From the Mountain

If anyone digs far enough into their ancestry, they are bound to find interesting and exciting relatives from foreign lands. In am no different, being a direct descendant of Margaret Stewart, the illegitimate daughter of James IV King of Scotland. Even further back, Laird Hugh Gifford, aka the Wizard of Seton (now that is one heck of a legend to check out). Those names, although impressive to have on your family tree, are unrelatable to me. Their stories are recorded in the annals of history. But stories of wizards, knights and kings only fuel Hollywood imaginations and inspire authors of fantasy and fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning about my ancient ancestors. But the stories that thrill me are those of who tamed their mountain land, had an insatiable hunger for adventure and, most importantly, shaped me into who I am today (or who I believe I am) - fierce and resourceful, deeply rooted in tradition. This book chronicles the pioneers in my family. Women who were fearless fighters and men who did what was necessary to provide and survive. It is also stories of adventure and of those who were proud of their heritage. Peppered throughout are treasured recipes (good home cookin’), family photographs, tinctures and cures like those that my great-great grandmother Dora would give to her neighbors as a healer, as well as superstitions as old as the mountains that they called home.