February 2, 1966 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky on Groundhog Day. Too bad the powers that be don’t think that’s a day we should get out of school. Sigh. But no, I had to get up before the sun, catch the school bus and spend most of the day sitting inside at a desk instead of hunting down …
A Day Off from Church and School
January 26, 1966 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. It snowed on Saturday. The roads were too slick for us to have church at Mount Pleasant. Dad says it’s better to be safe and cancel church rather than have some of the older members maybe slide off the road and get hurt or sick trying to get their cars …
What’s Freedom Mean to You?
January 19, 1966 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. What does this picture make you think of? Mr. Brown, my social studies teacher at school, told us to look at this picture and write a paper on what freedom means to us. Not to the country or to somebody else, but to each of us as individuals. Mr. Brown …
Do You Love Stories?
December 29, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky for the last time in 1965. In a couple of days I’ll have to start trying to remember to put 1966 on all my papers. I can hardly believe it’s almost a new year. I’ll be 15 next year. 15! That’s a while away since my birthday isn’t for months …
Hollyhill Christmas Parade
December 8, 1965. Jocie Brooke reporting from Main Street, Hollyhill, Kentucky. Well, I’m not actually standing on the street right this minute. I’m at home in my room, but a few minutes ago I was standing out there in the chilly air ready to cover the news. We don’t usually do the parade at night, but Dad says the mayor …
A Thankful Heart Except for Pumpkin Pie
December 1, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Thanksgiving was last Thursday. We had turkey and thank goodness, Aunt Love hasn’t forgotten how to make dressing. Leigh made some kind of cranberry salad. I pretended to like it, but I would have rather just had the jelly roll of cranberry sauce from the can. Don’t tell Leigh that! …
Same Old Same Old
November 24, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky where as usual NOTHING is happening. Well, the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night if that counts. Plus there’s school, but that’s the same old same old every day. Get up. Catch the bus. Ride forever. Have homeroom. Go to classes and try to stay …
Church People Stories from the 1910’s
November 17, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from the Mt Pleasant Church in Holly County, Kentucky. We had a big day at the church on Sunday. The church women had a dinner for this couple who have been going here to church since before cars. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffries tell me they showed up at church in a buggy when …
Little Golden Tree
November 3, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Ahh, Autumn! A lot of the trees have lost their leaves. We had a windy rain last week. I had to rake leaves all day on Saturday. Then Sunday I raked Miss Sally’s yard. Dad says it’s okay to work on Sunday if it is to help somebody and besides …
Saving Skelley
October 27, 1965 Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Wow, what a week. My teachers have been crazy this week. They must think we have nothing to do but study. Tests and homework and who has time for all that. I know. I’m in school. I’m supposed to have time for all that. But I have to help Wes …