Finally Friday

I'm trying hard to give all of you a gently-measured dosage of blogging. I know you -- if I got back up to full speed, you would gorge yourselves to the point of making yourselves sick. So, I'll watch out for you and carefully get your systems built up.

(Yeah, yeah.)

How are you all doing with the transition in seasons? I can't believe we're right on top of Memorial Day and practically into the summer months! Our spring was just unusual, I think. The oppressive heat has abated and come back, kind of moving in on us in waves. We're starting to see the heavy thunderstorm season. Last night I stayed up late and had my front door open so I could enjoy some cooler air and the sound of rain. A little after midnight, though, that rain turned torrential and the air started swelling like heavy seas. By the time I battened down the hatches and went to bed, air was whistling through the cracks around the back door and the house was groaning. I could feel the roof struggling to stay firmly attached to the house.

This morning on the way to work I saw a tree that wasn't able to hang on quite as well. Half of a huge tree blocked the street a block from my house on my route to work. It was hung up on the utility lines and virtually filled the street from curb to curb. Impossible for cars to get through, but one lone biker was able to make it through by gliding along the far gutter over the tips of the limbs. I think I would have been too concerned about puncturing a tire on twigs and sticks to try it myself. At lunchtime, I noticed they had gotten the bulk of the mess out of the street, but there were still a lot of scattered leaves.

Since I had to take a detour anyway (oh- but of course I took a photo of the tree for work!) I picked up breakfast for everyone at the office. Friday always seems to be a good day for us to gorge on breakfast around here. I'm not sure I'll be able to continue doing that though, as it doesn't exactly align with my doctor's orders...

I almost hate to write this out loud, but ... shhh! Don't say it!! You'll jinx it! I have a quiet!! three-day we said HUSH! weekend! That gives me one day to clean house, one day to go to Tulsa and one day to recover and lolly-gag like a Woman of Leisure. Oh, how I need this! I'm too old to be working six days a week routinely. I really, really am.

School is out as of the end of the day. Even though I don't have kids, it's still a good thing for me as one part of my job is being the education editor. This last week has been a bear with all the schools having their "end-of-the-year" programs and parties and other activities. Graduation is tonight. Next week's page will be slim pickin's I'm afraid. I may wind up just doing a photo page. We'll see.

Here's a question for you — how are you handling the higher gas prices? I'm traumatized, but honestly my driving is pretty minimal. I will be cutting back. On days when the weather allows, I'll consider walking the 10 blocks to work. I looked at a Honda Elite scooter the other day. It sure was cute and I was tempted to go pay the $2,000 or so for one. It is something to consider, but there's not a local dealer and I did some reading on message boards. Reviews were kind of a mixed bag. Good milage and cute, but not much pep. There's a definite load limit on what they can handle.

Hey, it's Friday! Go make some fun weekend plans!

Whoa, Baby! It's Two-fer Tuesday!

Don't faint and don't get spoiled, but here you go with a second post for this fine Tuesday. It's something I was going to blog last night if I had not fallen asleep at the late hour of 7 p.m.

The season changed yesterday, rudely and abruptly. We've been rolling along with a cool spring and then BAM yesterday shot up into the 90s. I had made a pledge not to turn on my air conditioner before June 1, but I gave it up yesterday evening after I came home from the grocery store and it was 86 degrees in the house at 6:45 p.m.

Here in the land of floor furnace and window units, it's a big deal to change seasons. I had already been living with the heat thermostat set low, but even so have had blankets and a quilt on the bed for cooler nights. Turning on the main window A/C in the living room requires the assistance of a steak knife or thin screwdriver (last night I appropriated a steak knife) because the face plate is just ever so slightly cattywonker and won't allow the "off" button to pop back out unassisted when you try to push a cooling button. So I've learned the secret of the A/C surgery routine and in return was greeted with a face full of dust blowing full force once I accomplished my mission. Hey, it's part of the transition.

Today, of course, the high returned to the 60s. I came home for lunch and had to shut the machine off again because it was cold. Don't know why it didn't dawn on my this morning but I can only plead grogginess. Since I crashed so early, I woke up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night before I could return to slumberland just in time to get deeply, deeply asleep in time for the alarm to go off.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate waking up to an alarm? Actually, I have to use a combination -- an alarm followed 15 minutes later by an annoying station on the clock radio. Around here the annoying station part is simple. Anything that's played within the range of my radio is guaranteed to be annoying, pretty much 24/7. I cannot get the NPR station from the university 40 miles south of here. It's almost enough to trigger a psychotic break. Hey, maybe THAT'S what happened! Intriguing theory.

