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.

rain and more....

have you ever heard the saying when it rains, it pours? seems to me it applies to more than just the weather. don't get me wrong, it has been a very, very wet spring here in OK. the wheat farmers are in trouble because the wheat that hasn't gone bad yet, will soon if not harvested, and the fields resemble wetlands at the moment.

i also think when other things "rain" they "pour". blessings, difficult times, death, birth...i never seem to see a single incident of anything. i look around our church and see many pregnant women, new babies...proof of God's love for us. why would he allow something he didn't love continue to create more of them?

as the lightning streaks across the sky causing my lights to blink and the thunder reminds me there is more to storm season than water and wind, i am grateful for the reminder that my life is held in God's hand regardless of raining, pouring, drought or abundance.

peace.

My WICKED review....

It was great!! I loved the campiness of the show. It was funny and touching. Slapsticky and very Broadway. The show depends on the audience's knowledge of the Wizard of Oz for a great deal of it's humor, but if you've never seen the movie, you'll still enjoy the stage production. To really catch it all, watch the movie first and then set aside your preconceived notions or just let them be blown away.

If you can make it at all, you won't be disappointed!

Defy Gravity and Go!!!




peace.

I'm WICKED tonight....

actually, I'm going to see WICKED and I'm so excited!!! a little dinner and great Big Show, life doesn't get much better than this. Check in later for a witchy update!!

peace.

speaking of creative....

i've been trying my hand at some other artistic endeavors...tell me what you think. warning--they are representative of the whimsey in my brain. color and texture speak to me and this time, i listened!
hope you enjoy....

this one is called "bloom"


and this one is "conception"


and "big bang?"




peace

Lovely day off and a play date!!

so i took today off to spend some time not working and spent the day with a dear friend and a new friend being creative. we laughed, we talked, we created and thoroughly enjoyed our time together. i even snuck a couple of pictures so you could share in our fun...

Here's my dear friend!





Here's my new friend!

The creative stuff is in the middle...








i highly recommend days off, good friends, creative fun....and a digital camera to capture it all!!

enjoy your weekend!

peace.

check out the pics....

You can pretend you were there and dance along. just go to
www.picmyphotos.com,
password canterbury07 and see the Masquerade Ball.

You'll want to boogie oogie oogie til you just can't boogie no more!!!

peace

I am sunrise...

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

off to the Masquerade!

we've got our good duds on and we're ready to go. mom and dad weren't here to take our picture on the staircase (!) so we did it ourselves. more photos later, if you can stand them!!!
GREAT event...the Skirvin was gorgeous, the party was terrific, a car got sold, a couple got engaged, people danced, the costumes were awesome and the fire eater and the belly dancers did not disappoint! Over all, an amazing evening, and i think they even raised some money. lots of fun, lots of friendly faces, lots to celebrate...

maybe you can come next year!

peace.

and we're off to see the wizard

Skirvin Hilton in OKC

actually, i know there will be belly dancers and fire eaters, maybe not wizards. we're going to Canterbury's Masquerade Ball tonight at the Skirvin and i'm excited! it's a great event...lots of fun, great music, good folks in great clothes and for a good organization. and the Skirvin...a definite must see if you're ever in OKC.

so i'm putting on my dancing shoes! and i'm taking my camera!!

peace.

the end is near...

for those of you keeping track of jim's dad in your prayers, the race is almost over. we received a call on Thursday that he is on oxygen pretty much 24/7, so dehydrated they can't continue his chemo, very swollen from steroids, not eating very much, not drinking very much. jim is trying to head to boise for father's day and we are praying that ken prepares himself, facing the truth, making peace. thanks for your support.

peace.

did you know penguins can type?

just kidding, sort of...I'm now the ghost writer for Phil the Penguin on his very own blog. so if you ever wanted to know what's in the mind of a bird, you don't have to look far.

www.philthepenguin.blogspot.com

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Looking forward to 3 days of whatever...

SFGH is tonight and we're actually going....thanks Canoe Guy for your persistence and patience.

peace!!

Wow, almost a month...

and quite a month it has been. the arts festival was only slightly dampened and the masses of people seemed to enjoy. our concert season is officially over and all survived! now on to summer!

