STRIKING SIMILARITY

GF went on a country tour with Mr. Virgil last week. They went to Leatherwood and Pen Acre to see the old haunts of Marie and Virgil. The Rosses have been lifelong friends of the Teel clan. They’ve ever been a part of the work of the church in Clendenin, though Miss Marie is now bedfast [and my favorite cookie gal…she’s so sweet]. Mr. Virgil used to go up and transport the Teel family to meeting when GF was a child.

Among the sights GF was interested in were home places for both Virgil and Marie. All those rustic, vacant, even run-down houses and barns you see along the roads have a history. This history was back in the WV ridge tops – even more rugged than GF’s home. Virgil’s brother still lives on the Ross home site; Marie’s is now empty.

I was amazed at the similarity of Marie’s childhood home and the birthplace of Loretta Lynn. Years ago friend Casey brought me a snapshot of the Loretta Lynn coal miner’s cabin and I was wholly taken in - so taken that I painted it for myself. Looking at the snapshot, I felt I could just walk up the stairs and sit on the porch…there was something so familiar about it. The painting doesn’t do it justice, but perhaps you can see the similarity in it and GF’s photo of Marie’s home place. Perhaps that familiar feeling for both is a bit of basic country genetics…I don’t know. So simple – and to a WV mountaineer, simplicity and comfort are synonymous.