I need to be doing major housecleaning, and here I am sitting at my computer. Tomorrow night I am hosting a Premier Design Jewelry party. Yeha! What was I thinking to get myself into this? Oh well, it is incentive to really clean the house, and I like jewelry.
I have been blog surfing and commenting on other blogs today. Buck always has interesting things to say on current issues. If you want some great links to different viewpoints on the Hezbollah/Israel conflict, visit Buck. It makes my blog seem trivial. Then again, I have always had a difficult time being serious, but I do like to know what is going on in the world even if I do not blog about it. As slow as my computer is, it is nice to have someone else do all of the searching and surfing to find the real news. Yeah, we know it is the computer that is slow and not the girl.
Speaking of less serious subjects, I have a funny story for you. While visiting my mom in WF on Friday, we went to Sam’s Club. My brother met us there and took Mom with him to go find her a new (old) monitor for her computer. They checked out of Sam’s ahead of me, and we went our separate ways. Later, my brother (who is about as serious as I am) called to say that he had to take Mom back to Sam’s because she had forgotten her Sam’s card. He waited for her outside, keeping the car cool while she ran in to get her card. He said he noticed a vehicle similar to his parked in front of Sam’s also. Sure enough, when Mom came out of the store, she headed to the wrong vehicle. My brother honked his horn to no avail. Mom got in the car with a strange man. The man said, "You are getting into the wrong car!" My mom looked up and was just aghast, but she started laughing. Then she said to the stranger, "Well, you are better looking than the man I came with!" The man started laughing too, and said, "Well, you look a lot like the lady that I sent inside the store." Of course, Pete was LOL – probably could not see to drive with the tears in his eyes. And now you know where Pete and I get our seriousness – from Dad – certainly not Mom.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Soldier Weddings
On Saturday mornings, Toby and I like to sneak away for breakfast in town. Today while we were eating, we heard an older man talking at a nearby table. He said he had lost his wife back in May. They had been married 68 years. "Yeah, she married me when I was a soldier at Ft. Sill back in 1939." The older man was just pretty cute at 80+ years of age. I wondered how he looked in uniform back in 1939 – I bet he was something!
My cousin, Fred, sent this link to pictures of his son, Captain Jim’s wedding. I have posted info and letters about my cousin who is a captain in the Marines. Capt. Jim and Ariel were planning a big August wedding in Dallas, and we all were looking forward to the party. In June, they found out that Jim would deploy to Iraq in October. So, they moved the wedding up to July 1st out on the East Coast – meaning that we could not make the wedding. I have heard that it was beautiful – just perfect as every wedding should be. I also heard that as the bride and groom went through the raised sabers, the bride did not have a clue that she would be swatted on the butt. Don’t bother looking at all of the wedding pictures, but the one on the link is classic – the surprise on Ariel’s face is real.
This wedding talk reminded me that Captain Jim’s parents got together (started courting) while Fred, (my 1st cousin) was in Vietnam. Although he knew Paula from school and church, they began to fall in love when Paula started writing Fred letters while he was overseas in Vietnam. When Fred returned home from the war, he and Paula became engaged, married, and eventually had twins (Jim and Carrie).
Captain Jim’s grandparents (my Aunt Lois and Uncle Wes) were also married while Uncle Wes was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base during WWII – another soldier and bride wedding. My family has a letter written sometime in the 1970’s to the Wichita Falls Times and Record News by a man who had been stationed as Sheppard during WWII. He mentioned how wonderful the people of WF were – opening their homes to feed soldiers on Sunday afternoons. He said his favorite place to eat and visit had been the Fred and Lou Ella Barker home (my grandparents). He said that the food was wonderful (my grandparents were chefs/caterers), but the best part was the Barker’s two beautiful daughters. He said his Air Force buddy, Wes Lively, was lucky enough to marry one of the daughters (my Aunt Lois, Captain Jim’s grandmother – and yes, she was beautiful).
Three generations of soldier and bride weddings – we women are suckers for men in uniform. We also love a love story.
My cousin, Fred, sent this link to pictures of his son, Captain Jim’s wedding. I have posted info and letters about my cousin who is a captain in the Marines. Capt. Jim and Ariel were planning a big August wedding in Dallas, and we all were looking forward to the party. In June, they found out that Jim would deploy to Iraq in October. So, they moved the wedding up to July 1st out on the East Coast – meaning that we could not make the wedding. I have heard that it was beautiful – just perfect as every wedding should be. I also heard that as the bride and groom went through the raised sabers, the bride did not have a clue that she would be swatted on the butt. Don’t bother looking at all of the wedding pictures, but the one on the link is classic – the surprise on Ariel’s face is real.
This wedding talk reminded me that Captain Jim’s parents got together (started courting) while Fred, (my 1st cousin) was in Vietnam. Although he knew Paula from school and church, they began to fall in love when Paula started writing Fred letters while he was overseas in Vietnam. When Fred returned home from the war, he and Paula became engaged, married, and eventually had twins (Jim and Carrie).
Captain Jim’s grandparents (my Aunt Lois and Uncle Wes) were also married while Uncle Wes was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base during WWII – another soldier and bride wedding. My family has a letter written sometime in the 1970’s to the Wichita Falls Times and Record News by a man who had been stationed as Sheppard during WWII. He mentioned how wonderful the people of WF were – opening their homes to feed soldiers on Sunday afternoons. He said his favorite place to eat and visit had been the Fred and Lou Ella Barker home (my grandparents). He said that the food was wonderful (my grandparents were chefs/caterers), but the best part was the Barker’s two beautiful daughters. He said his Air Force buddy, Wes Lively, was lucky enough to marry one of the daughters (my Aunt Lois, Captain Jim’s grandmother – and yes, she was beautiful).
Three generations of soldier and bride weddings – we women are suckers for men in uniform. We also love a love story.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Ignorokie
About the time my art girls finished up, Toby came home and wanted to go play golf. Sure. Just let me change hats. Keep in mind that this is Velma, OK. The golf course is a simple nine-hole course – hard as a rock and dry as a bone. As we pulled up to the clubhouse, both of us noticed that there was an American flag flying. It was so worn and tattered that there were no stripes left – just the blue and stars with a few ratty strands of cloth were all that was left. Both of us remarked that we did not like that and something should be done.
It was 6:00 PM, and still very warm outside. Toby was in a hurry to start so that we could get as many holes in as possible before dark. We have little pull carts to pull behind us as we walk the course. Why play golf if you are not going to get some exercise? By the second hole, sweat had formed pools of water where my sunglasses set against my cheeks. I had to lift my glasses and let the water run down my face. By the third hole, clouds were forming, and it was rather nice. A young teen-ager named Zach joined us about that time. He had a golf cart, but we continued to walk. The clouds really moved in, and we could hear some rumbling of thunder, but we kept playing – enjoying the coolness. While we were putting on the 8th hole, big fat raindrops started to fall. Before we could finish the hole, it was pouring. We made it back to the clubhouse where the owner/manager was sitting out on the porch. I don’t know the man at all. He was probably in his 50’s sitting there without his shirt, drinking a beer, and enjoying the weather. We sat down at a nearby table to wait out the rain. Conversation was mostly about the rain since it has been a while since we have had any. Then Toby mentioned the flag. The man said he had ordered a new one. It would have been nice if that had been all he said, but the man continued to give us his opinion on "Old Glory".
This redneck Okie launched into how stupid he thought the war in Iraq was, how it was un-winnable, and how we have an ignorant president. He said much more, but you probably get the gist. Toby and I looked at each other, but kept quiet thinking the man would shut up if we did not say anything. But no, the man was too stupid to realize everyone did not share or want to hear his opinion. As I sat there and heard his Okie nasal twang (worse than mine) go on and on, I decided that he needed to know that we did not feel the same way. So, I said, "I think we are already in Iraq, and we need to finish what we started…" He interrupted me as stupid people do with, "But ma’am (deep nasal whining) we can’t win! Just like Vietnam..." He went on and on. When I could get back into the conversation, I said, "But we are not in Vietnam. We are in Iraq." He interrupted again. "Ma’am, I’ve been wearing this ‘I support the troops’ bracelet since the beginning of the war, but we are over there on lies….and our Marines are killing babies and murdering people…more insurgents keep rising up. We can’t win!" He said lots of stuff that made me hot. Where did he come up with such stuff?
Now I realized that this man was really ignorant, but I was ready to fight (not physically – although I would if I had to). Toby gave me the shake of the head telling me to leave it alone and said, "Hey, let’s go get some supper." When we got in the truck, I asked Toby if he was worried that I was going to get in a fight in front of Zach, and he would have to get me out (wouldn’t be the first time). But Toby was just as irritated as I was. He just said that the redneck Okie was to stupid too argue with – just no point in it – we would not change anything. Toby was right, of course, but I was needing a good fight. As we drove on home, Toby said, in his quiet way, "I guess I will have to find a new place to play golf."
On a lighter note, when we got home, I made quesadillas for us and Jesse. As we sat around the table, Jesse told us that she had gotten a phone call – a survey. The lady on the phone had asked if we drank soda pop at our house. Jesse said yes. The lady asked if we drank drinks like beer. Jesse said yes. She asked if we drank coffee. Jesse said yes. Then she asked if we drank juice. Jesse said no. At this point, Jesse realized how that sounded and started to laugh. It made us sound like rather un-healthy folks. We got a good laugh out of it. And we needed to laugh.
