It's the WEEKEND!!!

Yippee, yahoo and OOOOHHHHHH Boy!!! It's been a week of Mondays and I'm glad it's over. 2 days of heaven and I can't wait. I hope you enjoy your weekend. Rest, relax, kick back and celebrate.

peace!

she's not dead yet captain

well it seems our AC unit just has some leaky valves. So once the home warranty people say it's ok to fix it, we'll have cool air again. yippee! once again, thank you God for home warranties and for temperatures under 100!!

Where's his sign...

well a short update to a short fix up. The AC guys still haven't called, so it's still pretty warm in here and we're looking forward to the 110 degree day tomorrow!

The wiring in our house is fine. The mystery switch actually operates the light over the garage...strange that it's in the dining room, but at least we know what it's for. The dishwasher was looked over by a dishwasher repairman yesterday and he couldn't figure out what was wrong because there was no power to it. So when the electrician came today, he looked all under the dishwasher, pulled it out just like yesterday, PLUGGED IT IN, and it works great!!! DUH, we should have asked the dishwasher specialist to show us his sign first, would have saved a lot of time!

So one down, one to go. We're praying for rain and a call back from the AC guy.

peace....

It's gettin' hot in here...

Well, not only is it 106+ on the outside, but it's now topping 83+ inside as well. yes, gracie, our AC is leaking! and when your AC leaks, it don't keep things cool. So it's soon to be naked night at the Crawfords, be careful about dropping by.

It seems that the previous owner of our new abode let his male dog do a whiz bang job on the AC unit, literally. We noticed when we looked at the house that the coils were deteriorated on one side. After asking what might have happened, said past owner let us know that was where his dog liked to pee. I guess dog urine is fairly corrosive because not only are the coils corroded but our AC repair friend says it's also corroded the coolant line. Yippee!!! All I can say is thank you God for home warranties!!! Now all we have to do is wait for the warranty people to find an AC guy that isn't booked for 3 weeks. Yippee!!! Naked night may last weeks, we'll take the quarantine sign off the door when we're clothed again.

More new house excitement...seems we have an electrical issue as well. Our new dishwasher stopped working last night and the repairman said that the lack of power to the unit is probably the issue. Once again, thank you God for home warranties!!! Such are the dreams of the every day housewife...

So life moves on at a very warm pace...I'm so excited to hear it will be in the 90's this weekend, I'm pulling out the winter clothes!!! and gas is under $2.80...miracles will never cease!!!!

enough sarcasm for today, the heat must make me cranky.

from puberty to menopause...

we survived and even enjoyed our week with the nephew and niece. I had forgotten the joy of pubescent hormones!!! In the same week I got to experience Menopause the Musical. 2 dear friends and I celebrated a mile marker birthday for friend 1 by going to see this hysterically funny musical. I never knew menopause could be so fun. So from one end of the hormone spectrum to the other, it was a great week!!

adventures in parenting...

my kids are getting older and it's been a while since I've had young kids around for any length of time. well...that ends tomorrow. my 13 year old nephew and 9 year old niece are coming to stay for a week while their parents go to Vegas. we're expecting good times, lots of fun and being exhausted by Friday!!! I think I'm glad I did kids when I was much younger. good training for the grandkids...WHOA- there's a sobering thought!

peace!

Thank God it's Friday...

and I have an entire weekend that belongs to me!!! No work!! It doesn't get much better than this. I really do love my job and the people I work with. But being an arts organization or an office of women sometimes lends itself to being drama-full! Sometimes, it's just nice to step away and relax for a couple of days. That's what I'll be doing this weekend. Even if I clean a little, it'll still be at a very slow pace. Me and Barney, making our little corner of the world a hair free zone!

Enjoy your weekend! Rest, relax, read...whatever floats your boat.

Just enjoy the ride...and thank God it's Friday! He'd love to hear from you.

peace.

that other girl...

I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day. I don't know if he'll remember, but I hoped he enjoyed the moment. Alzheimer's is a nasty disease. It doesn't just take your memory, it erases who you are moment by moment. I see my daddy sliding down a slope and he can't stop himself and we can't help. I know God has a plan for him and for us and I'm trusting in His strength to carry us all through.

While talking to dad he asked me how that other girl was doing. I'm assuming he was talking about my sister and just couldn't recall her name. So we chatted about my sister, my daughters, our husbands and that boy (my nephew). Sometimes, he seems almost normal and then he starts a new sentence without finishing the one he was saying. Or he tells you a story about something he was told, not remembering you were the one who just told him. Sometimes, more than once.

