I am headed into the wind today. Mom and I are going to go through some things at her house. It should be a good day - just Mom and me. Yesterday was her birthday, and her nephew, Ted, took her to eat at the Country Club. He is a good guy - it was his birthday too.
I had a talk with the paratrooper concerning dating. Yes, I managed to keep it simple (didn't want to scare him). He did really well. In fact, I think he liked the idea of being friends, keeping your heart pure, having fun together without the pressures of "dating"...He really seems to be a nice kid. He has actually been to our church three times and to some of the "young people gatherings". He said they (the young people) seem to really enjoy each other, and he liked that. He also said that he had been a part of other youth groups, but that he realized something was "different" with ours when one of the guys used "courting" and not the word "dating". He has not questioned the whole courting thing, but he has not run the other way. Hey! He keeps coming back for more. Maybe we are not so scary after all.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Family
Mom came up yesterday bringing my cousin Danny and his family. The last time that we were able to spend anytime with him was at Bo’s wedding. His little family is just precious. His son, Joseph, sang the "Twelve Days of Gym Class" – pretty good for a five-year-old to remember all the words. His little sister, Kaitlyn, reminded me of Jesse at that age (two year old) with her dark curly hair and ornery ways. In fact, Kaitlyn began demanding lunch when she got hungry. She mentioned it several times as we drove to the restaurant although we told her we were going to feed her soon. Jesse is the same way when she gets hungry (a little grumpy and demanding, but all better after eating). Mom seemed to really enjoy Danny’s family. I think Danny is just pretty special to think of Mom and make a special effort to come see her.
Kaitlyn really liked the puppies. She wanted to hold two at a time rather than the one that her mother insisted was enough. Joseph said the puppies were cute, but he did not seem too interested. We have now given away all of the puppies. Of course, we still have the puppy that Mom will take when it gets a little bigger. They certainly went fast after Jesse made a poster and placed it at the truck stop down the road. Maybe we should go into the puppy business. Not!
Seeing family and friends over the holidays has been very nice. There are always the same questions. What is Jesse doing? Does she have a special boy friend? Why not? What are her plans? The answers are: She has two sets of house plans she is currently working on. No, she does not have a "regular" job. No, she does not have a special boyfriend. Only God knows why. Only God knows the future. You are right; she is a pretty girl, and very special, and a real sweetheart. And if your dog bites her again, she will fix the problem for you.
Kaitlyn really liked the puppies. She wanted to hold two at a time rather than the one that her mother insisted was enough. Joseph said the puppies were cute, but he did not seem too interested. We have now given away all of the puppies. Of course, we still have the puppy that Mom will take when it gets a little bigger. They certainly went fast after Jesse made a poster and placed it at the truck stop down the road. Maybe we should go into the puppy business. Not!
Seeing family and friends over the holidays has been very nice. There are always the same questions. What is Jesse doing? Does she have a special boy friend? Why not? What are her plans? The answers are: She has two sets of house plans she is currently working on. No, she does not have a "regular" job. No, she does not have a special boyfriend. Only God knows why. Only God knows the future. You are right; she is a pretty girl, and very special, and a real sweetheart. And if your dog bites her again, she will fix the problem for you.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Dog Days
Jesse mentioned yesterday that she was very tired of dogs, and she was not talking about our puppies. At my brother’s house on Christmas Eve, we had our dog, Ranger; Craig’s dog, Chula; and Pete’s dogs, Katie and Dobie. Dobie was the only "outside" dog. The others were all little dogs with big ego problems. There were several squabbles through out the evening between little dogs invading each other’s space, but it was mostly harmless growls and small nips.
Because Pete lives in the traditional neighborhood with the traditional back yard where he keeps his dogs, he has traditional dog poop. After following my granddaughter around the backyard from the tree house to the trampoline for awhile, I started in the house to discover that I had stepped in dog poop with BOTH feet. I cleaned on my shoes for a while finally taking them off to leave outside. Sara had to do the same thing. Yuck!
After dinner at Pete’s we started opening gifts, when two of the little dogs got too close to each other and decided to have a big fight. It probably sounded more vicious than it was, but it caused lots of excitement. They turned over someone’s coke in the process. In all of the excitement, I stepped right in the spilled coke with my stocking feet. Pretty irritating!
Then later as we were leaving, I had Toby bring me my stinky shoes. I put them on outside, walked to the car, took them off, and handed them to Toby to put in the trunk. Unfortunately, my car door was stuck in the neighbor’s grass and would not shut. Rather than rip out a chunk of grass, I stepped out of the car to lift the car door and stepped in a puddle of Dr. Pepper that Jesse had just poured out. She said the DOG had chewed the lid off of the bottle - so she had just poured it out never thinking that it would run along the curb and I would step in it. She and Toby both laughed at me as I pulled off my socks for the trip home.
