My World 🌎 letter-c day 53

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https://sparksfromacombustiblemind.com/2020/07/13/share-your-world-7-13-2020/

Thank you Melanie for the writing inspiration today.

What song always get you out on the dance floor?

Since I’m 64 years old, my song choices have varied immensely over time. in my youth, I always hit the dance floor for Proud Mary. The lyrics begin with something like we’re going to do something nice and easy but we never do anything nice and easy. It’s going to get rough and hard. (I didn’t go look it up this morning, I’m working on the iPad.) Anyway life is like that, we don’t realize how easy we have it, then life hits with you a reality check. I married and dancing fell aside and the only time I danced was when I was calming my babies down and the majority of times it was John Lennon’s Imagine. After my divorce my go to song was Pavarotti and Dion, I love you then I hate you. Dating someone long distance, trying to work full time and go to college in your fifties is challenging. My present choice is with the letter c looming over me is Perfect with Sheeran and Bocelli because I know how precious love with the right person is.

What’s my favorite sleeping position? I sleep on my left side with my back securely next to Vic with Macavity (my cat 🐈) snuggling against my knees.

If I could snap my fingers and instantly make the world better what would I do. I would penalize anyone who doesn’t follow seven generation sustainability. Our carbon footprint truly matters so we all need to be held accountable.

What’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done? Looking back running away from home and ending up in Harlem in the early 70s when I was 13 wasn’t the wisest thing to do. Nor was hitch hiking from Connecticut to Vermont when I was 15 the safest thing to do. As an adult I’ve done some crazy things but I wasn’t fearful but other people when I shared what I was doing thought it was terrifying. Fear for one person is different for another. The most dangerous thing I’ve ever done in desperation was trying to kill myself with a gun, thank goodness that went awry. I still feel ashamed for feeling that alone….my children and grandchildren didn’t deserve all of that baggage.

Our cancer culinary tool kit addition today is:

Cumin is an appetite stimulus, digestive aid, anti microbial and may reduce tumors in the stomach and cervix.

Dates help regulate blood sugar and help boost our immune system.

Cancer Fighting Kitchen Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson

My song choice for today is Tina Turner’s Proud Mary. I think the presentation of the song says a lot about life. Yes, it does start off easy and slow. We’re impatient and want everything yesterday without realizing how good we really have it. Then as we age and experience things we realize what we lost. It’s coming in all directions, hard and fast. We need to be in the moment because those moments will disappear 😔

I watered the gardens this morning, discovered another zucchini and lots of cucumber blossoms. Life is good.

Writing accountability is tonight, I need to work on my vignettes.

When I was younger I focused on getting to the weekend but then I got sick and realized how few weekends in life I really had . I learned to make time to smell the roses because life as we know it today offers no guarantees.

 

letter-c day 52

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I took a much needed mental health break and enjoyed some good music that tied in with the four elements earth, wind, fire and water. I wanted my song choices to be unique. By the looks of the post, I was successful.

Two of our good friends, Jeanne and Pam joined us for a social distance get together. That made for a perfect day, just enjoying girl talk though in all fairness… not one of us is a girly girly type.Truth be known the only time I even fuss with painting my finger nails is when I need to be somewhere’s after working in the garden. Black nail polish is perfect for hiding the crud that you just can’t get out with a nail brush or file. Plus in case you ever run out of nail polish remover brake fluid (One of the bottles you should have in the trunk of your car along with the anti-freeze and a quart of oil and battery cables) will take off nail polish. I was raised old school, if you had a car you had the tools to take care of it. And you had a blanket,  and a flashlight in the trunk in case you broke down. Car preparedness 101.

 

I only thought about the letter c a couple of times today. We talked about the oncologist’s shortcomings for me and what my next step would be. In conversation this evening , my son suggested I reach out to a family member about doing a holistic approach to letter-c. because I am not going to do chemo. I’m not going down that path again if I can avoid it. The medical field has immune-therapy options available and that’s what appeals to me. I’m still getting another opinion  because I need to know all the options and to have a doctor that makes me feel valued.

