Hi. Luke Bauserman from The Weekly Holler here. Every year around Groundhog Day I start to
look forward to spring, especially putting in my garden. In fact, I was just working on refinishing
the handle of this hoe here. This week I have a special interview for you
with one of my all-time favorite bloggers. Her name is Tipper Pressley and she runs the
Blind Pig And The Acorn, a blog dedicated to promoting and preserving Appalachian culture
and tradition. We talk about many things in our interview,
including Appalachian recipes, the dialect and music of the mountains, and even a little
bit of gardening. I hope you enjoy it. So Tipper Pressley is the blogger behind the
Blind Pig And The Acorn, a blog dedicated to celebrating and preserving Appalachian
culture. And when it comes to Appalachian culture,
the Blind Pig And The Acorn delivers it in spades. It's a treasure trove of oral history, advice
on planting by the signs, Appalachian sayings, down home cooking and traditional mountain
music. Tipper, thanks for joining us and welcome
to The Weekly Holler. Tipper Pressley: I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me Luke. Luke Bauserman: So, there's a lot of things
I'm looking forward to talking to you about, but first I would love to hear how you came
to start the Blind Pig And The Acorn. Tipper Pressley: Okay. I started the Blind Pig And The Acorn in 2008. So I've been doing it almost coming up on
10 years now. When I first started the Blind Pig And The
Acorn, I went through, I guess you'd call it a rough patch of life, you know, and was
kind of looking for something to help me just get back on track. I'd always had a great passion for my culture
and I loved antiques, and hearing the old stories my dad and mom would tell, that kind
of stuff. And about that same time one of my friends
told me that she had a blog. Well, I thought blogs were only political
in nature, that kind of thing, or for businesses. Luke Bauserman: Sure. Tipper Pressley: I realized that I could blog
about anything. So once I read hers, hers was predominately
about her children, so that relatives that lived far away could see what was going on
in her kids' life. But anyway, once I found hers I found all
these others. And I realized you can blog about anything. And through that, with the help of a local
small business center, developed my plan and decided this was a chance for me to try to
preserve and to celebrate what I cared a lot about, which was my Appalachian culture and
heritage. Luke Bauserman: Well, that's wonderful. Now, when it comes to celebrating and preserving
Appalachian culture and heritage, is it something that you feel like you always been aware of,
or was there a point in your life where you kinda had your eyes open to the traditions
and things you've been raised with? Tipper Pressley: I think I was raised with, or I
know I was raised with just a real appreciation for those type of things, you know. Just to be grateful and with a real strong
sense of family and sense of place, you know, those kind of things. So, I already had that. Probably when I first realized that maybe
everybody else didn't have it, other areas of the country and stuff, the first time I
moved away from home, which I didn't move very far, about three counties away, so I
was still in Appalachia. But I worked at a place, a meeting facility,
where people come from all over the country, sometimes even all over the world, to have
meetings at our facility. I think it was when I worked there I first
noticed, because people would comment about my accent. And other coworkers that worked in the area
that I did, they had my accent. You know, they were local people. So they would ask us, most of the time it
was nice, that they would comment about our accent. Sometimes it was more of a, kind of snarky,
that they couldn't understand us or something. But anyway, along with that, there was also
people that really were interested you know. They would ask what about our traditions and
about folklore. I guess they had already read about Appalachia
or about the mountains of North Carolina. I think that's when I first began to realize,
hey, everybody else don't live like this. This is not the same as other places. And I think that for some people, I've read
people that grow up in Appalachia and they move away, they have that same experience. And sometimes it makes them want to hide,
you know, who they are, or be more mainstream, not be as obvious that they were from the
mountains or the hollers. But for me, for some reason, it just made
me want to hold on to that more. It's almost like it made me feel like well,
I must be in a secret club, you know. Luke Bauserman: Yeah. Tipper Pressley: All this stuff, so it made
me want to hold on to it even more. And then shortly after that, I come back home
and I went to college. And in college I had Appalachian studies class. And I think that really solidified me thinking,
wow, this is really something, that I appreciate it, but I didn't realize the rest of the world
wasn't like that. It was something to be celebrated and to be
proud of. Luke Bauserman: Absolutely. In the age that we live in, I think you see
a lot of small regional cultures kind of being integrated into larger national cultures. Why do you think it's important to preserve
these little regional traditions and cultures that we have? Tipper Pressley: Well, it's kind of like that
saying that you've got to know where you've been to know where you're going. I think that's part of it is that you got
to know who you are, your family. And there's so much, it's fascinating. I'm not saying this just pertains to Appalachia,
this is all over the entire world. But it's fascinating how cultures, their traditions,
their folklore, their dialect, just everything about them, how that solidifies who you are. From your family unit, the things that you
do in your little family unit to the wider, your community, your neighbors. All those kinda of things. I think it's just important that it gives
you that sense of belonging, whether you're in Appalachia or somewhere else. I happen to be in Appalachia, but it's that
sense of belonging to a larger community who has the same traditions and folklore and all
those kind of things, cares about the kind of things ...