My friend Phil the penguin (6 foot mascot for the OKC Philharmonic) has also started a blog. www.philthepenguin.blogspot.com. i'm Phil's ghost writer...hey, how do expect him to type with those fins!!

so it's been nuts and i'm looking forward to a little slow down. hope you enjoy your lazy, hazy days of summer too...

peace!

the sights, the sounds and OHHH the smells....

yes ladies and gents, the Oklahoma City Arts Festival is in full swing! Tornados be damned and rain, rain go away--we have art to see, pots to make and the world's greatest food to eat. From bratwurst and kraut to strawberries newport and chocolate dipped cheesecake, you can find it here. Live performances on the plaza and an amazing collection of pottery, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, photos, furniture and much more...
If you've never made it downtown to this event, don't miss it!!
Lasts through Sunday, April 29th.

a remembrance...

we have recently had several events in our lives that have been difficult to walk through. but with God's strength and ever-present help, we've walked through.

on this april 19th, i'm grateful that our city has walked through as well. on this day 12 years ago, i heard a sound that shook me, startled me, made me run outside and then hug my children and call my family and friends. a bomb had almost leveled the Murrah building and 171 human beings lost their lives.

the impact shook our foundations, our beliefs, our commitments, but before the dust had settled, we started walking through. our community was strengthened as we searched together, mourned together, celebrated together, wept together and pulled together. we are better for having been there and grateful to have walked through to the other side.

if you are ever in okc, go to the bombing memorial museum and grounds. you will experience the spirit of the people of Oklahoma and join in our walk.

and the deconstruction continues....

i am grateful for a house with more than 1 bathroom. i started there to remind myself!!! our bathroom is officially a shell. in ripping out sheet rock, you discover nasty things. LIKE, when the previous owner signed the disclosure on our house, he failed to mention to previous water damage in the master bathroom. now before you defend him, understand that it is obvious that the previous damage had been somewhat repaired, so he knew. but i am getting a new bathroom, reminder #2 to be grateful.

now on to the fun stuff. i've picked out the tile, very tuscan looking. and the new fixtures, also old world. the shower is almost framed in and it will actually be larger than it was by a few inches. we won't have to bend backwards to rinse our heads because we are raising the shower head to the 7 foot mark! YEA!!! and once we are finished the bathroom will be one room we can mark off the "Boy this house was built in tht 70's and still looks like it" list! then on to the...to be determined.

so, i am grateful. we've had the resources, the help and the time to fix the bathroom. thanks todd, you and jim the tool man taylor have done a great job!

peace.

adventures in the new old house

we knew when we moved Easy St. (yes literally) that we would need to do some updating to our 1974 home. we loved the layout and the space. the quiet older neighborhood with even older trees. the feeling that the cleavers lived close by.

wallpaper updates, no problem. new paint, not my favorite, but no problem. kitchen counters, current ones are not totally awful, i can live with them for a while. master bathroom, definite update material, but functional and who really sees it but us. AND THEN......

the carpet seemed a little moist, we discovered the drain pan was leaking and so our sometime update has become a NOW repair and update. so Jim the tool man taylor, hammer in hand, is armpit deep in destruction, i mean demolition, of all the tile surfaces in our bathroom. he'll tear it apart and we'll pay the nice man bruce to put it back together.

then comes the hard part, choosing what i want it to look like! some dear friends have given us a significant amount of beautiful travertine tile. not enough for the whole job, but a nice start. i have to pick countertop for the vanity, tile for the floor and coordinating tile for the travertine shortage. all within the ever looming budget. should be fun. a little daunting. i need to find my inner interior decorator. this is why we built a new house the first time!!!

so the journey begins...lots of banging, crashing, breaking tile noises, and now he's laughing...maybe i should go supervise. nah, i'm going shopping...

peace!

Delight....

So this morning I'm awake at 4am and my brain won't go back to sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, I turn on the light and decide to spend some time with God. Being the super-spiritual person that I am, with the detailed study plan for all Bible reading that I do, I use the very scientific F-L-O-P method. You know the one, you flop open your Bible and read where it lands....ANYWAY. This morning, it fell to Psalm 35:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

I've read this verse a million or so times and the first part really sticks out to me today. Delight yourself in the Lord...hmmm...delight myself.....delight. What does delight really mean? So I looked it up.

de·light
–noun

1.
a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture: She takes great delight in her job.

2.
something that gives great pleasure: The dance was a delight to see.
–verb (used with object)

3.
to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; please highly: The show delighted everyone.
–verb (used without object)

4.
to have great pleasure; take pleasure (fol. by in or an infinitive): She delights in going for long walks in the country.

happiness, gladness, delectation. Pleasure, enjoyment, delight, joy refer to the feeling of being pleased and happy. Pleasure is the general term: to take pleasure in beautiful scenery. Enjoyment is a quiet sense of well-being and pleasurable satisfaction: enjoyment at sitting in the shade on a warm day. Delight is a high degree of pleasure, usually leading to active expression of it: delight at receiving a hoped-for letter. Joy is a feeling of delight so deep and so lasting that one radiates happiness and expresses it spontaneously: joy at unexpected good news.

