Good Art

Sometimes I wonder why I do these art shows. At my first art show, I put in five paintings (watercolor) that were pretty good. None of them won a ribbon. The next year I put in one or two watercolors. I can remember walking up to the show telling Toby that there was no way I could win a ribbon this year – that the other art work was just too good. I won a third place ribbon that year. The next year, I won a third place in pastels. Last year I won a second place in pastels. That does not include the year that I did a really great pastel that everyone loved – I did not win any ribbons that year. I say all of that to say participating in an art show is like participating in a horse race. Any horse could win. No telling what the art judge will like.

I truly do not think my art will win this year, because it is only "okay". It does not say, "wow", but only says, "That’s nice". But my art girls have really done some nice work, and I am looking forward to seeing their faces when the artwork is judged. When they win, I win. This is their year.

One funny thing did happen while setting up the paintings last night. A little four-year-old brought in a painting. It was extremely abstract, but very interesting – good color. All the paintings were set against the wall until the screens were in place to hang the artwork. I could not hang the youth art until last due to the arrangement of the show. At one point I looked up and the four-year-old’s painting was being hung with the adult oil paintings. I corrected the situation, and we all got a good laugh out of it, but it did not instill a confident feeling that these artists knew what they were doing. What does that say about art? What does that say about our art show? What if I had left the child’s painting with the adults? Would anyone else notice? Would it have won a ribbon? I have lots of questions about "good art". On the other hand, what does it really matter as long as you are happy with your own work? One thing is for sure; no one should take any of this very seriously.

Dreams

Although I do not feel anxious, I am having anxiety dreams. You know, the ones where you are back in high school taking classes, but you cannot find your way to class. In my dream last night, I found my class and all was going well, but then we were given a writing assignment (should be easy). My pen exploded, my paper was a mess, and I could not get finished before the class was over. I hate those kind of dreams. Hmmm, could it be the upcoming art show?

At least the weather has cooled down even if it is only for a short time. It kind of feels like mountain weather. That is a comforting feeling. Now I need to find time to switch the winter clothes for the summer clothes. That means a trip to the storage unit and a search for the clothes. I don't have time for that right now. But what will I wear to the art show? Now I will probably have those "naked" dreams where you show up somewhere without your shirt or you cannot find your clothes and you have to be somewhere important.

I may be more stressed than I thought. Last year my art girls and their families had a swim party before the art show. Then they played at the park for a couple of hours before the show. When they came into the art show, they were hungry and thirsty. They swarmed the punch bowl and swilled it down. They ate all of the food as if they were having dinner. Harv, who is over the art show and the most anul retentive person in the world, had a fit. This year he is putting it on my shoulders to police the food and beverage table. He has threatened to be "really mean" to the kids. I can feel my anxiety level going up. Gee, Harv, they are just kids - get a life!

Art Shows

This weekend is the Chisholm Trail Arts Roundup at the Simmons Center in Duncan, OK. It is a fairly professional art show although mostly local artists. Friday night will be the reception with wine and finger-food served. It is a good time for all that come. The art show then continues on through the next week. I will participate in the art show as will Jesse and one of my other older art students. There is also a youth gallery for younger artists. Since I teach art and actually like kids, I get to be in charge of setting up the youth gallery. The kids love to see their artwork in the show and there are ribbons and prize money for the winners. It should be a great time.

Since I have approximately 30 students, about 20 of them participating in the art show, I have been very busy this week. I have been prodding kids to get their artwork finished so that I can get things matted and framed. It seems wilder this year than past years. I am such a sucker for the kids. I want them all to participate, and I want them all to be happy with their artwork. I feel like I have pulled and pushed and fixed and worked on each of their pieces. Last night I dreamed of matting and frames. Fortunately, I work well under pressure, but I am looking forward to the whole thing being over.

There is another art show the very next week that I will also participate in at the Duncan Regional Hospital. It is a smaller show – less pressure – no kids. Yeha!

Daddy's Girl

The first house I really remember living in was a small house in Valley View, TX. That is not the Valley View near Dallas, but the one near Iowa Park. Craig and I shared a room just off of the kitchen. My dad would get up early and drink coffee there in the kitchen. I guess Craig and I could hear him, because we would get up early with him. Sometimes I would make little squeaky noises so that Dad would know I was awake, and he would come carry me to the kitchen table and fix my milk/coffee with lots of sugar. I cannot remember if Craig did this too, but it was the beginning of my being a "daddy’s girl".

