tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81083067768086851092024-03-27T00:38:18.240-06:00The Plunk ChroniclesDiane Thomas-Plunk's fiction
www.dianethomasplunk.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger442125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-46364193285644798262022-01-31T17:37:00.000-06:002022-01-31T17:37:50.309-06:00New Poem -- Mother<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">There she is again,</span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As always when I least expect her.<br />In the storefront window<br />As I look at my reflection.<br />In the mirror when I check my hair<br />And sometimes when she looks back<br />I see that she’s getting gray.<br />She looks at me through a misty windowpane<br />And holds my gaze.<br />When did the child become mine?<br />When did I become her?<br />Where did I go when I became my mother?</p><div class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled" id="jp-post-flair" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.5em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 class="sd-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 9pt; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.1em; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">SHARE THIS:</h3></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-64425822644582634722022-01-16T17:04:00.000-06:002022-01-16T17:04:25.185-06:00A Book Review<p> Book review blogger Christina Welburn Huber talks about my first two books, Opal and its sequel, Warren County Days.</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0llGLCHrPE&t=107s</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-23807116932306967372022-01-13T17:23:00.000-06:002022-01-13T17:23:36.878-06:00New Youtube Video<p> I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed on television abut my newest book, Our Mothers and Daughters. That interview now joins three other of my book videos on youtube. Here's the link. Enjoy!</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1RRD2SfJIA</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-34898966446392525812021-08-07T17:32:00.000-06:002021-08-07T17:32:57.921-06:00Book Signing Video<p> Join me for a peek into the first section of a recent book signing for my newest book, Our Mothers and Daughters. You'll get to see excerpt readings from two stories in the collection -- sure to tempt your curiosity about the entire collection. All my books are available on Amazon.</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XVZDHOHjo8</p><p><br /></p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XVZDHOHjo8</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-50424966684522296912021-06-19T15:24:00.001-06:002021-06-19T15:24:51.269-06:00New Book is Out<p> <span style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Great</span><span data-offset-key="ecnuj-1-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"> news. My newest book, Our Mothers & Daughters, is now available on Amazon and will soon be in select book stores. The book is already on the reading schedule of a Memphis book club. Happy reading!</span></p><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="a1jqu" data-offset-key="5pmnb-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5pmnb-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="py34i1dx" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--blue-link); font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">https://www.amazon.com/s?k=diane+thomas-plunk&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-24384396022612263752021-05-08T12:57:00.001-06:002021-05-08T12:57:23.873-06:00Pre-Order Now<p> My</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZqRNpOPjaHkbHO6Xe6JPyaNlnP0s77gFKunZEKsJnDvj0opUaHJXqOd3UFK2vCNd2DtLtDGdm0z-Ga2CjuAs9LIPG60pY4oZxdQ62SR7az0wIzOx14kwLCy2mvisY4V2okeTUun0krP2/s1280/cover+-+Mothers+%2526+D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="847" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZqRNpOPjaHkbHO6Xe6JPyaNlnP0s77gFKunZEKsJnDvj0opUaHJXqOd3UFK2vCNd2DtLtDGdm0z-Ga2CjuAs9LIPG60pY4oZxdQ62SR7az0wIzOx14kwLCy2mvisY4V2okeTUun0krP2/s320/cover+-+Mothers+%2526+D.png" /></a></div><br /> newest book, "Our Mothers & Daughters," is available for pre-order on Amazon. So excited. It is a collection of stories about the sometimes blissful, sometimes complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. Feel free to share the good news.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>https://www.amazon.com/Our-Mothers-Daughters-Diane-Thomas-Plunk/dp/1098367014/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=diane%20thomas-plunk&qid=1620492400&s=books&sr=1-2&fbclid=IwAR2CvlRtcbW00h_1K_LdSGIDXbTZ7kp6XFHrbzVOFp39cby_sTLMJYit8DM</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-83903068785448226832021-02-24T12:36:00.000-06:002021-02-24T12:36:21.285-06:00My Life as Lucy Ricardo<p> There was a time when my husband, Mike, declared that some of my life's accidental "mis-steps" could have been episodes of I Love Lucy. Here's one of them.