter how to make a lemon meringue pie. She appreciated the help, but she gave me a gift by asking me to teach her.

Happy Mother’s Day!

May Celebrations and Beauty

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Lilacs are one of May’s flowers and irises, peonies, and poppies will soon follow.

The month of May announces that summer is on its way. The flowers are glorious and proud as they blow in the warm breezes. However, I need to show what my last April surprise was.

Deer ate all the tulips in my front yard. There were almost 150. This is the first year they enjoyed a tulip buffet. I’m used to them eating my lilies but this was a shock.

These tulips are in the back of the house and were not bothered. Deer did leave me their calling card of poop though.

May Day was yesterday so April surprises are now in the past. I remember delivering May baskets of flowers to neighbors as a little girl and even dancing around a maypole one year. The maypole was a tradition in both England and Germany. The ancient Romans celebrated the flower goddess Flora and the goddess Maia on May 1. I can’t imagine keeping track of all these different gods and goddesses and all the celebrations. This was a fertility celebration for crops and people.

The Puritans did not approve the dancing and drinking that occurred on May Day and we can assume what else occurred, so Parliament banned maypoles in 1644. It didn’t take long for the new king, Charles II, to restore the tradition. Since this was a fertility celebration, many soon changed the tradition of young men and women dancing around the maypole to having children dance instead. I wonder if that solved the problem.

Wishing you all a happy May and I hope you are blessed with blooming flowers. And…a little dancing is good for the body and the soul!

April Foolery!

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April in Ohio makes the entire month subject to unwanted surprises.

This picture was from April 21, 2021, so it wasn’t nature playing an April Fools’ Day joke. In Ohio, any day in April can reveal a joke played by nature. I remember one Good Friday in April when my children made a giant Easter Bunny from the snow. I wish nature would agree with me and not allow snow after March 1. I’m perfectly happy with it December through February, but when March arrives I want spring.

Historians aren’t sure of the origin of April’s Fools’, but some suggest it began in 1582 when the calendar was switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. It took awhile for people to hear that the new year was to begin on January 1 instead of April 1. These poor uninformed people were called April Fools.

I have never been a fan of practical jokes which are performed on April 1. I remember both as a child and as a teacher seeing signs stuck on someone’s back. These were not words of praise. There were many acts of meanness performed and it made the day miserable. What would have been nice was to see people surprising others with a compliment, a candy bar, an invitation or for me a flower.

The other problem I have with this day was the person humiliated or hurt wasn’t allowed to be upset because it was just an April Fool’s joke and that was expected on this day. They were to laugh it off. I don’t agree. There is no day that should encourage people to embarrass or harm another.

I have come to accept nature’s jokes, but I can’t accept cruel acts. Why ruin a person’s day when you could do something to make them happy?

More Miracles!

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Nature’s miracles always delight me.

It always surprises me how small bulbs survive our cold winters and produce such lovely blossoms. I’m so happy the squirrels don’t dig up the crocus or daffodil bulbs; I can’t say that about my tulips. Those squirrels!

I heard from a couple people who shared their miracles after reading my last blog. One said it was a miracle her cancer was found early. Another said she thought it was a miracle the chemo worked and she is now cancer free. They both said they thank God every day. Years ago a friend told me her father’s tumor disappeared after people in his church prayed for him. He was scheduled for surgery and when he had the last scan he was told it was gone. He remained cancer free and died many years later.

Another story was someone who was in a car accident. She was pinned in the car and no one was around. Her phone just happened to land on her chest and she could reach it with her free hand and called 911. I love hearing the stories and I know there are many who ask why they haven’t received miraculous help or healing in response to their prayers. I too have asked that.

Last night we were given a beautiful rainbow. Rainbows are signs of hope and good things to come. For me it is a sign that God is watching over us. The news is so depressing that it’s difficult to watch, so seeing a rainbow is encouraging.

As spring brings reawakening plants, I’m thankful for these miracles of nature. I’m not so thankful for the sturdy weeds the stare at me proudly for surviving the winter. They are very resilient which I realize is a good quality to have in these challenging times. Look for the daily miracle and you will be uplifted!

The Joy of a Blossom!

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / 2 Comments

My gardenia plant has three beautiful blossoms!

Gardeners know the joy of seeing a plant bloom. Plants are similar to children in that some are more challenging than others. For me, the gardenia plant has been challenging. I have had many over the years and the longest I was able to keep one was five years. I’m hoping I’ve learned from my mistakes.

