Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

Happy New Year!

When a new year rolls in, the popular pastime of the media is to review the year passing away, dredging up many news stories and events where public interest was captured and perhaps even held for a few days. When all is said and done, however, the important memories are the private ones we hold in our hearts. Memories of our loved ones, places we've been happy, things we loved doing with family and friends...these hold sway in our mind for all time. This issue celebrates such memories by bringing to your attention everything from the article by Eric Shackle on "Veteran Bloggers" recognizing the longevity (ages 92 and 94) of two writers, to the beginning chapter of Leo C. Helmer's recollections of work and play in his day, "Great Jobs."

Another article, "The Days of Whine" is by LC Van Savage who is also the author of the regular column, "Consider This." Helmer's "Cookin' With Leo" and "Eric Shackle's Column" (quite an interesting tale going back to the war years) are followed by "Introspective" by Thomas O'Neill; "Irish Eyes" by Mattie Lennon, who imparts a bit of personal history in his tongue in cheek manner; "Mike's Place" by webmaster/co-founder and author Michael Craner who recalls some early days of his own; and Gerard Meister's "Thinking Out Loud."

Our poetry section shines with reminiscing this month! Our prolific John I. Blair sends us some reflective verses:"Winter Moon" "Circle of Beauty," and "Point of Fate;" and three that reach back into the past, "I Never Knew My Grandfather," "Hay," and "Upriver." His wife, Clara Blair, sent in a couple of her poems to cherish, "Snow Globe in Black" and "Old Wave Rider." Bruce Clifford shares "Drama Queen," "Territorial Rudiments," and barely in under the wire, the submission of "One Kiss Goodbye." One new author, Jack Clark, sent, via the webmaster, "The Butterfly," with quite a pleasant tone to it.

Then we have family poems, some written as far back as 1917. ("A Daughter of Missouri" by Ethel Joslin Vernon, a great aunt born in McDonald County, Missouri, who migrated westward and lived out her days in California and also at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.) A second poem by Ethel Joslin Vernon is "Ozark Hills."

Her sister, Annie Joslin Payton has been published in Pencil Stubs Online before, and you can see the romantic poem she wrote commemorating her 50th wedding anniversary by clicking on her byline when you read one of the two by her this month: "When I Think of Spring at The Old Home Place" or "Gilded in Gold." That second one was written as a gift to my grandparents Artie and Carrie Joslin.

There are four poems included this issue by Grandmother Carrie E. (Bullard) Joslin: the comical, though true, "Nosebleed," "Please write, Lena May" to your editor's mother; and "Three Bright Stars" for my two sisters and me before the baby came along. "Courting" was written for her second daughter, Linnie Jane. Carrie E. Joslin was a loving mom, grandmother and great grandmother, but first loving her God, and church, and husband. Always a hard worker, she wrote many of her poems to cheer someone up or as a tribute to them. All the females in the family write poetry, in fact, and you will find some of their work here or in previous issues. This time includes Lena May (Joslin) Carroll, {"Where I Long to Live Always") Linnie Jane (Joslin) Burks, ("An African Twilight" written while a missionary in Nigeria) Jacquelyn (Carroll) MacGibbon,( Our Parents ) Noralee (Carroll) Crowson, as well as Mary (Carroll) Adair with "Whine" (written long before LC's article arrived). So you could say January treats you to a multi-generational poetry fest.

Now 2006 has closed, with the loss of many in the war-torn areas of the world, and with the loss of a fine and fair American leader, President Gerald Ford. Though hearts are grieving, all must look forward, so, once again,