IT'S A HONKER!

We have a family term for BIG, OVERSIZED,  or HUMONGEOUS!  It started several years ago when Gracie looked up at Papa and wanted to know what that thing was he had in his hand. It was one of those super-duper flashlights!  He replied, "THIS, Gracie is the honker!" Ever since that day the HONKER has been called upon for all sorts of dark emergencies.

Thus the term!  Anything that is larger than normal is described as a Honker.  (Hopefully that words has NO vulgar slang connotations.)

This year Gracie  (age 6) and Mollie  (age 4) arrived at BeBe camp with their very own TENT.  Evidently they have outgrown the simple green-plastic-in-the-house Magic Tent that has served several Braner grands very well. They wanted the real deal this year, a grown up tent assembled OUTSIDE!

After putting them off because of over 100 degree temperatures for several days the time had come.  After a long day of airplane work Papa agreed to assemble the tent last night.  WHAT AN ORDEAL!  The directions said, SIMPLE!  He begs to disagree!

After a few banged thumbs, flying tent poles and much frustrations, the tent appeared.  IT IS A HONKER!  It's a two room complete with patio and furniture dwelling!  (The thermometer read ONLY 89 degrees.)  He assembled two cots, ran drop cords for two fans and and blew up one blow-up mattress while I sprayed the whole back yard with the super-duper Mosquito fog. We unfolded comfy chairs, lit the bug bucket candles and plopped the American flag down at the entrance.  Anticipaton was high adventure.

When all tempers cooled down we fired up the grill and made s'mores!  Can't have a camping trip without those, you know!  Laughter, squeels and giggles prevailed. I'm sure the neighbors were entertained!

Finally after a  quick dip in the blow-up pool, drenching Papa and everything within a 50 yard radius, it was time to choose spots for the night.

Papa chose the  A/C king-sized INSIDE the house  bed with the flimsy excuse that he had to go to work the next morning!  The girls and I settled into the tent, zipped her up all around, read a Berenstein Bear book and turned off the HONKER of a flashlight.  

They fell asleep and I stayed awake.  I wondered about the Tulsa ax murderer (fiction), the nearby registered sex offenders (non-fiction), Big Foot (debatable fiction), skunks, armadillos and snakes!  Honeybuns assured me that a snake could NOT unzip the front entrance!

I watched them sleep.

We made it through the night.  They are feeling great today and I'm needing a nap!

Tonight will be a different tale, it's Papa's turn to brave the elements.

All in all, it was a HONKER of a good time, and a HONKER of a great memory!

TEX-MEX BORDER

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to South Texas!  It is a different world,  full of palm trees, orange groves and some of the finest people that have ever lived.  My brain is full of beautiful faces and wonderful memories. I have enough material for many "Sister Chats." 

Both my Christmas card list and my heart have been enlarged by the new friendships  that formed so quickly but promise to last for a long time. My new pals and I are already exchanging e-mails, pictures and playing games together on our iphones!

I was there at the invitation of some women's groups that coordinated their meetings with my schedule.  My job was to show up where they told me to be, stand where they told me to stand and  then give an inspirational talk. They had it all worked out as new faces shuttled me from one place to another, from one home to another for night after night.   The whole plan worked beautifully and I cherish the memory.

In addition to that very positive lovely experience,  I  also had the privilege of also LISTENING to several hundred folks representing  all aspects of that colorful culture.

It was an educational experience of our US immigration issues.

 I met and stayed one night with a beautiful elderly couple that owns an orange grove seven miles from the Mexican border. That ranch has been their life for over thirty years, they raised four sons there. Now the owner frequently finds trash left behind under his citrus trees by illegals trying to brave the searing heat, waiting on a "pick-up."  He sadly explained that some don't make it and die from exposure to the harsh weather.

I heard the story of a teenager girl that had been seduced so her baby would be the "anchor baby" that would guarantee the boys family a smooth entrance into the land of the FREE.  It almost worked and would have if the American grandparents had not been willing to fight through the American courts for that child for YEARS.
I heard stories of massacres, kidnappings and drug battles that spill over into  Mexican border neighborhoods.  The possibility of being kidnapped is very real for those that have a little money.

Another lovely couple that invited me to their home for a night gave me a tour of the town near their home.  It reeked of Human Trafficking, everywhere I looked.  They stated that no one is safe in that particular area as I wished we would just move on down the road.

One business woman told how the criminals assimilate into the culture by buying high end condos and owning businesses right alongside legal enterprises.  They've got a lot of money.  She shared, "they're everywhere."

Another shared of overhearing conversations in her store of drug runners making plans to "pick-up" illegals at hot spots down the road.

Lovely Hispanics that went through the immigration process and have lived in America legally for a long time told of their anger and frustration toward those that gain access to free health care and college educations by breaking the law.

One beautiful long time resident of Brownsville described the border fence.  It's a JOKE, her words.  It is not complete, never will be.  It has huge gaps all along the line AND businesses file for and pay for a "variance" which means their property is exempt and the fence is NOT built on their property, hence another opening!  In other places the fence is placed right up against the back wall of a house!  She shook her head as she stated,  "The politicians and the rest of America don't have a clue.  Their heads are in the sand." All  I could think of was the amount of money that has been wasted on that JOKE. (Another case of governmental efficiency!)

 I was so overwhelmed by what I was hearing that I found myself wishing that SOMEONE would report what the people that live there are actually thinking and saying. Then I realized that SOMEONE was me! 

Here goes.  These quotes are the voice of the people that live on our southern Texas border. 