Since we’re on the letter-c let’s get a couple more tools for your culinary cancer regime.

Carrots are anti-inflammatory and rich in Vitamin a. Beta carotene which why they’re a lovely orange is noted for preventing lung, mouth, throat, stomach, intestinal, bladder, prostate, and breast cancer. Sounds like carrots should be daily staple.

Cranberries are anti-inflammatory plus there is something about their compound make that is toxic to cancer cells. That’s a bonus.

Song Choice for today is Norah Jones.  We were talking about the vignettes I’m writing and I was sharing details about my going to the prom in a tuxedo. I hated dresses. Remember back in the day, girls weren’t allowed to wear pants or jeans to school. We were sentenced to dresses. Not this rebel, I wore shorts under my dress and when I had the opportunity to buck the system with not wearing a formal dress to the prom I took it. I wore a white tuxedo with a pink cummerbund, while my date wore a black tuxedo with a pink cummerbund. His lapel corsage was pink, whereas mine was black. It looked stunning.  When I arrived home my father was looming in the shadows. He insisted on taking our pictures… I could feel the teardrops slipping down. I should have flown away but instead I was again trying to find a balance when I should have run. I simply didn’t understand the confusion… I didn’t come when I should have nor  did I leave either.

Don’t Know Why
Norah Jones
I waited ’til I saw the sun
I don’t know why I didn’t come
I left you by the house of fun
I don’t know why I didn’t come
I don’t know why I didn’t come
When I saw the break of day
I wished that I could fly away
Instead of kneeling in the sand
Catching teardrops in my hand
My heart is drenched in wine
But you’ll be on my mind
Forever
Out across the endless sea
I would die in ecstasy
But I’ll be a bag of bones
Driving down the road alone
My heart is drenched in wine
But you’ll be on my mind
Forever
Something has to make you run
I don’t know why I didn’t come
I feel as empty as a drum
I don’t know why I didn’t come
I don’t know why I didn’t come
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Jesse Harris
Don’t Know Why lyrics © Sony/ATV he’Music Publishing LLC
Norah Jones  was born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979). She is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She has won multiple awards and has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000s decade. She has a such a lovely voice.
Dear Johnnie,
There was four of us today in our masks. Three girls and our masks were blue. Grandpa wore a pink mask and I thought of you. You’re Dad wasn’t thrilled with your pink hair nor your shirt choices. Did you know I made your Mama a pink scarf?
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Are you changing all of my gladiolus to baby pink? No peach, no red. All the blooms are baby pink or white. Every time I see them I think of you. I miss you.

Grandpa is playing the Dance… we didn’t know how it would end,  I wish we could have missed the pain but hon, I’m so glad we had our precious time together. Love you, Gramma

 

Carrots

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/cranberry

Cancer Fighting Cookbook by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson.

Air/Earth/Fire/Water Prompt

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https://jimadamsauthordotcom.wordpress.com/2020/07/12/a-spoonful-of-water/

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt is Air/Earth/Fire/Water.

Four  awesome song choices I enjoyed immensely in my lifetime. I had Collins and Credence on cassettes and then cd. I had Stevens and Lewis originally on 45rpms and then later on cd.

My air choice is Phil Collins , In the Air Tonight

 