</p><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_8y" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Way back when Mike & I were planning our first wedding, we were out apartment hunting. We spotted a small complex of one-story apartments and pulled into the parking lot to check it out. There was no resident manager, but there was clearly an empty unit. We peeked through the living room and kitchen windows and then discovered that the kitchen door was unlocked. We considered for about two seconds and in we went. It's not breaking and entering if the door's unlocked, right? </div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">It was a surprisingly small apartment. You couldn't even open the back door if the oven door was open. On the other hand, it was freshly painted and the carpet looked new. We left it on our list of possibles, but before leaving to check out the next one on the list, I decided to use the bathroom there. Mike determined that everything was operable, so there I went. </div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">For some reason, I flipped on the doorknob lock as I closed the door behind me. As I started to exit the restroom moments later, I found that the doorknob didn't work. It had no traction. Just turned aimlessly. Naturally, that somehow affected the lock and I couldn’t unlock the door. So now we’re trespassing AND I’m locked in the bathroom. </div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">I tried everything I could think of to get out, but nothing worked. I finally had to call out to Mike. Now it was his turn. None of his attempts worked either. The hinges were on my side, but they wouldn't budge, and I had no tools. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Last resort. Mike said to check out the window. It was above the tub and sort of high. It was horizontal and not very tall. But it would open. Mike told me to crawl out and that he'd go around the building to catch me. That was going to be easier than me getting out there.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Stepping on the edge of the tub, the only next move was to step one foot on the small side of the tub's rim and what little of my foot I could get into the built-in soap dish. I could open the window. I put all my weight on the soap dish and elevated myself a little.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Mike saw the window open and called up to assure me that he was there. I told him the window was too high. "I can't get up there!" No choices, he said.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Fortunately, I was only 20 and not a weakling. I managed to pull myself up so my head, shoulders and arms were out. I was hanging from the window sill. But from there, I could see that the terrain sloped down, and the distance was much greater than I expected. I wondered if my broken neck would heal in time for the wedding.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">I continued to pull myself up and scoot myself farther out the window until I was half in and half out. I felt like a kid's see-saw. But I had faith. I continued to scoot and held out my arms. Mike grabbed my arms, then my shoulders, and dragged me the rest of the way out. I did not die.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">My feet finally hit the ground, and we ran like hell for the car. We rented a different apartment.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_8z" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-top: 250px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; inset: calc(0% + 0px) calc(50% + 1.01px) calc(0% + 0px) calc(0% + 0px); 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border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-property: none !important;"></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none !important; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; transition-property: none !important;"></div></div></div><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4 l82x9zwi uo3d90p7 h905i5nu monazrh9" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="bp9cbjyn m9osqain j83agx80 jq4qci2q bkfpd7mw a3bd9o3v kvgmc6g5 wkznzc2l oygrvhab dhix69tm jktsbyx5 rz4wbd8a osnr6wyh a8nywdso s1tcr66n" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); color: var(--secondary-text); display: flex; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9375rem; justify-content: flex-end; line-height: 1.3333; margin: 0px 16px; padding: 10px 0px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 buofh1pr ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; transition-property: none !important;"><span aria-label="See who reacted to this" role="toolbar" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 b3onmgus" id="jsc_c_91" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="np69z8it et4y5ytx j7g94pet b74d5cxt qw6c0r16 kb8x4rkr ed597pkb omcyoz59 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 qxh1up0x qtyiw8t4 tpcyxxvw k0bpgpbk hm271qws rl04r1d5 l9j0dhe7 ov9facns kavbgo14" style="animation-name: none !important; border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px; z-index: 2;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Haha: 23 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='10.25%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23FEEA70'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%23F69B30'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3clinearGradient id='d' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23472315'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%238B3A0E'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3clinearGradient