A True Hero

This Joe Galloway article makes me very sad. I had the pleasure of meeting Ed (Too Tall to Fly) Freeman as well as Bruce Crandall. These men are true heroes. May Mr. Freeman rest in peace.

Most of you know that in the first photo, the USAF uniform is Capt. Jeff Donnithorne (flew some of the first bombings on Baghdad and has a Distinguished Flying Cross), my Uncle Bob Barker who is an Ia Drang Valley Vet, Ed (Too Tall to Fly) Freeman, and my cousin, Major Jim Lively (two deployments to Iraq and a Purple Heart)

The second photo is my Aunt Carolyn, Bruce Crandall and his wife and Uncle Bob at the Whitehouse for the MOH ceremony.

Vacation Books

Earlier this week I started reading John Grisham’s book, "Playing for Pizza." A friend of mine saw the book on my table and said that her son had read the book and did not care for it. I had just started the book, but now I was thinking, "Great, what is wrong with this book?" I kept reading, but I just had that dread that something would go terribly wrong with the plot and I would hate the book. As I got further into the book, I was really enjoying it. It was a light read – nothing serious. "Playing for Pizza" is about a NFL quarterback who ends up in Parma, Italy playing football Americano. I loved the descriptions of life in Italy having been there and done that. I loved the characters and I like football. I kept reading, not just because I was enjoying the story, but because I wondered when it would turn sour. It never did. The book was just fun entertainment – no hi-tech, spills and thrills, no deep serious plot, but just good fun. I finished the book with a smile on my face. Now I am wondering around the house looking for something to read next thinking, "Darn, I wish I had not absorbed that book so quickly."

Becky, you would probably like the book since you have lived in Italy and you love football. I thought about you all through the book.

Last year while we were in Canada, I did lots of painting and read about five books in one month. There is something about being at home that I just do not get enough time to do that much reading. I read quite a bit while in Scotland too. I think I need to go somewhere. When we were in Italy several years ago, we each took a book (mostly for the plane trip). We ended up trading books and all of us reading the other’s book. I read my first Clive Cussler at that time - what a silly man. We did not have nearly enough books on that trip. Italian TV was interesting, but a language problem. TV in Scotland was really lacking unless you were a soccer fan and we did watch some soccer, but I read quite a few books on that trip.

We may be heading off to Lubbock this weekend to see Toby’s mom. Jesse is taking my mom and going to Austin to see her beloved Uncle Craig. Austin is much more fun than Lubbock, but we do the things we have to do. I think I need a good book.

Sign Class

Last night I went to my second sign language class. As I mentioned before, my DIL and the GGs are taking the class too. My DIL has been signing for years and has taught the GGs much. Last week both girls did great. This week, they were a bit distracted. I had gotten to class early and chosen a seat where my DIL could sit somewhere around me if she chose or if she needed me to help with the girls. But they were arrived late so they ended up sitting in front of me. Two other little girls from our church had sat on either side of me. GBN1 turned around in her seat to talk to me throughout the class. I was constantly urging her to pay attention to the teacher. I think it bothered her that there were other kids around me and getting my attention. Katie Belle, who is five years old, was sitting to my right. She had not really wanted to sit next to me, but her mother left her with me anyway. She was quick to pick up on the fact that GBN1 wanted to be in my lap. Belle figured out that I was someone’s "nana" and she took advantage. Before class was over, she was in my lap and all over me. I’m sure GBN1 was thinking, "Hey, that is my spot!" As soon as class was over, GBN1 grabbed my hand and began tugging, "Booboo, lets go outside and play!" I was worn out and my DIL was worn out from wrestling GBN2, who had been fussy throughout the class. Maybe we will do better next week.

The sign language class is very interesting, and I love it so far. It is really cool to see the little ones signing as well as the adults. At one point, GBN1 left class. When she came back a few minutes later, she waved her little hand in the sign for "bathroom" to tell me where she had gone. Pretty funny!

Speaking of morning rituals (from yesterday's post), ours was a bit off this morning. After a night of weird dreams and fitful sleep, I awoke to realize that the alarm had not gone off and it was time for Toby to leave for work, but he was sleeping soundly beside me. I jumped up and poured us some coffee while Toby headed to the shower. It was at this point that I realized I had several mosquito bites – one on my bottom – which will be difficult to scratch without looking like some sort of dumb hick. The good news is that Toby left for work after only drinking one cup of coffee – leaving the rest of the pot for me. I may survive.

Morning Ritual

My dad was always an early riser. He would get up and make coffee and be sitting at the table reading the paper listening to the radio every morning that I can remember. My brothers and I would join him, and Dad would make us coffee/milk with lots of sugar. Through the years we had different morning routines depending on our age. When I was really little, I would make a little squealing noise and Dad would come get me out of bed and carry me to the table. He continued this routine with my little sister until she was too big to be carried. Then he set a pillow in a chair especially for her and tucked a blanket around her and made her coffee and cereal – all without her speaking.

Sometimes Dad would get us dressed and take us somewhere for coffee. I think it was his way of giving Mom some time away from us kids. Getting to go with Dad was always special. I remember sitting at Woody’s Village Inn in RR when Pete was about a year old. Dad ordered him a coke, and we tried to teach Pete to drink with a straw. Pete blew coke all over everything. We thought we were in trouble, but Dad just laughed. In the cabin up Bitter Creek in Red River, we had a huge table with a bench down one side and old chairs down the other – all in front of a picture window. When Craig and I got up in the mornings, we would stand in our bedroom door and wait until Dad turned in his chair. He would clap his hands and hold them open for us in a "lets do it" motion. Then we would run and jump in his lap. We actually broke some of the old chairs with this morning ritual. When we moved into the Green Mountain Lodge, our bedroom was upstairs so Dad did not carry us to the table – we were getting a bit big for that anyway. Craig and I often stopped on our way downstairs and sat at the top of the stairs – at the first floor ceiling level – where the warm air had risen. That old lodge was drafty and that was a warm place before we headed down for coffee.