I also had to fill my gas tank today. I've been putting it off as long as possible, hoping to make it until my check hits the bank tomorrow, but fortunately I did have enough to go ahead and fill it today. Just barely. My little Civic drank up nearly $40 -- undoubtedly the most it has ever cost me to fill Ruby's tummy in the 13 years I've had her. It almost made me cry. One of my co-workers and I have about decided to start walking to work on days when weather and work schedules make it practical. My problem is an irregular night schedule with a lot of evening meetings at City Hall. I'm just not all that comfortable with walking home from there after dark, although it's only a few blocks on the main street and most nights would be safe enough. Problem is, I read the police logs every day and I know too much about the wacky and crazy things that can happen at that time anywhere in town. And we have our share of town characters who wander randomly and may act inappropriately. Still, on days when I can walk in the daylight and the weather cooperates, I may start hoofing it.

The other alternative we've talked about is riding bikes. I'd love to get a touring bike and I think it would be fun to ride it to work, provided I had a safe place to park it while I'm at the office. Somehow I don't think they'd appreciate me parking it next to my desk. I wonder though - I promise I'd get a really pretty pink one! With a basket! And I'll put flowers from my garden in the basket. Do you think I could convince them it's really just a mobile vase? Hmmm.

I'm toying with the idea of buying a tiny camera that I can carry with me for fun. I have a Nikon D70 SLR digital with a couple of lenses, but the bag is just big enough and bulky enough to be kind of a drag. And I haven't had the time to go on many (read that: any) weekend adventures since I've been here like I used to. I'm considering one of the tiny Canon Elph cameras. They come with a huge number of megapixels these days and the cost is very reasonable. I've looked at a few and a friend at work showed me his today. I'd considered one of the Sonys but he said they aren't very good quality. It'll probably be a while before I have enough free cash to seriously consider the purchase so I have plenty of time to study up on it.

Oh hush. I can hear you out there saying "I think she's only writing to keep from cleaning up more in the living room." Smarty pants. You think you know everything now that I've revealed my love of the Rita music. OK, OK. One more time on the CD and then to bed. We'll see what I can accomplish on the third playing. No matter how much more cleaning I get done, Rita's good therapy nonetheless.

Be seein' you around.

You know what's good?

I'll tell you what's good. Putting a Rita Coolidge CD on the boom box (specifically: The Best of Rita Coolidge The Millennium Collection from 20th Century Masters); cranking it up and belting out songs like "Long Ago and Far Away;" "All Time High;" "Loving Arms;" and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love."

Oh nostalgia! It hurts SO good. I'm playing it through a second time now as I go about a little purging and house straightening. EXCELLENT for that purpose because the music can carry my mind back waaaay far into the past and I can wail and cry the blues away while I rock out. Do you have any idea how many old magazines you can throw away in that state of mind? A TRUNK FULL! And they aren't even MY MAGAZINES. These are magazines that the previous owner left stashed away in a closed cupboard and I just never had the emotional strength to deal with her mess on top of my own. That is until RITA came to my rescue tonight.

Rock on! More later, folks. I'm mulling over a LOT of stuff tonight while I purge.

Sick

I've been in bed all day. Fever, coughing, leaking head. Was up for an hour this afternoon then crawled back to bed. I've been up for a few minutes now to get water and check around the internets to make sure I was still sort of alive. Will be returning to bed/nest shortly. Will try to refrain from groaning.

OK, Fine

Apparently NOBODY is reading things around here any more. What am I going to have to do, start doing give-away contests? Fine and dandy, Andy.

Stay tuned to this station. As soon as I find something worthy of giving away, I'll post my very first contest. Meanwhile, though, won't somebody please say hello, at least? There's an echo in here!

Haiku

As a nod to my deep cultural roots, please allow me to share my newly discovered favorite Haiku of all time (sorry E.R., this has bumped you out of first place for the moment. Please post yours in the comment, though, because I would love to re-read it. And yes, this is a test to see how long before you read this and reply.)

Please also remember that I am probably one of the few 53-year-olds who still has a yen to rollerskate.

And now, courtesy of Bill Slowsky, the turtle from ComCast, whom I just discovered today because I do not watch television:

In what world is it
Okay to wear rollerskates?
Take those off your feet.

