Sunday Muse -- Celebrating 200 Today

 

 "Natural Woman" Digital Collage Art "Covid 

  Creations"(URL) by Susie Clevenger

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Natural Woman 

"I'm going to do it," she mused 

 Going Natural was the thing 

in its beginnings, do or not 

There was no recipe back then 

In the attic for Grandma's dress 

Old and once was bright, faded now 

A ruffled blouse simulated 

adorned her top--hid naturals  

Plastic fowls faked natural look 

cage for two with one in her hand  

Their lovely songs filling the air 

when batteries were new and fresh 

Strut up the walks, down the alleys 

People sneered at her vanity 

What ever made her change? 

Had ruined her good family name 

Ashamed, shame, shame, more shame 

"Jump in the river," cried the crowds, 

"we don't want you here anymore" 

Instead, the aquarium's warmed  

Still proud, Natural Women was, 

last bubbled breaths moaned, 

                                "History's made"

                    

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   Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Official Lyric Video)

 - Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2022, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with Carrie who is celebrating The Sunday Muse event of having made 200 posts prompting and goading us to write.  For this celebration she posted ten previously used photos from which we should choose, I chose the two above.  See them all and links to others at http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2022/02/sunday-muse-200.html 

 - Carrie said, "Welcome Muse Friends to the 200th Muse prompt & celebration! April 2018 was when it all began with the talented poet, Chrissa, me (Carrie), and eventually our amazing poet friend Shay. It has been a wonderful experience, and today I want to thank you all for being a part of it!"

 - Carrie also asked us to write additionally, " . . . when you write your post, I want you to do one more thing. This time say a little something about yourself. Celebrations and parties are a great place to get to know each other and have great conversation." 

I will write a little here about myself as I am a fairly newcomer to this Muse effort, only having posted most weekends since June 13, 2020.  Some know me fairly well but here is more.  

You can read still more from my submission for our 70th year High School class reunion, here.  I missed the reunion, held last October for COVID-19 safety reasons. 

    My Bio, Shortened Edition 

I was born in a farmhouse in Nebraska, north of Omaha about 40 miles.   Mom and Dad sharecropped a small farm, 120 acres, from my grandfather.  It barely supported the four of us, as a little sister was born five years after me.  We were poor but I didn't know it then.  

We now live in a large two-story home in Katy, Texas.  One story and not so large is all the two of us need but this is Yuppie land where our daughter and her family settled after her five-year stint in London, U.K.  Before that we lived near Montgomery, Texas for 17 years after our 23-year living in Friendswood, Texas.  Right after marriage, now 49 years, we lived in Houston for a few years.  

I went to college, the University of Nebraska, for three semesters and then dropped out.  So I worked in a factory, Elgin National Watch Company in Lincoln Nebraska.  Later in the Army, I was drafted for two years and after then reenlisted for three more.  I took a 43-week class on the NIKE Hercules fire control system maintenance, which was two radars and a computer.  

With my college and the Army school and experience I obtained a job as a Technical Representative Field Engineer, (Tech Rep) for Philco Corporation.  At first I taught at the Army school, but then transferred to Manchester, N.H, to help make a U.S. Air Force Satellite Tracking and Control Station work and then to teach the Air Force how to operate it and to keep it running.  

After three years I was transferred with our company, now belonging to Ford Motor Corporation, to NASA Houston Manned Space Center.  Our job was to make everything except five IBM computers in the three-story control center work and afterwards to help operate it.  We also ran simulations and taught the Astronauts how to make things work in Space, Appollo, Lunar Explorer, and Skylab.  My expertise was Electric and Environmental Control, during Skylab missions I reported to EECOM in the Control Center Room, advising him of status and information to pass on to the Flight Director.

I had returned to college, night school, and after my last graduation started teaching Business Law night classes at the local community college.  In 1980 the college made an offer than I could not refuse and I went to work teaching full time.   I taught for 22 years (after working Aerospace Engineering for 19 years and the Army five) and in 2001 I retired at age 68.  

My hobbies are blogging, Facebook, reading, Sudoku, ham radio, golf, chess, travel, grandchildren, and church work.  I had a Vespa Motorscooter for my Army time as a work car; later during three years of freedom before Mrs. Jim came along I had a Honda street bike.  For travel, Mrs. Jim and I have been to all 50 states and 76 different countries.   We drove all over Eastern Europe but lately have mostly done cruises, primarily with Princess (15 cruises, one more soon, and 158 days with them).  

I am not sure how much of my writing is poetry, but I started with that after visiting a poetry blog site.  I started blogging in 2005.   I have started a memoir write but doubt I will finish it.  

If you'd like you can read more and some different stuff at the blog post I mentioned before, found here.  This got longer than I wished, I am "wordy".

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