We lived in lots of different houses while I was growing up that made being carried to the table impossible, but still I came every morning. As soon as Mom could scrape my hair into a ponytail, Dad would then take me and Craig with him where ever he went on Saturday mornings. I guess this gave Mom some needed time alone, but it also established a pattern and relationship between Dad and us kids.

You would think that as we got to be teen-agers that getting up early would lose its appeal, and maybe it did more so for Craig, but still I got up with Dad to have coffee and go rattin around on Saturdays. When Craig played jr. varsity football on Saturday mornings, Dad and I would go watch. After Craig quit football (he was never really big enough for that sort of thing), Dad and I continued to go to the games. Sometimes we would go to junk yards especially when I got an old 63 Chevy pick-up from my grandfather. It needed lots of little parts. Maybe I was afraid to disappoint Dad if I did not go with him. Maybe I was afraid of missing out on something. Those were very special times between Dad and me. We would even hold hands while we walked along. When he walked me down the aisle at my wedding, we chose to hold hands rather than me hold his arm. We just liked that better.

I am sure my brothers and sister could tell of their own special routines with Dad. Kathy certainly had her special routines (the Princess). My brothers had special time with Dad, that us girls did not have, through sports. These little things were a way for Dad to have a relationship with each of us in his busy world of making a living and supporting a family. Dad had more than just four kids; he had schools full of needy children. That made these times extra special, but we had to be willing to meet him part way. That is why I chose to get up early on Saturday morning – it was my special time.

Dad still gets up at the crack of dawn to have his coffee. When any of us kids are at his house, we get up early to have coffee with him (less sugar and milk now). That is just the way it is. The pattern was set a long time ago. If you have never established a relationship (however small) with your children, start one. They last a lifetime.

Good Advice

Saturday morning Sara, Bo and Lizzie showed up to help work on the yard. We have this plan to build a patio on the east side of the house. Lizzie loves being outside, but she is so fair-haired that we had to bring her in shortly while Bo and Toby continued to work outside. Then my Mom called to say that my cousin, Pam, was coming to see Dad. Since my brother, Craig, was also in town, Mom thought we might want to drive over and see every one. When I got off the phone with Mom, I told my family what was going on, and we made a plan to go see my cousin and brother.

Jesse asked if Darin, Pam’s husband, would be there. I said that I did not know. Sara asked who’s Darin and why do you care if he is there. Jesse explained who Darin was and then said, "He thinks I am pretty, and he is very good-looking." Sara looked pretty confounded by these statements especially together and coming from Jesse. So Jesse explained, "If someone as good-looking as Darin thinks that I am pretty, maybe there is someone else out there for me who is like him and will also think that I am pretty."

Sara, who is just so sweet and wonderful, said, "Of course, you are pretty, Jesse." Then she gave Jesse the speech about waiting patiently for the right guy (her hero – read past blog posting). She told how she too had been discouraged at one time and how her family had encouraged her to wait - that there was a special young man that God was preparing just for her. It was wise advice and truly, wonderful that she loves her sister-in-law and is an encouragement to her. But she was being so serious, and you know me. I just could not let a good tease go by. So, when she finished her little speech, I said, "Well, Sara, that is all well and good, but not really very encouraging because we know how your wait turned out. You got Bo!"

You can tell Sara has been with us for a while now, and she knows me well. She knew I was teasing her and laughed, but she also said she was very happy with Bo. I think I am very blessed with such a daughter-in-law.

We did go to WF. We had a great time seeing Pam and Darin and Garrett. It was good to see Craig too. Once again, I am thankful that the Barker's are such a close family.

Country Girl

When we first moved to Oklahoma, we bought a section of land and moved a manufactured home onto it. For those of you who do not know what a section is, it is one mile by one mile of land. Although we had a couple of neighbors, they were pretty far away. The surrounding sections were just ranchland without people living on them either. In other words, we could walk out across our property and not see a soul for miles - pretty isolated. We would often go for walks (more like a hike) across the property usually on the roads and trails that made up our land. Once Jesse figured out how isolated our property was, she would sometimes get hot and take her shirt off in order to get some sun. She was never too worried about modesty out in the middle of the section, and she did have on her bra, which was more cover than some swim suits. It’s a farmgirl thing. My mom told me how she and her aunt use to take off their shirts while hoeing cotton knowing that no one was anywhere near by - which may be where Jesse got the idea.