id='e' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='81.902%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23FC607C'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%23D91F3A'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0.921365489 0 0 0 0 0.460682745 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.35 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M16 8A8 8 0 110 8a8 8 0 0116 0'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='url(%23d)' d='M3 8.008C3 10.023 4.006 14 8 14c3.993 0 5-3.977 5-5.992C13 7.849 11.39 7 8 7c-3.39 0-5 .849-5 1.008'/%3e%3cpath fill='url(%23e)' d='M4.541 12.5c.804.995 1.907 1.5 3.469 1.5 1.563 0 2.655-.505 3.459-1.5-.551-.588-1.599-1.5-3.459-1.5s-2.917.912-3.469 1.5'/%3e%3cpath fill='%232A3755' d='M6.213 4.144c.263.188.502.455.41.788-.071.254-.194.369-.422.371-.78.011-1.708.255-2.506.612-.065.029-.197.088-.332.085-.124-.003-.251-.058-.327-.237-.067-.157-.073-.388.276-.598.545-.33 1.257-.48 1.909-.604a7.077 7.077 0 00-1.315-.768c-.427-.194-.38-.457-.323-.6.127-.317.609-.196 1.078.026a9 9 0 011.552.925zm3.577 0a8.953 8.953 0 011.55-.925c.47-.222.95-.343 1.078-.026.057.143.104.406-.323.6a7.029 7.029 0 00-1.313.768c.65.123 1.363.274 1.907.604.349.21.342.44.276.598-.077.18-.203.234-.327.237-.135.003-.267-.056-.332-.085-.797-.357-1.725-.6-2.504-.612-.228-.002-.351-.117-.422-.37-.091-.333.147-.6.41-.788z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span><span class="np69z8it et4y5ytx j7g94pet b74d5cxt qw6c0r16 kb8x4rkr ed597pkb omcyoz59 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 qxh1up0x qtyiw8t4 tpcyxxvw k0bpgpbk hm271qws rl04r1d5 l9j0dhe7 ov9facns tkr6xdv7" style="animation-name: none !important; border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px; z-index: 1;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Like: 13 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%2318AFFF'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%230062DF'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.299356041 0 0 0 0 0.681187726 0 0 0 0.3495684 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M8 0a8 8 0 00-8 8 8 8 0 1016 0 8 8 0 00-8-8z'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M12.162 7.338c.176.123.338.245.338.674 0 .43-.229.604-.474.725a.73.73 0 01.089.546c-.077.344-.392.611-.672.69.121.194.159.385.015.62-.185.295-.346.407-1.058.407H7.5c-.988 0-1.5-.546-1.5-1V7.665c0-1.23 1.467-2.275 1.467-3.13L7.361 3.47c-.005-.065.008-.224.058-.27.08-.079.301-.2.635-.2.218 0 .363.041.534.123.581.277.732.978.732 1.542 0 .271-.414 1.083-.47 1.364 0 0 .867-.192 1.879-.199 1.061-.006 1.749.19 1.749.842 0 .261-.219.523-.316.666zM3.6 7h.8a.6.6 0 01.6.6v3.8a.6.6 0 01-.6.6h-.8a.6.6 0 01-.6-.6V7.6a.6.6 0 01.6-.6z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span><span class="np69z8it et4y5ytx j7g94pet b74d5cxt qw6c0r16 kb8x4rkr ed597pkb omcyoz59 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 qxh1up0x qtyiw8t4 tpcyxxvw k0bpgpbk hm271qws rl04r1d5 l9j0dhe7 ov9facns du4w35lb" style="animation-name: none !important; border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px; z-index: 0;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Love: 4 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23FF6680'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%23E61739'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0.710144928 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.117780134 0 0 0 0.349786932 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M8 0a8 8 0 100 16A8 8 0 008 0z'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M10.473 4C8.275 4 8 5.824 8 5.824S7.726 4 5.528 4c-2.114 0-2.73 2.222-2.472 3.41C3.736 10.55 8 12.75 8 12.75s4.265-2.2 4.945-5.34c.257-1.188-.36-3.41-2.472-3.41'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span></span></span><div class="" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 a8c37x1j p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l gmql0nx0 ce9h75a5 ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-height: 1.3333em; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><span aria-hidden="true" class="bzsjyuwj ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs ltmttdrg gjzvkazv" style="animation-name: none !important; float: left; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition-property: none !important; width: 100px;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="gpro0wi8 pcp91wgn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px; transition-property: none !important;">41</span></span></span><span class="gpro0wi8 cwj9ozl2 bzsjyuwj ja2t1vim" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -100px; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="pcp91wgn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px; transition-property: none !important;">Mike Plunk, Gayle Willis Jones and 39 others</span></span></span></div></span></div></div><div class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 pfnyh3mw p1ueia1e" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; height: 22px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="gtad4xkn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 7px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh gpro0wi8 dwo3fsh8 ow4ym5g4 auili1gw du4w35lb gmql0nx0" id="jsc_c_90" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh m9osqain" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;">43 Comments</span><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-40136356121347392572020-12-16T12:39:00.000-06:002020-12-16T12:39:16.831-06:00Softly<p> Soft is the way he touched you in