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand
I’ve seen your face before, my friend, but I don’t know if you know who I am
Well, I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you’ve been
It’s all been a pack of lies
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I remember, I remember, don’t worry, how could I ever forget?
It’s the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no, you don’t fool me
Well, the hurt doesn’t show, but the pain still grows
It’s no stranger to you and me
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Phil Collins
In the Air Tonight lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC
One of the most commonly believed messages behind ‘In the Air Tonight’ is that Phil Collins wrote it about a man who could have saved another man from drowning but chose not to. Collins  actually wrote this song about the anger he felt after divorcing his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, in 1980 . The lingering tension caused by the divorce led Collins to the title, as these negative feelings were “In The Air,” and affecting not just the couple getting divorced, but the entire family. Collins explains the lyrics, “If you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand,” by saying the drowning is symbolic.
I can relate to the drowning metaphor, my ex-husband brought out similar feelings in me. I had reached a point where I envisioned him choking to death in mind every time he spoke to me. I knew I had to get out of the marriage before I took it to the next level.
 My choice for Earth is Cat Stevens’ Where Do the Children Play.
Well I think it’s fine, building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want
Cause you can get anything
I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass
For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas
And you make them long, and you make them tough
But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get off
Oh, I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher
‘Til there’s no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?
I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his stage name Cat Stevens.
Where Do the Children Play? lyrics © BMG Rights Management
 Where Do the Children Play was written by Cat Stevens in 1970. However in 2017 it was  used for a lyrical message to the United Nations about human trafficking of children.

“Cat Stevens (who also goes by the name Yusuf) was born Steven Georgiou in central London on 21 July 1948 and grew up in Holborn, attending a school in the theater district of Drury Lane. “It was all entertainment, everywhere; I mean, I thought this was natural,” he later told NPR. “But then I realised that there weren’t so many parks around there. And that’s where, when you come to my music, a song like ‘Where Do the Children Play?’, there’s a kind of harking to that issue.”

Stevens is a master of writing melancholic songs – alongside ‘Where Do the Children Play?’ are other classics like ‘Moonshadow’ and ‘Peace Train’ – and his lasting contribution to popular music was recognised with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014. Five years later, he also made it into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame”~ https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/yusuf-cat-stevens-where-do-the-children-play-song/

 

My choice for Fire is Jerry Lee Lewis’s Great Balls of Fire.  According to Wikipedia, “Great Balls of Fire” is a 1957 popular song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer.

 

I remember seeing my father and mother dancing in our living room to this song.

Great Balls Of Fire
Jerry Lee Lewis
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much love drives a man insane
You broke my will, but what a thrill
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
I laughed at love ’cause I thought it was funny
You came along and you moved me honey
I’ve changed my mind, this love is fine
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
Kiss me baby, ooh, feels good
Hold me baby
Well, I’ll still love you like a lover should
You’re fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that you’re mine, mine, mine, mine
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
I’m real nervous but it sure is fun
Come on baby, you drive me crazy
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
Well kiss me baby, ooh, feels good
Hold me baby
Well, I’ll still love you like a lover should
You’re fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that you’re mine, mine, mine, mine
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
I’m real nervous but it sure is fun
Come on baby, you drive me crazy
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Jack Hammer / Otis Blackwell
Great Balls Of Fire lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Warner Chappell Music Inc

My choice for Rain is Credence Clearwater Revival’s Have You Ever Seen the Rain.  Awesome song, awesome band.

 

“Have You Ever Seen The Rain”

Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know, it’s been comin’ for some time
When it’s over, so they say
It’ll rain a sunny day
I know, shinin’ down like waterI want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
Comin’ down on a sunny dayYesterday, and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hard
I know, been that way for all my time
‘Til forever, on it goes
Through the circle, fast and slow
I know, it can’t stop, I wonder

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
Comin’ down on a sunny day

Yeah!

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
Comin’ down on a sunny day.

Writer(s): Fogerty John Cameron, Green Toby
This song is John Fogerty’s take on the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band, and the overall tension in the group at a time when they should have been enjoying their success. The line, “I want to know – have you ever seen the rain comin’ down on a sunny day?” refers to Tom leaving while CCR was at its commercial zenith. The flip side of this single, “Hey Tonight,” is John reassuring the band that all would go well despite the adversity.
Music never dies.

