Bridge Over Troubled Water

 

 

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel is a song which describes what my husband is to me. He is always there for me, no matter what the circumstances may be. Whether it’s in good times or bad times, through sickness and through health, whether we’ve been financially secure or not, he’s never wavered, not for one single moment. I have always been able to count on his love and support. He has always been my bridge over troubled water, and for this I am eternally grateful. I dedicate the following poem to my husband, Michael:

 

~ Y-O-U ~

You are my morning, my noon, my night,

You are my stars, my moon, and my sun,

You are my laughter and my delight,

You are my dear, my special someone.

 

Yours is the love which I always seek,

Yours are the arms I always run to,

Yours is the kiss which makes me feel weak,

Yours are the words that say I love you.

 

You always make me feel I matter,

You always make me feel I’m the best.

You always make my worries scatter,

You always make me feel I am blest.

 

You are the one who’s there when I’m sad,

You are the one who’s there when I’m blue.

You are the one who can make me glad,

You are the one who will see me through.

 

You’ll give me happiness ’til the end,

You’ll give me joy sent from above.

You’ll give me what I need in a friend,

You’ll give me what I need in a love.

 

You are all that I need to succeed,

You are all that I’ll ever ask for.

You are all that I will ever need,

You are all that I’d want forevermore.

 

Y – O – U

This post has been a written as part of the Singing Saturday Challenge.

 

Red-Letter Saturday #5: “She Loves You by the Beatles”

RED-LETTER SATURDAY #5:

On this day, August 23, 1963, the Beatles released the hit single, “She Loves You” in the United Kingdom, which went to Number 1 on September 12th and stayed number 1 for four weeks. “She Loves You” was the best-selling single for the Beatles in the United Kingdom. The single set and surpassed several records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record in the United States as one of the five Beatles songs that held the top five positions in the American charts simultaneously on April 4, 1964. 

 

 

---

 

Who could ever forget this iconic song by the Beatles? I’ve read a bit about this song, and in my research, I read that it was this particular song which thrust the Beatles full-scale into the British national spotlight. And part of the reason for this was due to the repetitiveness and effectiveness of the song’s “hook,” which is the “yeah, yeah, yeah”  chanted repeatedly throughout the song. As a matter of fact, they were so effective that in some parts of Europe, the Beatles actually became known as the Yeah-Yeahs!

 

 

But whenever I think about Beatlemania, I become a little bit sad. The reason for this is that when Beatlemania hit, I was only seven or eight; so therefore, I was too young to appreciate who they were. I was too young to be one of those screaming teenage girls in the crowd clamoring to get a glimpse of the Fab Four. I was too innocent to be among those adolescent girls who fainted in their seats as they listened to the four young men from Liverpool on stage singing and rocking to the beat of the music. I wasn’t old enough to be one of those star-struck girls sobbing her heart out as she watched John, Paul, George, and Ringo perform. Yes, I was just too young to be part of Beatlemania . . .

Come to think of it, maybe I was lucky! 🙂

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “From one generation to the next, the Beatles will remain the most important rock band of all time.”   ~ Dave Grohl

 

 

 

This post is presented as part of my special weekly feature, Red-Letter Saturday. If you’d like to to know more information about Red-Letter Saturday, click here:

Red-Letter Saturday

 

Waiting . . .

It had been nine months since Jennifer McAllister had tied the big yellow bow around the tree in the front yard, shortly after saying a tearful goodbye to her husband, Rick, right before he shipped overseas with his military unit. It’s true that they had been communicating as often as possible via the internet and Skype, but a computer was no substitute for the warmth of your husband’s arms around you in the dark of night or for his tender kisses on your lips in the early morning dawn.

And even though her life had gone on as usual while he’d been away, it was also as though time had been standing still for her because she’d been waiting for him to come home – just waiting, ever so patiently, day after day, week after week, month after month.

But now that wait was almost over and in five more hours she would have him in her arms once again because he was coming home for good. And the first thing they would do together would be to take down the yellow ribbon because she wouldn’t ever have to wait again.

 

This story is part of Five-Sentence Fiction.  This week’s word was:  waiting.

 

Superbly Sublime

 

 

Winter white, wondrously whimsical,

Wildly winsome, wearable wonder.

 

Fancifully fluffy, fearlessly fun,

Freely fabulous, flouncy finery.

 

Simply sexy, succinctly sumptuous,

Superbly sublime, stupendous style.

 

 

 

 

Simple Pleasures

 

Isn’t it funny how everyone does seem to have their own particular drink that they fancy? As a matter of fact, there are even some people who cannot seem to live without it; or at the very least, start their day without it, especially when it comes to drinking their morning cup of coffee!

I think this must have something to do with the fact that as humans, we absolutely are creatures of habit.

Did you know that about 83 percent of adults drink coffee in the United States, which averages out to about three cups a day per person, or 587 million cups? As a matter of fact, the United States is the world’s biggest consumer of the beverage. I mention these statistics because I knew it would be the most popular drink for the average American adult.

I used to drink coffee in my early adult years, when my mother was still living, and I was still living at home. I cherish the memory of many mornings spent sitting at the breakfast table across from her, sharing a cup of coffee together, chatting about everything, just the two of us. But I don’t drink coffee anymore, so I’m not included in the statistics cited above. We do own a coffee maker; however, which is used only whenever our children or company visits our home.

