randomness

Hello! Happy Wednesday. I don't have much to say today so I am posting some more pictures from our excursion on Sunday. I thought if I sat down and started typing something brilliant might come to mind. That is actually very unlikely to happen. Brilliant is not my usual mode of writing!

Last night, Monday, I went to play Bunko with some friends from church. It was a lot of fun! I dont remember when I have laughed so much. It really lifts my spirits to get together with friends and do something that is just fun. You don't have to be smart to play. You just have to know how to roll a set of three dice. It is one of the few activities I have participated in since I had Jacob 15 year ago that is just about me. I love Bunko so much I play with two groups. One group I play with regularly, each month. Then I also fill in occasionally with the girls from church. Fun!! :o)

Election day is coming. I have been thinking a lot about the elections this year. They really have me worried too! My candidate is not leading in the polls. I wonder sometimes if God is going to let this country destroy itself. I have been praying that he will have mercy on us. I pray that the right man will be elected. I also pray that my will be able to respect whichever man is elected. I hope you are praying too. Please get out and vote, but pray fervently for our country.

Jacob took this picture of Kim and I Sunday at Woodward park. I don't know what happened with the camera, but for some reason I like it anyway! You can imagine that it is really Julia Roberts standing there with Kim!! HA!

So this concludes my brilliant blog entry. Hope you can stand the excitement!

Fall Foliage...finally!

Sunday afternoon, Kim, Jacob and I set off in the car to see what adventure we could find. Jacob packed a fishing pole and his tackle box. I brought the folding chairs and Kim brought a good mood! (Hooray for Kim !) The sky was a georgous blue and the trees are starting to turn colors. I surprised Kim by pointing at a tree and saying, "Look, that tree caught fire!" He took me literally of course and kept looking for a fire. It was actually just a bright orange tree. :o)





We started heading West to Keystone Lake. We were surprised at how windy it was, but Jacob did not let the wind stop him. He caught two small fish really fast.







Then the wind pushed us on. We drove around the lake area for a while. Then we became aware of the time and decided that there was no way to get back in time for Sunday night services at church.


So we slowed down and just enjoyed nature. We headed back to town and stopped at Chandler park in West Tulsa. I had not been there for many years and I had forgotten how incredible the view is of downtown Tulsa from there. Actually there are a lot of really great views and neat photo opportunities there. Jacob climbed around on the rocks. The heights make me a little nervous. But the views are breath-taking!




Next we packed ourselves back into the car and headed East on 21st street towards home. That led us right past Woodward park. Kim and I had our wedding photo's taken there so we had to stop for more pictures. Jacob took a ton of pictures of the flowers in the rose gardens. This one is my favorite! Most of the flowers are starting to die. The blooms are very full and just almost played out. But they all smelled beautiful and we enjoyed the walk!

We arrived back home just before dark. We had some yummy home-made chicken noodle soup for dinner and went to bed full of fresh air and God's beautiful creation. I hope you like the pictures we took. We had a nice day together!








This picture was taken in Chandler park of some of the beautiful old trees there. I don't know what kind of trees they are, but I love the golden color of the leaves! I just feel so good when I look at these pictures. I know I will enjoy the memories of our day together for many years, but the pictures will help me bring it back into focus on a really hot muggy day in late July!

Brrrrr!

The cool weather finally arrived! I love it! Now maybe these trees will get some color going! I noticed on my way home from my continuing education class today that one of my neighbors has a tree with some red in it. Tomorrow I will try to sneak a picture.

Jacob has been working on Shakespeare in English class. He is not thrilled with it. His most recent project was to memorize the famous lines from Romeo and Juliette, But soft, what light through yonder window breaks.... All the way to the end..... That I might touch that cheek! He did it!! I am so proud of him. He worked hard on it too! Let me tell you, he was not excited about it! He got a 100% on that project. Hooray Jacob! He said that is his least favorite class. The teacher and he sort of "clash" I guess you would say. He told me yesterday that he was glad that he had learned it because he was sure that no one in that class was expecting him to memorize it. I think that if you see him you should ask him to say it for you! Next he has to chose a 3 page essay on the works of Shakespeare or he can attend the play, Romeo and Juliette. He is choosing the essay. I guess that, for him, there would be very little that would be worse than seeing that play. :o)

Mmmmmmm! Brownies! NOT!!!!!

