The Office

Not the TV show....although I have been watching the summer reruns and think it is hilarious. A little introduction to this room...I didn't get good pictures, but the ceiling was literally falling down in this room. It was torn out and a new ceiling put in, which meant blowing in more insulation. Again, ugly dark grayish green panelling and yucky carpet covering wood floors that turned out quite nice with lots of hard work. Yes, Sandra (I mean, anonymous) the pie safe was Grandma's, and I think it originally was Great Grandma Smith's. I know there was a long list of children and grandchildren that wanted it, but I promise, I didn't beg, whine or otherwise negotiate. The children just wisely decided it should be mine! Oh yeah, the crib will remain as long as I have grandbabies.

Guest Room

More before and after pictures:

I know...just one "before" picture, but there really wasn't much to photograph. At least you can see the gray? panelling and green shag carpet.

Grandma's Chocolate Cake

I thought about my grandma a lot yesterday. Jeff had invited some friends over for hamburgers and what better reason to make a chocolate cake? When my grandma passed away several months ago, I inherited her double boiler (that's basically two sauce pans for those of you who are cullinary-challenged) and her large yellow mixing bowl. Grandma was the best chocolate cake baker I ever knew. I've used her recipe on many occasions, but yesterday was different. Not only did I have her recipe, I also had the very pans and bowl that had been used so many, many times in her kitchen. With each step, I could imagine her standing next to me, giving me little bits of advice and lots of praise. It will come as no surprise to you that the result was the BEST chocolate cake I've ever baked. I hope that when I'm gone, Lauren will want my pans and bowl and Grandma's recipe.

Ghetto Driver

The thousands of chug holes in Tulsa roads are blamed on the snowy winter we had. Hello....it's June. I hit a crater on Sunday at about 45 mph on a ramp on the expressway, doing who knows how much damage to my front end. After arriving home from bible study Sunday evening, I was walking past my kitchen window and to my surprise and dismay, saw that I was missing my front left hubcap. Erghh! Do you realize what a difference that makes to the appearance of your car????? I admit, my car is almost 10 years old, but on most days I'm not embarrassed to drive it. The Toyota dealership quoted me $57 for a new hubcap. <:0 Unwilling to lay out 60 big ones for a piece of tin, I started shopping around. Actually, I retraced my Sunday route and think I spotted it on the side of the road. Unfortunately, I only had a split second to decide if it was worth risking my life to pull over in traffic to pick it up. I decided my life was worth more than 60 bucks. Today I found "Hubcap Kingdom." They had three options for me--a new one for $45, a cheap imitation for $15, and guess what?....a used one that had JUST come in for $25. What a coincidence! I'm pretty sure I paid $25 for my OWN hubcap!

For those of you dying of suspense (or needing to make a claim with a moving company) a 23 cu. ft. side-by-side refrigerator weighs approximately 335 lbs. Thank you Carolyn.

Eric Haas Cartright

I'm relieved to say that I now can sleep at night, knowing Hoss' given name. Thank you for indulging me (you were laughing WITH me not AT me, right?). My mom was very helpful and sent me a website about Hoss. And my favorite cousin, Carolyn, telephoned to report her findings. She even went so far as to research the Vandervoorts and the "Stranger" episode. As it turns out, Hoss was name Eric, after his maternal grandfather and Adam (5 years old at the time) reminded his dad that Uncle Gunner had wanted to name him Haas/Hoss. So, wise old Ben gave him both names and said, "we'll see which one sticks." Feel free to return to your daily duties, until I need some other useless information. By the way, does anyone know how much an average side-by-side refrigerator weighs?

What's In a Name?

My latest obsession....what was Hoss Cartright's "real" first name? I know his REAL name was Dan Blocker. But on Bonanza, was he given the name "Hoss" at birth, or was that a nickname given to him later? I seem to recall one episode that Ben called him by his real name, but I can't remember what it was. Don't ask me why I'm obsessing about this, or what even brought it up, just give me the answer if you know it!!!!!