Here is my version now of Psalm 35:4

"Have a high degree of pleasure in the Lord, usually leading to active expression of it with a joy so deep and so lasting that one radiates happiness and expresses it spontaneously and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Hope it blesses you as much as it did me, even at, now 5:30 in the morning!

Have a delightful day!

I had no idea...

after learning the soundtrack to Man of LaMancha, and singing it for most of my childhood, and even singing along last night during the stage production, I was in for quite a shock!!!

i thought i knew the story, but the soundtrack alone leaves out some detail...like crazy people in prison, much sensuality and gang rape and ritual cleansing by the church for crimes against it. wow, i was dreaming the impossible dream and fighting the unbeatable fo and i think it's a good thing that's where it stopped for me at 10 years of age.

i've could have been scarred for life!!!

the production was very good, i cried, i laughed, i boo'd, i fell in love, i saw redemption...it was a good night!
peace.

I, Don Quixote,....

i have fond memories of the Man of LaMancha. i had the record album as a kid (you know, the big, black cd looking thing with grooves in it) and i memorized the entire soundtrack. I used to sing it around the house, i brought home a statue on Don for my room, i dreamed of being Dulcinea, it was awesome. And tonight....it's LIVE!!!

i'm going to see the stage production and i'm so excited. nice treat for a tuesday night. and as mom says, "once we get that sangria squirrel drunk, it will be an awesome performance regardless!"

so here's to don, dulcinea and a rocking sangria squirrel!!!

peace.

So March on in...

this year is passing so quickly already. i'll still need to finish unpacking. i still need to clean out the garage. i still need to detail my car from the many dog rides during the move.

however, i've been looking through things that i've moved with me to my new office and i found a list of things that i've collected through the years. some are good reminders, some are funny....hope you enjoy them!

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
Bill Cosby

“In order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.”
David Ben Gurion

“I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them.”
Pablo Picasso

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch you words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
Frank Outlaw

“…choose today whom you will serve..But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15

“Not even a sparrow, worth less than a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it…you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Matt 10:29-31

“It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
Anonymous

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind you own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that you daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
I Thess 4:11-12

“Stir into flame the gift that is you.”
2 Timothy 1:6

Sing like no one can hear you, Love like you’ve never been loved, Dance like no one is watching.

“I ran up the door, closed the stairs, said my pajamas and put on my prayers, turned off my bed and jumped into the light...all because you kissed me goodnight.”

"They may see the good you do as self serving, Continue to do good.
They may see your generosity as grandstanding, Continue to be generous.
They may see your warm and caring nature as a weakness, Continue to be warm and caring. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It never was between you and them anyway."
Mother Teresa

Scintillate, Scintillate asteroid manikin. (Twinkle, twinkle little star)

Missiles of ligneous or petrous consistency have the potential of fracturing my gaseous structure, but appellations will eternal remain innocuous. (Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me)

peace.

so 43 and counting....

yes, today is the day. i'm 43 and it looks a LOT younger than i ever imagined. :-)

i truly believe that age is a state of mind. i have a dear friend who is 87 and as with it as she ever has been. young at heart keeps her young at mind.

i've decided that if age is a state of mind, i'm just not moving to that state!!!

so here's to another year on the planet. hope you enjoy yours as much as i'll enjoy mine. started out with a catered lunch, flowers from my sweetie and many good wishes. does life really get better than that?

peace.

Priceless

we've all seen the commercial, ring $6000, plane trip $1250, Mr. Suki-Dad, Dad-Keiko, Brian-Mrs. Suki blah blah blah

well, here's my version

1 new job-priceless
no office drama-priceless
no migrains, back pain, loss of sleep-priceless

so, I guess the best things in life are free.

Yes ladies and gents, it's been a B-E-A-utiful couple of weeks. And to top it off, I get President's day off too.

I have wondered in moments of weakness if I did the right thing by leaving my last position. I would say a recovered life is proof enough. Life really is too short to stay stuck. What's stopping you from moving forward? Change it if you can, it's worth the risk.

peace

happy birthday hubbie!

It's just another day
in just another year
in just another cold february month
but today seems a little brighter
my step seems a little lighter
cause today i celebrate the one I love.

Happy Birthday Hubbie!!!

Here's to many, many more....

a weekend of jazz

this is going to be one cool weekend. the Legendary Dave Brubeck is in Oklahoma City and performing with Canterbury. more accurately, we're performing with him. my mom pulled out her playboy album from the 60's with Brubeck on it and i hope to get it autographed for her. there is such buzz about being on the same stage with this 86 year old legend. one of the highlights in my singing career. he's being honored as a jazz legend in New York at the Kennedy Center in early March.

