Blast From The Past

        This is a poem my Dad use to recite to me from the time I was very young. I use to go around reciting it to friends all the time, even recently. I didn't know there was a hard copy of it. I nearly cried when this fell out of one of my Dad's books when I was cleaning out his office after he passed. Note that it was posted on the Station Hospital bulletin board, Victorville Army Air Base framed with the final words of Bombs Away. (Found at the bottom of the page)

          What a treat to discover what was on the flip side of this, my loved poem from childhood. Thank you Dad for this cherished nugget from the past. Here it is:

          I see "The March Field Beacon, March Field, Calif." on this page. I googled it. Here is the link:       The March Field Beacon

          My Dad, H.D. Varnum was in the army. Makes me wonder how he came in possession of this little gem. Anyway, thought someone besides me might enjoy this.

Aren't People Funny - a poem I wrote

Slap your knee

Stomp your foot

giggle.

Slap your knee

Stomp your foot 

giggle.

Aren't people funny?

Gosh you are honey

when you stumble out of bed

with your half stoned head,

you stumble all around

until your pants are found,

you bend to pick them up

and I pinch you on the butt.

Don't hit me dear

I didn't bruise your rear.

People are funny

now admit it honey.

Slap your knee

Stomp your foot

giggle.

Slap your knee

Stomp your foot

giggle.

That poem came straight from my heart.

Just One Of Those Days

           This is just one of those days. I left the house at 4:45am to be at 1st Dental in Sierra Vista, about a 70 mile trip. My appointment was for 7:00am. I pulled in the parking lot at 6:13am. I was so happy when a dental technician came out to my truck right away and said I might as well come on in.

As soon as I got inside he said come on up, asked all the questions about insurance, etc., and immediately started inputting my information into the computer. So cool. Didn’t make me wait ’till my 7 o'clock appointment. The whole process went way more smooth than I had thought it would, better than I could have ever hoped for. I was loving these guys. I was checking out before my originally scheduled appointment.

I need to mention here that I was there to get my dentures adjusted. So, I paid my bill, and when the lady handed me my credit card back with the receipt for $477 she told me the guy who comes to pick up my dentures, to do whatever it is he does with them, would be out until Monday. SHOCK!!!! When I made the appointment they said I would be without my teeth, toothless, overnight. I had mentally prepared myself for that all week long. Doable. This…shocked me. I told her if only I would have known that I would have waited until the guy was going to be in next week to make my appointment. She handed me an appointment card for Monday, April 28, at 8:30am.

I have Church this Sunday, and was to be at the Benson Museum Saturday to work. Activities I love, and my little church ladies and museum ladies depend on me.

When things like this happen to me my knee jerk reaction is to revert to mental levelers. Thoughts that help me level out, to lessen the severity of the situation, so I can cope.  So while driving the 70 miles back home to Vail, AZ, feeling dismayed, disconcerted, insecure without my teeth, toothless, I started in with the mental levelers.

#1. This won't kill me. I’m still alive. I always seem to start with this one.

#2. If people think I'm ugly without teeth they'll think how good looking I am Monday when I get my teeth back.

#3. Humbling experiences build character. I'm developing a strong character (if I live).

#4. I'll have a legitimate reason to hide away & read until Monday.

#5. Without teeth I can’t chow down on cookies and hamburgers like I've been doing so my pants will fit better by Monday. 

Whoa! I'm doubly getting excited about how good I'm going to look on Monday.

O.K. I'm starting to cheer up.

#6. I’ll save money on Sea Bond.

Then another fall through the floor embarrassing moment when I had to revert to mental levelers popped to mind. I live out in the country. The middle of the desert in Southeastern Arizona. One day after leaving Benson, the town I go to to shop for groceries, I had to pee. I pulled off on a dirt road that, if followed to the end, went to the Dobson Ranch. Safely out of site from Cascabel Road, the road home, I parked, stepped out of my truck, pulled my pants down, and proceeded to water the dusty dry desert. How do you spell relief? P-E-E. Well, mid-pee here comes a truck full of mexican men who work at the Dobson Ranch on their way to town. They were fairly kind; didn’t get too loud in their cajoling. Nothing I could do; open view to them; caught with my pants down. What could I do? They passed. I gathered myself, and on the way home I started in on my mental levelers.

#1. This won't kill me. I’m still alive.

#2. When I was in college my friends and I would get drunk and moon people on purpose.

#3. Some people do the full monte and streak for fun or political reasons. And they are sober.

#4. I don't speak spanish so any hurtful things they said won’t ring in my ears over the years.

#5. At least I didn't wet my pants.

#6. When I get really old I can think about how good my ass looked way back when I got caught with my pants down out in the middle of the desert. You know, compared to when I'm a hundred and three years old.

So, happy Wednesday, here’s to Monday, April 28th, at 8:30am!

I'm hanging in there!!!!!

The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved it! What a sweet story. A relaxing, easy, pleasant read. I already have book #8 "The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive" on my nightstand. I'm hooked on the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, ready to enjoy more of Alexander McCall Smith's well crafted stories. 

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Prince S by Anita Renaghan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anita Renaghan has given the world a fairy tale that will last through the ages. And what a unique tale it is. A baby girl, raised as a boy, that grows up to be King in the land of Fontanasia.

Queen Samantha died giving birth to ‘the next royal child’ and heir to the Kingdom of Fontanasia; Avalon. Queen Samantha’s only wish was to please the King with the birth of a boy child. The Queen’s faithful servant, Myra George, so loved the Queen that she passed the baby off as the boy King Birch so wanted, and so needed to inherit the throne to prevent Counselor Glenn from overthrowing the kingdom. Myra arranged for the Queen to have her dying wish by wrapping the baby in a blue blanket before handing it to the dying Queen. “I knew that I would have a son. Birch will be so pleased to have a son and heir to the throne.”
                          And pleased King Birch was, though he would have loved Avalon the same had she been presented to the world as the girl she was. He was proud and prepared Avalon to succeed him as King of Fontanasia since the day she was born. Avalon took her curious position in life to heart, rising to the occasion with courage, and compassion for her family and kingdom. Yet, she wonders how long she can compress her growing feelings for one of her faithful guards, Taggerty.
                        The story ends with Avalon overcoming all sorts of adversities and being crowned King. All this by age fourteen. Is this happily ever after? Will she take Taggerty into her inner sanctum, share her closely held secret as they so admire and lean on each other to guard their kingdom? Where is the sequel?

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Holding Woman and Other Stories of Acceptable Madness by Kelley Jaacquez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This collection of vignettes all take place in and around the small community of El Nido, New Mexico. Population 264. A simple place in simple times where simple people worked out the complex problems that living in this world threw at them. The populous is inextricably entwined by custom, by love, by tragedy... sorrow, hope, and humor. Every woman cared for every child as though it was her own. If the mother wasn't there the woman closest to the child corrected, and protected it as if it was their own. The author laid each character and their story out so clearly and completely that you can see into their souls. Not one word was wasted. I absolutely love this book. Thank you Kelly Jacquez.

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