“
It commenced with a chuckle,
Graduated to a giggle,
Ballooned into a belly laugh,
Grew into a guffaw,
And the next thing I knew —
He was rolling on the floor,
Ludicrous with laughter.
Was it something I said???????
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Go ahead: you know you’d like to take part in this prompt.
~~~
I’m normally not a big potato chip eater. When I was a teenager, I could eat chips by the bag full, but in my adult years, I only rarely have some with a sandwich. However, occasionally — very occasionally, thank God — I get sort of a craving for them, and I’ll go out and buy 2 or 3 bags — or cans, depending on the brand.
Unfortunately, this past week I discovered Lays’ Southern Biscuits & Gravy potato chips. Evidently they are a new flavor that is not really all that new. They’ve been on the market since 2015, but I didn’t know it. I guess that was a year that I didn’t have any particular craving for chips, because I never even noticed them. Now I can’t believe I ever lived without them.
I don’t know what it is for sure that makes them sooooooo gooooood I can’t quit eating them. The flavor is terrific. And, yes, they do taste like sausage biscuits and gravy. But when I eat biscuits and gravy, I don’t have any trouble stopping after two biscuits. Not so with these chips. I literally have to FORCE myself to close the bag and put it away. Then I end up going back to it before the day’s over.
A couple years ago, at Christmas time, Pringles came out with a new flavor chip called Pecan Pie. Some of my family and friends turned their noses up at the thought, but since I really like the combination of sweet and salty, I decided I’d like to try them. OHHHH MY GOODNESS! They were delicious! So, naturally, I bought several cans. But I did stop eating those chips fairly easily — because they were seasonal and left the market after January. They came back again during this last Christmas season though, and I lost count of the cans I bought.
Oh, well, I’m sure that since I hadn’t seen these biscuits and gravy chips before now, they will not be on the store shelves all the time either. So I’ll just enjoy them while I can and TRY not to feel too guilty. One thing that helps is having all my work online to do. When you have to type on a keyboard almost all day, it’s really hard to do if your fingers are greasy and salty from eating potato chips. So I do have good reason to put the bag away. And I will … well … after just one more … and maybe just one more ….
~~~
`
Did you know that you can learn how to do absolutely anything on YouTube? Whether you want to learn how to operate the newest technological device, bake a cake, build a website, fix a toilet stool, make a podcast, correct a grammar problem, skin a beaver, or find Jesus Christ — instruction is at your fingertips on YouTube. What a revolution in education.
Of course, we do have to be sensible enough to distinguish what’s genuine instruction from some “nit-wit’s” bid for attention, but that’s not too hard to do — especially if you watch more than one video on the same subject. So if you’re in need of instruction and haven’t checked out YouTube, go for it. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn to do for free. I continually stand amazed at — and grateful for — such technology.
Anybody seen my beaver-skinning knife?????????
~~~
I normally prefer a mug for coffee.
Although I’ve drunk my share in Styrofoam.
And when I’m traveling for work or pleasure,
I take a travel cup with lid from home.
A cup that’s big and roomy has its assets.
It lets me warm my hands around it’s bowl.
Unfortunately, it also has its drawbacks.
For long before I’ve finished, coffee’s cold.
Of course, that’s not a problem in this tech world.
For microwaves are everywhere these days.
And I just pop my cup inside to warm it.
Then sipping merrily, go on my way.
I’ll drink my brew from old-time percolator,
Or from a modern Keurig brewing pot,
Vending machines and fancy coffee houses,
And my drip coffee maker hits the spot.
I’m not too hard to please, and I’m a purist,
Just black with nothing added that’s bizarre.
Just please don’t bring me Starbucks or Gervalia,
And, for heaven’s sake, no instant from a jar!
Wouldn't you like to share your love for coffee with us? Pictures, poetry, prose, quotes .... whatever your favorite form of expression. Post on your own site and then hop over here and paste the link into a comment window below.
+++
THE CROOKED CUSP OF LOVE
I was just on the cusp of deciding
When everything went so awry.
How could they be so hateful to me?
I can’t do a thing now but cry.
I’d dated Sebastian on Mondays,
And Thursdays were his days as well.
Then Trevor had Wednesdays and Fridays,
And Raymond thought weekends were swell.
We’d gone along happily – I thought,
Until they demanded I choose.
Well, you can imagine my chagrin
At having them give me such news.
I told them I’d have to have some time
To make a decision so hard.
But every time I thought I’d made one,
I couldn’t quite settle my heart.
