In about a month I’ll be celebrating a new book out for readers. Small Town Girl is scheduled for release on July 1, but usually I get to enjoy that new book smell when I open up a box the UPS man brings to my door a few days before July. It’s always exciting to actually hold that new book …
Brooms make me think of Shakers. That’s what I put on my Shaker Wednesday post on my Facebook page this week, but there’s only so much you can put on a Facebook post. And a person can write a lot about Shaker brooms. If you visit the Shaker village of Pleasant Hill here in Mercer County, Kentucky, you can see …
May 13, 1964 Jocie Brooke here reporting for the Banner. It’s been a cool day here in Hollyhill. Way too cool. Last Friday it was 80 degrees and so hot that when I got home from school, I broke out my pedal pushers and wore a sleeveless shirt to the Banner office. Wes wanted me to help him clean up …
What Sunshine is to Flowers, Smiles are to Humanity. ~Joseph Addison Today was Mother’s Day. A beautiful time to remember Moms everywhere. It was a sad day for some who were missing a mom gone on before them. I still have my mother, but she’s not the mother I’ve known all my life. Dementia has stolen her memories and joy …
I had fun with my last mystery picture that wasn’t much of a mystery for some of you. So how about this one? Got a guess before you read on? While you’re thinking about it, let’s talk about Spring. Here in Kentucky it was so cool in March that spring tarried and dragged its feet, but then April came along …
May 6, 1964 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Things have been really hopping around here since Cat showed up. I’m beginning to believe he is from Jupiter the way Wes says. Zella says she doesn’t care where he’s from as long as he stays away from her and for heaven’s sake, we’re a newspaper. We deal in words …
“Truth is, every writer has to be a good editor, and you have to edit yourself. It is a skill every writer has to acquires.” ~Lisa Scottoline Got the pages for my Christmas novel last week for one more read through. Someday I’m going to keep count of how many times I read through a story …
When I was a kid, I was taught that a lady had to watch what she said. If she was irritated or stumped her toe, there was a definite limit on available words to express her vexation. Even the innocuous darn was forbidden in my house. Often, if that word slipped out, you were reminded that the word meant …
April 29, 1964 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. As always, things have been pretty boring (Dad says I should say calm, not boring) here on Main Street, Hollyhill. Dad says boring is better than stores getting robbed or wrecks happening. That might make the Banner headlines more exciting, but at the same time, somebody might be getting hurt. …
Lots to do! Deadline zooming toward me for my work in progress and the words are coming slow. Chores need doing! New floor going down in the kitchen and bathroom and new room. New floors going down need everything moved off them! Not enough hours in the day. Sometimes it’s hard getting everything done since I have to spend so …