Tonight I spent the evening at the church, by myself, making brownies for tomorrow night's dinner. All my WW friends will appreciate the fact that they flopped. So you don't have to be tempted by the brownies. But they did smell good. They just did not cook right. I think it is those ovens. They don't heat right!! I was very frustrated when I finally left the church to come home at 8:30. I left them there. Don't know what we will do with them tomorrow. Poor Norma will be so sorry she EVER teamed up with me to cook Weds. night dinner!

When I got home and woke Kim up to get ready for work, he first said, "where are the brownies?" Then, when I told him what happened he said, "How could it be the oven? An oven is an oven." OK. I feel sure he knows more about making brownies than I do. Since HE HAS NEVER MADE THEM!!! Grrrr! Good thing he is cute because I wanted to poke him for saying that. I did not take any cute pictures of me cooking brownies by myself. I was too snarly for photo ops!

That Church is quiet and creepy when you are there alone. I kept hearing noises, so I finally stuck my head out of the kitchen door to see if someone was there and there was Bob Walker, right in front of me. I yelped! He laughed at me!! Thank goodness I did not scream! So it turns out I was not alone after all. He said he had shuttled Frances and his daughter to the BOK center to see Neil Diamond tonight and was just killing time until he went back for them. Too cool for them. :o) Better than making gooey brownies that did not cook properly!!!

Since I don't have any cute pictures to go with my church building/brownie adventure, here is a picture from Susan M's back yard. She has these faces on one of her trees. Fun!

For those of you who have never been to Susan's house. Her back yard is AWESOME! Ok, her whole house is amazing! She and Mike did most all of the work themselves too! Have a good Wednesday!

Crying

Why, oh why, do I always, always cry and get so emotional?? I never used to be like this? I guess now that I have reached the ripe old age of 40, my eyes are broken or something? I don't know, but I just spent the last 20 minutes crying and crying. Here is how it all started....




I recently (a few weeks ago) opened a "facebook" page. It seemed fun and I thought maybe I would find some old friends. I did too! I found the "little" girl I used to be a nanny for about 20 years ago!! I searched for her, found someone with her name and sent her a note. I really thought nothing would come of it, but I just looked at my page and it was her!! I am so excited to find her! Her name is Shannon. She was the most adorable little girl EVER and I loved her so much. While I lived there they had a baby too. Her name is Mary. It tore my heart out when I left Virginia to come back home. I think I probably left two slices of it there with Shannon and Mary.

So that was cry number one! Whew! I had barely just gotten myself back together when I decided to check my blog. I had begun to suspect that Amy was the only person (thank you for caring, Amy!) who ever reads my blog. I was about to give it up, because I feel sure Amy has better things to read. My life is really boring and who cares, right? But I decided to go back and look it over again and there was a message from my big brother. He actually posted a comment on my blog!!! Sniff! Sniff! Sniff! Sob! Gulp! Danny, if you ever find your way back here again, I love you too! I miss you more and more as we get older. Remember all the fun stuff? Halloween in the hood? Remember when you would trip little kids and steal their candy? You were such an awesome big brother because you never cried when Deb and I beat you up! Hugs to all you Hamil-people up in PA! Love you all! I love this dorky picture of us from 1986!! Yes that is me in the ugly glasses. That is Danny in the middle and my favorite sister Debbie. Love that sofa too!
So here I am, all cried out. Posting yet another entry on my blog. I guess I will keep blogging away. You never know who might be reading.

relaxation destination

A few weeks ago, my boss, who is an insurance agent, wrote a policy for the salon next door to our agency. He was happy to have the new business, and because he likes to support our customers, and because he is a very nice man, he decided to treat my co-worker, Vicki, and I to a manicure and pedicure. We finally sorted out our schedules and Thursday night was the night.

