Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

Did you ever look this far ahead while planning your future? Not sure that your editor here did. Seems like while she was growing up, getting married, having children, then grandchildren, then/now great, grandchildren, that the year of perhaps 2000 was hoped for, but really seemed to be like science fiction that one would ever reach that date. Now we are into the year that will end the first half of the first decade of the Millenium. My oh my oh my!

So, for this glorious New Year, did you plan any new resolutions? Have you begun to carry them out yet if you did? How long do you think you'll be able to stick to them? Some are so disappointed at their past efforts at such goals that they will not even consider making new ones again. Others are methodical enough that the list merely augments their usual monthly "to do" list. This writer can't imagine being so well scheduled or disciplined as that!

While not defining them as resolutions, some of us will no doubt attempt a few idealistic schemes. Perhaps quitting smoking, or really adopting a different regimen of eating choices, perhaps doing more exercise, or community service... or for those truly compassionate and over-worked souls - trying to learn the word "no" when the next community project comes along.

However, through the years, one will garner more satisfaction from one community effort or another than just going it alone all the time. With the possibility of meeting forward-looking people and becoming associated with definite development planners, visionaries on a plane not breached before perhaps, one expands their own world's boundaries. The satisfaction level increases multifold to the deeds required of any one person when many work to the same achievement. It may not be regarded at first glance as self-improvement at all, but one can rarely enter such cooperative situations without learning something new and valuable and oftentimes applicable to one's individual problems.

We would encourage you to participate in at least one new and different (for you) beneficent activity this year. So, though we're told good intentions pave a certain road, we certainly intend to try to become more helpful in our own locale.

We also intend to continue with this little ezine which may seem modest compared to some websites, but actually stacks up on the high side of quality and attention to detail and content. Our webmaster, Mike Craner, tends to many behind the scene adjustments and does a lot of fine-tuning to make the apparent part of the site work so well and present our readers a monthly update. This month's issue has already been a treat to work on, and has set this elder's head to muse on many different aspects of living. December being the penultimate edition of the Volume Seven issues (February begins Volume Eight) and January being the ultimate, we have chosen carefully for the content.

Our usual columnists, of course, choose their own focus for the month, and we welcome LC Van Savage with her column "Consider This;" Leo C. Helmer with "Cookin' With Leo;" Gerard Meister with "Thinking Out Loud;" and Mattie Lennon who does "Irish Eyes." LC Van Savage also has an article for January, "Word Meanings Change Like Everything Else."

Ten titles in the Poems section this time with "The Other Side," "Critical World," and "Lights On" coming to us via Bruce Clifford, while M. Jay Mansfield sings his ditty, "Hair today, Gone insane Tomorrow." The other six are from our most prolific poetic contributor, John I. Blair: "Driving To Darrouzett," "Hello, Myself!," "Memory," "Mr. FIXIT," "Rowboat," and "Snowfall." Blair likes to try different ways to do his poems, sometimes in triplets, sometimes blank verse, sometimes more ironclad traditional, but they always speak to the reader.

We have been entranced with the space oriented serial by our Australian author Alan Mosedale. This month we bring the final two chapters of "Hybird - The Green Cloud." February will wrap it all up with a conclusion and epilogue. It is very easy to start at the beginning by clicking the author's byline then following thru by chapter numbers. It is recommended that you begin with the cast of characters, then refer to it if necessary during the rest of the chapters. More than a mere list of characters, it adds to the enjoyment and mood of the tale.

So here we are starting off the year of 2005 with a great reading opportunity for you. Take advantage of it!

See you in February!