But she laughed too soon! We decided to leave our dog at home Christmas Day knowing that Toby’s nephew had a dog that would probably eat Ranger (we were all tired of dogs anyway). Sure enough, the nephew had his dog there. It was a nasty looking mutt with a scar on it’s head from being bitten by it’s own mom. Supposedly, it was part pitbull. As the kids ran and played football and Frisbee, the dog would chase them often tripping them, growling, and biting at them. It seemed harmless enough until it took down one of the big boys and bit him on the bum. Even then we all laughed it off thinking the dog harmless. Afterall, the cousin that he bit looked pretty scary himself. Towards evening, Jesse took the grandbaby outside and the dog was there with them. Lizzie took off running toward the pool, and Jesse went to chase her. There were only a few quick steps involved in the whole chase scene, but the dog growled and bit Jesse on her bum. It really made Jesse mad, but she handled it well. Me, I was for getting rid of the dog.
If you can believe it, Pete and his family came to our house the next day – bringing their dog. Sure enough, our mama dog who is normally very gentle attacked their dog several times. I guess she was protecting the puppies. Like Jesse, I am a little tired of dogs. Yesterday she made a poster for the puppies, and we gave away two dogs already.
Because Pete lives in the traditional neighborhood with the traditional back yard where he keeps his dogs, he has traditional dog poop. After following my granddaughter around the backyard from the tree house to the trampoline for awhile, I started in the house to discover that I had stepped in dog poop with BOTH feet. I cleaned on my shoes for a while finally taking them off to leave outside. Sara had to do the same thing. Yuck!
After dinner at Pete’s we started opening gifts, when two of the little dogs got too close to each other and decided to have a big fight. It probably sounded more vicious than it was, but it caused lots of excitement. They turned over someone’s coke in the process. In all of the excitement, I stepped right in the spilled coke with my stocking feet. Pretty irritating!
Then later as we were leaving, I had Toby bring me my stinky shoes. I put them on outside, walked to the car, took them off, and handed them to Toby to put in the trunk. Unfortunately, my car door was stuck in the neighbor’s grass and would not shut. Rather than rip out a chunk of grass, I stepped out of the car to lift the car door and stepped in a puddle of Dr. Pepper that Jesse had just poured out. She said the DOG had chewed the lid off of the bottle - so she had just poured it out never thinking that it would run along the curb and I would step in it. She and Toby both laughed at me as I pulled off my socks for the trip home.
But she laughed too soon! We decided to leave our dog at home Christmas Day knowing that Toby’s nephew had a dog that would probably eat Ranger (we were all tired of dogs anyway). Sure enough, the nephew had his dog there. It was a nasty looking mutt with a scar on it’s head from being bitten by it’s own mom. Supposedly, it was part pitbull. As the kids ran and played football and Frisbee, the dog would chase them often tripping them, growling, and biting at them. It seemed harmless enough until it took down one of the big boys and bit him on the bum. Even then we all laughed it off thinking the dog harmless. Afterall, the cousin that he bit looked pretty scary himself. Towards evening, Jesse took the grandbaby outside and the dog was there with them. Lizzie took off running toward the pool, and Jesse went to chase her. There were only a few quick steps involved in the whole chase scene, but the dog growled and bit Jesse on her bum. It really made Jesse mad, but she handled it well. Me, I was for getting rid of the dog.
If you can believe it, Pete and his family came to our house the next day – bringing their dog. Sure enough, our mama dog who is normally very gentle attacked their dog several times. I guess she was protecting the puppies. Like Jesse, I am a little tired of dogs. Yesterday she made a poster for the puppies, and we gave away two dogs already.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Fire Bugs
The weather has been beautiful the last few days – in the high 60’s to low 70’s. Since Toby took Friday off, he decided to get some fence work done on the old Morgan place near Comanche (our last home). He took Bo and a kid from our church with him in order to get lots done. Jesse went to town to do some last minute Christmas shopping. My plan was to stay home and get some work done and then go to Comanche and get lunch and take it out to the boys. As I drove into Comanche, I passed two fire trucks headed east. I got that sinking feeling in my stomach because I knew that Toby had taken the welder, and it has been awfully dry this winter. I just made a U-turn and headed to the old place. I actually beat the fire trucks there because they turned down the section road too early.
Toby has set fire to pastures before, but this one was really scary. There have been some major fires in our area lately due to the dry winter and high winds. Fortunately there was no wind on Friday or we could have set the whole county on fire. If any of you saw the national news coverage of the fires near Velma, Ok, (the Sunday after Thanksgiving) you know how bad they can be. Those fires burned about 10,000 acres and destroyed about 16 homes – mostly mobile homes. Those fires were only about 4 miles east of us, and they made CNN.
Because the day was calm and the fire trucks arrived quickly, they were able to contain the fire to about four acres. Most of that was thick brush that needed burning (maybe not right now) making the flames shoot up over six feet in the air. Everyone was okay – no one was hurt. Hearts were racing, but all was fine.
When everything calmed down, I learned that Bo had been welding while Toby and James pounded t-post into the ground. With Bo’s gimpy knee (knee surgery a few weeks ago), he was not able to move very fast. They had not set up water buckets or shovels or any other fire fighting devices needed while welding. Once the fire started, it just got away from Bo before he could find anything to put it out with. It burned along the bar ditch near the wheat, but when it hit the tall native grass, it was more than Toby and the boys could handle.
