Category: Humor

Feature, Humor, Inspiration, Poetry, Uncategorized

Thanksgiving Poems — Week 1

Thanksgiving in the U. S.  is exactly three weeks from today, so I think it’s only appropriate that I revisit some of my Thanksgiving poems from over the years — and maybe even write a new one.

This week I’ll begin the series with two: one quite serious and one just for fun. Hope you enjoy them, and if you’re one of my own countrymen, I hope they add to your expectations for a happy Thanksgiving celebration.

 

AH, THANKSGIVING, HOW I LOVE YOU!

RED DRESS

Ah, Thanksgiving, how I love you!
Golden crowning jewel of Fall,
Beacon of warmth and cam’raderie,
Sending glad invitation to all:

“Gather to worship; gather to visit;
Gather to focus on all that’s worthwhile;
Feast from tables resplendent with harvest;
Feast on the love in a touch and a smile.”

All the year’s labors weigh heavy upon us.
All the world’s problems seem bigger by far.
But out from that wearisome struggle you call us,
And laying it down, we run to where you are.

And whether in cottages, mansions, or churches,
Community buildings, or tables in parks,
We gather with gratitude full – overflowing;
To the Giver of blessings lift voices and hearts.

Then we return to life’s pattern awaiting.
Filled up with joy, we set off on our way,
Warmer and richer and kinder in spirit
For pausing to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

TURKEY WITH SIGN - SAVE TURKEYS

I spot him there, behind the barn,
A full-plumed, regal bird.
He looks up, straight into my eyes.
I speak no single word.

It’s happened thus, in passing years —
At least for two or three:
Each mid-November I’ve set my mind;
He’s been there to greet me.

Now, lifting his head in challenge strong,
He gobbles loud and long.
I lower my gun and heave a sigh:
To kill him would be wrong!

So, wrestling with my double mind,
I trek home to my wife
To explain why, once again this year,
Ham will greet the carving knife.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Humor, Inspiration, Non-fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Weekly Smile 9/23/19

SMILEY -- NO CIRCLE - BLACK & WHYay!  I’m making time to do the “Weekly Smile” this week. If you’d like to join in and share what made you smile this past week, hop over to the link and get the simple directions for taking part.

I actually had a number of things to smile about this past week. One special event was getting this term’s Biblical Pathways to Health & Wholeness class underway at the college where I teach. I always enjoy teaching that class so much because it helps people understand what God’s Word says about healing and how much the Lord wants His people well. And it helps them learn how to appropriate that healing for their own lives.

Then I also got my new HOLIDAY PLANNER/JOURNAL started this week. I’ve been collecting my thoughts, so to speak, about this newest project for some time now. And, to be honest, I’ve sort of put off actually sitting down to my computer and laying out the design on the screen. It’s rather daunting when I think of all that I want to include in it.

I’ve done other themed journals, but they didn’t have to incorporate planner pages and special sections for different kinds of plans and activities. And, of course, most of my books over the past several years have simply required ordinary text and a front and back cover. That’s so much easier to do than all this graphic designing. But once I made up my mind that it was time to do this thing, I committed myself to it whole-heartedly. So — onward and upward. And this week, I actually got through a large portion of the layout and hit “Save.”  Yay!

On top of that event, I also received a gift of two huge family-size packages of chocolate cookies!!!  Now, if you’re a regular visitor to my website, you’ll know that I love, love, love chocolate.  And I love, love, love cookies. Now, add coffee to the mix (which I love, love, love as well), and you have something to smile about — really big. These cookies are perfect for dunking, by the way, and that sets me up for smiling a whole lot for the next week as well.  I think I’ll share a few with my sister — and maybe even a cousin — and that will add to the enjoyment for me.

I could go on, but I hear my coffee and cookies calling me, so I think I’ll bring this post to a close and go do some dunking and some more smiling.

Hope you’ve had  lot to smile about this week as well. I look forward to learning about your smiles, so hop over to Trent’s blog and add your post.

 

 

Humor, Original Paintings, Uncategorized, Watercolors

Black & White Conversions

I decided to just have a little fun with some of my recent art today by turning several of the pieces into black & white. Not all watercolor and acrylic paintings lend themselves to the change, but I rather liked how these turned out.

