Monday, December 20, 2010

Twilight Sounds

This was a lovely 15 minute experience this evening:


Uptown house~




I just came in here in early twilight checking for the mail when I noticed nestle in between the old Victorian house across the street and some trees this beautiful, glorious full moon beginning it ascent skyward.  As I was admiring it and the tickle of my chimes ringing out the pentatonic scales in baritone. The melody in my chimes are the sounds of what became the song Amazing Grace, but in actuality it was a West African sorrow chant sung by enslaved Africans from Sierra Leone in the belly of the ship.  At that time, John Newton in 1748, a slaver who turned away from slavery and penned Amazing Grace. At the Library of Congress when you see the copy it said written by John Newton, melody unknown

Please listen to this very brief demonstration & lecture by Wintley Phipps:


Then I noticed or heard rather, rolling on the winds on my street ever sound lovingly was the sounds of a trumpet,  intermingling almost in  a deliberate concert with my chimes.  Whomever it was really knew how to play! I forgot what I went outside for!

It was haunting and clear. I just stopped for a few minutes to listen.

Only in New Orleans...

Uptown Sidewalk~All Rights Reserved JHM©10




Breathe in..breathe out...
All Rights Reserved JHM©10


Info on John Newton:


Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation. ~Henry Ward Beecher

O..OH OMG Oatmeal! I ate oatmeal!

I did something today (I know there is a full moon), I've only done one other time since 1960...

I ate a bowl of oatmeal.




Yes! Me! Who would have thunk it?

Now don't keel over from shock even though I almost did.  I do not like oatmeal, hated it as child along with grits.

Yes I know all the health benefits to oatmeal: reduces cholesterol, helps in lowering blood pressure, fiber, yada, yada, yada.  , I just have hated it; never got over the intense dislike.

But I promised a friend who suggested something I found a bit intriguing to see if I could (no pun intended) swallow it.

Well by golly, it worked!  What was the suggestion? Something I love and would drink all year long...

Eggnog!

Yup eggnog....

So what I did after preparing the oatmeal in which I had added cinnamon and finely chopped apples



 I poured a 1/4 a cup of warm eggnog, took a deep breath & went for it.

It was really rather good.  I had to resist the mental process so I can be open to giving oatmeal the benefit of the doubt & actually liked it.

Ok, I did not have a coronary from ingesting.

Yet no one rolled out the brass band with a second line...



Shucks! Well you can't win it all :=).

But I was pleased and now almost 5 hours later I am still full, satisfied.

So who knows maybe it will become part of my new regimen as I bring forth more micro-adventures.

So it was mission accomplished.

But I forewarn anyone, I will not, unequivocally NOT consume grits.  It took me 50 years for oatmeal, I do not have the time or desire to manage grits!

Ya Ya!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

One of those days~Falling...



photograph by JHM©10


I discovered this poem I had written almost a decade ago when walking in the pouring rain that was so hard I could not tell where the curb ended and literally fell on my face. Boy did I ache the next day. However the day this happen I went home after drying off this popped in my mind... 
 









Falling Down 
By Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney©02 

I’ve fallen on my face… 
Soaked in a downpour when… 
Out of the blue... 
I fell on my face! 

“What else can happen? 
There’s no way out! 
What more do I need to do? 
I'm  so weary… 
This can’t go on.. 
Oh God, no more!” 


I fell on my face! 
Can I look up? 

Or get up? 
Roll over… 

Push away? 
No cheering around me 


No motivational speakers to perform… 
(Not even a phantom applause). 
No assistance just hard driving rain… 
Pelting relentlessly. 
And all around me... 
Weeds...
Debris…


Broke 
(No hope) 

I fell on my face! 
But I got up… 
And kept on walking. 
Soaked to the core… 
And carried on. 

(Without faith I am hopeless.) 

All rights reserved JHM 6-27-02© 


photograph by JHM©10

My Sounds...

About 8 years ago I was invited to a poetry ready at the Neutral Ground Cafe which I am delighted to know survived Katrina and has reopened.  During this Sunday afternoon open mike was a young man,very non-descript who walked up to the mike with an acoustic guitar and had this voice so sweet,I was swept away.

Not one but 2 poems about him while I was there...