It was 6:00 PM, and still very warm outside. Toby was in a hurry to start so that we could get as many holes in as possible before dark. We have little pull carts to pull behind us as we walk the course. Why play golf if you are not going to get some exercise? By the second hole, sweat had formed pools of water where my sunglasses set against my cheeks. I had to lift my glasses and let the water run down my face. By the third hole, clouds were forming, and it was rather nice. A young teen-ager named Zach joined us about that time. He had a golf cart, but we continued to walk. The clouds really moved in, and we could hear some rumbling of thunder, but we kept playing – enjoying the coolness. While we were putting on the 8th hole, big fat raindrops started to fall. Before we could finish the hole, it was pouring. We made it back to the clubhouse where the owner/manager was sitting out on the porch. I don’t know the man at all. He was probably in his 50’s sitting there without his shirt, drinking a beer, and enjoying the weather. We sat down at a nearby table to wait out the rain. Conversation was mostly about the rain since it has been a while since we have had any. Then Toby mentioned the flag. The man said he had ordered a new one. It would have been nice if that had been all he said, but the man continued to give us his opinion on "Old Glory".
This redneck Okie launched into how stupid he thought the war in Iraq was, how it was un-winnable, and how we have an ignorant president. He said much more, but you probably get the gist. Toby and I looked at each other, but kept quiet thinking the man would shut up if we did not say anything. But no, the man was too stupid to realize everyone did not share or want to hear his opinion. As I sat there and heard his Okie nasal twang (worse than mine) go on and on, I decided that he needed to know that we did not feel the same way. So, I said, "I think we are already in Iraq, and we need to finish what we started…" He interrupted me as stupid people do with, "But ma’am (deep nasal whining) we can’t win! Just like Vietnam..." He went on and on. When I could get back into the conversation, I said, "But we are not in Vietnam. We are in Iraq." He interrupted again. "Ma’am, I’ve been wearing this ‘I support the troops’ bracelet since the beginning of the war, but we are over there on lies….and our Marines are killing babies and murdering people…more insurgents keep rising up. We can’t win!" He said lots of stuff that made me hot. Where did he come up with such stuff?
Now I realized that this man was really ignorant, but I was ready to fight (not physically – although I would if I had to). Toby gave me the shake of the head telling me to leave it alone and said, "Hey, let’s go get some supper." When we got in the truck, I asked Toby if he was worried that I was going to get in a fight in front of Zach, and he would have to get me out (wouldn’t be the first time). But Toby was just as irritated as I was. He just said that the redneck Okie was to stupid too argue with – just no point in it – we would not change anything. Toby was right, of course, but I was needing a good fight. As we drove on home, Toby said, in his quiet way, "I guess I will have to find a new place to play golf."
On a lighter note, when we got home, I made quesadillas for us and Jesse. As we sat around the table, Jesse told us that she had gotten a phone call – a survey. The lady on the phone had asked if we drank soda pop at our house. Jesse said yes. The lady asked if we drank drinks like beer. Jesse said yes. She asked if we drank coffee. Jesse said yes. Then she asked if we drank juice. Jesse said no. At this point, Jesse realized how that sounded and started to laugh. It made us sound like rather un-healthy folks. We got a good laugh out of it. And we needed to laugh.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
The Iraqi Prime Minister
While reading through my favorite blogs today, I came across this speech given by Iraq's Prime Minister. Here is part of the speech, but you can read the rest here.
Thank you. Thank you.
In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, Your Excellency, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Vice President, honorable ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress. it is with great pleasure that I am able to take this opportunity to be the first democratically and constitutionally elected prime minister of Iraq to address you, the elected representatives of the American people. And I thank you for affording me this unique chance to speak at this respected assembly.
Let me begin by thanking the American people, through you, on behalf of the Iraqi people, for supporting our people and ousting dictatorship. Iraq will not forget those who stood with her and who continues to stand with her in times of need.
Thank you for your continued resolve in helping us fight the terrorists plaguing Iraq, which is a struggle to defend our nation's democracy and our people who aspire to liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. All of those are not Western values; they are universal values for humanity.
They are as much for me the pinnacle embodiment of my faith and religion, and they are for all free spirits.
The war on terror is a real war against those who wish to burn out the flame of freedom. And we are in this vanguard for defending the values of humanity.
I know that some of you here question whether Iraq is part of the war on terror. Let me be very clear: This is a battle between true Islam, for which a person's liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak; in reality, waging a war on Islam and Muslims and values.
And spreads hatred between humanity, contrary to what come in our Koran, which says, "We have created you of male and female and made you tribes and families that you know each other." Surely (inaudible) of you in the sight of God is the best concept.
The truth is that terrorism has no religion. Our faith says that who kills an innocent, as if they have killed all mankind.
Thousands of lives were tragically lost on September 11th when these impostors of Islam reared their ugly head. Thousands more continue to die in Iraq today at the hands of the same terrorists who show complete disregard for human life.
Your loss on that day was the loss of all mankind, and our loss today is lost for all free people.
And wherever humankind suffers a loss at the hands of terrorists, it is a loss of all of humanity.
It is your duty and our duty to defeat this terror. Iraq is the front line in this struggle, and history will prove that the sacrifices of Iraqis for freedom will not be in vain. Iraqis are your allies in the war on terror.
History will record their bravery and humanity.
The fate of our country and yours is tied. Should democracy be allowed to fail in Iraq and terror permitted to triumph, then the war on terror will never be won elsewhere.
Mr. Speaker, we are building the new Iraq on the foundation of democracy and are erecting it through our belief in the rights of every individual -- just as Saddam has destroyed it through his abuse of all those rights -- so that future Iraqi generations can live in peace, prosperity and hope.
Iraqis have tasted freedom and we will defend it absolutely.
Thank you. Thank you.
In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, Your Excellency, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Vice President, honorable ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress. it is with great pleasure that I am able to take this opportunity to be the first democratically and constitutionally elected prime minister of Iraq to address you, the elected representatives of the American people. And I thank you for affording me this unique chance to speak at this respected assembly.
Let me begin by thanking the American people, through you, on behalf of the Iraqi people, for supporting our people and ousting dictatorship. Iraq will not forget those who stood with her and who continues to stand with her in times of need.
Thank you for your continued resolve in helping us fight the terrorists plaguing Iraq, which is a struggle to defend our nation's democracy and our people who aspire to liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. All of those are not Western values; they are universal values for humanity.
They are as much for me the pinnacle embodiment of my faith and religion, and they are for all free spirits.
The war on terror is a real war against those who wish to burn out the flame of freedom. And we are in this vanguard for defending the values of humanity.
I know that some of you here question whether Iraq is part of the war on terror. Let me be very clear: This is a battle between true Islam, for which a person's liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak; in reality, waging a war on Islam and Muslims and values.
And spreads hatred between humanity, contrary to what come in our Koran, which says, "We have created you of male and female and made you tribes and families that you know each other." Surely (inaudible) of you in the sight of God is the best concept.
The truth is that terrorism has no religion. Our faith says that who kills an innocent, as if they have killed all mankind.
Thousands of lives were tragically lost on September 11th when these impostors of Islam reared their ugly head. Thousands more continue to die in Iraq today at the hands of the same terrorists who show complete disregard for human life.
Your loss on that day was the loss of all mankind, and our loss today is lost for all free people.
And wherever humankind suffers a loss at the hands of terrorists, it is a loss of all of humanity.
It is your duty and our duty to defeat this terror. Iraq is the front line in this struggle, and history will prove that the sacrifices of Iraqis for freedom will not be in vain. Iraqis are your allies in the war on terror.
History will record their bravery and humanity.
The fate of our country and yours is tied. Should democracy be allowed to fail in Iraq and terror permitted to triumph, then the war on terror will never be won elsewhere.
Mr. Speaker, we are building the new Iraq on the foundation of democracy and are erecting it through our belief in the rights of every individual -- just as Saddam has destroyed it through his abuse of all those rights -- so that future Iraqi generations can live in peace, prosperity and hope.
Iraqis have tasted freedom and we will defend it absolutely.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
BooBoo to the Rescue
Today I am going to The City to babysit the Grand Baby while her parents have dentist appointments. Now don't feel sorry for me. I'll suffer through the ordeal quietly. Yeah right! I am going to get some serious baby hugs and kisses. I might rastle (okie talk) with the Blond Tornado. We will definitely eat a few crayons - maybe some sidewalk chalk. We may watch Pooh and Tigger, but we will have fun. Maybe this is the inspiration I need.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Inspiration
My computer has been giving me a few problems this morning. It has been slow and has bumped me off several times. My mind is also slow this morning. The good news is that I have done some art work this morning. I am close to finishing a portrait. Portraits are difficult because you can make the art look like the subject, but sometimes you cannot capture the personality - frustrating. I work on my art. I come and sit at the computer. I go back to my art with a fresh eye hoping to catch whatever it is that is not quite right. I need inspiration.