Red Dirt icon leaves his mark

Music legend Bob Childers, 61, known as the Godfather of Red Dirt music, was remembered Saturday morning in a memorial service as someone who loved people and lived his music.
He died Tuesday at his home in Stillwater.
More than 150 mourners overflowed the chapel at Trout Funeral Home. They ranged from music executives to bikers who arrived wearing leathers, from cowboys to Indians, from hippies to rednecks and from young to old — in other words, Childers’ friends.
Those who loved Childers were as eclectic as the sounds which formed his Red Dirt music — a mix of folk, rock, country, bluegrass, blues, western swing and honky tonk, with even a few Mexican influences.
The Rev. Guy Fox, pastor of Kildare Baptist Church, chose three scriptures which reflected Childers’ life: John 3:16; I Corinthians 13:13 and Romans 8:35-39. All three passages speak to God’s love, reflected in Childers’ life.
Childers, who was born in West Union, W. Va., was given his first guitar by his parents when he was 16.
“This was his life,” Fox said.
Childers had 12 albums which were devoted to the themes of love of God and other people, Fox said.
“I could feel his concern and love for other people and heard it expressed in his music,” Fox said.
The pastor said Childers’ health problems led him to focus on his own spiritual needs.
“His life is a testimony for us to examine our own lives,” Fox said.
Music from “Restless Spirit” played as mourners gathered. The three-disc tribute, produced in 2004 to help defray Childers’ medical expenses, is a compilation of more than 50 of his songs.
Chris Maxwell of Binky Records in Baton Rouge shared his memories of the project.
“Four years ago when Bob’s health began to slide we did this tribute record and asked musicians to donate a song. The songs started coming and just didn’t stop. We wound up with more than 50 songs,” Maxwell said. “Bob made one request: ‘Please don’t cut anyone off this record. They just mean too much.’
“There was no greater love than what Bob had for his sons and music.”
Others, including one of Childers’ brothers, described him as a storyteller.
“Bob was special in a way,” Mark Childers said. “He lived every day. Every day was an experience and every experience was a story. Many years ago we were in a booth in the Blue Room at the Ponca Bowl and he was telling stories about San Francisco and hitchhiking. I saw a poster on the wall above him which said that sometimes we don’t realize how much of ourselves we owe to the people we love.”
He then played one of Childers’ songs, dedicated to sons Zack and Jesse, called “My Daddy.”

“My Daddy was a guitar-playing man.
He climbed high on the mountain,
he laid down right on the ground.
He drank from the living fountain.
All I know’s he made a soulful sound.”

Childers frequently performed at Oklahoma City’s Blue Door and was a fixture at “WoodyFest,” the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival held in Okemah. He also had a five-year run as narrator for “Ribbon of Highway,” a touring show of contemporary performers playing Woody Guthrie songs.
Known as one of the best country-folk songwriters, Childers studied music in the 1960s at the University of California in Berkeley. He traveled extensively and in 1972, while traveling through Stillwater, he discovered the music of Chuck Dunlap.
“California had the money and the reputation, but Oklahoma had the magic,” he later was quoted as saying.
By 1978 his music came to the attention of musician Jimmy Lafave, who now lives in Austin, and a lasting friendship ensued. With Lafave’s help, Childers recorded his first album, “I Ain't No Jukebox,” in 1979.
Childers traveled to Nashville in 1986, where he released two albums, and was followed by several other Stillwater musicians, including Tom Skinner and Garth Brooks. That same year he also traveled to Austin, where he released another album. He returned to Stillwater in 1991 where he concentrated on writing and added to his catalog of more than 1,500 songs.
His songs appear on seven compact discs, including the seminal Red Dirt classic, “Nothin' More Natural,” featuring "Woody's Road,” his most famous song.
He is survived by his parents, Howard and Rhea (Gaskins) Childers of Ponca City, two sons, Zach and Jesse Childers, two brothers Mark Childers of Ponca City, and Paul Childers of Waynoka, and one sister, Ann Thorpe of Ponca City.
He was preceded in death by one brother, David Childers.
A musical tribute will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Blue Door, 2805 North McKinley Avenue in Oklahoma City.

Here are a couple of Childers' songs to give you a sampling. I love them.

Don't Be Afraid

Burnin' Still

Hello again

I hope everyone has made it through Tax Day. I dragged my mangy hide into H&R Block yesterday to do what had to be done. I will get a refund -- it's almost enough of a refund to pay H&R Block for doing my taxes for me.

Next year I will be able to do them myself again. No more self employment nonsense, so I won't have to pay my own SS taxes. Another nice thing about working for da man is getting your taxes withheld each check so you don't have to cough up a lung to pay IRS.

If things go as I expect (not necessarily "as I plan,") I might be able to do a 1040 EZ again next year. I like it simple like that.

Now, let's talk about something considerably less pleasant...

It's been a very hard week or six. One co-worker and I have practically killed ourselves working much too hard. I can't even think of all the hard stories we've done. What I can do to give you a feel for things is this: On Tuesdays we fill out our time cards, from the previous Wednesday to Tuesday.

