Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

Our shortest month of the year, but one that is the recipient of many titles to garner attention for some activity, or group, or product, or remembrance-jogging tribute. More, I believe, than the number of days in the period even when it occurs in Leap Year. Of course there is also Valentine's Day, but this year, perhaps because of the health risks of the Covid-19 Virus and its various variants, people are avoiding affectionate displays. Poor Cupid must search dilligently for amenable targets. So this is almost the only place in our February publication where you will see it, but I can't resist wishing each of you a Happy Valentine's Day!

We greet a new columnist, Danielle Cote Serar whose "A Mother's Lessons" has good advice for everyone. Being a mom herself she seeks lessons from life to help ensure a happier as well as more efficient way to cope, physically and spiritually. Her first column is titled "Agape Love."

Judith Kroll cites some wisdom gained from her grandmother in "On Trek." Dayvid Bruce Clarkson's "Reflections of the Day" discusses serendipitous happenings. Thomas O'Neill reminisces about the Chinese New Year celebrations back in 2014, before Covid restrictions.

Mattie Lennon's "Irish Eyes" also has a reference to Covid in one of his book reviews under his subtitle of "After Closing, Clar Cemetery and Kavanagh." Marilyn Carnell declares "I Am An Immigrant" then explains in her "Sifoddling Along" that she refers to having moved away from Missouri.

If one is longing for something new or different but sufficient funds may be part of the problem, Pauline Evanosky's column "Woo Woo" features a discussion about "Manifestation." She admits it can be a lot of mindful concentration.

"Cooking with Rod" is the only mention of Valentine's Day (besides this column) as he plans to prepare M's Chicken-Tortellini Al Fredo, a delicious recipe his wife devised. He declares it is a family favorite. Meanwhile, she has been busy writing her "Armchair Genealogy" column, chasing and verifying sources for the DNA Glossary information she promised our readers.

We are blessed with poetry submissions for our first issue of the new Volume 25, and your editor even composed "My Chariot" for her oldest daughter Kathy's birthday. We have two by Harmony Keiding, "Can You Not Understand" and "Like A Seed." One poem "Rain" arrived in our Mailbag with name undisclosed, and it is thought provoking, so it is included. We have one poem from John Blair, done primarily in the triplets styling, "The Holly As Tall As The House."

Bruce Clifford's three poems are "Can't Do This Again," "Shiny and Blue," and "It's Too Far To Reach." Bud Lemire's poems, also three of them, are "The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan," "My Name Is Covid," and "Never The Same." Bud adds illustrations to most of his poetry submissions, many that are his own photography.

Walt Perryman, our poet who often performs at Lukenbach, shows these three, "Gauging Time," "What I Know and Don't," and "How To Wear Your Cowboy Hat." Dayvid Bruce Clarkson, one of our columnists, also does Haiku and other styles of poetry like his "Noble Heart" in this issue.

The article "Lost Love, My Greatest Heartache" is by your editor's sister Melinda Cohenour who also does the pencilstubs genealogy column. Our mother, Lena May Joslin Carroll is the subject. and her pic with the article shows her in Phoenix admiring the Bougainvilleas from the patio.

She died in March 2010, when she was 91. No one knows how much I miss her and her comforting words and advice, received as often as not with the intention of doing it my own way, only to find her way would have served me better. This is a pic of her watching me at the computer back in the mid-80s.

We depend on Mike Craner, the backbone of this eZine which was co-founded by him and your editor. Mike keeps this informational and entertaining publication viable. Much love and appreciation to him and his wife Susie, every day. Thanks, Mike, for everything,!