To be alive and a legend, wonder what that feels like. to have had such impact in one area of anything that you will leave a mark on it forever. wow...

so i'm stepping on the stage and singing with this man who focused his talent and changed jazz forever....

peace.

almost home...

it's been a great trip (with the exception of one day of stomach flu for hubbie). It is interesting to me that such a modpodge family from so many different homes actually have so much in common. i think we'll make the effort to come back more. we like it here and i think jim finally has a sense of belonging with his family that he has not had since he was a child. thank You GOD!!! i love it when God's plan comes together.
peace.

A week in the mountains with crazy people

ok, maybe not certified crazy people, but close enough!! they are Crawfords after all! we're half way through our visit and it's been interesting, fun, sad, entertaining and thought provoking.

On one hand we have a nuclear family. Dad, Mom, 3 sons, wives & grandchildren.
On the other hand we have Dad, 10 marriages, 5 wives, 9 children, wives, ex-wives, girlfriends, and grandchildren.

and yet these 2 hands belong to the same man.

I sit in amazement of people in glass houses. Rock throwing seems to be a favorite past-time even knowing the consequence. Scripture says judge not lest you be judged. forgive me as I have forgiven others. with the same measure i give out i will be given to. honor your father and mother.

I battle with thoughts of anger, sadness, disgust, disbelief and gratefulness. I'm angry this man has caused so much pain for so many. Sad that he will die without ever understanding the full weight of his actions, attitudes and words. Disgusted by the bigotry and judgementalism that is so ingrained in his every pore. Disbelief that he truly knows the God that I know, or could all this be true? Grateful that in spite of all of this or because of it, Christ died for us both. Christ made the same sacrifice for us both, He paved the way to heaven for us both, He loves us both so much He made a way for us to know His loving, miraculous Father.

I have stopped praying Lord help me and have started praying Lord use me.

peaceful in idaho

annie johnson flint once said...

God has not promised skies always blue,
flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
joy without sorrow,
peace without pain.

But God has promised strength for the day,
rest for the labor,
light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
help from above,
unfailing sympathy,
undying love.

God has proven himself over and over, i don't know why i even give it a thought. yesterday, my last day, was a peaceful day. for many of you, you know how big a miracle that was. Thank you God!! I left well because God paved the way in peace.

AND THEN....

as i was leaving my sister called. my aunt ann in missouri stepped out of her car at the funeral home where she was helping my cousin plan her father-in-law's funeral, had a massive heart attack and died before she hit the pavement. my aunt and uncle have been pastors all of their married life. they've been married since they were 18. they've raised 4 children, have 11 grandchildren and a current congregation of around 50. she will be missed by many, mourned by many.

but the good news is she loved the Lord and has served him faithfully for 50+ years. She has lived in a body that has had major health issues for decades. and she is Free at Last, free at last, thank God Almighty, free at last.

pray for those left behind, there will be a chasm in their lives for quite a time to come.

and remember But God has promised strength for the day.

peace.

last day...

so this is it. last day. seems odd that after 4 years it's just that simple. you walk away. i read something yesterday that said people born on my birthday invest themselves in their occupation because they consider their lives a mission and what they do, their mission field. i see this now more than ever. it's never just about the job for me. every job i've had in the past 10 years i've had because of a sense of investing in something bigger. whether that be the actual job or the people around me or the people it served, i wanted there to be more to it than a job and a paycheck.

i guess that would explain why i have such mixed feelings. i'm excited about the new job potential for learning and growing and i'm sad that i'm leaving an organization i've invested 18 years of my life in. i will still sing, but it will be different not participating in the growth and development of Canterbury.

so here's to my last day. i hope i can go out in a blaze of glory!!! just kidding, i'm just hoping i don't boohoo like a big baby! a peaceful exit would be a blessing to me. a peaceful ending would be phenomenal, after all, i'm only moving upstairs!!

peace.

That was then, this is now....

so reading back over my last post i was looking forward to a smooth 2 weeks, great ending to a great job, lasting relationships with coworkers and bosses...

that's been pretty much been shot all to HELL!!!

i'm such a pollyanna. i believe good happens. you really can be happy and for the most part, you can treat anyone with respect and get what you need to, done.

well, after the last 2 weeks, i'm a little more jaded, a little more bruised and a lot more committed to this being the best thing I have done in a long time!!

So here we go. 2 more days. i think i can, i think i can...

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Phillipians 4:13

He's giving extra to me these days and I'm still gr8ful!!

peace.

Baby, it's cold outside....