One morning memory we kids share is playing ball with our dog, Pumpkin. That dog could catch a tennis ball like no other dog – he was great. Dad was drinking his coffee and reading the paper while we threw the ball to Pumpkin. Dad told us to stop throwing the ball in the house, but we threw it one more time. It bounced off Pumpkin’s nose and landed perfectly in Dad’s coffee cup without knocking it over. Of course, coffee was displaced onto Dad’s newspaper. If we hadn’t been so frozen with fear, we probably would have cheered the perfect placement of the ball. It was plumb amazing. I think Dad was awed too. I don’t remember getting in trouble, but I do remember that we stopped throwing the ball in the house.

As teenagers, we began going our separate ways in the mornings. Maybe we slept in more. The rituals fell by the wayside. But on Saturday mornings I would get up early with Dad. We would go to the Pup and Rowdy games during football season. Sometimes we would hit the junkyards and antique stores in the old part of WF. Dad and I would walk together holding hands like when I was little. He would tell me about growing up in WF, delivering newspapers, working for his uncles, who lived where, etc. These were special times for me. It gave me a special relationship with Dad that my brothers did not have. Later in life they would wonder why. Maybe Dad was busy making men out of his boys, but he could spoil me. Maybe it was that my personality just meshed with Dad, but mostly, it was that I was just a Daddy’s girl. Pure and simple.

Post-Race Post

TFNP has some video of the Hotter’n Hell Hundred (or Twenty-five as was the case). I was very impressed that he was able to ride his bike and video. And I was thankful that he did not video me. Smart boy! Jesse just posted some of her photos. I stole these from her this morning before I realized that she has posted some of the same ones (great minds!). I thought I would post one of Jan since he was the top dog riding the whole hundred. Jesse and I got a kick out of this photo of the Piper - it is difficult to look mean in cycle-wear. Toby's favorite photo was the one with the beer sign toward the finish line. His comment, "How did I miss that?" I also threw in this pic of Jesse just for meanness.

Some "small world" things that happened at the HHH:
On Friday we were milling about the vendor exhibits, which were extremely crowded. Since I am a people watcher, I was spanning the crowd when I saw a tall man that looked familiar. Not being the shy sort, I approached the man and asked if he was Jim King. He was, and he had no idea who the heck I was. Jim was a good friend of my big brother all through jr. high and high school. He lived down the street from my grandmother where we had some serious sandlot football games. His wife also went to school with Craig and I, but I did not know her so well. Then he said that he was there with Brian Gillespie to ride in the HHH. Brian was another good friend from the old days. Brian was quite the hunk in high school. I had a little crush on him, but he dated and married (and later divorced) one of my best friends. Brian came over to say hello and visit. I doubt I would have recognized him with his gray hair, but he was still a handsome man. It was so cool to see these guys – it had been over thirty years.

I also ran into another high school friend, Bert Huff. There are lots of people that I went to high school with who still live in WF. I never see any of them, but I see Bert everywhere when I am in WF. He is a friendly guy who always takes time to stop and visit. He was not riding in the HHH, but just there to check out the activities.

After the race, we drove across town to eat at Parkway Grill. The place was packed so it was difficult to seat our large group. When Jesse came in, there was no room for her to sit with us, but there was a man sitting alone at a table near us. The man did not seem to mind sharing his table with a pretty girl, and Jesse sat with him. It turns out that the man was from Comanche, OK, which is a suburb of Duncan, and where we lived for several years before moving to our present location. He was a teacher at CISD where I did some subbing. We thought it was ironic that we would ride in a race with over 11,000 cyclist and then meet someone who lived next door. The man told us that since he had turned 50 years old this year, he rode the 50 miles. Yikes – more than I want to do!

This afternoon the gang is going to get together to ride. I guess I will ride with the herd again.

The Hotter'N Hell Twenty-five

I did it - I did the 25 miles in the Hotter'N Hell Hundred easily. It was lots of fun. After training in the hills of Oklahoma, the flat lands of Texas were much easier to ride. The race started about 7:30 (supposed to start at 7:05) and we finished about 9:45. We were part of a group of nine people including the Leinz family, Lindz, TFNP, and Jan (Jesse's coworker and friend). It was a bit like herding cats all weekend, but once we hit the race everyone did there own thang - thank God. Jan (who is from the Netherlands and most recently Canada) did the 100 miles! Here is how the day played out:


Most of the herd drove down early on Friday to get entered and look through the vendor booths and exhibits. The MPEC in WF was just packed with cyclist. Jesse, Lindz and Jan came down on their own later. My mom and brother opened their homes to let us all stay the night. While Deb and I made pasta, for a big carb dinner, the guys tuned the bicycles. Mom’s house was a perfect place for us all to gather. We were up by 4:30 AM getting our gear together, drinking a bit of coffee, eating a few more carbs, and heading to the starting line. We arrived downtown WF before the sun came up and unloaded our bikes. Here is Jan and the Piper using their headlights to work on the bike. Here is Lindz and Katie, the youngest at 13 in our group of friends. Here is Jesse. Here we are at the starting line for the 25 milers. Here is Jesse and Lindz doing their "Mantage" impression (something on You Tube). There were over 11,000 cyclist in the HHH - so there were people lined up in front of us and behind us. You can go to the site and see maps of the race, but they lined us up down Scott St. in WF starting with the 100 milers, 100 Ks, 50 milers, 25 milers, and 10 Ks. The start of the race was a bit scary. For over a mile, it was slow - very slow – difficult-to-pedal-slow. In fact, as we started, Toby, who had new shoes with those clips that hold your feet to the pedals, was getting his feet clipped in when a lady cut in front of him, and he fell over skinning his knee pretty good. We heard (but did not see) that there were some other really ugly wrecks at the beginning of the race, but once we got going things improved. I stayed behind with Toby when he fell - know one in our group saw him fall, but me. Then several blocks later, his chain came off. I stayed with him again. Then we hit the open road, and he left me to my own. I caught up with the others. The Piper and I rode together after the first rest stop, which was near a small airport, and we got to see a crop duster land almost on our heads. I freed the Piper to do his thang. A few miles later, I found Toby, who rode with me. We caught Jesse and Lindz near Sheppard Air Force Base. Shay, Lindz’ fiancé, had driven over that morning and met up with my brother and mom. They were cheering the crowd on and Shay was entertaining everyone as we rode up. Did I mention that Shay did a year in Iraq in 2004 with the OK National Guard? He is a great guy!

Here is the really fun part. We rode onto Sheppard Air Force Base. It was the best! The bike route took us through a plane exhibit and then up to a rest stop where the Airmen treated us royally handing out drinks and food. Young Airmen lined both sides of the street cheering for us running out and slapping our hands nearly knocking us over with their exuberance. It was so neat! I was cheering for them! It pumped everyone for the rest of the ride to the finish line. The USAF really knows how to put on a good party! I was amazed that Jesse did not just stop and stay with the airmen. She and Lindz managed to have their picture made with a handsome man in uniform. Sheppard pilots also did a fly over at the beginning of the race - awesome!


We finished the race and hung out for a while eating lunch and chillin' at Mom's. We waited on Jan, who did not finish until late afternoon and he was spent - I was worried for him. Riding 100 miles in temps in the high 90's is just pretty difficult. He said he found the beer tent on about mile 98. He said it did not really help, but sure made him happy. We let him shower and rest before we loaded up and came home. We got home around 7PM Saturday evening. Everyone was worn out, but had a great time. I'm sure Jesse will post some photos at her blog too.

Pre-post

Blogger is being a booger this morning. I have been trying to post photos, but blogger is not cooperating. I have a post written, but did not want to publish until I had the photos with it. I will try again later, but know that I did make the 25 miles and we did have fun and the USAF is way-cool!

In Irons

It has been a busy morning. I rode my bike early this morning before getting ready for art classes today. With all of the rain this last week, I have not ridden since last Saturday. I managed to get showered and cleaned up along with a little house cleaning before the girls started showing up at 10:00 this morning. Blogging has taken a backseat today, but I will leave you with this photo that Kristie, owner of the sailboat, sent us from the lake last week. I like the look on Jesse's face - no wind in her sails. And that is her coworker, Tim.

Upcoming Events

This weekend Wichita Falls will host the Hotter’n Hell Hundred Bicycle race/ride. After Toby rode in the Duncan Dehydrator, Jesse and I decided to join Toby in the HHH. We are only doing the 25 miles, so we should do fine. We have been training by riding our bikes a couple of times a week – which is all my bottom can stand. I’ve been told that riding in WF is much easier than riding around our home in OK, because WF is much flatter. Although I have mentioned riding my bike with Toby, I have not really said much about the HHH ride for two reasons. One: there is the thought that if I cannon make it the entire 25 miles and the "sad mobile" has to pick me up, very few of my friends will know. Two: In the past I have had people look at my physique and then act doubtful or even verbally express their doubt in my abilities. I have always been athletic and amazingly strong. Even when I prove to be physically capable of some athletic feat, people will act amazed as if "gee, for a fat girl you don’t sweat much." I really hate that "look of disbelief" on someone’s face when they see me doing something athletic. I really dislike naysayers. So, I have been fairly quiet on the HH bike ride, but I wanted you to know that I am riding this weekend. There, I said it!

There is a family in our church that runs a camp for deaf children over in Sulphur, OK. Last year while I was in Canada, the family offered a sign language course. I missed the first month and did not start the classes, but I was so jealous that many of my friends were learning to sign. My daughter-in-law has been signing for years and worked at the camp back when she was single. My DIL has taught my GGs to sign. Even GBN2 knows about 20 signs. Yesterday while I was over visiting the GGs, GBN2 climbed up on the table to smell a flower arrangement. Then she began moving her hand under her little nose to sign "flower." Very impressive! This is something I want to be able to do also. The class starts tonight, and I will be there.

Toby is taking some vacation time between September 6th and the 14th. After much looking online and talking, we still do not have a clear picture of where we will go. I think we will head east and see where the road takes us. We are hoping to stop and see my old friend Dale in Arkansas. Who knows where else we will go? This is Toby’s idea of fun. I would like to have a little more detail – not because I am a detailed person, but because I don’t want to miss anything fun. Toby wants to check out the scenery and funky places, but I want to know where some of them are and maybe stumble on a few by chance. I will just go with the flow. He is always a fun date. Yet, I’m a little anxious.