As soon as we got off work, we went next door with our ugly hands and feet. This was a special treat for both of us. Neither of us has the budget for this kind of activity. I was a little unsure of what to think. First, they led us to these huge chairs with basins at the base to soak our feet.

Turns out those chairs are massage chairs. Oh, the bliss! Actually, I was not wild about the massage part, but Vicky loved it. Two nice ladies came to get us started. I can't remember what the name was of Vicki's person, but my lady was Lisa! Cool huh?

They started with an ice scrub, it was not ice. I was happy :o) to hear that! It was actually some sort of crystals... maybe coarse sea salt? Next was a clay mask. The mask was green, and smelled really nice. It made our legs look funny. We looked like Incredible Hulks! Lisa did a great job massaging my hulk-legs. It was soooo relaxing!Next came what I was really expecting all along, the scraping and callous removing. Let me tell you that it was like Edward Scissor Hands was sitting at my feet! The junk that was on my feet was disgusting! I thought I did a pretty good job of managing this myself, but apparently, I stink and pedicures. I guess that works out all right, as I do OK selling insurance. :o) Then we proceeded to the toe nail painting.

Vicki had adorable little flowers painted on her big toes. Her feet looked fabulous! But by the time she finished and was led to a chair for her manicure she could hardly walk because she was so relaxed from the pampering and massaging! Fun! They put us both into funny, green disposable flip flops so we would not ruin our toes. We finished our adventure at the manicure tables. I chose to have my nails painted the same color as my toes. Vicki went for a natural look. We were both very pleased with the results. We are also both very thankful for this special treat!

Jacob was very impressed with the disposable flip-flops and decided they were his to wear. Unfortunately, while I do have a large foot--size 10--Jacob wears a size 15 and the flip flops could not withstand the trauma of his feet! I wish you could have seen him strolling around the house wearing these! Very funny! He can be such a clown!

My boss is so great to do this for us! We really had a great time. Vicki says she slept great Thursday night. We delivered the bill to my boss Friday morning. We were a little afraid he would have a heart attack, but all he did was smile and ask if we would like to do it again sometime!! How awesome is that???? I bet you can guess what we said.... YES!!!

fall is in the air!

Today is the first day it felt like fall to me. I love the fall weather, even the rain is wonderful when it comes with cool air! I took a few pictures yesterday of some leaves on my home from work. This is just the beginning for me and the leaves. I so love beautiful fall leaves.

It seems like God gets His paint brush out and uses all my favorite colors. I can't help but smile :o) when there is scenery like this in front of me. Thank you, God for the beauty you have blessed us with! And just to think that it has only begun. The next weeks will see many changes in our world. I have a feeling that the trees will be the best part.

This time of year, for some reason, my mind starts to shift towards getting myself organized and creating order in my life and my home. I need to start with a day of serious house work. My favorite time to do that is when Kim takes Jacob camping and I have the house all to myself. I do like to camp, but I don't get many opportunities to have the house to myself either. I am really starting to look forward to a few days like that. I will have to start hinting to the guys about some father/son bonding!

Tomorrow I have a special treat! My boss is treating my co-worker, Vicki, and I to a manicure and pedicure at the salon next to our office. I guess it is some sort of deal he worked out with the owner of the salon. Anyway, I will take some pictures, if Vicki will cooperate, and post them tomorrow!

I mentioned in my post a few days ago that I have been thinking of my foster mom, Bobby, a lot lately. Her 73rd birthday would have been last week. She died in early September of this year after battling with cancer three different times. She was such a special person. She loved the people in her life very much and I was so blessed to be chosen as one of those people. Everyone who knew her would agree that she was a very determined person. When she set her mind to do something nothing could stop her. She was also very good at anything she decided to do. When I was growing up, she tackled lots of projects. She made and painted ceramics (we even had a kiln!) and made macrame hangings. She was an excellent seamstress and made beautifully tailored clothes. She was also a first rate book keeper, that is one lesson that I am sad she was never able to teach me! She loved fiercely and thoroughly. I cannot imagine where I would be today if it were not for her.