I guess what I'm learning through all of this is use it, don't lose it. Treasure each moment and live with an attitude of gratitude. Today is a gift. Share all you are with all those you love. And let your little light shine!
peace.

The Main Event

So I went to the Masquerade Ball on Friday night. For a fundraiser, it was actually a lot of fun! We schmoozed, we auctioned, we drank and ate. The event was a success on all accounts. But the big event happened during the evening and was unnoticed by most in attendance. You see, history was made! Jim, born and raised Nazarene, never allowed to move both feet simultaneously, DANCED!!!! Really danced. Not just slow, spinning in circle dancing, but fast music shaking his groove thang dancing. And he's great! I had no doubts and we had sooooooooo much fun.
Watch out So you think you can Dance, Jim's on the floor!!
Check out the pictures on www.partypics.com password: Canterbury

Barney has moved in...

and I can't be happier!!! Barney is my new vaccuum, the purple dyson! If you have never seen one of these things work, it is so cool! We have a dog and a cat and they shed constantly. Barney does an amazing job of sucking up all the hair and stuff. I can tell I've entered a new phase, this vaccuum is one of the most exciting gifts I've received recently. So I love Barney and he loves me and we're a happy family. If you need a new vaccuum, check out Dyson!
www.dyson.com

ziggity do dah...

I got to Get Motivated today and it was an amazing conference! Zig Ziglar, Bob Stoops, Suze Ormen, Rudy Guiliani and more spoke and motivated and inspired. It was great and even with 35,000 of my closest friends, I'm still glad I went. If you ever get the opportunity to go, take the opportunity. www.getmotivated.com
it's worth your day.
peace

new country and western song...

"for a fat girl, you've got great knees." Catchy, toe tapping tune...what do you think?

Believe it or not, this is good news. I injured my knee about a month ago on the job and I've had doctor's appointments and an mri and today the results were for a fat girl, you've got great knees! No permanent damage, no significant arthritis or roughness in the joints. I am truly gr8tful today.

The dear doctor did recommend weight loss and increased exercise. Increased, hmmm, is more than nothing increased? So okay, I know I need to change this size of mine. But hey, don't all great songs come out of ache? Oh that's heart ache...oh well. I still think i may have a winner.

"There's a lot of you to hang on to. A butt the size of Timbuktu and arms that sway in the summer breeze but For a fat girl, you've got great knees." maybe Rascal Fatts would sing it for me... :-)

you can't go home again...

I never really understood this statement. I mean, if you can't go home again, where can you go? But you know something, I recently drove past our old house. We've only been gone 8 weeks, but I almost didn't recognize it. When we lived there the house was slate blue with a red front door. The flower beds were full of hydrangeas and roses and rose of sharon. A weeping mulberry and some small shrubs backed up the flowers with some green and some cool shapes.
The house is now beige. All over. There is nothing in the flower beds but one tree and rocks. It looks very,... well,... dull! No color, no flowers, no flavor at all! I would hate to see the inside. Is my red kitchen now white? Is my yellow front room beige? Are the drapes still there? I can't think about it anymore. I have a new pallette to color and shape and I'll leave the old one to the beige people. I hope they are happy in their colorless spaces. I won't drive by again. Watch out easy street, the paint is coming and I'm mowing down the monkey grass!!

another day, another power outage

I work in an old building. It used to be a fire station many moons ago and it's showing its age. 2 weeks ago, the air conditioner quit. Today there was no power on the bottom floor where our offices are. I don't even want to know what's could be next. I think I'm glad to have the option to work at home. Although a four day weekend would be a nice treat!
peace!

Remember when...

you didn't have a cell phone? or more, you didn't have an answering machine? or call waiting? the phone rang or you got a busy signal. if it rang your ring, my grandma was on a party line and she had a special ring that wasn't her neighbors ring who shared the same phone line. and if it rang and no one was home, it just kept ringing and you knew to call back later.

you didn't have a computer? or more, no one you knew had one? mail only came from the post office.

I sometimes miss those simpler times. And yet, as I was sitting on my back porch in my rocking chair working on my yearly work budget on my wifi laptop and checking my email while having my cell phone on the table next to me, I am also grateful I don't have to do ledgers or the 8 to 5 at a desk.

