March 3, 1964
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Main Street, Hollyhill. It's March. Basketball tournament time. Our high school team out at Holly County High played in the District Tournament last week. We didn't win. We never win the tournament, but we did win a few games this year. Better than some years.
I took pictures for the paper. I love taking pictures. There's just something about the bright light pop of the flashbulb when I push the shutter button. I even like twisting the knob to get ready for the next picture. Dad's always telling me how much flashbulbs and film cost and how we have to count pennies to make any money on the paper, so I have to be choosy about the pictures I take.
I missed a couple of great pictures last week because I got to cheering for the team. For a few minutes in the third quarter, we just lacked a field goal of tying the score. Then we go behind again. So I remembered to take a few pictures of the cheerleaders the way Dad told me to, but I made sure Valerie Givens wasn't front and center. She thinks she's SO cute she makes me sick! Well, she is cute, but she could be nicer to some of us who aren't Miss Homecoming Queen. She never smiles at me - unless I have the camera. Then she's smiling big and saying, "Take my picture. Take my picture!"
Everybody wants to see their picture in the Banner. Well, the kids do and the grown-ups like seeing their kids and grandkids in the paper. Dad says that sells more papers than the news. That could be because there's never any real news in Hollyhill. But I don't tell Dad that. He thinks the city council arguing about whether to put trashcans on the street is news.
But I do have news tonight. Two big news items. The first one you're not going to believe! Somebody interviewed me. ME! About me being in that Heart of Hollyhill book, Scent of Lilacs. You can read all about it Tuesday on Margaret Daley's Blog. Whatever a blog is. It must be something like here where I'm writing my Hollyhill news. But I don't care if I know exactly what it is or not. It was fun answering those questions. All about me! Can you believe somebody was that interested in me? And that book about me and everybody here in Hollyhill.
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Do you think I'm going to be famous now?? This blog lady is even giving away one of the books to one of the people who go over and leave a comment on her blog the way you can leave a comment here. I like hearing from you here and I'll peek over there to see if anybody's talking about me tomorrow. I hope somebody will want to read what I said. I mean that's why you do interviews, so somebody can read them. Believe me, my interview is more fun than Dad interviewing the mayor, but don't tell him that. He'll think I'm getting the big head like Valerie.
That's not all the news. Remember about all those comments you've been leaving to maybe have a chance to win a copy of that book, Scent of Lilacs. The winners have been picked. Lanehillhouse, Laney4, and Maureen Timerman. Trouble is, two of you didn't leave your contact info. Got yours, Lanehillhouse. Laney4 and Maureen, you can send yours to annhgabhart@yahoo.com or leave it in a comment here. If Ann doesn't hear from you by next Monday, I'll draw for more winners. She'll be writing about the winners on her One Writer's Journal too. You know she's the one that wrote all about Hollyhill and the one giving away these books. I'm just helping out with the news. That's what reporters do. That and make flashbulbs pop when they take pictures. I'll take your picture if you come to Hollyhill.
That's all the news from Hollyhill tonight. I'd better get to work on my algebra. Sigh. I'd rather be taking pictures or doing more interviews.
Jocie! Thank you so much!! Ann is going to autograph it for me! That is kind of like being written about in an Autograph Book! Tommy and Mary sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. If you get married and have twins, don't come to me for safety pins. I had a Brownie Hawkeye Camera my brother got me for Christmas. Those little bulbs get hot! Well, nice talking to you, and I am excited to "Read All About It!" Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
ReplyDeleteJocie here. Wow! So great to hear from one of the winners. Those flashbulbs do get hot. I burn my fingers all the time being in a rush to get to the next picture. But don't you just love the way they sort of bubble up? A little pow of an explosion and you can smell it too. I had an autograph book when I was a little kid in the 4th grade. All the girls did. I tried to think up cute things to write but sometimes just put "Yours till Ivory soap sinks." And it's going to be a looong time before I want to get married and have twins. But there are these cutest little twins at the church. You'll read all about them in Orchard of Hope. Oh, and don't forget to go check out my interview http://www.margaretdaley.com/2013/03/heroine-interview-from-scent-of-lilacs-by-ann-gabhart/ You don't need to win the book now, but if you did, you could give it to a friend.
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ReplyDeleteShoulda' put my name on a sticky note, so it would have grabbed on and picked my name. :(
ReplyDeleteMaxie
Jocie here - Sticky note?? What's a sticky note? You've got me puzzled on that one, Maxie. I don't think we have any notes that are sticky around the newspaper office unless I forgot and laid a sucker on Zella's desk. Man, would she have a fit then.
DeleteBut you're going to have another chance in the drawing. One of the winners turned her book back in since she's getting a copy in another way. Drawing tomorrow.