Then we sold that place and moved to a smaller ranch – 280 acres. The nearest neighbor was about one mile away. This ranch was also pretty isolated, but it had a couple of section roads that were more traveled as its borders. We moved there in June, which is wild plum season. ONe day soon after moving in,Jesse went out for a walk across the property to get exercise, but also to do some exploring of the new place. She found some wild plum trees and started picking. It was hot; so like before, she pulled off her shirt while she worked. The next day she went back out to the plum trees to pick some more plums (she had her shirt on this time) when a truck drove down the north section road. As the truck went by, Jesse realized the road was just right there by the plum trees. She was quite horrified to think that our neighbor (an elder in our church) and his cowboys could have driven by while she was picking plums shirtless! Of course, they had not driven by, because she would have realized where the road was sooner, but it made her a lot more careful, and she did not remove her shirt any more while out on the property.

Now we live in the middle of a hay field. We do have some closer neighbors than before. There will be no going without a shirt, but we are still pretty far away from folks. We have not done the trim work in the house yet – we still need to hang some closet doors and such. We do not have mini-blinds or curtains up yet, because the trim is not done. It has not been a problem – we live pretty far away from things. The other night Jesse went into her room and shut the door (a luxury because she has one now). Then she came out in a t-shirt and sweat pants. Toby said, "You might want to change clothes in the bathroom since there is a guy cutting hay in the field next door." The look on Jesse’s face was priceless. She just said, "Too late! So that was what all that honking was." Before you get all horrified, there was no honking; Jesse was just pulling our legs. She knew the tractor was out there all time.

Art Discussion

At art class yesterday, we had an interesting discussion. One of my girls spoke up with, "I just don't understand why everyone does not love Lucky Charms." That sparked a whole debate on breakfast cereals. As a kid, I remember seeing the commercials for Lucky Charms and thinking that they really looked good. Then I begged my mom at the grocery store to let me have LC. It was always a real treat to get to pick the cereal for the week. Of course, I had to fight (and I do mean fight) my brothers for the chance to pick. They were always suckers for the prize not considering how the cereal would taste. It only took one time to pick LC to realize that was some nasty cereal. All those marshmallow treats were yuck - I don't care what kind of prize they put in the box.

I told the art class that anyone who ate LC probably liked Fruity Pebbles too. They agreed. Someone added that Coco Puffs were just as bad. Now hang on there, I think Coco Puffs are not so bad. I like the way your milk turns sort of chocolate. We all agreed that Captain Crunch was right in there with Lucky Charms. It was a great discussion. I am not sure what our new student thought about it, but he will get use to us - eventually.

Lizzie Fix

The grandbaby has not been here in two weeks. We had to go see her on Saturday to get our "Lizzie fix". Due to having a cold, she had not been out of the house much nor had many visitors. She was pretty excited to see us. She immediately started whistling (she associates us with our dog, Ranger).

We all went out to eat and then went walking at the mall. Lizzie was wound up and excited to be out and about with her own audience to laugh at everything she did. I could go on and on about how funny she is, but then everyone would think I was just a silly grandmother. She really is funny and keeps us constantly entertained – she is my granddaughter you know!

Lizzie loves to play peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek. Sometimes Jesse hides and then sneaks up and "gets" Lizzie. Of course, Lizzie can see her coming, which does not lessen the thrill – in fact, it causes her to squeal and laugh and grab me around the neck and squeeze as if I were protecting her from Jesse. This is all a very loud process, but quite enjoyable for all.

Although Lizzie cannot say my name yet (Mama Lou), she can say her other grandmother’s name, Nana. She seemed quite pleased with herself and said "Nana" over and over. When we tried to get Nana on the phone so she could share in this joy too, Lizzie would not say it while the phone was to her ear, but would say it after we removed the phone. She is a stinker. The day was wonderful, but I was worn out after the mall. So was Lizzie.

Hey Nana, I have been missing you too.

Betty

After being very hot and muggy on Wednesday, we got a big rain. This morning it is cool and nice outside. I think fall may be my favorite season. Toby would say that I say that about all of the seasons. Maybe I just like change.

I am headed over to Wichita today. Dad has been very weak for a long time. It wears on Mom. Although he is able to go to coffee every day, it gets harder and harder. Mom has been using the wheel chair with Dad more and more. It ties her to the house. I don’t think that is the hardest part for her. Because Dad cannot hear very well even with his hearing aids, communication is difficult. Also Dad’s thought process is sometimes just not what it used to be. That is hard on all of us, but especially Mom. She has been great through this whole thing. It is Mom that needs encouragement from time to time.

