It’s an honour to participate in the OH, HOW I MISS YOU BLOGFEST hosted by loving father Andrew Leon, the oh-so romantic Matthew MacNish, and our very own Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. It’s a honour because it gives me the opportunity to introduce you to two special bloggers. One isn’t blogging any longer, (he won’t soon be forgotten) and the other is a very special fellow Canadian who is a privilege to know and who have brightened many a gray day here in blogland.

The rules for I MISS YOU are simple. I’m to list one to three blogger buddies who I really miss because they’ve stopped blogging, and one who I would really miss if they stopped blogging. Actually, that applies to everyone on my blogroll, but rules are rules so I’ve chosen one of each who has made my life better for having met them. In blogland, that is. Okay, I did meet Carol for real, but I’ll get to that in a moment. Oh, and I picked only two to keep this short. My nickname isn’t Josephina the laughing hyhena with verbal diarrhea–for nothing.

When you’re finished here, you can visit our blog hopping hosts at:

http://strangepegs.blogspot.com/ – Andrew
http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/ – Matthew
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/ – Alex

*  *  *  *

I met Grandpa through Klahanie’s (Gary Pennick), who I met through UK Children’s author Carole Anne Carr. I’m sure most of you know about Gary’s quick wit and humongous heart, eh? If not, do pay him a visit. Gary’s not on my list because I assumed everyone already knows him. He lives in jolly ole England, pens a wonderful tribute to “a man challenging his inner critic,” is one brick short of a full load, has a few roos loose in the top paddock, and has a wisdom as rare as hen’s teeth.Yup, he’s a right dandy young feller. (Carole should be on my list too, but I’m working at keeping this short. Next time)

Grandpa’s LIFE ON THE FARM was a wonderful blog about “Tales from the tropical rainforest, at the foot of the Malaysian main mountain range…” He aired his last post May 2, 2010, and every day since, I’ve been hoping he’ll come back.

Grandpa took an early retirement to retreat to The Farm where he had fun growing fruit trees, playing with his grandson Irfan, and enjoying a quiet, tranquil life in the jungle. He could hear the river flowing and the birds singing, and he shared those things with his readers. I hope he’s still there, whispering to his many tropical plants. Every single time I stopped in for a visit, I was soon lost in the wonderment of his world. His words were like resting pods where I could sit for a bit and forget all my troubles.

*  *  *  *
  

To illustrate the kind of a sweetheart Carol from CAREANN’S MUSINGS is, when she heard I’d be in Penticton in the summer of 2011 for the launch of my second novel, she had her dear husband Bob drive her down from their vacation in Salmon Arms so we could spend the afternoon visiting at my BFF’s home in Kelowna. We’d been blogger buddies for several years, but hadn’t met in person. Honestly, from the moment I lay eyes on her it felt as if we’d been friends forever.

I found Carol through the Federation of BC Writer’s webpage during one of my many rite of procrastinations. Carol, wife of retired minister Bob, is a mother, grandmother, a free-lance writer, poet, and fiction writer. She’s also quite a photographer. Carol is funny, adorable, wise, and generous. I’m actually a little nervous because I borrowed her profile pic without her consent. But I wanted this to be a surprise, so really–how could I ask?

Joylene: “Carol, can I borrow you profile pic?”
Carol: “Sure, why?”
Joylene: “No reason. I just, uh, well, I, ah….”
Carol: “Okay, spit it out.”
Joylene: “Huh? Oh–thanks for the pic! Gotta go–I hear my cat calling me.”

I think it’d be a earthquakie day in the Fraser Valley before I’d pull the wool over Carol’s eyes.

I’d surely miss Carol’s posts if she ever decided to stop blogging. She takes the most spectacular photos and always manages to making an association between nature and writing. It’s truly remarkable how she does that. For instance:

“Three rules of work:
out of clutter find simplicity;
from discord find harmony;
in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

Albert Einstein

Carol once wrote that the above is true in nature and in work, and then illustrated how.

*  *  *  *

To conclude today’s tour, here’s a photo I snapped yesterday of a dear friend, someone I’d miss watching if she ever stopped kayaking on Cluculz Lake. In our neck of the woods, all you have to say is “Singing Lady on Lake” and everyone knows you mean Carmelita.

If you’d like to read some more I MISS YOU blogs, and I hope you do, click here.