Later that evening Jesse confessed that she had been making herself some eggs with little smokies. She set a plate on the stove while she heated up the smokies in the skillet. She said that when she put the smokies over on the plate, they continued to sizzle. She had put the plate on the burner, but forgotten to turn off the fire under the plate. She managed to not burn herself or the house, but it worries me that she is following in her Dad and brother’s footsteps.
Toby has set fire to pastures before, but this one was really scary. There have been some major fires in our area lately due to the dry winter and high winds. Fortunately there was no wind on Friday or we could have set the whole county on fire. If any of you saw the national news coverage of the fires near Velma, Ok, (the Sunday after Thanksgiving) you know how bad they can be. Those fires burned about 10,000 acres and destroyed about 16 homes – mostly mobile homes. Those fires were only about 4 miles east of us, and they made CNN.
Because the day was calm and the fire trucks arrived quickly, they were able to contain the fire to about four acres. Most of that was thick brush that needed burning (maybe not right now) making the flames shoot up over six feet in the air. Everyone was okay – no one was hurt. Hearts were racing, but all was fine.
When everything calmed down, I learned that Bo had been welding while Toby and James pounded t-post into the ground. With Bo’s gimpy knee (knee surgery a few weeks ago), he was not able to move very fast. They had not set up water buckets or shovels or any other fire fighting devices needed while welding. Once the fire started, it just got away from Bo before he could find anything to put it out with. It burned along the bar ditch near the wheat, but when it hit the tall native grass, it was more than Toby and the boys could handle.
Later that evening Jesse confessed that she had been making herself some eggs with little smokies. She set a plate on the stove while she heated up the smokies in the skillet. She said that when she put the smokies over on the plate, they continued to sizzle. She had put the plate on the burner, but forgotten to turn off the fire under the plate. She managed to not burn herself or the house, but it worries me that she is following in her Dad and brother’s footsteps.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Holidays
The Christmas holidays have started early for me. Toby took today off as well as having Monday off. Having him around throws my timing off. All that I needed to do now has to be discussed and shared with all that he needs to do or needs me to do with him. He did take me to breakfast this morning (one of my favorite things to do with him), and then we went to Wal Mart. Fortunately, it was early this morning so we missed the crowd. Now I am sending Jesse back to town to do all the things that I needed to do, but was distracted from by Toby and his list.
Tonight the kids will go to a party in town to play games – video games for the boys and some board games for the bored girls. The paratrooper is invited too. Hopefully, he will get to know some of the other young people from the fellowship. I have mentioned that at some point someone needs to share with him the rules of girls and guys, but that totally freaks Jesse out. She hopes he will head back to Ft. Bragg without any speeches about dating and courtship. I think that if he is going to run with this crowd, he needs to know some of the rules. If you are wondering what the "rules" are, you will have to email me. The rules are not odd or strange, but these kids do things a little different because they are a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9).
I have lots to do in the next few days so posting might be touch and go (and Toby is home all day). We will go to Mom’s on Christmas morning and then on over to Toby’s family in Electra for the rest of the day. Keep in mind that Colossians 2:16 says, " Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" Do not let the holidays stress you out. There is no where in the Bible that says you have to spend lots of money and give lots of gifts on Christmas. In fact, you do not have to celebrate Christmas at all - especially in the very commercial way society says to celebrate. That means we can celebrate Christ anytime, anyway we want. I like the freedom in that. I do want to wish everyone joy and peace in all their days.
Tonight the kids will go to a party in town to play games – video games for the boys and some board games for the bored girls. The paratrooper is invited too. Hopefully, he will get to know some of the other young people from the fellowship. I have mentioned that at some point someone needs to share with him the rules of girls and guys, but that totally freaks Jesse out. She hopes he will head back to Ft. Bragg without any speeches about dating and courtship. I think that if he is going to run with this crowd, he needs to know some of the rules. If you are wondering what the "rules" are, you will have to email me. The rules are not odd or strange, but these kids do things a little different because they are a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9).
I have lots to do in the next few days so posting might be touch and go (and Toby is home all day). We will go to Mom’s on Christmas morning and then on over to Toby’s family in Electra for the rest of the day. Keep in mind that Colossians 2:16 says, " Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" Do not let the holidays stress you out. There is no where in the Bible that says you have to spend lots of money and give lots of gifts on Christmas. In fact, you do not have to celebrate Christmas at all - especially in the very commercial way society says to celebrate. That means we can celebrate Christ anytime, anyway we want. I like the freedom in that. I do want to wish everyone joy and peace in all their days.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Very Interesting
About five years ago when we lived on our big ranch in Loco, a family from Big Springs, TX, bought the ranch next to us. At the time, they were building a big, beautiful home, but had not moved in yet. One day they came over to visit bringing their son who was Jesse’s age. He was a tall skinny kid with a mop of red/blonde hair. They rode four-wheelers that day, but I don’t remember seeing him again after that. We would see his parents from time to time, and they told us that he had joined the Army and become a paratrooper.
Last night a big white truck pulled up outside the house and a young man stepped out. He was about 6’5" with a military haircut. It was the Simon’s son all grown up. Apparently he was home on leave, had been in Afghanistan, and was now stationed at Ft. Bragg. Because he had not gone to school here and had not really lived here, he did not know many people – especially ones his age. His parents had suggested he call Jesse (she has impressed someone). So, he came over and stayed most of the evening.