Monday, July 24, 2006
The Trip to Lubbock
Driving across West Texas always reminds me of my college days. I chose to attend Texas Tech University for two reasons – first, it had a good art department and second, it was about as close to Red River as a person could get and still be Texas. I have made the drive between Lubbock and Wichita Falls so many times, I can just about do it blindfolded. You might as well do it blindfolded, because that would make it more exciting. It was not very exciting this time either. I have to admit that I have always loved the trip from Lubbock on up to RR, and I have made that trip many many times. It may have been a whole lot of nothing, but there were mountains at the end of the road. I don't always look forward to being in Lubbock.
Lubbock is not a bad city, but it sure has grown since I went to school there 30 years ago. Toby’s sister lived on 80th Street (back in the old days) with nothing but open pasture behind her house. On this trip we drove out past 80th to 114th and they were still building houses. Some of those new additions (not so new anymore) kept Toby employed as a framer when we were first married. I use to raid the scrap lumber piles to make my art canvases since we could not afford to buy stretchers at the art store. Although we had no money and life was hard trying to go to school and make ends meet, Lubbock holds some good memories.
We did some shopping while we were there, but did not make it to the Mall. Lubbock has a good mall – keep in mind that I lived in Northern NM where the nearest mall was Albuquerque. Now I travel to OK City for a good mall. Yeah, Lubbock is not too bad. And it has lots of good eats to choose from when Toby’s mom is not stuffing us full of her home cooking.
Seeing Toby’s mom is always a pleasure, but his stepfather just gets crazier every visit. He is one of those people who is an authority on every subject and will talk on and on dominating conversations. As he has gotten older, he goes into rants that make you wonder if he is about to have a heart-attack. You never know what will set him off. He is neither Liberal nor conservative – he just hates everything. On this visit, he mentioned a plutonium plant near Hobbs that is causing a housing boom in the area. That sounded interesting, but then he also said that the US government killed 300 Marines and that Arabs (not the hurricane waters as most of us thought) blew up the levies at New Orleans. We do not question or discuss any of his "facts" because that would lead into further craziness or mad ravings. He just makes everything unpleasant – and he is the reason we do not see Toby’s mom as often as we would like. At one time, he was a good grandfather to my kids, but now, even they do not care to be around him. Bitterness and hatred are bad seeds. Do not let them get planted in your heart
Lubbock is not a bad city, but it sure has grown since I went to school there 30 years ago. Toby’s sister lived on 80th Street (back in the old days) with nothing but open pasture behind her house. On this trip we drove out past 80th to 114th and they were still building houses. Some of those new additions (not so new anymore) kept Toby employed as a framer when we were first married. I use to raid the scrap lumber piles to make my art canvases since we could not afford to buy stretchers at the art store. Although we had no money and life was hard trying to go to school and make ends meet, Lubbock holds some good memories.
We did some shopping while we were there, but did not make it to the Mall. Lubbock has a good mall – keep in mind that I lived in Northern NM where the nearest mall was Albuquerque. Now I travel to OK City for a good mall. Yeah, Lubbock is not too bad. And it has lots of good eats to choose from when Toby’s mom is not stuffing us full of her home cooking.
Seeing Toby’s mom is always a pleasure, but his stepfather just gets crazier every visit. He is one of those people who is an authority on every subject and will talk on and on dominating conversations. As he has gotten older, he goes into rants that make you wonder if he is about to have a heart-attack. You never know what will set him off. He is neither Liberal nor conservative – he just hates everything. On this visit, he mentioned a plutonium plant near Hobbs that is causing a housing boom in the area. That sounded interesting, but then he also said that the US government killed 300 Marines and that Arabs (not the hurricane waters as most of us thought) blew up the levies at New Orleans. We do not question or discuss any of his "facts" because that would lead into further craziness or mad ravings. He just makes everything unpleasant – and he is the reason we do not see Toby’s mom as often as we would like. At one time, he was a good grandfather to my kids, but now, even they do not care to be around him. Bitterness and hatred are bad seeds. Do not let them get planted in your heart
Friday, July 21, 2006
Back to School
I am always amazed how early stores start putting out their seasonal items. Before Thanksgiving is over, Christmas stuff starts showing up everywhere. As soon as the Christmas stuff is off the shelves, Valentines are up. It is almost as if the stores control the seasons – not the seasons controlling the stores. The change of seasons is always exciting to me, but my favorite seasonal change is the back-to-school season. And right now, the school supplies are out! There is just something about school supplies lining the aisles at Wal-Mart that gives me a thrill. My kids will tell you that when the school supplies are set out, I just go crazy. I have been known to squeal with excitement. Tim the Toolmans’ snort is nothing compared to my snort when I see notebooks, pencils, folders…I am not sure what it is about these things, but I want to buy them all.
Back to school was always such a special time growing up. Mom and Dad took us kids to buy new clothes, and of course, school supplies letting us each pick out a new binder to carry all of our papers and pencils. Hmm, pencils! There is just nothing like a new Ticondaroga pencil in your hand with a fresh eraser on the end. The binder you chose made a statement on your personality – maybe you had one with a rock-star, or a puppy, or maybe just mod flowers. Of course, you got to buy scissors, glue, and Crayolas – snort! Picking out a new lunch box was exciting too. All of those supplies are great, but it is the paper that really turns me on. There is just something about having a clean white sheet of paper in front of you. I love loose-leaf paper, spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, and sketchpads – growl, snort! Then there are the boxes to put all your supplies in – pencil boxes, Crayola boxes, and other organizers. Organizers! I love the ones with calendars and address pages plus a few pages to just make notes or doodle. Special pens! I love picking out a new pen – normally I pick black ink with a roller ball tip, but sometimes I have to get some way-out color ink - like purple or pink – snort, snort.
Toby will tell you that I am the same way about art supplies. He cringes every time I tell him that I am going to Hobby Lobby or when I get a new Cheap Joe’s catalog. Because I supply my art students with all of their needs, I do get to buy lots of art stuff - snort - watercolor paper - snort. Toby says that if he dies first, he knows where all of his hard-earned money will go. It will go to my traveling and buying art supplies.
Alas, my kids are grown, and I do not need any school supplies. I can't wait till Lizzie is old enough for school. I have bought some crayons and a coloring book for her. But at two-years -old, she tends to break the crayons, put them in strange places, or just scrape them against her teeth. I don't think she is ready for scissors and glue. Yesterday, I walked through the school supplies at Wal-Mart and just drooled. Hmm, maybe some pencils…
Back to school was always such a special time growing up. Mom and Dad took us kids to buy new clothes, and of course, school supplies letting us each pick out a new binder to carry all of our papers and pencils. Hmm, pencils! There is just nothing like a new Ticondaroga pencil in your hand with a fresh eraser on the end. The binder you chose made a statement on your personality – maybe you had one with a rock-star, or a puppy, or maybe just mod flowers. Of course, you got to buy scissors, glue, and Crayolas – snort! Picking out a new lunch box was exciting too. All of those supplies are great, but it is the paper that really turns me on. There is just something about having a clean white sheet of paper in front of you. I love loose-leaf paper, spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, and sketchpads – growl, snort! Then there are the boxes to put all your supplies in – pencil boxes, Crayola boxes, and other organizers. Organizers! I love the ones with calendars and address pages plus a few pages to just make notes or doodle. Special pens! I love picking out a new pen – normally I pick black ink with a roller ball tip, but sometimes I have to get some way-out color ink - like purple or pink – snort, snort.
Toby will tell you that I am the same way about art supplies. He cringes every time I tell him that I am going to Hobby Lobby or when I get a new Cheap Joe’s catalog. Because I supply my art students with all of their needs, I do get to buy lots of art stuff - snort - watercolor paper - snort. Toby says that if he dies first, he knows where all of his hard-earned money will go. It will go to my traveling and buying art supplies.
Alas, my kids are grown, and I do not need any school supplies. I can't wait till Lizzie is old enough for school. I have bought some crayons and a coloring book for her. But at two-years -old, she tends to break the crayons, put them in strange places, or just scrape them against her teeth. I don't think she is ready for scissors and glue. Yesterday, I walked through the school supplies at Wal-Mart and just drooled. Hmm, maybe some pencils…
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Military Stuff
I copied this news item from KSWO:
Fort Sill to welcome new unit Lawton (AP) _ Fort Sill will roll out the red carpet Friday for the first Air Defense Artillery unit to relocate to the post. The Sixth Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery will unfurl its colors in a welcome ceremony at Fort Sill's Polo Field. The unit's arrival from Germany is the first part of Fort Sill's implementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision. The Pentagon ordered air defense artillery training to be merged with Fort Sill's field artillery school. The merger is scheduled to be complete by 2010. Lawton is preparing for an estimated 11,000 new residents, including military, civilian and contract employees and their dependents, over the next several years.
The happenings at Ft. Sill are always interesting. Sometimes we can hear the big guns pounding away on training exercises, although we are about 45 miles from Ft. Sill. It sounds like distant thunder. I cannot imagine what it sounds like up-close and personal. A few years ago, Ft. Sill had some joint exercises with the Air Force, Navy, and Marines. Not only did they use the big artillery, the Air Force dropped some bombs to make everything sound and look like a real battlefield. I would love to have been there. Maybe some day I will drive over to Mt. Scott while the Army does it's thing - it could be interesting. Also the building that is going on on Ft. Sill is impressive. They are building mass housing on one of the old polo fields. Lawton will be booming in more ways than one.
