Funny Christmas Conversations: Parents to Their Children

Funny Christmas Conversations: Parents to Their Children - Bonfires on the levee light the way like an airplane landing strip of lights for Santa and his reindeer to find their way along the Mississippi River on Christmas Eve night!

By Denny Lyon

Slap That Cold Silly with Food as Medicine

Slap That Cold Silly with Food as Medicine - article by Denny Lyon - Utilize spices in your food to give healing support to that cold or flu. Here’s an easy exotic and delicious soup recipe when you are feeling miserable. Soup recipe included.

Let's face it, poets are a sensitive breed! We need lots of TLC and this is just the trick. Enjoy!

By Denny Lyon
Photo by meaduva @ flickr

Tips to Welcome Everyone to HubPages!

Tips to Welcome Everyone to HubPages! These days my favorite online writing site is HubPages! Why? Lots of reasons. One is that you can publish immediately. No waiting for an overloaded editorial staff to get to you 3 days to a week later. Of course, you have to be your own editor to maintain quality.

What's also great is that HubPages is linked to Blogger. Why is that important? You can populate your blogs by writing for HubPages!

Lots of friendly people over at HubPages too. Give it a try.

Plenty of poets over there. If you want your poetry to get noticed more then try writing an article (they call it a hub) around your poem.

Search engines have an easier time understanding the title of an article/hub than a poem's title which may be about a double meaning or a bit obscure. Great for those of us who like symbolism and great literature but bad for getting a lot of reads through a search engine.

Here's the link for HubPages if you are interested.

By Denny Lyon
Photo by hans s @ flickr

What Really Makes Me So Smart - part one

What Really Makes Me So Smart - part one

Well, that’s an arrogant title! What can I say? I find the truth amusing – even about myself - and possess the boldness to speak it out loud. “Wow! What an ego!” you say? Now that you have made an assumption about where this story is going, well, just read on; you won’t be disappointed.

By Denny Lyon
Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Pet Storytelling Relieves Stress

Pet Storytelling Relieves Stress: "Storytelling is a great stress reliever. People love to tell pet stories. We all have one. What’s yours?"

By Denny Lyon
Photo by Denny Lyon - golden Curty and tuxedo Leonardo, featured in the article! They are famous! Get their paw print now! Limited edition of 6 million available... grin

We Believe In Santa

We Believe In Santa

1,000 views of all the many photos here and counting!

Over 50 photos of Santa's believers and Santa sightings! Do you believe in Santa? Do you believe in spreading goodwill? Join us this season to gift others with more than mall presents.

By Denny Lyon
Photo by Weaselmcfee @ flickr

Poem by CJ Beige

Photo by Matti Mattila @ flickr







Since it's the Christmas season and I absolutely LOVE the holiday season - here's a lovely poem by a friend of mine. He is a trucker who travels America.

While he's driving he composes wonderful poetry in his head, most of it is love poetry to his beautiful wife. What woman would not love to be immortalized in poetry?

After reading my article We Believe In Santa he was inspired to write his answer in poetry form. My fellow poets are such fun!

***

Santa's Love


Santa's like the wise men,
He's dad and mother too,
He's your friend and neighbor,
And someone that's there for you.

He's your pal and buddy,
And your confidante you see,
He's on every corner,
Every home is where he'll be.

He wants to see you happy,
‘Cause he gives the gift of love,
He gives it from his heart of gold,
And from the Lord above.

Three wise men honored Jesus,
The night that was His birth,
They honored Him with gifts because
The wise men knew His worth.

Santa's truly in our heart,
With every gift we give,
Santa's love just like the Lord’s,
Forever they will live.

C.J.Beige (John)
Copyright 26 November 2008
All Rights Reserved

Quote: quality of the mind

"The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority.



Photo by Lauren Close @ flickr

The second rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority.



Photo by DerrickT @ flickr

The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking."
— A. A. Milne



Photo by Southbank Steve @ flickr

Healing, part 2: Keep Your Joy

Healing: Keep Your Joy: "Part Two - Did you ever wonder how to use universally known spiritual principles in a practical way that can enhance your everyday life? Do you know what keeps you off balance in life?"

By Denny Lyon
Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Healing, part one: Universal Spiritual Principles That Work

Healing: Universal Spiritual Principles That Work - Did you ever wonder how to use universally known spiritual principles in a practical way that can enhance your everyday life? Minus the religious perspective, practical all the way. In the end, it's just another social issue...

By Denny Lyon
Photo by _cr_ @ flickr

Quote: live your day

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow." - Mahatma Gandhi


Photo by imageshack

Resource: Grandparents.com

Poems to share with children -

While watching TV an interesting ad came on about a site called grandparents.com. I went to take a look and here was this amusing poem and a description about a children's poet laureate. How fun!

Also, thought this might be a good resource for grandparents and parents alike as there are many good activities for all ages. This site really encourages interaction more in depth than the mundane sites that make your eyes glaze over and roll back into your head. Well-written site and easy to navigate - and they had poetry!

Excerpt from A Pizza the Size of the Sun poem:

I'm making a pizza the size of the sun,
a pizza that's sure to weigh more than a ton,
a pizza too massive to pick up and toss,
a pizza resplendent with oceans of sauce.

Jack Prelutsky is widely acknowledged as the poet laureate of the younger generation and very entertaining!