He had great pictures of his time in Afghanistan and good stories too. He seemed like a nice kid and fairly brave to show up at the Baggett household not knowing what to expect. I am not sure how impressed Jesse was. She is certainly a tough nut to crack (could be one of the reasons she does not have a gazillion guys). She managed to smile and laugh at all the appropriate places and even said "fantastic" a few times. Actually, she was great – especially for someone who was a little freaked out.
We brought the puppies in to show off and take pictures (Toby has a dirty Santa game to play today at work – we needed a puppy gift certificate). Travis mentioned that he once had a blue heeler dog that was "probably smarter than I was". Jesse’s eyebrow went up, but she managed not to give a smart aleck reply. I was very proud of her. I figure we will probably see more of Travis before he leaves next week. Could be interesting.
Last night a big white truck pulled up outside the house and a young man stepped out. He was about 6’5" with a military haircut. It was the Simon’s son all grown up. Apparently he was home on leave, had been in Afghanistan, and was now stationed at Ft. Bragg. Because he had not gone to school here and had not really lived here, he did not know many people – especially ones his age. His parents had suggested he call Jesse (she has impressed someone). So, he came over and stayed most of the evening.
He had great pictures of his time in Afghanistan and good stories too. He seemed like a nice kid and fairly brave to show up at the Baggett household not knowing what to expect. I am not sure how impressed Jesse was. She is certainly a tough nut to crack (could be one of the reasons she does not have a gazillion guys). She managed to smile and laugh at all the appropriate places and even said "fantastic" a few times. Actually, she was great – especially for someone who was a little freaked out.
We brought the puppies in to show off and take pictures (Toby has a dirty Santa game to play today at work – we needed a puppy gift certificate). Travis mentioned that he once had a blue heeler dog that was "probably smarter than I was". Jesse’s eyebrow went up, but she managed not to give a smart aleck reply. I was very proud of her. I figure we will probably see more of Travis before he leaves next week. Could be interesting.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Artist Speller
Gosh! I just read through my last posting. Did I write that? Did I write "where" instead of "were"? Twice? I also have a big old run-on sentence. Who knows what else 'cause I quit reading. It must have been too early to write or think. Yikes, I must be getting old and forgetful. I always did hate editing.
Funny Girl
Uncle Pete thinks his niece, Jesse, just about hung the moon. He got pretty tickled when she compared shopping with Grandma and her friend to herding cats. In fact, Pete thinks Jesse is just so smart, so funny and so pretty – so why does she not have a gazillion guys chasing her? Although we have explained to Pete that we don’t want a gazillion guys – she is waiting on the right guy, he constantly thinks he should help out by introducing her to young men from his church (this has yet to happen, but discussed much). Lately, he has been looking for her a job too. Yesterday he set her up to talk to an architect friend of his who might be looking for a drafter. Jesse met with this guy earlier in the day. When we got to Pete’s house later, he began quizzing her on how her interview went. Pete said, "Where you the fun, smart Jesse or where you the serious, shy Jesse?" (He wants her to show off her personality.) At one point, she said, " You know, Pete, some people don’t think I am very smart." Then she explained that in her classes people often thought she was just a silly girl - until they got back their test scores (Jesse has a 4 point in her college classes). Debbie, Pete’s wife, remarked that then they realized that she had personality and was smart too. All of this discussing Jesse’s attributes made me think of how the jeep drivers (young men) in RR used to discuss girls – when discussing a girl who did not have much going for her, they would say, "well, she makes her own clothes." Pete nearly fell off his chair laughing when Jesse piped in, "Hey, I do that too!" So there you are! Jesse is smart, pretty, funny, and she makes her own clothes. If you are wondering why she does not have a gazillion guys, well, we will have to save that for another blog, but don't hold your breath.
Monday, December 19, 2005
The Weekend
We had a rather quiet weekend staying home and getting a few things done. I have been trying to paint a few Christmas cards or in this case they may be New Year’s cards. I have also been working on thank you notes. They remind me of my grading papers days when I would rather clean the house than grade papers. One of my fellow artist friends said that most artists are not good at math or spelling. Yeah rite!
We did attend a wedding on Saturday. We got all dressed up and went to a local Baptist church. The Christmas decorations were amazing and beautiful. The wedding itself was dull as dirt and then there was no reception. The whole thing seemed rather cold. Celebrating with your friends and loved ones is a big part of getting married. When Toby and I got married, the preacher told us that he was going to say, " Do ya, do ya? And we were supposed to say Yeah, yeah. Then lets go to the party." That is exactly what we did. People still talk about my wedding reception. Of course, it is not everybody that has Neil Young playing with the local band at the Motherlode in RR (he just happened to be in town and was looking for a party). Seriously, I think that it is important to meet and greet your guests giving them a chance to wish you well. When Jesse gets married, it will be a big celebration!
Today I am headed to WF to see Mom. She got in from her trip to NM where she was the bell of the ball. She said that her friends had so many get-togethers that she could hardly get from one to the next on time. She seemed to have a great time. Hopefully, I will get her set up with email (again) so that she can stay in touch with everyone easier. Yeah rite!