the beginning.<br />Soft is the way he kissed you, held
you and<br />Soft is what he thought you.<br />Soft is the way his eyes look at
rest.<br />Soft is the way he breathes and
smiles and<br />Soft is the way your happy tears
slide from your eyes.<br />Soft is the way he turned from you
at the beginning of the end.<br />Soft is how your soul began to
dissolve and understand and<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Soft is your head for ever believing.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-49016031699508951442020-12-05T17:37:00.000-06:002020-12-05T17:37:55.761-06:00Video Book Review on Opal & Warren County Days<p> I'm so excited. The wonderful book review blogger and all-round lovely person, Christina Welburn Huber, has devoted one of her video blogs to review my books, Opal and Warren County Days. I'm so honored. Check it out and feel free to pass along her link. She brings many excellent books to our attention online at Candid Christina and on her video blog. Thank you, Christina.</p><p><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h oo483o9r f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8" href="https://youtu.be/i0llGLCHrPE?fbclid=IwAR1sY7GlVl0EWQwzNVs118xEJJZZhNT7oOuni6U2uM2QnOENBFSGYDaS-k0" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: #e4e6eb; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/i0llGLCHrPE</a></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-22796047316079811322020-11-13T14:38:00.000-06:002020-11-13T14:38:07.246-06:00Visit Me on YouTube<p> <span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'M ON YOUTUBE (again)! This video won't win an Emmy or go viral, but it's finally giving me the opportunity to start promoting Warren County Days, the sequel to Opal.(publisher issues now over!) If you read Opal, you'll see what happened to characters you met there, and you'll meet new ones. But Warren County stands alone if you haven't read Opal. If you've read both, thank you and I'm honored. If not, both are available on Amazon. I think you'll find something you like, so spread the word. And check out the YouTube video. Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close up.</span></p><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_cs" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="b3i9ofy5 l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="linmgsc8 bn081pho izx4hr6d opwvks06 j83agx80 btwxx1t3 l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 d76ob5m9 eg9m0zos discj3wi hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" id="jsc_c_cy" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #1c1e21; display: flex; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; overflow: auto; padding: 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb mdeji52x e9vueds3 j5wam9gi knj5qynh m9osqain hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="sqxagodl" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; transition-property: none !important;">YOUTUBE.COM</div></span></div><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db a5q79mjw g1cxx5fr lrazzd5p oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.0625rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.1765; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><span class="a8c37x1j ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7 ojkyduve" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; animation-name: none !important; display: -webkit-box; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 1px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">www.youtube.com</div><div><br /></div></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-34289156304271182722020-11-07T16:34:00.001-06:002020-11-07T16:34:44.271-06:00A Story From Katharine Hepburn's Youth<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A story from Katharine Hepburn's youth --- such a lesson for all of us.</span></p><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">That day I learnt the value to give.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">~ Katharine Hepburn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyq6wcS-Cq0Yq889V4Zu-nD2mQCsHyQPh_7Jz794GNXQpDw0SuLPnNrGkZIM281oMNRB282d-Nuutmj3ypIpLK_JxVvawEpxgifdv9XiaghxFKrMmtZIdXrddolBDEeXzjjAptlimbjoK/s340/Katharine+Hepburn.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="244" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyq6wcS-Cq0Yq889V4Zu-nD2mQCsHyQPh_7Jz794GNXQpDw0SuLPnNrGkZIM281oMNRB282d-Nuutmj3ypIpLK_JxVvawEpxgifdv9XiaghxFKrMmtZIdXrddolBDEeXzjjAptlimbjoK/s320/Katharine+Hepburn.webp" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-43898468314091433102020-11-01T13:25:00.000-06:002020-11-01T13:25:09.358-06:00Lash LaRue & Me<p> <span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember Lash LaRue from back in the day? He was a black hat cowboy who sported a bullwhip instead of shiny pistols Some say he influenced the development of Indiana Jones. Back in that era, my little Irish grandmother made most of my pretty dresses -- and did so on an old, pedal sewing machine. That year, I wore my newest dress when Mother took me to the fair. The dress was navy blue with a pink collar of the same fabric. I thought I was pretty sharp. I was excited to see the signs for the Lash LaRue show, so Mother bought me a ticket and in I went, finding a seat right down front.