Although I am a bit worried about the vacation, one of the reasons that I think I should just flow and go is that I will get to do my own thang the next week. I have signed up for a watercolor workshop September 16, 17 & 18 in Burleson, TX. The workshop is being put on by the Society of Watercolor Artists in Ft Worth. Janet Rogers will be the teacher. I am really excited about the workshop since she teaches watercolor portrait painting. It has been a while since I have taken a workshop, and I am hoping for inspiration. I will be on my own – not knowing anyone. Since I like making new friends, this should not be a problem. I will try not to be too much of a goof. But hey, who cares? I just want to learn and have some fun. If the Ft Worth artists are as anal as the Duncan Art Guild, well, they will just have to put up with me for a few days.

Later in November is the Duncan Art Guild Miniature Art Show (all artists can email me for a prospectus on the show). I have a large job in putting this on and it is taking up lots of my time right now. Also the same weekend as the show, Lindz is getting married. I am in charge of the food at the reception – busy weekend!

See, I am not just sitting around eating bonbons and playing on the computer.

I found this photo on Jesse's Facebook and I thought I would share it. Okay, now you know that I really do sit around playing on the computer.

Rainy Days and Tuesdays

It rained all day yesterday and all night and the weatherman said it would rain again today. I don’t mind. It fills the pond and waters the hay. It keeps me from having to ride that dang bicycle. I seem to get more done around the house on rainy days. Yesterday while ironing clothes, I watched "Cold Mountain" on the USA channel although I was hoping for some more Olympics. At the end of the movie, I was disgusted with myself for watching. I had been fairly enthralled with the movie, but then it ended badly. I really hate that. I don’t normally watch TV during the day (and rarely at night). Now I remember why.

I did watch the local news and weather this morning. It seems that Gov. Perry has endorsed the Harrold ISD’s decision to let teachers carry a concealed weapon. You go, Gov Goodhair! Once again, it was pointed out that Harrold sits right on Hwy 287 and is not close to any law enforcement agencies. I guess Vernon or Electra would be closest. Did I ever mention that I was a waitress at a truckstop on Hwy 287 back when I was a senior in high school? I worked from 3PM to midnight. What were my parents thinking? The sheriff’s deputies would drive by and check on me from time to time. It was a real learning experience.

Last night Toby and I watched the Olympics and read our books. It was a quiet evening with the girl starting a new class in Lawton. You know I love the beach volleyball, it was a great game last night against Brazil. The Americans are going for gold now – yeha. Then the women’s trampoline event came on. I didn’t even know there was such a thing. I was wowed! Me being a scaredy cat on a trampoline, this event blew my mind. Those girls were bouncing so high, and then they started flipping and twisting. It was amazing!

Today, I’m headed to town for appointments, Wal-Mart, and lunch with Jes. Maybe I will drop by and check on the GGs.

Cool Weekend

We are getting a nice rain this morning (and last night). It is dark and cool outside – I love it. The morning has been a good time to catch up on my blog reading and coffee drinking. The rest of the day may be spent around the house doing some clean up from the weekend.

Saturday Toby and I went over to WF, because my brother, Craig, was up from Austin along with our longtime friend, Jim (Bimbo – a childhood name). When we got to WF, we went straight to the bike shop. Craig, Pete, and Bimbo showed up a few minutes later. I’m sure the bike store clerks thought we were crazy when I squealed, "There’s my brothers!" – it was a family reunion in the store with lots of hugs and catching up. Yes, I did just see Craig a few weeks ago, but it has been a year since I have seen Bimbo. I can see Pete all the time, but all three together was just a party. Later we picked up Mom and had lunch at Sevi’s, which are the best burritos in the world. Toby and I had the barbacoa supreme – yum! After lunch we hit the flea market where I bought this little jewel. Craig bought six softballs for $5.00 – what a deal. He also bought an old palm leaf cowboy hat for $2.00. He wore it right then and there, but it looked much better after Toby shaped it for him. We also went to an estate sale that had some great retro furniture and clothes. There was an old metal pink dining room table and chairs that was in mint condition for $225.00. Bimbo wanted to buy this and sell it for profit in Austin, which was probably a good plan. They also had a sectional couch that was right out of the 60’s. One bedroom set was the same as Toby’s grandparent’s set, but this set looked brand new. We didn’t buy anything, but we did drool. The day was cool and overcast, which is odd for WF in August, but very nice. It would be nice if next weekend (the Hottern’ Hell bike race) would be the same.
After church, we headed to the lake again. Jesse had invited a couple of coworkers to go sailing. Once again the day was overcast with the threat of rain. There was little to no wind, which was perfect for the kayaks, but not so great for the sailing. We just swam and lazed around. The Grand Girls had colds and I did not see them this weekend. I did stop by for a few minutes on Friday at lunch. They were tired of being cooped up in the house (a bit rambunctious), and they were still snotty. I don’t think my presence helped much – they tend to get excited when Booboo and Crewcraw show up.
It is shaping up to be a busy week.

Harrold, Texas

I can remember attending basketball games in Harrold when I was a youngster and my father was a school principal of a neighboring school. Most people would be surprised to find that Harrold had not been consolidated with Vernon or Electra, but it is still going strong. I was surprised to see this article on Harrold - because the Harold ISD is allowing teachers to carry handguns. I love it! Here is my favorite line:

"The naysayers think [a shooting] won't happen here," Thweatt said. "If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them.