Living Room

The living room is pretty much finished. I'm not very happy with the window covering. It looked much better in my head. I'm actually thinking that I should have left well enough alone with the wood blinds, but no....I thought the hard edges needed to be softened with fabric. Do I sound like Christopher Lowell? The window will definitely change, but I'm not sure yet how. The "after" pictures are a little deceiving in color. The walls are yellower than they appear in the photos. But you get the idea.

BEFORE

AFTER

Whew!

Another VBS in the books. Tonight was our final night--the hot dog cookout. This year was our biggest attendance ever! Our numbers were around the 100 mark (kids only) every night. Many of the staff were caught offguard and those of us in crafts were scouring the city for extra material. It shouldn't have been such a surprise....our Monday night prayer group had prayed for a big turnout. When will we learn to expect the unexpected? Our theme this year was "Soldiers of God" which was a HUGE success. The kids loved the military theme. Maybe I can obtain some pics to post.

On another note, Jeff returned safely from the U.K. He had an awesome trip, wonderful weather, and great travelling companions. It would have been perfect except for the problems getting through customs and the flight delay on his return. By the time they landed in KC, he had been up 24 hours. I have to say, it feels good to know he's back in the good ole US of A.

Happy Girl

Today I'm posting my first "before & after" photo of our farm house re-do. Although this was not my top priority, now that the house itself is functional and liveable, the pool was the next challenge I faced. No one lived here throughout the winter and the tarp blew into the pool during a fall storm.......needless to say, it was full of leaves, sticks, dirt, and creepy crawlies. I was seriously beginning to doubt the possibility of ever seeing the bottom of the pool. Friday, the Coral Pools technician gave me the thumbs up and after a water analysis on Saturday, we were good to go. After my CHORES were done on Saturday (I will argue with John Denver in heaven about life on the farm being "kinda laid back") and I was hot and sweaty, the cool waters of the pool were just what this tired old lady needed. I jumped in, splashed around a bit, then relaxed on my raft. Sweet!!!

Farming--Lita-Style

Just had to post this picture that my mom sent me, due to previously posted events. She took the original picture when they were here helping us move. I thought it was hilarious, and quite appropriate. This is my kind of farming. And no, we are NOT raising turtles!

Good Day

It was a good day, today. Although I still didn't manage to get to the gym (it's been over 3 weeks) I did get a lot accomplished. The pool is starting to show promise. Jeff made it safely to Manchester, England. The piece I ordered for the crib (that the movers lost) came in the mail today and I'm now prepared for Lauren. I finally caught the turtle that has been living in my pool. He looks just like the ones you see in the pet stores--only about 20 times as big. I wasn't quite sure what to do with him once I had him out of the pool. I certainly didn't want him finding his way back, so I carried him in an ice chest across the north pasture and over the fence, releasing him in the direction of the neighbors' pond. Run away Mr. Turtle, run away.

I actually did a little decorating!

Sadly, I am showing signs of acclamation to the country. I can effortlessly walk across the rocky driveway barefoot. I already have a farmer's tan. And I'm starting to take offense at Jeff Foxworthy's humor.

Jacob and Lauren stayed with Nana yesterday. My kittens, who usually stay in the chicken coop, came out to investigate. One is less fearful than the other and allowed Jacob a few seconds of holding and petting. But enough is enough and they soon found that they could safely hide under the porch, just out of his reach. He resorted to playing in the game room and found a box of GI Joe's. I had been keeping these stored away until he was old enough to enjoy them, and this seemed to be the day. With every new soldier, tank, helicopter, and jet fighter retrieved from the tin, an excited "Wow" or "that's cool" was expressed. Lauren, too, found these tiny items fascinating, and I soon realized that these were going to have to be toys saved for times when Lauren was napping or Jacob was here by himself.

In the afternoon, I was introduced to "Pool School". A technician from Leslie's Pool Service and Supply came out to show me the ropes, and although I am still not a pro, I think I have a better understanding of all the workings of the pump and vacuum. The forecast this next week is sunny and hot and hopefully I will have the pool up and running in the next few days. The new roof for the house, game room and garage are also scheduled for this week, so I'm thankful for the dry forecast.

