Sample my poetry today as we sail through this month of posting every day for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I offer the chance to read it or listen to it—your choice or do both! Savor the different formats.
From my award winning book, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, book #1 in my five-book poetry series.
Playing With Words
December 8, 1995
Catch a word
and drag it by the leg—
hold on tight.
Don’t let go!
Hold on!
Don’t let it bite you—
you might die from its
poisonous bite or
worse—
YOU MIGHT WANT TO WRITE MORE!
After reading this, how about listening to me read this poem? Do you like to listen to books, to readings? I do! I recorded several of my poems April 2025 for National Poetry month. Here’s this one: https://youtu.be/AK-hQuXANrw
A Laundromat
Spokane, Washington
June 18, 1998
Ingenuity of children
Big Brother sees it as a race car.
Mom sees it as a laundry basket on wheels.
Little brother takes advantage of
big brother’s imagination.
Down one aisle
Down another
Little brother’s eyes glisten.
Smiles and giggles filled his face.
For a moment, it was a race car—
they raced
and won,
but mom interrupted the fun!
"Boys, stop that!"
Do I color my hair or let it go natural? I have white hair around my face and the rest is salt and pepper. Choices, choices! Yesterday we colored it once again!
Really, it was a retouch—I’ve colored it since July 2013 this time. There’s a great story behind my choice of color that goes back to before 2008.
We were at a square dance festival in Norfolk, Nebraska and my best girlfriend noticed a woman standing in line in front of us at a restaurant.
“Go ask her what color she uses,” Kathi encouraged me. “You would look good in that color.”
So, I wiggled my way up in line and asked that question.
“Hot Tamale by Garnier.”
Naturally, I am a dark brunette with no red highlights! My dad had red hair when he had hair. I only knew him balding and grey headed. In fact, he was so red-headed his nickname was “Red.” I had a half-brother and a half-sister with red hair. I always wanted red hair!
Hot Tamale Larada
The next time Mom and I were together, we colored my hair. She loved doing things like that with me. My ex wasn’t too excited, because as you can imagine, it was outrageous. I wore it that way for a year, then tired of the repeated care and work to color it.
March 2013, Mom died. I needed a pick-me-up, grieving her loss so much. Once again, I colored my hair with “Hot Tamale,” and it picked me up. So, I have been coloring it ever since; however, Garnier stopped producing “Hot Tamale,” so I had to find another color of theirs that suited me. I resorted to “Light Intense Auburn” which is darker and not as spicy, but a sharp auburn color.
When I color my hair, Lin helps to make sure I’ve covered my outgrowth completely. Then he helps rinse the color off. I was a beautician for fourteen years, so I know what I’m doing about coloring my hair.
You may wonder why I wrote about this. So many older women, us baby boomers, must make this decision—color or go natural? When I let my hair go these last few months, the white hair by both ears distracted me. It kept getting whiter and brighter, and I wondered about what to do.
I’ve had health issues recently that remind me I’m getting older. My white hair, which seemed whiter than when I let it go for several months during the pandemic, reminded me of my age every time I looked in the mirror. In reality, it shocked me as the white hair around my face reminded me of Mom and my Grandma, Mom’s Mom. Neither one of them went totally white—Mom always wanted to have a head full of white hair.
Am I trying to recapture my youth and ignore the truth facing me each morning with those white wisps intensifying? I don’t care, really. I told my beautician recently I was going to die a redhead, and he laughed in lighthearted agreement.
My website motto is “A baby boomer with a purpose,” so that’s the other reason I tackled this hard choice right now. I will be a red-headed baby boomer until I can’t.
Finally,
What’s your take on coloring your hair as a baby boomer? Do you color yours? Let me know! Commiserate with me on this touchy topic.
All available at my website: laradasbooks.com or Amazon.com
~For me, it’s Christmas all year long!Here’s a variety of Christmas greetings from Flippo & Neeca, featuring his song, “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas”: https://youtu.be/mpJCUGffU3A
Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a chapter!