We did attend a wedding on Saturday. We got all dressed up and went to a local Baptist church. The Christmas decorations were amazing and beautiful. The wedding itself was dull as dirt and then there was no reception. The whole thing seemed rather cold. Celebrating with your friends and loved ones is a big part of getting married. When Toby and I got married, the preacher told us that he was going to say, " Do ya, do ya? And we were supposed to say Yeah, yeah. Then lets go to the party." That is exactly what we did. People still talk about my wedding reception. Of course, it is not everybody that has Neil Young playing with the local band at the Motherlode in RR (he just happened to be in town and was looking for a party). Seriously, I think that it is important to meet and greet your guests giving them a chance to wish you well. When Jesse gets married, it will be a big celebration!
Today I am headed to WF to see Mom. She got in from her trip to NM where she was the bell of the ball. She said that her friends had so many get-togethers that she could hardly get from one to the next on time. She seemed to have a great time. Hopefully, I will get her set up with email (again) so that she can stay in touch with everyone easier. Yeah rite!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Two Funnies
There are some people at our church that do not do Christmas trees or Santa Claus – sort of like not doing the Easter bunny - just trying to keep the holidays more focused on what they are suppose to be about. This is not a requirement in our church. It is not a sin or anything odd. It is just each person’s personal convictions. I tell you that in order to tell you this silly story about Jesse and Lindsay.
At art yesterday, Lindsay remarked about all my beautiful poinsettias. I have five poinsettias given to me by different people. Our little house is beginning to look like a flower shop. Jesse told Lindsay to take one home with her since we had so many. After much discussion, she picked a very pretty flower, but as she lifted it up she said, "Oh, it has a basket on it." (as opposed to wrapping paper). Jesse told her to go ahead and take it – the basket was not important to us. Then Lindsay noticed that the basket had Christmas trees painted on it, and being funny she said, "Heathen Christmas trees!" Jesse quickly responded with, "I guess you will go to hell in a flower basket."
Last night Jesse and I attended the Duncan Art Guild Christmas party. Everyone was supposed to bring food and a small gift to play the dirty Santa game. It is beginning to be popular to give a small painting rather than some cheap gift. Marty Childers is probably the best-known artist in our club, and he has been known to give little paintings as his Christmas gift. They are much coveted by the members of the club. Jesse drew the number one and went first in the choosing of her gift. She chose Marty’s gift. When she unwrapped it, there were two small canvases. She showed the members of the guild and then took her seat. The game continued, and people chose gifts and took gifts away and chose new ones – I really hate this game. In the mean time, Jesse takes apart the two canvases and sees a painting by Marty in between the two boards. Honest Jesse wanted to tell everyone what she really had. Me, I told her that she could kiss that painting good-bye if she told. No one would think anything of taking her painting away. After all, this was dirty Santa. So she kept quiet and kept her painting which thrilled her. I ended up with a tube of white oil paint, which is actually a great gift for me.
My "give away" gift was a small watercolor painting on a card – much like I do for Christmas cards. Inside Jesse put a gift certificate for a puppy – redeemable after Jan. 1st. The lady who chose my gift looked dumbfounded when she saw the gift certificate. Jesse and I nearly fell out of our seats laughing. We had to explain that the gift was the painting – the puppy certificate was a joke. Everyone laughed then including the lady who chose the gift. We all went home happy with our gifts.
At art yesterday, Lindsay remarked about all my beautiful poinsettias. I have five poinsettias given to me by different people. Our little house is beginning to look like a flower shop. Jesse told Lindsay to take one home with her since we had so many. After much discussion, she picked a very pretty flower, but as she lifted it up she said, "Oh, it has a basket on it." (as opposed to wrapping paper). Jesse told her to go ahead and take it – the basket was not important to us. Then Lindsay noticed that the basket had Christmas trees painted on it, and being funny she said, "Heathen Christmas trees!" Jesse quickly responded with, "I guess you will go to hell in a flower basket."
Last night Jesse and I attended the Duncan Art Guild Christmas party. Everyone was supposed to bring food and a small gift to play the dirty Santa game. It is beginning to be popular to give a small painting rather than some cheap gift. Marty Childers is probably the best-known artist in our club, and he has been known to give little paintings as his Christmas gift. They are much coveted by the members of the club. Jesse drew the number one and went first in the choosing of her gift. She chose Marty’s gift. When she unwrapped it, there were two small canvases. She showed the members of the guild and then took her seat. The game continued, and people chose gifts and took gifts away and chose new ones – I really hate this game. In the mean time, Jesse takes apart the two canvases and sees a painting by Marty in between the two boards. Honest Jesse wanted to tell everyone what she really had. Me, I told her that she could kiss that painting good-bye if she told. No one would think anything of taking her painting away. After all, this was dirty Santa. So she kept quiet and kept her painting which thrilled her. I ended up with a tube of white oil paint, which is actually a great gift for me.
