I call it Christmas.....

and not to be politically incorrect, although that is enticing ;-), but because it is Christmas. like it or not, believe in it or not, this holiday is the day that christians around the world celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

we have Christmas trees symbolizing the tree our Savior was crucified on to provide redemption for our sins and an eternal home in heaven with God the Father.

we share Christmas gifts as a remembrance of the gifts that were brought to the Christ-child in honor of his birth by the wisemen following a star.

we sing Christmas carols to remind ourselves and teach our children the oral history of this holiday and to celebrate the reason we sing.

it isn't about having a happy holiday it's about stopping once a year and saying Thank you God in heaven for sending your only Son, Jesus Christ to be the sacrifice for our sins so that we can live this life in service, honor and praise to you. Thank you for miraculously giving this little child, to a virgin, to save us all if we will only but believe and accept this most precious of Christmas gifts.

Merry Christmas!! May you find Christ in the middle of your happy holidays.

peace.

crawfords 2007

so every once in a while, we get together and i remember the camera. here's the crawford clan in 2007.

oh tannebaum....

you'll never be the same. this was a lovely bradford pear down the street from my mom. i'm not sure it will recover from the ice storm of 2007.

driving through the city today, it reminded me of how thankful i am that although this ice storm has caused devastation temporarily for most, some war torn countries look like this each and every day and not by the hand of mother nature, but by their own hands and the hands of their enemies. i do pray for those who have lost loved ones, lost their homes, lost their power, but i Thank you God, this too shall pass....

peace.

oh sleet!

yes folks, we're in Oklahoma! i swear, it's rained all year. this is the most unusual weather i have seen in my 27 years of residency and in OK, that's saying a lot! so here's a pic of today....we're praying the trees can handle the weight of the ice...we have a small one down already, but it's bertha in the backyard that could take out our house!!

peace.

music heals....

i've always seen the relationship of music to memory and well-being....it's nice to see those gifts God has given us, shared with those who may not otherwise experience them.

The Children's Center in Bethany

peace.

proud mom moment

for any of you that know me, you know i'm always proud of my kids. it's nice when someone else notices them too.

click here

peace.

You caught it!!

so our little viral marketing experiment was successful!! thanks to all of you who printed the coupon and came to see the show. Hope you enjoyed. special thanks to Dwayne at blogcity for his review of the show. we'll try again, so keep watching....

peace!

to see dwayne's review go to http://dwayne.blog-city.com

Very Merry Pops!

so we're trying a little viral marketing. this is a virus you won't mind catching. if you print off this coupon and take it to the Civic Center Music Hall on December 1st, you'll get $5 off every ticket you buy. it's a great show and a great savings!

Mayor's Tree Lighting

so me, Phil and the gang went to the Mayor's tree lighting on Friday evening. Hundreds of folks came and welcomed in the season. Here's a few pics!

peace.

thankfull...

i know you spell it thankful, however, i am full. not of the usual turkey and trimmings, although they were tasty if i do say so myself (i cooked), but i am full of thanks to God for all the wonderful people He has put in my life. my husband, my daughters, my family, and friends old and new. we had a blessed thanksgiving. here are the pics....

peace.

need a good laugh?

Try this one!!

Never Hit a Little Old Lady

peace...and a giggles!

my nametag said artist!!!

and i didn't write it myself....so i went to the red show, one of my pieces sold, and i got to hang with a great group of folks who came out to support a good cause. if you've never been to the paseo, go to the gallery walk on the first friday of the month and support our local artists. lots of good stuff going on...

it was very cool to see my artwork hanging in a gallery and wearing a tag with artist on it. great evening, great experience, i will definitely do it again...

peace.

Trip to San Francisco

BR Cohn vineyard--they do wine and the most amazing olive oil....

The Golden Gate Bridge...nuf said.

looking off our balcony into Japan Town

our hotel room artwork...very fun!

i didn't leave my heart there, but i would love to go back. here are a few pics i took while i was there. we stayed in the Hotel Tomo in Japan Town. it's like an anime cartoon inside. very cool....

more later....

g

it's November already!!

i can't believe how fast time flies! The Red Show is this Saturday, the von Trapp kids are in OKC, i've been married for 24 years to the best guy in the whole world and Christmas will be here before we know it.

in fact, i think everyone has forgotten thanksgiving....

but i'm thankful and looking forward to some time off with family and friends.

i had a wonderful time in san francisco and if i'm ever home again, i'll upload some pics. it was B-E-A-utiful!!

peace.
g

Red Show...Here we go!!

I'm in!!! I'm excited!!! so if you are in the Paseo (www.thepaseo.com) on November 10th, bring your wallet, see the show and support a good cause....

Besides, I'm in!!! They like me, they really like me....or at least my art....whatever!

peace.

reading other blogs and thinking

so i'll start with this blog i read recently.....http://bobbickford.typepad.com/bobs_blog/2007/09/doing-the-last-.html

it's his work, not mine....mine's at the bottom...

