Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

January 2012

My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (1533-1592)

Perhaps that says the same thing Mark Twain aka Samuel Clements said, "Worry is like paying interest on a loan you may never have to make." At any rate it encourages one to proceed through life looking ahead to pleasantries, not disasters, so let us all do so as we head into this new year, seeing it full of promise and excitement.

We offer congratulations to one of our former authors, David Schleicher, and applaud his launching of a unique new experiment designed to bridge the gap between classic storytelling and new technology. The Stone Premier Issue - featuring great stories from Jack Lehman, Amanda Perino, Christopher Tait, and David - is now available exclusively through the Kindle App for only $1.99 (USB) Here's the direct link to Amazon's Kindle Store to buy: direct link. If people need to download the Kindle App (for free) first, they can use this link: free Kindle App. More info can be found on The Schleicher Spin..

This issue being the last one of Volumn 14 and the first of 2012, makes it the Omega-Alpha, doesn't it? Our columnists have submitted their thoughts, some addressing the new season, others looking backward, and have included some unusual tidbits. Check out "Irish Eyes" by Mattie Lennon; "Consider This" by LC Van Savage; "Introspective" by Thomas F. O'Neill; "Angel Whispers" by Peg Jones; "Cooking With Leo" by Leo C. Helmer; and "Eric Shackle's Column" by, of course, Eric Shackle plus his article, "Amazing Grace Now Amazing Race." The other article by LC Van Savage who celebrates the first as her birthday, is a glimpse at human nature, "On Lovejoy's Pond."

Ten poems help round out the Table of Contents with six from John I. Blair: "A Garden Never is Forever," "Little Victories," "Taking The Sun in January," "Trash at Five A.M." "Poet of The Small," and "WinterSpring."

Bruce Clifford sent along two of his melodic poems, "A Mixed Bag," and "Now I Cry." The poem "Half Past Dead" by M. Jay Mansfield, aka Fire Eagle, was written back in June while his Air Conditioner was out of commission, and is included here to remind us how we wished for winter back then. Wendy Shepard-Kalan speaks of "When The Past Is No More," and to many of us will bring echoes of our various loved ones, family and friends, who have become the victims of Alzheimer's Disease. Did Wendy intend this to help us understand?In my own family, my maternal grandmother Carrie E. Joslin and both her daughters, my mother Lena Carroll and my aunt Linnie Jane Burk are part of that list of victims.

Mark Crocker has begun his second book of Rabbo and the first chapter, "Departing" can be found under the segment for Stories as it is serialized. To read the first Book of Rabbo, click his name and find those chapters.

See you in February.

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Click on Mary E. Adair for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.

This issue appears in the ezine at www.pencilstubs.com and also in the blog www.pencilstubs.net with the capability of adding comments at the latter.

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