Of course it seems much easier to bring back corporal punishment and kick out students who do no want to be at school and only cause problems. Let 'em go! They can get an education later - when they're ready, but they won't keep other kids from getting an education. Discipline would go a long way in making schools safe, but carrying a concealed weapon would certainly help.

Now, why didn't I think of that? Actually,there were a couple of times while teaching that I can remember thinking, "If I had a gun right now..." No, not really. I have thought it would go a long way in protecting students from serious threat. I think back to the Amish school shootings a few year back and I just cringe. Not to mention other shootings where a killer randomly shot students and teachers. Wow, what is the world coming to? I have lots of thoughts on this subject - how about you?

By the way, I was born in another small town on Hwy 287, Chillicothe, TX. My dad was the principal of the school there. Then we moved to Kamay where he was an administrator in Valley View ISD. From there we moved to Electra which is even closer to Harrold ISD. Years later we moved to Vernon where Jesse was born, which is just up the highway from Harrold.

Bits of Nothing

I noticed that many of my favorite bloggers are not posting much these days. Dog days of summer, I guess. Comments have been light too. I checked my breath and deodorant – so it couldn’t be that. Maybe it is just my lack of intelligent conversation.

Did you see this article on the OSS files being released? Who would have thought Julia Child was a spy? She has always been a hero of mine for her great cooking. Now I am really impressed. In fact, all of these people who did dangerous work for our country and never took any credit or fame are just heroes. They kept quiet about their work – that is something in this day and age of tell-all books. Very cool!

I’ve been whiny about my bike riding, but I am hanging in there. Last night at church, my bottom (or butt - just for RunningMad) was so sore that I could not sit still. Unfortunately, I was packed in between Toby and Aunt B. I really needed to wiggle and squirm, stretch and bend. Finally I just got up and went to the overflow room to sit by myself. It was much more comfortable. Lindz’ mom "snuck" up on me and tapped me on the shoulder causing me to jump about ten feet. Then we both had to clamp a hand over our mouths while we giggled like two little girls. Glad we were in the overflow room or we would have gotten a spankin' for sure.

Jesse rode her bike to church with Toby (about 12 miles or more). She said it was not pleasant. I snickered. The Piper once made fun of me for saying that we live in "rolling hills of OK" as if this area is not hills. After living in WF and West Texas, these are hills. These hills may be nothing compared to NM, but they are hills. Just try riding your back up and down a few of these hills near my house for full understanding of the grades. I guarantee butt cramps.

Today is art, and I am really looking forward to painting with the girls, although Ashley may not be here. She is my favorite, you know. I may be able to finish an oil painting that I have been working on. Oil is not my thang, but it is popular. I cleaned house yesterday getting ready for the girls. I swept and mopped, cleaned the carpet and even cleaned out some knooks and crannies (what ever the heck a cranny is). I could do more cleaning today...na. Why spoil a good day?

Maybe I will come up with something truly blog-worthy later, but for now, that is all she wrote.

New Age Speak

Did anyone see this story about John Edwards’ mistress, Rielle Hunter, on the MSN homepage? I found it rather interesting. The whole New Age thing always makes me giggle because it takes me back to my days of living in NM where there were plenty of strange folk and women from other parts of the US who had moved to Taos looking for inner peace in outer space. New Age Speak reminds me of being in a dress store in Taos with my aunt and uncle one summer. While my aunt was trying on clothes, my uncle and I were hanging out in the front of the store. The sales lady struck up a conversation. Similar to what the reporter said of Rielle, this sales lady had no idea what small talk was. She went straight to her personal story as if we were old friends. She told how she had been a businesswoman, a singer, a dancer, married, divorced, moved to Taos,etc. She mentioned Buddha, several other religions, and all sorts of New Age talk. I was torn between being horrified or just giggling because my uncle is as conservative as they come, and he was hearing all this crazy talk. I remember the look on his face – his brown eyes were serious, his brow was furrowed, and he seemed to be totally interested – as if he could really follow her wild conversation. But when she finally took a breath and let him speak, he said, "Ma’am, do you know Jesus Christ?" I am sure my mouth fell open – now I was horrified. I had no idea what would happen next. But the woman just laughed and said, "Why yes! He is my best friend." My uncle was satisfied with that answer and conversation moved on. That Edwards would have an affair with one of these women is just mind-boggling.

Today and Lake Fun

Last week when Mom had her little procedure, which I said went well, it did not go so well. I should have known when the nurse said "Your mother did well: she made it so easy" that my mother never makes things easy when it comes to hospitals. While I was with her in WF, things were fine, but later that night, she had a reaction to something and got sick. My brother took her to the emergency room (thanks Pete; I owe you) where they gave her a shot to settle her stomach. Since last Monday, she has been running a low-grade fever and not feeling well. But did she call and say anything? No. I only found out today that she has been sick all week. So, today I will go over and check up on her, roust her out, and prod her into being better. I don't understand medical stuff very well and I am not the most sympathetic person in the world (according to my family). If Mom was already taking an antibiotic, why would she be running a fever? If this was only a reaction to the procedure, why did it last all week? And why didn't she call me or her doctor?

Lake fun:
I mentioned our lake outing in yesterday's post. Here are some photos to tell the story. Our friends, Kristie and Scott, own the Hobie Cat. Kristie took these photos. Jesse also posted photos at her blog. Upon arriving at the lake, it began to rain. Then it poured. Then the sun came out. We just kept playing through it all. There were lots of photos of Jesse because she took over the job of skipper and gave everyone a ride. Many of the photos showed Jesse frowning or just very serious. This one looked like she might make Ruth walk the plank. Jesse was actually having a great time. Then there were the dog pictures. S an K brought three dogs, and we brought Ranger the rat terrier. Ranger is a mama's dog and is a bit weird when I am not around. Toby and I went out on the kayak and tried the kite (not enough wind). Ranger tried to swim after us, but he found an island of safety. Bo showed up late in the afternoon to take over being skipper. Both my children were Hobie Hogs.