I was about eight years old when I first remember meeting her. I was living at Turley Childrens Home and had probably been living there for about a year. I'm sure I met her my first day there, but I don't remember much about that very bad day. So, after a year there I had the opportunity to earn some extra money. She worked as the secretary in the office there. I was allowed to go there 2 or 3 days each week after school and clean and run errands for the office workers for some extra money, I think it was all of a dollar a week or something like that. It felt like a fortune to me!



This was exciting on several levels. First, money. I had NEVER had money of my own. We did get fifty cents a week allowance, but we were only allowed to spend one quarter each week. That money went fast on candy at the snack bar. Second, boredom. We were not allowed to watch much television so we always had to play outside every day. We did not have bikes or toys (not many anyway). So it was not much fun. Third, importance! I felt very special for the first time in my life. Bobby (my future mom) was so nice to me. She taught me how real ladies act, dress, talk and work. Some of that I have forgotten, but most I do remember. This arrangement went on for several years.



A few years later, when I had been at Turley for nearly 5 years, it was decided that I was a good match for foster care. I was excited about that! Shortly after that I was told that Bobby wanted me to come live with her and her husband. I don't know how to describe my feelings when I heard that she wanted me! Euphoria would be mild. Looking back now, I can't begin to imagine what she must have been thinking. I was at a very awkward age. A big, overgrown, clumsy oaf. Only she (and God!) could see any hope for me. I had almost no clothing and what I had did not fit and was not really usable. She never made me feel bad about that. She just taught me how to love myself. That was a hard lesson for me and sometimes I still struggle with that!

Bobby was a dedicated Christian. I had already accepted Christ and been baptized when I went to live with them, but she taught me what that really meant. Along with her husband, my dad, Art, I learned how to put others first and how a Christian takes care of others. She lived her religion every day that I knew her. I have never met anyone like her since.


I thanked her many times over the years, but I don't know if I ever made her understand how much she did for me. That gift has compounded itself many times over the years. I think about her every day. I am sure she is enjoying her reward in heaven very much. If there was ever a woman on earth who deserved that, it was her! Thank you mom. Thank you for the good, Godly advice (I still wish I could get more!), for the wedding dress, for doing my taxes, for loving that dirty, giant oaf of a kid I was, for the Godly example, mostly, just thank you for the love. Good bye.


Bobby Ann Crites Pooler 10/07/1935 to 09/04/2008.

One last picture to post from the retreat. One of my friends found this cool rock. Oklahoma Rocks!

In answer to my own question from a few posts pack. Yes, it seems the light bulb just was not screwed in. There is already a blog-language. My flash of brilliance was only in my head! That seems to be the story of my life. :o( Oh well, it was fun to think I had a new idea for just a few minutes. According to the Urban Dictionary, blogging is narcissistic. I have never thought of myself that way! I realize that there are only a few people in the world who will care to read my thoughts, but I think it will be fun to go back over this later to see what was happening in my life at different times. I would also like to get some of my family from the outer reaches of the country to see what is happening with me and my family.

So now I will proceed to start my Saturday. Today, I plan to clean house and watch the OU/Texas game. Go Sooners! Have a good one!

Wedded Bliss

I was trying to think of something fun to post today. I thought it would be fun to post and tell about two of my favorite wedding pictures. Then tell about how I met Mr. Right. So these are two of my favorites. The one on the left was taken one week before our wedding at Woodward Park. The picture on the right was taken the day of the wedding just before we left for the fabulous honeymoon at Grand Lake. We got married at my Grandmother's house and it was an informal wedding. I have been thinking about that day a lot lately since my foster mom died recently. She made my wedding dress. Ok, now I am getting teary again. I still have my dress. I sure wish I could still fit into it! Maybe someday!