Poems by Jack Prelutsky
Drawings by James Stevenson
The creators of the bestselling
The New Kid on the Block and
Something Big Has Been Here
Greenwillow Books, $18
ISBN 0-688-13235-9

Recipe - Dennys MINI Louisiana Lyon Oven Pancake

Dennys MINI Louisiana Lyon Oven Pancake - Poets need to eat and we might as well eat well, right? Seriously, LEMON is a great intellectual stimulant and helps clear the cobwebs when you are feeling writers' block. If you are more the emotional poet and writer then forego the lemon and drizzle well with wonderful chocolate sauce to feed those emotions with happy chemicals! This size can be used for dessert or a small savory meal with a side of sausage or bacon. Possibilities are endless for such a versatile pancake! Enjoy! Only 200 calories BC (before chocolate).

By Denny Lyon

Foods We Love to Hate: Knowing Why

Foods We Love to Hate: Knowing Why - Why do we hate certain foods? Have you ever considered what foods you hate and why you hate them? There may be more to it than finicky tastebuds. This is part one in a series of articles about food dislikes.

It does make a person wonder if we could resolve the mystery of food issues maybe we could resolve the need for war? How does that correlate? Scratching your head in confusion? The old saying is that an army runs on its stomach. If we could come to the proverbial table in agreement of and the sharing of great food maybe everyone would be in a better mood, more accepting of the other person and willing to listen to reason. Its amazing how a really good meal can change a person's attitude!

By Denny Lyon

Photo by Vin Crosbie @ flickr

Photo: yoga and writing

How's your writing going? Are you at peak performance level? Writers' block? Try taking a nature walk to refresh and clear your head. Try a little yoga stretching to get the kinks out of your muscles from sitting too long at the computer.

Photo by Southbank Steve @ flickr

Poem by Denny Lyon - Opposites in Love

Opposites in Love: Night and Day

Description: A woman who is a night owl marries her opposite. How do they reconcile living together? She likes to stay up all night. He goes to bed early to greet the sunrise!

Moon Photo by *L*u*z*a* @ flickr

Sunrise Photo by elbfoto @ flickr

Also included in the article Writing Love Poetry.

*****

Opposites in Love: Night and Day

She loves the deep of night
He loves the new early morn

She greets the moon sky traveler
He greets the sun horizon surprising

She is early to bed, happily awake in the night
He is early to bed, quickly sound to sleep

She meditates; cat naps, and prays, waits to rise
He dozes, resting deep in melodious kind repose

She awaits the clock to three in the soft night
He ignores the clock until sleep is well done

She rises to cold October stars, sheltering secret regard
He sleeps on, oh, so warm, unaware yet sublime

She breathes freely the frosty night air
Eavesdropping to nature’s hushed breezes
Her cats, nocturnal two, merge softly purring
She gives a careful ear to his breathing still low
Noiseless, closing the open door to night’s chill

The silent trio walks out, farther, grass yielding as
The ancient moon climbs higher to greet old friends
Showering pale intense light, full moon aglow
Stars glistening, flash messages for her alone
Two hours she listens, advice streams from the sky
Serenity, the calm of night wraps tightly until dawn
Reluctant she sees the night is fading, returns to bed

Is it time to get up? Sleepily, eyes opening, he inquires
She lovingly smiles and says, the dawn comes to greet you
He returns her smile in slow agreement, turning off the alarm
Steaming mugs of coffee she gifts to warm their hands
She returns outside, by his side, He begins his day
She wistfully bids goodbye to the beauty moon and
He smiles and quietly shouts great joy within,
Together they drink in the moon retiring, dissolving away
It is the time of the sun walking in to reign over their new day.


By Denny Lyon
Copyright 21 October 2008

Recipe - Chocolate Bread Pudding

Dennys Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding and Sauces

This recipe is not so rich, full of calories or excess sugar so you can savor the chocolate! Easy to mix up by hand. Great for holiday menus or the novice cook. Serves about 8 - 10.

This is my own version developed 9 November 2008.

Less rich version with a lot less sugar, exploding with enough chocolate flavor to drown in it!

The writing always goes better with... chocolate!

By Denny Lyon

Quote: truest power in the world

“It's the artists and writers who sculpt the world into meaningfulness, for the greatest power is in transforming mindsets.”

- Denny Lyon 7 July 2008

Photo by POSITiv @ flickr

Writing Love Poetry: Part 2

Writing Love Poetry: Part 2

Illustrated here in the large arena of love poetry is an example employing an unusual angle and cheeky glance at romance writing.

A humorous poem is included called “The Interesting Man,” by Denny Lyon, 27 May 2008.

HubPages.com article by Denny Lyon, 2 November 2008.

Photo by Abhi @ flickr

Writing Humor Poetry

Writing Humor Poetry - Too often poetry is used to exclusively express exultation or terrible sadness. Humor can also be considered as more than a comedic rhyme. Ancient teachings: Humor is good for the soul and brings the gift of merriment to the heart. Why not try your hand at an amusing poem to lift your heart?

A humorous poem is included called "Serious Business: Food Fight in Louisiana," by Denny Lyon, 2 July 2008.

HubPages.com article by Denny Lyon, 28 October 2008.

Photo by Randomskk @ flickr

Writing Spiritual Poetry

Writing Spiritual Poetry - Laid out here is a concept and technique that can be applied to any belief system and outside or inside the context of religion. Rare are the poems written about universal spiritual concepts and the process of spiritual refinement revealing the authentic original divine creation: you!

Included is the poem "Weeping Freedom," by Denny Lyon, 22 August 2008.

HubPages.com article by Denny Lyon, 26 October 2008.

Photo by Lida Rose @ flickr

Writing Love Poetry: Part 1

Writing Love Poetry - This first article about love poetry is another writing idea of how to approach the vast subject of a love relationship from the perspective of "opposites attract." This is a subtly techniqued exampled of declaring love.

Included is the poem "Opposites in Love: Night and Day," by Denny Lyon 21 October 2008.

Photo by elbfoto @ flickr

HubPages.com article by Denny Lyon, 24 October 2008.