December 21, 1966 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Since Christmas is almost here, and I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait, I decided to interview my dad about his Christmas memories. Me: “Tell me about Christmas when you were a kid.” Dad: “Christmas was a pretty simple affair when I was a boy. We had …
A Christmas Wish – A Real Writing Tool
My Christmas giveaway is over, but I’m still thinking about all the great e-mails you shared with me about your favorite gifts received when you were a child or that you gave to a child. You let me have a peek into your Christmas memories and that was fun. So now it only seems fair to share my own Christmas …
Winners, Blue Bikes and More
My Christmas Giveaway has ended. I assigned each of the entries a number and then I used Random.org to pick two winning numbers. Of course, as always, I’m the biggest winners because I got to hear from so many of you and read your stories of best gifts received as a child or given to a child. I’ve been sharing …
And Sometimes on Christmas We Cry
There are things we don’t want to happen, but have to accept; things we don’t want to know, but have to learn, and people we can’t live without, but have to let go. (Jennifer Jareau, a fictional character from the show Criminal Minds) At Christmas time we want everything to be happy. We say Merry Christmas and we mean it. …
A Father’s Love – A Gift that Never Fades
Only a few days left to enter my Christmas giveaway. Deadline is midnight EST December 15th. First prize is this lovely Nativity set that would look great on your table this Christmas. The figures are made of wood and Mary is holding Jesus. The second prize is a Barbara Johnson daily calendar that could bring you smiles all year. Plus, …
Remembering Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1966 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. From peaceful Hollyhill, Kentucky. But Dad and lots of others are remembering a day twenty-five years ago that wasn’t peaceful. A terrible Sunday that changed all their lives. The day Pearl Harbor was attacked. “A day of infamy.” That’s what Dad says the president then, President Roosevelt called it. Dad …
No Special Gift … Just Memories
Christmas is wrapped in memories. When you get a few years added on the way I have, you have quite a few Christmases to remember. There was the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve when I was a little girl and we would go to open presents at our aunt’s house. She was like a granny to us. Years passed …
Books Under the Christmas Tree
Under my Christmas tree you will generally find at least one book wrapped up for each child and grandchild. Not my books. They can have one of those any time they want, but while a few of them do read my books, others in the family have different reading tastes or might not be old enough for a book without …
The Spirit of Generosity
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things. (Thomas S. Monson) On Wednesday’s post here, I shared a beautiful story of how Barbara and her co-workers made …
The Blessing of Giving
“For it is in giving that we receive.” (St. Francis of Assisi) As most of you know I’ve got a Christmas giveaway going. You can check out the prizes and how to enter on my News & Events Page. I invited those who wanted to enter to share about the best gift they’d ever received as a child or the …