I guess that's similar to if they were raised in the same community then they can kind of
look at you and be like, yeah I know all about that. I've been there, done that. That kind of thing, you know. Luke Bauserman: Sure, that camaraderie, yeah. Tipper Pressley: Right, I think it's important
for all people, but I can only speak for me, for Appalachia, for us to have that sense
of each other, sense of community that it makes us stronger. Luke Bauserman: I certainly agree with that. I found talking to bloggers and also running
a blog myself that having your own blog often turns in to quite the adventure, and you make
a lot of discoveries. What are some of your favorite stories that
you've discovered while you've been running the Blind Pig And The Acorn? Tipper Pressley: Well, I've learned a lot. Appalachia is a huge area, you know, and I
live in what would be called the Southern Highlands. I live in the mountains of western North Carolina,
but the Southern Highlands of Appalachia. But it goes all the way to Pennsylvania, and
then it goes below me. So it's a huge area. So it's fascinating that in my area predominately
we have the influence from people that had moved here who were from Scotland or Ireland,
father north. I've learned from people, there's a whole
German influence that I don't see that as much in my area. Becoming a blogger, of course in the beginning,
I wanted to celebrate Appalachia but I also kinda had the ideal of grandeur. Well, maybe I'll make money. Maybe this will be my living, which I still
have that, but it's not happened. But what has happened is meeting so many different
people and in reaching my life, by them sharing their life with me, you know what I mean? There's people that read my blog that live
the same kind of life I do. There's people who grew up in Appalachia but
had to leave, and they never got over missing that you know. And then there's people that never have been
here, don't even know anything about it, but they just find it fascinating. One of my readers in Australia, he's from
Australia, never been to Appalachia, but two generations back when he was doing his genealogy,
those ancestors grew up, where born and raised in Appalachia. So there's these neat, I guess spider web,
you connect with each other you know. So that's been a really neat thing that I've
enjoyed and a blessing. And like I said I hadn't monetarily gained,
but I think those riches are more important than money. Those connections that I've made like that. Luke Bauserman: That is so true. I think our lives are enriched when you have
a connection with someone that you've never even met in person. And that is kinda a unique thing you get through
something like a blog. Tipper Pressley: Oh it is, yeah. That communicating, like you said, even though
you might not never meet, but that one-on-one communication that you feel like you're getting,
and sharing something that you both genuinely care about. Luke Bauserman: Absolutely. So, what do you find is the most popular subject
on your blog? There's so many cool things that you cover. Tipper Pressley: Probably my most popular
is dialect. I talk about the language of Appalachia. That's probably the most popular feature. I do a lot of individual dialect posts, but
every month I have an Appalachia vocabulary test. Luke Bauserman: Okay. Tipper Pressley: So people can take the test. And in the past year, I've been able to add
little short videos of myself or whoever saying the words because over the years I realized
some of the words, you just need to hear them instead of just see them on paper. And of course, if you're not from Appalachia
you may not know exactly how it is said. It's not a word you're familiar with. But those dialect posts are probably my most
popular feature, I would say. Probably behind that would be maybe some of
the recipes and then the music that my family is, you know, musical ...