Many who have received my email with new address info, have expressed their hope that I'm enjoying my new home.....Not yet....maybe soon. I haven't even begun to decorate...I take that back...I hung one wall hanging over my bed yesterday. I'm still working on installing toilet paper holders, towel rings, window blinds, etc. And yes, when I'm ready, I will post some pictures--before and after.

The Big Move

It's been awhile since my last post. I still haven't recovered from the trauma of the move. It has been anything but smooth. Our last two moves (to and from Baton Rouge) were left up to professional movers (paid for by Neal's company), and it really spoiled me. So I decided it was worth the money to hire someone to pack and move us. I'm thinking now that it was not worth it. Let's begin with Monday, May 14, "packing day." Talk about unorganized! I assume their lack of experience caused them to take so long, and when they left I discovered so many things that they neglected to pack. Maybe they ran out of boxes??? Tuesday, May 15, last minute details to make the "new" house liveable. Appliances were installed, propane checked, flooring finally installed in game room, cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. Tuesday evening, the parents arrived! Yeah! More help! Wednesday, May 16, 7:45 a.m.-- load and deliver. I was promised two trucks so that everything could be delivered in one trip. But alas, only one truck was available. Apparently someone more important than I took precedence. Again, the movers seemed somewhat unorganized and it took them FOREVER to pack up what had been neglected on Monday and load up the truck. Unloading at the farm house was chaos. So much stuff, so little space. Who needs all this STUFF???? The game room quickly became the dumping ground for all of the overflow. My head was spinning, I had several anxiety attacks, and periodically I would wonder, "is it too late to change my mind?". I remember having those same thoughts the first time I went into labor! My lovely mother-in-law brought us a crock pot of beans and some cornbread for supper. When I returned from Bible Class--yes, I know, you're so proud I still went to church, but if I wasn't teaching a class, I wouldn't have gone--Mom insisted that I eat something. Got a styrofoam bowl full of beans, grabbed my iced tea and headed for the table. You guessed it, the bowl cracked and hot bean juice ran down between my fingers and I'm sure it was 3rd degree burns. The blisters are just now healing. At 10:30 Wednesday evening, the call came--"is it okay if we deliver this 2nd load tomorrow morning at 8:00?". Sure, no problem....I'm a people pleaser, remember? But it was a big problem. First of all, the beds were on the truck. Okay, we have 2 couches, 1 love seat, a piece of foam and sleeping bag. We're all set. Oh yeah, pillows and blankets. Now which box would they be in? Which leads me to my second problem with the movers. Their method of labeling boxes. For instance, we found the blender, a bag of flour and various other important kitchen items in a box marked "Refrigerator Magnets and Flashlight". You know, just in case we were frantically searching for refrigerator magnets!!!! Sorry, back to sleeping arrangments. Neal and I slept in the game room on the couch and love seat, Dad slept on the couch in the living room, and Mom slept velcroed to the foam on the floor. Well, at least she could take a hot bath before hitting the sack...not. The hot water heater was on low, so how 'bout a cool bath? Thursday, May 17, 6:45 a.m. Finally, hot water. The shower felt great, but where's my clean underwear? Oh yeah, it's in my dresser, on the truck! Hmmm. Neal's chest of drawers was delivered on Wednesday. Yep, this pair of shorts looks just fine! Actually, quite comfy. After the THIRD truckload was delivered around noon, the four of us went for a nice meal at Western Sizzlin', hoping to heaven that we wouldn't see anyone we knew, then on to the "old" house, to clean. Good thing we did, because I have a notebook page filled with items that were "left behind." Things like....a cd player, a telephone, an 18" tall singing, dancing Christmas snowman, hardware, power strip, Neal's world series ring, just to name a few. Now, a week and a half later there are still things I'm looking for, things that don't have a "home" and the house still looks like we moved in yesterday. It wouldn't be so depressing if I hadn't gone to the "old" house last Sunday night to collect rent, only to find the house in perfect order, pictures already hanging on the wall, and not a box in sight!!!! Jessica, are you kidding me????

