Happy New Year You All!
2012 was a year of much joy and strife. Reading has got me through a lot of things and this year more than others. But I am the kind of girl that when gets knocked down to her knees, I just look at it as hey, I'm in a better position to pray. I prayed a lot this year but I need to pray more. New Year's Resolution #1!
Today I have set aside the day to read. I began early this morning with Dolly Parton's latest book DREAM MORE as I just love Dolly. I wrote all about how she is a hero and truly a role model for me in my book, "The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life" which is the first book you are to read when you join my Pulpwood Queens Book Club. That little Tennessee girl just went for her dream and TA DA! She did it! But she didn't stop there, she started a wonderful reading endeavor called The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Project. This not for profit, when you get on board her reading promoting train, provides a book a month to every child born in the county that you fund raise the money for, FREE from birth to kindergarten shipped right to that child's home. Check it out at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
Marion County Texas where I live, is the second poorest county in the State of Texas! We also have a 39% rate of illiteracy in our county of 10,000. Just think of the handicap you would have in life if you could not read. How would you get a driver's license, fill out a job interview, the list goes on and on. This disturbs me. I have lived here for over 25 years and I run the largest "meeting and discussing" book club in the world, The Pulpwood Queens! 550 chapters strong nationwide with members and chapters in 15 foreign countries, truly we are an international book club. What could I do to stop illiteracy in my county?
When I was President several years back of our local Rotary Club of Jefferson, Texas, I started The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Project in Marion County. Perhaps if we started with our babies we could make a literacy difference. I also hold a Author Silent Auction every year at our annual book club hosted convention which we call GIRLFRIEND WEEKEND to support this endeavor financially! We have raised over $12,000 to support this pre-school literacy promoting program because I know this one true thing. That if you teach a child a love of books and to read and read well, they have all the tools to educate themselves and lead a purposeful, successful, and meaningful life. Reading is as important as all our basic needs, food, water, shelter and love. I call it BIG BOOK LOVE and Dolly Parton's program is exactly that! I fully endorse this literacy program.
Besides having my two girls, starting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program in my home county is perhaps my greatest accomplishment. So when I read that Dolly had a NEW book, DREAM MORE, I knew it would become an Official Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selection. It will be ours for February 2013, my Valentine gift to YOU!
I believe everybody at some point in their life has had the same dream as Dolly. But sometimes our dreams just don't materialize for various reasons, Dolly has truly found the answer. Our true gift of life is to be in service to others. My greatest joy comes from sharing my love of authors, books, literacy, and reading. And because I started this crazy book club, I am now a rich woman. Not monetarily, but rich in friends, really, really great friends. Friends I would never had met if it hadn't been for me starting the book club. You can read all about it on our NEW website, www.beautyandthebook.com and in my book! And do note I have a NEW official email at thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com!
So here's Dolly Parton's preface to her book DREAM MORE to inspire all of you this brand spanking NEW YEAR!!! Let that be besides READING be top priority on your New Year's Resolutions!
Truly, Tiara wearing and Book sharing,
Kathy L. Patrick
Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club
www.beautyandthebook.com
www.beautyandthebookshow.com
www.pulpwoodqueen.com
Beauty and the Book
608 North Polk
Jefferson, Texas 75657
903-665-7520
Email: thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com
DREAM MORE by Dolly Parton
There's a star in all of us,
We;re all diamonds in the rough,
We're little engines chuggin' down the line.
There are dreams we hold inside
Waiting' till the time is right.
So keep the faith, you'll have your time
to shine.
Let nobody block your path,
Allow nothing to distract
The passion and desire inside your heart.
There is nothing you can't do,
There's no dream that can't come true
With faith and love and trust enought to start.
Only you can make it come true.
Dream more, learn more, care and be more;
Wishes do come true.
Celebrate the dreamer in you.
From DREAM MORE by Dolly Parton, Celebrate the Dreamer in You