The last few nights we have seen and heard low flying airplanes - not the big C7 from Altus, but large planes - flying very low over our house. I always wonder what kind of training or missions they are doing. It reminded me of living down on the Border in McAllen where old DC3 type planes would take off about sunset and come home about dawn (or not) on smuggling runs. Then there was the time I was standing on the tank dam holding the reins of two horses when training jets from Sheppard flew over. They were so low that I think I saw one of the pilots wink. I was just glad I was not riding the horses at the time.
Fort Sill to welcome new unit Lawton (AP) _ Fort Sill will roll out the red carpet Friday for the first Air Defense Artillery unit to relocate to the post. The Sixth Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery will unfurl its colors in a welcome ceremony at Fort Sill's Polo Field. The unit's arrival from Germany is the first part of Fort Sill's implementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision. The Pentagon ordered air defense artillery training to be merged with Fort Sill's field artillery school. The merger is scheduled to be complete by 2010. Lawton is preparing for an estimated 11,000 new residents, including military, civilian and contract employees and their dependents, over the next several years.
The happenings at Ft. Sill are always interesting. Sometimes we can hear the big guns pounding away on training exercises, although we are about 45 miles from Ft. Sill. It sounds like distant thunder. I cannot imagine what it sounds like up-close and personal. A few years ago, Ft. Sill had some joint exercises with the Air Force, Navy, and Marines. Not only did they use the big artillery, the Air Force dropped some bombs to make everything sound and look like a real battlefield. I would love to have been there. Maybe some day I will drive over to Mt. Scott while the Army does it's thing - it could be interesting. Also the building that is going on on Ft. Sill is impressive. They are building mass housing on one of the old polo fields. Lawton will be booming in more ways than one.
The last few nights we have seen and heard low flying airplanes - not the big C7 from Altus, but large planes - flying very low over our house. I always wonder what kind of training or missions they are doing. It reminded me of living down on the Border in McAllen where old DC3 type planes would take off about sunset and come home about dawn (or not) on smuggling runs. Then there was the time I was standing on the tank dam holding the reins of two horses when training jets from Sheppard flew over. They were so low that I think I saw one of the pilots wink. I was just glad I was not riding the horses at the time.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Great Link
Most of you probably already read T.F. Boggs, but if you do not, he has a great post right now with his views of the MSM. Boggs is a 24 year-old sergeant in the Army Reserves serving in Iraq.
Email from a Marine
The following email was sent to my cousin, whose son is Capt. Jim in the USMC, from one of the Marines who served with Jim in Iraq.
Joe & Tara Seykora Staying In Touch Independence Day
Luke (3 yrs) & Ty (6 mos) 2006
Hello! Today we celebrate our American Independence, and we are remembering those who’s selfless service – in a heroic instant or throughout years of commitment – allows us to live, quite simply, however we want. This morning I freely chose to wake up around 8 a.m.; chose to eat a bowl of cereal (of which I chose from among six different kinds); chose to practice my Faith; and chose to take pictures (attached!) with my loving, gorgeous wife – who freely chose to say “I Do” on December 8th, 2000 – and with my two robust and vivacious sons (who did not necessarily “freely choose” to participate in these pictures!). What did you freely chose to do this morning?
We reflect upon - and even honor - those who fought in the past for our Independence today, and we celebrate those now serving/who have served in the American Armed Forces. I would submit, too, that today we celebrate those supporting our Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers. I know first-hand the positive and long-lasting effects such support gave to me and my Marines while we fought in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM from July 05 to February 06. Each of you, in some way, gave of your time, resources, and love in order to support me, my family, and my Marines. The cards, emails, Motomail, pictures, cds, dvds, books, phone cards, snacks, hygiene gear (that’s Marinese for “bath supplies”) – oh, and not to mention a plethora of Christmas gifts, cookies, and decorations – came nearly non-stop in vast quantities for the majority of the 7-month deployment. And your giving was also evident on the home front, as Tara continually shared with me in emails and satellite phone calls your home-cooked meals, places to stay during her travels, trips to the airport, phone calls “just to chat”, weeding the flower garden, trimming the bushes, mowing the lawn, painting the baby’s room, trips to the hospital, babysitting, baby-showers, and continued prayer for us all.
Your gifts, help, and understanding made for Tara the deployment duration not-so-long, the solitude not-so-lonely, and the fear not-so-frightful. For me, it made the unbearable heat bearable, the menacing sand hardly noticeable, and the worry of my family’s well being absolutely minimal.
Tara and I, along with Luke and Ty, are grateful and blessed by your selfless service. Let me share with you the joy of your gifts…
Joseph Luke, as you know, is my Delight. At age Three (Feb 25, 2003) he is as much a “bringer of Light” as ever. He is extraordinarily expressive as he talks to me on the phone or in person. He’s “potty training” now, loves reading books, and is “helping” me build a deck in the back yard. He loves water! Just the other day, after we were all outside saying goodbyes to visiting family, Luke walked over to the sprinkler I had placed on the lawn and stood directly in front of it as the jet stream line of water slowly ran up and down his front side – he then turned around and let it do the same to his back side! I laughed so hard. We “play rough” together and I take him to my office once in a while. Later this year, Luke will enter a small “pre” pre-school program aboard the base. Luke is protective of his little brother, Ty, because he loves him so much.
Thaden Ty was born on December 22nd, 2005 and at 6 months old is wearing clothes normally worn at 12 months. Not sure what pool the “big boy” gene came from, but he may turn out slender like his older brother – or taller than any of us! Ty is growing before my eyes since the day I returned home and found this fourth person in my house. He is eating rice cereal now and joyfully screeches at random intervals. He loves grabbing not just my hand, but also my whole arm - and his giggle is adorable. I was on a satellite phone in Iraq immediately before and after the c-section. I knew in my Heart the moment Ty was born, and he’s held a place there ever since. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until I held him for the first time…
Tara is Gorgeous. Strong. Faithful. Courageous. Confident in Christ. And she gives – just gives – more than any person I know. As most of you are aware, she gave everything while I had to be away “Protecting Our Freedom”, as Luke says, by giving birth to Ty. And so now we have two incredible sons. She has a Master’s of Science in Management and is extremely capable of a career, but has selflessly chosen (there’s that word again) to set that aside and take on even harder, more significant work – raising our sons. She is very good at this. I daily recognize, learn from, and reap the benefits of the endless, tiring hours of work she puts in caring for our boys. Tara has recently volunteered to be on the Nursery Committee at our local church and has already shared many ideas to improve the functionality of the facilities and procedures. She’s very patriotic, fully supportive, and offers sound wisdom on a regular basis. We have so much fun together! We go on dates, travel when we can, and take the boys out on family “outings” (today we took them both to the movie “Cars” - they loved it!) She continues to amaze me in our marriage, our family, and with her kindness to others – regardless of how she feels.
Then there’s me. Besides my work as the Battalion Adjutant/S-1 Personnel Officer for Battalion Landing Team 2/2 (a Marine infantry battalion reinforced with combat engineers, artillery battery, light armored vehicles, etc.), I spend virtually all of my little spare time with the very special people mentioned above going for walks, watching movies, going on dates/family outings, BBQing, and decorating the house. This past March Tara pinned on my silver bars as I was promoted to First Lieutenant (I’ve been in the Corps for nine years already!). I exercise regularly at work and am slowly but surely building a 12’x24’ extension to our existing deck. I try to make time for a few hits on the driving range before going to Men’s Bible Study on Wednesday nights. I’ve also been asked to co-lead adult Sunday School beginning in August (somehow I think I’m the one that will be learning the most). During the past deployment, I grew personally, professionally, and spiritually in significant and permanent ways. Being apart for so long is very difficult, though, especially for the family – as many of you know. I have to lift them up to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to sustain them - and me - while we are apart. As I prepare for the next deployment departing January 2007 - this time aboard ship for six months and stopping at a variety of places in the Atlantic and Mediterranean (called a Marine Expeditionary Unit deployment or in our case, the 26th MEU) - I look forward to what God has for us during this time.
As you can see, we are blessed by the Lord through your selfless service. Thank you. Tara and I pray that we can take advantage of similar opportunities to serve you. We’d love to hear from you so we can share in your joys and struggles and keep you in continual prayer. As we Marines say,
Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful),
Joe
Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens keep thanking God for Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
I Thessalonians 5:16-19 CEV
Joe & Tara Seykora Staying In Touch Independence Day
Luke (3 yrs) & Ty (6 mos) 2006
Hello! Today we celebrate our American Independence, and we are remembering those who’s selfless service – in a heroic instant or throughout years of commitment – allows us to live, quite simply, however we want. This morning I freely chose to wake up around 8 a.m.; chose to eat a bowl of cereal (of which I chose from among six different kinds); chose to practice my Faith; and chose to take pictures (attached!) with my loving, gorgeous wife – who freely chose to say “I Do” on December 8th, 2000 – and with my two robust and vivacious sons (who did not necessarily “freely choose” to participate in these pictures!). What did you freely chose to do this morning?