Weekend Round Up

Hen Party:
I have spent this morning catching up on my blog reading after a busy weekend of fun. Friday night a group of us ladies went to Moore, OK to the Warren Theaters to watch Mama Mia. Several of my friends were there as well as Jesse and several of her friends. It was quite a hen party. As for the movie, it was just fun. Mama Mia is a bit silly, but the visual aspect of the movie is bright and wonderful. The movie was filmed in Greece – everything about the movie was just COLOR! The music was fun too, but a bit odd (like the whole movie). Hearing and seeing Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan sing is, well, unexpected. Streeps two sidekicks are equally surprising. If you follow the link to the movie, you can watch some videos of the singing and dancing, and understand what I am saying. During the bachelor-ette party scene, Streep and her two friends sing oldies to the younger girls wearing 70’s costumes – it was great fun – ridiculous, but fun. When the movie was over, I leaned across Ashley’s mom to tell Lindz’ mom, "Hey, I have a great idea for Lindz’ wedding." Both moms burst out laughing. Lindz’ Aunt B, said, "I think we can do it!" and we all fell to fits of giggling.

After the movie, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings. I was sitting at the "older married ladies" table where there were some strange topics of conversation. One lady told how she had gotten an email with a picture of a "redneck halter top" which was a top made from men’s underwear. The redneck had taken a pair of tightie-whities, cut the crotch out, and worn the underwear as a halter-top. All the ladies were duly horrified and exclaiming how crazy that was. When it got quiet, I said, "Come on ladies, admit it. You know you want to go home and get out a pair of your husband’s shorts and try it. You don’t have to wear it in public – around the house is okay." Those ladies, those friends of mine who know me so well, got a real kick out of that.

Another funny thing happened at Buffalo Wild Wings. There were lots of other young people in the restaurant besides our young ladies. As we got up to leave, I noticed two young men sitting at a table near Jesse and her friends. The guys were sitting as close as possible to the girls without being at the same table. Obviously, they wanted to be sitting with the girls. And who wouldn’t? Most of you have seen Jesse, Lindz, and Reagan on my blog or Jesse’s blog. All three are beautiful. The fourth girl at the table might be considered even more beautiful that the other three – very classy looks. Those guys were just drooling. When I asked Jesse if the boys had even spoken to them, she said no. They just sat very close, but never instigated conversation. My thoughts: No guts; No glory.

The rest of the weekend:
Saturday, we did some bicycle shopping in Lawton with a side trip to Hobby Lobby. The owner of the bike store gave me some advice on bike riding. He said that the seat will always hurt your butt, and as too the pain in my wrists and shoulders, well, that is part of riding also. Great!

Sunday after church, we went to the lake to do some swimming, sailing, and kayaking. Maybe Jesse will post pics on her blog. We cooked out with friends. The weather was overcast and it rained on us, but that was very nice. It cleared off later in the afternoon and was just beautiful. I got to visit with Elza and her boys getting to know them. Hello to Elza! I really enjoyed you and your family.

Relief, Peace, and Pests

We got relief from the summer heat in the way of thunderstorms last night. It rained all night long - yeha!

You know that this is not a political blog and that I rarely have a serious thought in my head, but I just wanted to say that I think the Olympics is not the place for protests. It is a place for athletes to come together to compete in peace. Does that make me a shallow person? I know China rates very low in human rights and something should be done, but not at the Olympics. The time to protest was before China was chosen for the venue – while China was still just a consideration. I can’t imagine what the Olympic committee was thinking. I have no problem with people protesting for human rights – just not where other people and athletes are put in danger. In this day and age those protests could turn ugly. Even people for peace are often, hmm, well, un-peaceable. Personally, I think if you have a problem with China as the venue for the Olympics, don’t go, stay home, don’t watch, don’t spend your money on the Olympics, put up signs in your yard, write your congressman, etc. But don’t bother the athletes or their families or tourist who do want to see the competitions. I want to see these athletes put away their hates, lay down their arms, come together in peace, and compete on the field.

Art:
Yesterday I had quite a few art students, which made things more fun. I love it when I have just one student, but the more, the merrier. Later I had to attend a board meeting of the Duncan Art Guild. If I get through this art show in November, I doubt I do this again. Famous last words!

The cat, Count Rugen, was a pest at art. He wanted to sit in laps and be petted. Who could resist that face? It is bad enough that Ranger, the rat terrier, begs for dog treats knowing that the art girls are suckers for fat rats. But then Rugen won’t be still in your lap or sometimes he gives little love bites. Finally he knocked over some art stuff causing everyone to jump. I tossed him outside.

Sports Pain

Toby took his bicycle to the bike shop to get it tuned. It seemed to be making an odd noise. Last night he rode one of the old bikes to church – one that he has been working on for Jesse. He confessed that the old bike made his shoulders hurt. That is what my bike does, too. He said his hands were tingling from the pressure on his wrists. Yeah, mine does that too. He said it was just torture to ride that old bike. Now, I am slapping my leg, agreeing with him about the bike riding/torture thing. I think he may be getting the picture of how I feel about this bicycle stuff.