Contradictions

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Proverbs are interesting and complex things. They appear, on the surface, to be gems of wisdom which have been passed down through the ages.  I don’t know how many times I have nodded my head and accepted without further discussion until someone pointed out to me  that most proverbs have an opposite. It seems so obvious to me now that I can’t believe I didn’t note the contradictions myself. Next time you find yourself nodding along to a proverb, stop and think of its opposite.

Look before you leap.
He who hesitates is lost.

Opposites attract.
Birds of a feather flock together.

Hitch your wagon to a star.
Don’t bite off more that you can chew.

Many hands make light work.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Clothes make the man.

The squeaking wheel gets the grease.
Silence is golden.

Clothes make the man.
You cannot judge a book by its cover.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Don’t beat your head against a stone wall.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Out of sight, out of mind.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.

Two heads are better than one.
Paddle your own canoe.

Haste makes waste.
Time waits for no man.

You’re never too old to learn.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

A word to the wise is sufficient.
Talk is cheap.

It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Nice guys finish last.

Strike while the iron is hot

All good things happen for those who wait.

 

Sunday Silence

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Eliza Waters, Anita Dawes and Jaye Marie have chosen a cool approach to Sunday that appeals to me, too! Pictures or even just one picture. Although, I did find making a decision for just one was challenging. I’m guilty of taking lots of pictures. 😃

letter-c day 51

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Typically I end with my song choice for today but…   Humans are not intended to be caged, we tend not to behave well.  But out of respect I will not take this conversation further because once you put it out there, it never goes away. Instead, let’s talk about these amazing guitar players, BB. King. Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Jimmie Vaughn instead of what’s really behind my song choice. I’m sure you’re familiar with the adage Silence is Golden.

“The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday” ~ BB King

BB King recorded his version of the Thrill is Gone in 1969. I was a teenager just beginning to appreciate good music when I discovered BB. When it hit the charts it rose to number 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and became his popular hit of his career. It received a Grammy in 1998. I still love this song.

“I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don’t realize how much I love you”~ Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton’s You Look Wonderful Tonight is my favorite although he’s probably more known for his I Shot the Sheriff. Clapton is ranked 2nd in Rolling Stone’s top guitarist. Here I tend to lean toward Bob Marley’s version more than Clapton’s cover version. I guess it depends if you like reggae straight or with a touch of soft rock.  I remember seeing an interview where Marley said he changed the lyrics from I shot the police to I shot the sheriff to keep the radio stations happy.

“I get a constant busy signal
When I call you on the phone
I get a strong, uneasy feeling
You’re not sitting there alone

I’m having nasty, nasty visions
And baby you’re in every one, yeah
And I’m so afraid I’m gonna find you with
A so-called smoking gun”~ Robert Cray

Robert Cray’s Smoking Gun hit number 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1986. I simply fell in love with how he played the guitar more than the words to the song though there were times I wondered how I would feel if he was holding that smoking gun. 1986 was during the dark days of my first marriage, he accused me constantly of every thing under the sun. Cray performed as an opening act for Clapton in his early days and in his later days  played guitar on a few of Clapton’s releases.  I didn’t agree with the Rolling Stone’s snub for top 100 guitarist.

“Dengue woman
Stay away from me
Dengue woman
Stay away from me
You got your fever and your rash
Over me

That’s why
Everyday you bring me misery
Everyday you give me misery
I think about jumpin’
Jumpin’ in the deep blue see”~ Jimmie Vaughn

Jimmie Vaughn had the pleasure of opening for Jimi Hendrix. My first exposure to him was actually in the movie Blue Brothers 2000 where he played one of the fictional Louisana Gator Boys with BB King. I like his guitar skills, his political inclinations with Ron Paul not so much. Putting his political stupidity aside I still enjoy Dengue Woman. I love the sound of the guitar. Jimmie’s brother Stevie made the Rolling Stone’s list for guitarist before he was killed in a helicopter crash.

