Flip Flap Floodle

Joan York Edwards was born as Joan Frances Meyer on January 11, 1940 in Wilson, North Carolina when it was so cold they had to heat the water pipes at the hospital. She has an older sister, Judith C. Thomson, and a younger brother and sister, John F. Meyer, II and Janet S. Meyer. Edwards has two daughters, Lorrie and Mollie, by her first husband, Alvin C. York. Lorrie and Kirk Hackett have two daughters, Kylie and Kirstyn. Mollie and Mark Chewning have three dogs: Miles, Montgomery, and Morgan. In 1997 she married Carl L. Edwards whose daughter, Susan and her husband, Jeff Harrell have two children, Amanda and Jacob. Edwards now lives in Matthews, North Carolina with her husband, Carl and her mother, Ethel D. Meyer. In 1958 she graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in Washington, D.C. In 1963 she received a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. In 1963 she was selected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. In 1978 she earned a Master of Arts in Education in Intermediate Elementary Language Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, N.C. Edwards retired in 1998 after teaching for 35 years, but is still certified to teach. She taught reading, spelling, language, writing, handwriting, math, social studies, science, health, physical education, music, art, and computers in the elementary schools. This included teaching kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades. She taught sixth and seventh grade Sunday School. One summer she taught 9th grade English. Her first four years of teaching were at Midwood School in Charlotte, N.C. She taught 31 years in Union County, North Carolina: ten years at Fairview School and twenty-one years at Hemby Bridge School. In 1987 she was selected as a participant in the N.C. Writing Project. She was a N.C. Writing Consultant for the N.C. Writing Project for 11 years. In 1993 "The Golden Arm," won her first place in Chapter, Region, and Zone L, and Second Place at the International Level of Parents Without Partners, Family Individual Talent Awards Program, Creative Writing Division. In 1998 her photograph, "The High Water Adventures of Tom Sawyer-1993" won the Editor's Choice Award for Achievement in Photography from the International Library of Photography. They published it in Portraits of Life in 1999. A second photograph "Chief of the Ages: He Can Reveal the Mysteries of Years Long Past" was published in 2001 in the International Library of Photography book entitled, Best Photos of 2000. A third photograph, "Littleton Firetruck Parades to Cool the Sizzle and Warm the Hearts," was published in the International Library of Photography book entitled Best Photos of 2003. All three photographs can be seen at www.picture.com. She currently explains the Gospels to the children during services at St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Her websites, http://www.joanyedwards.com and http://www.catholic-forum.com/sjn/children.htm, have over 100 children's devotionals, interactive crossword and wordsearch puzzles, skits, and other resources for Children's Liturgy. Together these sites have had over 14,000 visitors since 2001. She enjoys reading self-help books and credits two books with changing her to a positive thinker: Robert Schuler's book, Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do and Terry Cole-Whitaker's What You Think of Me Is None of My Business. She loves listening and dancing to country, beach, and 50's music. She enjoys get-togethers with family and friends. She thinks life is best when it is filled with love, learning, and laughter, respect, and forgiveness.Edwards, Joan is the author of 'Flip Flap Floodle', published 2003 under ISBN 9781594572852 and ISBN 1594572852.