Joplin Journal Volume 11-1, Issue 1

From the Editor's Desk:

It's Saturday! A Saturday at home with no big projects (see On the House), no events (see Widows' Luncheon, Super Saturday, & Wedding Staff), and no one coming over (see Visitors). I haven't had a Saturday like this since . . . January!! What do I have planned? Writing and sending this rather neglected journal, reading, and writing. It's a cloudy, and rainy. A good day to enjoy words!

Weather Report:

Well, I really hope you don't expect me to give you all our weather since I wrote last. Mostly it's been spring! We've had temperatures in the 70s, and down in the 20s at nights. We've had sunshine and rain. The crocuses have bloomed and are gone. The daffodils are in full bloom, and the grape hyacinths are blooming, trees are budding and blooming, grass is turning green, and little green leaves are shooting out from all the bushes. After last year's later spring, this feels even earlier. But we're loving it! Except for allergies.

"Genius Burns":

I set a new record this week by writing 4,123 words in one day!!!! Before then, the most I'd written in a day was 3,530 and that was way back in 2019. It was so much fun!

I finished writing my new Homewood story. Yay! Now I've been working mostly on Kate & Kylie. I have written a short story, and am working on rewriting a Thanksgiving story. Why am I rewriting it? Well, my 2nd NEO decided that it needed to reset to factory settings after I changed batteries. (I've never had a NEO do that before!!) And when it did, it ate every single story on it! At first I just wanted to cry. It wouldn't give them back. Then I began figuring out what had been on there. There were several empty files, and a few stories that had been started but that I doubted I'd ever really finish, but I hated to just delete them. The two big things I lost was this Thanksgiving story, but it had been rather stuck and I think rewriting it is going to make it better, and an almost finished Christmas story that really wasn't a favorite. And as Sarah says, I am always getting new ideas for Christmas stories, so losing one won't matter. :P

Project Prognosis:

Let's see how my projects are coming this week.

• Work on Blog Posts for 2023 – I at least figured out what I'm doing for March. I have one post that still needs written, and one that needs finished. Next week's post is done.
• Work on my Name List – I did it! If you want to read about the names I've maybe overused, you can read my post HERE.
• Update Website – *crickets chirp*
• Design Two Covers – I still have two book covers that need designed. Both are for Christmas stories so I'm not in a huge hurry.
• Do My Taxes – I did! I got that done and out of the way! Yay!

In the Hoop:

Basketball games are over for the season. The boys played a lot of games and really improved in skill. It was fun to watch them play. I didn't go to very many games, but Mom went to most of them.

On the House:

Late January Sarah was having trouble with her shoulder and neck bothering her. After a little she realized just how slanted the floor was in the upstairs office. She had been sitting at an angle for years! So, after some talking, we decided to put flooring down in the backroom, and trim out the windows in there since Dad had the trim. We had to move almost everything out of there and on Friday, Feb. 3, I started laying the flooring. I did most of the large room that day. I would do a section, and then we'd have to move things over onto the new floor so I could do the next part. On Saturday I reached the closets and had to have Dad's help in cutting some of the pieces. That evening the kids came over, and Drew helped Papa trim out the rest of the windows, and Grant helped me with the floor some. And the older kids helped us move some things. Now the room is done and looks so much nicer! Sarah has her desk between two windows, and the old "office" is very different looking. We have shelves instead of a desk, and the Duplo is in drawers up there for easy access.

Widows' Luncheon:

We had our annual Widows' Valentine Luncheon on Feb 11. We didn't have to post pone it this year! That was nice. :) Since the pen names the secret sisters used last year were Crayola color names, we did the decorations in lots of different colors. Almost everyone was able to make it, and all had a good time.

We made a balloon arch for the first time, which was so fun and colorful.

These were the corsages I made. Usually I make them all the same, but this time I decided to make each widow's corsage with the colors of her two secret sisters' pen names. That was fun!

This is how the tables looked. Different colored napkins, hearts and yes, we had crayons. And yes, some people colored pictures on the plastic table clothes. :)

Visitors:

In February we had company. First Grandpa and my mom's brother Tom, came down for a visit on the 11th. They spent the morning over at Jimmy's and then came over here in the afternoon. We went and watched James & Joel's team play against Lucas & Drew's team. Of course the older boys won, but the younger ones made them work.