We reflect upon - and even honor - those who fought in the past for our Independence today, and we celebrate those now serving/who have served in the American Armed Forces. I would submit, too, that today we celebrate those supporting our Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers. I know first-hand the positive and long-lasting effects such support gave to me and my Marines while we fought in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM from July 05 to February 06. Each of you, in some way, gave of your time, resources, and love in order to support me, my family, and my Marines. The cards, emails, Motomail, pictures, cds, dvds, books, phone cards, snacks, hygiene gear (that’s Marinese for “bath supplies”) – oh, and not to mention a plethora of Christmas gifts, cookies, and decorations – came nearly non-stop in vast quantities for the majority of the 7-month deployment. And your giving was also evident on the home front, as Tara continually shared with me in emails and satellite phone calls your home-cooked meals, places to stay during her travels, trips to the airport, phone calls “just to chat”, weeding the flower garden, trimming the bushes, mowing the lawn, painting the baby’s room, trips to the hospital, babysitting, baby-showers, and continued prayer for us all.
Your gifts, help, and understanding made for Tara the deployment duration not-so-long, the solitude not-so-lonely, and the fear not-so-frightful. For me, it made the unbearable heat bearable, the menacing sand hardly noticeable, and the worry of my family’s well being absolutely minimal.
Tara and I, along with Luke and Ty, are grateful and blessed by your selfless service. Let me share with you the joy of your gifts…
Joseph Luke, as you know, is my Delight. At age Three (Feb 25, 2003) he is as much a “bringer of Light” as ever. He is extraordinarily expressive as he talks to me on the phone or in person. He’s “potty training” now, loves reading books, and is “helping” me build a deck in the back yard. He loves water! Just the other day, after we were all outside saying goodbyes to visiting family, Luke walked over to the sprinkler I had placed on the lawn and stood directly in front of it as the jet stream line of water slowly ran up and down his front side – he then turned around and let it do the same to his back side! I laughed so hard. We “play rough” together and I take him to my office once in a while. Later this year, Luke will enter a small “pre” pre-school program aboard the base. Luke is protective of his little brother, Ty, because he loves him so much.
Thaden Ty was born on December 22nd, 2005 and at 6 months old is wearing clothes normally worn at 12 months. Not sure what pool the “big boy” gene came from, but he may turn out slender like his older brother – or taller than any of us! Ty is growing before my eyes since the day I returned home and found this fourth person in my house. He is eating rice cereal now and joyfully screeches at random intervals. He loves grabbing not just my hand, but also my whole arm - and his giggle is adorable. I was on a satellite phone in Iraq immediately before and after the c-section. I knew in my Heart the moment Ty was born, and he’s held a place there ever since. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until I held him for the first time…
Tara is Gorgeous. Strong. Faithful. Courageous. Confident in Christ. And she gives – just gives – more than any person I know. As most of you are aware, she gave everything while I had to be away “Protecting Our Freedom”, as Luke says, by giving birth to Ty. And so now we have two incredible sons. She has a Master’s of Science in Management and is extremely capable of a career, but has selflessly chosen (there’s that word again) to set that aside and take on even harder, more significant work – raising our sons. She is very good at this. I daily recognize, learn from, and reap the benefits of the endless, tiring hours of work she puts in caring for our boys. Tara has recently volunteered to be on the Nursery Committee at our local church and has already shared many ideas to improve the functionality of the facilities and procedures. She’s very patriotic, fully supportive, and offers sound wisdom on a regular basis. We have so much fun together! We go on dates, travel when we can, and take the boys out on family “outings” (today we took them both to the movie “Cars” - they loved it!) She continues to amaze me in our marriage, our family, and with her kindness to others – regardless of how she feels.
Then there’s me. Besides my work as the Battalion Adjutant/S-1 Personnel Officer for Battalion Landing Team 2/2 (a Marine infantry battalion reinforced with combat engineers, artillery battery, light armored vehicles, etc.), I spend virtually all of my little spare time with the very special people mentioned above going for walks, watching movies, going on dates/family outings, BBQing, and decorating the house. This past March Tara pinned on my silver bars as I was promoted to First Lieutenant (I’ve been in the Corps for nine years already!). I exercise regularly at work and am slowly but surely building a 12’x24’ extension to our existing deck. I try to make time for a few hits on the driving range before going to Men’s Bible Study on Wednesday nights. I’ve also been asked to co-lead adult Sunday School beginning in August (somehow I think I’m the one that will be learning the most). During the past deployment, I grew personally, professionally, and spiritually in significant and permanent ways. Being apart for so long is very difficult, though, especially for the family – as many of you know. I have to lift them up to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to sustain them - and me - while we are apart. As I prepare for the next deployment departing January 2007 - this time aboard ship for six months and stopping at a variety of places in the Atlantic and Mediterranean (called a Marine Expeditionary Unit deployment or in our case, the 26th MEU) - I look forward to what God has for us during this time.
As you can see, we are blessed by the Lord through your selfless service. Thank you. Tara and I pray that we can take advantage of similar opportunities to serve you. We’d love to hear from you so we can share in your joys and struggles and keep you in continual prayer. As we Marines say,
Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful),
Joe
Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens keep thanking God for Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
I Thessalonians 5:16-19 CEV
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
All's Well that Ends
Several people called yesterday or emailed to say that they really enjoyed the reunion. For the most part, the reunion was fun. It was the first time that my friend, Kathy Ralli, had been to a reunion since graduation. She married a German (pilot from Sheppard, I think) after high school and moved to Germany. Her husband died leaving her with two little girls. She moved them to Greece (Ralli is a Greek) to raise them. She met and married an American soccer coach while in Greece. Several years ago, they moved to Austin, TX. I have been in touch with her via email, but had not seen her since the day we graduated. She has led a very interesting life, and it was just great to see her. Yesterday, I tried to post a picture of Kathy and me at the reunion, but I am having some problems with my computer. Maybe I can get it right today. There was also a friend named Kathy McCall at the reunion. She married an Irish man (Laheem) and now lives in France. She was having a great time at the reunion – you should have seen her dancing! It was fun just watching her have fun. My friend, Becky L, says she hates mingling and is not good at it, but there she was laughing and talking with everyone. She looked especially beautiful in her "modern clothes" that she went out and bought after her daughter said that she "always dressed so old" – daughters! Then there was Shirley looking quite beautiful, but fragile. It was her first time to a reunion, too. She said her first husband liked other women – so they divorced. Her second husband liked other men…Whoa! Too much information! Danny S. (who did 21 years in the Navy in electronics) was there with his fiancé - it will be his third wife. She was a bit younger than Danny, and she was quite sexy and beautiful. I would like to have disliked her (She wore a bathing suit sort of outfit), but she was really great. You go Danny! Then there was Terry A. In high school he was a big scary biker sort of guy. He still is, but after visiting with him and his wife, they were just very pleasant people.
I guess I just like people. I have always found them fascinating. It is interesting to see how much people have changed and where their lives have taken them. Although the hotel caterer, Brenda, was unpleasant and threw us out, I think most people were really enjoying themselves. In fact, when everyone stops to think about it, they will probably get a good laugh out of the whole thing.
I guess I just like people. I have always found them fascinating. It is interesting to see how much people have changed and where their lives have taken them. Although the hotel caterer, Brenda, was unpleasant and threw us out, I think most people were really enjoying themselves. In fact, when everyone stops to think about it, they will probably get a good laugh out of the whole thing.
Monday, July 17, 2006
It's All Good
Well, blogger friends, I am sitting here at my computer this morning thinking, "where do I start." My high school reunion was "interesting" to say the least, but saying "successful" might be saying too much. Friday afternoon after sitting up the hospitality suite, I found five or so old Coyote football players in the bar having a beer. These guys were not high society, they were neighborhood/country boys – a little on the rough side – good ol’ boys. I sat down with them for a while and enjoyed myself laughing at their stories. The waitress told us that the couple at a nearby table was also with the reunion. The guys made me go over and find out who they were – none of us recognized either person. After introducing myself, the man said introduced himself saying, "I’m Mike S." I replied, "You don’t look like Mike S." He said, "I don’t know any of you people either." But as everyone started calling out their name, recognition was made and the good times started rolling. I went and got name tags.
The party moved to the hospitality suite where we could bring in our own food and drinks. It was not a large room, but we soon filled it up. I was amazed at the turn out on Friday, but glad to see people. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, but late in the evening there was a disruption of sorts. One of the good ol’ boys, who has had a rough life with drugs and such, drank too much, and started a fight. Being a drunk, it was not much of a fight and was over before it began. He threw a punch, the other guy, who was totally taken by surprise, kicked him in the chest (karate style), the old Coyotes drug him off, and took him home - end of fight. Everyone went back to visiting – all was good. At the end of the evening Toby and I were left with the same crowd I started with in the bar. Toby and I said good night to the boys and left them to party in the suite by themselves. As we walked to our room discussing the evening and events and people, Toby said, "No wonder you snapped me up so quickly." I laughed all the way to the room.
All went well on Saturday with lots of visiting and a tour through the old high school. A group of us gathered to decorate the ballroom, which is always a fun time. But this time, someone moved a table and the hotel catering lady, Brenda, got in a tizzy and chewed us out telling us not to move any furniture without asking her first. For someone who is in sales and catering, I thought she did not handle people very well and was certainly not accommodating, and certainly over-reacted. Although she ruined my afternoon, I tried to be understanding – maybe she was going through menopause or had a brain tumor or something.