Luke Bauserman: I have to say, you've got a lot of talent in that household. I really enjoy the Pickin and Grinnin in the
Kitchen posts you make. The songs are just wonderful. Tipper Pressley: Oh wow. Well, thank you. Thank you. Luke Bauserman: So you were saying these dialect
posts are some of your most popular. What are some of your favorite Appalachian
sayings or ones that you use or that you've heard that have stuck with you? Tipper Pressley: Oh gosh, there's so many
to choose from. It might be tough. Some of the saying, most or the sayings probably
one I love is "eh law." It just means like "eh law," I don't
know, you know. If there's nothing else you can say about
something you don't know what else to say about it. Another one that I like, comes to mind is
spitting image. If somebody's in your spitting image, you
know, could be something like I say, my daughter Katie is the spitting image of Pap, my daddy,
'cause she looks just like him, you know. There's the funny ones like the finer than
frog hair or scarce as hens' teeth. Those are good ones. One of my favorite ones, I don't really hear
anybody say, but I've never got over hearing it. One of my readers in the very beginning sent
it to me, and her grandmother she said would say it. It would say to somebody that was not a good
person. Somebody that was being mean or bad, she would
say your milk of human kindness has turned to bonnie clabber. It's turned to bonnie clabber. I never got over that. I thought that is so descriptive. You think about it, that we all humans have
that kindness in us, but then sometimes is does turn, you know. Luke Bauserman: Very visual too, if you've
ever milked cows. Yeah. Tipper Pressley: I didn't say it myself, I
don't, but I do think about it sometimes. Luke Bauserman: You know, I find that Appalachia
is just really a region that cares about language. And people put a lot of thought into some
of these sayings. They're very creative and very descriptive like
that. My grandpa is kind of the source of a lot
of the sayings in my family. He's fond of using spitting image. He's got some other ones too. One that comes to mind is he likes to say
if you get him something new that he thinks is real neat or innovative, he'll say isn't
this slicker than snot on a doorknob. Tipper Pressley: Yeah, that's a very descriptive one. I think you're right. The Appalachian language is just so rich and
so colorful, and such meaning like that human kindness, I mean what meaning but another
one I thought of, I'm sure you've heard people say like I could say it to you, I'm proud
to be here, I'm proud that you asked me to be interviewed, to interview me. But that doesn't mean that I'm proud that
I think I'm something. It's a different way of saying it. It's almost like saying I'm humbled. I can't even believe you even asked me, so
I'm so humbled and blessed, you know. Have you heard proud to be here, you know. Some one that's not familiar with it
might think, well who do they think they are. It's just saying oh my goodness, I'm honored. It's a way of really saying I'm honored. Luke Bauserman: Now that I think about it,
I used to go to a lot of square dances growing up and I can remember some of the bands saying
that. We're proud to be here, to play the music
for ya. Tipper Pressley: I remember, I can hear preachers
that said that, you know. I can visit them preachers or something, I'm
proud to be here. But he wasn't saying now I'm here everything's
going to be perfect. It was just his way of saying I'm honored
that you asked me. That you asked me to come to your church and
speak. But it's one of those, like you said totally
different meaning than how the word is usually used. Luke Bauserman: Yeah. So I saw that you teach Appalachian cooking
classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School. What kind of dishes do you like to teach
people to make in that class? Tipper Pressley: It is a great school, so
if you ever get the chance, it's a real experience. People say that once you go, then you gotta
go back. It's that kinda thing. The things that I teach usually, usually I'll
teach try to do jellies and jams and maybe pickles, that kinda thing. Because it's usually a week long class. And there's certainly food that we cook that
we eat right then. The students want to be able to take something
home with them, they want to take something back. Whereas if you was at the folk school and
you were taking a basket class, basket making, you'd probably take a basket home with you
by the end of the week, you know. Or maybe more than that. But anyway, so we usually do some jellies
and jams and pickles, that kinda thing. Usually we make kraut at least one small jar
of kraut so they can see the fermenting process. And along with that we do pies and cakes usually. But try to focus on the traditional ones,
or the ones local in this area that are kinda popular. Of course, I bring the ones from my family
and I usually also do cornbread and biscuits so that I can show them how, some families