It’s been only six months – this process;
Each day I did several hours spend.
Now I’m just on the cusp of decision,
But they’ve run off and married my friends!
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You knew I’d have to do it: write cinquain on the subject of coffee. I’m running a little late getting my “Coffee Thursday” post up this week, but I’m a great believer in “better late than never.” So here we go. If you’d like to take part, post your version of celebrating coffee on your blog and bring your link over here. Just post it in a Comment window below.
LIFE’S ELIXIR
Coffee:
Life’s elixir.
The worlds most modest brew.
Yet holds the place most prominent
As drink.
Those who
Choose to abstain
Do not know what they miss.
For comfort and refreshing kick,
It’s bliss.
So come,
And share a cup.
Or maybe even two.
It warms the heart and bonds good friends –
Coffee.
+++
`
***
(Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, American Quarterly, 1976)
~~~
Oh, that I were a poet.
I would share thoughts so sublime.
I’d create lovely images,
In meter and in rhyme.
I’d delve my inmost being
And discover truths so pure.
Then I’d carefully release them
Into words that would endure.
Oh, that I were a poet –
Not just one who writes in verse.
But to be a genuine poet
Is both blessing and a curse.
Poets true to their great calling
Must give forth all that’s inside.
Every piece they write’s revealing,
Secret selves they cannot hide.
For in halls of education
Teachers who are “in the know”
Will interpret all that’s written
And out of proportion blow.
If the name below the poem
Is one famous as a bard,
Then his simple words and pictures
Are by education marred.
So – I’m glad I’m not a poet.
It’s much better to be free
From high-brow interpretation
And write verse that’s just plain me.
I figure I can get away with this slam against most literary interpretation since I spent many, many years of my life as an English and Literature teacher. Standard curricula encourage and often require teachers to help students learn to “interpret” poems. Occasionally, there is a real underlying meaning to the words in those stanzas, but more often than not, they mean exactly what they say and nothing more. In the last several years as a high school teacher, I tried to help students develop a love and an enjoyment of poetry rather than pushing them to try to find hidden meanings in every piece. Life is best when we keep it simple. So is poetry.
~~~
`
Two Hillbillies in an Art Museum:
“What is it?”
“It’s an abstract.”
“A what?”
“An abstract. You know – that’s where somebody who thinks he’s an artist takes a canvas and slops a bunch of paint onto it in weird patterns. Then somebody else who thinks he’s an art expert comes along and says it represents that artist’s feelin’s when he was rejected by his lover or it represents man’s inhumanity to man, or somethin’ like that.
“Where’d you learn that?”
“We got Internet up on our mountain now. I been readin’ about all kinds a stuff. I come to this one place on there with all these god-awful weird pictures, so I stopped to find out what they was all about.”
“And it told all about these here abstracts?”
“Right. And purty dern boring stuff if you ask me.”
“Hmmmm. Ain’t there any abstracts that say somethin’ positive?”
“Oh, yeah, there’s a few that are supposed to represent man’s great intelligence or his overpowerin’ love for the world or that kind of thing. But, according to this here report I read, the real value of an abstract is supposed to be that each separate person who sees it will give it his own — a — interpretation I think they called it — based on his own personality and life experiences.”
“Hmmmmmmm. So what do you think this one represents?”
“I have to go to the outhouse, and I’d better get there quick.”
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To participate in Daily Post Prompt, follow the link.
~~~
`
Hi. Today I’m embarking on a brand new INVITATIONAL post. It works like a blogging challenge, but I don’t consider it to be a “challenge.” Instead it’s an invitation to all other bloggers out there to share a post on the same subject.
And what is that subject you may ask? COFFEE.
Yes, you read correctly. As most of my readers know, I am a lover of the brew, so I thought it would be fun to devote one day a week to focusing on a post dedicated to that aromatic, refreshing, comforting, and (yes) healthy beverage.
So if any of you readers would like to share you photos, graphics, poems, or prose on the subject of coffee, please join me on Thursdays. I’ll try to post very early in the day, and then you will have that whole week (until the next Thursday) to post your own response and hop over to my post for that week to leave your link in a comment window. And, of course, if you miss a week, we’ll be posting on the same subject again the following Thursday.
So let’s get started. My inaugural post is below. I’m eager to see some of yours. And while you’re working on that, have a cup of coffee on me.
~~~
I decided I’d do something different this week: Instead of answering Cee’s questions as myself, I’m giving a guest blogger the opportunity to answer. Cee keeps telling us to just have fun with this challenge and even let our alter ego answer if we like. So meet Mariah Jacoby, the heroine in my inspirational romance Everything’s Jake. Here’s Mariah’s take on this week’s Share Your World.