That evening, we got all gussied up and went to the dance in the ballroom. We had about a hundred people gathered, visiting and dancing. It was really a quiet group. Mostly, people were catching up with each other’s lives. It seemed like all was well. And then suddenly it was not. Brenda, the hotel catering lady, was standing in front of me yelling and shaking her finger at me saying, "I am closing you down! Get these people out of here!" Then she got really ugly and stupid. Long story short – one of the men had asked if he and some others could take left over food from the ballroom up to the suite. Brenda told him that he could not - due to health laws. He argued with her and said he had called her boss who had given permission to take the left over food to the suite. Apparently the argument escalated to Brenda saying, "I can shut you down!" and him saying, "Go ahead!" She acted very unprofessional at that point. She was over the edge mad. She had most of the food carted off and then set up her workers to "guard" the rest of the food – not letting anyone else eat (like they would want to eat after her scene) while she agreed to talk to me privately in her office. After I let her rant and rave and have her say, I thanked her for all she had done for us. Then very nicely, I told her that it was really not okay that she was shutting our reunion down because of one person while the other 99 were oblivious to what was going on. At that point I was ready pack up and leave, but she sort of came to her senses and said she would tell everyone they could stay. Most were gone by the time we got back to the ballroom, but she made a little speech explaining everything – how it was all our fault and she had tried to do everything she could for us, but we could stay as long as we wanted. What was left of the party visited while we took down the decorations, but the party was over. Toby and I checked on the hospitality suite before we went back to our room. There was a room full of people sitting around quietly visiting and laughing, but all was good once more. They teased me for "checking in on them" calling me "Mother". Toby and I went to bed about midnight.
We made coffee and had doughnuts in the hospitality suite the next morning, talked about events of the night, discussed upcoming reunions, said our good-byes, and it was over. Yeha! I will never attend another function at the Remington Inn in Wichita Falls. Although things could have worked out better, how many people can say they were kicked out of their 30th high school reunion?
The party moved to the hospitality suite where we could bring in our own food and drinks. It was not a large room, but we soon filled it up. I was amazed at the turn out on Friday, but glad to see people. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, but late in the evening there was a disruption of sorts. One of the good ol’ boys, who has had a rough life with drugs and such, drank too much, and started a fight. Being a drunk, it was not much of a fight and was over before it began. He threw a punch, the other guy, who was totally taken by surprise, kicked him in the chest (karate style), the old Coyotes drug him off, and took him home - end of fight. Everyone went back to visiting – all was good. At the end of the evening Toby and I were left with the same crowd I started with in the bar. Toby and I said good night to the boys and left them to party in the suite by themselves. As we walked to our room discussing the evening and events and people, Toby said, "No wonder you snapped me up so quickly." I laughed all the way to the room.
All went well on Saturday with lots of visiting and a tour through the old high school. A group of us gathered to decorate the ballroom, which is always a fun time. But this time, someone moved a table and the hotel catering lady, Brenda, got in a tizzy and chewed us out telling us not to move any furniture without asking her first. For someone who is in sales and catering, I thought she did not handle people very well and was certainly not accommodating, and certainly over-reacted. Although she ruined my afternoon, I tried to be understanding – maybe she was going through menopause or had a brain tumor or something.
That evening, we got all gussied up and went to the dance in the ballroom. We had about a hundred people gathered, visiting and dancing. It was really a quiet group. Mostly, people were catching up with each other’s lives. It seemed like all was well. And then suddenly it was not. Brenda, the hotel catering lady, was standing in front of me yelling and shaking her finger at me saying, "I am closing you down! Get these people out of here!" Then she got really ugly and stupid. Long story short – one of the men had asked if he and some others could take left over food from the ballroom up to the suite. Brenda told him that he could not - due to health laws. He argued with her and said he had called her boss who had given permission to take the left over food to the suite. Apparently the argument escalated to Brenda saying, "I can shut you down!" and him saying, "Go ahead!" She acted very unprofessional at that point. She was over the edge mad. She had most of the food carted off and then set up her workers to "guard" the rest of the food – not letting anyone else eat (like they would want to eat after her scene) while she agreed to talk to me privately in her office. After I let her rant and rave and have her say, I thanked her for all she had done for us. Then very nicely, I told her that it was really not okay that she was shutting our reunion down because of one person while the other 99 were oblivious to what was going on. At that point I was ready pack up and leave, but she sort of came to her senses and said she would tell everyone they could stay. Most were gone by the time we got back to the ballroom, but she made a little speech explaining everything – how it was all our fault and she had tried to do everything she could for us, but we could stay as long as we wanted. What was left of the party visited while we took down the decorations, but the party was over. Toby and I checked on the hospitality suite before we went back to our room. There was a room full of people sitting around quietly visiting and laughing, but all was good once more. They teased me for "checking in on them" calling me "Mother". Toby and I went to bed about midnight.
We made coffee and had doughnuts in the hospitality suite the next morning, talked about events of the night, discussed upcoming reunions, said our good-byes, and it was over. Yeha! I will never attend another function at the Remington Inn in Wichita Falls. Although things could have worked out better, how many people can say they were kicked out of their 30th high school reunion?
Friday, July 14, 2006
The Big Weekend
I had five girls at art yesterday. For the summertime, when the lake beckons, five girls at one time is pretty good. As hot as it was yesterday, we should have canceled art and headed to the lake. This morning we woke up to the sound of thunder and some dark clouds. We have had thunder and clouds several times in the last few days, but the rain always seems to miss us.
I will head to Wichita Falls to my 30th high school reunion this morning. My mind is running in several different directions trying to think of all that I need to take, what all I need to do, and in what order to do it best. The mind at 48 is just not what it was at 18. I need to get a new pack of sticky note pads in order to leave myself reminders. I just keep forgetting to buy the sticky pads.
I once told my family that I would like to be a cruise director on a ship. My children snickered and said, "Drill sergeant is more like it." Then they mimicked me in their best sergeant voice, "You WILL play volleyball, and you WILL like it! You Will take ballroom dancing, and you WILL have fun!" So today, I think I will go into my drill sergeant/cruise director mode. Let’s get ‘er done!
I’ll let you know how it all turns out.
I will head to Wichita Falls to my 30th high school reunion this morning. My mind is running in several different directions trying to think of all that I need to take, what all I need to do, and in what order to do it best. The mind at 48 is just not what it was at 18. I need to get a new pack of sticky note pads in order to leave myself reminders. I just keep forgetting to buy the sticky pads.
I once told my family that I would like to be a cruise director on a ship. My children snickered and said, "Drill sergeant is more like it." Then they mimicked me in their best sergeant voice, "You WILL play volleyball, and you WILL like it! You Will take ballroom dancing, and you WILL have fun!" So today, I think I will go into my drill sergeant/cruise director mode. Let’s get ‘er done!
I’ll let you know how it all turns out.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The Grand Baby
You are probably wondering why I do not post about my grandbaby more often. After all, she is the most exceptional grandbaby ever, and I could be the most obnoxious grandmother ever. I would probably run my readers off bragging about the Grand Girl. She is just pretty special. Her verbal skills are not great, but she is only two. I wanted to be called "Mama Lou", but instead she calls me "Boo Boo" - be careful what you wish for. Her moter skills are extremely good. She can climb high and run fast. She is a little on the "strong willed" side. Most people think that comes from me, but I still think it is a Krumb thing. Her ornery side comes from her grandfather. So what does she get from me? She is fearless, likes to rough and tumble, and she likes to make people laugh. Her beauty comes from her parents. If you are wondering, yes, she does have Toby and I wrapped around her finger. She loves the farm and all of the animals. We spend lots of time outside petting the horses and dogs. The cats try to stay out of her reach. Notice Toby's T-shirt. These pictures were taken on the Fourth of July.
I slept well last night. The past few days I have been awake for a few hours in the middle of the night. This high school reunion stuff has me anxious. I don’t really feel anxious, but my mind clicks on in the middle of the night keeping me up. I am not worried, but I am ready to get the show on the road. I have had strange dreams that are a sure sign that my sub-conscience is bothered. I will be glad when the whole thing is over and my life is my own again. It has been great to hear from old friends, and I look forward to seeing them. I know the reunion will be fun.
In the meantime, life goes on. Jesse is considering going back to school. She has an associate degree in computer drafting plus some extra hours towards her bachelors. It would not take her long to get her bachelor degree. She has also considered getting a "real job". Twice she has interviewed with Halliburton for drafting positions, but has not gotten a job with them. We think it is because she lacks work experience or needs more math credits or because she looks like a teen-ager. She has great references and was the top in her vo-tech class. She has a 4.0 GPA. She is pretty laid back about life and is a very grounded person. Right now there are two drafting positions open with Halliburton. College or work – that is the question. I guess we will see what happens.
