Pencil Stubs Online: Editor's Corner

May 2023

If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." - Roald Dahl

Your editor cooked about three and a half quarts of Crowder Peas in the pressure cooker. Nostalgia for my Missouri Grandma Carrie Joslin’s Crowder Peas meal brought this on. Although she would have served them in a bechamel sauce, the table meat would be slices of fried ham, and the greens would be her Goldenrod Poke Salet ( made with freshly sprouted Poke, parboiled, rinsed, chopped and simmered briefly with bacon, drained and spread (while still bright green) down the middle of a big white china platter, edged down each side with golden, crumbled, hard boiled egg yolks, the whites chopped and spread in a narrow row down the center atop the poke greens with crisp fried and crumbled bacon in a slim band centering the egg whites. I can see it shining in the middle of the long oak table, covered with a red and white checkerboard oilcloth, from my seat on the bench down one side, that could easily seat six to eight younguns, (as Grandpa called us kids.) The biscuits would be fist sized Buttermilk ones made in Grandpa’s cast iron wood stove, but the rest of the meal prepared on Grandma’s cherished, four burners and oven, butane white enameled kitchen stove. And yes, she is the grandmother who tithed her garden.

Blessed memories. Perhaps coming now as that was the house where yours truly was born on the eighth day of this month eighty-eight years ago. This is also the month that Mothers are honored with a day of remembrance and celebation, althogh this year has it the latest that it can occur in the month as it is always designated for the second Sunday of May. We do present a couple of poems honoring the poet's mom, and Thomas F. O'Neill remembers and reminds others to wish all mothers the best!

Lena May (Joslin)Carroll and
first child Mary Elizabeth.

Such reminisences are comforting, but now let's get to what is happening this issue in the 26th volume of this International eZine that has published the compositions of over 500 authors. Our columnists seem more than anxious for Summer's activities.

First, please notice the Tribute articles, one for the late Leo C. Helmer, and one for your editor's mother Lena May (Joslin) Carroll. These two, like yours truly, also had May birthdays, deeming us all as Taurians. We visited a lot and got along well, but when traveling the stubborn trait well known in persons from that segment of the Astrological Chart rose to its full capacity. Each knowing their choice of roadway must be correct. Do miss our times together.

Our poets with their varied interests present their perspective on life in many unique compositions.

Walt Perryman, is a retired Oil Exploration man who worked in nearly all, if not all, of the various jobs in that industry all around the world. Born in Grandfalls TX, he now resides in Lukenbach, TX.. His poetry this issue includes for Mother's Day "Letter to My Mother." His other two are "Rant about Cell Phones" and "Another Sunrise is Fixing to Rise."

Meanwhile, also stepping up to the challenge of their muses, this issue brings:

Bruce Clifford