Greetings to folks near and far. Hey! Spring is here in our neck of the woods and it is coming out beautifully! The mountains surrounding us are snow capped, the days are mostly sunny, with just a little wind, sometimes cool, sometimes quite warm, the Truckee River is flowing fast and almost full, the birds are busy building nests and it is lovely.

I love to write folklore articles about my Father and here are two that I had so much fun writing: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35114.asp
and http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12582.asp

Another article I had fun writing was about Joseph Campbell, another favorite storyteller of mine. You can read that article at:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art28554.asp

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did writing them. Remember, I love feedback. Also let me know what you like to read articles on and I will see if I can get some out that you request.
*******

Like to sing along with folk groups? Check out the Seattle Song Circle at Seattle Folklore Society at this link:
http://www.seafolklore.org/songcirc.html

Also, check out the Fresno Folklore Society for some great upcoming concerts at:
http://www.fresnofolkconcerts.com/
*******

Ponder's Corner:

I heard that this summer we will be seeing a lot of meteorites coming closer to Earth than usual. I wonder what's going on up there. I also wonder what people in the old days thought when they saw meteorites. I think I should do some research on that and write an article about it.

Did you know that thunder on All Fools' Day brings good crops of oats and hay.

And:

From whatever quarter the wind blows on Palm Sunday, it will continue to blow from the same quarter for the most part during the ensuing summer.
*******

Here is a great recipe that has been handed down from my Grandmother and can make good use of leftover ham if that is what you are planning for your Easter Supper:

Navy Bean and Ham Soup

Leftover ham, bone-in is good for flavor
2 cups navy beans
salt, pepper, parsley to taste
6 cups water

Pick through beans and discard any not so perfect ones. Rinse and place in cooking pot, cover with water and soak overnight. Next day, drain and rinse beans. Add 6 cups water to pot and place beans on high heat till water comes to boil. Add one tablespoon baking soda and let this gently boil till foam comes to top of pot. Pour beans into colander and rinse thoroughly.

Grandmother always said this step "takes out all the poison from the beans". Add 6 cups of fresh water, ham and seasonings and gently boil, covered, for 2 - 3 hours, till beans are tender. Remove and discard the bone any fatty pieces of ham. You can thicken the soup a little if necessary by adding some of the broth to about a tablespoon of cornstarch, mixing well and add back into pot. Add more seasoning to taste if needed and simmer a few more minutes. Serve piping hot with chunks of bread and butter. This is GOOD!
*******

Till next time folks, may your home be filled with laughter and may it ring from floor to rafter. Blessings and Walk in Peace and Beauty.
Phyllis
*******

Here's the latest article from the Folklore site at BellaOnline.com.

Squire Cabell Of Buckfastleigh
Squire Richard Cabell of Buckfastleigh in the Devon, England countryside, was a local squire in the 1600's.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40224.asp

Please visit folklore.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Folklore.

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

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=131

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, Folklore Editor
http://folklore.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com