</span></p><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_ea" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">The show began, and after LaRue did a few tricks, he said he needed two assistants from the audience. He called up a little boy and then he pointed directly at me and told me to come on stage. He had the boy and I hold various items which he snapped into with his bullwhip. The items got smaller, and I remember turning my head away for fear of getting a bullwhip in the face. Finally, the boy and I were holding a small piece of newspaper between us, and I was sure that I would lose some fingers. LaRue looked very serious, then laughed. "Not this one," he said, then he asked the audience to thank us for our help, and he sent us back to our seats while they applauded. </div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">When the show was over, I ran outside. I couldn't wait to tell Mother all about it, and I was really happy that I'd worn my new dress.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_eb" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-top: 500px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="animation-name: none !important; 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bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-property: none !important;"></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: inherit; bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none !important; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="animation-name: none !important; bottom: calc(0% + 0px); font-family: inherit; left: calc(50% + 1.01px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute; right: calc(0% + 0px); top: calc(0% + 0px); transition-property: none !important;"><a aria-label="Image may contain: 1 person" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222428171360430&set=pcb.10222428173800491&__cft__[0]=AZUUSz9zFmvjExCQmIM7LwrQEXKMXFqYyPAsYX38ObSWbwCpfq7FVi9r2WF831natF5fbQczB3FqwJNNGofl3vGw7NZw9-nkwnU2XiwiyAvDHIOGv7YN8kQh6HYTiSzoMXA&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; 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border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px; z-index: 2;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Like: 7 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%2318AFFF'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%230062DF'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.299356041 0 0 0 0 0.681187726 0 0 0 0.3495684 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M8 0a8 8 0 00-8 8 8 8 0 1016 0 8 8 0 00-8-8z'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M12.162 7.338c.176.123.338.245.338.674 0 .43-.229.604-.474.725a.73.73 0 01.089.546c-.077.344-.392.611-.672.69.121.194.159.385.015.62-.185.295-.346.407-1.058.407H7.5c-.988 0-1.5-.546-1.5-1V7.665c0-1.23 1.467-2.275 1.467-3.13L7.361 3.47c-.005-.065.008-.224.058-.27.08-.079.301-.2.635-.2.218 0 .363.041.534.123.581.277.732.978.732 1.542 0 .271-.414 1.083-.47 1.364 0 0 .867-.192 1.879-.199 1.061-.006 1.749.19 1.749.842 0 .261-.219.523-.316.666zM3.6 7h.8a.6.6 0 01.6.6v3.8a.6.6 0 01-.6.6h-.8a.6.6 0 01-.6-.6V7.6a.6.6 0 01.6-.6z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span><span class="np69z8it et4y5ytx j7g94pet b74d5cxt qw6c0r16 kb8x4rkr ed597pkb omcyoz59 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 qxh1up0x qtyiw8t4 tpcyxxvw k0bpgpbk hm271qws rl04r1d5 l9j0dhe7 ov9facns tkr6xdv7" style="animation-name: none !important; border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px; z-index: 1;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; transition-property: none !important; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Love: 4 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23FF6680'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%23E61739'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0.710144928 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.117780134 0 0 0 0.349786932 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M8 0a8 8 0 100 16A8 8 0 008 0z'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M10.473 4C8.275 4 8 5.824 8 5.824S7.726 4 5.528 4c-2.114 0-2.73 2.222-2.472 3.41C3.736 10.55 8 12.75 8 12.75s4.265-2.2 4.945-5.34c.257-1.188-.36-3.41-2.472-3.41'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span></span></span><div class="" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 a8c37x1j p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l gmql0nx0 ce9h75a5 ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-height: 1.3333em; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><span aria-hidden="true" class="bzsjyuwj ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs ltmttdrg gjzvkazv" style="animation-name: none !important; float: left; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition-property: none !important; width: 100px;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="gpro0wi8 pcp91wgn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px; transition-property: