Blogging – Page 10 – 50 Shades of Gray Hair

Reflection

Today’s Reflection comes…why?
Because it’s Friday?
Because it’s the 70th Anniversary of D-Day?
Because it’s the last day my baby boy will live in his 20s?(eek)

Maybe
Maybe not
Why then
Why Reflect
Why Reminisce
Why Record
Why Remember

Why not?
Does there have to be a Reason?
Do we need an excuse?
Does there have to be a catalyst?
Why not just because today is as good a day as any?
Better yet, why not just because I feel like it?

A double edged sword, to be sure
As many will make us weep as make us smile
Some take us to unhappy times in unhappy places
Some remind us of simple pleasures, small joys, and the blessings we enjoy
While others bring back the people, places, and things, that helped shape who we are, for better or worse

I like to think they are all of value in our lives
Lessons in patience and tolerance?
Lessons in loving and winning or losing and letting go?
Lessons in living in the moment so we may appreciate what we have and not focus on what we don’t?

Sure…all of those things, and more
It could be said there are as many Reasons as there are Reflections
And it could also be said there are as many Reasons not to

But I’m a survivor of the past…yet I believe in ghosts
I may have my windows open in the present, but the back door is still unlocked
Should I close and lock that back door?
Set my sites strictly on what’s ahead?
I could, but there’s just something…in spite of it all
That I can never and will never, leave behind

I’m an old soul
And that’s okay
I’d rather see and know where I came from
Appreciate where I am today
Than worry about where I am going
Because one thing is for sure…

We all end up here, in some form or another…we all end up here

And it all matters…it’s all worth
A Reflection

I wanted to share some of the beauty I found while in London during the fall of 2012. One of my favorite days was spent wandering the winding paths through Abney Park Cemetery with probably the only person I know who appreciates it as much as I do, but perhaps for different reasons.

I did feel the history as well as the sorrow of what once was, yet was at once at ease in my surroundings. I saw nothing ugly in the tilted and tipped over stones; felt no outrage at the lack of care for each individual plot. It felt as natural, and looked as beautiful, as any place I’ve ever seen. Most laid in that hallowed ground, have been there longer than my own country has existed. Imagine. The moments of reflection and wonder spent there will be with me forever.

Adapt

We begin as seed
    the idea of life

Aided by elements essential to thrive
    we become what we are meant to be

In times of stress, turmoil, and destruction
    we adapt, if only to survive, but still hoping to grow

The inevitable of life is death
The key to living is change
The joy is in making the most of it

Damsel Shadow

We are never alone as long as the sun shines

That is what I see.
What about you?

Time to Jump

I’ve racked my brain these last couple weeks trying to figure out why the muse has left the park and the carnies have picked up and packed away the games whose prizes used to fill my virtual toy box with fun and imaginative bits and bobs, but are now just cheap trinkets and sad, stuffed critters gathering dust.

Have I gone deaf? Or have the barkers stopped barking, the ringers stopped ringing, the poppers stopped popping?

Why can’t I smell the smokey, the sweet, the salty aromas that used to make my nose smile and my mouth run with meaty ideas and sweet and savory anecdotes?

Has my mind’s eye gone blind to the flash of the Ah Ha light bulbs, the story weaving fabrics of the neon rainbows, or the strange and beautiful oddities on two legs and four, that once teased a tale worth telling?

Yes, these last 6 months (plus the 12 before that if I’m honest) have been some of the weirdest of my life.
And yes, most of that time was spent in The Heartbreak Hotel or The House of Horror or for that matter, The Halls of Magic Mirrors.

While I did share those tales from the crypt, once the telling was done, the park went dark.
The tent spikes pulled, the manure cleaned up, the coming attractions came and went.
And once loaded, the train hit the rails and headed for someone else’s parking lot.

So what’s next?
Do I stand by the side of the tracks like a hobo with my life filled bundle-on-a-stick?
Do I then jump on the next box car that passes by, hoping to find “it” down the line?

Or…do I drop yesterday’s bundle, step over the tracks, and begin a new leg of my journey?

I believe so.

I’ve been standing here waiting for too long now.

Time to scrape what’s left of the elephant shit off my shoes and get moving.

Synchronize: 6.1.2014 at Now O’clock
Starting Point: West of There ~ North of Then
The New Heading: East to Here ~ South to Now
The Destination: Unknown ~ Anywhere ~ Everywhere

Take a walk with me…let’s talk

First Step…trading shit-kickers for walking shoes.
Next Step…trading four walls for open space and the keyboard for the camera.
Each Step Thereafter…we’ll see what we see and share what we feel.
I want to know…and I want to hear it.

