Orion

The Milky Way lay draped
Across Orion's broad shoulders,
Directly overhead.
The swordsman stands
Knee-deep in star-studded velvet,
As an elk standing
In the dew-strewn dawn of a forest's deepest moss.

Rain falls

Rain falls

and

The whole earth cries.

I don't know if it cries in pain
Or of loss.

While crying,
It rarely matters.

I fall
and
No one cries.
Way beyond the skinned knees
And scraped up, gravel-embedded palms of my youth.

When I fall now,
Shit happens.
Or, sometimes, shit doesn't happen
And THAT makes shit happen.

When did I park my monkey bike
And trade cards in spokes
For iron and steel,
Roaring fucking hot metal?

What's the Deal with Moonlight?

What's the deal with moonlight?
Does it really shine on me and shine on you?
Does it bring us together across the chasm of time and space?
Casting good fortune?
Brightest on the darkest nights.
Smothered by the meekest candle,
Never seen on city streets.
You can look at the moon from anywhere
But, cheerful as the moon may be,
You can only catch moonlight
In the darkest of places.

Magical is moonlight
As it shines across your breasts
Your skin, like alabaster, glows pale and smooth
And calls to me
to lay a gentle touch upon your breast
A joining of energy, powerful, poignant.

. . .

I think this poem of sorts is yet unfinished.
You can only catch moonlight
In the darkest of places.

Out there

It is good to know that
Somewhere out there
there is someone who cares,
Someone who loves me
Just as I am
Someone who wants me.
Someone who desires me,
Someone who loves me,
Wants to be with me,
To hold me, to touch me.

It is good to know
But
It doesn't make THIS time
Any easier to bear.

Who would choose to spend
The last hours of their life
Unhappy, unfulfilled, unloved, unloving?

Two Forty Five AM

The sky like blue slate
Bare limbed trees in silhouette
As veins in marble

Haze obscures like smoke
Wind shifts and translucence
Reveals itself as fine snow
Snow meal, as my Nana would have called it

Care, Shared: The Granola Girl Chronicles

I long for a life
Happy & filled with love
Back to core values
Music and romance
Sharing each moment
Loving & the love
of a granola girl

Decades ago
That descriptor was used in derision
But life and love and you
Altered my focus
Changed my vision
Has me longing for the love
of a real granola girl

Honey sweet
Perhaps a bit nutty
But honest and creamy
Eternal desire to be one
Skin on skin
Eye to eye deep
Bare completely to the soul

Just the thought
Of close proximity
Breath falters
Heart flutters
Mind races
Hands long for
Touch

Care, shared

Autumn Skyline | Fall, Downstate

Hillside oaks in late October,
Set aglow by a low-slung sun;
A skyline of crystalline amber
Poised against a backdrop
Of silver blue and wispy white

Religious TV Today - There should be a WHOLE LOT OF SMITING GOING ON!

So I am unwinding after my early Praise Service and decided to flip through the religious channels on DirecTV. There are a lot of choices at 10:30AM EDT. Every one - EVERY ONE - but two asked for money within 2 minutes of turning to the channel. And MOST within 30 seconds or less. It is wrapped up in false Christianity - don't you know the Lord WANTS you to have EVERYTHING you want. Wow! Such crap, such false teaching.

Here are the networks and the shows:

• Fox - Hour of Power (ready to start a new life  with God, call now!)
  
• Inspirational Channel - Turning Point (get books and stuff with your gift - "order today")
• God TV - Missions Week - (a new season of giving for a new level of media ministry)
• World Harvest TV - (my favorite, God's diet plan!)
• Daystar - Ed young TV  (i want you to connect with us/partner with us)
• The Church Channel - Medina Pullings (buy Dr. Pullings book)
• TBN - Pastor Ed young, Sr. (come to their Holy Land Experience Theme Park!)
• Word - Armor of God - come to our revival
  

Only TWO aren't direct marketing:

• EWTN - Faith and Culture (analysis of various religious views); One World Praying (leading the world in prayer - today it is Catholics and The Rosary) - I;m going to take down my Rosary and learn about Fatima
  
• BYU TV - Brigham Young University network (well, they are pushing just THEIR version of Christianity and THEIR University
  

 Isn't ANY wonder that the unchurched are turned off? Think about it. This is probably the ONLY religion that many people are exposed to,  and only as they quickly turn to and say "Oh, see, there they go again. Just asking for money."