Packing Day

The movers are here packing all my VALUABLE belongings. Which gives me time to catch up on reading blogs, planning my lesson for Wednesday night, playing online Scrabble with my mom and working on Sudoku puzzles. In our last two moves, there has only been one item broken on each move. Last night, as I was emptying the oil from my antique oil lamps, I broke the globe on my favorite one. So I told the movers today that my one item has already been broken so they can't break anything! The farm house is not complete, but will hopefully be at least functional for the move-in on Wednesday. I think I've done everything I need to do and am at the mercy of all my helpers at this point. This has been the most stressful move I've made and will be glad when it's over!

For Terry

I'm blogging tonight for my faithful friend and only reader. The farm house is taking way too much of my time and energy and I vow to never attempt this again. Building a new house was much simpler--maybe because someone else was doing all the work. Today was another stressful day of nothing going as planned. I spend a great deal of time at Home Depot, returning things and buying more things. The service desk personnel try to avoid me. The pool is still green, after 45 pounds of chlorine. Every morning when I arrive at the farm, the first item on the agenda is the most dreaded...checking the skimmer to see what creature has made it's way into the basket. Yesterday was a box turtle, two toads today, and ALWAYS June Bugs. If the water in the basket was clear, at least I wouldn't be reaching into the unknown. I have developed a hatred for light fixtures. What should be simple never is. Tomorrow I'm returning three fixtures and two ceiling fans. And how am I supposed to know what a 3-way switch is? A light switch is a light switch, right? And who ever heard of a kitchen sink that doesn't include strainer baskets????? The one bright spot in this dark, dismal, rainy week is the fact that there were no hidden cameras to capture my floor buffing escapade on Monday. Let's just say we're lucky to still have four walls in each room.

City Girl?

Five years ago (even one year ago) you could not have convinced me that today, April 30, 2007, I would be sitting on a lawn tractor, mowing a portion of our 19-acre "farm." It may be hard for some of you to believe. To believe that I would ever live outside city limits...to believe that, at my age, I've never ridden a lawn tractor! (I've lived a very sheltered life.) The renovations are coming along and my goal is to be ready for the big move-in in a couple of weeks.

Second note of interest. Today we are officially owners of a 40-acre tract of land in Western Oklahoma (Beckham County). Neal's dreams are coming true. When I first looked at this land, I said, "what are we thinking? are we nuts?" You may look at these pictures and think the very same thoughts. It looks to me like useless wasteland.

But Neal sees a hunter's paradise. If you'll look CLOSELY, you can see deer trails and tracks, turkey tracks and quail roosts. I think he's happy.

Kansas City

I spent a couple of days in KC with Jeff and returned home today. I finally made it to a baseball game Thursday afternoon and watched him in his coaching element. It was an impressive win...14-2. I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning his house. He really needs a wife. Although, he did surprise me with clean sheets on the guest bed! In between dusting (he insists that he has dusted within the last month but I'm skeptical) and vacuuming, I took a short break to visit him at school, meet some of his students and his fellow Art teachers. Speaking of vacuuming (is that even spelled right?), his bit the dust...pun intended. I guess you can't expect a $59 vacuum to last more than 3 years and the hair of two dogs. So after the Varsity game yesterday, then dinner and a movie, we made a trip to Walmart for a sturdier vacuum. During my cleaning frenzy, I sorted his mail, accumulated over several weeks and strewn throughout the house. He laughed at my neat piles of Bills, Important papers to file, Potential trash, Invitations needing RSVP, Shreddables, etc. How do people function this way????? I could hardly sleep Friday night, knowing that once I left, he would go back to his old habits. I had to bite my tongue to keep from pointing out that he needed to do laundry. Like he doesn't know when he's out of clean clothes? Did I mention that he needs a wife? I asked him when he last changed his air filter. He said, "Filter?". He's been living in this house close to 9 months!!! We managed to find the location of the filter and when he removed the old one he warned me not to look. I'm going to have to visit more often!