So we shut the office down early due to the early onslaught of first winter storm of 2007. Sleet abounds and is slowly covering our streets and cars and anything standing still with a wonderful coating of ice pellets. The world is quiet right now and we're warm in our house on easy street.
I'm at peace too. God provided the perfect opportunity to speak with my boss and her boss, face to face, alone. I was able to turn in my two weeks notice with no drama, no anger, no loss of blood. It was an answer to many prayers. I anticipate a good exit and a positive continuing relationship with all involved. It is a huge blessing to me and I am grateful.
peace.

I've gone and done it

i got a myspace. i don't dress any differently, or say "like" every 3rd word, but i have gone over to the youthier culture and pimped out a myspace for myself. so if you want to see the other side, check it out at www.myspace.com/glyniscrawford. there's some pics and a funny video. i even have friends. but my blogger's heart will always be here, so don't expect a lot in the myspace world. i'm just happy i figured out how to add some color!!! my secret, i have a 20 year old tutor!
peace

so i was thinking...

what creates a sense of entitlement in people? i've met many people, of all ages, that believe the world they live in should just be the way they want it and their expectation of the world is do it just that way. i don't get this. my life experience has shown me that if i want something a certain way, i'm probably going to have to work to get it there. this is my expectation and my experience.

i think i would love to live one day where everything was exactly the way i wanted it to be without any effort from me. but then again, why spoil contentment with one day?

i love my life and i wouldn't trade it. good and bad, easy and hard, God has shaped me and changed me and blessed me. i see His presence in my life every day, even though that's the last thing (without Jesus) that i'm entitled to.

peace.

What's in a New Year?

well, the truth is, none of us know. when i look back at 2006, there are so many things now past, that i did not see coming. my father is in oklahoma and in many ways, totally dependent on our care. we are empty nesters. i knew the day would come,but it did come too quickly.
good things are coming in 2007. mom is retiring and thank you God, financially stable and healthy. there will be a marriage soon and a new baby to celebrate. maybe even more than one. my generation of cousins are all married now with this last one. in the same year i will see 24 years of marriage, she will see her first. and the circle continues...
so seize the day, hold tighly to love and to those you love. release the hard things you have held to long. I'm declaring a year of jubilee!! Join me in the celebration of all life holds and praise God for his presence that brings joy, hope, love, peace, forgiveness and healing.
Happy New Year, World! God loves you!

Although it's been said....

Merry Christmas! Yes I said Merry CHRISTmas!! No happy holidays here...hmmmm...well you know what I mean!

As I reflect on the year past it is once again overwhelming and humbling to see the hand of God so very present over our lives. From little things to very big things, He has walked each step of the way with us and I am grateful.

So I will celebrate His birthday with all that is in me. His birthday, and yet I receive all the gifts. Who would want to turn down an offer like that?

So, I'm offering this simple phrase, to kids from 1 to 92. Although it's been said many times, many ways...Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you.

peace.

C. S. Lewis says...

"I do not doubt that God wants the best for me. My only concern is how painful that 'best' will prove to be."

In recent days, I am holding on to this thought. Romans 12:12 says "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer."

Why would we need to be patient in affliction if we aren't afflicted? I think we're being encouraged to not be concerned about how painful God's best will be but to just be aware that God's best is sometimes painful.

But He also tells us in Hebrews 12:23-25 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the day approaching."

So let's hang on together. Being joyful and patient and faithful! God is at work on our behalf and He loves us!!

peace

inner pieces?

i've discovered something recently. it's really not brain surgery, but it was a paradigm shift for me. anger and frustration disturbed my inner pieces which in turn leaves me no inner peace. i know, it should be obvious. the Bible has been telling me this my whole life. bumper stickers have touted it for years. but it takes the inner knowing all for myself to really, truly let it sink in.

you see, i work in a frustrating place with insecure people and it has been taking quite a toll on me. i lived in a constant state of wound up and i'm not really a wound up kind of gal. it finally occurred to me that i could unwind. i didn't have to fix it, control it, excuse it, accept it or like it. i could be calm, gracious, firm and at peace regardless. AND i've decided i like it when my inner pieces are at peace. it works for me. i'm better here.

so i'll "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer." romans 12:12. and my inner pieces will rest in peace.

peace to your inner pieces too!

arts and awards

i was privileged to attend the Governor's Arts Awards today in our lovely State Capitol building (you know, the one with the DOME) anyway, the President of our Board was nominated for the Earl Sneed Award. he's earned it many times over, so it was nice to see him appreciated in a public, official ceremony. But it did make me wonder, how many unsung heros are there out there? think about it, how many people do you know that deserve a medal or a round of applause but will probably never receive it in this lifetime.

