Welcome to Debbie's Domain

Thomas Moore - WikiTree Profile Thomas Moore's Plantation House Part of Thomas Moore's Plantation

Thomas Moore Homestead   Original Moore Homestead, a log cabin covered in siding. Rd.#659, Scott Co., Va.   In June 1990, my sister, Sharon Gillespie, and I decided to go on an adventure to find where Celia Moore Smith lived and died, so long ago. We loaded up her two children, Jamie and Sissy, and drove to Scott County, Virginia. We took food, cooking utensils, and a tent. We camped at the Lover's Leap Campground, in the Natural Tunnel State Park, for two weeks. After breakfast every morning, we went exploring. We spent a lot of time at the Scott County Library in Gate City. We found more information than we ever dreamed. Sometimes we just drove around. We explored Dungannon, Virginia. Sharon spent time in the Scott County courthouse in Gate City and the Russell County courthouse in Lebanon looking up records. One day while driving down a little gravel road, we found Moore's Greenhouse. We stopped and talked to the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore. I still can hardly bel

Henry Smith Shuff - WikiTree Profile My Aunt, Palmaneda Baker Smith, told me that she loved staying the night with Grandpa and Grandma Shuff. She said he was a wonderful grandpa. He loved to tell jokes. They would sit in front of the fireplace and Grandpa Shuff would get his popcorn popper with the long handle and pop corn in the fireplace while he entertained them. Maybe later, he would take a big bowl and go out to the cellar, and bring it back full of apples. He'd sit down and peel them all apples. He always peeled the pealing off in one big piece. They were amazed by that. Grandma Shuff was real quiet. Sometimes she'd say, "Smith, doesn't your tongue ever get tired?" One joke Aunt Palmaneda remembered him telling went something like this: An Irishman had a big rope. One day, someone weaved the ends of his rope together. When the Irishman wanted to use his rope, he couldn't find the end. He said 'Faith and me jamber, sone cut off both ends of me rope

Sarah A. Victoria Eveline (McClellan) Shuff - WikiTree Profile My Aunt Palmaneda Baker Smith described Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Shuff's house when she was a little girl. There wasn't enough room in the livingroom or dining room for the Christmas tree. They put it in the little bedroom. Grandma Shuff had a lot of German hand-blown glass ornaments, strings, (one with paper angels), and small candles all over the tree. The candles were never lit due to the danger of fire. Over all that, was shiny ice cycles. Aunt Palmaneda said it was so beautiful, that it felt like you were in fairyland. The dining room was decorated with a large paper bell hanging in the center of the room. Paper streamers were attached at the large bell and strung across the room to each corner. At each corner hung another smaller bell. The table centerpiece was a glass dish full of chocolates. A lot of the time Grandpa Baker would hand out the presents. Each person recited a poem. Grandma Baker knew

Sarah A. Victoria Eveline (McClellan) Shuff - WikiTree Profile There is a Christmas tradition that was probably passed down from my Great-Great Grandma Martha Smith McClellan. Everyone tries to be the first one to greet everyone by saying, "Christmas gift!" If you say it first, the person you say it to is supposed to give you a present. Grandma McClellan was born and raised on a plantation in Scott County, Virginia. The tradition is supposed to have been started by the slaves. The slave would greet the master or mistress on Christmas morning with the greeting, "Christmas gift!" They would then receive an extra gift. The whites soon adopted the tradition. They made it into a game. The gifts were usually a small treat of some kind. My aunt, Palmaneda Baker Smith, said that her Aunt Beulah would spend the night with Grandpa and Grandma Shuff, on Christmas Eve, to decorate the house. On Christmas Day, when Grandma and Grandpa Baker would arrive with their children

You might as well face it, the world is full of jerks. Sometimes you are faced with having a jerk in the family or at work. While you might not feel like spending money on jerks, to leave them out would be too noticeable. Your next instinct is probably to buy them something really cheap or awful. That's not really a good idea either, because other people will notice, and that would be a bad reflection on you. So what do you do? There's an old saying that is perfect for this occasion, "Kill them with kindness." If your jerk is married, pick out something that will benefit both of them. There are a lot of things you can choose from. You could get them something for the home, like a candle, a candy dish, or fruit bowl. There are also a lot of gift sets you can buy with different foods. You can find everything from cheese to hot cocoa. Movies are also a good option. If you don't know what kind of movies they might like, just pick out one that you like, then you