W unded

Bad day t day Whi e w rking n the farm h use, pu ing stap es ut f the w d fl rs, I mistaken y tried brushing away what I th ught was a piece f carpet padding, but instead it was a stap e! I punctured my finger then s iced it pen This evening was spent at the Urgent Care C inic, getting a tetanus sh t and getting my finger g ued back t gether Then a trip to the pharmacy f r antibi tic If y u are a typist, y u kn w which finger I injured Nea wi be h me t m rr w Yeah!!!

6 Months

Lauren is 6 months old today! It just doesn't seem possible. She is so sweet and happy--and very sensitive. Her feelings get hurt so easily...how dare I walk into the other room where she can't see me! One difference between her and Jacob is that he has to be hurt pretty badly to show any signs of pain. Lauren, on the other hand, can just topple over on her soft blanket and you'd think someone was beating her! Here she is--happy to be 6 months old!

Yoga Queen

Lauren is now sitting on her own. She still topples over occasionally, but for the most part she has mastered this feat. I had to get a picture of her in the "lotus" position. Wish I could do that!

I'm a Wuss

I am definitely not cut out for manual labor! I started early this morning trying to remove the linoleum from the floor of the game room. Our hopes are that the concrete is in decent shape and we can stain it rather than carpet or tile. I had rented a "hot gun" (looks like an industrial hair dryer) and was positive that was all I needed to make the job easy. Wrong. By noon I had managed to remove about 2 sq. feet of the ugly vinyl. Time for Plan B. A trip to Home Depot to purchase the "right" tool for scraping, and solvent to loosen the glue. Two hours later and another 2 sq. ft. gone! In this 400 sq. ft. room, this may take awhile. The painters began packing up their tools around 2:30 (it is Friday, for Pete's sake) and decided to try their hand at scraping. They removed more in 10 minutes than I had all day!!! Okay, so maybe I've been slacking a little on the weight lifting. Plan C: wait until next weekend and put Neal on that job. This weekend I'll concentrate on getting up the rest of the tack strips off the wood floor in the house. No tears today, just blood and sweat. (I scraped my hand on the brick in the dining room, pulling up a tack strip.) My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, and my hands hurt...I can barely type this blog!

The Nightmare Begins

We officially closed on our new property on Monday. Nineteen acres of pasture, trees, pond, creek and pool, along with barn, garage, shop, game room and 1950's house that underwent some updating in the early 70's. Yes, we are a part of the Green Acres Trend, giving up the city life and moving to the country. Did I mention the house was built in the 50's? We are completely renovating the house and game room. The central heat and air installation began on Tuesday...there are just some conveniences I'm not willing to give up. The painters showed up on Wednesday, tore down the carport and were gone before 3:00. Today they managed to replace a few pieces of siding, remove the storm windows, sand down the ceiling in the game room, and again, left around 3:00. At this pace, it will be August before move-in. I have now obtained a general contractor, Marvin, to do all the dirty work, since I can't seem to get any of the workers to take me seriously. I am so overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, and every project seems to uncover a new problem to be dealt with. This is only Day 3 and I have been near tears all day. It sure looks like a lot more fun on HGTV!!! Our old friends (and new neighbors) Alan and Susan have been invaluable. Alan knows all the right people and is adept at wheeling and dealing. Susan has shopped, cleaned, pulled nails, ripped up flooring and cheered me on in my feeble efforts. They have been through this process before and assure me it will all be worthwhile. Here are some "Before" pictures. I hope to have some "After" pictures by June!

