Who Am I?
I’m Soren, an artist, herbalist, florist, gardener, and folklorist from the Appalachian region of South Central Pennsylvania.
My Cottage Folklore is a way for me to document my journey into learning more about my roots and sharing all about the new and old traditions & folkways I connect with along the way. If you value slow and intentional living with un-fussy, no-nonsense talk, this is the right place for you. Welcome.
My History
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not from coal country or the deep hollers in the South.
That said, how I grew up feels very Appalachian to me, even if we didn’t use that word to describe ourselves.
I've spent almost 25 years of my life in rural homes right above the Mason-Dixon line and many seasons in rural parts of the state like Sullivan & Chester County. The gov’t likes to draw tidy lines and say that where I come from isn’t a part of Appalachia. Frankly, I don’t care.
My home, my upbringing, my foodways, folk medicine, and my people are all connected to the Appalachian region in meaningful, real ways.
I grew up hearing and speaking Hanover Dutch–flavored, semi-Appalachian English. (Hanover Dutch is a softer, plainer version of Pennsylvania Dutch, but it still has some color.)
I used to say Appa-LAY-shun because my father was raised upstate and is an academic. But that sounds odd to me now, so I say Appa-LATCH-un now.
My little slice of heaven, The Cottage.
Why I Care About All This
I've come to learn that our “poor folks’ ways” are a real strength, especially in these difficult times.
All that thrifting, reusing, home cooking, growing what you can, gardening, saving bacon grease, making catsup, canning, using up stale bread, mending clothes...those are survival arts.
They’re often passed down from people who lived through hard times with pride and stubbornness. You don't have to be Appalachian to benefit, either. Anyone can learn.
My Grammie and Grampa (South Central NY born & bred), Penna relatives, and my Aunt Betty (South Central PA, all her life) were practicing Appalachian-style sustainability and scrappy country values long before TikTok made it cute. And my rural Iowan mother taught my literally everything else.
And it's only in my thirties that I realized just how much I've absorbed of that way of life. It’s shaped how how I see food, family, money, nature, community, and self-reliance. The New Yorker/Pennsylvanian Appalachian culture lives on in me, and I'm real proud of that.
My Promise to You
I will always approach learning and sharing about Northeastern Appalachian culture and ways with respect and curiosity.
My mission is to honor the quiet resilience of rural life: through stories, recipes, language, and lessons that help us remember what matters. The goal isn't nostalgia. It's remembering our way forward. I want to gather and pass along the kinds of things folks used to learn from each other over fence posts, kitchen tables, and back porch steps.
You’re always welcome here.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love,
Soren