I've not seen him since... I do not know if HE survived the storm or ever came back to New Orleans...

Photgraph byJHM©10


Man on the String
By Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney©03

A man on the string…
And he sings a celebration that swept the world.
Flowing with a mysterious refrain…
Will you continue to sing with the man on the string?
Who stopped just long enough, only to begin still another celebration unto me?

This man on a string, as he continues to ping.
Oh just so doing his thing…

As he continues to swing in the belly of the Neutral Ground Cafe.
These sound that vibrated around the world.
And he brings no steel to the space on Daneel (Street)
He is just bringing another celebration song to thee.
All rights reserved JHM 7-13-03©

Photgraph byJHM©10

His Sound
By Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney ©03

His sound was like John Denver with cayenne pepper…
Thrown in for good measure.
And his sound wrapped around my left ear.
Engaging his heart’s voice enlivening my soul.
His sound is like John Denver with cayenne thrown in for good measure.
(Fly away…. Fly away…. Flay a-waaaay!)

All right reserved JHM©03

Photgraph byJHM©10

Thursday, December 9, 2010

An Appeal

This was not a blog I had eagerly looked forward to writing not display for the whole world to see,all though it may seem arrogant to think the whole world is reading; it simply feels like that.


Like many, many people I am at the end of my rope and being forced to do what I would have been impossible to consider a year ago.  Never in my life had I been at this stage and options have shrunk to the point I do not have any choices remaining.  I know no choice is a choice and yes I know there is always a way out of "no way" it is just not making themselves apparent right now.

Power is not strength;Power is faith.  Power=freedom, determination, hope and trust...

Jacquelyn
12-8-10








"All that is necessary is - to accept the unacceptable, do without the indispensable, and bear the unbearable." ~ Kathleen Norris

12-1-10

Dear My Community of Friends & Associates,

As many of you know, I returned to my beloved hometown of New Orleans about a year and a half ago in the hopes of rebuilding and revitalizing my career in fabric art and writing Just as the city of New Orleans goes about its revitalization, I have been able to take many positive steps in the hope of accomplishing my dreams; while at the same time, we both have had serious negative reversals that have stalled our attempts at revitalization.  Although it is difficult for me to take this step, I am writing to you in an appeal for financial help.

Shortly after my return, I lost a large amount of critical funding when a patron suffered some economic setbacks. Like so many of us during these hard economic times, our ability to rebound from these setbacks has been extremely difficult.  My own ability to rebound has been hampered by health problems that necessitated two abdominal surgeries within three weeks of each other late summer/early fall.

I have already been helped through the generosity of several supportive, generous friends and organizations who practiced wonderful acts of kindness by providing transportation to appointments, bringing food during my postoperative recovery and helping me keep my utilities turned on & sanity going.  As I proceed down the road toward recovery and wellness, I have tried to repay my community by becoming involved in some volunteer opportunities and to reconnect with fellow artists and clients who have supported my work in the past {mention any seminars, workshops, gallery exhibits, networking events, etc}; as well as to actively seek commissions and pursue job opportunities.

I have also been very fortunate to have a patient and benevolent landlord who have allowed me to stay in my apartment as I attempt to generate my own income.  Although it pains him to have to do this, my landlord has given me notice that I must pay him at least half of my rent arrearages or vacate my apartment by January 1, 2011.  I realize this is a business decision he must make and hold no ill will toward him. He has been more than kind and helpful toward me; in fact, all most unheard of in these critical times we are facing as a nation...

Today, December 1, 2010, is Pay It Forward Day. In honor of this day, could you find it in your heart to help me remain in New Orleans and continue to pursue my dreams by sending a donation?  The Wandering Moon has made her way back home and would prefer not to wander anywhere else for the time being!  Any contribution, large or small, will be greatly appreciated; and, in turn, I will pay it forward. I do not take any of this lightly.  This is not an easy task to do to put my pride & dignity forward in such a public way, but I am determined to turn things around with all I have in me to do thus.

 With sincere thanks to all of you,

Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney


"If you planted hope in a heart today in any hopeless heart, If someone's burden was lighter because you did your part, If you caused a laugh that chased a tear away, If tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, Then your day was well spent." ~Unknown