Sunday School Song

I was raised listening to and singing this song. Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever really heard the message of love and acceptance. 

 Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

They are precious in his sight,

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

IMG_1047 Are these songs still sung by innocent little children? Did those who sang them perhaps think that Jesus only loved those little children of different colors when they were actually children? Should the line “all the children of the world” be amended to read, “all the children who look like MY children?” 

Or maybe the songwriter got the color part wrong. Maybe he meant, “white and white and white and white.” 

Peace, People.

Convertible Weather

I. My man and I

Out for a 

Cruise in the

Sunshine with the

Top down and the

Radio blasting our

Favorite tunes.

Damn, these

Florida

Winters are

Brutal.



II. Late winter sunshine

Indulging my contentment

Basking feels so right.



III. Snow where is thy sting?

My northern brethren know well

I revel in warmth.



Peace, people!

Bacon Wrapped Pizza and Other Delicacies 

Bacon on a sandwich,
Or alone on a plate.
Bacon with tomato
Wouldn’t that be great?
Bacon wrapped around
A nicely grilled filet or
Tucked inside a fluffy quiche
I could go for it that way.
Bacon served with eggs,
Poached or maybe fried.
Bacon-wrapped asparagus,
You’ll be so glad you tried.
Bacon for breakfast,
Dinner or lunch
Bacon’s even perfect at a
Fancy ladies’ brunch
But today I saw an ad
That nearly blew my mind:
Pizza wrapped in bacon
A truly monumental find!
Alas, I’m on a diet and
Can have no bacon at all
Except for one named Kevin,
And he’s not answering my call.  







Peace, People!

Orange You Cute?

I’m not a photographer, so I’ve never offered my take on The Daily Post’s Photo Challenge before. Today’s challenge, though, was “Orange,” and as I looked through the orange posts and all of the glowing words about the color it occurred to me that orange just isn’t my thing.

I can’t wear orange. It looks hideous on me, and as a result I don’t decorate in shades of orange. But surely, I thought, I must have some orange in this house. So I went on a treasure hunt.

Here are my findings:



A bag of Cheetos, Studly’s chip of choice.



A can of Febreze.

A small side table in a guest bathroom atop which sits an orange sunset photo taken in Jamaica.



A magnetic clip. I’ll use it to seal the Cheetos bag once it’s been opened. 



A feathered cat toy.



And a carton of orange juice.

Orange you glad I’m through?

Peace, People!

He Loves His Damned Old Rodeo

Teen-aged girls are prone to thoughts of romance and forbidden love. I was once a teen-aged girl, so I can say this with some authority. There were several songs from my youth that supported this romanticized notion of defying one’s parents to be with the man of one’s dreams. “Some Day Soon” by Judy Collins certainly fit the bill.

I recall sitting in the backseat of whatever second-hand vehicle my parents had at the time, staring longingly out the window and daringly singing along when this song played on the radio. After all, the word “damned” was right there in the lyrics! Damn! Heady stuff.

I could almost picture my non-existent young cowboy, tall and rugged, confidently striding in his tight Wranglers to sweep me into a passionate embrace. Then one of my younger brothers sitting next to me would burp or fart, and snap! Back to reality.

The video below isn’t one of my favorite arrangements of the song; however, the Smothers Brothers’ introduction is classic.

SomeDay Soon
Song by Judy Collins

There’s a young man that I know
His age is twenty-one
Comes from down
In southern Colorado

Just out of the service
And he’s looking for his fun
Someday soon, going with him
Someday soon

My parents can not stand him
Cause he rides the rodeo
My father says that
He will leave me crying

I would follow him right down
The toughest road I know
Someday soon, going with him
Someday soon

And when he comes to call
My pa ain’t got a good word to say
Guess it’s cause he’s just
As wild in the younger days

So blow, you old Blue Northern
Blow my love to me
He’s driving in tonight
From California

He loves his damned old rodeo
As much as he loves me
Someday soon, going with him
Someday soon

But when he comes to call
My pa ain’t got a word to say
Guess it’s cause he’s just
As wild in the younger days.

IMG_1069

Peace, people!

Imitation as the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Daily Post’s daily prompt: write on any subject of your choice, but do so in the style of a blogger you admire.

I tried to follow the prompt today. Honest! In the end, though, I had to heed Sammy Davis, Jr.’s declaration:

Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong
I’ve gotta be me, I’ve gotta be me
What else can I be but what I am?

