Before truckloads of perfect firs showed up in parking lots, Christmas trees in Appalachia came straight from the mountains themselves — usually a scrappy, sweet-smelling cedar growing stubborn as a mule on the hillside, the very heart of an Appalachian family Christmas tradition . A week or so before Christmas, Daddy would holler, “Come on, young’uns — let’s go find us a tree!” And just like that, the whole troop bundled up and headed toward the ridge, boots crunching frost-

Stories from the Coal Mines Deep beneath the hills of Appalachia, stories were carved in coal and sweat—told not just through words, but through grit, prayer, and the echo of boots on the mantrip. Stories from the Coal Mines  is a new tribute project by Hearts of Appalachia dedicated to preserving the memories of coal miners and their families. Whether you worked underground, grew up in a coal camp, or carry the stories of a loved one who did—your voice matters here. This isn

W e sure hope we’ve managed to capture St. Charles in the way it deserves — full of the heart and history that makes this town special....

One of the reasons I created the Heartbeats of Appalachia  project was because of the deep connection I feel to these mountain towns—and...