My "give away" gift was a small watercolor painting on a card – much like I do for Christmas cards. Inside Jesse put a gift certificate for a puppy – redeemable after Jan. 1st. The lady who chose my gift looked dumbfounded when she saw the gift certificate. Jesse and I nearly fell out of our seats laughing. We had to explain that the gift was the painting – the puppy certificate was a joke. Everyone laughed then including the lady who chose the gift. We all went home happy with our gifts.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
The Wedding Feast
At my dad’s graveside service the preacher compared dying and going to heaven to wearing out your old clothes and going to get new ones. He said this in order to explain death to the kids at the funeral. Although there is some truth to his metaphor, it made me think of another story in the Bible that is very important. If you do not like my religious views, you may not want to read any further.
In Mathew 22, Jesus tells the parable of the Marriage Feast. Verse 11 says that there was a man there not dressed in his wedding clothes. When asked why he had come here without his wedding clothes, the man was speechless. The king ordered the man be bound and cast out into outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
It seems to me that this parable is saying that you better be dressed for the wedding before you get there, and not expect that your rags are okay or that someone else will provide clothes at the feast.
So how do you dress yourself for the wedding? There are several places in the Bible where we are told to take off the old and "put on" the new. Romans 13:14 says "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh in regard to its lusts". Ephesians 4:24 says, "put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Colossians 3:9-10 says, "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him." Verses 12-14 say, "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." I love that last part about putting on love and other good things. It reminds me of putting on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6.
It seems to me that if you want to be dressed for the wedding feast, you need to be putting on your clothes right now. You need to be laying off the old stuff in your life and changing into the image of Christ. He equips you with every good thing to do this. Don’t think that your old rags are good enough (back up to Col 3:5 for a good list of what to put off). Don’t wait until you die to get new clothes or you might be speechless like the man in the parable.
The preacher at my dad’s funeral was saying we will be changed in heaven. I can agree with that, but I think that change starts now. I am not saying that my dad did not have on his wedding clothes. I just think we are putting them on throughout life by walking in the steps of Jesus.
In Mathew 22, Jesus tells the parable of the Marriage Feast. Verse 11 says that there was a man there not dressed in his wedding clothes. When asked why he had come here without his wedding clothes, the man was speechless. The king ordered the man be bound and cast out into outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
It seems to me that this parable is saying that you better be dressed for the wedding before you get there, and not expect that your rags are okay or that someone else will provide clothes at the feast.
So how do you dress yourself for the wedding? There are several places in the Bible where we are told to take off the old and "put on" the new. Romans 13:14 says "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh in regard to its lusts". Ephesians 4:24 says, "put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Colossians 3:9-10 says, "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him." Verses 12-14 say, "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." I love that last part about putting on love and other good things. It reminds me of putting on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6.
It seems to me that if you want to be dressed for the wedding feast, you need to be putting on your clothes right now. You need to be laying off the old stuff in your life and changing into the image of Christ. He equips you with every good thing to do this. Don’t think that your old rags are good enough (back up to Col 3:5 for a good list of what to put off). Don’t wait until you die to get new clothes or you might be speechless like the man in the parable.
The preacher at my dad’s funeral was saying we will be changed in heaven. I can agree with that, but I think that change starts now. I am not saying that my dad did not have on his wedding clothes. I just think we are putting them on throughout life by walking in the steps of Jesus.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Brokeback Mountain
The other night while watching the news, a segment came on about "Brokeback Mountain". I groaned and said that I did not care to see that. Toby had not heard anything about the movie and asked why I did not want to see the movie or the segment. I explained that the movie was about gay cowboys. Of course, I ranted about movies these days and what will they think of next. Toby was incredulous. He stayed to see the news segment while I walked to the kitchen to do something more useful. Then I heard him laugh, so I came back toward the TV. He said, "That explains everything! Look! They are not cowboys. They are sheep herders!" Sure enough, the clip showed them moving sheep – not cattle. So please do not call this a cowboy movie.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Knee Surgery
Bo’s knee surgery went off without any problems. The doctor cut out the junk in Bo’s knee and gave him something to make everything feel good. Although the doctor said Bo could eat whatever he wanted after surgery, he recommended food that was not too spicy. After not eating all day, Sara gave Bo a baked potato for supper. The rest of us ordered a pizza. Sara would not let Bo have any, which made me laugh. I did feel a little sorry for Bo and even thought about sneaking him a piece. The truth is that I know nothing about medicine and doctors. Baggett’s do not go to doctors unless absolutely necessary. Sara’s family is much more knowledgeable about such stuff. We often call Sara’s mom "Dr. Patty" because she is so good at doctor stuff. She took charge of Bo’s medication and even called the pharmacist when we were unsure of how much pain meds he could take. I would never have thought to do that. She wrote down questions for Sara to ask the doctor when she talks to him – smart stuff.
Me, well, I was just there to visit with my son and play with my grandbaby. Jesse and I rolled around in the floor "rastling" with Lizzie entertaining Bo who was propped up in the bed with his leg iced and raised appropriately. We discussed the "Survivor" ending and books that we were reading. It was a nice visit. I probably would have fed him pizza. After all, he was raised on Mexican food – the hotter the better. What would a little pizza do? With my luck, the pizza would have made him sick. I am glad he is married, and his wife can make those decisions. She takes good care of him and my grandbaby. A good wife is a good thing – a blessing from the Lord. I had that thought several times yesterday as I watched Sara fret over Bo. He is one blessed man.