I want to live, not merely survive
And I won’t give up this dream of life that keeps me alive
I’ve gotta be me, I’ve gotta be me
The dream that I see makes me what I am

That far away prize, a world of success
Is waiting for me if I heed the call
I won’t settle down, won’t settle for less
As long as there’s a chance that I can have it all

I’ll do it alone, that’s how it must be
I can’t be right for somebody else if I’m not right for me
I’ve gotta be free, I’ve gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die I’ve gotta be me

I’ll do it alone, that’s how it must be
I can’t be right for somebody else if I’m not right for me
I’ve gotta be free, I’ve just gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die, I’ve gotta be me

This video has a brief ad at the beginning, but I love the setting of the Playboy Club. It’s such a “Mad Men” era clip. Pour yourself a glass of Scotch, sit back, relax, and listen to “I’ve Gotta Be Me.”

http://youtu.be/rbLlCxK0pHY

Peace, all you Cool Cats! 

PS. Note that the man Mr. Davis asks to move is none other than Bill Cosby. 

Weather Vain

I’m standing in

My closet

Trying to

Decide what to

Wear.

I have not

Checked the

Weather.

I go to do so

On my

iPhone,

But I notice

There are unread

Notifications on

WordPress, and

Facebook, and

Pinterest.

After reading one

Particular post I

Realize I must

Google the population of

Guatemala before I

Forget so I can

Update a future

Article, and then

I go back to the

Bedroom closet to

Dress for the

Day.

That’s when I

Realize I still

Must check the

Weather

On my

iPhone.

Repeat as necessary

Until dressed.

 

 

Three Doors, One Choice

Today’s prompt from The Daily Post: You’re having a nightmare, and must choose between three doors. Pick one and tell what you find on the other side.

IMG_2727

In darkness I navigate the narrow maze.
Behind me I hear the labored breathing
Of an unknown predator. I cannot stop.

Two left turns, hands pressed flat against
Rough walls of stone. Abruptly stumbling
I find myself facing three towering doors.

Slim candles in sconces flicker, offering
Little clue as to which door provides for
My salvation from the rampaging beast.

Door one is painted red. The deep, hue
Of blood. Orange flames shoot across a
Wooden lintel, daring me to cross below.

Angels grace the second door accented
Against an aerial array of cumulonimbus
Clouds in a sky of heavenly aquamarine.

As the beast draws near I observe the third
Door. Ancient and carved with Celtic runes
Beckoning me to throw caution to the gods.

The choice seems simple: Forsake doors one
And three. Door two seemed a haven, but then
Out of darkness roared an unearthly demon.

With some hesitation I step inside the door
Most mysteriously carved. Fevered drumming
Was my reward. The third door held strong.

Otherworldly chanting to the steady beat of a
Bodhran reverberates within my chest, pulls me
Onward relentlessly toward the echoing sound.

An ethereal luminescence illuminates my steps
Into a forest populated entirely by wee folks
Who gently guide me into a circle enchanted.

A faerie dressed in finest silks alights beside me
And gracefully bids me sit within the mystical
Ring. A guest of honor for their celebratory meal.

“What brings you here?” Faerie asks. I feel certain
She reigns as deva within this forest primeval.
“A beast chased me into your realm,” I explain.

“Three doors you had from which to choose: One
Hell, another Heaven, yet you selected the third.
It isn’t often that mortals wager their lives on us.”

“I had little time to decide my fate with a monster
Close behind. Hell I rejected. Heaven seemed too
Safe. I could not resist the call of the unknown.”

Then we danced and drank far into the night. The
Faerie folk sang songs that resonated in the very
Depths of my soul. My heart expanded with love.

I awakened with tears on my cheeks and a smile
Teasing the corners of my lips. A lovely dream
Born from a nightmare. Beauty from the beast.

IMG_2726

Milestones

As children we mark our years through milestones: Losing a tooth, growing an inch, learning to ride a bike, getting a driver’s license.

Adults, especially older ones, measure ours in appointments: Colonoscopy, mammogram, dental, vision, etc.

Mine all seem to pop up at the same time of year. It’s as if I’ve designated spring as appointment time. March is chock full of fun.

However, I also have some great things on the calendar in March and April! Two of my good friends from Illinois are coming to stay with me over their spring break. I was afraid to jinx it by writing about their visit, but now their plans are made, and I am so excited to show them a side of Florida that I hope they’ll love. And close on the heels of that visit is my trip to Antigua, Guatemala.

So maybe the milestones aren’t quite as fun now that I’m decidedly over the hill. The pleasures, though, are outstanding. Look ma! No hands!



Peace, people!

Goodnight, Sleep Tight

Don’t let the bedbugs bite

(Parts inferred:

Your toes

Your fingers

Your elbows

Your nose.)

Along with

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake…

It’s a miracle I ever managed to

Sleep at all.



I understand there’s a new version of that bedtime prayer, but it’s too late for my peace of mind.

Peace, People