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West Virginia

By Gaye Hoots

Four members of our writer’s guild toured the New River Gorge and the surrounding areas this past week. Stephanie planned and organized the three-night trip. We stopped in Beckley and went into the tunnels of a coal mine, now a tourist attraction. A small trolley car took us through the mine, and a former miner who had spent 11 years toiling in the mines showed the equipment and explained how it was used; much of the ore was dug out by picks, often while the miner was on his back or side.

The mine owners owned the houses the miners lived in, and the company store was the only place they could purchase any items without risk of losing their job. The mine superintendents had a large homes with modern conveniences on a hill overlooking the shanties where the miners lived. The pay was not enough to feed a family, and if a miner died, his family was set out of the home they lived in and replaced by the family of the miner taking the deceased’s job in the mine.

Our guide told us he had lost his father and his two oldest brothers to Black Lung Disease by the time they were 60 years old, and that death was excruciatingly painful. His boss had instructed him to ask for a respirator the first day he reported to work. He was told others would make fun of him for wearing it; evidently, it was considered unmanly, but it saved his life. His stories were interesting and when we bid him goodbye, we were unaware we would see him again.

Marie drove, so I could fully enjoy the magnificent mountain views. Beckley was familiar territory as I had been there many times with a friend who attended weekly car auctions. Our Airbnb was in Fayetteville and was a historic home in the downtown area. It was beautifully furnished, and everything was for sale. I brought home a still life for my kitchen. We were beside a restaurant across the street from other restaurants and a convenience store. Each day we explored a new area, including the New River Gorge area, which we drove over and then took a jet boat ride under and for a few miles upstream from the dam. The bridgework is a form of art with a backdrop of the mountains and a perfectly blue sky. The river was lined with small fishing huts, and our guide, an interesting character with his long beard, flannel shirt, and colorful suspenders said he had a fishing shed there. The railroad owned the land, but in the past, they granted permission to people for the huts, and while no longer doing this, they let the original ones be repaired and used. We also visited Hawk’s Nest State Park for the views.

Tuesday, we went to Babcock State Park and Glade Creek Grist Mill. The mill was closed, but we enjoyed the views from all angles, and the gift shop was open. Cathedral Falls and Kanawha Falls were beautiful, and we topped the day off by visiting Nuttallburg, an old mining town from the past. Julie drove this winding trail that was literally a pig path. When a vehicle followed us, we joked about scenes from “Deliverance” until the car turned off. At the end of the track were foundations of an old building or two and a dozen cars. The other girls hit a trail into the woods and discovered one of the highlights of our trip.

     Yo-Yo Ma, Kathy Mattea, Dom from The Carolina Chocolate Drops, and our guide from the coal mine were there filming a documentary with their music and stories. Stephanie grabbed my camera and took several pictures. I don’t know when this will air, but I hope to catch it. The musicians are environmentalists opposed to some of the mining techniques used in West Virginia. Kathy Mattea’s Facebook page has excellent group pictures, and stated YoYo invited them.

     On our way home, we visited Sandstone Falls and Tamarack, the craft store in Beckley. Thanks, girls, for a great trip.

Erma Bombeck

By Marie Craig

      We were fortunate to be able to travel when my sons were young.  I chose books for me to read out loud as we drove from one vacation feature to the next.  An author we all enjoyed was Erma Bombeck.

     Even my sons appreciated her wise advice and crazy humor.  A few things I remember from her books were descriptions of her own attempt at managing a home and children.  She was very open about her doubts and failures of accomplishing all the many things she needed to do, and she compared herself to a neighbor who “waxed her driveway every morning.”  As I read her books and her newspaper humor columns, I felt like I was in a support group helping me realize that it was OK not to achieve perfection in my own home management.  It was a special treat to savor her writing.

     Another quote I remember was something to the effect of “depending on my mood, 80-90 percent of the people in the world could be declared legally dead.”  I have sometimes found this to be true.  In discussing lost items when laundering, she said that she was going to start a New York Sock Exchange where people could bring single socks together and perhaps swap to make pairs.

