My plan was to post this early, but best laid plans. Sigh. I just have to admit it. I’m a burn the midnight oil writer. But tonight I have excuses. Really!! First we had a fellowship supper at church. I had to cook something. You can’t go to a potluck supper with an empty dish, now can you? I took …
Words in a Jam
July 28, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. You remember those blackberries I talked about picking last week. Well, they’re in a jam now. (Ha. Ha.) Wes says I’m getting to be a regular comedian. I tell him that’s only because I hang around with him so much. He laughs about that. Says a Jupiterian has to have …
Mystery Picture Giveaway Fun
Are you ready for a new giveaway? I’ve got books that want a new home. The prize is an autographed copy of Karen Kingsbury’s The Chance and the winner’s choice of one of my books shown in the photo below. And you can have my autograph too. Mine is sort of plain compared to Karen’s interesting autograph. She must have …
A Penny from Heaven
Have you ever read about people finding pennies after a loved one dies? I’d read the stories and thought it was great that these people had found something to help them through their grief. Did I believe the pennies were really from heaven? Did I think the person who had passed on had somehow found a way to manipulate a …
Have you ever picked blackberries over in the field?
July 21, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Holly County. Guess what I did last weekend? Right. Went blackberry picking on Miss Sally’s farm. She thought it would be too late to find any, but they must have been waiting for the rain and so had to wait a little longer to get ripe. Miss Sally said she’d teach me …
Grandma Camp and Book Clubs
Did you ever go to “grandma” camp? That’s what I call it when the grandkids come to spend a few days. We don’t worry too much about anything except food on the table at mealtimes, having plenty of Popsicles and doing something fun. One of the things we did with them this year was go fishing. I think my son had taken his …
Butterflies on Thistles
Life is butterflies and thistles. Hummingbirds and bumblebees. Sleepless nights and sleep-in mornings. Blooming flowers and chomping worms. Truth and fiction. Sorrow and joy. Butterflies on thistles. I’m off my schedule this week, but wanted to stop in to thank you all again for all your prayers and thoughts this last week as I had to tell Mom goodbye. Now …
Bailey’s Bug – What Happens Next?
July 14, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Do you like my dog friend? I’ve been taking lots of pictures of dogs to try to find one that looks like Bailey in the book I’m writing. This one isn’t right. The one last week was closer. But it’s fun taking pictures of all the dogs I meet and …
My Mother, My Friend
Mom and Dad on a date Mom on her honeymoon The first friend any of us have is our mother. And my mother was the best friend I could have ever had. She taught me how to embrace life and that the more love you give away, the more you are blessed with in your heart. She was cute …
Facing the Truth of Dementia
“Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger.” ~Ben Okri A sweet friend sent me this book as a gift. Tracy and I met at a writing conference several years ago and then exchanged e-mails now and again. She has a caring heart, and she has also walked dementia’s road with her mother. We talked about …