Last week one of her good friends, Betty Yeager died. Betty had MS for years, but she loved to go to Red River and stay in the old family cabin. She had good years and bad years with her MS, but she was always a trooper. Mom would do her hair and take her to Taos. They had a blast together giggling and laughing like school girls. Betty had a sharp sense of humor and a great outlook on life even when her body would not do what she needed it to do. The last few years that Mom and Dad were able to go to RR, they spent lots of time with Betty and her husband, Hal. Sometimes Mom and Hal would have to push Betty and Dad in wheel chairs to get them to some eating place or do something fun. They were a silly foursome. They cooked meals for each other, and Hal would fix up a batch of mean margaritas. Then they would all sit out on the big porch of Hal’s cabin drinking the margaritas and hollering at people who passed by.

I will miss Betty, as I know Mom will. Her strength and humor were an inspiration to all.

Wanna Be

I wanna be Italian. I wanna big extended family that comes to my house and eats and talks and has lots of fun. On Martha Stewart’s new TV show, Martha surprised two Italian ladies in their home while they were cooking for their family who came over every Wednesday night to eat. The ladies squealed and hollered over meeting Martha. They teased and fought over the cooking. The family seemed to truly enjoy each other.

The show made me realize two things. First, I am a Martha fan. Two, I think big families are great. It reminded me of the days when we lived in McAllen and spent a couple of Thanksgivings with my sister-in-law’s family. My sister-in-law is the baby of thirteen kids - the last five in the family being girls – all Hispanic. We would drive up to San Antonio and stay with Tish’s mom, Maria. She did not speak much English, but that did not stop her from talking constantly. When the sisters, their husbands, and their kids all showed up, it was a house-full. I loved the way they laughed and cooked and teased each other. Jesse, with her dark hair and dark eyes, got lost in the crowd, but Bo, with his white-blonde hair and blue eyes, stuck out like a shiny penny. He had no idea he was different and neither did the other kids. It was just great fun and the food was to die for.

When the Barkers get together, there is lots of fun and laughter. With four kids and their kids, we have a good size group, but with some cousins thrown in, we can fill a house pretty well. Although we are a close group that seems to enjoy each other, we just don’t quite have that loud, laid-back attitude that the Italians or the Mexicans seem to have. I want people to come to my house and feel like they are part of my family. I want them to relax, enjoy and eat like they were at home. I want them to laugh and tease each other knowing that it is all just good fun. I want to be loud and not be worried about offending anyone.

If I had been smart, I would have had ten kids, but somewhere along the way I bought into the idea that more than two kids was a social no-no. Why? What could be wrong with having a big family? Hopefully, my two kids will not feel that same social pressure. I hope I have lots of grandkids. I will let them run through my house with marshmallow guns. I will let them ride the four-wheeler and fish in the pond. I will let them squeal and holler. I will have hugs and kisses and Band-Aids on hand. I guess this means I need a bigger house.

Jim's Letter

Here is a letter from Jim that was pretty interesting. Some of you may have already read it through email, but some may have not read it.

Good morning from Camp India home of the mighty 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Division, New Iraqi Army. It is a nice morning here as temps are in the high 60s and a delicious breeze is flowing across the camp. Speaking of temperatures, the weather here is slowly but surely changing its tune. Each day the comfortable temperatures last longer and longer. We’re expected to dip below the 100s next week. That makes the patrolling, and just about everything else we do here, much easier.

So, busy week for Task Force 2/2. We had the memorial service for 2ndLt James Cathey. It was a simple service. The battalion commander, Capt Schmidt and a couple of the lieutenant’s Marines gave comments. I had another aspect of this story that you definitely will not hear on the evening news. It seems that Lt Cathey had, in a very short time, made quite an impact on a young Iraqi major. Golf Company works with the 4th Company from the Iraqi battalion. The 4th company commander is Major Raad. He’s a 22 year old major...much, much younger than any other major in the army. He was likely given his rank by US forces immediately following our invasion in 2003. When we got here, 3/8 (the battalion we relieved) said that Maj Raad was worthless, lazy, etc, etc. So, we didn’t completely write him off, but we were not too hopefully of his improvement. That’s where Golf 2/2 comes in. Capt Schmidt and his staff did a complete 180 with the soldiers of 4th company. In a short time they bridged the cultural and language gaps and immediately we have reports of Major Raad’s vast improvements. He was active in mission planning, active in taking care of his soldiers, etc, etc.