I know some people that will be bazillionaires in heaven, but will not be applauded on earth. I know it will be worth the wait. I'm also glad that sometimes, the good guys get a medal.

peace.

Thankful and still gr8ful

well turkey day has come and gone. lots of food, family and some new friends. I hope you enjoyed your holiday, we did. i was also reminded of how thankful i really am and how blessed.

i am thankful that i am not judged in a court of justice but of grace. i am thankful that i don't get what i deserve. i am thankful that God loves me as i am, where i am, who i am. i am thankful that i am surrounded by people who love me even when i am sometimes, (hard to believe i know), unloveable.

i am gr8ful for this life i have been entrusted with. it has not always been easy, but journeys worth taking are worth the effort. climbing a mountain is not easy, but oh the view at the top.

so my verse for today is romans 12:12 "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer".

peace.

I'm Melting, mmmmeeelllttttiinnnnngggggg

If she had uttered these words, i would have understood the previous days with her. But other than being yelled at, having my head bit off and generally demoralized, She just ranted and huffed and puffed and blew my house down. So it cements in me a recent decision. I'm brushing off the resume and sending it out. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. I will still sing, I hope. But I'm done.

I'm a little sad, a little mad, a little excited and a little scared. We'll figure out which emotion wins.

So for now, i'm on vacation for a week and singing Ding Dong the witch is dead, la la la, the witch is dead. Even though she isn't and i really don't want her to be, at least i have a week away from Oz.

So if you are the praying kind, i'd appreciate the support. God alone knows how this will all work out. and I'm leaving it with him.

peace and happy turkey day

blitzed number 2

so I've spent the last 2 days on media blitzs. you take lots of pr info, make lots of appointments with papers, radio and tv people and you run in with a group of people and tell them as much as you can in a short amount of time. We had a blast and no alcohol was involved. we also got some great responses from the media. They Like Us, They Really Like US!!!

So we can all do our jobs a little better with people who now know us a little better. Seems like a good deal all around!

peace!

Different shades of Blitzed!

So Saturday night we went to two Halloween parties, both costume of course! Jim was Mr. Clean and I was his favorite mop. The visual was amazing!!

Anyway...the first party was family centered, lots of goodies and cute costumes. A homemade haunted house with varying degrees of scary depending on who was coming through next. Very fun, very clean, very all american pumpkiny kind of Halloween party.

The second party we attended was for hubbie's company. The theme of the evening was slightly different. I think it was Vodka. There was vodka punch, vodka cocktails, bloody marys, vodka jello shots and something called sewer water with baby ruths floating in it. The crowd was well soaked in vodka by the time we arrived and very entertaining. Being the light weight I am, I enjoyed the festivities immensely because the drunker they get the more entertaining it became.

Karaoke is an absolute scream when toasted people are doing it. For that matter, walking became more and more interesting. I had a great time watching and I hope they remember the party.

So that's the blitz experience number one. Blitz experience number two, later today...come back for more.

peace!!

Did you know?

I think everyone has been aware of the gas prices. UP and back down, although not where I'd like to see them, still down. Groceries have been a little higher and overall, things just seem to cost a little more everywhere I go.

Well, Friday I sent the season program to press. Due to the hurricanes and demand on building supplies, paper costs have risen about 30%!! It is going to cost me $1500 more than last year to produce a piece that is held in the hands of audience members through the concert, and then tossed into the recycle box so they can hold it again next concert or thrown in the trash or scrapbooked by someone's mom because they sang with us.

Seems like a lot of money for something that in the light of eternity is useless. How many wells could I build with those same dollars? How many children could I educate and feed? How many Bibles could be printed? The things around me become more trivial when lit by the light of eternity. What a perspective! It humbles me greatly to know that God sees everything in that eternal light.

peace.

I give up...

I can't make it better at work...only God can.
I can't make it better for my dad...only God can.
I can't make it better at home...only God can.

And the best thing about being completely out of control is now God can.

Thank you God for the reminder that living with open hands is the place of most freedom, most peace, most joy and the place I definitely want to live.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

peace.

Playing Opossum!