My books are out on Amazon.com, just in time for Christmas! A Real Frontiersman: The Life of Simon Kenton by Debra Baker Davis (Oct 12, 2013) $7.50 $5.66 Paperback Order in the next 6 minutes and get it by Monday, Nov 25. $5.00 Kindle Purchase More Buying Choices - Paperback $5.56 new (2 offers) FREE Shipping on orders over $35 . Who Is He, Really?: The Legend of Santa Claus Paperback – January 5, 2013 by Debra A Davis (Author) Be the first to review this item Paperback $15.80 1 New from $15.80

http://www.wpclipart.com/ There are a lot of people these days that are having a hard time making ends meet. Factories are closing down putting a lot of people out of work. Parents with children often have to take jobs with low pay and often go over the guidelines for foodstamp assistance by only a few dollars. After paying bills, they often don't have much money for groceries. http://www.wpclipart.com/ Elderly and disabled people often receive foodstamps, but don't really receive enough to afford the extras for a dinner in what is considered a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. That's where your donations help. A gift of the traditional Thanksgiving fare is what most people are hoping for when they go to their local food pantry. The need is so great right now, that they often stand in long lines, outside in the weather, for hours at a time. When you donate food items, think about what you and your family are having for your Thanksgiving dinner. The best donation of all

http://www.clipartpal.com/ There are many reasons why retailers should not open and offer sales on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving was meant to be a holy day to give thanks to God, our Creator, for all of the blessings he has provided us with throughout the year. Most people celebrate it with a big dinner for extended family and friends. Some of these people may only be able to see each other once or twice a year. Family members may have to travel long distances to be there. People that must work on Thanksgiving often have to miss their family dinner, and not be able to see their loved ones. www.clipartpal.com/ Working parents have so little time to spend with their children. They should be able to have a little extra time during the holidays to spend with their children. Parents need as much quality time with their children as possible. How else are they supposed to teach them values and show their love? www.clipartpal.com/ It takes a lot of preparation to get ready for a Thanksg

This is something I made up for E and M this year. I sing it to the tune "The Ants Go Marching". Trick-or-Treat The pumpkins go rolling one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah! The pumpkins go rolling one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah! The pumpkins go rolling one by one, The little one stops, to look for the sun, And they all go rolling, Down the street, To go trick-or-treat. The witches go flying two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah! The witches go flying two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah! The witches go flying two by two, The little one stops, She lost her shoe. And they all go flying, Down the street, To go trick-or-treat. The skeletons go rattling three by three, Hurrah! Hurrah! The skeletons go rattling three by three, Hurrah! Hurrah! The skeletons go rattling three by three, The little one stops, He lost his knee, And they all go rattling, Down the street, To go trick-or-treat. The zombies go shuffling four by four, Hurrah! Hurrah! The zombies go shuffling four by fo

Halloween is a good time to watch scary movies. There are so many movies for kids, it's hard to know where to start. I couldn't possibly name them all. There are several that made a hit with my family, so I will name a few of the favorites. "When Good Ghouls Go Bad" is just a little scary, but mostly funny. Danny Walker (Joe Pichler) and his dad (Tom Amandes) move back to their hometown of Walker Falls. His dad plans to reopen the family business, Walker Chocolates. They move in with Danny's grandfather, who acts more like a kid than an adult. Everyone calls him Uncle Fred (Christopher Lloyd). All of the town's people are unfriendly and seem a little weird. Nobody celebrates Halloween anymore due to a mysterious death of an 8th grader, Curtis Danko, and a curse on the town if they ever celebrated Halloween again. Uncle Fred gets killed when a tower of pumpkins fall on him. After his funeral, he comes back as a zombie to save Halloween. That's when the

Lavender, an herb native to the Mediterranean area, has been used as medicine since Biblical times. As late as World War I, lavender was used in the treatment and disinfectant of wounds and as an disinfectant cleaner in hospitals. It became famous in the early 1900's when a French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, was accidentally caught on fire while working in a laboratory. After putting out the fire he stuck his burned hands into a vat of lavendar oil. It brought instant relief from the pain. His burns healed quicker than normal and with very little scarring. It eliminates many kinds of pain. It is used for muscle and joint pain, postoperative pain, rheumatism, lumbago, burns, sunburns, itching, back pain, radiation therapy, and cancer. It is good for the treatment of fevers, boils, abscesses, swelling, bug bites, bee stings, yeast infections, fungal infections, flu, colds, sore throats, eczema, psoriasis. and The FDA in the United States has been very slow about testing