Well, apparently he and Lt Cathey had become very good friends in the month that we’ve been here. Major Raad was on vacation when Lt Cathey was killed. Last week, as we staged the convoy for our rotation to all the Iraqi posts, the Golf Company XO informed Maj Raad about Lt Cathey. Maj Raad, in the typical Arab response to tragic news, went ballistic. He ran around yelling, and was obviously visible upset. For a few minutes, we didn’t know if he was going to even make the convoy. I approached him after a few minutes to comfort him or just to chat. He speaks pretty good English. He said, “Lt Cathey was my brother. I had even purchased him a gift in Baghdad while I was on vacation.” He had purchased the gift because he did not know that Lt Cathey had been killed. Gift giving is not uncommon here between US and Iraqi forces...but not after four weeks! There was a connection there. A bond between to men serving their country. We’ll never know the full impact of our presence here, but I do know that at some level, US Marines like Lt Cathey are respected and appreciated by our brethren here...and obviously the feeling is mutual.

Moving on to lighter topics...I got shot at yesterday! I trust you’ll find the humor in that since I didn’t even know how close the impacts were! I had just finished a patrol in Nassar Wa Salaam with an Iraqi squad and three of the MiTT. We were back in the front gate and were getting into our HMMWV when we heard “Crack!” The Marines in the tower at the gate yelled down to us that the impacts were about 50 meters away. No worries! They “Crack, Crack!” I was behind the armored! HMMWV and the two other soldiers in the MiTT were moving to behind some barriers that were about 15 feet from our vehicle. They were crouched down behind the barriers...I decided to be a little more proactive and determine if there was anyone he needed me to “return the favor” if you know what I mean. Alas, I couldn’t see anyone and after a few minutes we all jumped into our vehicle and proceeded to the back part of camp. I found out from the MiTT, that the last two rounds impacted on the back side of the barrier they were leaning against...i.e. about 15-20 feet from us. They didn’t sound that close initially, but the MiTT, felt the rounds hitting the barrier. Anyway, exciting times.

This is my first trip to Camp India in about 10 days. I did not come last week because Captain Sadeq (their S-3) is on vacation and I also wanted to give the new Army Military Transition Team (MiTT) the opportunity to get settled in, etc. With Sadeq being gone and the new MiTT getting squared away, I figured there wouldn’t be much for me to do. Turns out I was correct. This week was a good time to come. The new MiTT is going to be very good for the Iraqis. The old MiTT was good, but they were just flat worn out. That’s the problem with the Army’s one year rotation system. One year is tough to sustain over here. Yea Dad, I know, “one year tours in Vietnam...” blah, blah and of course many WWII vets would have been thankful for just a year. However, just making an observation. The good thing is that I get to reap the benefits of the aggressive new MiTT and boy does it make my job easier.

That’s about it. I guess I didn’t have as much as I thought. Maybe I’ve got “writer’s block.”

Oh yea, yesterday while on patrol, an Army 1stSgt and me had a fun moment. A little Iraqi girl grabbed our hands and we swung her like Troy and I always do with Hannah. You know what I’m talking about? She wouldn’t let go of my fingers! I had to practically pull my glove off to get it out of her hand! She was so cute! I loved it...and the salty 1stSgt did too. One of the Army captains on the patrol saw the whole thing too. He dropped back in the formation and approached me with a sheepish grin on his face. He said, “Lively, you do have a heart...I think I saw a smile on your face! And I thought Marines were stone-cold killers!” Yeah, yeah, whatever...

Anyway, miss you guys!

Jim

Cost of Living

Anyone who does the weekly grocery shopping has noticed that more than just gas prices have gone up. It seems that the cost of feeding and clothing my family is getting higher and higher (and we don’t even have to feed Bo anymore). Each time I write out a check to Wal Mart, I think, "Wow, what did I buy that made this so high?"

Years ago when Jesse was barely five years old, we were at Wal Mart in Taos. She found a yellow pair of overalls that she wanted. I would have bought them for her, but they were really a little snug. I just could not see buying clothes that she would only wear a few times and then out grow. If the overalls had been on sale – a really good price, I might have bought them. But they were full price. I explained this to Jesse over and over. We argued about it for a few minutes (yes, I argued with a five year old). She was very disappointed and quite dramatic in those days. So, I said we would try the TG&Y store to see if they had cheaper overalls. After much trying on and debating over the clothes, we found something we both agreed on. As I was writing out the check, Jesse looked very worried. She said, "Are you sure we have enough money to buy this?" I bet the cashier was thinking she had better get some ID on this check.