At 7:00am Saturday morning, Suki, our 5 year old Akita started barking. It was her "Hey I'm serious about this, something's going on" bark. So Jim jumped out of bed thinking that maybe our out of town company was up and Suki was trying to corral them. He runs out into the front living room and Suki is standing at the back door, frantically trying to get out. Jim opens the door and she races out and to the back corner of the yard where she catches something. Upon further investigation we find out she has cornered a opposum in our backyard and had drug it up to near the middle of the yard. I wasn't sure if she had killed it, so I went out to look. After watching it for a minute or two I noticed the almost imperceptible rise and fall of the little hairy chest. Suki's oppossum was playing opossum!! After giving her the obligatory YOU DID SUCH A GOOD JOB!!! doggy petting, we all went inside. Within a couple of minutes, the much slobbered on, but no worse for the wear, little oppossum poked his head up slowly, looked around and took off like a bat out of hell!!
I don't know if he'll be back.
peace

it's good to have friends...

The last month has been a challenge as everyone who reads this blog knows. My sister, who still has young, busy, non-driving children at home, has had a lot to take care of needless to say. So one of her long time friends calls, says she has something to drop by and ask her to leave her key out so she can put it in the house. My sister gets home after work, soccer practice, football practice and finds her whole house clean, her laundry done, folded and on each bed and dinner in the crockpot. How cool is that? Thank you God for good friends who know it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. We are surrounded by them. Help me to remember to be one of them.
peace.

On the road again...

I'm so glad that I'm not on the road again this weekend. Yes, the great big UHaul made it's way from Seven Points, Texas to El Reno, Oklahoma this past weekend. After 3 weeks on the road, 36 boxes, 3 rolls of tape, and much sweat and some tears, Dad is in Oklahoma!! We are so very grateful to God that he was 2 steps ahead of us every step of the way. So we're here and the lake house is on the market. Once it sells, we're done! For now...
peace! (and my own bed for the weekend!!)

I look great...

for the mother of a 67 year old!!! sometimes dealing with dad is a lot like having little children again. we get to talk about sick tummies, pooping, when to go to sleep, taking baths and changing clothes. Not that he is incapable of taking care of the basics, he just considers some of the basics unnecessary.
Why take a bath, we're not going anywhere?
Why change clothes, I'm just staying home.
Why go to bed, I'm sleeping fine in my chair?
It's like reasoning with a 3 year old!
I have to admit, sometimes he wears me slick. But I'm grateful he's here and we don't have to worry that he's not ok. I'm grateful he's accepting our help. I'm grateful that we can have time with him while he still knows who we are. I'm grateful I have my sister to take this journey with. I'm grateful that God walks every step with me because I could not do this without him.
peace.

miracles still happen

during the recent weeks we have so many dear family and friends praying us through the situation with our dad. let me run down the miracles for you.

2 months ago- dad was unwilling and adamant that he would never need our help and never move to Oklahoma
prayer happened
2 weeks ago- dad called and not only asked for our help, but completely turned over everything and admitted he needed our help

2 weeks ago- dad was number 12 on the waiting list for the best place we could find for him to live
prayer happened
6 hours ago- we put a deposit on his 1 bedroom duplex

1 week ago- every doctor we called who accepted medicare wasn't taking patients or if they were taking patients, they didn't take medicare
prayer happened
today-we found a wonderful doctor, who takes medicare, and is accepting patients

and this is just the beginning!!!

Thank you so much to our amazing Father in heaven!!!

GREAT, unsurpassed, unexplainable PEACE!

saga 2 and other news

So the car wouldn't start...My sister's Nissan Murano (very nice) had just had it's alternator recalled and replaced. So of course this is the best car to take to Texas for our whirlwind weekend of daddy business. We wake up day 1, car's dead. We can't jump it, it won't start. So we hook it up to a battery charger and at the end of the day the car finally starts. We have borrowed our cousin's car in the meantime so no real lost time. Next morning, we're packing to leave and leave the hatch open. Little bitty hatch lights drain the battery, car won't start. So we rehook the car to the charger, set it on high, listen to whole car hum and in 30 minutes, the car starts. We all jump in for the ride home, praying for good gas mileage and no head winds. Only one hitch, we have to stop for potty break and food, so we pull into Arby's and I go in while sis and dad stay in the running car and then we trade. Dad makes it out of the potty room just a little faster than my sister who exits the restaurant to see daddy getting into the van of a lovely couple from California. She runs over and asks dad if he'd like to go with us instead and everyone laughs and we cry inside knowing daddy can't live alone and is further gone than we had realized. We drive through, get food and get home. Thank you God!!
So we're leaving again today to run across the red river, sort through the rest of dad's belongings and pack them up so next weekend we can uhaul them back to Oklahoma. All I can say is...I'm driving my car!!!
peace!

answered prayers and the necessities of life

saga 1

well, after our wild trip to Texas, we have relocated one father. God receives much thanks and all the praise for an easy transition in a difficult situation. Daddy is here, happy, compliant and very humbled. He's awesome!!!

now to the necessities of life...we all know we have too much stuff. In light of survival, how we interpret necessities is very individualized. while preparing dad to come to OK, we told him to pack just the necessities he'd need for 2 weeks. When we went to check his suitcase when he was done, here's what he packed:

1 Boyscout handmade leather jacket
1 polished wood kerchief knot
6 pair underwear
1 knife

Needless to say, holding back both laughter and tears, we added a few clothes and his toothbrush. I think we may have left the knife for next trip!?

the adventures in alzheimers have only just begun...

thank you God for your favor, your graciousness, your strength, and your laughter. we could not do this without You!!

peace!

preview: Saga 2...and the car wouldn't start...to be continued!

so vote already!!!