I planned to leave at noon today because I already had so many hours in. I was going to leave as soon as I wrote two huge stories about the city commissioners' meeting last night. It was closer to 1 by the time I wrapped things up and started logging off the computer. Had I left at noon, I would have had 58 hours in. And that's what I put on my time card.

Well, no sooner had I logged off than the traffic on the police scanner started going crazy. My co-worker and I just stopped and looked at it like it was this crazy little being talking nonsense. We couldn't wrap our brains around what we were hearing.

There was a woman standing in the middle of the street next to the back drive of the police department with a gun. She fired a shot in the air to get the attention of officers on the drive. One of the officers radioed in to the communications center. Several times they told the woman to drop the gun and she did not. Instead, she turned the gun on herself and shot herself in the chest.

I turned to my co-worker and said "Let's roll." (No, I don't use that expression.) I grabbed my camera bag, notebook, purse and pens. A handful of pens. She grabbed the keys to the company Honda and we RAN.

The police department is about five blocks from our office. The ambulance crew was still getting the woman into the ambulance when we arrived. I recognized all the officers on the scene from a training exercise a couple of weeks ago.

When the woman shot herself, all the officers happened to be gathered in the municipal courtroom on the first floor of the police station. They all immediately hit the back door and had the scene taped off within seconds.

The last I heard the woman is still alive, in stable condition. She was transported to a hospital in Wichita, about 70 miles from here.

By the time I was finished with my reporting I had to add another couple of hours to my time card. I've spent my time since then thinking about the officers who were confronted with this human tragedy today and hoping they were debriefed well. I think about how the PIO called the chief to fill him in and hearing her scream "LISTEN TO ME. IT'S OVER. IT'S ALL ALREADY OVER" as I stood next to her, then hearing his car screaming to the scene seconds later.

I think about how this is not the worst thing I've covered in my career, bad as it is.

And I think about all the things I've complained about piling up on me this week, and how I am having a hard time now remembering what they are.

Funny how incredibly important they seemed a few hours ago.

Happy Birthday J.T.!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday old J.T.,
Happy birthday to you!!

And many moooooooore!

(hee hee)

Time for a New Post? Okie dokie!

Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday old Trixie,
Happy birthday to me!!

And many moooooooore!

(hee hee)

It is indeed Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, March 21.

Last night I went to the Maundy Thursday service at my home church, where I was baptized in 1972. It was a joint service of the four United Methodist churches in my town. My minister, from the "large downtown" church I now attend, did the homily. It made me weepy, knowing that he will be leaving the ministry in a couple of months.

We had a joint choir as well, in which I sang. It has been about 35 years since I last sang in that choir loft but it felt like home. The song was a medley of "Be Still My Soul" with "You Raise Me Up."

Tonight I returned for the Tenebrae service. I felt so much love in this old church -- so many people still there whom I knew in my late teen years. There was a young family sitting behind me with two toddlers who were noisy -- obviously a distraction for many of the old folks there. I was trying hard to ride it out and was doing pretty good. All of a sudden one of the little ones was crawling beneath me, pushing through my legs! Mom slipped up behind me and whispered "I am SO SORRY." I just turned and told her not to worry. Jesus himself wanted the little children to come to Him, so tonight of all nights was not the time to be sending them away. Sure, the service is always "very nice" when it is observed in the intended silence and solemnity. But life is messy and loud and unplanned, despite our planning. Later, at the end of the service, Dad came to me also to apologize. I took his arm, looked him in the eye, and told him it was OK. They belonged there too. I know many of the older people wish the nursery had been open, but you know, we all survived fine.

Last night, there was a man in the mixed choir that I immediately recognized. Balding, with a white goatee, but I still knew him and asked him to tell me his name to make certain. It was a man who is on a waiting list for a heart transplant. The last time I saw him, I was in high school and he was one of the kids in the children's choir that I taught. I taught him the song he sang as his first solo in church. When I heard about his heart condition after moving back to town, that song immediately flooded my soul and I have sung it often as a prayer of intervention for him.

Tonight we walked into church at the same time and he asked me what the name of that song was. I told him, and then sang it to him. (This is soooo totally unlike me to just start singing to someone I hadn't seen in 35 years. I can't remember ever doing it before.)

Here are the words:

He Held Out His Hand to Me

Like a child in the dark,
I was so afraid
Looking over the mess
in the life that I've made.
But the Lord saw my fear
and He heard my faint plea,
And He held out His hand to me.

Who am I that a King holds His hand out to me?
Who am I that He gave up His life for me?
But the Lord saw my fear
And He heard my faint plea,
And He held out His hand to me.

