Family and Friends: And Odds and Ends

By Gretchen Huffman

This books author said she never planned to publish another book of poetry, but as time went by, her prolific writing began to accumulate. It's almost an obsession, she laughs.

It often takes only one word to start the process. Even the librarians at her local library have challenged her; they came up with two weird, disassociated words for her to include in a poem. And the next day, Gretchen returned with the completed poem.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543469943

Gretchen Huffman

GRETCHEN FULLERTON HUFFMAN was born in Clinton County, Ohio and her first poem was published in Wee Wisdom, a children’s magazine, when she was just five years old. She calls this collection“ Inside, Looking Out.” Her poetry expresses her thoughts(inside) which she is hoping to send (out) to her readers. She and her husband, Bill, maintained homes in both Ohio and Florida for the past several years. They now reside in Southwestern Ohio, in Hillsboro, where she is active in several organizations. Their son, Mark, was a victim of melanoma cancer in 2013. His older brother, Scott, works in Downtown Manhattan for CBS News. They also have four grandchildren, two great grandchildren and a very special friend, Melody Gilbert.

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Copyright © 2017 by Gretchen Huffman.

ISBN:                  Softcover                  978-1-5434-6995-0

                            eBook                        978-1-5434-6994-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 12/05/2017

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Contents

Reversal of Days

Ads are Bad!

Alumni Banquet

Am I Cursed?

A Reformer!

A Shopaholic

Better than a Barbiturate

Bad News

Been There, Done That

Clubwork

Comparisons

Changing Times

Difficult Choices

Did I Hear a Bell Ring?

Do You Dance, Perchance?

Downsizing

Epidemic!

For Her Mother’s Sake

Gretchen, the Realtor

How Deep is the Ocean?

I Love Birds

Preserving English

I’m Proud of This, but Not That

Introduction to Death

I Know You Are Coming!

Increasing my Vocabulary

Finding a Friend

Fantasy vs. Reality

Give Me a Break

Going Back to Houston

Go for the Whole

Jase

Just Wink and Say Melink

Looking Back

Losing It!

Matthew

My Taste For Junk

Mission … Possible

Reflection, Not Regrets

Savvy Shopping

Telephone Daze

The Color Gray

This Efx Me, Inspirationally

2016 Presidential Election

World War III??

Winter Blues

Where’ S My Secretary?

Writing Poetry

What waas It?

We Blew It!

What’s my Cell Number?

Wedding Switcheroo!

Austrian Tour Guide

Advantages of aging

Many Homes

Winters In Florida

Preparing for the End

REVERSAL OF DAYS

Why is it that most days seem very long?

Why are the dark-of-night hours so short?

I don’t need much more sleep than others;

nor any time to carouse or cavort.

I like to be home before dark, most nights.

I need time to settle in, to adjust.

It’s not that I fear ghosts or other frights,

but I’m old- my joints have begun to rust.

A warm room, a warm meal and a good book

make me happy as a bee in clover.

Just give me a comfy bed late at night,

and I’ll snuggle right in and roll over.

But daylight comes way too soon to suit me.

I’m retired - I don’t want so much daylight.

If I had my way, if I had my say,

I’d award sixteen hours to night.

Just think if we were thoroughly rested,

what dynamos we would all surely be!

We would zip through our chores, then run outdoors.

We’d be a joy to behold, yes siree!

Our days would then take on increased meaning

We’d see the need to accomplish much more.

There’d be less putting things off ’til tomorrow.

We’d be more aware of the need to score.

We’d not put our dreams on the back burner.

Well, maybe someday would seldom be said.

We would all feel the need to accomplish.

We’d have only eight hours before bed.

We would tell our loved ones of our feelings.

Delays would be a thing of the past.

We’d corral our efforts into DOING,

knowing those eight hours would go fast

We would not have unfinished projects;

we’d start things and then we’d get them done.

We’d waste little time on complainers.

We’d choose energetic friends who are fun.

We’d probably choose our mates carefully;

we’d have little time for many mistakes.

Our days would all be structured and useful;

we’d be playing with extremely high stakes.

Our active hours would now be reduced

(on a life span