Tulsa Workshop

Every year I look forward to the annual International Soul Winning Workshop (aka Tulsa Workshop). It is my proverbial "shot in the arm" that re-energizes me for at least a few months. There's nothing quite like a Pavilion full of Christians raising their voices in song and praising God. Many have described it as a foretaste of heaven. The preaching/teaching is always just what I need to hear and spurs me on to live a better life. For those of you who do not live in the Tulsa area, the Workshop is the same time every year, about the 3rd week in March, Thursday through Saturday. It usually coincides with Spring Break in the Tulsa Public Schools. You owe it to yourselves to plan to be here next year. For those of you who DO live in the Tulsa area, and choose not to attend...shame on you. This year, there were three lessons/speakers that truly impacted me in a way that I didn't expect. One was Bruce Marchiano, an actor who portrayed Christ in the video series of Matthew. I can't begin to describe like he did the effect it had on him as he struggled to get "in character"...something we are called to do each day. (Get the tape.) Next is a combination of two lessons that have caused me to do some intense soul searching. Jeff Walling's lesson on "Meeting Jesus in Baggage Claim" and Randy Harris' lesson on "Evil". If you didn't hear these two lessons, this probably won't make much sense to you. I saw a good friend at the workshop who told me, "you're wonderful." Obviously, I'm really good at hiding my baggage. I'm not wonderful. I don't "have it all together." I carry guilt for things in my past like it's carry-on luggage. But nobody sees it. I'm good at this. Randy Harris told about an experiment performed by Stanley Milgram in the early 70's to see how far a person would go (in harming another person) simply because he was told to do it. It was appalling. But I had to take a hard look at myself. See, I'm a "people-pleaser." That doesn't mean I'm selfless, it means I'm spineless. I have found myself in sinful situations because it made someone else happy. I have not stood up for what is right and moral. I yearned to please people instead of yearning to please God. In some ways, I came away from the Workshop this year uplifted and energized, but I also came away with a clearer picture of who I am, and my desperate need for a merciful God.

Nana & Lauren's First Walk

Today is the most GORGEOUS day. I smeared Lauren with sunscreen (Arbonne Baby Care, of course) which she wasn't too thrilled about, then set out on our walk. When Jacob was her age, he would be asleep by the time we made it back home, but not Lauren. She was talking and squealing the entire time. After a short play time in the exersaucer (she can already twist it around to explore all the toys), she let me know it was naptime. Unlike Jacob, I can lay her down in her bed and she simply drifts off to sleep. no crying! Much easier on Nana!

10 Things I Learned

Last weekend was spent in Keystone, Colorado with Neal's cousin Carl, wife Cindy and daughters Lauren (18) and Renee (14). This was a bit of a new experience for me, since I've always skiid in New Mexico. Here are 10 things I learned on this trip.

1. The summit elevation of Keystone is 12,400 ft. as opposed to 10,400 at Angel Fire, NM.

2. At 12,400 ft., you can become dehydrated very quickly if you don't drink at least a gallon of water a day.

3. The higher the mountain, the longer the ski run (stopping to rest allowed) and the longer the ski lift ride (Brrrrr!).

4. The definition of "walking distance to slopes" in the Condo's brochure is different from MY defininition of "walking distance to slopes."

5. As hard as it is to walk in ski boots, it's easier than carrying them the "walking distance" to the slopes.

6. When you stop for lunch on the mountain, and Moon Doggie (Renee) says she's found a table on the very top level, she may not realize that there are 2 more levels ABOVE that "top level." After balancing your lunch tray while trying to climb stairs in ski boots at 12,400 ft. and finally reaching the TOP level, huffing and puffing, only to find none of your group there, the wise thing to do is sit down and eat alone.

7. You can eat anything and everything your heart desires when you are burning it off on the ski slopes.

8. It takes twice as long to cook a meal at 12,400 ft. (Neal tried to explaing the physics of this phenomenon, but I still don't get it.)

9. Just because you've all agreed NOT to ski blacks this year doesn't mean you won't read the trail map wrong and end up on a black anyway.

10. Teenage girls can trash a room as quickly as teenage boys.

We had a great time and enjoyed spending the weekend with Carl and his family. Lauren's trip was made worthwhile when she skated on the lake in the basin. Apparently skating outdoors was very invigorating for her. She is a very talented figure skater and had all the onlookers gasping in awe. The girls ski boarded while we skiid, staying with us the whole time. Carl and Neal cooked breakfast, Cindy and I cooked dinner and we ate lunch on the mountain. We also took advantage of the hot tub after a long day of skiing.