*************************************
He started smiling and singing with me on the second line. We were both smiling, but had tears in our eyes. I knew he hadn't quite remembered me last night, since I am a few years older, but tonight -- tonight I know he knew me.
**************************************

My car is still in the shop being repaired. I now expect it to be finished on Monday. There have been delays in getting a door that will work and then in getting the trim pieces. So I still have the new rental car. I miss my car. I will be glad to get it back.


May God bless each of you this Easter as we celebrate His resurrection!

I must have been gone too long

It seems I've lost my readers. That's OK. I'll just keep writing and you can catch up when you check back. Boy, will you be surprised when you get here and see how much reading you have waiting for you!

Sorry I was gone so long. But I like surprising you every now and then by just popping back into the blogosphere.

I played hooky for a few hours this afternoon. I had to get a haircut and could only get an appointment this afternoon. And while I was at the salon, I impulsively decided to get my ears repierced.

The first time I got my ears pierced, I was 29 years old and was spending the summer in New York City while I was on a fellowship at United Features. One day I was walking past a luggage shop and they had a sign in the window that said "Ear Piercing." So I walked in, stood in the middle of the store, and they pierced my ears. It was one of the boldest things I had done to that point in my life, if you don't count spending two months in New York City alone, with no place to stay. But it opened the door to a barrage of other adventures. Permed hair. Shopping. Spending the Fourth of July on Long Island, at the beach, with strangers. Getting burned to a crisp. Watching the fireworks from the East River that night. Lunching with New York Mayor Mario Cuomo and the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team at Tavern on the Green. Going to the release party of a new analgesic called "Advil." Writing about the 1984 presidential campaign. Serializing a book for Shari Lewis. Writing about acid rain. Writing trivia quizzes for the first "videotext" services, to introduce people to the idea of reading and shopping on computers, through this thing called "the internet." I didn't invent it, but I did provide some of the first content for it!

Anyway, that's what was happening the first time I got my ears pierced. Over time, I became lax about wearing earrings. Life wasn't nearly as exciting as it was in 1984 after I came back home to Oklahoma.

And things are even less exciting now that I'm living back in my hometown. So I needed to shake things up again. I wanted to be able to wear those earrings! And who knows, there may still be some interesting encounters and some choice work for me to do again.

Universe, I'm ready! Just let me get my earrings in!

(Oh yea! I also wrote a section in the 1985 World Almanac on the environment. A former coworker sniffed and said "just one?" I said "YEAH! ONE! How many did YOU write?")

It's Official!

Now I can tell you about the great new project I'm involved in! I've just spoken with the project's founder and finalized our agreement.

I'm the new chairman for the Oklahoma Chapter of ConKerr Cancer: A Case for Smiles. This is a project that provides cheerful pillowcases for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Even before getting the last details in place, I have received a stack of pillowcases from women here who have already taken on the sewing with gusto! There is also a school int he Oklahoma Panhandle where each student is making a pillowcase for another child, and I'll be receiving those as well! This network is springing up almost without effort -- a sign that this is a good project that will do well.

There will be photos coming soon, and more information. Here is a link to the National ConKerr Cancer site: ConKerr Cancer. The site explains more about the project, how it came about, and how large it is growing across America.

Any Oklahoma sewists who would like to contact me about this state project may e-mail me at ConKerrCancerOK at gmail.com (address split to prevent spambots from harvesting this address. I need to keep it spam-free, please!)

This is a project that takes little effort for the great benefit it provides -- a lot of bang for the buck, so to speak. Imagine being a child who has to go to the hospital frequently. It might be a small thing, but wouldn't it make you happy to receive a bright, colorful new pillowcase every time you had to go in? Some kids, unfortunately, get quite a collection. But isn't it a small investment for us to make to ease their discomfort just a bit?

Expect to hear more from me on this... I'm very excited about getting it going!

Very Cool Discovery

Man, I wish I could tell you how I stumbled across this great find. It was through a blog connected to another blog ... you know how that goes when you go snooping through peoples' links to find new sites.

ANYWAY, it's a great discovery for those of us who appreciate the history of the domestic arts. The University of California Libraries digitized The Chicago Evening American Cookbook for Microsoft. It is alternately titled "A Book of Practical Recipes for the Housewife."

The whole book is available, free, to anyone on the internet. I'm sure there are other such treasures so shared, but this is my first encounter with one that I cared about.

I am a collector of old cookbooks. I have more than 150 of them and precious little space for my collection. I need to thin the herd, but I cannot part with the REALLY old ones -- the one my grandmother got as a wedding present nearly 100 years ago, the World War II vintage books that include sections on cooking with rationing coupons, my great-aunt's World War I vintage ledger with her recipes written in pencil in her own hand.