The plant that lived the longest never went outside. I made the mistake of taking the others outside in the summer. When I brought them inside for the winter, they always had insects. As I tried to kill the insects, I killed the plant. This beautiful plant did not spend the summer outside, and it sits all day in a sunny window. I also have done a better job of fertilizing it than I have in the past. If you don’t know the aroma of a gardenia, I can’t explain it because it has its own distinct scent. It smells heavenly!

Scents elicit memories and for my father-in-law it was the Philippines where he was stationed during WWII. He said gardenias grew everywhere and the air was filled with their scent. I remember I wore a gardenia corsage to my senior prom. I remember that, but I don’t remember my dress. I pressed the corsage and kept it for years.

Gardenias are evergreens, but not in Ohio. They need moisture, at least six to eight hours of light each day, and acidic fertilizer. They also like hearing how good they smell and how pretty they look. The extra pampering this plant gets is worth it.

A Day to Show Love

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Sometimes we just need to hear the words.

Memories of clutching my valentine box that I spent hours on still runs through my mind. It was the day that everyone in my class was my friend because I received a card from everyone. The teachers gave us lots of time to read each one, and I hope everyone felt special at least for a little while.

Valentine’s Day brightens the month of February and many people put hearts on their front doors and in my neighborhood some even have red lights on their bushes. We all have a need to celebrate, but we don’t need a special holiday to do that. Anytime we give a compliment brightens someone’s day.

I was listening to someone talk about the gift she was giving herself this Valentine’s Day. She said she was making a list of all the things people said they liked about her, and she was writing them on a big heart. Depression this winter has been an ongoing battle and she needed to give herself a boost. I found it sad that she needed other people’s comments to put on the card because she couldn’t think of anything she liked about herself to write.

That must make God sad that we don’t say I love how special you made me. He gave us so many gifts. The gift of music, intelligence, patience, or the ability to see beauty in someone or something every day are just a few. I sent my family valentines, but I need to take time and send God one. I’ll sign it with love and gratitude.

I’m Stuck!

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

Life can be overwhelming.

There are times when I just feel stuck. I can’t think of anything to write, I’m preparing the same meals, and I’m doing the same things. Sound familiar? The solution for me is to find a book.

Reading a good book helps me relax which frees my creative side. It also gives me ideas. I know the saying, there’s nothing new under the sun which was adapted from the Bible verse Ecclesiastes 1:9, but there is always a way to create a new twist on an old idea.

What do I read? I read uplifting books. There are so many sad and disturbing things happening in the world that I don’t want to waste my free time on reading more of that. I also like historical novels and some romance novels. The romance novels I like fall into the Hallmark version according to my husband.

I have a cupboard full of cookbooks and most are old having been handed down by my mother. I can spend a couple hours just reading recipes. That has helped me add a few new items to our dinner menu. Breakfast for dinner was one thing I’d forgotten about. There is never a bad time to make waffles!

I feel like my little angel on some days, and I have to push myself to do things. I’m only stuck if I refuse to dig myself out. Books are great shovels and one won’t hurt his/her back lifting them. The libraries are open and it’s a nice place to go. It gets me out of the house, and I come home with an armful of pleasure.

When Less is More

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There are times when a little goes a long way.

I love the snow. I love how it sparkles in the sun and how a dark night becomes light because snow has covered the ground. All the fun things one can do in the snow make it a major source of entertainment. Saying all this, a little can go a long way.

Shoveling under four inches is actually an activity I enjoy. As you can see, this has exceeded that number quite significantly. The sunshine will help some, but it’ll take a while before we can use the front door. It is so heavy it’ll take time and patience to get it shoveled.

This excess of snow made me think of other things where a little goes a long way. Seasoning food is a good example. I always regret when I overuse salt or a spice. Instead of enhancing the flavor it dominates. Eating a large serving of a rich dessert is another example. The small serving is delicious and enjoyable, but eating too much just makes me feel sick and I forget how wonderful it tasted.

Listening to speakers can also fit into the area of a little goes a long way. I’m sure everyone has listened and felt at some point they got the point five minutes ago. Yet, the speaker drones on.

One of the best examples of the saying is the following. A child cried that he wanted to go home and his father said, “but aren’t you having fun?” The child answered, “I’ve had enough fun, I just want to go home!” I can relate. The snow could have stopped at four inches.