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

I see it…SNAP
You see it…CRACKLE
We tell it…POP

A word, a sentence, a poem, a memory, a feeling…
No matter how short or how long…
Be it funny, sad, truth, lie, fact, or fiction…
I want to hear about it.

This is the path for now…
The idea is Show and Tell
The questions are…

Do You See What I See?
Do You Feel What I Feel?
Do You Hear What I Hear?

It’s where I’m going and it’s how I’m hoping to re-open the amusement park that once thrived in the ordinary and mundane being anything but.

I look forward to welcoming you along.
And who knows? You may just find a junction of your own.
An inspiration that leads you to hop on a new train, or off the one you’re on.
Anything’s possible on the road to Anywhere.

See you soon and I’ll bring the ordinary…

You bring the extra.

Possibilities

she is the light, she is the warmth
when she wakes the world wakes with her

“yours is the light by which my spirit’s born…”

yet he must go for her to shine

he too is light, but he is cold
when he wakes, the world calms

“…yours is the darkness of my soul’s return”

yet she must go for him to thrive

but before this day can turn to night
she fills the white western sky with fire
as she battles the end of another day without him

from her western prison, she throws her sol-mate kisses on long-fingered shadows
and inflames him with the vision of her fiery tresses caught on the wind
teasing, assaulting, as they reach toward the Bastille in the east where he is captive

while the eastern sky shows no sign of struggle
still blue, he climbs unnoticed, in silence
desperate for a glimpse of her before the god’s
realize they are both awake

he tries desperately to grasp her love
now caught in the branches of the tress that separate them
he, struggling to cast off his gossamer shroud
so she may see the love he yearns to shine on her
so she may know his calming and cooling touch
as he longs to know her passion and feel her fire

she is gone now
he’d always known he would never feel her touch, nor she his
for as long as she was awake, he could not be
and she’d always known his power, his radiance, his true essence
could only thrive where she could not
and it would always be so…

or would it?

as it is had always been
this night too, it was his light that lived
yet he felt warm
he radiated warmth
he was not cold
he was not alone

for he knew her touch
and she knew his
through the power of love
the wonders of time and space
she lived when he lived
and they knew…each other

a rare evening
a lover’s evening
a curse lifted for but a moment
but a moment worth a lifetime

“…you are my sun, my moon, and my stars”

may it always be

P O S S I B L E

An Interim Quickie…

A man and his wife were awakened at 3:00 am by a loud pounding on the door.

The man gets up, goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.

“Not a chance,” says the husband, “it is 3:00 in the morning!”

He slams the door and returns to bed.

“Who was that?” asked his wife.

.”Some drunk asking for a push,” he answers.

“Did you help him?” she asks.

“No, it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and it is bloody pouring rain out there!”

“Well, you have a short memory,” says his wife.

“Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us?

I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself! “God loves drunk people too you know.”

The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain.

He calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?”

“Yes,” comes back the answer.

“Do you still need a push?” calls out the husband.

“Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark.

“Where are you?” asks the husband.

“Over here on the swing,” replied the drunk.

**Be nice to your fellow BirdBrain…we can all use a push now and then. Now get out there and play in the rain!**

One more thing…Sorry…One last thing

One more thing I’ve learned and I think it’s worth a mention…

**I’ve learned…Don’t ask the question if you are not ready for the answer**

It could turn your world upside down

Those who need me know how to reach me…I treasure you more than you know.

But the WWW and I are finished.

I won’t delete because I’ve learned my lesson there…but I’m done.

Best wishes to all of you

I have loved this and have loved you all

Raise a glass with me?

Today is my one year anniversary with 50 Shades of Gray Hair.
And they said it wouldn’t last…HA!

Well, actually, I do have a history…
Remember Help Me Rhonda?

So, it’s actually my second anniversary, but I’m trying to forget deleting myself.

But, all I can say now is “WOW”
A lot has changed (and thank God for hormone therapy!)

So, to celebrate my second chance, and to show my appreciation for all the love and support you have so generously and willingly shown me here these last two years, I’d like to spread some words of wisdom.

I know…I’m better at spreading ‘da poo’ and I will again, but for today…a slight change in tone and texture (eew)

The words may not be mine, but all the same…the photos and the sentiments are, and the lessons are very real.

