Thinking Joy in the Middle of Winter

February 4, 1965

Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. First I have to let you know that last week was a disaster here in Hollyhill. A foot of snow and cold. Somebody told Dad that it was twenty below out on their farm. Wow! That's too cold to do anything except sit by the fire and hope you don't run out of wood or coal or gas or whatever keeps your house warm. We used to have a coal stove, but a couple of years ago Dad decided Aunt Love was getting too old to fix fires, so he put in a gas stove. Now we just have to worry about running out of gas in the big tank out back.


Did you miss me last week? I guess it was so cold it froze my brain and I forgot about making my report from Hollyhill. Nothing was happening anyway. Well, I mean nothing ever happens around here, but this was worse even than usual. Everybody stayed holed up in their houses and watched the snow blow around. I like snow, but when it's real cold you can't make a snowman or even a decent snowball and the sled runners sink down in the powdery stuff.

Sunday, Dad and the deacons called off church. That seemed weird too, but the church is out in the county and nobody could have driven there because the roads were drifted over. So we had church at home. Dad gathered us around the stove after breakfast and he read Exodus 33, where the Lord lets Moses stand in a cleft of the rock and covers him with his hand while he passes by to let Moses see his glory. After he read the verses, Aunt Love sang the chorus of "Rock of Ages." It did seem to fit, so I joined in and Dad did too. None of us can sing all that great, but Dad says as long as you believe the words in a hymn, your singing sounds good to the Lord. After we sang, Dad said we don't have to be on the mountain with God to see his glory. We can see it everywhere, even in the middle of a snow storm, but best of all, in the hearts and lives of those who believe.

Dad loves the Bible. He says he's proud of me for trying to read through the Bible this year. I'm still reading a chapter every night but I haven't gotten out of Genesis yet. 50 chapters in Genesis. It's going to take me more than a year get through the Bible unless I start reading more than one chapter a night. Dad says I might get bogged down in Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus, that they're books of law with lots of the rules for the Israelite nation. Like what you do if your neighbor steals your cattle. Dad says somehow Jesus turned all these rules into two. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

So now the snow is melting and March is on the way. That's when the third Hollyhill book will be out there for readers. Do you see me on the cover? What do you think about my picture there? I'm at Leigh's apartment playing her records. She's got some great 45s. Lots of Elvis. I think he must be her favorite singer. I don't know which I like best. "You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog" or "Love Me Tender." Do you like Elvis? Which is your favorite Elvis song?

(Note from the future) If you haven't got the new book, Summer of Joy, it will be out in about twenty days. Before that you can check out this place on Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/79488-summer-of-joy, and sign up to maybe win a copy.

New Year's Resolutions for 1965

December 30, 1964
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. One more day and it will be 1965. Can you believe that? I remember having to get used to writing 1960 on my homework papers. And now I'll be out of school before I have to write 1970. Unless I go to college. Dad says I should, but colleges cost money. He says I can get a scholarship. If I work hard and keep my grades up. So that's why I've got that homework stuff number one on my resolution list.

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Do you write them down? I think you should else you can just pretend you never really said that you were going to do this or that if you don't have proof. So I wrote down my resolutions and I'm sticking them in the back of my Bible. That way I'll see them every day when I'm keeping that second resolution. 

Everybody should read the Bible through, don't you think? I know there are some chapters that are hard to read. You know, those rules and regulations in the Old Testament about all sorts of things that we don't have to think about now. Dad says that's because Jesus opened up the church for us so that we could get forgiveness without all those sacrifices. He always preaches about that around Christmas time so that we'll remember why Jesus was born. 

But anyway, reading the Bible all the way through is still something good to do, don't you think? I started in January last year, but I only got up to 2 Chronicles. Dad says I can start this year where I left off last year. He says if I'm not going to stick with it, that I should read the New Testament first and then go back to the Old Testament. But I'm going to stick with it this year. I am.

You probably think that third resolution is silly, but I've been telling Wes Zebedee can do tricks. And he can. The only problem is he only does them when he wants to and not when I tell him too. Sometimes he will sit when I tell him to sit, but I think that's just because he was ready to sit anyway. Wes says Zeb can't learn tricks because he's from Jupiter and that up on Jupiter, dogs think they are smarter than people. 

Maybe I should re-think that fourth one. Reading the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress might be too much to expect. Have you ever tried to read Pilgrim's Progress? I read the first few pages last month and it wasn't anything like a Hardy Boy mystery, I'll tell you. But I am going to read it and then some of the classics this year. My English teacher says the best way that I can learn about putting words together is to read the masters. So maybe I should just redo that fourth one to say read a classic novel every month. Maybe Oliver Twist instead.

And of course, you can figure out what I mean by that last one. Tabitha says I'll develop sooner or later. Looks like it's going to be later. I'm in high school. I'm supposed to need to wear a bra. Sigh. 

Oops, maybe I shouldn't be reporting about that. Aunt Love would have a fit if she knew I was writing about my unmentionables. That's what she calls female underwear. Men can talk about wearing shorts, their word for underwear, but not ladies. 

Maybe I should add a number six - to learn to be a lady. But that doesn't sound like a resolution I'd have any hope of keeping.

What's your resolution this year? Did you make any when you where 14 going on 15 like me?