This Chicago Evening American is such a cookbook, written with the assistance of 13,000 women. Here, from the acknowledgments:

The pages which follow were compiled
with a view to supplying dependable
recipes.
Grateful acknowledgment is hereby
made to more than 13,000 housewives,
ready and willing to contribute their
favorite recipes and thereby help to
make this Cook Book possible.
-- Chicago Evening American

I'm trying to find some publication date, but have not yet succeeded. I know this has to be a later publication than some of my older books -- I'm guessing c. WWII perhaps, because it does have actual oven temperatures included in SOME of the recipes, rather than just references to "hot" or "moderate" oven. An online newsletter from the Culinary Historians of Chicago suggests the book was published in or before 1948. Perhaps. There are instructions for pasteurizing milk and the like, but still plenty of recipes that include raw eggs. Ah the good old days! And there are several butter substitutes included that no longer are available.

If you have an interest in the history of domestic arts, take a look at this online book and enjoy! Maybe it will help you remember what it felt like to visit Grandma's house, or the activity that went on in ladies' homes just before the bridge club arrived for cards and treats.

Here's the link:
Chicago Evening American Cookbook

This and That

OK, it's been a while. I know you have all missed me terribly!
So here's a catch-up post. I'll try to do better at posting more often.

First, my car is still in the body shop. I called just before closing time yesterday (Friday) after taking it in on Monday. The guy had just gotten the driver's door. Apparently he checked out four salvage doors, none of which was acceptable, so he got me a new door. Let's all say "woot!"

This was supposed to be a six-day repair. When I took it in, he said he hoped he might get it to me by the end of the week. Obviously that did not happen. They'll install and paint it Monday. I'll just be patient until they let me know it's ready. I've got a Chevy Cobalt as a rental. It's a 2008 --it's OK, but I will be very happy to have my own 13-year-old car back. The Cobalt is bright red but doesn't have much in the way of accessories. I miss my car, with its power locks and windows. And it's MY car.

OK, so that's the car.

I had company last night. My best friends from the OKC area (rural Jones) came up for a wedding at the Marland Mansion. Cliff was in the band for the reception (the wedding was for the daughter of a fellow band member). While they were setting up, Anne and I were able to go to dinner. Service was INCREDIBLY SLOW. Good thing she just got a salad and I just got a quesadilla. No telling how late she would have been to the wedding if we'd ordered something that took any time at all to cook!

They had discussed spending the night with me so I made my bedroom guest-ready. The rest of the house was decidedly NOT company ready. I still struggle with this house. Anyway, after the wedding, they came by and had decided to go ahead and drive home because her mother was coming to visit this morning and they thought it would be easier on all of them if she awoke them when she arrived, rather than them rushing to get back this morning to meet her. We had time for a good visit before they hit the road, but I worried about how tired they were. I'm glad they were traveling together so they could make sure they stayed awake on the way home.

And of course, that meant I got to enjoy the company-ready bedroom myself! I guess it was a fair trade for not having their company for longer. Now that spring is here I hope to see more of them, either here or there. I've missed them and all my other Oklahoma City friends a LOT.

I wound up working today for a few hours. Working six days a week IS NOT FUN. I hate not having much of a life. GROWL. I took a long nap when I got home to help my lousy attitude. It only helped some.

Someone on one of my message boards raised an interesting question which I pondered for several hours today. The question is: Do you think that modern life is faster, more stressful, and expensive than it used to be in your life?

The immediate response is "Duh. Yeah!" But as I am wont to do, I took off on a tangent with this, turning over a lot of thoughts. I even took off and went to the cemetery to "visit" my mother and brother. I also stopped by to "see" my friend J.T.'s mom, nearby. While looking for her, I literally stumbled upon my next door neighbor from my childhood, who, coincidentally, is next to J.T.'s grandparents. (Weird, huh?) Anyway, a lot of thoughts came to me while I visited with her.

I'd say that I now understand that I have immense choice in how I live my life. Although I feel more like a "big city" woman than this "small town" girl now, I understand that here I can have the best blend of things -- for now. It does not have to be forever. When I am ready, I can choose changes.

But here I have the technological advantages of being connected to the world, combined with relative peace (at least outside of work. I can't control the office.) I have the ability to live a simpler life using fewer of the earth's resources. I can continue to make my contributions to the Greater Good in valuable ways. My circle of influence is not defined by the city limits.

What I worry about here is not so much the worship of abundance, but the decay that comes with reduced incomes, drug use and loss of hope in a community. Yes, the desire to "have everything" does still exist here, but drug use, domestic violence and child abuse are the big factors I see at play. Those are the things I would change if I had an hour with the Magic Wand.