It reminded me of wearing ski boots. Back in the really old days, ski boots were like heavy duty hiking boots that laced up. My lace up boots left bruises and calluses on my lower shins. By the end of the winter, my fingers would have cracks from being dry and chapped and lacing ski boots. But those boots were plum comfy for me compared to the buckle boots that came out next. The designers for ski boots must have been male because they only fit men or ladies with long legs. Women have tinier ankles and larger calves than men do – making ski boots difficult to fit on ladies. Now, I have large ankles and large calves – making it almost impossible for ski boots to fit right. Getting those buckles to clamp down and stay down on my boots was torture. Sometimes, I would leave the top buckle undone for comfort. I caught a lot of flack about how dangerous that was and how I could break my leg and such. Little did anyone know how much pain those boots caused – a broken leg couldn’t be much worse.

Then the rear-entry boots came out. I was working at a ski shop when one of my male coworkers said, "Hey Lou, come try these new boots. They are like wearing house shoes." Then he began to try and clamp my short fat calves into a boot. He got a larger cable. He squeezed. He pumped. He pulled at the bladder. Finally, he fitted me to the boots. I could hardly walk much less ski. Once again, those boots were designed for men with longer calves. If that was "like wearing house shoes," I’d rather go bare foot. I remember thinking, "You mean ski boots are suppose to fit better and be comfortable?" I loved to ski, but for me, ski boots had always been painful. I thought the pain was normal.

My friend, who owned the ski shop, had some brand new lace up boots that his father had bought back in the 60’s right before buckle boots came out. He had just shelved the old lace up boots. I asked him if I could buy a pair. He told me "no, because I would wear them." Dang right I would! He fixed me up with a pair of rear entry boots. I left the cable undone when riding the lift and only buckled it down when skiing – it was the best we could do.

Now, Toby is telling me that bikes can be comfortable. I am doubtful, but willing to give it a try. Some things are just meant to be painful – like ski boots and bras.

One Memory Leads to Another

It is a sure sign that you need to lose weight when you go to do the mammogram thing and the worst part is not that they mash your boobs flatter than flitters. No, the worst part was that the nurse asked me to hold in my stomach because she didn’t really need a photo of it.

I had worn a button up blouse because you are suppose to (I'm not sure why when they just make you take it off). I hate button-up-the-front-blouses because they pull and get caught on things and then the buttons pop open when you least expect it. It reminded me of my first year of teaching. I was holding a book open while standing in front of the class. I would talk and read from the book. Then I would turn, hold the book up to my chest, and write on the board. After a while, I realized that in all my teaching animation, the kids were looking at me as if I were speaking another language (oh wait, I was). Anyway, I looked down to see that my blouse had come open - about three buttons worth. I was a bit embarrassed, but I figured they had already gotten a good look. I just walked over, set the book down, buttoned up my blouse, and continued teaching.

While waiting with several other ladies in the Mobile Mammogram Unit, I listened to the ladies talk about the August heat. One lady said that she had gone up into her attic to get a brass headboard. She had to carry it using a cloth because it was too hot to hold bare handed. Another lady said that her husband, an electrician, had measured the heat in their attic and it measured 135! I’m glad I don’t have an attic.

I came out of Wal-Mart about 2PM and loaded my groceries into the car. The (outside) temperature reading when I got in my car said 113, but it had been parked in the hot sun for close to an hour. As I drove home, the temperature gage came down to 107.

Last night in the middle of the night I got up to yell at the dogs, who were giving the coyotes yip for yip and yap for yap. When I opened the front door, it was not the heat that surprised me, but the humidity. It just felt wet and sticky. It reminded me of the time the kids and I flew from Albuquerque to Dallas during a particular heat spell. As we got off the plane in Dallas Jesse said, "Ugh! It's wet!" After living in the high desert of NM, Jesse had never really experienced humidity. She was as totally disgusted as a six-year-old could be, and I laughed at her. Her curly dark hair fuzzed up rather cute. Sometimes she still has that look.

Speaking of "little girl" looks, Jesse played soccer Monday night (yep, in this heat). Not only was her hair curly when she came home, but she sported a skinned knee. It looks kind of funny on a 26 year old. It reminded me of the last time I had a skinned knee. I was about 34. I was helping Toby move a refrigerator. I tripped and dropped my end of the fridge and skinned my knee on the sidewalk. I did a rather good job of it. I was teaching at the Taos Jr. High at that time. I had only been there about a month and did not know my coworkers very well. About the time the scab healed and was gone and I could wear pantyhose again, I was coming out of the girls restroom where I had just washed my coffee cup. I was wearing a skirt and high heals. I slipped in some water on the floor and slid across the bathroom throwing my coffee cup as I went and re-injuring my knee. I was really glad that no one was in the restroom and no one saw me. Then I walked out into the hall where the principal and two other male teachers were standing. They were looking at me with concern. I simply said, "I fell." They said, "We heard." I said, "I didn't cuss." They said, "Yeah, it was the only reason we didn't come check on you. We figured that since you didn't cuss, you must be okay." Then we all looked down at my knee. My pantyhose were torn and blood was running down my leg. They said, "You'd better get that looked at and write a work-related injury report." I said, "Thanks" and hobbled off to class where I had to explain to my students why I was late and what had happened to my knee. Great.

The good news is that we have cloud cover today and the temps are supposed to only get in the high 90’s. Yeha.