none !important;">11</span></span></span><span class="gpro0wi8 cwj9ozl2 bzsjyuwj ja2t1vim" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -100px; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="pcp91wgn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px; transition-property: none !important;">Mike Plunk, Jocelyne Stratton and 9 others</span></span></span></div></span></div></div><div class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 pfnyh3mw p1ueia1e" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; height: 22px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="gtad4xkn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 7px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh gpro0wi8 dwo3fsh8 ow4ym5g4 auili1gw du4w35lb gmql0nx0" id="jsc_c_ec" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh m9osqain" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;">3 Comments</span><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-81729141740261319822020-10-25T13:12:00.001-06:002020-10-25T13:12:55.701-06:00A Poem for Your Soul #6<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Parents lose children to mental illness, drugs, alcohol, death, and even unwelcome distance. Sometimes it helps just to say, “Yeah, me too.” Understand a mother’s heart in this piece from my collection, Little Boy Lost.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #373737; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">https://dianethomasplunk.com/</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #373737; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-30056159954141534742020-10-09T13:36:00.000-06:002020-10-09T13:36:25.054-06:00Poetry Friday 5<p> Another heart-wrenching piece from my poetry collection, Little Boy Lost. Read "Son Shine" at dianethomasplunk.com</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-10950238333047457702020-10-02T11:22:00.001-06:002020-10-02T11:22:51.713-06:00Poetry Friday 4<p> Today's selection from my collection, Little Boy Lost, is a commitment to love. It's titled Today, and you can read it here ---</p><p>https://dianethomasplunk.com/</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-43433639960347028762020-09-25T12:11:00.000-06:002020-09-25T12:11:47.833-06:00Poetry Friday 3 Speaks of Frustration<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Parents lose children to mental illness, drugs, alcohol, death, and even unwelcome distance. Sometimes it helps just to say, “Yeah, me too.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">If you've ever felt the frustration of "diagnosis de jour," you'll feel the irony of today's poem, <b>Rx</b>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #373737; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">https://dianethomasplunk.com/</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #373737; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-65625405258308375152020-09-18T12:33:00.000-06:002020-09-18T12:33:39.909-06:00Poetry Friday 2<p> Read this week's selection from my collection Little Boy Lost. This week's offering: Mother G's Lament. See it on my website.</p><p>https://dianethomasplunk.com/</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-13902328606796030312020-09-11T17:25:00.000-06:002020-09-11T17:25:48.499-06:00Poetry Friday<p> In a new feature on my website, I'm introducing Poetry Friday. Each week on Friday, I'll share a poem, starting with pieces from my collection, Little Boy Lost. The first piece up today is Blind Justice.</p><p>See it here: <br />https://dianethomasplunk.com/</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-79573808306249261352020-06-15T15:23:00.003-06:002020-06-15T15:23:41.725-06:00Not Me<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alone</div>
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in a blinding, bluish haze</div>
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that cries in the night.</div>
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Tears surrounding you</div>
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belonging to</div>
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someone else.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-63355306666337085872020-06-11T14:03:00.000-06:002020-06-11T14:03:34.279-06:00Couples4Ever.comHere's a short(er) story from me that's likely to give you a chuckle.<br />
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Online dating services don’t always turn out the way you want.</em></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Tall, healthy, 40-ish, divorced eight years (no re-bounding). No children. Successful<br />career. Ready to settle with an intelligent, funny, attractive, professional woman. One or two children okay. More children in our future? Open for discussion. Dogs, cats? Pets within reason okay, too. Tell me why we should meet.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl </strong>– Beautiful, professional woman. Gym rat, marathon training. Financially secure and you should be, too. Loves classic rock ‘n roll, travel, reading and time with my son. Divorced three years. Looking to the future. Go slow; love long. Message me if you like a creative, independent woman.