Neal at the fire pit by the frozen lake.

Carl after the first day of skiing.

Update

Just a quick update. Turns out my car was deemed "undriveable" due to something leaking under the hood. I think it's probably just windshield fluid, but who am I to argue? I'm happy to be driving a non-ghetto rental.

Jeremy, Trista and kids spent their first night in their new house on Saturday night. There's still a few loose ends to tie up, but for the most part the house is finished. It is beautiful and it's hard not to be a little jealous. I kept the kids Saturday afternoon and evening during the moving process and when it was time to take them home, Jacob didn't want to go. When we drove up to the driveway and he saw where we were he said, "Nooooooooo!" But once inside, they directed him to his new room which had already been set up (minus bed) and he rediscovered all his toys that had been in storage for the past several months. It was better than Christmas! The most exciting part is that my granddog went to his new home on Monday! I spent some time Monday helping Trista with some cleaning, lining cabinets, etc. Monday evening about 6:00 I was hit hard with a stomach virus. Seems to be going around. I guess it was a 24 hr bug (26 to be exact), and I feel fine today. That's good, because Neal and I are leaving tomorrow for a long weekend of skiing in Colorado with his cousin Carl and family. Personally, as much as I love to ski, I'd rather be going somewhere warm. We've had such a harsh winter and I'm ready for it to be over! I checked the forecast for this weekend in Keystone, CO, and it's going to be cold and snowy. Brrrrrr~! On the bright side, we'll have an indoor heated pool, hot tub, and fireplace. Might not be so bad.

Pictures of the new house will be coming soon. Stay tuned.

Crash!

Yesterday started out being a good day. Mondays are Lauren days. She had big smiles for me all day. Jeff called to inform me that he will be Head of the Art Department at Park Hill next year, as well as teaching AP Studio. Lauren managed to arrange her schedule perfectly for me to feed her just in time to take her to her other grandparents' house so that I could get in a quick workout before a scheduled prayer meeting at 6:30. But my day took a turn for the worse on my way to Sand Springs. A hurried driver decided she had time to make a left turn in front of me. She was wrong. Maybe on dry, sand-free streets, it might have been possible. Not so in these conditions. Braking and honking, I took out the back end of her car. Immediately after impact, I jumped out to check on Lauren. She smiled sweetly at her Nana. (sigh of relief!) Thankfully, the driver is fully insured, accepted fault and I will be taking the car to Fox tomorrow for an estimate. Sadly, because of the incredibly bad weather we've had recently, they are very backed up, and since my car is driveable, it may be awhile before repairs can be made. In the meantime, I'm joining the ranks of the ghetto car drivers.

Senility

This morning when I came into the kitchen, I noticed FLAMES out of the corner of my eye. I had left a 4-wick candle burning ALL NIGHT! This isn't the first time I've gone to bed with a candle still burning. Once, I got up in the middle of the night to visit the restroom, smelled the strong aroma, and blew it out. I left a candle burning one other night a couple of months ago, but luckily Trista noticed it before she went to bed. I had no one to cover my back this time, and thank God that my house didn't burn down. What is really scary is that it is surrounded by an artifical wreath that could have easily caught fire. Strangely, I did get up during the night but didn't smell anything. Apparently the cheap candle isn't even worth burning!!! So into the trash it goes. If you watch ER, you know that Alex started a fire in Samantha's apartment while she was sleeping, and it killed another tenant. That issue was revisited on ER last night. You'd think it would've been a reminder to me to extinguish the flames right then. Am I getting senile? Is it safe to leave me alone?

Great Pics

Please, no more nude shots. Aren't I adorable?
Fake smile.
All out of smiles.

Chatter Box

Today, while working out with Janet, we were discussing blogs and she was sharing how wonderful it was to be able to stay up-to-date on her grandkids through her children's blogs. Being able to share in the little things they did each day that might go unmentioned if it weren't for daily blogs. It reminded me that I've become lax about that kind of information, and I know my parents feel more a part of their great-grandkids' lives through my blog. So this is for you Grandma and Grandpa.