     In addition to me remembering her advice, I found that my son remembered one of her quotes many years later.  It was necessary for him to get braces for his teeth.  He and I went to one orthodontist for a free consultation.  In the waiting room, there were several plants that looked like they’d not be watered for months.  My son looked at me and then at the plants and then slowly shook his head.  He was remembering one of Erma’s admonitions.  “Never trust a doctor who lets office plants die.”  When we were called into the examining room, sure enough, we did not like or trust that doctor.  A few weeks later, we found another orthodontist who was wonderful.

     Research tells me that this author wrote fifteen books, most of which became bestsellers.  Her humor column was in newspapers from 1965 to 1996.  The titles of the books were enough to make you want to read them.  For example, When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It’s Time to Go Home; The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank; The Family that Plays Together Gets on Each Other’s Nerves; and Aunt Erma’s Cope Book, How to Get from Monday to Friday in Twelve Days.

     She also wrote serious books.  I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise is a book about children with cancer.  She had personal experience with this and wanted to describe the hopes and dreams of young people who were battling bad situations.

     I think we need some humor right now to help us through challenges.  Maybe you want to find one of these books and share the laughter and wisdom.

West Virginia

By Gaye Hoots

     Four members of our writer’s guild toured the New River Gorge and the surrounding areas this past week. Stephanie planned and organized the three-night trip. We stopped in Beckley and went into the tunnels of a coal mine, now a tourist attraction. A small trolley car took us through the mine, and a former miner who had spent eleven years toiling in the mines showed the equipment and explained how it was used; much of the ore was dug out by picks, often while the miner was on his back or side.

     The mine owners owned the houses the miners lived in, and the company store was the only place they could purchase any items without risk of losing their job. The mine superintendents had a large home with modern conveniences on a hill overlooking the shanties where the miners lived. The pay was not enough to feed a family, and if a miner died, his family was set out of the home they lived in and replaced by the family of the miner taking the deceased’s job in the mine.

     Our guide told us he had lost his father and his two oldest brothers to Black Lung Disease by the time they were sixty years old, and that death was excruciatingly painful for them. His boss had instructed him to ask for a respirator the first day he reported to work. He was told others would make fun of him for wearing it; evidently, it was considered unmanly, but it saved his life. His stories were interesting and when we bid him goodbye, we were unaware we would see him again.

    Marie drove, so I could fully enjoy the magnificent mountain views. Beckley was familiar territory as I had been there many times with a friend who attended weekly car auctions. Our Airbnb was in Fayetteville and was a historic home in the downtown area. It was beautifully furnished, and everything was for sale. I brought home a still life for my kitchen. We were beside a restaurant across the street from other restaurants and a convenience store. Each day we explored a new area, including the New River Gorge area, which we drove over and then took a jet boat ride under and for a few miles upstream from the dam. The bridgework is a form of art with a backdrop of the mountains and a perfectly blue sky. The river was lined with small fishing huts, and our guide, an interesting character with his long beard, flannel shirt, and colorful suspenders said he had a fishing shed there. The railroad owned the land, but in the past, they granted permission to people for the huts, and while no longer doing this, they let the original ones be repaired and used. We also visited Hawk’s Nest State Park for the views.

     Tuesday, we went to Babcock State Park and Glade Creek Grist Mill. The mill was closed, but we enjoyed the views from all angles, and the gift shop was open. Cathedral Falls and Kanawha Falls were beautiful, and we topped the day off by visiting Nuttallburg, an old mining town from the past. Julie drove this winding trail that was literally a pig path. When a vehicle followed us, we joked about scenes from “Deliverance” until the car turned off. At the end of the track were foundations of an old building or two and a dozen cars. The other girls hit a trail into the woods and discovered one of the highlights of our trip.

     Yo-Yo Ma, Kathy Mattea, Dom from The Carolina Chocolate Drops, and our guide from the coal mine were there filming a documentary with their music and stories. Stephanie grabbed my camera and took several pictures. I don’t know when this will air, but I hope to catch it. The musicians are environmentalists opposed to some of the mining techniques used in West Virginia. Kathy Mattea’s Facebook page has excellent group pictures, and stated YoYo invited them.

     On our way home, we visited Sandstone Falls and Tamarack, the craft store in Beckley. Thanks, girls, for a great trip.