January 6 is traditionally known as Old Christmas

BY MARY LOU BUSH

APPALACHIA NEWS • 565-1386

gabgrandadva@yahoo.com

January 6 is Old Christmas

Wednesday, January 6, mark your calendar for it is Old Christmas. As I have been taught as a very young girl by my Granny Graham, some “old sayings”. Never on Old Christmas do you do the following: wash clothes or sweep the floors. If you did you could sweep or wash someone into the family or out of the family. I still am aware of Granny’s traditions. Do I believe? Well, I will not sweep the floors or wash clothes on January 6, Old Christmas.

White Christmas

One thing for sure, all those people who sang the song and dreamed the dream got their answer, “A White Christmas”.

We had no problem with the weather because we are always home for the holidays. This was Gary’s and my 55th year together and at our home.

Our daughter Sabrina and her husband Rick and son James drove up from Georgia and spent Christmas with us and our son Shawn and his family from Wise were with us also.

I am thankful  for the time we can spend together but it is a heartbreaking time in our area when we hear of so much sickness and death of people we have known all our lives.

This is the worse time to have to be in a hospital because no one is allowed to visit and imagine what it does to the family members at home when a phone call is their communication with their loved ones.

New Year’s Eve

Today, December 31, New Year’s Eve, we can truly say it has been a year we will never forget, especially the last 10 months, the Covid reality.

No one knows what lies ahead for our nation. We have followed the law and stayed at home and wore a mask when we go out in public. Now when I go to the store I do not know who is who so it has stopped being a pleasant thing to do, seeing people we have known most of our life time.

We follow the rules and mask up and stay 6 feet apart.

Condolences

Remember Nina and Billy Wells in your prayers. They lost their son Billy last week due to the Covid virus.

We send our condolences to the family of Carolyn L. Bloomer. Carolyn was a graduate of AHS in the class of 1963. She owned a very successful boutique shop in Big Stone for many years. Carolyn will be missed. She had a great number of friends and family members.

Birthday Wishes

Sally V. Gibson would like to wish her son-in-law, Jim Collier a happy birthday! Jim’s birthday is January 3rd. Happy Birthday Jim.

Renovations

The renovation of the former Witt Appliance building and later the Senior Citizens Building on Main Street in Appalachia is a very welcome sight to see.

The new owner, Tommy Adkins, will open the Appalachia Mercantile. The business will feature local artesian goods, coffee and snacks. MECC’s  basic construction class has been helping renovate the interior of the store. The old buildings in Appalachia are beautiful works of our past history. We are very glad and appreciative for the interest in starting a business in Appalachia. I believe there will be more new businesses in the near future.

January Lions Club Meeting Cancelled

There will be no regular stated bi-monthly meeting of the Appalachia Lions Club in January due to the Virginia Governor Northam’s executive order #72, limiting public gatherings to 10 people or less or until the Governor lifts the executive order.