And finally…

Cheers and thank you all for the love
xo
R

Bella L U N A

Adventurers we ~ bravely tread

Winding walks through nature’s bed

Of scrub and tree and man-made reef

Tanks and troughs beyond belief

Wood duck, newt, and endless snakes

Jellies, horseshoes, sharks, and skates

But the nightmare prize goes not to tuna

It belongs to one, the one named LUNA

Pink of eye and white of scale

She reeks of evil, head to tail

But unfairly judged, as ‘book by cover’

For a gator’s a gator by any other…

…name

Mama’s got a squeeze box, Daddy better keep outta sight…

Apologies to Pete Townsend for maiming Squeeze Box’s lyrics…but you’ll get why in a moment.

Nothing like the yearly email reminder, to get me thinking about how many women are afraid of their first (2nd, 3rd, 4th, infinity) mammogram.

But ladies, there is no need to worry

INTRODUCING, the first ever, 3 day, 3 exercise, workout guaranteed to get you ready for your yearly ‘squeeze n’ squash’

MAMMO-CRUSH 3×3

By taking a few minutes, three times a day, for the three days preceding the exam, and following this foolproof exercise regimen, you will be totally prepared for the test

And best of all, you can do these simple exercises right in and around your home

In preparation for these three days, here are a few things you’ll need to do ahead of time

1.) Make sure you have a three day’s supply of your favorite guilty pleasure placed front and center in the fridge, with this note:

“If you’re looking for milk, it’s in the door; if you’re looking for a beer, it’s in the drawer; if you touch this (insert treat name), you’ll be on the floor”

You might want something like this?

2.) Keep your car gassed up, your phone charged, within reach, and have your breastie-bestie on speed dial

3.) Take two of those ugly, black, metal bookends we all manage to utilize but keep hidden in the back of the bookcase and place them in the freezer

4.) The last step works best if you live in an area where you have access to people. If you do, there’s nothing you need to ahead of time. If you do not, however, you will have to use your imagination.

But…keep in mind the milkman, postman, paperboy, lawn guy, Jehovah Witness…you get the idea. But remember, you’ll need to tailor this exercise to fit a particular time slot if that’s the case

Okay…have you got all that? Three days, three exercises.

Ready?

Here we go…

EXERCISE ONE:

Open your refrigerator door and insert one breast between the door and the frame

Shut the door as hard as possible then lean on the door for good measure

Hold that position for five seconds…12345

(screw the one-one thousand, two-one thousand crap)

Release

Take a cleansing breath and repeat two more times

Switch sides and do the same for (to) the other breast

Upon completion, reach in and grab (with gusto) that guilty pleasure

Make as much noise devouring it as you are capable of

Come on ladies…put your heart into it…I want to hear you MOAN!

EXERCISE TWO:

Remember those bookends in the freezer?

Take them out

Strip to the waist

Go outside and grab the first stranger you meet

(HOLD IT! I can’t believe none of you caught this before I did…but let’s REVERSE those previous two steps shall we?)

Invite that stranger into the room

(gender not important at this stage, humility is not relevant)

Press the bookends against each side of one of your breasts

Ask the stranger to place his/her hand gently, but firmly, against your naked back; just below the shoulder-blade, to steady you and make it easier for them to breathe warm, moist air into your ear

Smash the bookends together as hard as you can…kind of like this:

Hold

Release

Do it again

Switch

Smash

Hold

Release

Do it again

Set up an appointment with the stranger to meet next year and do it again

EXERCISE THREE:

Visit your garage at 3AM when the temperature of the cement floor is just perfect

WAIT – NOW is the time for your phone a friend – Hit that speed dial

Once your breast-bestie has been given her orders and is in place, take off all your clothes and lie comfortably on the floor with one breast wedged under the rear tire of the car

Give the go ahead signal to have her slowly back the car up until your breast is sufficiently flattened and chilled

(This is a one and done exercise as you can see below)

Turn over

Repeat with the other breast

That’s all there is to it.

Three exercises, three times a day

YOU. ARE. NOW. TOTALLY. PREPARED

Okay…now that you’ve had your gentle reminder…who’s going with me?

😳

This Public Service Announcement made possible by the following sponsors:

Forge Steely Grip Multi-Angle Vices; “You can be sure they’ll get the job done!”

Big As Shit Tires – “Your one stop shop for Off Road tires!”

Sprinting Like Hell Cellular – “When that call just HAS to go through, go Sprinting Like Hell”

Paradise Breast Center – “Don’t say we didn’t warn ya…get that exam today!”