~My new book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? WON the 2022 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Body, Mind & Spirit Category. Have you bought your copy yet?Vist my website: laradasbooks.com or at Amazon.
Baby, it’s cold outside! Read about Flippo inside where it’s warm!
~Have you bought a copy of Flippo’s biography yet? Believe it or not—it’s been two years. Go here for your hardback or paperback: https://www.laradasbooks.com or at Amazon.
I turn sixty-nine years-old tomorrow and wonder about how quickly I got here! Let me ponder life at the end of my sixth decade.
At each major birthday in my life, I’ve advanced easily, without regret or any desire to be younger and go backwards. I have always felt age was an attitude and looked forward to the future with anticipation! Often, I still feel sixteen inside!
Turning Thirty
My Watermelon with Crepe PaperMe in Grandma’s Undies
When I moved from twenty-nine to thirty, my family gathered together at my parent’s home in Branson and celebrated with a watermelon (crepe paper around it). Watermelons have always been my favorite fruit and my young nephew giggled as he presented it to me. They also gave me a survival kit for me that included a pair of my grandma’s underwear (see picture above) and a set of false teeth. And then my Aunt Willie added to the festivities and decorated a cake which said, “One foot on the grave and one on a banana peel!”
Turning Sixty
Sadly, when I turned sixty, Mom had just died, so my heart broke on my birthday because I found out she had big plans for my big birthday that year. But I enjoyed being with Lin, my brother and Aunt Willie. Mom always made birthdays memorable, and Lin continues to do that.
Turning Sixty-Nine
Beautiful birthday bouquet from Lin
Yesterday morning, Lin brought me a beautiful bouquet to start my birthday celebration; he said! Last night he forewarned me I needed to be dressed and ready to leave here at 5:15 PM for dinner tomorrow night—mysterious and so much fun!
At sixty-nine, I have had an amazing life, filled with much heartache and so much joy. Isn’t that what many people experience in this life? Last November, I came up with a resounding motto when I took part in a blog challenge where I posted blogs daily for the month of November. That motto is “a baby boomer with a purpose.”
You might wonder what that motto means to me. When it hit me so sharply last year, I felt deep down that described who I am. Yes, I’m a baby boomer, and just because I’m a designated “Senior Citizen,” I’m not done!
I’m not done with
Challenging myself—I continue as a lifelong learner.
Growth—My Christian beliefs grow daily. My spiritual life expands.
Adventure—In Lin, I have the perfect life partner to look at life as an adventure.
Writing—I’m working on my seventh book and have three poetry books and a fiction in the queue.
Traveling—Lin and I have two cruises planned for this year and more trips for 2023.
Dancing—I will dance ‘til I die because Harold and Elva Horner were my dancing parents!
So, as I face the end of my 60s, I look back and marvel. Yes, I have had several health issues over these last nine years, but I have had so many blessings. And I choose to focus on the blessings—my late-in-life writing career, my delightful, dear husband, my brother and family ranch and my exceptional family and friends. During these last nine years, I have hundreds of hilarious memories with each of these people and on our family ranch.
So, yes, as a part of being fully alive, I take part in a variety of sites in the social media world. On LinkedIn.com, I met another senior with a purpose, Idessa Toney, whose website, Seniors with a Purpose, and her YouTube channel, captured my attention. Idessa and I share a passion for living life now, no matter what age. Be sure and visit her website.
As much as I love my parents, I remember them so old at sixty-nine. Is that true or my perception only? My dad had breathing issues, and he started downhill about this age. He died at seventy-eight. At sixty-nine, my mom had been a widow for a year, burdened with the loss of her life partner. I had the privilege of being closely connected with her until her death at eighty-four. Yes, I feel much younger than I remember them to be!
Finally,
Tomorrow I age one year, but I look forward to my last year in my 60s. I trust my God to provide a memorable, fun-filled year. Then, look out 70s, because I know they offer adventure, life and surprises. I opt for it all!
