Jocie Brooke here reporting from Main Street, Hollyhill. I think I'm going to have to expand my reporting area. Main Street has been more than usually dull this week. Nothing, I mean nothing going on. Nobody even tried to park without putting nickels in the parking meters. The police chief had absolutely nothing to do but drink coffee with the mayor up at the Grill. I told Dad he ought to write an editorial about how Hollyhill should pay the mayor by the hour instead of a salary. And only the hours he actually works. But Dad says more work might be going on than I can see. That sometimes things happen over coffee that might never happen at a City Council meeting. Besides, he's not the kind of editor who stirs up trouble just for the sake of stirring up trouble.
Wes told him it might sell a few more newspapers. I have to agree with that. Our headline story this week was some guy who brought in turnips that were big as bowling balls. Thank goodness, he wanted to take them home and didn't give them to Dad. The only thing worse than boiled cabbage is cooked turnips!
See, I told you there was no news in Hollyhill this week. Definitely nothing strange. I've given up finding out who sent Zella flowers. She hasn't. She whips out her red lipstick every time she sees a possible candidate for her secret admirer coming through the newspaper office door, but so far nobody has given the first sign of being "the one." I've about decided Dad sent them to give her something to think about other than new reasons to fuss about me. I have to admit I don't make her think too hard. Wes and I are still laughing about that fit she had over the fake spider in her pencil drawer.
Dad threatened to not let me come to the office for a week after that, but he relented after I wrote Zella an apology. I'm pretty good with words, so I didn't have any trouble sounding sincere. I hope Dad doesn't read this or I'll be in trouble all over again. He says the Bible is pretty plain on how we ought to tell the truth and be good to our neighbors. He'd tell me Zella was my neighbor, but she lives clear over on the other side of town. Thank goodness!
So things are the same old same old in Hollyhill this week. But it was a great day with lots of sunshine and the wind kept the flags flying pretty up at the post office. Dad says we should look for blessings every day. Guess they would be easier to find than something strange in Hollyhill.
Remember, this is your last chance to throw your name in the giveaway hat. I'm drawing for the three winners this weekend. Can't wait to send you Scent of Lilacs. Then you'll understand about Zella and about me. And I've been told a newsletter is about to go out with more prizes to celebrate my book. Nothing too strange about any of that, but fun.
See you next week. I think I'll take a trip down to the bridge over the river. Not so strange, but Dad says it's got history. Hope that doesn't scare you off - me threatening to write about history. I wouldn't blame you. History in school puts me right to sleep. We have this teacher we call Round Brown. From what I can see, I don't think he likes history either.
Hi Jocie (Ann), Anxious to see who wins but will miss you. You put a smile on my face. I can truthfully say following your everyday life is an adventure and I think that's the way we should look at life but age & experience has a way of putting a damper on that! Linda
ReplyDeleteWait, Linda. I'm still going to be around hunting up the strange and ordinary here in Hollyhill every Monday. I hope you'll come back to talk to me even after the giveaway is over. Who knows! I might really find something strangely interesting to write about in Hollyhill. Doubtful, but possible. And you're saying the same thing Wes tells me sometimes. Every day can be an adventure. If a person has a Jupiter attitude.
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Hello Jocie. I've had so much fun visiting you. Glad you are not going away. I especially loved being here today. I too grew up in a really small town. I didn't get to be in town as much as I would have liked to be, for we lived out in the country. But, we got to go most times on Saturdays. We would have a nickel or two to spend. You see, we didn't have money all of the time like some of the kids did. First we'd got to Ole Judes, the candy store. We could get all kinds of stuff for just a penny. And, I loved to go to our drugstore and sit on the stool at the fountain(the bar). and order a double dip ice cream cone for a nickel. WOW! Imagine, two large dips! Then I would go to our grocery store. KIt had a long bench where people could sit and rest . It was mostly the black folks. They nearly always had babies. I always had to get me one of those cute babies and carry it around. You see, I have always loved babies and still do. I have 12 grandchildren and now I have 19 great-grandchildren. # little ones this past year. We could just run around all over that town till my momma and daddy were ready to go home. My grandma and granddad also lived nearby, so we were happy to see them, And I had a cousin about my age that was there. I finally had to move away for my daddy to get a job, but I still love to go to that little town to visit and remember. Maxie
ReplyDeleteA double dip for a nickel sounds great. It's ten cents a dip here in Hollyhill. I need to be in your little town. I love babies too. In Orchard of Hope I get to carry around a little baby. Love that. I have to believe your town was more fun than Hollyhill. Two dips for a nickel. I'm going to tell the guy at the Grill about that!
DeleteOh Jocie, I meant to tell you that I grew up on a farm so I learned to love cabbage boiled, and especially fried. You should try it fried. Yummy! I also love turnips, and love them in my stew. BUT, I don't like spiders anywhere, and surely not in one of my drawers! Maxie
ReplyDeleteI don't like boiled cabbage or fried cabbage or any kind of cabbage, but sometimes I have to eat it when Aunt Love cooks it. And turnips in soup - that sounds awful. Maybe when I get older I can try some of that. Right now I'll stick with fried potatoes and those ice cream cones! Plastic spiders don't scare me a bit.
DeleteI never had a Grandparent...but! I have 3 Grandsons! They are awesome! Not prejudiced...nope not me! The other day, my Son and father of the 7 and 5 year old took them out to lunch with me. We were riding, and Son said that someone said that the 5 yr old looked just like him! 5 yr old says...."No way, I don't have a beard, and look, my clothes are different!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't miss this for anything. To bad they grow up so fast!
Jocie here - I love being around the little kids at our church. I help in the Beginners' Sunday school class. The kids in there are always saying cute things like your grandkid did.
DeleteAnn here - Thanks for sharing about your grandkids, Maureen. I'll enter you in the givaways. Thanks. Jocie appreciates you visiting here.
Oh Josie, I loved reading about Hollyhill. When I was younger, even though I grew up "in town", it was a big deal to go to town on Saturday nights. That was the only chance we had since my Dad worked 6 days a week and my Mom didn't drive. We went to the Cozy Nook and got 'pop' and ice cream and oh, how we loved that! There was a juke box and before I got too old to want to be with my parents, I would sit there and listen to the popular songs and sip my pop and eat my ice cream! Josie, we could have been friends if we had just lived closer!!
ReplyDeleteConnie, glad you showed up here at Hollyhill. We have some kids from school that just come to town on Saturday afternoon. Lots of fun seeing everybody then. Me, I'm in town every day helping Dad at the paper and keeping up with all the "Jupiter" news from Wes. :) I love jukeboxes, but I usually give my extra quarters to old Sal. I'll have to write about him on here sometime. Love the name of your little pop shop. Our grill is just the Hollyhill Grill. Boring. Cozy Nook is much, much better. And why don't we just be friends now?
DeleteFriends we will be!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about Hollyhill. I want to read more. Enter me in the contest please. Sharma Darby rdarby@roadrunner.com
ReplyDeleteHope you'll come back to find out what's happening here in Hollyhill next week. Nothing much ever happens, but maybe I'll think of something to write. A blog is like my daddy's newspaper. You got to fill the pages with something. Jocie.
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