From Bob:

September 27, 2007
Doing the Last Thing Yout Want to Do--First
Marriage is the union of two selfish people. Competing desires collide creating friction and frustration. Each person is waiting for the other to make the first move. Husbands and wives, who promised to love and cherish forever now locked in a stalemate, angry.

I've been there. Withholding affection, attention and acts of kind service because she hasn't or won't or doesn't care to. It seemed like the right thing to do--penalize her, freeze her out with cold silence, withhold what she desires most until I get what I want. Seeing this in letters makes me look like the kid who took his toys and ran home. Yeah, that'll teach her.

It teaches her that I'm selfish, immature and concerned more about me rather than her. That'll make her want to love me won't it? Stupid

What I've been learning is that the last thing I want to do should be the first thing I do.

I don't want to help with dinner, dishes or the kids homework and bedtime, I don't want to cut my workout short--I want to sit and mindlessly flip through the TV, surf the net or pretend to read the mail. I don't want to listen--I'm listened out. I don't want to fix that door/microwave/floor, cabinet that's been in "process" for months. I know what I want to do...I know what she wants me to do....and I don't want to do it. In turn she doesn't want to do what I want her to do either.

We're on the opposite sides of a carousel hopelessly spinning around.

It's my responsibility to make the first move. When I do, she feels loved, valued and cared for. In turn she'll likely express that in ways I appreciate. If the only reason for my moving toward her is for what it may do for me she'll see right through it, if my motives are sincere she'll be blessed. Ultimately, I'll be blessed in turn.

Husbands...do the last thing first.

Thanks Bob!! here's mine....

marriage isn't math

i'm sure that when you met your spouse you didn't say to yourself "there is an 83% chance that this one is THE one. given my aptitude for training, i can close the gap to 90% or so in a relatively short amount of time guaranteeing a 100% turn around in the weaknesses i currently perceive enabling the potential for an iron clad union to last an indefinite amount of time providing continuity in the genetic stabilization of our bloodlines for centuries to come."

we're not watching Numbers on NBC, we're talking about life.

so i was thinking this morning that marriage isn't 50/50. wives, you're to be giving 100% to this man you have married. WAIT...before you start the hate commenting...husbands, it goes for you too. Marriage isn't about math, keeping score, tallying up your goods against your spouse's bads. it's about emptying yourself of the right to keep score. it's about fulfilling the promises you made while not nagging your spouse to do the same. it's about living open handed, open hearted and sometimes, close mouthed except in prayer.

Proverbs 21:9
"Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."

but wait, it gets better....

Ephesians 5:25-33
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Christ died for me. my call to my husband is no less.

peace.

Renee Fleming, part 2

for those who may not be music psychos like i am, renee fleming is one of the premier soprano opera singers of our time. she is world renowned and amazingly talented. and to top it all off, a very nice woman. personable, funny and charming. although she is a diva, she doesn't act like one. i love that!!

if you'd like to hear a little and read a little more, check out www.renee-fleming.com.

peace.
g

I got to sing with Renee Fleming!!!

Renee Fleming was in concert with the Phil on Saturday evening. She was glorious!!! 5 standing ovations, 4 encores, many tears and smiles....it was an amazing experience. We were 7 rows from the stage on the aisle and it was perfect!

and then, i got to sing with her. I could have danced all night, the second chorus, i'll never forget it. yes, well, of course, the whole auditorium was singing too. but i got to sing with her!!!!

wow.

peace,
g

involve me...

i've never had a super long attention span for listening...i can do, i can read, i can participate, but listening for long times is difficult. thinking toward involving people in an issue that may never touch them personally, i think you have to let them experience the impact.

that's the thought behind my second piece for the red show. the brown piece in the middle says "tell me and i'll forget. show me and i may not remember. involve me and i'll understand."

peace.

I'm a pseudo Nana!!!

Kayci, our "adopted" daughter, who we've known since she was 13 has a new baby Karaline. Since we claim Kayci as our own, now we get Kara!! She is an absolute doll and a complete ham. We had so much fun with her....mom and dad aren't bad either. Hope you enjoy our cutie patootie!!

The Red Show

there's more information available at

http://www.myspace.com/the_red_line_foundation

there will be a gallery walk on November 9th in the Paseo
and the show is November 10th.

come on out and see red!

see red.....

so the Red Line Foundation is having an art show and i'm going to brave the critics and enter....

here's the piece...i haven't decided if it's finished...i'll let you know.

the thought behind it is that we are all a small piece of the cure...


peace.

tis the season...

not the Christmas season, although soon enough, but the 2007-2008 concert season for the OKC Phil. If you haven't been to the symphony ever or even lately, there is something for you this year. and not just because i'm the marketing person!! check out the website, www.okcphilharmonic.org, and if you see a concert you like, and you will, call me on my cell and i'll hook you up with tickets. it's going to be a fun year!

peace

off we go for the ESWL..