Imagine the Heavenly Host looking down and tuning in. . . .

• It makes a pretty good argument for their IS NO GOD! 
• There should be a whole lot of smiting going on!
  

Lifespan, darkly

I've been thinking . . .
we humans may be nothing more
than glorified mayflies.
To the mountain, or even the stately white pine,
our lives flash by,
jittering to and fro by fate,
like monarchs soaring on the vagaries of the wind.
We control nothing but the general bearing
and,
perhaps,
to some extent,
the distance traveled.

"More to Love" Author/Artist Addresses Woman's Body Image Acceptance in Today's Culture

Everyone needs to read the well-spoken, well-studied Author of "More to Love," Elizabeth Patch, in her latest interview by Woman Globally as she discusses acceptance of body image for women in today's culture.

Check it out at http://www.wwomenglobally.com/elizabeth-patch-author-of-more-to-love-i-promote-self-esteem-and-positive-body-image-for-women-of-all-sizes/

The Over 40 Guide to Survival©

Bookmark this post (http://cedareden.blogspot.com/2009/10/over-40-guide-to-survival-c.html) - I will continue to add to it as I get more. Feel free to add your own in the comment section!

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Shirts are made to be tucked in. If you have a paunch, get used to it. You aren't hiding anything by leaving your tails out.

~~~~~~~

Get used to hair. More hair on your chest could be a plus. But damn, do something about hair on your ears, in your ears, and shagging out your nostrils!

~~~~~~~~

Learn to iron and care about how you look. Ironing isn't so difficult and here are the major things you need to know. Get an iron capable of making steam. Get a real ironing board and ironing pad (ironimg board cover).

Take a look at your shirts. Set the iron heat to match the material of the shirt (on a color or side tag). Cotton for cotton, polyester for polyester (throw that shit out!). Usually you can get away with ironing a few key places. Iron down the button strips on both sides, using a blast of steam to help. (Hold iron against material and press steam button - read the owners manual).

By the way, the ironing board is shaped like a torpedo for a reason. If you place the collar end of your shirt at the pointy end of the board, everything fits nicely.

So, continuing on with your shirt. After you iron the button strips, iron the front ONLY if it is wrinkled badly. Check the sleeves. They will often need a touchup, especially at the ends. Be sure and line up so a straight line runs from top of shoulder down to cuffs. You may only need to iron the cuffs. Sone short sleeve shirts have cuffs and these often wrinkle.

Lastly, iron the collar. Lift it up flat with back of shirt, lay it out smooth and blast it with steam. Fold collar back into place and press it into place using your iron.

There. Unless your shirt is a total wrinkle ball, then you are ready to head out Looking Good! By the way. If you remove your clothes from the dryer as soon as they are dry, they can be less wrinkled. Hang your shirts on hangers while still warm and button every other button and make sure to button the top button.

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An Over Forty Fact of Life: It is hard to find your glasses without your glasses.

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Help Pick Songs for Upcoming Benefit Concert

I am performing at an upcoming benefit concert for Rett's Syndrome, August 17 at Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake. I am limited to 12 minutes which is three songs. The YouTube Playlist has four songs. Option 1 is songs 1 - 3 (Knockin on Heavens Door, Honeybee Song, Summer Fading. Option 2 is all originals, songs 2 - 4 (Honeybee Song, Summer Fading, For Emily) - If you hover over the playlist video window below, you will see the four songs listed as small thumbnails.

Please comment and let me know your preference. Thank you.

More info:

See http://www.girlpower2cure.org/rockinforrett/emma and http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/508892.html for more information about Rhett's Syndrome and the upcoming Benefit Concert in Saranac Lake