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Hi, DreamGirl. You spark my interest. But before I get too interested, I want to make sure we’re not GU (geographically undesirable). I’m in Arlington. Oh – I didn’t notice your age or approximate age. It may not be polite in normal circumstances, but . . . you know. No surprises, right?<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGir</strong>l – You’re appropriately cautious. I’m good with that. I live in Germantown, so that should be close enough. I’m in my late 30s. Why don’t we exchange pics? Here’s mine. Have you been on this site much? I just joined.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I had a busy week at work. Your photo looks really nice, but I wish you weren’t in such a shadow. What do you do for a living? I’m in sales and I don’t mind saying I’m good at it. I go to the gym, too. Usually two times a week. Here’s my photo. I know that you’re new to Couples. I saw you on the new member list.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – Well, that was a surprise! LOL I didn’t expect your shirt to be missing. Not that I didn’t enjoy the view, however. It just startled me. I think you didn’t get that six pack by working out only twice a week. I go four times a week and I run five days a week. I’m totally going to do the next New York marathon. I do have to get up early, though, to get all this done before work and such so I don’t do many late nights. Oh, you asked about work. I’m in the marketing department of a major company here in Memphis.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – I’d like to talk with you on the telephone. If that’s okay, send me your number. btw – My name’s</div>
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Charles.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – Hi Charles. I’m Brenda. Before we get to telephone numbers, why don’t you tell me some more about yourself? What do you do in your spare time? What kind of sales are you in?<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – This is your go-slow thing, right? Okay. I like reading. I actually go to the gym more than I said earlier. Just wasn’t counting. I like music and I like movies. I have an interest in retail sales.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – Interesting. Similar to me, huh? I wonder what an “interest” in retail sales” means. As for other hobbies, I’m a real people watcher. I like to lunch or have coffee at patio restaurants and watch the other customers and passers-by. Sometimes I even eavesdrop. LOL Do you ever do that?<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Fraid not. I prefer to pay attention to the person across the table from me. I know I’d pay a lot of attention to you. Why don’t we continue this on the phone?<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – Okay. My number is 281-6060.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – Charles, how are you doing? I enjoyed our conversation, but I haven’t heard from you since we talked. Yeah, I’ve been busy, too, this week. So, drop me a note or give me a call when you can. I have to run for now. Really — run. LOL<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Hey, Brenda. I didn’t realize I’d let a few days go by. Yeah, good conversation. You have a very sultry voice. I could listen to you all day – and all night, too. So let’s get together. Dinner would be good.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – That might be jumping in too fast. Let’s meet for coffee first. How ‘bout Saturday at two at the Starbucks at the big mall? I’ll pin a rose on my blouse. LOL<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – Charles, I’m hurt and offended and angry. I was at the coffee shop for an entire hour and you never showed up. I shouldn’t even bother to send this message. Maybe something important happened to keep you away, but you never sent a message and certainly not an apology. If you’re not dead or in the hospital, this is just bad behavior.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Brenda, I was there. Late thirties, my ass. You’re not going to get anywhere on this site if you don’t tell the truth. Set your sights for older guys.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – You absolute creep! And, btw, looking back, I think I saw you lurking about. Forty-ish? I think not. And whose photo did you send me, anyway? Your only six-pack came from the 7-11 store. Oh, and btw, I got a private message from a woman I don’t even know. She’d seen us communicate and wanted to warn me. She said you’d gone through most women on the site, leaving behind some very angry ladies. That’s why you troll the new members’ list — — cuz they won’t know your reputation.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – You want honesty, lady? I’m betting that your only marathon is from your car to the door at Baskin-Robbins.<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – You want to go there, buddy? Your “interest in retail sales”? Turns out that’s more like stocking shelves at Piggly Wiggly!<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Man4U</strong> – Okay, all right. I’m busted. So are you. So – do you want to hook up?<br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DreamGirl</strong> – My place. Tonight. 8 p.m.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-43086530518989074672020-04-28T15:17:00.000-06:002020-04-28T15:17:28.219-06:00A Story Gift for You<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As we’re all being safe and socially isolated, we’re also casting about for entertainment, so my gift today is one of the stories from my newest and available book, Warren County Days — just for you. If you recall from the first book, Opal, our Opal Pratt had kept a change purse savings in hopes some day of having her own television. Most people have them, you know. The title of this story says it all — <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Queen for a Day.</strong></div>
