December 2, 1964 Jocie Brooke reporting from Hollyhill. It’s December. That means Christmas isn’t too far away. I love Christmas. I love getting gifts. I like giving gifts, but that giving is harder than the getting. That’s because I don’t have any money or at least not enough to buy something for Dad and Tabitha and Aunt Love. Wes and …
Christmas is not so much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~Janice Maeditere It’s December. Already. How does it get here so quickly? It didn’t used to be that way. Do you remember when you were a kid and Christmas Eve seemed like it was three days long? We always had a Christmas dinner and presents at my …
Words “Words are only postage stamps delivering the object for you to unwrap.” ~George Bernard Shaw Since I let Wednesday slip away without posting last night, I’m writing this early on Thanksgiving morning. So of course, it is about being thankful. I have so many blessings to count, that I could write them down all day and then nobody would …
November 25, 1964 Jocie Brooke reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. It’s been a sad week here in Hollyhill as everybody was remembering the assassination this time last year. Dad put this picture on the front page of the Hollyhill Banner. There was regular news, but it didn’t seem to matter than much this week. Or even that basketball season is about …
“I want to go home.” That’s my mother’s constant desire these days as her dementia continues to worsen. She’s not talking about heaven as some people might think. She’s quick to say she’s not ready to move up to heaven just yet. Most of the time, the home she’s talking about is her mother’s home where she grew up. This is a …
“The heart of marriage is memories; and if the two of you happen to have the same ones and can savor your reruns, then your marriage is a gift from the gods.” (Bill Cosby) The picture is fuzzy, but it is the first moment of my married life. We got married in the little country church my husband’s family attended. …
November 18, 2013 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. About two weeks ago we had the presidential election. It was hard thinking about elections and presidents after President Kennedy was shot last November, but there has to be an election every four years for president. It’s necessary like getting booster tetanus shots. This year Lyndon B. Johnson won in …
Books are a uniquely portable magic. ~Stephen King That’s obviously a magic a lot of readers are still looking for as they came out to the Kentucky Book Fair in large numbers yesterday to find some of those magical stories. And most of them did carry a book made of paper out the door with them. I did have a few are …
My Friend, Jan “Watson’s success lies in her ability to create characters that are endearing and timeless. . . .” Romantic Times Magazine. One of the best things about writing in the inspirational market has been the friends I’ve made of other inspirational writers. One of those friends is Jan Watson who also lives here in Kentucky and writes …
November 11, 1964 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. It’s Veterans Day. We had to go to school anyway, but Dad did a special issue of the Banner with stories from some of the veterans. Mr. Haskins who served in World War I was more than ready to share his stories about serving in France. Of course, I’d heard …