It was Jesse’s first real recognition that things cost money and sometimes you had money and sometimes you did not. After that, she was always more careful with her purchases. She and Bo have both been very good with their money (not always so good with mine). I do think she will make someone a fine frugal wife someday. Yesterday I sent her to Wal Mart to do some major grocery shopping. I gave her a blank signed check. It was certainly not the first time she had done the shopping for me, but usually she is loading the groceries while I am paying out. Maybe it has been a while since she has done this by herself or maybe she has just not noticed the total of the groceries as I pay. Whatever it was, she was not prepared for the higher cost of living. I got this phone call, "Mom, I spent a lot of money." Oh yeah? "I don’t want to tell you how much I spent." Been there, know that feeling! I just laughed at her as she tried to explain her purchases and how it was all stuff we needed. With the higher prices of groceries (which you don't really notice) buying a twelve dollar pair of shoes (a good price really) sent the bill higher thatn she had expected. I laughed even more after she hung up, remembering her as a little girl looking very worried and saying, "Are you sure we have the money for this?"

Weekend

It was really a nice weekend here. On Saturday we got lots done around here. My shelves got put up over the washer and dryer. The panels to cover the electrical wires going into the breaker box were put in place. Toby worked on the kitchen cabinets and finished the bathroom cabinet. Alex brought sand over for the foundation of the barn along with some for the patio area on the east side of the house. Since Alex had his bulldozer here, Toby used it to smooth out the yard somewhat (I think it needs lots more work but I am patient). We did lots of little things too, like clean the living room carpet. We did all of this after having a big breakfast in town.

Having breakfast in town is a big treat. Usually in the winter when there is not much to do around the farm, Toby and I like to sneak off and have breakfast together early in the morning. It seems that both of our children like to do this too. While most young people want to sleep in on weekends, ours don’t want to miss anything that might be fun. If you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, just tell them they can’t have them. Then eat them yourself as if they were wonderful. I guarantee that they will want their veggies if they think they are missing out on something wonderful. Same thing with getting them up early – let them think they are missing something great, and they will start wanting to get up early with you. If this fails, just enjoy the time alone with your spouse anyway.

Mom and Dad came over around lunchtime to see the house. They stayed a couple of hours and then drove home. That is about all Dad can handle. He slept in our recliner while he was here. Ranger, the rat terrier, slept with him. Ranger jumped up on the footrest and curled up against Dad’s legs. Dad gave him "the look" that said, "I don’t like dogs", but he let him stay there. Jesse took a picture of them napping together.

That evening we drove out to some friends’ house where the young people had gathered to play volleyball. The parents sat out in lawn chairs visiting, watching the game, and playing with grandbabies (cause there are a few of them now). The evening was cool, and the fellowship fun. I wish I could explain the closeness of these friends and family; the peacefulness they share. It is because we are part of the same kingdom – one of peace, love and joy.

The Home Place

Some of you might want an update on how our home is coming. With the summer heat, things really slowed down around here. I think that after we pushed so hard to get into the house early in the summer, we just needed to rest up, heal up, and re-group. Lately, we have been working on a few little jobs. Toby has made a medicine cabinet for the bathroom and some shelves to go in the laundry area. He has also started working on the kitchen cabinets. There have been a few times that I wished we could just go buy some cabinets, but I have been patient. I know making cabinets is something Toby really wants to do. The barn is the next big project. It should actually go up pretty easily, but it just takes time to get all of the ducks in a row. One of the things that slowed us down the most on building the house was waiting on contractors to do their part. Getting a hold of them, making a time to do the work, waiting on them to show up, having them not show, and then starting the process over again is a big pain. That is one of the problems with the barn. The other is the cost. Pouring concrete and putting up metal is just not something Jesse and I are very helpful with. I know it will all get done eventually. I am not worried about it – in fact, I would rather wait until the weather cools anyway.

I really like our place here. Last night Toby and I walked the little trail he has cut for us. It is a nice little hike. With the pond and rolling hills, this land is very pretty. Someday, when we get it all put together, it will be a great place. I am wondering how the fishing will be this fall and looking forward to having visitors to come check it all out. That is an invitiation.

I got an email from my soldier this morning, and I wrote him back. I feel like I have already bloogged today with all this writing. Now, I am sitting here looking at this screen wondering what I should write.

Yesterday, Jesse and I painted. With the upcoming art show, we both need to get busy. We have cable now - after the last four years of just three stations that were difficult to see. TV can be a distraction for me, but since we only have the basic package (not the movies and such), it has not been too much of a problem (although I really love the history channel). When we first moved back from NM, we had a big satellite dish, and got all sorts of channels. Jesse and I loved all of the old movies. Often we would dance around the house singing like Fred Astair. I also love mysteries. I could watch Magnum, Matlock, and Murder She Wrote all day long. Jesse is pretty good at quoting lines from movies to entertain us. She thinks Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck hung the moon. It is amazing how TV affects our lives.

