File Under Lessons Learned goes Appalachian Chic!

Well, friends, it's been a wild ride the past few weeks, but the dust is quickly settling and very, VERY soon I will begin posting on a regular basis. Many new things coming down Esther's life lane at the moment - and one of them is the new name for my blog. My original random postings on Facebook always began with, "File Under: Lessons Learned . . ." But I have arrived at a point of self-definition that began with a made-up cookie recipe a few years ago and blossomed recently when I wrote that "open letter to Kate Spade." I'll share the cookie recipe and the Kate Spade rant here sometime soon.

But for now, no matter where I go or what I do, at the very core of my being, I AM an Appalachian woman and extremely honored to be one. Appalachian people have a culture all their own, even in the South where some folks think we are a whole unique country! For the most part, we are a hardy and resourceful lot, and we respect hard work and common sense, wit and wisdom.

Generations of my own "people" - sept Roberts of Clan Donnachaidh - have lived within a 100 mile radius of where I presently sit since they immigrated from Scotland in about 1750. My ancestors fought for freedom from Tory tyranny in the War for Independence. My ancestors fought for personal liberty for every human being in the War Between the States. More on fam in later posts.

Soooooo - about the blog's new name: Appalachian Chic. Some folks say I've got reasonably good taste. Some folks say I'm a humble country mouse. I don't actually care what anyone says; what matters is: am I okay with me? Are you okay with you? Live and let live, and the rest I say we let God sort out.

From here on out, I plan to write about whatever strikes my fancy and inspires me: fashion, religion, humanity, baking, animal rights, music, hiking, a bug - just whatever seems worthy of my time and interest. So instead of focusing *just* on "lessons learned," this mountain gal is going to give herself permission to write about anything and everything, and do it in a way that makes me happy. My hope is it makes you happy, too. A good friend of mine recently advised me, "Esther, your whole purpose for BEING is to shine light to illuminate and thus eliminate the darkness." Hmmmm . . . My name means, "radiant one," so maybe she's onto something there. I like the notion of spreading joy and happiness and gratitude and wisdom in the world, and so that's exactly what I hope to do here.

Y'all will have to be the judge as to my success.