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Most of your local bookstores will order books for you. Online ordering is also available at barnesandnoble(dot)com. Yes, both my Opal and Warren County Days may be purchased through those means.</div>
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In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this.<br /><a href="https://dianethomasplunk.com/queen-for-a-day/" style="border: 0px; color: #0f7093; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://dianethomasplunk.com/queen-for-a-day/</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-34819047109070105862020-02-25T11:29:00.003-06:002020-02-25T11:29:28.134-06:00READER REVIEW<br />
<br />
I was so thrilled to receive this from a reader who had just finished Warren County Days.<br />
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Some caused me to laugh out loud.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Some surprised me with a different ending</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> than I had anticipated.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Some were upsetting.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Some brought back memories of my living</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> with my grand mother & great grand</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> parents in a community much like</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> Beederville.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Some were so “country-fiftyish”, I wonder</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> if the younger readers will believe life</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> was truly that laid back.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">I found the collection heart warming.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Thank you for your work and persistence to bring these stories to life. Now they have become part of my life.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">I am going to reread Opal, I’m not ready to say goodbye to her, or her friends."</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-1497684116472991452019-12-17T15:17:00.000-06:002019-12-17T15:17:35.015-06:00Book Signing in Jonesboro, AR<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Jonesboro! Going "back home" Saturday (Dec. 21st) to do a book signing for my new book, Warren County Days - Short Stories of Opal Pratt. We'll be at The Edge </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Coffee House & Eatery, 1900 Aggie Rd. Starting at 2 p.m., we'll be in the upstairs and ready to chat about all things Opal. Yes, we will have books. If you're in the neighborhood, come visit and bring a friend. Looking forward to seeing everybody!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-68446103997571404622019-09-28T10:51:00.000-06:002019-09-28T10:51:08.197-06:00Orange County Book SigningCome visit with me and talk about my new book, Warren County Days -- Short Stories of Opal Pratt.<br />
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<span data-offset-key="8besv-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Doubletree Hotel (2nd floor meeting room)</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="82vgi-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Y'all come! And feel free to bring a friend or two.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8108306776808685109.post-27041868031060158272019-09-25T14:40:00.000-06:002019-09-25T14:40:53.657-06:00The New Book is Out!<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Warren County Days, the sequel to Opal, has been birthed after an extended labor. I'll be doing book signings near and far, but if you just can't wait, Warren County can be found on Amazon. If you go there, consider writing a review. I'm told that Amazon loves books with reviews.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And ---- don't be shy. Share the good news that Warren County is out!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=diane+thomas-plunk&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">https://www.amazon.com/s?k=diane+thomas-plunk&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1</a><br />
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<img alt="Image may contain: text" src="https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/70760260_10218932165682473_3767113607708409856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQk4CY6B3UJe8AghrybL4k_AwiduJs8Dtmpt_fTrQNhzThxcoRBGAsG4uW6AfBN3sryaxAJ0Bmlb7kmBKZ5dQTAk&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=c9e70e6da9deef4d069b5c5a9490b361&oe=5E347C40" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0