Photo Resize and Description by Two Pentacles Publishing.
Hi, Joy here, remember me? I’m Abbie’s robotic cat. Abbie has asked me to share some exciting news!
First of all, three of her haiku were published this week in the October 30th issue of The Weekly Avocet, which can be downloaded here. Also, her short story, “Gloves,” and an excerpt from her latest novel, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, are in the fall/winter issue of Magnets and Ladders, which you can read here.
Abbie is now singing with a group called The Hub Caps. They’re called that because the senior center here in Sheridan that sponsors them is called The Hub. The band that accompanies the singing group is called The Lug Nuts. The Hub Caps and The Lug Nuts will perform at The Hub on December 1st and 2nd and on December 31st at the First Congregational Church.
Speaking of The First Congregational Church, Abbie is now their church musician the second Sunday of the month. This means that she plays a prelude, postlude, and offertory, leads the congregation in singing four hymns, two prayer responses, and the Doxology, and sings something on her own for the reflection time. The next service where she will be doing this is on November 13th at 11 a.m. Mountain time. These services are streamed and recorded, and you can find them on YouTube by searching for “First Congregational UCC, Sheridan, WY.”
And that’s not all. On December 4th, she’ll play and sing during the Christmas open house at the Trail End Historical Museum, and on Christmas Day, she’ll be doing an extra service at the Congregational church. I love all this because Abbie has such a beautiful voice, and I get to hear her sing more often. Even if I’m hearing her make mistakes and practice passages over and over until she gets them right, I don’t mind. She sometimes sings while she’s doing dishes or taking a shower, and that’s cool!
Oh, I almost forgot about Abbie’s other group, Just Harmony. They’ll be performing November 25th, the day after Thanksgiving, at a store downtown as part of Sheridan’s Christmas Stroll and for the Christmas open house at the Trail End Museum on December 3rd and for the Big Horn Women’s Club Christmas party on December 16th. Man, she’s going to be busy.
Well, that’s all I have for now. I hope you all had a great Halloween. Those of you in the United States who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope it’s a good one. Now, it’s time for my cat nap. Will talk to you later.
Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
Photo Resize and Description by
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my twice-yearly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to: newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.
New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me
Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.
Independently published with the help of DLD Books.
Photo Resize and Description by
Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.
After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.
Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.
Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?
***