Greetings to all folks near and far. I had to leave the Appalachia site for awhile. My beloved Mother passed away and I needed to be with family. All is well with the family, we know Mother is with us in spirit -- so the Christmas season and family traditions will go on as Mother had always made sure it did.

I am happy to be back among you as your Appalachia editor. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very good and happy New Year.

Winter here in the Nevada desert is so far pretty mild. The nights are dropping down to cold temps, but the days have been bright and sunny. Toady my brother, sister and I went on a drive up through the Sierra Mountains. It is very very cold up there and there was snow -- not as much snow as usual for this time of year, but the snow back in among the pine trees was so lovely. We could see deer, bear and even some mountain lion tracks. I took some pictures, but I do not know yet if the tracks will show up in them.

If you love winter sports, there is supposed to be a higher than normal snow fall in the Appalachians for the winter of 2011-12. It is predicted to be a mild winter though. Now that puzzles me -- more snowfall than usual yet mild winter? Well...that is the prediction. If you are heading towards the Appalachians for a winter vacation, or if you live in the area, you can get long range weather forecast predictions at: http://www.almanac.com/weather/longrange/region/us/3
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I would love to hear from folks about your family traditions for winter, Christmas, New Year's Eve or other winter holidays, of the past and present. Visit the Appalachia forum at BellaOnline to share your stories or read stories from other forum members.

What ever your traditions and beliefs are, I wish each and everyone of you a wonderful winter season full of love and joy.
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My most recent article is:

Winter Bluegrass Festivals
Attending a bluegrass festival is a real treat for lovers of this fantastic music that grabs your soul and makes you want to dance and sing your heart out.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art60613.asp

I love feedback on my articles, so please come join me in my forum and chat with me about the article, or anything else related to the Appalachia regions. I look forward to meeting you.
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Did you know that Colonel Ruby Bradley, of West Virginia, was only the 3rd woman to achieve the rank of Colonel in the US Army? There will be an article coming up soon on Colonel Bradley.
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Old fashion Christmas time in pioneer days saw popcorn balls and paper chains hanging on the tree that father and Grandfather cut down from the woods. On Christmas mornings, stockings hanging on the mantle were full of nuts, apples, oranges, and hard candies mother and grandmother made. Christmas carols were sung by the fireplace.

This is pretty much the same as Christmas was in our home when my six siblings and I were kids.
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Till next time, may your home be filled with laughter and may it ring from floor to rafter.

May you walk in Beauty and Harmony.
Phyllis
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Please visit appalachia.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Appalachia.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Appalachia located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=373

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Phyllis Doyle Burns, Appalachia Editor
http://appalachia.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com