How do you feel about aging? Do you dread a certain age? Do you have a motto?
~WATCH MY NEW INTERVIEW on Chat & Spin Radio, Friday, June 24 at 1:00 PM. Join us for a lively discussion of my books!
~MY FIRST AUDIOBOOK IS AVAILABLE: Go to Audible to buy my first audiobook, Let Me Tell You a Story. I’m working on Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? but have gotten stalled with shingles.
~Do you listen to podcasts? Here are three podcasts with interviews about my new book & some Flippo stories:
~Have you bought a copy of Flippo’s biography yet? Believe it or not—it’s been two years. Go here for your hardback or paperback: https://www.laradasbooks.com or at Amazon.
~For me, it’s Christmas all year long! Here’s a variety of Christmas greetings from Flippo & Neeca, featuring his song, “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas”: https://youtu.be/mpJCUGffU3A
~What happened to you in 2020-2021 during the coronavirus pandemic? Do you care? Are you on a spiritual path? Do you want to heal from the horrible effects of the pandemic of 2020? Visit my website to find out about my new book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? and my other five books and three cookbooks: https://laradasbooks.com
Baby boomers, how are we going to handle our 70s and 80s and beyond? Do those numbers strike dread and fear in your heart? If so, I have a book that might help! Garrison Keillor’s book, Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80: Why You Should Keep on Getting Older, grabbed me because of the title. Serenity at 70? Gaiety at 80? My baby boomer heart knew he might have some answers for me.
On my next birthday, June 27—just a couple weeks away—I turn 69! Therefore, I face my last year in my sixth decade, and seventy looms ahead. My husband is 81, turning 82 in September, so we qualify for this book and the topics Garrison addresses with his usual sharp wit and consideration.
Why I Bought This Book
Lin and Larada
After purchasing this book for us, but before we read it, Lin and I had a heartfelt conversation about him buying a greenhouse. Sounds like a simple topic. Before this conversation, any time he discussed it with me, I responded positively. His garden graces our backyard, and it is gorgeous! So a greenhouse seemed like a logical addition!
One afternoon, he stated with strong yet controlled emotion, “We need to talk about the greenhouse.” I wondered about this because we had been talking about it off-and-on for months, but I heard something different in his voice this time.
“How do you feel about it? I’m 81 years old. What if I buy it and never get to use it?” he queried, looking start into my eyes.
I knew my response had to match the seriousness of his question.
“I think it’s a brilliant idea, because you’ve researched it for months. Also, you’re not the type of person to buy anything impulsively, so I know you will use it.” His hidden implication of his death caught me off guard.
He had more to say: “But what about Kathi’s greenhouse? She bought it and never got to use it. Is that an omen?” Kathi is his deceased wife who died of melanoma and a dear friend of mine.
Again, I knew my response had major implications!
“We can’t sit here, waiting to die just because we’ve hit a certain age that many think is over-the-hill. We have to keep pursuing our passions until we die. Buy it!”
From that conversation and an advertisement I saw for Garrison’s book, I bought this book, thinking he might have thoughts on the subject and he did!
Importance of “Prairie Home Companion”
When talking to Baby boomers, most connect Garrison Keillor with “Prairie Home Companion,” and to understand Garrison’s book, here’s an explanation:
“A Prairie Home Companion is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed Live from Here and ran until 2020.
The show is known for its musical guests, especially folk and traditional musicians, tongue-in-cheek radio drama, and relaxed humor. Keillor’s wry storytelling segment, “News from Lake Wobegon,” was the show’s best-known feature during his long tenure.”
While at Colorado State University from 1982 to 1986, one of my best friends followed this radio show religiously. I’m sad to say I never did, but she talked about it often, so I knew about Garrison’s humor and wit and the woes of Lake Wobegon.
Several years ago, I bought a poetry collection book, Good Poems, that Garrison edited. I loved this lively collection, but didn’t remember the reason for the collection.