In my time this afternoon with Mrs. Reinking at her grave, I knew that some things remain the same in value -- time spent with family and neighbors, the importance of a sense of home and a high-quality domestic life. It became ever clearer to me that a lot of those values were instilled in me by her -- cooking, sewing, quilting, baking, hosting friends. Those are not throw-away values as some might think.

I'll continue to do more pondering. But one of the practical things I have to deal with now is a mess in the garage. While I was doing laundry last night waiting for company, a huge bottle of the high-efficiency laundry detergent fell off the washer. The lid came out and I now have a lovely blue lake on the floor of my garage. I can't get to the washer OR the dryer without cleaning this up first. I guess I'm going to have to take my tea towels out there to mop it up, then use them in my next several loads of laundry so it doesn't all go to waste entirely. GROWL.

Hey, one good thing this afternoon: I went to Blockbuster and got a card so I can rent movies. I still don't have television, but at least maybe I can watch SOMETHING for entertainment!

In other news: I am sadly disappointed and angry about events at my church. The staff-parish relations committee has asked that a new minister be appointed at my church at the end of this church year, which will be June 1. This is a record in my experience in the United Methodist Church, since he and I arrived at this church at the same time, in June, just nine months ago. I have admired him and found him to be an exceptional minister who was tossed into a difficult assignment. He walked into a church that was in the midst of a massive rebuilding project, which contributed to declining attendance and finances. These were issues that were not of his making.

I have walked out of several gatherings over the past several months when church members started gossiping about "setting that man straight" on this or that imagined slight. One of the hot buttons that I found totally ridiculous was a raging complaint about changes in the church bulletin. Lord, help us.

There is a good chance that I will find it necessary to move my membership to another congregation, but I plan to stay as long as the current pastor is still here.

More next time on a new project I'm taking on. It's a good one... so come back soon!

Congratulations, E.R.!

Congratulations to blogging buddy E.R., on his first-place award in a professional awards contest. He and the other winners celebrated in fine style at a newly restored hotel in the downtown metro area last night. Way to go!

Hanging in there -- kind of

Thanks for your notes. It's been about five days since I've felt really well. I am guessing I've been plowed by the Norovirus -- the fancy official name of the stomach bug. Some days I'll start feeling better, and I'll take a chance and eat something. And that can be a serious error in judgment!

I've not gotten much sleep -- this thing seems to like to attack me in the wee hours of the morning, and with a vengeance. So, interrupted sleep, lack of food, lack of appetite, lack of energy -- makes daily life a little more difficult.

There's nothing that can be done medically, so I guess in a day or so this will have run its course and I can start recovering. I left work early today to try to get some rest, and it was nice actually getting to sleep for a couple of hours this afternoon.

One thing I worry about is how it all affects my blood sugar. I've tried to keep some sick day supplies on hand as recommended in the diabetes education classes, just to keep from going completely haywire.

Last night I covered a police department appreciation dinner -- the chief had invited me and gave me a free ticket for the dinner. I have a lot of respect for the department and was happy to cover the dinner. It was a great meal, too, but I could only eat a small portion and still paid for it all night. They had ham -- one of my favorites. And it was a HUGE portion. Oh well, can't win them all. I was happy with what I could manage, for a while. LOL.

Anyway, enough of that. I still haven't gotten my car in to get it repaired. I'm making myself a note to get started on that tomorrow. The insurance company part is all taken care of. I just need to take the car in to have them see what work they have to do, then schedule a time for them to do it and a rental car during that time.

I'm also planning to go to Tulsa on Saturday to meet up with some old friends from my previous handbell choir at a bell festival. And I'm thinking of renting a car over the weekend for safety's sake -- don't want to risk having some hidden damage become suddenly apparent on that trip. Ideally, of course, my car would be in for repairs and I could just have the car over the weekend while the insurance covers it. Is my luck that good? We'll see... But weekend rentals are not horrible at any rate, in my experience.

I'm happy to report my schedule this week has not been as heavy as last week, when I worked 55.5 hours (another half hour would have made 7 work days!) I guess I picked the right time to be down sick.

I'll be very happy when the weather starts to get milder. In another month, we should be getting our first hints of springtime weather. I have great memories of flying kites on St. Patrick's Day. Boy, would that be fun!

OH! Speaking of fun -- my fun assignment yesterday was covering the opening of a new playground at one of the elementary schools, built by the PTA parents and community volunteers! Wow! Talk about excited kids! I was up taking pictures from the top of the fort, and a preschool girl grabbed my hand and said "Teacher, you need to slide too!" So down we went, together, on the double-wide slide. Wow, was it fast! I think I aggravated an old tailbone injury though, as we came to the end. I didn't realize it until I was trying to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

Here are the kids saluting the volunteers who built their playground:

Dropped Out

Today was a drop-out day for me. I have not left the house and don't plan to this evening.