do it different, but how my family makes cornbread and biscuits. Luke Bauserman: Okay, so do any of the dishes
that you teach have an interesting history, or history within your family? Tipper Pressley: Probably one of the ones,
and I always try to make it, and it does have with my family, and it's an arsh potato cake. Well the word "arsh," how I'm saying it is really
a corruption of Irish, so an Irish potato, which just means a white potato, just a regular
potato. But when I was growing up, my mother and father,
who I call Granny and Pap on the blog, they called those arsh potatoes. So you had sweet potatoes or you had arsh
potatoes, you know. And using that term, arsh potatoes is common
throughout Appalachia to describe a white, just a potato, white potato. But the recipe, it's a really old one, my
mother Granny, she got it years ago, when I don't even know if I was born or not. She was working with a lady that she rode
to work with, you know, and the lady give it to her, and it had come from someone in
her family, this lady was from Clay County North Carolina, which is just down the road
from us. And you could tell it was an old recipe because
the descriptions were things like a lump, or the size of a walnut. It didn't have regular measurements. I also has potatoes in it, so arsh potato
cake actually has mashed potatoes in it. So that's kind of a historical thing is using
what you've got, using what you had on hand. So if you had leftover potatoes. It also had black walnuts in it, which black
walnuts are native to the Appalachian region, you know. And it's really good beside all that history. But it's really like a cake that you'd make
for something special, you know, Christmas, a reunion, a potluck, something like a homecoming
or something like that. It would be a fancier cake that you would
make. Luke Bauserman: Okay, I'll have to try that
out. It sounds interesting. I love anything with black walnuts in it. Tipper Pressley: Yeah, me too. You can find the recipe on the blog Blind
Pig And The Acorn. So you can find it there. Luke Bauserman: Okay, I'll have to look for
that and give it a whirl. That sounds great. So one of the other things you post about
that I've been particularly interested in is the idea of planting by the signs. And I've found it fascinated that you've done
some tests on planting by the signs over the years. I was just curious, have you found it to be
effective? Tipper Pressley: I have found it to be effective. When I was growing up, Mama and Daddy, Granny
and Pap, always had a garden every year we had one. But they did not go by the signs. It wasn't necessarily that they didn't believe
in them, but Pap, you know he worked full-time, he had the whole music thing going. So he had that. He was a baseball coach. He's the deacon at church and a Sunday School
teacher. So between all of his obligations in life,
he just had to plant whenever he could plant, basically. So I didn't grow up in a family that went
by ... Granny did always go by the signs if she was
pickling or fermenting, like kraut, making kraut, or pickled beans and corn. They did not when they were gardening. But after I started the Blind Pig And The
Acorn I become interested in it. And I was beginning, my husband and I had
been gardening ourselves since we were married every year. So once I got interested in it, I kinda started
trying to dabble in it. And I read about it, and read about it. The first year that we did it, I just chose
like a fruitful sign, which was I think I chose Cancer, the sign of the crab, what's
the little crab, the most fruitful zodiac sign. And it seemed like our garden did so much
better, it was just crazy. So I was a believer right then, you know. But then the next year, I just got so technical
about it, and I tried to do everything ... I mean, kind of in a nutshell, it's that you
should plant above-ground crops under a fruitful sign when the moon is waxing, or increasing. And then you should plant the root crops,
or the below-ground crops under a fruitful sign while the moon is waning, or decreasing. I got so obsessed with that, that our garden
did good, but I drove myself crazy, I didn't enjoy it. So then the next year I thought, I'm still
going to do it, but I'm going to go back to what I did in the beginning. So for me, instead of worrying about the increasing
or decreasing, I just used the zodiac signs. So I choose usually four, Taurus, Cancer,
Scorpio and Pisces is what Matt and I like to use. And those are the signs, we just try to plant
under those signs. And it really does work. And for people that tell me, oh, that's just
a bunch of hogwash, it doesn't work. I say well for nothing else, maybe it works,
because if you're going to plant by the signs, you have to be more organized. You have to think ahead of what you're going
to plant. For me, personally, when you think about the
moon and the orbit of the earth, and the tides and the oceans and all that, I'm like how
can it not be. How could it not help? Anyway, so I tried, I do ...