 

DANDELION FLOWERS - B & W

FEATHER # 1 - ED. - B & W

LIVE WITH WHOLE HEART GRAPHIC w. frame B & W

PEONIES ON BLUE SOFT EDGE - smaller B & W

JESUS ALL YOU NEED FLORAL B & W

SKINNY DAISY POND- B & W

These playful posts are the kinds of things I do when I’m trying to avoid other work that I’m supposed to be doing. 🙂

 

 

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Feature, Humor, Inspiration, Living By Faith, Non-fiction, Uncategorized

Hurry! We’re Almost Gone

SMILEY - YEL,ORANGEJust a reminder to some of my followers here:

Not everyone who follows me on this site follows my ministry site “Hangin’ Out With God.”  But a whole lot of you do. For that reason, I’m posting a reminder here as well as there, so that you won’t forget to switch to our brand new site with us.

“Hangin’ Out With God” has been spreading the love of Jesus for over 8 years, and we have moved that work to our brand new site — “Radical About Jesus Ministries.” This week will be the last week “Hangin” Out” is available for public viewing. Unfortunately, I’m not sure everyone has actually realized that unless they hop over to the new website and hit the “Follow” button, they will lose all connection with that work.

I know it sounds strange to say that the readers don’t understand that point. But you know how it is:  we are creatures of habit, and if we’ve been going to the same site for over 8 years, we just keep doing it and thinking, “Oh, yeah, I need to check out the new site.”  Then the next time we visit the old website, we think that again — and again — and, well, you get the point.

Anyway, since we have hundreds of followers on “Hangin’ Out” and only about 5 of them have moved with us to the new site, I thought a little reminder here for those who follow both sites might be helpful. Of course, if most of those hundreds of people don’t want to follow us any longer, that’s okay, but I don’t really think that’s the case with most of them.

So, please, if you want to stay connected with the “Hangin’ Out With God” ministry, be sure to visit “Radical About Jesus Ministries” and hit “Follow” before next Monday. We really don’t want to lose you!

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Humor, Let's Talk Coffee, Non-fiction, Uncategorized, Writing Challenge

Weekend Coffee Share 8/3/19

COFFEE. GOLD BORDER -- Luiz Jorge Artista - PX

If we were having coffee together today, I’d be serving you my Folgiers half & half blend. I love Folgiers.  I generally enjoy Maxwell House coffee as well. Many of my family members and friends use the Keurig coffee makers, and they’re okay, but the coffee just doesn’t taste as good as it does when I brew my own by the pot.

If we were visiting today, I’d probably tell you about a new series of Christian ministry meetings I’m holding at the local civic center, because they are on the top of my “to-do” list. The first one was last month and went very well. The people who attended said they were very blessed, and the second meeting is scheduled for August 15. So I’m busy, busy, busy trying to get out all the advertising and notifications throughout the local media.

I would probably also tell you that I’m feeling pretty guilty because my house really needs a good cleaning, but telling you about my guilt is probably as far as I would go. I probably won’t do much actual cleaning this weekend. With the meeting to plan, a prayer meeting Sunday evening, and my newest journal project hanging over my  head, I just can’t seem to focus on the vacuum, the dust rag, or the dishpan.

I’m sure, if I gave you plenty of refills on coffee and some cookies to go with them, you’d be sure to sympathize with me and agree that the cleaning should come farther down on the list than those other jobs. Oh, and that reminds me: I was going to pick up a new package of chocolate cookies when I was at Wal Mart a couple hours ago, and I forgot!

Not to worry, though. I have enough cookies left from some packages I bought last week — and some M&M candies as well. I’ll be fine.

Well, enjoy your coffee this weekend and be good to yourselves. I’ll try to get around and visit several of you and try out your brew before the weekend’s over as well.

To join in the fun of the Weekend Coffee Share, hop over to this link and get the simple rules to participate.

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Cinquain, Humor, Poetry, Uncategorized

Two Cinquain Just For Fun

I haven’t written any cinquain in several months. That’s not like me at all, so I decided I’d remedy that situation today and write two.