Then on the 18th, Aunt Marty came down for the day. It was good to see her. Sarah, Aunt Marty, and I went for a walk before lunch. It was nice to get out. We helped her sew a wall hanging in the afternoon before she headed back home.

Super Saturday:

On Saturday, February 25th, we had Super Saturday at church. Whispering Winds Bible Camp came down and hosted what is basically "a day of camp." There were games, Bible memory, teaching sessions, lunch, songs, more games, and lots of fun. Sarah was the photographer, and I helped with games and registration. We both listened to verses during Bible memory. It was a great day, but we were tired when we got home.

Babysitting:

Last week we babysat the kids. Well, we had the 6 youngest ones on the 28th and 30th. James had something going on in Springfield, and J & M went with him. Krista went to a friend's house near them. Since it was going to be so late when Jimmy, Megan, and James got home, the kids spent the night with us. It was nice enough out that they got to ride bikes, or as Kins put it, "go biken ride!"

We had also gotten new lego so there was a lot of that going on both days.

Then, the kids (except Kristia) came over last Friday while J & M, and Krista, went to a huge used clothing sale. They were here from morning until 8 or so at night.

Wedding Staff:

Last week there was a wedding at church. It was a small one, but Sarah and I were asked to help with the rehearsal dinner and then the reception. The rehearsal was easy on Friday night. And then we spent most of the day at Church on Saturday. We made lunches for everyone in or helping with the wedding (just sandwiches, carrots, and chips), and then got the cupcakes for the reception out and mixed the punch, put out nuts and mints, and water. It was pretty easy. We stayed and cleaned up the kitchen and all the food stuff before we went home around 4:30. It was a simple, small, but very nice wedding.

Out of the Mouth:

Kinsley loves "my Grant" and often just goes and hugs him. She told us, "Gant my best buddy."

I was reading a story to Kins in the nursery one evening and she had all kinds of questions. I finally said, "I don't know." She paused a moment and then said, "I ask my daddy."

The Music Stand:

The Ladies Ensemble practice is going well. We sang last month. You can listen to us HERE.

KDWC:

Camp is open! This is our 11th camp. We have 122 campers and 9 tents and aunties. So far things have gone well. I have 16 girls in my tent, but others have only 12. We've gotten a lot of writing in, some virtual pillow fights, and some fun word/writing games. Not to mention that my tent gets seriously competitive and we are trying to reach 100% of our tent goal before everyone else. Right now we are in second place. (Yesterday we went back and forth between first and second until we decided on a secret strategy. Shh! Don't tell anyone!) Some girls can write a LOT! Others don't write nearly as much, but that's okay.

Sewing Room:

I can hear the sewing machine right now. I don't know what Sarah is sewing, but she always has something. She is the one people at church bring their things to for mending or hemming, or sewing on his military patches.

Read Another Page:

I wish I could tell you that I had one of those stories I mentioned last time, if not both of them, published, but that hasn't happened. They are still waiting to be formatted.

Teacher's Lounge:

Closed for now.

Book Nook:

Oh, dear. What have I read since January? Dare I go look? Here we go.

The Hall in the Grove (so good to reread), Autumn Rains (enjoyed), Dreyer's English (learned a lot), Back To Me (okay), The Spool-Cotton Girl (short story), Jade's Match (enjoyed it), What If I Had! (short and good), On the Brink (mixed feelings ), Mrs. Raynor's New Nurse-Maid (short story), The Enchanted Barn (enjoyed), Everything (One of my short stories is in this collections), Red Rover, Red Rover (such a fun reread!), Hours We Regret (fun start to a series), Plan to Fail (comes after Red Rover), The Planner (okay), Bad Things, Small Packages (comes after Plan to Fail), Her Small Town Firefighter (not much to short story), Od Ruddy's Questions (really good). Right now I'm reading Bendigo Shafter by Louis L'Amour. And that's my bookshelf since January!

Farewell:

Finally! The end! If you read this all in one sitting, I'm impressed. That's a lot of words. *wishes I could count these words for my writing goal at camp* Well, I hope you all have a good week. Don't forget to change your clocks tonight. If you live in a place where they still do that.