Jacob has really come a long way with his verbal skills. Jeremy was so anxious for him to talk and I think a little worried. But now, he is quite the conversationalist. Last week, as I held Lauren, he was pointing out and naming all her facial features. I expected the usual...nose, eyes, mouth, but was a little surprised when he identified her "chin", "face", "eyebwow", and "udder one "eyebwow." Yesterday, when he and daddy came to get Lauren, he went back to the toy room to get his talking parrot. It wasn't long before he called out to us "It's not worrrrking!!" Before they left, I subtly mentioned to Jeremy that I thought Jacob's diaper needed changing. He's 2 1/2, and is pretty good about "no. 1" in the potty, but not so much "no. 2". Jeremy asked him "did you poo poo in your diaper?" to which he quickly responded "no I didn't." Of course, it was obvious from the odor wafting around the little guy that he indeed had. Again, Jeremy asked, "Jacob, look at me [big blue eyes roll up to meet dad's], did you poo poo?" Again, the response, "no I didn't." "Jacob, tell me the truth, did you poo poo?" "No I didn't." (He gets this compulsive lying from his Nana.) I asked, "does he get in trouble for poo pooing in his diaper?" Apparently not, but he intuitively knows he shouldn't. That's a good sign, right?

Jacob has become obsessed with "Cars" -- both the movie and the cars. He carries them everywhere, and not just one or two. He thinks he has to have nine or ten in his arms. They go everywhere with him, even to bed.

Lauren, at 4 months, is already babbling away. She talked to the butterfly hanging from her jump seat for a solid 10 minutes yesterday, giggling between "words." She's trying very hard to sit up, but just doesn't quite have the abdominal strength yet. (She probably gets that from her Nana too. I just can't control the genes I pass down through the generations!) She is so chubby! Especially her thighs. Now, I don't know who she gets that from. She is trying to hold her own bottle, which is something her brother NEVER did.

Well, I hope this has made up a little for my lack of reporting on the grandkids. I'll try to do better in the future.

Pass Your Plate

Fun, Fun, Fun!! That's all I can say about the experience Janet and I had last night at Pass Your Plate. This may not be news to some of you, but it was our first time and I think we're hooked. Initially, I heard about it from my good friend Janell in Edmond. She assembles many of her family's meals there and her oldest daughter, Bailey, now works for the franchise in Edmond. They were offering a special trial offer for newcomers, two meals for the price of one, so Janet and I thought that was a good incentive to try it out. When we arrived, I was met by an old friend from Park Plaza whom I hadn't seen in over 20 years. She is one of the managers at the Tulsa location. It was great to catch up on her family and other friends we have in common. So what is so wonderful about this place?

1. You pre-choose your meals and upon arrival all ingredients, utensils, measuring cups/spoons, etc. are set out for you.

2. You can split the meals (most serve 6-8 people) into two meals serving 3-4.

3. The directions are posted at your preparation bar--no guessing.

4. Everything is placed in foil pans or zip lock bags for easy transfer into your freezer.

5. Pre-printed labels are attached to storage pans/bags that give directions for thawing and cooking the meal.

6. The meals are "restaurant" style, using ingredients I don't normally keep on hand. Good variety of meal choices.

7. They clean up after you! Big bonus for me, since I'm probably the messiest cook I know.

Only two gliches during the evening. Janet mistook cream cheese for butter and couldn't figure out why hers was thick and not melting like mine! Doh! The kind lady simply gave her a new bowl to start over. Whew! Thought we were going to have to pay for that!

When I took my gloves off I noticed some blood on my thumb. After washing my hands, it continued to bleed. After putting pressure on it with a paper towel it was still bleeding...badly! Tonya had to fetch a bandaid for me. They were probably glad to see us leave.

We left with a $10 coupon for our next visit, only good this month. So I'm already picking out my menu!

Loved it, Loved it, Loved it.