Homespun
Enjoy the humor and ingenuity of Betsy’s and Larry’s “homestead” adventure as they build their first home out of an old stone root cellar, in West Virginia, written by Elizabeth Richie.
About The Book
Old photographs and mirthful text tell the uniquely stirring story of two hearty, Nature-Loving souls who, in 1979, broke with their mainstream lifestyles and bought a rugged piece of property in the forested hills of West Virginia. They lived in the dilapidated root cellar, which became a sweet little “stone cottage”, for six years without electricity or running water. Then went on to build a second more conventional home and raise a family.
Homespun: A Return To The Land is the chronicle of their first year.
This is a true story with authentic photos, originally handwritten and illustrated by the author for her grandmother. She is sharing it with the world in the hopes it will inspire similar dreams, ambitions, adventures.
WHY I WROTE THE BOOK…
A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words!
Once upon a time, around 1977, two very good friends shared an idea. Well… not just an idea… a powerful, beautiful Vision!
On summer college break, one of the friends, named Betsy [the author, Elizabeth Richie], visited relatives who lived in Washington state. They took her to see a “homestead” on a little inlet on the coast of British Columbia. A retired art professor had bought an idyllic forested property. He had managed to build a good-sized log house. He and his wife had a lovely garden.
They had a canoe and a motorboat. They raised chickens. Their children ran free. It seemed, to the girl, like a dream come true. Indeed, going “Back to the Land” was all in fashion during the 1960’s and 70’s, and this was a perfect example.
Not long afterward, Betsy, who was a newspaper reporter, described the homestead to her friend, Larry, who was a high school teacher. Both believed it would be a wonderful thing to do together! They talked and dreamed about following the art professor’s lead.
They planned and saved their money. They pooled their cash and bought 54 acres for $13,000 in West Virginia. Quite a bargain indeed! And so their adventure began…
Now, let the pictures speak….
About the author
Elizabeth Richie aka “Spring Frog” or Du’Tsu
Sunny Greetings Friends! Allow me to tell you a bit about myself.
As a young child, Nature, the Great Outdoors, was my second home. The lush forests and meadows of the Susquehanna River Valley of Pennsylvania gifted me with hours of joy.
One of my most favorite haunts was “The Swamp” where catching (and releasing) frogs, climbing trees, and building huts was often the order of the day. (Perhaps this was a foreshadowing of the fact that my Medicine name is Du’Tsu, which is Cherokee and means “Spring Frog.”)
As I grew older, overnight hikes and singing around a campfire were my cup of tea. I attended camps where swimming or boating or taking a “stream hike” in the middle of a rushing creek was my kind of fun. And I did odd jobs to earn the cash to buy a telescope to gaze at the stars and planets.
I hold a 1975 BA from Princeton University, Dept. of Religion. This was the road less traveled! I studied both Eastern and Western traditions, the psychology of religions, mythology and anthropology. Additionally, I discovered a body of work called “Anthroposophy” which weaves Nature and human evolution into a luxurious, exciting and inspired tapestry!
After academia, I did a stint as a news reporter. And I fell in love! (Naturally.)
So what could have been more natural than to run off with my Beloved to West Virginia—as Homespun: A Return to the Land, describes! We lived six years in an earth-backed root cellar without electricity and running water. We built a fine house on a steep hillside overlooking a lush forested “holler.” We heated it with wood. What more could one ask for? Well, we had wonderful years together raising our two sons.
At one point, I began reading Native American authors and became obsessed with finding someone wise in the Old Ways. Seek and ye shall find! In 1994, I found Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha, a remarkable teacher who was raised by her Cherokee Grandmother in southern Appalachia. It turned out that she and others were building a retreat center in Ohio less than two hours from my home! Seek and ye shall find.
The years have flown by and Pa’Ris’Ha has remained a beloved, powerful influence in my life since those many years ago!
In 2008, I returned to Pennsylvania to care for my parents. And guess what, the adventure of life continues unabated, and I just moved to Wisconsin!
I very much appreciate that you’ve decided to read Homespun: A Return to the Land.
I am also the author of the book, The Whole Kit and Caboodle Is…As Sacred As 1,2,3. It’s available through my website, https://sacredas123.com, Amazon, and other fine booksellers. To find it, use the whole title and my Medicine Name in Cherokee, Du’Tsu, which means “Spring Frog.”
Currently, I am a volunteer for The Learning Center for Human Development, a non-profit (https://lcfhd.org/ ) founded in 1959 by Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha, and I’m devoted to our goals and projects.
CONTACT
I would love to hear from you and share my weekly musings.
I invite you to visit my blog, https://wellnessandspirituality.net, and read more about about what I am passionate about sharing.