Question # 1: Ever ran out of gas in your vehicle?
Are you kidding? Really? Never! But, of course, you may not realize that I’m an auto mechanic. I didn’t start out to be. But after two college degrees in journalism and education — and a host of jobs that I just couldn’t fit into — I finally admitted to myself that I’m just a grease-monkey at heart. I love cars, trucks, vans, and busses. Anything with an engine that purrs when it’s happy makes me happy. And, in reference to the question at hand, why, I’d never forget to put gas in a car anymore than I’d forget to eat. So — I guess the short answer to that question is — No.
Question # 2: Which are better: black or green olives?
Now, that’s a hard one. I love both. I enjoy the smooth, sweetness in the black olives, but sometimes I crave something salty, and you can’t beat the green olives for that, especially since they add just the tiniest bitter bite along with the brine. I especially love olives on pizza. Neil Warner and I have been having pizza together every Friday night for the past month — when we work on the books for his auto repair business. It’s sort of like a non-date, which I hope will eventually get us to a date date — if you know what I mean. But that’s all in the book.
Question # 3: If you were a great explorer, what would you explore?
Chrysler Manufacturing plant, General Motors manufacturing plant, Toyota manufacturing plant, and Neil. Oooops, I guess that didn’t come out exactly right. What I mean is that I’d like to get to know Neil even better — learn what all makes him happy and sad, what his dreams are, what I can do to be number one in his life. He’s probably someone you’d consider just an ordinary guy: late thirties, slightly overweight, kind eyes, a mega-watt smile — and he looks sexy in his green coveralls with a dab of grease on his chin. (sigh). I think I fell half in love with him the first day I met him because he was so kind to me, giving me a chance to prove myself even when he knew he was taking a chance where his business reputation was concerned. Yep, I think I’d like exploring that man more than anything else.
Question # 4: Quotes List: At least three of your favorite quotes?
I’m going to share just one quote: It’s my favorite of all time:
“To thine own self be true.” (William Shakespeare as the character Polonius in Hamlet)
I’ve finally followed that advice. One day, after a horrible relationship failure, I got up from my bed where I had lain for an hour bawling, looked into my bathroom mirror, and got real with myself. I said, “All right, so maybe you’re not a femme fatale who can bring men to their knees. But you’re a gentle, kind, loving, hard-working woman of God. And, dang it, girl! You’re also the best darn mechanic that this town has ever laid eyes on!” (Everything’s Jake, p. 89).
That’s when I really started enjoying my life completely, and that’s also when I opened the door to the love relationship I’d wanted my whole life.
Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful I discovered the truth about Carter Sanford and what he wanted from his relationship with me. And in the weeks to come, I’m looking forward to becoming the one woman Neil Warner can’t live without.
If you’d like to find out how successful I am in that endeavor, be sure to read my story. You can find it in paperback or digital at Amazon.
~~~
How do I love thee?
Frankly, I don’t know.
Your aggravating habits are extreme.
You wear on my patience,
Need forgiveness daily,
Sometimes, I’d like to pull my hair and scream.
How do I love thee?
It is a mystery.
That I should feel the least bit of romance.
Each time I’m with you
I find myself on edge
And often have to look at you askance.
Oh, how do I love thee?
Well, maybe I do not.
It just now dawned on me that this is so.
I don’t really love thee.
Whew! what a relief.
I think I’ll simply pack my bags and go.
~~~
I turned 69 on the very first day of this month. There, I’ve said it again without any pain. It’s been amazing to me how truly painless the experience has been.
Now, I’ve never been a person who was particularly concerned about my age. I’ve never tried to hide it or felt the need to lie. I did lose the opportunity to further a relationship with a man who, before finding out my age, was seriously interested in our friendship growing. However, when he discovered — to his shock I might add (what can I say: I look good for my age) — that I was 9 years older than he, his interest just switched off completely.
Personally, I think he is rather shallow — but I won’t say that out loud because it would sound like I was guilty of “sour grapes.” But I really do have a reason to consider him less than mature in that area because I know several very happily married couples with the hubby being the younger of the two. In fact, it’s quite a common thing in my experience, so, naturally, I figure anyone who doesn’t at least want to give the relationship a chance has to be a little shallow.