 

ZENIA GARDEN
http://www.photos-public-domain.com

Faulty Garden

Zenias
I planted some,
And nice green stems came up.
But months have passed and still no blooms.
What’s wrong???

 

AUGUST CALENDAR Gerd Altman
Gerd Altman @ pixabay.com

Closing In On Christmas

August
Has come so fast.
This year is flying by.
But I don’t mind, for Christmas then
Is close.

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Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Short Stories, Uncategorized, Writing Challenge

House of Flawed Flowers — Friday Fictioneers 6/5/19

I haven’t played “Friday Fictioneers” in a long time, but today when I saw the picture I couldn’t help myself. I take no responsibility for the subject matter. It was the jacket hanging on the end of the banister that did it. Honestly — I couldn’t help it.  🙂  And the weirdest thing is that it came out at exactly 99 words without any editing. Go figure.

Here’s the picture prompt courtesy of Ceayr

ceayr-3

HOUSE OF FLAWED FLOWERS

It was a unique little operation. Nothing like the “red-light” districts Derek had been used to. No money actually changed hands here. Men who used the service hung their jackets on the end of the stair banister with the fee in the pocket. Once they were ensconced upstairs, Madam Beatrice relieved the jacket of its contents, and replaced it for the client to retrieve when finished. She even included an innocuous receipt for tax purposes: “One House Special – $100.” Derek had a desk drawer full of those receipts, but he couldn’t use them. His wife was his accountant.

 

 

 

Feature, Humor, Inspiration, Poetry, Uncategorized

Think Pink

This poem is part of my “Color Me Happy” series on my poetry site. I thought readers here might enjoy it as well.

 

Exif JPEG
Exif JPEG
Exif JPEG

When you feel your emotions are starting to sink,
Think pink.
When you’re fed up with politics and all the stink,
Think pink.
When you’re so mad your panties are all in a kink,
Think pink.
When losing your sanity’s just on the brink,
Think pink.

And why should you choose such a color, you ask?
Because when we choose in pink’s color to bask,
We’re cuddled and coddled in this pleasant shade.
It pampers and pets us and makes our hearts glad.

God, in His infinite wisdom did choose
Pink as a color important to use
When bringing the dawn of a new day alive
And when setting the sun to usher in night.

There’s something quite primal in pink I have found —
Something so elemental it’s almost profound.
We respond as if there’s an umbilical link.
So whatever the problem — to fix it, think pink.

 

 

 

 

Feature, Humor, Let's Talk Coffee, Uncategorized

Let’s Talk Coffee (or Tea) – Day 9

TEA BAG VARIETY -- Congerdesign -- PX
Congerdesign @ pixabay.com

I mentioned on Day 7 that I might include a post or two about hot tea as well as coffee, so let’s talk tea today. Some people consider tea a British drink. Well, it may have been once upon a time, but for my lifetime, it’s been as American as coffee. I often have both hot tea and coffee in the same day.  My favorite, by far, is English Breakfast Tea, but I enjoy many other kinds — including herbal teas. A box like the one pictured — with a huge variety to choose from — is a great prize. And I definitely prefer bags to loose tea. No matter how carefully I strain the loose tea, I still have aggravating leaves in my cup.  So you can just call me a “bag lady.”

cropped-red-tea-pot-and-cup-mr-wallpaper.jpg
mrwallpaper.com

 

Fill in text.

 

Fill in text.

 

 

 

Humor, Let's Talk Coffee, Non-fiction, Uncategorized

Let’s Talk Coffee – Day 6

COFFEE CARRY-OUT CUPS -- Verbera -- PX

JOE ON THE GO

Carry-out coffee is one of the greatest inventions of the human race. Okay, maybe that’s a little over-the-top where praise is concerned, but for people in the 21st century who have to be on the move for 12 to 15 hours of every 24, it’s a genuine blessing.

Note of interest: I’ve often wondered by coffee is sometimes referred to by the nickname “Joe.” There are several theories out there, but the one that seems to me to be the best substantiated is the one concerning former Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels. Here’s the link to that story:  “Why Coffee Is Called ‘Joe.'”

 

graphic courtesy of Verbera @ pixabay.com