In the meantime, life goes on. Jesse is considering going back to school. She has an associate degree in computer drafting plus some extra hours towards her bachelors. It would not take her long to get her bachelor degree. She has also considered getting a "real job". Twice she has interviewed with Halliburton for drafting positions, but has not gotten a job with them. We think it is because she lacks work experience or needs more math credits or because she looks like a teen-ager. She has great references and was the top in her vo-tech class. She has a 4.0 GPA. She is pretty laid back about life and is a very grounded person. Right now there are two drafting positions open with Halliburton. College or work – that is the question. I guess we will see what happens.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Perfection
If you do not read Michael Fay’s blog, you should. His latest post called "Perfectionism" is, well, perfect. Not only is Mr. Fay a master of the paintbrush, he is a master writer. His writing always gives me lots to think on. I started to write a lengthy comment to his post, but I decided that I should save long comments for my own blog.
I have always known that I was not a perfectionist. I am more of a "wing it" sort of person. Not that I do not make plans and lists, but eventually, I feel like you have to jump in with both feet and just go for it. There is nothing wrong with planning, and sometimes perfection is necessary. I guess I have always just been a person of action. When I use to work with my dad, sometimes he would sit and plan on a problem for a long time (really he was just using the time to rest, drink coffee, and smoke a cigarette). I would be hopping around him saying, "Let’s just do it, Dad!"
This upcoming weekend is an example of my planning. I am pretty much the main person in charge of our 30th high school reunion. The reunion is planned as much as I am willing to plan. Anything else that needs to happen will just have to happen as we go. There are some people on the committee who are worried about a "program". I am not worried. It will come together. Why sweat the small stuff! I know that there will be armchair folks who do not like every little thing that I have planned for the reunion, but it is a done deal now. No use in crying and whining. Someone had to step up and take charge. I did it. It will all work out. Like it or lump it.
My art classes are another example of my "go for it" attitude. Usually, I have a basic plan – I know what I want to happen on the canvas, but at some point, I have to put paint on the brush and go for it. When my students start a piece of art, I ask them what they want to do. We discuss it. What do you have in mind, how do you want it to look, what medium do you think will work best are a few questions that we discuss. We layout the drawing – sometimes detailed – sometimes not. Then it is time to jump in. I have some students who do this well. I love their "no guts, no glory" attitude. They just attack their work. I have other students who are perfectionists. They look at the blank canvas for a long time. They cannot get started because they fear messing up. When they do start, they have to be prodded along because they do not like how it is working out. They want to quit. Often, they have a difficult time finishing the piece, because they have to work out problems within the painting, and they just do not want to face problems. I rarely let my girls quit a piece. I make them work through things. Yep, sometimes the piece does not work out. I still want them to see their project through to the end. Most of the time the piece works out, but when it does not, learn from it and go on. The students gain confidence, and they feel great when they finish a piece of art.
Fear of failure is a sad thing. It paralysis people. We had dreams of owning a restaurant. So we did it. It was successful, but not without its problems. It turned out that it was not what we dreamed, and we moved on. My husband had dreams of being a rancher. So we did it. Ranching has had its problems, but we made adjustments to work through them. When our kids said, "Hey, I would like to try this…" we encouraged them to go for it. Riflery, rocketry, horses, sports, photography, kayaking, etc. – we did it. It is not that we don’t make plans (we do), but we do not let fear of failure stop us from trying. No, I am not a perfectionist nor is my family, but we do have fun.
I have always known that I was not a perfectionist. I am more of a "wing it" sort of person. Not that I do not make plans and lists, but eventually, I feel like you have to jump in with both feet and just go for it. There is nothing wrong with planning, and sometimes perfection is necessary. I guess I have always just been a person of action. When I use to work with my dad, sometimes he would sit and plan on a problem for a long time (really he was just using the time to rest, drink coffee, and smoke a cigarette). I would be hopping around him saying, "Let’s just do it, Dad!"
This upcoming weekend is an example of my planning. I am pretty much the main person in charge of our 30th high school reunion. The reunion is planned as much as I am willing to plan. Anything else that needs to happen will just have to happen as we go. There are some people on the committee who are worried about a "program". I am not worried. It will come together. Why sweat the small stuff! I know that there will be armchair folks who do not like every little thing that I have planned for the reunion, but it is a done deal now. No use in crying and whining. Someone had to step up and take charge. I did it. It will all work out. Like it or lump it.
My art classes are another example of my "go for it" attitude. Usually, I have a basic plan – I know what I want to happen on the canvas, but at some point, I have to put paint on the brush and go for it. When my students start a piece of art, I ask them what they want to do. We discuss it. What do you have in mind, how do you want it to look, what medium do you think will work best are a few questions that we discuss. We layout the drawing – sometimes detailed – sometimes not. Then it is time to jump in. I have some students who do this well. I love their "no guts, no glory" attitude. They just attack their work. I have other students who are perfectionists. They look at the blank canvas for a long time. They cannot get started because they fear messing up. When they do start, they have to be prodded along because they do not like how it is working out. They want to quit. Often, they have a difficult time finishing the piece, because they have to work out problems within the painting, and they just do not want to face problems. I rarely let my girls quit a piece. I make them work through things. Yep, sometimes the piece does not work out. I still want them to see their project through to the end. Most of the time the piece works out, but when it does not, learn from it and go on. The students gain confidence, and they feel great when they finish a piece of art.
Fear of failure is a sad thing. It paralysis people. We had dreams of owning a restaurant. So we did it. It was successful, but not without its problems. It turned out that it was not what we dreamed, and we moved on. My husband had dreams of being a rancher. So we did it. Ranching has had its problems, but we made adjustments to work through them. When our kids said, "Hey, I would like to try this…" we encouraged them to go for it. Riflery, rocketry, horses, sports, photography, kayaking, etc. – we did it. It is not that we don’t make plans (we do), but we do not let fear of failure stop us from trying. No, I am not a perfectionist nor is my family, but we do have fun.
Monday, July 10, 2006
The Weekend
On Friday night, we drove to Lawton to eat dinner and go see "Pirates of the Caribbean". The dinner was good, but all of the movies were sold out until 11:30 PM. Some Jesse’s buddies stayed, but not the rancher and his wife. We went home to bed. I had already had a long day in Wichita Falls working on my high school reunion which is next weekend. Before I left WF, I stopped by the OFG’s coffee place. I love dropping in on them because they seem genuinely happy to see me and find out what is going on in my life. I think they miss my dad, and seeing them is like being with Dad. As I was leaving, one of the men, Robert, hollered, "See you later, Slim." That is exactly what my dad would have said, and Robert knew it. It caught me off guard. I just smiled at him because the tears were too close to the surface. Dad always called me "Slim". Well, sometimes he called me Dirty Lil, and he had a song he sang whenever I was especially dirty.
We spent Saturday doing housework and yard work to get ready for company on Sunday. We had a World Cup soccer party after church. Jesse invited about 14 people to come watch the game after church. She and Lindsay served "tortas" – hoagie type sandwiches with guacamole, refried beans, pineapple, lunchmeat, and usual sandwich fixins – good stuff. Most everyone cheered for Italy, and no one was disappointed. The game was not nearly as exciting as the Stanley Cup Finals, but I do love soccer.
Saturday night, I cooked fried okra and squash, sliced vine-ripe tomatoes and cantaloupe to have with our burgers. I love summer time and the garden veggies that go with it.
We spent Saturday doing housework and yard work to get ready for company on Sunday. We had a World Cup soccer party after church. Jesse invited about 14 people to come watch the game after church. She and Lindsay served "tortas" – hoagie type sandwiches with guacamole, refried beans, pineapple, lunchmeat, and usual sandwich fixins – good stuff. Most everyone cheered for Italy, and no one was disappointed. The game was not nearly as exciting as the Stanley Cup Finals, but I do love soccer.
Saturday night, I cooked fried okra and squash, sliced vine-ripe tomatoes and cantaloupe to have with our burgers. I love summer time and the garden veggies that go with it.
Friday, July 07, 2006
My Friend, Jay
We moved backed to Red River in the summer of 1986 and opened our café. About a year later, a man named Jay moved back to RR also. He had lived there before with his wife, moved away, gone through a divorce, and was back in the mountains. It is amazing how people come to the mountains looking for healing in their soul. We became friends with Jay who was tall, handsome, and interesting as only mountain people can be. He hung out at our café and dated one of my waitresses, but she was much too young for him, and I told him so. We had lots of religious discussions since Jay became a Christian at some point. Like I said, Jay was interesting and did everything with his whole heart.
Then one day, I drove over to Angel Fire to get my hair cut by Judy – everyone said she was great. Judy was tall and beautiful and as sweet as they come. While cutting my hair, she asked me if there were any new, single men in RR – tall, near her age, interesting, a Christian…My exact words were, "Well, there is Jay. He is tall and good looking, but a little goofy." We discussed Jay and other RR men, and she finished my haircut. The next day I happened to see Jay on Main Street in RR. I hollered, "Hey, you need a haircut!" He took my advice and ended up marrying Judy. My friend Anny and I helped with their wedding. Jay and Judy looked like Barbie and Ken standing at the altar. They were both beautiful people inside and out.
Through the next years, Judy, who was a diabetic, began to get sick. She lost her kidneys and all that goes with that. She got a kidney transplant, which bought her time. Through the worst of it, Jay was there helping her, standing beside her. When she was not beautiful, Jay still loved her. During a conversation with him one day, I told him that I often wondered if he ever regretted getting his hair cut that day and my part in that. But he said, no, that he would do it all again.
