Guest Author - Phyllis Doyle Burns
What ever happened to the folk ways of the past? You know -- when families sat out on their porch after supper to watch the kids and dogs play in the yard. The older dogs would lie on the porch snoozing at the feet of their master. Neighbors may walk by and stop and chat for awhile. Coffee or a cool drink would be offered. Maybe even that apple pie made fresh today along with home-made ice cream would be shared with neighbors.
The old folks laughed as they enjoyed watching the goat chase the kids around the yard, or the kids chasing the ducks and geese with the puppies yapping and chasing the kids. The chickens lazily pecked around the garden looking for tasty bits of treats. The birds chattering in the trees added a cheerful note to the end of day.
Granpappy snoozed in his rocking chair as Gramma sat by him embroidering on pillow cases or towels. Mamma and Aunties were crocheting booties and other cute little things for the new baby to come.
The neighborhood was in harmony with the end of day family time. All was well with the world and peace settled down upon everyone as the sun began to set. Maybe Uncle would get out his guitar and others got out a banjo or harmonica and music would start to float throughout the community, drawing friends who loved to come and sing along -- maybe even dance a little.
When the kids got bored of chasing each other and being chased by the goat, Papa and some of the Uncles would entertain them with stories or funny tricks. Uncle Flynn kept the kids laughing as he tried to convince them that chocolate milk came from brown cows, low fat milk came from skinny cows and buttermilk came from fat cows.
Gramma looks up from her embroidery just after the sun sets long enough to comment that they could expect rain tomorrow because the old rooster was crowing after sun set. Others by her nodded with agreement.
Are those days gone forever? Is there any place left where the folks hang on to their generations of traditions? Where are the "down-home" folks today? Where are the sleepy little towns and communities that still have time for family and friend gatherings, folk music, folklore time?
Believe it or not -- there are still places that are "best-kept secrets". Little towns where the day ends on the front porch with family and friends. In the Appalachian Mountains you can find places where a rocking chair is always on the front porch for Grandpa to sit in after supper as family gather round. You can find down-home folks sharing home-made dessert and tall tales -- where children huddle around crackling fires and listen to the old folks tell ghost stories.
The Santa Cruz Mountains in California, the Sierra Mountains in California and Nevada, small towns in the Pacific Northwest, farms lands in Wyoming where buffalo still roam the plains, Kentucky, Tennessee, all over the United States, one can still find down-home folks and peaceful little towns where folklore abounds.
There are still places where the whole community come together to decorate the town and their homes for the holidays and where festivals honoring heroes and folklorists are enjoyed by all.
If you cannot get to any of these places, swing on by the Folklore and Mythology forum at BellaOnline where you can pretend to be part of a sleepy little mountain community and share stories with folks in the "Front Porch Folks" posting thread.
Enjoy pretending to attend a shin-dig or potluck supper. Help us find out where Granpappy goes when he heads back up the hill into the woods for hours at a time with his jug and his old cronies. What does he have hidden back up there? Sneak on down to the Paw-paw patch and see who is pickin' up paw-paws to put in their pockets. Help gather apples in the old orchard so we can make fresh apple pies. Holler across the hollow for neighbors to come on over and bring the fried chicken.
Kick back and pretend we are livin' the simple life of days gone by. Just don't trip over the hounds a lyin' round the porch - and watch out for that ol' sly fox a hangin' round the chicken coop.
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Phyllis
Folklore and Mythology Editor