Meadowsweet is an herbal plant that grows wild in parts of Europe and Asia. Although not a native of North America, it was brought over, and now grows wild in many areas. It has been used for over 4000 years. It was a sacred herb of the Druids, although it is unknown if they used it for medicinal purposes. Meadowsweet is known by many names. It has been called queen of the meadow, dropwort, bridewort, and lady of the meadow, just to name a few. It has many uses. The flowers and leaves are used for teas, tincture, infusion, compresses, and eyewash. People have used it for cold symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and to get rid of phlegm. The roots of meadowsweet are used for coughing and wheezing. The plant of the meadowsweet, from the ground up, contains antioxidants. It also contains tannins. That makes it good for stomach and bowel complaints, such as ulcers, indigestion, and diarrhea. It is effective for treating many skin irritations, like acne. It even helps with sym

The Pot Marigold, or Calendula officinalis, has been used for medicine, possibly since ancient Egypt. Be certain not to mistake it for the African or American Marigold (Tagetes erecta) which is often seen growing in American flower gardens, or the French Marigold (Tagetes patula) which is used for insecticides and weed killer. Pot Marigolds were used during the American Civil War and World War I to treat soldiers wounds to prevent infections. The blooms were either made into poultices or infused into oil to apply to the wounds. The Mayo Clinic says that Calendula has been found to be anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and has wound healing effects. They advise drinking the tea for sore throats. They also say that a gargle made of equal parts of calendula, peppermint, barberry, burdock and licorice made into a gargle helps heal sore throats. Take two teaspoons of the mixture in a cup of water, gargle it for about 30 seconds, then swallow it. There are other uses of Calendula that are end

The first mention of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) was in ancient Greece. It is believed to have been named after John the Baptist. It has been used for centuries to treat people with mental illness and nerve pain. St. John's Wort is a mood elevator, and also said to be anti-viral and anti-bacterial. It is used by many to repair nerve damage, and to reduce pain and inflammation of arthritis, cramps, and sciatica. It is said to be good for healing ulcers, gastritis, diarrhea, and nausea. St. John's Wort oil or cream is used on cuts, bruises, burns, hemmroids, sprains, muscle and nerve pain, and varicose veins. It is sometimes taken internally to cure incontinence in adults and bed wetting in children. German doctors would rather prescribe St. John,s Wort over more traditional medications due to less side effects. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health said that St. John's Wort is helpful for anxiety

When taking a baby Trick or Treating, be prepared. Naturally you have to have bottles, wet wipes, diapers, all the things you would normally carry. If you live in a cool or cold climate, you have to also be prepared for the weather. It could be warm, cool, cold, raining, or snowing. It is a very unpredictable time of year. Usually Trick or Treating is done in the evening when it is cooler anyway. It is best to layer the baby's clothing. If buying a costume, many Halloween costumes for infants are warm and fit over clothing. If baby is too warm, you can take part of the clothing off. If it is too cold, you can add more clothing. Always take along an extra outfit in case of accidents. Making a costume can sometimes be better. It doesn't have to be complicated or hard. Winter pajamas with cartoon characters make good costumes for babies. So do a set of sweat shirts and sweat pants. A black set can become a black cat, a red one could be a little devil, a brown set a little puppy

Wood Betony (Pedicularis Canadensis) is called by many other names. Some have called it Lousewort, American Lousewort, Common Lousewort, Canadian Lousewort, Bishop Wort, and Betony. As some of the names suggest, a strong tea of Wood Betony will kill lice or scabies. A strong decoction will kill intestinal worms in humans or animals. Wood Betony has been used since the time of the Roman Empire. They thought it cured everything. It grows wild in North America and was much prized by Native Americans. They cooked the leaves and stems to make a pot herb. Wood Betony is used to relieve stress and pain. It is used as a pain reliever for headaches, migraines, neuralgia, colic, swelling, muscle aches, and rheumatism. It lowers fevers. It can be used for anxiety, dizziness, and excessive sweating. It is usually used in the form of tea, but is sometimes smoked for headaches and migraines. Wood Betony is an expectorant. Tea from the leaves is used for sore throats, tonsillitis, coughing, b

All Hallows Eve is the first of three Christian holy days called Hallowmas. The word, Hallow, means Holy. It occurs on October 31st. Hallowmas are days set aside to honor the dead saints and pray for everyone else who has died recently, but haven't made it to Heaven yet. It became a tradition to ring church bells for all the souls in purgatory. There are many myths, legends, stories, and superstitions connected with All Hallow's Eve. Although there are many traditions that have been passed down, no one really knows a lot about the early Celts or Druids. The fact is, there is very little in the way of records. Most of them were lost around the time of the Roman Empire. Archaeologists have discovered items and have made educated guesses about their uses. Customs, stories, and myths were all handed down mostly by word of mouth, from generation to generation. An Irish poem from the 10th century, suggests that there may have once been sacrifices of newborns made to a heat