This week Dish has a special. They are showing HBO stuff free. Hmm, this could be a problem. Last night I was watching "Wyatt Earp", but we had to go to church. Distractions! I think it would be better for me just to rent movies now and then. If I had them at all hours of the day, I could be a couch potato for sure. I try to think that I get my ironing done quicker while watching TV... but not much else. I guess I will just enjoy this free movie week. Next week, I will get a good book.

Bits and Pieces

In several of the blogs I read, there were links to a site that had written a post called "Tribes". I will try to put the link up later in this post for those who would like to read this. The article mentioned two tribes that all people fit into. He also divided people into wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs. He had quite a bit to say about the problems of the hurricane aftermath. In fact, he just had a lot to say period. It is worth the read although it is long. I still don’t think I can add my two cents on the problems in NO, because it would be more than two cents. It would be more like $5.53, and those thoughts are not organized yet. I feel quite a frustration and anger for all that has gone on and is continuing down South. I want people to be strong and brave no matter what (it is the sergeant in me again). If you read this link from Eject, Eject, Eject, know that he is angry too, and sometimes he uses bad language (rare, but it is there). Still, it is a good read.

I had my high school art class yesterday. They are a good group, but yesterday they needed lots of help. That is what I do, but it kept me hopping. There are two art shows coming up in October to be getting ready for. I will participate in both. My art students will participate in one. I will be in charge of the Youth Gallery of that one. It means not only will I be trying to get my own artwork ready, I will be preparing my students also. It is a lot of work, but the joy on their faces when they see their work on the wall at a real show…priceless.

I had Starbuck’s coffee with my buddy, Travis yesterday. We tried to solve the world’s problems or at least some of the problems in our small area of the world. Travis has a heart for the young men in our fellowship. He wants to see them step up to the plate, be courageous, be heroes, be godly young men. I appreciate that in Travis. I stayed too long visiting, but it was a good time. Speaking of heroes, Jesse made an amazing dinner last night of steak grilled with Greek seasoning, a special cucumber sauce and a feta-tomato salad. A few days a go, she grilled salmon with lemon, butter and blackening seasoning and steamed asparagus for the side dish. Any heroes out there that want a wife that can cook….

Well, I just killed a fly on my screen. It may have landed in my coffee. I will try to put the link to "Tribes" on here and move on with my day. Oh, here is a funny comment that my son made when we told him the rat story (a blog or two back). He said that putting the cat and the dog in the closet to find the rat was like something out of a cartoon. Jesse said, "Yeah, where the rat kicks their butt". A cartoon does seem appropriate for that escapade. Maybe I should start a cartoon of my life.
Here is the link: http://www.ejectejecteject.com/archives/000129.html

Family Stuff

Over the weekend we went to Lubbock, Texas, for my cousin’s wedding and to visit my mother-in-law. The wedding was enjoyable with the groom’s father partially officiating the ceremony. The reception was okay, but a little on the dull side. It took the bride and groom a long time to get to the dance part of the party leaving everyone to sit around too long. After most of the food was gone, things got pretty dull. The best part of the wedding was visiting with my cousins whom I had not seen since the family reunion in June. We are a pretty close clan and enjoy each other. Most of the talk centered on the fiasco in New Orleans. The talk was not so much putting the blame on anyone (although state and local governments would get the vote for "least prepared or helpful") as it was wondering what would happen next with all of the people being shipped out to other areas of the country. Although I have lots of thoughts on the subject, the problems in NO are just too much to blog about at this point. I will say that you need to have your citizenship in the heavenly city, because earthly cities will let you down; they will be judged (Ps. 109 is an example).

Visiting with Toby’s mom is always a joy. She is a great lady. I wish we had her around more often. If you ever wonder where Toby (and now my grandbaby) get their stubborness, well, let’s just say that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Speaking of the grandbaby, we were able to see her on Monday. She was highly entertaining as usual. Although she has been repeatedly disciplined for playing with the watercooler at my house, she is just a brick-brain about it. Now, she can get a cup, hold it under the spout, and press the button to get water. Then she takes the cup of water and pours it in the dog bowl. All of which is just pretty amazing for an 18 month old. It was just easier to teach her to do it right rather than keep beating her over it.

We also got to see my sister and her family who were coming home from the DFW area after attending a soccer tournament. We were coming home from Lubbock and met up at my parent’s house. I was able to get one "dig" in on her. She was giving Jesse pointers on getting a job, job interviews, etc. I just had to say, "Yeah, Kathy has a job" (which she does not have right now). Everyone laughed. I felt a little badly about teasing her, but it was just such a perfect setup for a joke – I could not pass it by. I love you, Kathy.