Since we moved away from the mountains, I have kept up with Jay and Judy’s life through friends. Judy has gotten worse and has been expected to die. Last December a friend told me he had given Jay this advice – to live as each day is going to be Judy’s last – to say all the things you want to say to her – to not waste a moment.
Yesterday, I got news on Jay and Judy, but it was not what I expected. Jay was killed in a car crash on Monday coming home from Taos to Angel Fire. Wow, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Not Jay! Jay was strong and healthy! Jay was Judy’s life. There has got to be some mistake. Judy was supposed to die first. What will Judy do now? I have lots of thoughts flowing through my mind, as you can imagine. This I know: Judy and Jay were prepared in every way possible for death. They both loved and served God. They faced death every day. They have both lived a life full of love and some day soon they will be together again – beautiful and whole.
I will miss you my friend. I will miss your big hands being held up in worship. I will miss your goofy ways. I will miss the support you gave to all who needed it.
Then one day, I drove over to Angel Fire to get my hair cut by Judy – everyone said she was great. Judy was tall and beautiful and as sweet as they come. While cutting my hair, she asked me if there were any new, single men in RR – tall, near her age, interesting, a Christian…My exact words were, "Well, there is Jay. He is tall and good looking, but a little goofy." We discussed Jay and other RR men, and she finished my haircut. The next day I happened to see Jay on Main Street in RR. I hollered, "Hey, you need a haircut!" He took my advice and ended up marrying Judy. My friend Anny and I helped with their wedding. Jay and Judy looked like Barbie and Ken standing at the altar. They were both beautiful people inside and out.
Through the next years, Judy, who was a diabetic, began to get sick. She lost her kidneys and all that goes with that. She got a kidney transplant, which bought her time. Through the worst of it, Jay was there helping her, standing beside her. When she was not beautiful, Jay still loved her. During a conversation with him one day, I told him that I often wondered if he ever regretted getting his hair cut that day and my part in that. But he said, no, that he would do it all again.
Since we moved away from the mountains, I have kept up with Jay and Judy’s life through friends. Judy has gotten worse and has been expected to die. Last December a friend told me he had given Jay this advice – to live as each day is going to be Judy’s last – to say all the things you want to say to her – to not waste a moment.
Yesterday, I got news on Jay and Judy, but it was not what I expected. Jay was killed in a car crash on Monday coming home from Taos to Angel Fire. Wow, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Not Jay! Jay was strong and healthy! Jay was Judy’s life. There has got to be some mistake. Judy was supposed to die first. What will Judy do now? I have lots of thoughts flowing through my mind, as you can imagine. This I know: Judy and Jay were prepared in every way possible for death. They both loved and served God. They faced death every day. They have both lived a life full of love and some day soon they will be together again – beautiful and whole.
I will miss you my friend. I will miss your big hands being held up in worship. I will miss your goofy ways. I will miss the support you gave to all who needed it.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Jesse was suppose to go to Grand Lake with her buddy, Lindsay for the 4th, but last Friday night she began to feel sick. Sure enough, she had a 24-hour bug. She had to cancel her trip. By Saturday night she was feeling better, but now she was stuck at home with Toby and me who had no plans for the 4th of July. Toby, Bo and I played golf of Saturday evening. Jesse joined us for the eighteenth hole, and then we went to Braum’s for a burger and shake. As you can tell, we are an exciting group. Sunday afternoon, I played racket ball with her. Then she joined some friends at the drive-in picture show in Chickasha. Yep, there is still a drive-in movie, and the kids thought it would be a big deal to go to the drive-in. Toby and I took the Grandbaby to Kiddieland to ride the carousel (that is a whole story in itself that I will save for later). Monday evening we had Bo, Sara, and the Grandbaby over to cook steaks out on the grill. The Grandbaby was our entertainment. On Tuesday morning we got up and packed snacks and drinks, kayaks and paddles, and headed over to Ft. Sill to a small lake there. It turned out to be perfect. We were able to get a campsite near the water. In fact there were not many people there. It is a no-wake lake with a great area for swimming. The water was clear and calm. The weather was cool, and later rained, but for us, it was great. When we got home, we were worn out and took big-dog naps. We topped our evening off with a movie on TV. It was not the holiday that Jesse was expecting, but it was not bad. I hated that she was sick, but I really liked having her around to do things with us.
There was one funny thing that happened on the morning of the 4th while we were driving to the lake. We were listening to some country radio station. Actually Jesse was sitting in the front seat of the truck with us being in charge of quality radio music when she came across this conversation:
Truck driver with a Texas twang: I’m a driver for Wal-Mart. Would you play Lee Greenwood’s "God Bless the USA? I am about to be out of your radio range – so could you play it soon?
Disk Jockey: Sure, but do you think my bosses will be upset with me if I play it twice on my shift?"
TD: If they have any problems, just tell them to call me at Wal-Mart, and I will take care of it for you!
DJ: Sure; I will play it next.
TD: Thank you and God bless you! And God bless America!
DJ: God bless you too, and God bless Texas and Oklahoma!
TD: God bless Delaware!
DJ: God bless Minnesota!
At this point, both were laughing and calling out states. The DJ finally moved on to the song, but we got a real kick out of it.
There was one funny thing that happened on the morning of the 4th while we were driving to the lake. We were listening to some country radio station. Actually Jesse was sitting in the front seat of the truck with us being in charge of quality radio music when she came across this conversation:
Truck driver with a Texas twang: I’m a driver for Wal-Mart. Would you play Lee Greenwood’s "God Bless the USA? I am about to be out of your radio range – so could you play it soon?
Disk Jockey: Sure, but do you think my bosses will be upset with me if I play it twice on my shift?"
TD: If they have any problems, just tell them to call me at Wal-Mart, and I will take care of it for you!
DJ: Sure; I will play it next.
TD: Thank you and God bless you! And God bless America!
DJ: God bless you too, and God bless Texas and Oklahoma!
TD: God bless Delaware!
DJ: God bless Minnesota!
At this point, both were laughing and calling out states. The DJ finally moved on to the song, but we got a real kick out of it.
Monday, July 03, 2006
4th of July
For as long as I can remember the Town of Red River put on a 4th of July parade. Usually, the week before the 4th, businesses would be working on some sort of float entry for the parade. Some years there was more competition than other years. Mostly, the floats were advertisement for the businesses. Some years we went all out for a float that would knock your socks off. The Red River Riding Club would put on their white shirts and gather up their horses. Any other day of the summer, we could walk out in the pasture and catch our horses easily, but walk out in a white shirt, and the horses knew it was parade time. Then they would scamper around the pasture just out of arms reach and act wild. Eventually, when we were all sweaty and our hair stringing around our faces, and we were going to be late to the parade, they would let us catch them. With people everywhere, loose balloons floating down the street, obnoxious Shriners driving crazily, we were really putting our lives at risk by riding a horse in the middle of a parade. Not only did we do it, we put our kids on horses too! The town was always full of tourists for the 4th plus all the folks who came from nearby towns. The town was just packed. After the parade there would be games and contests - like the sack race, pie eating competition, watermelon seed spitting contest, tug-o-war across the river – just the usual 4th fun. And it was fun for those of us growing up in the mountains – great memories!
None of the 4th of July events that took place were really done in the name of patriotism. The events were a draw for tourists – making money was the name of the game. Just because you give lots of presents at Christmas doesn’t make you a Christian. I would learn patriotism from my father who took me down to see the veteran’s memorials on Veteran’s Day and taught me about the sacrifices made for my freedom. I learned patriotism from my uncle who did three tours in Vietnam and took me with him to his reunions to meet real heroes. I learned patriotism from my history teachers who made me understand what an amazing country we have and how great men fought to make it so. I feel sorry for the Natalie Maines and Craig Barkers of this world that their hate for Republicans and George Bush would so color their world that they could not see all of the good and all of the sacrifice made for them to be where they are today.
Tomorrow I will celebrate and remember my Revolutionary War ancestors who fought for our freedom, and I will remember other war heroes who have kept us free through the generations. Mostly, I will think of the young men and women right now who are laying their lives on the line for their country. And that is exactly what they do when they choose the military. They go, and they serve. Amazing!
None of the 4th of July events that took place were really done in the name of patriotism. The events were a draw for tourists – making money was the name of the game. Just because you give lots of presents at Christmas doesn’t make you a Christian. I would learn patriotism from my father who took me down to see the veteran’s memorials on Veteran’s Day and taught me about the sacrifices made for my freedom. I learned patriotism from my uncle who did three tours in Vietnam and took me with him to his reunions to meet real heroes. I learned patriotism from my history teachers who made me understand what an amazing country we have and how great men fought to make it so. I feel sorry for the Natalie Maines and Craig Barkers of this world that their hate for Republicans and George Bush would so color their world that they could not see all of the good and all of the sacrifice made for them to be where they are today.
Tomorrow I will celebrate and remember my Revolutionary War ancestors who fought for our freedom, and I will remember other war heroes who have kept us free through the generations. Mostly, I will think of the young men and women right now who are laying their lives on the line for their country. And that is exactly what they do when they choose the military. They go, and they serve. Amazing!
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