Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Joanne



Sometimes serendipity takes over and you find stories and storytellers who, in quiet but brilliant ways, illuminate the gentle humanity of their own corner of the world.

Joanne is like that. A born storyteller, she is. Every time she puts pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, she creates stories that absolutely charm me. The old expression "warming the cockles of my heart" applies to how I feel about Joanne's folksy writing style.

I don't know all that much about Joanne. I don't know her last name, even. She drops by my blog all the time and offers a kind or sly comment on some drivel I've written. Her profile says she is "past retirement age but has a few good licks left" and she lives in a small town somewhere in northeast Ohio, U.S.A. That's all I know, really, but it doesn't matter. What matters is every time I visit her blog, Cup on the Bus, I am smitten by her stories of real life.

Yesterday she posted Small Town Memorial Day about the tenacity of a sunflower growing out of a crack in the concrete and of a roads superintendent who saved it instead of plucking it out. I was so charmed that I posted a link to her blog on Facebook. And I just smiled inside and outside when I read Two Old Ladies Sell Rugs and Pander to Fowl. And then there's the story of her Uncle Bill. Heartbreaking, really.

Joanne doesn't have many followers. She doesn't make a fuss. She just tells stories from her life – quietly unassuming stories, that make me want to curl up in a comfortable chair and listen.

I just think she is the loveliest person and thought you might think so, too.

39 comments:

  1. What a nice shout out. I'm headed over to read her blog now.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Joanne is one of my favourites as well Cathy....along with yourself of course.

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    1. You knew about Joanne long before I did, Delores, and yeah, her blog is like a warm tapestry of niceness.

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  3. Lovely. Thanks for pointing us in Joanne's direction, Cathy.

    My Grandmother used to say "Warm the cockles of your heart". It's nice to hear (or read) it again. :)

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    1. Mine too, Laurita... I always wanted to know what a cockle was, though.

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    2. ....this might be one explanation!

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    3. Nice, Sue! Thanks! The shell things make sense although now I'm envisaging molluscs in my chest.

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  4. She does sound like a wonderful blogger and writer. I'll stop by.

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  5. I just took a look and loved it. Thanks for pointing me in that direction:)

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  6. I kept seeing her happy little head about and always thought she seemed like a lovely lady. Didn't realize she had a blog... just checked it out and followed. Thanks, Cathy.

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    1. "Happy little head" - I know!!! Joanne's so cute. You're welcome Carrie!!

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  7. I had no idea you'd done this. I'm snivling. You could have been a kid of mine, so I'm making you one. I'll tell Ann there are two of you now.

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    1. LOL! I have a new mom! Well, move over Ann! :)
      Seriously, Joanne, I really do enjoy your stories and I am going to point my own dear mother to your blog. She has so many wonderful stories to tell and lots of time to tell them. She also has a flair for writing. So I'm going to introduce her to your blog and hopefully she'll love your stories as much as I do... as well as jotting down her own.
      So thanks for the inspiration and, as always, the stories.

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    2. Thanks, Cathy. I really do appreciate your support. You should encourage your mom. I started this whole thing because my oldest daughter kept telling me I never told her "that." Now I can prove I did. I never expected such an audience, but it turns out we're all people who relate to life.

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    3. You may notice you have a new follower, a koala bear named DorothyCora. That's my mom. Just Dorothy or Dot! I hooked her up with you yesterday and I was all over her to start writing! We'll see...

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  8. Well, Joanne has another follower and I've added her to my blog roll, too! Thank you for the 'introduction', Cathy - I'm looking forward to having a wee explore of Joanne's blog!

    Now, this is what I call 'real' community - bloggers sharing the love!

    (and I see you've followed a certain person close to my heart, too!)

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    1. Yes, your daughter is adorable. So full of youth and vitality and enthusiasm. Smart as a whip, too, I can tell. You must be extremely proud. A chip off the old block, I would say!!!!

      It's funny, yesterday morning (as in every morning) I didn't know what I wanted to write about but I was so taken by Joanne's story about the sunflower that I couldn't help myself. There are so many wonderful bloggers out there – I don't get around to half as many as I should and believe me I feel guilty about it – but every time I do make my rounds I am impressed and touched by what they write. It is a true community and I feel blessed to be a small part of it.

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  9. Thank you Cathy for the story about Joanne. Surely, she is a lovely lady and she tells lovely stories.

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  10. Good! Heading over there to meet her. I love blogs like that!

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  11. Always nice to get introduced to new bloggers - thanks. I especially like the good storytellers. I keep hoping it will rub off.

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  12. I'll go say hello then!
    And really happy your husband likes my books.

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    1. He does, Alex, he really does! I told him about your new book and he got all excited! Luckily he's not a fast reader so you've got plenty of time to finish!

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  13. I always love good stories especially from good storytellers. Thanks for the tip- and what a sweet tribute!

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    1. No probs, Austan! Hey, I noticed you 'followed' Joanne's secondary blog... try following her Cup on the Bus blog - that's where all her stories are hiding and where she blogs regularly!

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  14. I even saw a cat on her blog!

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  15. You know, I think the number of followers is entirely irrelevant. It's the quality of them that's important--and your (quality) following of Joanne is case in point. I've had occasion to think about this following business recently. My number of followers began to creep up, and it was immediately apparent that some were not the least interested in, e.g., Qigang Chen or Gertrude's Gloire--they just wanted to be followed back. I actually pruned some of them out--heresy, I know. I take delight in anyone who comes my way to engage in true conversation, but those who come solely to be followed back, what's the point in that?

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    1. Well said!!! :-D

      It is impossible to keep up with everyone - I tend to keep my 'favourite' bloggers on my blog-roll, so when I look at my blog-page their latest 'news' is there to catch my eye. But honestly, if I tried to keep up with everyone I've followed then I'm afraid I'd never manage to find time to post my own blog items (let alone get on with the rest of life's demands!)

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    2. Oh Lord, you two Susans have hit upon my biggest guilt trip right now. I follow a LOT of bloggers because if I come across something I like, I'll hit follow for two reasons: if I don't follow, I lose track of them and may never find them again; and it's exciting to get a new follower! I always love it when I see a new face in those little boxes and it doesn't cost me a red cent to make someone else happy, even for a moment! But, man oh man, it comes back to bite me sometimes because I just do not have time in the day to visit everyone, even some of my favourite bloggers like you two!!!! And then when you drop around my blog I feel REALLY guilty!! ARGGHHH! Let me just say my reasons for following really are innocent and I try not to be too hard on myself for not visiting everyone as much as I like by remembering why I blog in the first place – because writing makes me happy; and because this is the equivalent of my personal journal that I feel compelled to doodle in.

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    3. Oh, dear, NOT intended for you to feel in the least guilty NOR with the expectation of any quid pro quo. Our lives are all full, time is limited and precious, and we do what we can. I feel graced to have your company simply by having the chance to come over here from time to time. If you also chance to come my way once in a while, it's a bonus that I cherish, but not by any means an expectation. I think I've been feeling a little crabby about new followers because the ones I've recently had come are quasi-commercial travel and cooking (who me, cook?) sites, coming ONLY to get followed themselves with no possible interest in nary a one of my quirky posts.

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    4. Not offended in the least, Susan!!!!!! Please, it was a welcome chance for me to spout off about feeling guilty. I've been feeling SO guilty that I have been wanting to do a post solely to apologize! (But then I'm Canadian, and I'm a Libra, so feeling guilty and apologizing is truly what I do best!!!!)
      Hugs!!!! You are one of my very favourite commenters - always a pleasure to read your intelligent and thoughtful words and see that smiling face and that blue sky!

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