Eleven years ago, I stumbled across Blind Pig & The Acorn while doing some research. At the time, I was missing home pretty bad. My daddy had been gone for less than a year, and I found myself wondering when I would ever go home again.

With my daddy and papaw having passed away and mamaw living with family in Wilmington – there was no longer anyone in Haywood County for me to go home to. I felt like half of myself disappeared right alongside my daddy. Who was left that understood anything about bluegrass, clogging, hiking, fishing, or loving a place as viciously stereotyped as Appalachia?

Blind Pig & The Acorn turned out to be the cure for what ailed me that night. I scoured Tipper’s blog for hours. I watched video after video of her daughters clogging. I listened to every bluegrass song, looked at all of the photos, and read every post. From the accents to the reverence for times long gone, Blind Pig spoke to my soul.

I sat in front of my computer screen, soaking in every bit of heritage Tipper offered up. I didn’t go to bed until after the sun had long since risen. I continued this trend for a couple of weeks until I felt inherently whole again.

Around that time, I began to wonder what my research was leading to. Ultimately, Blind Pig & The Acorn supplied me with an answer. I wanted to share everything I knew, I wanted to reconnect with my roots, and I wanted to do the one thing I knew I was good at – write. I’m infinitely grateful to Tipper all these years later for many reasons, but mostly for inspiring me to start blogging – not just once, but twice.

If this is the first time you’re hearing about Blind Pig & The Acorn – I’m telling you that you have to check it out. Tipper and her family make you feel like Appalachia is right in your living room.