My friend Jeanne sent me a picture of a mojito this afternoon in a text. AH, now that sounds perfect for today. Aggravating the pancreas… is a negative, numbing the migraine is a positive. Bonus, if I drink enough I’ll numb all the other aggravation.img_3733

Doesn’t the mint and lime look good together. I love being able to pick fresh mint and adding it to water as well as to mojito’s. I’m so lucky it is growing so profusely in my rail planter.

Cancer Culinary toolkit:

Mint is a digestive aid, and it is antimicrobial as well as being rich in Vitamin c and beta-carotene.

 

Writing Today:

I’ve written a poetic response to a Stream of Consciousness prompt and another poetic response to a paint chip prompt in addition to reworking this poem that I originally wrote in 2017. Three poems today. Yay!

Lyn’s Last Journey
Her name hangs by a string
dangling from her big toe
protruding from a dark box.
Her unfinished obituary
lies on the ancient desk
shrouded in dust.
No one remembers
when she was more than mortal
but her.
Oh, how her howls rushed through
the leaves of time. It was a lonely
journey being her, the social misfit
trapped and helpless facing failure.
She endured days of misery.
Lies, incompetence,
and cruelty were the norm.
in the turbulent times
until that fatal flawed moment.
She never saw her end being
a mere string with a hand gripping
the gloomy box that holds what’s left
of her…Lyn, a figment in her own mind.

Dear Johnny,

Zac finished first yesterday with your name tribute on the hood leading the way.  Zac said Where to begin! Last night was a blast!! Had an awesome battle with Kyle Robinson in the feature, in the end we came home in First! Thank you so much to everyone who helps!  I watched Kim’s video feed of the race last night.

CJ had a lobster sandwich and red hot dogs at a place called a Bite of Maine in Virginia Beach for his 16th birthday dinner. He never had the opportunity to take them from the trap fresh and pop in the steaming pot like you. And those red hot dogs we’re so familiar with in Maine aren’t available here in Jersey either.

Gramma misses you.

Garden update:

I checked the garden out, phew the veggies fared really well. I did have to drain a few of the pots of the excess water but overall things went well. It’s 93 degrees here so it won’t take long to dry things back out but at least everything got a thorough rinsing. Husky 100’s, cucumbers and beans, and the zucchini all looking healthy. The husky 100 plant is almost taller than me. ( the middle circle) Crazy how big it got.

 

 

 

Prompt response

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Paint Chip Poetry Prompt #27

Decisions, decisions as I sit

Beside Grandma’s hydrangea

A challenge cos it runs in the family

We tend to be indecisive

Our choices are key lime pie

Or a banana split, yummy 😋

If only I had mystical powers

then I could simply have both.

But I cannot…for Grandma reminds me

I must show gratitude for what I have

And not to be gluttonous.

Decisions, decisions.

The paint chip response required the author use, Grandma ‘s hydrangeas, key lime, banana split, mystical, and gratitude.

Thank you for the fun prompt, Linda Kruschke

Sunflower 🌻

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This beautiful sunflower was a gift from the birds that we feed. ❤️ I love her imperfections.

Have you ever thought how much strength a sunflower must have to stand so tall in the scorching heat of the day and withstand the torrential downpours of Mother Nature.

I love that sunflowers were chose as a symbol of peace after World War II. I wish there were more symbols of peace now instead of seeing the steady increase of gun sales.

Stream of Consciousness

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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 11/2020

Hello 👋Goodbye ~Beatles

I don’t why you said goodbye when I said hello.

Is it really that bad you need to leave ? It’s not something we can simply bury in the sand and come back to later. Talk to me.

I need to see what is out there not be smothered, to expand my horizons. The glorious blue sky has no boundaries. Just let me find what I am missing.

Twinkled Despair @

Let me soar

before my stars twinkle out

and my lightning bugs

of inspiration vanish.

You know time matters .

Summer is only in its glory

for a limited time

before human reality diminishes us

to a nine-nine work existence

to pay for our elusive dreams.

Thank you Linda Hill for the stream of consciousness activity.