Day of the Rat

Yesterday morning as I was eating my cereal, the dog wanted outside. Not really paying much attention, I opened the door to let him out. As he went out, the cat came in. The cat is basically an outside creature, but occasionally we let her in, and she takes a nap on Jesse’s bed. This time, though, she had a rat in her mouth. I squealed as she trotted by me into Jesse’s room. I hollered to Jesse, who was at the computer in my room, that the cat had just brought in a rat. Then I ran to her room just in time to see the cat drop the rat, and the rat run across the floor to her closet. I squealed again. Jesse came out saying, "Quit screaming" as if I was being silly. Normally, I would not scream, but this was not a mouse, it was a rat – a fairly good size rat.

We let the dog in; after all he is a rat terrier, and he had actually caught a rat out in the field once. Then we went into her room and got some drawing boards to barricade the rat in the closet (we still do not have doors yet). We put the cat and the dog in the closet to look for the rat. Jesse was digging around in the closet too. Of course, the rat was uncovered and ran to hide again. Jesse squealed. I gave her the "see what I mean" look and the "not so brave after all" razzing. About that time Ranger, the rat terrier, went after the rat. There was a skirmish, and the rat took off towards the barricade. There was a little screaming and crashing around. At the same time the dog hit the barricade too. We were not sure if the rat had run out of the closet or not, but Ranger had had enough rat fighting - he wasn’t going back in. We stood in the room (me with my tennis racket) not knowing what to do next. Jesse asked the big question. How were we going to get rid of the rat? I told her, "It looks like we are going to have to shoot it." To which we both started laughing.

We closed off her room for the rest of the day hoping to confine the rat to one room until Toby could come save us. The art girls came that afternoon – so we had to go back and forth into Jesse’s room to get our art supplies. I figured the rat would not try to come out while all the girls were there. At one point I was standing in Jesse’s room looking through art stuff when I accidentally kicked a tennis ball that went rolling across the floor. I nearly had a heart attack, but I did not scream.

When Toby got home from work, we decided to have the rat rodeo. We all armed ourselves and went in for the search and destroy mission. It took us a while to dig to the bottom of Jesse’s closet (that girl has lots of shoes), but we eventually found the rat. Toby killed it rather easily, and that was that. It was kind of a let down, but I was glad to be rid of the rat and the excitement.

This afternoon we are leaving for Lubbock to attend my cousin's wedding. We will be back Sunday sometime. Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

When the Lights Go Out

Toby has always had the ability to fall fast asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. I have never been so lucky. In fact, Toby says that when the lights go off, my mouth goes on. Actually, it is my brain. I begin thinking of all the things that had happened that day that I needed to tell Toby. Last night was the perfect example. When we went to bed, we talked for a few minutes about the day. I told him that I had talked to my brother on the phone. I shared with him some of the things Pete said. Then we got quiet for a minute.

For some reason I thought about the documentary on the battle of "Blackhawk Down" that I had seen earlier that day and started sharing my feelings about the show. Toby jumped and said that he had been asleep, but go ahead and share my thoughts since he was awake now. So I talked for a while. I really only caught the tail end of the show where the men from the battle where telling how they felt about being pulled out of Somalia – not being able to complete their mission – not being able to go back in and rescue their men. One guy said that because of the press coverage of a dead American soldier being drug through the streets, (which is just pretty hard to take) President Clinton pulled the whole mission. Another guy said that although we won the battle, we lost the war. One guy quoted Winston Churchill saying, " We will fight on the beaches, we will fight in the air, we will fight…" Then the soldier said that today our society would add, "But not if one man gets killed." Then it was pointed out that we might have lost the war, but that Somalia was the real loser. Because America has no relationship with Somalia now, the Somalians are far worse off today than they were even at the time of the battle, and they have no hope of making their lives better. My point to Toby was how could Americans even think about pulling out of Iraq before the mission is complete. Think about how it would go in Iraq if we were not there right now working to make peace, training Iraqi military, working to make it a better place for the people. Don’t these liberals get it yet? Toby agreed, and we got quiet for another minute.

Then I thought of something one of the soldiers said. Toby jumped – he was already asleep again! "Go ahead" He said, "I’m awake again." I told him that I just had one more point that I thought was especially important from the show. A soldier pointed out that the President who is the Commander and Chief needed to be as brave as the men he commanded are. Then I told Toby to go to sleep – that I would not wake him up again.