Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

This eZine is edited by a total bookaphile and after filling every shelf and nook in the house, the ebooks are multiplying almost daily because it is so easy to get them. To make a point, here is a completely different 'Christmas story' available from Amazon, Claus (Legend of the Fat Man): A Science Fiction Holiday Adventure (Claus Series Book 1) . Your editor succumbed to this -for one day free- purchase, mostly because having always been a science fiction fan as well as a "belief in Santa should be encouraged beyond childhood" person, it was just irresistible. Have not read it yet so this may be a regret not a triumph.

What is always a plus is the delight in publishing the new compositions that our authors send in for their columns or articles or the poetry and story sections in Pencil Stubs Online. This month's poetry submissions follow:

Carrie E. Joslin, your editor's maternal grandmother left us many fond memories, not the least of which is recalling how she recited poetry to entertain us, much of which was from her own compositions. This issue includes two of those: "Hospitalization" and "The Delayed Honeymoon Trip."

Bruce Clifford's song lyrics are "Feeling Lost" and "Whisper to Me" for this month.

Bud Lemire has poems, "Thanksgiving Is All About Thankfulness" and "Pain, Cover Up With A Smile."

John I. Blair required seeking a dictionary with his poem "In Mid November" to find:

drey
/dra/
noun
the nest of a squirrel, typically in the form of a mass of twigs in a tree.
plural noun: dreys


but among his other five, the choice is "Possums in The Rain," as a possum hasn't been seen around here in about 50 years. Blair's other four are "Facts," "Great Grandpa William," "We Have A Flag," and "Music."

Thomas F. O'Neill in his "Introspective," explains his aversion to Black Friday and other commercialism surrounding holiday seasons because he feels kindness should be emphasized the most. "Cooking with Rod" by Rod Cohenour caters to those of us dreaming of culinary specialties from the past with a recipe by his spouse for M's Raspberry-Orange-Walnut Pork Loin!

Marilyn Carnell doesn't actually suggest her "Sifodling Along" column's subject as a Christmas present, but it would be a great one - "Buying Cars." Melinda Cohenour's "Armchair Genealogy" continues the tale of the Traitor, Benedict Arnold V, showing the patriotism of his other family members who link through time to her husband's lineage.

Judith Kroll aka Featherwind in her "On Trek" column urges her readers to visualize their departed loved ones as now being "invisible" and tells how that is a benefit. Mattie Lennon's "Irish Eyes" set his focus on plays and songs especially an "amateur production of John B. Keane’s "Big Maggie" by the Shoestring Theatre Company, in Charleville. "Big Maggie," is a story of Irish society and all its foibles and complexities of family and femininity in rural Ireland in the 1960s."

LC Van Savage, "Consider This," shares her personal Thanksgiving this year and how family matters . Her story, "Abigail and Her Best Friend Layla" is good to read to your youngsters, or encourage them to read it by their self. The article "The Important Uses of Yawns and Laughs" also by LC Van Savage will likely remind you of someone you know or knew once.

Thankful that our webmaster Mike Craner whose patience and expertise underline this ezine, is living in a more moderate climate than is currently affecting the rest of the world.

We wish all our readers to celebrate the Holidays that are as meaningful to them as Christmas is to your editor. Both she and her cat Jesse (short for Majestic) hopes everyone will stay warm!

See you in January 2019 which is the last issue of the 21rst volume of Pencil Stubs Online and clears the way for the 22d volume launching in February.