I've been hit with a stomach virus the past couple of days and have lost most of my energy. I had to work yesterday, and I was able to have dinner with JT last night, which was very enjoyable. But that's all I can manage until I start feeling better.

I've slept late; I've read a little. I heated up a frozen box of something or other just so I could say I tried eating something. And I'm trying to get some laundry done.

My house is a pigsty, and so it will stay for a while, despite my best intentions. I can't even believe it's almost 6 p.m. on Sunday. I wish I could just jump up, do a load of dishes, vacuum and dust and scrub and pronounce the house clean. Yeah. I'd need Samantha Stevens' nose to do any of that, nice as it may sound.

Guess I'll head out to the garage to see if it's time to do the laundry flip-flop yet.

I hope you all are feeling better and more energetic than this. I'm just glad it's not what I'd call the full-fledged flu. I keep saying I refuse to get it -- no matter that 2 of the 9 people in my office have already succumbed and a third is likely down for the count too.

A prayer

Make us what you will, Lord, and send us where we are to go. Let us be vessels of silver or gold, or vessels of wood or stone; as long as we are vessels of honor we are content.

If we are not the head, or the eye, or the ear, one of the nobler and more honorable instruments, then let us be the hands, or the feet, as one of the lowest and least esteemed of all the servants of our Lord.

Lord, place us in your kingdom in the roles you have designed for us.

Lord, make all of us your servants.

In exalted places, or humble places.

Let us be full; let us be empty.

Let us have all things; let us have nothing.

We freely and gladly embrace our places in your kingdom.

(from the Wesley Covenant Service)

Bad night

I think I totaled my car tonight.

It was about 9:30 p.m., and I was driving home after a meeting in the university town about 40 miles south of where I'm living. I got within about 10 miles of home when I hit an icy bridge and lost control.

I think I hit (or probably nearly hit) the left side of the bridge. Then I spun and hit the right side of the bridge squarely with the front of my car. I bounced off it, and was facing the left side again when I stopped, only to see the SUV that was behind me spinning out and basically repeating my path. I knew it was going to hit me, so I turned my head to keep from tensing up as it approached. No sense inviting pain, I figured (or not. I didn't have time for conscious thought, but I know I didn't want glass in my face if the window broke.)

In a few seconds I felt the collision. When I looked back I saw that she had hit me with the butt-end of her car. She had made a 180 in the few seconds I wasn't watching. When she hit me, we both wound up facing the way we had just come, and somehow or other I was in front of her at this point, off on the far shoulder.

I grabbed my cell phone and reached a police department in another town; I was able to give the dispatcher enough info about our location that she was able to get the Highway Patrol there in just a few short minutes.

The trooper had me get in his car with my license and insurance. He wanted to know if I wanted him to work the accident or just do a report for insurance. I didn't know what the "right" thing was. He said, Well, if I work it, you'll probably be the one to get a ticket." I asked why, since it was caused by ice that wasn't apparent to any of us. He said "Because none of these other cars is having a problem driving across the bridge." OK, right after we collided, a third car also hit the bridge but kept driving. And lo, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, two more cars collided right in the same place. When I got back in my car, just as he was returning my papers to me, two more cars collided. He told me I could go, and I said I would, just as soon as it was clear for me to turn around. He said "I thought you were southbound." NO, trooper, I was northbound. That's what I've been telling you. The ice -- the spinning.... He corrected the report. And crash, two more cars collided.

I headed north, and at the far end of the bridge (the end I hadn't made it to yet) there were two more cars down in the ditch with big hunks of bumpers or fenders or something on the road. And here came another car which promptly bounced off the bridge right as it passed me.

( got another quarter of a mile and there was ... you guessed it, two more cars that had collided.

It was NOT a good night. I felt blessed that I was alive and that my car was still driveable.

It is a 13-year old car with 153,000 miles on it. I expect the insurance company will total it. Just at first glance, though, most of the damage seems to be confined to the driver's side door and the front bumper. I'll have to have it checked for other damage, of course.

The SUV had a broken tail light. And that driver's license was suspended.

I'm fine. I feel no pain at this point and the adrenaline shake has stopped. It's nearly midnight, and I might be able to sleep in another 30 minutes or so.

Funny. On the drive down I was just thinking that I'm sure not in a position to get a different car just now. Guess I might have to rethink that, like it or not. I sure have loved this car. I got it for my 40th birthday and it has served me so well.