Christmas 2018 comes at a turbulent times in our nation and around the world.

Severe weather has dominated us locally, with heavy rains, flooding and hurricanes nipping at our heels here in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Fall brought a major snowstorm and cold, freezing weather.  Christmas brings a respite but the long-range forecasts says the first three months of 2018 will be colder with more winter storms than normal.

In Washington, the federal government went into partial shutdown mode at midnight Friday and may continue into the new year.  Extreme partisanship sinks to new lows on both sides of the political ship.

On Tuesday, let’s please take time to remember Christmas or any other way anyone chooses to recognize the holiday.  We should celebrate and honor the reasons for this special time in history.

The video above, filmed and edited four years ago, celebrates Christmas in a small town like ours.

Merry Christmas from Amy and myself as we head into a new year, new challenges and new ways to enjoy life here in the Southwestern Virginia Mountains.