ESWL (Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy): A non-surgical procedure that uses shockwaves to break kidney stones into smaller pieces. They'll put him under anesthesia, sink him in a tub of water and blast away. Sounds like fun...if all goes well, jim will "pass" the sand that's left and the stint will be removed in a couple of weeks.

here's hoping for a "beachy" keen result....

peace.

Rock on!!!

so thursday night i pull into the driveway and my phone rings. i hear jim's voice and words i've never heard him say. after 25 years together, he says "i need to go to the hospital". so i run in the house, get jim and a trashcan and we get to mercy hospital asap! after a couple of questions, an iv and a cat scan, it's determined that jim is giving birth to a kidney stone. after much drugs and a call to the urologist, we come home.

next day, we go to the doctor and he says outpatient procedure. we go back to mercy hospital, another iv, more drugs and now he has a stint in his ureter because the stone is too large to grab and won't move on its own.

this is all i'm allowed to show you of his manly "kilt" and man booties!!!

anyway, so we'll be off to the doctor's office again this week for more treatment. something to do with soundwaves, i hope jim likes rock and roll!!!

peace.
g

how charming....

so my art group is doing charms now. i know what a charm bracelet is, have had several, but just like with the atc's, i had no idea how artistic this could be. google it and be amazed.

so i've tried a few. trial and error is fun!! i'll show you the two finalist when i decide...

peace.

motley crew

(the photographer grabbed one shot and we were obviously not quite ready!)

ok, so it's just jim's family. well, some of them at least. Boise was an interesting trip. there was much sadness, much fun, lots of family and a decent dose of drama. i'm glad we went, connecting with the kinfolk from Texas was terrific and seeing the Boise family again was special. the funeral home was standing room only for this man I didn't know very well, but who had obviously touched many lives. I wish I could have known the man they were all talking about. rest in peace ken.

peace.

ok, time for 2 more

so do you remember the ancient chinese secret commercial? always cracked me up...
so here is my own...the fortune says Learn Chinese:Very Important because you see, the ancient chinese secret above it is in chinese!!! i know simple things amuse simple minds. (still cracked me up!)

the second pic is just for perspective. the card is tiny!! and I made the envelope out of a chinese take out menu, fun huh?




this one is for today...with everything that is going on...funeral, pending trip to boise, daughter moving, walmart with dad and work stuff....I just needed the reminder that nothing is worth more than this day and to stop and smell the flowers.



peace.

what if?

this is my last atc for this go around. i'm kind of digging these works of art in miniature. i may have to do more....this one is called what if?

peace.

life invades

so i've discovered that the saying "The best laid plans of mice and men..." is once again very accurate. regardless of what we plan and prepare for, life invades sometimes. we have such a sense of control and yet, truth be told, we are small fish riding the tides of life. the strange thing is, it's ok. it's what we're used to. we don't even recognize it until something bigger steps in our water and changes our direction. and the waves continue.

all that to say, our water was stepped in at about 4 am this morning. the phone rang, a distant voice said hello and this isn't the call you wanted to receive, dad's gone.

we knew it was coming. 4 weeks ago they told us he had 24-48 hours to live. they were riding the waves too obviously!

so long Ken, we'll see you again.

peace.

try number 2

here's my next ATC, it's a few of my favorite things...red geraniums, a fairy and a little rhyme. makes me smile, hope you enjoy....

by the way, this one is on a playing card, the queen of clubs to be exact...

peace.

ATC...for the first time

I've joined a group of artists who do all kinds of creative, amazing projects. One of the current projects is an Artist Trading Card. I have to admit, this is a first for me. But after some research and some trial and error, here it is. It's called diamonds and is a play off of the song and the card. I even did the wire work on my own. It was fun and after researching ATC's I had no idea. Google it sometime, it's amazing...

peace.

the 3 j's

In celebration of the National Day of the Cowboy, the 100th birthday of John Wayne and the State of Oklahoma, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum recenly unveiled a larger than life size sculpture of the Duke. It's a terrific bronze done by artist Edward J. Fraughton. The most exciting part of the day was I got to take my dad and hubby to see it all happen. So I spent the day with John, Jim and Jim.

My dad even got his pic made with John Wayne's granddaughter. If you're ever in the neighborhood, this is a great place to make a stop, see some great art and eat some lunch.


Yeehaw!!

Happy Father's Day!!

So we celebrated Father's Day a little late this year. With all the travels of late, we had to wait. The rain also had to pause for our great extravaganza. Yes, ladies and gents, we went to the outdoor shooting range and celebrated Jim!! I've never seen anyone as happy as this man was surrounded by his family and getting to blow things up!! 22, 38, shotgun, rifles and handguns all came out and had their turn at the paper targets.