Me, well, I was just there to visit with my son and play with my grandbaby. Jesse and I rolled around in the floor "rastling" with Lizzie entertaining Bo who was propped up in the bed with his leg iced and raised appropriately. We discussed the "Survivor" ending and books that we were reading. It was a nice visit. I probably would have fed him pizza. After all, he was raised on Mexican food – the hotter the better. What would a little pizza do? With my luck, the pizza would have made him sick. I am glad he is married, and his wife can make those decisions. She takes good care of him and my grandbaby. A good wife is a good thing – a blessing from the Lord. I had that thought several times yesterday as I watched Sara fret over Bo. He is one blessed man.
Monday, December 12, 2005
To the City
Bo is having knee surgery today in the City. It is not too serious – just some cleaning out of the trash that has been causing his knee to swell lately. Jesse is going to baby-sit Lizzie while I go to the hospital with Sara. We are picking up Sara’s mother on the way. She is going to baby-sit me.
Did I tell you that we have six puppies? They are basically cow dogs – border collie/ Australian shepherds. They are all spotted black and white. They were born Thanksgiving weekend and just now have their eyes open. Jesse brought them all in the house the other night so that we each had two puppies to play with. As they warmed up in the house, they began to stretch and roll onto their backs to sleep. Jesse squealed like a little girl while they squirmed in her arms. She had to lay down in the floor and just let them crawl on her. I am not much better. Puppies are just pretty cute.
Mom headed off to the mountains with one of her buddies. She will get to see all of her friends there. I think this will be a great time for her. The mountains are a great place for healing, but don’t forget who our real mountain is.
Did I tell you that we have six puppies? They are basically cow dogs – border collie/ Australian shepherds. They are all spotted black and white. They were born Thanksgiving weekend and just now have their eyes open. Jesse brought them all in the house the other night so that we each had two puppies to play with. As they warmed up in the house, they began to stretch and roll onto their backs to sleep. Jesse squealed like a little girl while they squirmed in her arms. She had to lay down in the floor and just let them crawl on her. I am not much better. Puppies are just pretty cute.
Mom headed off to the mountains with one of her buddies. She will get to see all of her friends there. I think this will be a great time for her. The mountains are a great place for healing, but don’t forget who our real mountain is.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Chicago
My little brother called yesterday to say that he had two tickets to see the group Chicago in concert. A buddy of his had won them by calling into a radio station. He gave them to Pete, and Pete was offering them to me. I had wanted to go to this concert, but Toby is not a big Chicago fan. Lindsay (Jesse’s friend) and I had discussed how we both liked Chicago while everyone else around us just groaned. When I asked Toby if he wanted to go, he still groaned. Lindsay happened to be here at art when Pete called. She was waving her hand hollering "Pick me!" So I handed over my chance to go to the concert to Lindsay and Jesse. They managed to transform themselves from grungy art students to beautiful babes and head to WF in time for the concert. I was very jealous as they drove off in Jesse’s Scion. Another great adventure! I guess I will just put on my Chicago Christmas CD. Maybe I will put some socks on my ears and just hang here at the house.
Actually, having my art girls here was quite wonderful. I love art, and I love being with my girls. Last night, I loved just being home with my husband – and yes, watching "Survivor".
Actually, having my art girls here was quite wonderful. I love art, and I love being with my girls. Last night, I loved just being home with my husband – and yes, watching "Survivor".
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Dad's Death
On Friday morning my dad quit breathing. He just never woke up. A couple of weeks before this, God showed me how He would take Dad; therefore, I was able to prepare myself and Mom. My sister, Kathy, did great It was all very peaceful. No one got upset – everyone was ready. That was the easy part.
Then all of the family started showing up. The Barkers are quite a clan! One cousin said that he had never seen so many "type A" personalities in one room. They are loud and fun and loving. Saturday, we made all of the arrangements for Dad’s burial without any problems. There was no arguing or disagreements – once again all was peaceable. Craig put together a beautiful power-point slide show of Dad’s life with my Forester Sisters CD playing in the background. He had a beautiful picture of Dad that showed his piercing blue eyes enlarged to put near the casket. People dropped by the house bringing food and condolences.
Sunday afternoon we had a visitation time at the funeral home. The place was packed with old friends, old students, and family. Many started their conversations with "Your dad did this for me…" I took a phone call from a Black lady named Liberty Cotton. She told how Dad had helped her with her five children and went on to say what a fine man Dad was. There were emails sent to the funeral home telling how Dad helped them to stay in school, how fair and just he was, and how he loved his students. It was all pretty awesome.
Monday the funeral went off without a hitch. Once again there were lots of folks there. This time, not only were there friends of Dad’s, but friends of our family. It was not a sad funeral. Most of the talk had to do with Dad the man and his life. Afterward, a few ladies from my fellowship brought a meal to the house and had it all set up for us when we returned from the funeral. It was all perfect. The house was full of people most of the afternoon. Then they started trickling away.