Eye Rolling

I have told you before that Jesse sometimes does and says the most outrageous things. Her latest post reminds me once again of how peculiar her personality really is. It also reminds me of another "Jesse Story" from years ago. She and Bo are three years apart almost to the day. When she turned 18, Bo turned 21. We had their party together. I remember her saying to Bo, "Lets go to the store. You can buy beer, and I will buy cigarettes." I just rolled my eyes.

Summer of 80

The temperature yesterday reached about 109. That is hot, but I've seen worse. I was reminded me of the summer of 1980 with record highs for a long period of the summer. We were living in Dallas. Bo was just turning a year old. We drove an old Dodge pick-up without an air conditioner. We would put Bo in his car seat, and he would just hang limply with sweat running down his little face. Around the middle of June, my mom was flying in to DFW from some school related trip. I picked her up at the airport and continued to drive to Wichita Falls. Our plan was to spend the night and get up the next morning to drive to Red River where my dad was already spending the summer. We got to WF about 5 PM and it was 115 degrees. There was no way we could get her house cooled off for the night. We just got back in the car and kept driving towards the cool mountains.

The heat seems to zap my strength and take away my "want to." Yesterday after I drove home from WF, I just wanted to do nothing. Today, I have lots to do to catch up from my one day away. Maybe I will post more later, but I need to hit it hard.

Monday in the Falls

I drove over to WF last night to spend the night with Mom and get up at the crack of dawn to go with her to have a procedure done at the hospital. All is well this morning and running smoothly. I brought my laptop which is working great and giving me something to do while I wait for Mom. It will be an all day affair.

Last night when I got here, Mom and I went to eat supper with my little brother and his family. We ate at a place called the Cotton Patch, which was less than wonderful, but the company was good. Later, Mom and I went over to her one of her friend’s homes to watch a movie. We saw "A Love Divided" which was about a Catholic/Protestant conflict in a small village in Ireland. It portrayed the Catholic Church as controlling and dominating and how it tore the village apart and nearly ruined a marriage – it was supposedly based on a true story. It was very interesting. Underlying hurts and prejudices often surface in times of trouble or when stirred by troublemakers. But what was really amazing in the story was the "mob mentality." Why are people such followers? We all like to think that we would not be ruled by the mob, but who really knows. Hitler controlled nations. Fear of man is a strong motivator.

The doc has already been by to tell me Mom came through the procedure with no problems. She is in recovery. When she comes out of recovery, they will keep her a while in a room to watch her. As long as I have my computer and internet (or a good book) I’m happy.

Hot Biker Chicks

We had another hot time summer in The City yesterday, but not before we did some bicycle training. We got up early Saturday morning to bike with Toby before the sun got hot. Jesse rode an old Schwinn bike that Toby has been working on – a hand-me-down from a friend. The handlebars were the old-fashioned type making her set up tall and her arms were spread wide to reach the handles. I’m sure she caught some wind with her arms out like that. She needed a big floppy hat, and she would have had the old time look of a lady leisurely peddling her bicycle down the road. Too bad I did not get a photo of her.

Later in the morning, we headed to Norman to check out some bicycle shops for Toby. He wanted to test ride some road bikes. In order to ride with the big boys, you have to have the right bike. Jesse and I do not like bicycling enough to spend money on this sport, although she did buy some shorts and a shirt so that she will look good while riding. I told Toby that I liked golf better than bicycling, and I don’t like golf all that well. It could just be the summer heat. I have always been a fair weather sports person. When we lived in the mountains, I loved to ski, but I chose my days wisely. Just call me Mama Bear – I want my sports to not be too hot or too cold, but just right.

Bicycling brought back memories of cross-country skiing, which was not my favorite (I like downhill best). Due to Toby’s bad knees and ankles he did not downhill ski, but he loved cross-country skiing. The cross-country ski area in Red River was beautiful with groomed trails, with both forest and open meadows. Unfortunately, you started with an uphill trail. Every time we started uphill, I remember thinking, "I don’t really like this." But then you would get back in the meadows, maybe see deer or elk, drink a little wine, see some beautiful views, etc and I would think, "this is not so bad." Then you had a great downhill to the parking lot, which was always fun and made me think that I could do it again. With bicycling, I’m not sure that there is a good side or fun part.

At each bicycle shop there were young sales men who helped Toby with the bikes. Every one of the young men was skinny, nerdy, and seemed to have shaved his legs. I guess they were all serious about biking. Jesse and I were not impressed. I did not see any short fat people looking at bikes. I’m thinking this may not be my sport. Weight lifting may be my thing if we are going by body style. On the other hand, maybe bicyclists are skinny because they ride bikes. This could be my incentive.

Hot Time Summer in the City

I hit the road early this morning to run some errands in town and then work at the church garage sale. I don’t really like garage sales, but I thought it was good to do my part. I knew working with my girl friends would be fun and make the time go quickly. All in all, I think I went into this thing with a good attitude. But it was just hot today. I worked from 11:30 to 3:30 on the hottest day of the summer. We sat outside under canopies, which provided shade. Not everything was shaded at the garage sale, so there were moments of direct sunlight. I felt like a puddle of butter. At one point I went to a nearby business to potty. I felt like I had been swimming – I had to peel my clothes from my body. Okay, nuff said there – no one wants the graphic. By the end of the day, I was wishing I were wearing my swimsuit. Still, it was okay. I made it until the next shift came, but I was headed to the car and the air-conditioner as soon as I could. I have to wonder why anyone would plan a garage sale in July. Why couldn’t we wait until this fall? Oh well, I did it and it is done.

Toby and I are planning a vacation for September. I told him I wanted to go somewhere where I could wear a sweater. Will I make it to September?