And last year our garden didn't do as well, and we didn't plant by the signs. And the reason we didn't was, if you've been
reading my blog, you probably already know, but last April Pap passed away. We lost Pap. So I was just like, who cares, you know. And so I didn't even want to plant a garden,
but we did, but we more or less did it when I could get the gumption to walk outside and
do something. And at the end of the season, Matt said well
I'm disappointed in ... He was disappointed in the green beans. But I said, well, we didn't plant them by
the signs. Anyway, so I am a firm believer in planting
by the signs. Luke Bauserman: So for somebody that's wanting
to get started in planting by the signs, and is maybe a total newbie, doesn't know what
the zodiac is, or how to find out when different signs are, how would you recommend that they
get started? Tipper Pressley: One of the easiest ways is
in their local area. Here is my area it's usually a funeral home
or a bank. A lot of those kind of places hand out, when
they give out their new calendar in January, they give out, it's a planting calendar. Some of them, you've probably seen the ones
that are like white with red and black writing on them. Luke Bauserman: Yeah
Tipper Pressley: Yeah, well, those are planting calendars. Some of them are not like that. Some of them have pretty pictures and all
that, but they're still planting calendars. But those calendars make it really easy for
you because if you ... you can look in that little square that has the date, and is also
gives you what zodiac sign it is, and all that. And it will tell you the moon phase, if you
want to get that in depth. And then within that calendar, there's gonna
be a little key somewhere that tells you what all the signs and what's fruitful and what's
not, what's barren. You don't want to plan in a barren sign, of
course. So most of the time, like here in my area,
the funeral home they give them away for free. You just have to remember to pick yours up,
in January or whenever. You can also buy those calendars online and
they're not very much, like $3.49 or something like that. I think it's like the American Calendar Company
or something. One year I had to buy one because I fooled
around and didn't get one and then by the time I had tried to get one they had already
give them all out. But that's an easy way and a cheap way, and
then you're just looking at a calendar, you know. Luke Bauserman: I think I'll have to give
that a try this year. It always seems like it's right in the dead
of winter when I'm start really thinking about the garden and ...
Tipper Pressley: Yeah, and it's more ... It's like I did myself the second year I tried
it, you overload yourself, and then you're like ... because gardening is enjoyable, but
it's also work. But it does help, like I said, even for people
who are non-believers, because you've got to look ahead and think well I can plant ...
Time gets away from us so fast these days. That it's good to be able to force yourself
to look ahead, especially as a gardener you know. Luke Bauserman: So Tipper, I really appreciate
you doing this interview. Why don't you tell folks where they can find
the Blind Pig And The Acorn and how they can participate and enjoy all the wonderful things you have
to offer on there. Tipper Pressley: You can go to blindpigandtheacorn.com
or if it's easier, you can just Google Blind Pig And The Acorn blog. I post something new everyday, that you can
just come every day or every few days or whenever you'd like to. Or you can subscribe, and subscribing is totally
free. It doesn't cost anything. And subscribing just means that every day,
every morning you're going to get a little email that says this is new on the Blind Pig
And The Acorn. But for anyone that's interested in preserving
and celebrating our wonderful Appalachian culture and heritage, I really appreciate
it if they would drop by whenever they could. Luke Bauserman: Well thanks again Tipper. Tipper Pressley: Okay Luke. Thank you so much. I'm proud to be here, I done told you
but it's true, I'm proud to be here, so ... Luke Bauserman: Well, I'm proud to have you! Tipper Pressley: Okay. Luke Bauserman: All right, take care. Tipper Pressley: Bye Bye. Luke Bauserman: Bye.