Tuesday around lunch time there were just a few of us left at the house doing odd jobs like moving flowers, cleaning out the fridge, and vacuuming. My Uncle Bobby said, "Let’s go get a hamburger." Although there had been weepy moments for the last several days, this was a tough one. We no longer had to think "what about Dad – who will stay with him". It was as if reality set in. My dad is gone. No longer will he help us. No longer will he help others. No longer will he just be at the house. No longer will he give us that silly grin. No longer will he be sick. No longer will we need to take care of him. It is amazing how I can be sad and glad at the same time. Yet, mostly, I will just miss him terribly.
Then all of the family started showing up. The Barkers are quite a clan! One cousin said that he had never seen so many "type A" personalities in one room. They are loud and fun and loving. Saturday, we made all of the arrangements for Dad’s burial without any problems. There was no arguing or disagreements – once again all was peaceable. Craig put together a beautiful power-point slide show of Dad’s life with my Forester Sisters CD playing in the background. He had a beautiful picture of Dad that showed his piercing blue eyes enlarged to put near the casket. People dropped by the house bringing food and condolences.
Sunday afternoon we had a visitation time at the funeral home. The place was packed with old friends, old students, and family. Many started their conversations with "Your dad did this for me…" I took a phone call from a Black lady named Liberty Cotton. She told how Dad had helped her with her five children and went on to say what a fine man Dad was. There were emails sent to the funeral home telling how Dad helped them to stay in school, how fair and just he was, and how he loved his students. It was all pretty awesome.
Monday the funeral went off without a hitch. Once again there were lots of folks there. This time, not only were there friends of Dad’s, but friends of our family. It was not a sad funeral. Most of the talk had to do with Dad the man and his life. Afterward, a few ladies from my fellowship brought a meal to the house and had it all set up for us when we returned from the funeral. It was all perfect. The house was full of people most of the afternoon. Then they started trickling away.
Tuesday around lunch time there were just a few of us left at the house doing odd jobs like moving flowers, cleaning out the fridge, and vacuuming. My Uncle Bobby said, "Let’s go get a hamburger." Although there had been weepy moments for the last several days, this was a tough one. We no longer had to think "what about Dad – who will stay with him". It was as if reality set in. My dad is gone. No longer will he help us. No longer will he help others. No longer will he just be at the house. No longer will he give us that silly grin. No longer will he be sick. No longer will we need to take care of him. It is amazing how I can be sad and glad at the same time. Yet, mostly, I will just miss him terribly.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Home Today
Hello my blogger friends - I have missed you. I have been in WF all week helping my mom take care of my dad. Dad is not doing well. He is in a hospital bed at home. He sleeps all of the time. It is difficult to wake him to eat. He is forgetting how to swallow. His body is shutting down. Yet, he has no pain, and it is all pretty peaceable.
God has given me lots of time to prepare for this day - and I am thankful. It is a good thing to be able to take care of your father as he once took care of you. It is not a hard thing to do. It is hard to come home for a day or two and be away from Dad. My sister is there now. It was important that I step aside and let her have time with Dad, too.
My mom is incredibly strong. She is weepy from time to time, but then we all are. I try not to be sad or weepy. I feel like I need to be strong for my family and friends. It just does not seem to be the time for that.
My big brother was here for a few days at Thanksgiving. He was great with Dad. I wish he could be here more, but maybe it is different for men. My little brother comes by to check on Mom and Dad every day. He is great.
We had a good Thanksgiving together, although Dad slept through it. One of the Hospice nurses said we were "the most functional family she had". What a funny thought! I guess I take for granted the closeness of my family - it just seems normal to me. The truth is that only God could bring us all together and bless us like this. It is love that helps us bear with one another and be patient with one another. Once again, I am thankful.
On Thanksgiving night, Craig, Kathy, Mom, Jesse and I watched the Miss America Dog pagent on Animal Planet. It was like a real beauty pagent, but with dogs. They had a talent contest and a evening gown contest. My family was cheering and laughing and having a great time picking out our favorite. It will be a good memory - forever.
God has given me lots of time to prepare for this day - and I am thankful. It is a good thing to be able to take care of your father as he once took care of you. It is not a hard thing to do. It is hard to come home for a day or two and be away from Dad. My sister is there now. It was important that I step aside and let her have time with Dad, too.
My mom is incredibly strong. She is weepy from time to time, but then we all are. I try not to be sad or weepy. I feel like I need to be strong for my family and friends. It just does not seem to be the time for that.
My big brother was here for a few days at Thanksgiving. He was great with Dad. I wish he could be here more, but maybe it is different for men. My little brother comes by to check on Mom and Dad every day. He is great.
We had a good Thanksgiving together, although Dad slept through it. One of the Hospice nurses said we were "the most functional family she had". What a funny thought! I guess I take for granted the closeness of my family - it just seems normal to me. The truth is that only God could bring us all together and bless us like this. It is love that helps us bear with one another and be patient with one another. Once again, I am thankful.
On Thanksgiving night, Craig, Kathy, Mom, Jesse and I watched the Miss America Dog pagent on Animal Planet. It was like a real beauty pagent, but with dogs. They had a talent contest and a evening gown contest. My family was cheering and laughing and having a great time picking out our favorite. It will be a good memory - forever.
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