I am sick of political signs, political ads on tv, political phone calls and political mail. I'm so past ready to vote just to end it all!! I don't believe any of the propaganda anyway. I'll do my own research and make up my own mind. I hope you will too.
peace.

I'm molting...

my nest has one less feather...younger daughter is officially moved and I didn't cry. Course I haven't been in the empty room yet, but I think I'm okay with it. She knows I'll miss her and deep down, she'll miss me too. It's been easy living with my children and it is definitely closing down a phase of my life. Older daughter is making noises about being out by September. We're going to rent their rooms to college students! The good news about closed doors is the opening of new doors as well.

Captain, she's taking on water

My younger daughter is moving out. She's very excited, we're happy for her and yet, Wednesday it hit me and I started crying. I wrote her a poem and a little note, and kept crying. everyone made fun of me and I kept crying. I drove to work crying, I called my friend and we both cried. Her daughter is moving out with mine. I got to work and stopped crying. Too much drama there already! So now that I'm dehydrated, I should be able to help her move and bless her on the journey. Fastest trip I've ever taken...
peace.

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!

So we're moving on up, to the north side

Oh my goodness, I've never realized that a sedentary rock collects more than moss. We've lived in our current house for 10 years. When we moved here, we had more space than we knew what to do with. Empty cabinets, half-full closets, it was amazing! In the 10 years we've lived here, all closets are full, cabinets are full to overflowing, floor space occupied. The inheritances from several grandmas and one mom-in-law have helped to fill our otherwise empty spaces. I am committed to using what we have. I hate waste for the sake of saving it for something special. Make today special or give it away so someone else can use it. In the packing of all my stuff, I've realized how precious the people are to me whose memories are awakened when I see the things they passed on to us. More precious to me are the memories I pass on as I share these things with the people I love.
So pull out the good china, drink pop from crystal and make today a celebration! Have some friends over and use those cloth napkins. What are you waiting for?

March Madness is here!

I cannot believe it's been 2 months since I have been here. Whoa, how time flies! Things I have learned in the chaos:
...time flies-even when you are sitting still
...selling your house is an exercise in patience
...and cleanliness!
...raising kids isn't easy, letting go of adults is the hardest thing I've ever done
...singing still brings me great joy
...working is something I could live without
...money isn't, so I'll keep working-for now
...I love my husband and I'm proud of who he was, is and will be
...I'm worth the effort

so here goes. we're moving-the house has sold-now comes the packing. I can honestly say, I don't ever want to do this again. we're moving around April Fools Day-appropo don't you think!?!

peace.

do you live in filth and squalor?

I didn't think I did either. Then I put my house on the market. every dust bunny, every cob web, every minute imperfection in my home now seems to be under a magnifying glass. I've turned into the cleaning screaming mimi and no dust mite is safe! the thought of perfectly lovely, potential buyers walking through my house, opening cabinets, closets and drawers has brought me to a place I have never lived; the perfectionist's home.

All I have to say is this house better sell soon or so help me, Mr. Clean is going to get it!! and his little scrubbing bubbles too!!!

Happy New Year!!

It's 2006 and I don't do resolutions. I don't eat black eyed peas. I did toast the New Year with my wonderful hubby, great friends and a glass of bubbly. Thank you Mike Horshead and Lovely Wife for a fabulous evening!! We need to do it more often.

I raise my glass to each of you and wish you a blessed, peaceful, prosperous, invigorating, exciting, surprising New Year in 2006! All God's best to you from this first day until the last.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

So here's to 2006, may it be the best one yet!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

If you've never been to the Harn Homestead, you should check it out. It is a territorial homestead near the capitol and during December on the 8th and 15th, they are hosting a territorial Christmas from 5pm to 8pm. good food, crafts for the kids, pictures with Santa and caroling from Canterbury Choral Society. Tour the home and the barn. Take a step back in time for an evening. $5 donation at the door, free if you're a member. Great Christmas photo op for the family! More information is at www.harnhomestead.com. fun for all!