Kim and I met at work. I worked in the office and he worked in the shop. I liked him because he wore a cowboy hat. But he never would talk to me. I was even having trouble finding out his name until I had to page him over the loud speaker one day. I looked at his name and paged, "Kim How-IE to the office, please. Kim How-ie to the front office." Kim's brother-in-law was my boss and he has never let me forget how I mispronounced his name. Kim's sister calls me Lisa Howie to this day. Eighteen years later we are still the Howie's :o)

I hope you will post a few of your wedding pictures! Have a happy Friday!

Ok, first I have to address the challenge left to us by Nellie. SHe said I have to post the 4th picture in the 4th folder. Lucky you, you get a picture of my sweet little Pixie, our house-dog-pound-puppy-couch-warmer! If I remember right, this picture was taken the day Jacob got the camera. Christmas! So he was taking pictures of everyone. You can see how excited Pixie was about the camera. Maybe she was just tired from the stress of greeting Santa the night before. Who knows? Lets be honest, the dog sleeps about 20 hours a day. The dogs at my house have a very easy life, and Pixie is the queen bee.

Now on to something else. I was noticing that Nellie had commented on my blog that I was no longer a blurker. Is that blog talk, or a type-o, Nellie? I don't know, but I like the idea. So when one of my friends inspires me, I can say, "Wow, that was very blogspirational!" or even, "blogerific!". Am I having one of those moments that arrive at my doorstep about 2 years behind everyone else? Has the light bulb just now gotten screwed into my head? You know, I am new to all of this blogtasticness!

Sunday afternoon when we were leaving for church, I went to lock the back door and I saw a squirrel on the deck eating. He looked really cute, so I ran to get the camera. I can't believe our two big outside dogs did not attack him, but there he was, snacking from the dog food bowl. Glad I could help support the squirrel population with all that puppychow! He looks to be quite chubby! Maybe he is just all blogged up with dog food???!!

OK, blogging off for now! Good night!

What a day today was! How does the song go? "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down." I think we had a double dose of that today! It is almost over! Does anyone understand why those we love and seek to please the most are the ones we always seem to disappoint? This was just a tough day for me. I should probably go lurk at my friends blogs, maybe it will cheer me up!

Since I am quoting lyrics tonight, "All we need is love." So very true! This sign was spotted by the eagle eyes of Amy and Geeg while we were on retreat. Somehow, for some reason, there was also a giant outline of a bigfoot right next to this. I don't really get the tie in there. But I took pictures of both. Only in Oklahoma!

Jacob is complaining that there is not a picture of him on my blog. I had tried several times, but the picture would appear so massive that it took over the whole page. Sort of the way he (Jacob) took over my life 15 years ago! Interesting....

So here is the picture, not so large, thanks to advice from Amy! I was so happy to get a picture of my son smiling. Believe me, at 15 camera smiles are few and far between! I guess there is something about a kiss from a puppy that just makes you smile. Geeg, I know you don't agree!

Good morning world! I peeked out of my blinds and it looks like another beautiful fall day! I do love this time of year. I can look out the back window of my house from my desk and I can see Bonnie and Clyde on the deck. They are our rescue puppies. They are not truly puppies any more, but "dogs" seems so harsh for some reason. We always call our dogs "puppies". Clyde is adorable. He is big and squishy and so fun to hug. Bonnie is hyper and jumpy. They are about 10 months old and are still very much into chewing on everything in sight. That is taxing my patience.

This picture was taken several months ago, but this is how they look now!

Time for my first post on my blog. :o) So far this has been an adventure. I don't know much about how to set this up. Mostly I am making it up as I go! Don't you just love weekends? So much to do, and so little time. What are you doing this weekend? Relaxing? Working? A bit of both?

This picture was taken last weekend while I was with my family at a retreat. We stayed right on the beautiful Illinois river. My pictures can't compare to my friend Amy's, but the beauty of nature was very inspirational! I hope you like it too!