So I guess I'll keep the technology and just learn the power of the off button when looking for simpler times. After all, I'm still in control, right?

thoughts on getting old

I've decided that getting old is a state of mind and as I've already stated, I'm not moving again!! Just kidding, sort of. I have a dear friend who is 83 years young. Not just because it's cool to say that, but because it's true. She hangs out with our daughters as easily as with my mother and it is amazing to watch her. On the other hand, I know people around my age that are already old. How sad to waste life on surviving. I want to be vital, busy, relevant, energetic, fun-loving and interesting as long as God sees fit to leave me here. I want to live this life I've been entrusted with. I want to watch the character grow on my face. I want to see the laughter I've listened to in my eyes. I want to wear purple now (although I'm not sure about the red hat!). I want to share joy, laugh without limits, feel, and experience. Celebrate with me that today you have breath, today you have a voice, today you have options, today you have abilities, today you have experiences, today you have today!!! Invest it wisely and enjoy it unashamedly.
peace!

Cross cultural event

Like you've never seen before. Well, okay maybe once, at a Hornet's game. Canterbury and the Canterbury Academy of the Vocal Arts will be singing the National Anthem at the Yard Dawgz game on April 29th. And they called us. This PR gig ain't so bad, and it seems to be working!

In the coming week in OKC

If you have never been to the Arts Festival in Downtown OKC, you should make the trip. Start at the Northeast corner of Reno and Walker with the finest fare in food gathered in one location for your pleasure. There are Indian Tacos, Strawberries Newport, Tequila Lime Bread Pudding, Blackened Chicken Sandwiches, Gyros, Roasted Corn and much more! If you hear singing coming from the Blackened Chicken booth, it's Canterbury folk preparing your food. Each food booth is sponsored and manned by a non-profit arts agency as a fund raiser. So bring your funds to help raise ours! and Thanks!!! Then mosey around the tents and booths and view artisan wares from all over. The Myriad Gardens is beautiful and there are fun things for the kiddos. It's a great time for all and it supports the arts in Oklahoma City. Wear comfortable shoes and come prepared to enjoy!

Hi ho, hi ho, unpacking here we go

Boxes, boxes everywhere and not a drop to drink! because you see, i think a sangria swirl would help this process move along much more quickly or at least a lot less painfully! Any way, it's beginning to happen. It's beginning to look like we live here. My plan is to focus on the inside this year and see what comes up in the yard and then focus on the outside next year. that is if the monkey grass doesn't take over. you see, we have an abundance of it. the entire front yard is encircled in it, in a 4 foot swatch. it is around the flower beds, all four of them. if it weren't for monkey grass, we'd have no grass at all. we do have some random bushes, a couple of azaleas, some irises and a rose. and trees. A huge maple tree in the back, several pine trees and a couple of birches. Shade is a wonderful thing.

suki has discovered squirrels. the last house we lived in had no trees (new neighborhood built on farmland), hence no squirrels. She has become the mighty huntress, saving us from the pillaging vermin that threaten our habitat. it's quite amusing.

And we have rocking chairs. 4 teak wood rockers and tables. it's wonderful to sit on the patio, rocking in our chairs, enjoying a beverage, watching the mighty huntress protect us from evil while the chimenea smokes.

Life on Easy street, I can definitely get used to this.

As soon as we're unpacked, it's party time...stay tuned.

p.s. free monkey grass, you dig, you haul, you can have it for free!

Now I remember...

why I hate moving! When I was young and foolish(not a good combination, but a natural one unfortunately), we moved frequently. In our 23 years of marriage, we have moved 18 times. 17 of those were in the first 12 years. Our last move was 10 years ago. I've grown older and wiser in that time. Forgetful too! I forgot how much work it takes to pack a house. I forgot how dust bunnies under appliances and furniture become werebunnies when left undisturbed. I forgot how much energy loading and unloading everything you own takes. The one thing I did remember is how much help friends and family can be.
Some good friends came with trucks and muscles to help us move. My mom gave up her day off to tie up all the loose ends and clear the old house. The entire pastoral staff of our church showed up with trucks, trailers, dollies and strong backs to help us move. I've heard of servant leadership my whole life, for the first time, I saw it in action. Not because we are special, needy, unable...just because that's what Jesus did. He helped people with their every day needs. Some were more significant than others, but he helped them all. Thanks NEWCHURCH pastors for helping the least of these. Our paradigms have shifted due to your kindness and example.
So we're here. We can't find anything but it's great and we are looking forward to many years on Easy Street. I don't think I'll ever get tired of saying that! :-) It makes me smile. When we find the kitchen, we'll throw a party. We always do!
WWJD-whatever someone needed Him to. What has He done for you?
Peace from Easy Street!