"Where I'm From" Poem

I am from a far off place
Where the hills are on hills and the woods touch the sky.
I am from the home that hides
the place where birds sing and gardens spring.
I am from the Rivesville at the Coal Company store the store that had everything a person could need. I am from Green Town named for the 12 green houses built by the coal company and they all looked just the same.
I am from an active faith in Jesus Christ
worshiping and praying day and night
Giving and sharing the love He has for everyone.

I am from the small cherry tree
from jewelry and candles.
I am from the open brick home, strong, and firm.
It felt rough and hard.
I am from trees that surround me on all sides.
from hills and narrow roads.

I'm from the Christmas family gathering and the family sauce recipe
from Rick Vasicek and Dee Dee Vasicek
I'm from the hard working and fun loving family.
from the obey your mom and dad and treat others how you want to be treated.
I'm from a strong faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for all.

I'm from Clarksburg,
I' m from sauce and pierogies
From the grandma with lung cancer
the woman that was near death
I am from Fairmont, West Virginia where the mountains are high.


1. This is a picture of my family. I asked my grandpa the following questions.

Where was the picture taken?

This picture was taken at my aunt Jeanie's (my grandpa's sister).

Who took the picture?

Jim, he is married to my third cousin. 

Why were the people in the photo gathered?

Because we wanted to get a picture together. We realized that we had never gotten a picture all together. 

How are they related?

We are all related through my great grandma and great grandpa. My grandpa's parents started it all. 

Why were they together at this moment?

We gathered in the backyard to take a picture and then we all headed back inside. 

What were they doing?

We were all celebrating the 4th of July.
2. This is my parent's house.

This is my favorite view! I took this picture in the morning just as the sun was coming up. I love this picture. 

There are many views of when looking out of the windows at my house.
Out of the first window I see a hill. At the top of the hill there is trees in a line blocking the view of what is beyond.

Out of the second window I see a driveway. Past the driveway there are more trees and a field. 

Out of the third window it is obvious that the house is on a hill and at the bottom of the hill the driveway ends and the curvy road begins. 

The Cook Brothers helped build this house. This house is only twelve years old. We moved into this house when I was in the second grade. It has a lot of windows and the roof has a lot of peeks. My family is the first to live in this house. 

3. Prickets Fort holds history in my hometown. In 1774 Prickets Fort was used  for early settlers as a place of safety from American Indians. This place still exists today. When I was in elementary school my class would take a field trip there to learn about the history of Fairmont. 

4. My hometown is known for homemade pepperoni rolls.
5. There have not been any industrial disasters. 

6. About me
Who lived in your house with you as a child?
My dad, mom, sister, and brother.

How many brothers or sisters lived there?

I had one sister and one brother.

Can you describe your father or mother as you remember looking at them when you were small?

I have always thought of my dad as a hard worker. He was really strong and tall. I always noticed my mom's pretty blond curly hair. She was usually home with us. 

Who visited your house when you were young?

My grandparents would come over and visit a lot. 

Any relatives remembered? Grandparents or Aunts and Uncles?

My Aunts and Uncles usually did not come over to our house. They just came to birthday parties. 

Who were your favorite cousins?

I love all of my cousins the same, but when I was younger I was closest to Easton. 

Who were your neighbors?

I was never close to my neighbors because our houses have a good amount of space between them, but one of my neighbors was also my history teacher while I was in middle school. 

Did you have any favorite teachers?

My mom was my middle school math teacher so she was my very favorite, but her best friend also taught my English class so she was one of my favorites as well. 

Who was the best cook in the family?

My mom was really the only one that cooks so she is the best. My sister loves to bake and I think she is the best at making desserts. 

Who was the smartest, richest, kindest, or most religious?

The smartest is probably my dad or my sister. 

The richest is my parents. 

We all are saved and choose to follow Jesus. 

Did anyone in the family have some unusual characteristics?
My aunt is probably the one who has the unusual characteristics. She has her own way of doing things. 

7. I interviewed my grandpa.

Can you describe the house in which you lived when you were a child?

My grandpa lived with his grandparents growing up because his father was at World War II. There was a kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms, and their was one out house. The fire place was the only source of the heat at the time.

Do you remember the room in which you slept as a child?

The room was pretty reasonably sized with a bed. There were no closets all of the cloths were in boxes or hung on the door. 

Can you describe the houses in your neighborhood?

There were two rows owned by the coal company. Each row had about twelve houses. The town was called green town because all of the houses were painted green and were built the same. The houses are still in existence today; however, each home is individually owned. 

Where was your favorite place to visit when you were a child?

My grandpa's favorite place to visit was his dad's mother's (his grandma).

Where did you go to school? What was in the classrooms?

Rivesville High School. The classroom contained a blackboard, a desk, and student's desk. Each desk contained an ink well at the top right. There was steam registers for heat. It was coal fired.

Where did you go to worship?

He went to the Rivesville First Methodist Church.

Where did you go to shop for food or clothes?

In Rivesville at the Coal Company store. The store contained food, cloths, and furniture.

Where did you go for fun and recreation?

To the playground. That was the only thing available. 

Where did you go when you wanted to hide?

He says that he never wanted to hide, but he would clime a tree.

Did your family ever move?

The family moved two times, but still lived in Rivesville. 

Describe the house you lived in when you were first married.

They lived in an apartment upstairs. When you walked into the front door you walked into the first apartments living room. They would have to walk through another apartment to get to their own. 

What kind of utensils did you have in the kitchen?
There were spoons, forks, and knives. There was not a microwave.

8. I was born on August 5, 1996. Monday morning my mom woke up and went to her doctors appointment. When her appointment was finished she went to Eating Park where she ate with my grandma and my dad. This is where she began to have symptoms of labor. Since she had already gone through the labor process she knew that the symptoms weren't out of the ordinary and she had time to eat and relax. When she was finished she went to my dad's parent's house to watch a movie with my sister. When she stood up, after watching the movie, she realized it was time to go to the hospital. My dad drove my mom to the hospital and my sister stayed with my grandparents. Four hours after they arrived, I was born. Since I was born late in the day many of my parent's family and friends did not visit until the next day.

9.

The first picture is my mother's grandpa and the second is my father's grandma.

These pictures are of my hometown, Fairmont, West Virginia.