But I digress. Back to the subject at hand: When I was in my 20’s, I looked forward to being 30. In fact, I was eager to get there because I was just sure that I would be mature and stable and have my life well under control, with a positive future ahead. But, doggone it, when I got to 30, I discovered I was still the same not-very-organized, procrastination-oriented, speak-before-thinking, but fairly happy girl that I’d always been. Not to say that I didn’t have a sensible job or didn’t take responsibilities seriously. I did, but I wasn’t established in the career I had degrees for, nor did I have a husband and family. So much for being “settled.”
As the years rolled by, I realized that “being settled” wasn’t all it was made to look like, and I relaxed and decided to just be who I was and give it my best. That was a great decision, and since then, the Lord has led me into several avenues that have made my life very rich and fulfilling.
When I got to 40, I didn’t sweat it. I was married by then and was pursuing one career that gave me a lot of enjoyment. I was involved in a lot of Christian ministry, and that had always been one of my more important goals. So 50 came along with no sweat as well and rolled right on by. I lost my husband when I was 54, and I will admit that the prospect of facing going into my 60’s alone did seem a little daunting, but I knew the same Lord who had carried me through all the other years of my life was still there.
So, even though I can’t say that I was excited about turning 60, I am happy to say that it didn’t depress me, and I sailed right on through just fine, still basically enjoying life.
But for some reason — and I honestly don’t know why — the idea of turning 69 hit me very hard. When I thought about it, my stomach sort of knotted up, and I felt vaguely depressed. I prayed about it, and the sensible part of me lectured me about being silly. Nevertheless, I continued to feel “down” and found myself hesitant to accept the age transfer. If anyone asked me how old I would be on February 1st, I found myself feeling a little choked at saying the number out loud.
But then the big day came — and went — and I enjoyed every minute of it. And yes — if you think I sound surprised — you’re right. I was surprised. But it was like something broke loose inside of me — or got unlocked somehow. I was able to say the number without the slightest hesitation. I was able to, with a genuine smile, actually take ownership of 69 years of age.
From the moment I took that ownership, I realized that something very positive was going on. Now I suddenly feel as if I have a new beginning — sort of right out of nowhere. It’s as if I’ve got my ‘second wind,’ as athlete’s term the experience. Some kind of shadow has been lifted, the way ahead is clear, hurdles don’t even look as big as they used to, and I’ve decided I’m definitely going for the gold. So — 101, here I come!
~~~
`
“You don’t know diddly squat about it!”
“Oh, yes I do. I know you broke a date with Mary Jane to go out with Hildy.”
Sam Paskell stood toe-to-toe with his best friend, Herman Gates. “Herman,” he growled, grasping his friend by the shirt collar and pulling him forward, “if you say one word about that to anyone else, I’ll clobber you.”
“Hey, I don’t squeal on my friends; you know that. It just made me mad that you insisted I didn’t know what I was talkin’ about.”
“How’d you find out?”
“I heard some girls talkin’ about it when I was listenin’ outside the girls’ bathroom door.”
Sam smirked. “I’ve told you over and over that one of these days the teacher’s going to catch you doin’ that.”
“Yeah … prob’ly … but in the mean time, I get me some good learnin'”
“So who was talking about me?”
“Della Thompson. She said she saw you out with Hildy at the movies that night. Mary Jane had already told her you broke your date because you got sick.”
“Darn! I gotta think of somethin’ to tell Mary Jane.”
“Well, I got a idea.”
“What?”
“Tell her your mom is best friends with Hildy’s aunt, and she insisted that you take Hildy out. Then tell Mary Jane you was too ashamed to admit that you couldn’t stand up to your mom about it, because you care so much for Mary Jane that you couldn’t bear for her to think badly of you. And then ask her to please forgive you for not being completely honest. Tell her you don’t deserve anyone as good as her, and that you’ll understand if she can’t forgive you, but you’ll be broken-hearted over it.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“Gets ’em every time.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Man … I keep tellin’ ya. I learn all this stuff standin’ outside the girls’ bathroom door.”
“They do all this talkin while they’re squatting over the stool?”
“Heck no, man. Don’t you know nothin’? Girls don’t go to the bathroom just to squat over the stool. They go to talk. Ain’t you ever noticed how one girl don’t ever go to the bathroom alone? They always go in two’s and three’s. It’s to do all the gossipin'”
“Well, I’ll be. Maybe I need to spend some time outside that bathroom door getting myself a real education.” ‡
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Okay, I know it’s a stupid little story, but I didn’t have much time to think of a better one. And besides — there’s a lot of truth in it.”
To participate in today’s prompt challenge visit here.
~~~
The Happy Wordcrafter 