We made lots of noise, spent lots of shells and cartridges, put lots of holes in paper targets and had a grand time!! A little (!) redneck, I know...but hey, we've done weirder things in the name of celebration.

Here's a few more pics just for your entertainment!

Peace.

vegased out baby....

spent 4 days and 3 nights in the city that doesn't sleep and is never dark...it is amazing to me the amount of action going on in this city. and the days of the family friendly vegas are over. people still bring their kids, but i don't know why. topless pools, topless shows, legal prostitution, gambling and SMOKE....not my idea of a kid friendly arena. the little guys looked completely overwhelmed most of the time and i don't blame them. if you're gonna spend that much on vacation, go to DisneyWorld!!

but we had a good time, ate good food, stayed in a luxurious hotel, Caesars, (with a wonderful bathtub), all in all a very nice trip. the flight home left something to be desired, but at least it was the flight home...

and did you know Elvis is alive!!!?!!! Well, I've heard rumors to the contrary, but I saw him on my plane from Vegas to Denver...NEVER pack your camera, you never know when you'll need proof of something!!!

peace.

birthdays are weird....

If you think about it, we should celebrate our moms on our birthdays and not ourselves. I mean really, what did we do on that day besides succumb to the forces of nature put in place at conception. But our moms, whoa, they sweat and hurt and push and watch and wait and breathe and celebrate. I know, I'm a mom.

However, today is my mom's birthday, and we'll celebrate her. She's walking a new path in life and for once, it is peaceful and joyful, Thank you God!!! Her life has been full of difficulty and strife, but she retired this year and all is well in her world.

What a blessing!! So Happy Birthday mom, 67 looks good on you!!!

peace.

07-07-07

seems significant somehow to see the date. so many things happening today.

The Call Nashville, www.thecall.com, where hundreds of thousands of people have gathered to repent for our nation, pray for our nation, worship together in our nation and truly acknowledge In God We Trust and One Nation Under God. my daughter is one of them.
Nehemiah 9:6 "You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

The Live Earth concert on 7 continents for 24 hours making everyone aware of global warming and its effects on planet earth.
Isaiah 51:6 " Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail."

The luckiest day of the year, according to every gambling association of any sort. I'm thinking it's the luckiest day of the year for the casino if you believe it!!

Thousands of people getting married today, some in WAL MART, come on! lucky?! $5ooo wedding, that includes your rings, $1000 gift certificate to (guess where) Wal Mart, a GPS (really, you think you can afford a honeymoon if you're getting married at WM!), your reception in the tent in the parking lot and many other wonderful prizes!!

I'm sure that today, people will be born, people will die, people will be reborn and lives will change forever in many ways.
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

so you decide, what does 07-07-07 hold for you?

Here's what every day holds for me. (and for you)

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

peace.

resetting my map

every time i posted an entry it was kind of exciting to see where the folks were that were reading my blog. i had people from all over the world checking in on this Oklahoma chick. then the other day i logged on and my map had been reset!! what a bummer. it's actually been archived so i can see it, but it's just not the same.

so now we begin again. i'm not sure why anyone would read this space, but if you do, i hope you enjoy it. let's start mapping again!

peace.

more on Nashville

so we attended a concert by the Nashville Symphony in their new hall. Named after their conductor at the time, Schermerhorn, it is a beautiful symphonic hall. i loved the light fixtures!!!







it was a nice concert, a good symphony and an amazing 14 year old pianist named Peng Peng from China. he was BRILLIANT!!!





overall, a very enjoyable evening...







on our way back to the hotel, i happened across this mailbox. for you Star Wars fans out there, it was just too cute to pass up the photo op.

if you haven't been to Nashville, you should try it!

peace.

last days....

what would you do if you were told you had days to live?

i've been pondering this thought a great deal. my father-in-law has been given days to live.




i wonder what he's thinking.

i'd like to think if i only had days, i would spend them with the people i love, telling them how much i have loved them, remembering all the times we've had together, looking through pictures, telling funny stories, asking for forgiveness, leaving them with hope for the future, reminding them of God's overwhelming grace and mercy, provision and protection all through my life and theirs.

then it hit me. i do only have days to live. one at a time. each spent wisely or unwisely. carefully or foolishly. in love and grace or not. witness to my awesome Lord or my foolishness.

how will i live this day?

peace.

I'm a legend...

ok, i'm not a legend but i recently stood on Legends Corner in Nashville!! i was there for the American League of Orchestras conference and it's a very cool city. lots of neon, music, culture, music, cool joints, music...you get the idea.

it's not called music city for nothing. the interesting thing is not all the music is country and western. lots of jazz, blues, and some wonderful classical music in the symphony hall.



enjoyed the trip, made some friends, learned a lot and i'm glad to be home.