My favorite beverage is tea, hot tea. I do not care for iced tea at all. But I love steaming, hot tea. What kind of tea, you ask? Ah, that is my favorite part. I love all different flavors. Green tea, green chai tea, apple cinnamon, holiday dream, florence, coconut cabana, chocolate peppermint patty, chocolate cherry bomb, chamomile, peach … there are just so many that I love!

I am a little picky about my tea; however. I do not like to use tea bags. I prefer to use tea from tea leaves because I think it tastes fresher and better. I also use filtered water and a French press to make my tea because I have found that the French press makes a perfect cup of tea! I also use a little milk and sugar to make my tea taste just right. Tea relaxes and soothes me. It is one of the comforts of life that I enjoy.

Could I live without my tea? Yes, I suppose I could. But why should I? It’s just one little pleasure in life that I think I deserve, so I think I’ll keep on enjoying it. After all, life is short. We must enjoy it while we can.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “Pleasure is the Divine seasoning in the diet of life.”  ~ Lewis F. Korns

 

 

 

 

Happy 60th Birthday Mike

Today marks the passage

Of yet another year

In the life of my husband,

The man whom I hold dear.

 

Today he’s turning sixty,

So we must celebrate

The fact that I’m so happy

He was born upon this date.

 

He’s nice to everyone he meets;

He treats them all like friends.

He always thinks of others first,

And kindness he extends.

 

As a husband, he is wonderful.

I couldn’t ask for more.

He’s always there when I need him,

And he causes my heart to soar.

 

As a father, he’s the very best,

You couldn’t find a better dad.

If you ask our children, they will say

That a better dad could not be had.

 

And so, for lack of better words,

I would only like to say

To this wonderful man whom I love so much:

Happy 60th Birthday!

 

I LOVE YOU, MIKE ! ! !

If It Weren’t For the Rain

 

 

After it rains, doesn’t it seem as though the air smells even fresher, the sun seems to shine even brighter, and the birds seem to sing more beautifully?

Truly, if it weren’t for the rain, there wouldn’t be a rainbow, would there?

 

 

 

Now Fly, Fly!

 

 

We all heard the Wicked Witch of the West say:

“I want those ruby red slippers and Dorothy Gale right away.”

 So we winged flying monkeys flew on the fastest flight path

Because we all wanted to avoid the Wicked Witch’s wrath.

 

 

 

 

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Written From My Heart

As we all know, it is probably the wish of every writer to write a book which will be read by millions of people, right? And since I am one of those writers, I am no different.

I have always wanted to write the “great American novel.” As a matter of fact, did you know that there’s even a definition for the “great American novel?”

Oh, yes. I looked it up, and according to Wikipedia, the “Great American Novel” is defined as:  The concept of a novel that is distinguished in both craft and theme as being the most accurate representation of the spirit of the age in the United States at the time of its writing or in the time it is set. It is presumed to be written by an American author who is knowledgeable about the state, culture, and perspective of the common American citizen. The author uses the literary work to identify and exhibit the language used by the American people of the time and to capture the unique American experience, especially as it is perceived for the time. In historical terms, it is sometimes equated as being the American response to the national epic. 

Therefore, if you go by that description, it’s easy to see why a writer would want to write such a book.

Just think about what writing such a book would do for a person; namely: Fame and Fortune.

First, there’s the fame that goes along with such an achievement. As the author of this book, people would recognize you wherever you go. Crowds of adoring fans would gather, with everyone clamoring for your autograph on the book that you’ve written and that they have purchased. You’d probably be asked to appear on television programs like The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, or any of a number of other television programs, just to be interviewed about your bestselling book. As a matter of fact, these shows would probably be involved in a bidding war over who would be lucky enough to have you appear on their show.

And then there’s the fortune that comes with it. It only stands to reason that if you write a bestselling novel being purchased by millions of people that you are going to make a good deal of money from those sales, right? And all those television appearances – I wonder how much a person is compensated for making those appearances? I’m sure that it’s no small amount. And if those shows are in a bidding war, as I described above, then you would be compensated even more handsomely, right? And just think of how a person’s lifestyle would change after making all that money. A person could buy a bigger house, a more expensive car, etc. The possibilities are endless.

But I wonder . . . would a person truly be happy?

Perhaps someone else would be, but I don’t think I would. These two things – fame and fortune – have never mattered to me – ever. You can ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that this is true. I don’t care about having a big house or a brand new expensive car or any other luxury items and I never have. I happen to know that it’s not having “things” in life that make a person happy. And fame? I only care that the people whom I love and care for know me – my family and my friends. They’re the ones who matter to me, not the entire world.

Therefore, I’d much rather write a book that is meaningful, a worthwhile book that is studied and admired by a few, a book that I can be proud of. And if that book is studied and admired by people for decades, then that would be the best part of all. This means that I would be remembered for my work long after I am gone, and that is indeed something worth striving for.

So, you can have the fame and fortune. They are but fleeting commodities. I may never write “the great American novel,” but I will be happy doing what I do best, and that is writing from my heart.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” ~ William Wordsworth

 

 

 

 

 

I Am . . .

Typing words with my fingers on the keyboard of my laptop, I become Writer.

Making music with my fingers on the keyboard of my piano, I become Musician.

Darning my husband’s socks and preparing his supper, I become Wife.

Listening to my children and giving them advice, I become Mother.

Feeding my dog and taking her for a walk, I become Mistress.

Saying hello to the people next door and watching for strangers, I become Neighbor.

Being concerned for the poor and oppressed, I become Citizen of the World.

Doing all these things, I am simply just . . .  ME.