“Every day people tune in to The Writer’s Almanac on public radio and hear Garrison Keillor read them a poem. And here, for the first time, is an anthology of poems from the show, chosen by the narrator for their wit, their frankness, their passion, their ‘utter clarity in the face of everything else a person has to deal with at 7 a.m.'”
Fast forward to 2009, some friends invited me to see Garrison in a theater at the Popejoy Theater Complex in Albuquerque, and what an entertainer he is—songs, poetry and stories filled the evening with background music! Laughter, too!
Why, As a Baby Boomer, I Loved This Book
This short 96-page tome delighted me from the beginning with a seventeen-page preface—a sizeable piece for such a small book. Immediately, his response to our world today captured me, “Not My Problem,” or NMP. He added, “I’m no longer from here,” and later repeats he’s a tourist here now. What freedom, and that’s one interesting, continuous message throughout the book.
The simple format of four chapters adds to the mystery of the book: 1) The Deadly Precipice, 2) The Rules of the Game, 3) A Night in the ER and 4) Legacy Is Posterity’s View of Your Posterior and One Posterior Looks Much Like Another. In each chapter, Garrison addresses key age-related topics in a stream-of-consciousness manner, like we were sitting on the sofa with a drink and talking about aging.
Peppered throughout the book, he shares personal poetry and limericks. I just noticed one of his limericks decorates the cover of his book:
“Old folks like Lena and Ole
Choose to dance sprightly and slowly
And thus stay upright
But the gentle delight
They find is quite joyful and holy.”
Above all, I truly enjoyed how Garrison identifies key simple events in his life and how they changed everything: an insightful teacher directed Garrison out his class into another that matched his talents and moved him forward toward his life’s goals. I laughed at how he got into the radio business for forty years, which changed his life. Also, I marveled at how a trip to Nashville changed the direction of his radio show.
Throughout the book, he references his relationship with his wife and their major differences and wonderful compatibility and the influences of his hometown of Anoka, Minnesota, his family and the church.
While reading, I laughed often at this light-hearted book, full of wit about the age I am in and headed towards, then I would spin quickly because of a thought-provoking passage where I knew his truth about aging was my truth. “Old age is foreign territory and you should enjoy it as you would if you’d picked up and moved to Paris.” Garrison Keillor, “Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80: Why You Should Keep on Getting Older,” (2021): 52.
Finally, Baby boomers!
In addition, Garrison’s book helped me laugh at this phase of my life, step back and be thoughtful and consider it with warmth and acceptance.
Let’s end with his humor:
“The five stages of aging are: nameless dread, the crisis of bad news, self-pity and disgust, a revelatory experience, and then contentment and maybe even happiness.”
Garrison Keillor, “Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80: Why You Should Keep on Getting Older,” (2021): 42.
So, Baby boomers, what do you choose? I choose happiness.
What are your thoughts on aging, Baby Boomers? Garrison Keillor?
~Need a Father’s Day gift for your dad or granddad? How about a bundle of my books about ranch life? Go to my Etsy Shop, Larada’s Reading Loft, for 25% discounts on three bundles!
~MY FIRST AUDIOBOOK IS AVAILABLE: Go to Audible to buy my first audiobook, Let Me Tell You a Story. I’m working on Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? but have gotten stalled with shingles.
~Do you listen to podcasts? Here are three podcasts with interviews about my new book & some Flippo stories:
~Have you bought a copy of Flippo’s biography yet? Believe it or not—it’s been two years. Go here for your hardback or paperback: https://www.laradasbooks.com or at Amazon.
~For me, it’s Christmas all year long! Here’s a variety of Christmas greetings from Flippo & Neeca, featuring his song, “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas”: https://youtu.be/mpJCUGffU3A
~What happened to you in 2020-2021 during the coronavirus pandemic? Do you care? Are you on a spiritual path? Do you want to heal from the horrible effects of the pandemic of 2020? Visit my website to find out about my new book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? and my other five books and three cookbooks: https://laradasbooks.com