"People that don't live here have no idea what is truly happening."

"The mayors and the folks of the Chamber of Commerce don't want anyone to know the truth. It would harm tourism. No one would want to come here to visit or live."
"We had a mayor for a while that absolutely would not allow anything negative about our area to be published in the newspapers or put on the TV."

"A drug cartel battle broke out recently and bullets were found at the University of Texas, Brownsville." (A BEAUTIFUL campus I might add!)
"No one goes over the border into Mexico now to shop, it's too dangerous.  The economy over there has been destroyed."

"A young youth pastor took a bunch of kids into Mexico on a mission trip,  some were kidnapped, some killed.  He was sure that all he needed to do was pray and they would be safe."

"No city in Mexico is safe,  they just found mass graves in Acapulco."
"Mass graves are being discovered on the Mexican side all the time."

"After one recent battle it was reported that 60 people were killed.  In truth, the number was 250."

"There are places where the  fence is actually built on the other side of ranches, leaving American property unprotected.  The farm is actually located between the river and the fence. The owners have to drive around the thing to get home. Once there, they're on their own even though they are on American ground."

"We understand that people want to come here for a better life, but can America support everyone in the world? Health care and college education is offered free, while WE have to pay for those things."

"All nationalities cross illegally not just the Hispanics.  Anyone and everyone (terrorists) can come on in. It's an open door."

"Tons of drugs are confiscated at the check-point daily.  No one knows how much actually gets through!"

"If it were humanly possible we would get out of here." (I heard that SEVERAL times.)
"Our family is staying, we will not surrender Texas to Mexico. I refuse to learn Spanish" (I heard that only ONCE.)

"A while back an official of Mexico vowed  to take back Texas without firing a single shot.  They've almost accomplished it."

"When we moved here I was sure I was coming to a third world country."
"I love it here.  We live on Padre Island." (Resort area.)

"We have wonderful Hispanic neighbors and friends.  They're citizens and have lived here a long time."
"97% of the population is Hispanic."
"Downtown Brownsville is a glimpse of Mexico. There are only Mexican businesses there now."

"We are living the life of Chicago in the 30's as these drug lords battle over turf."

Everywhere I went I asked the same question, "what is the solution?"  I got the same response.  It was always a look to the ground, a shaking of the head and these words,  "I don't know."  There is such a sense of hopelessness.  I asked if anyone thought that putting troops on the border would help. No response. 

One very intelligent local politician replied,  "We're going to have to defend ourselves. It's the new normal."  His wife's real estate business had been robbed that very day.  He was heading out to personally find the two laptops that were taken!  His friend encouraged ME to take the  proper training and buy a gun!

It's the Wild, Wild West all over again!  Isn't the number one purpose of our government to protect the American people?  Isn't that why we even HAVE a military staffed with America's finest and bravest young people?
 I've heard that  most places in Washington DC are perfectly safe.

I LOVE FOODIES

I have several foodies in my life and it's great! I love to watch them!  Foodies are people that enjoy food to the max!  My sister is one, my dear friend in Houston is included, as well as are several distant family members and close-by me  OK friends and I love them dearly.   They talk about,  read about,  compare, buy, chop, braise, broil, grill, bake and puree all kinds of edible delicacies.  There are tons of magazines, books, websites, TV shows, Cruises,  and recipe cards they find to investigate this hobby.  Today there are French foodies, Italian foodies, contests, and apps for the iphone.  There are many high-end, low-end and in-between-end stores that support the cause, as well as whole universities that teach the culinary arts. Let's not even BEGIN to list different types  and qualitites of restaurants!

Whole Foods and Central Market are the temples of food.  I once counted twenty-six different types of red apples at Central Market in Plano, TX.  I went to the grand opening of that store, hoping I would discover the fascination.  The crowd was fun and the atmosphere was exciting but alas, it was just food, after all!

My sister almost faints at the entrance of Sam's.  So much food, many beautiful pans, utensils and spice racks to investigate and life is so short!

So, how is it that I got left out of all the fun?  Same thing with coffee!  People that drink coffee LOVE it, travel far distances to obtain just the right bean, cup and maker.  Although I never learned to drink it, the smell is fabulous,  and I always feel that I'm missing something very precious when I enter Starbucs and NOBODY knows my name.   Hours and hours are spent daily enjoying JOE.  I don't get it, I wish I did!!  It's a culture worth cultivating!

NOW, don't get me wrong. I love to eat!  I could do THAT all day long.  And I'm a fairly good cook. 

 Honeybuns has this unbelievable habit of wanting dinner EVERY NIGHT!  What's with that?  DINNER?  What's wrong with a peanut butter sandwich or a boiled egg?  Cooking is SUCH a daily thing!  Couldn't we just declare a moratorium from it for a week or so?

And so I confess:  I am just as happy with a super plain bologna sandwich as a seven course-served on fine china-cooked to perfection-wine included meal!  There I said it!  I'm not proud of that statement! I'm a freak of nature!  I know NO ONE that sees meals as I do.

You'd think that my apathy for food, food preparation, and food investigation would mean I'm super-model skinney.  Nope, can't go there!

Is there a Twelve Step Program for me?  I WANT to be a FOODIE!

I think I'll go check out the Williams-Sonoma sale.  Yes, that's it, I just need some INSPIRATION!

WATCHING GABBY GROW

What happens at BeBe's house.....get's broadcast to the world!!  

Gabby spent 4 days with us this past week and....well, the pictures tell the tale.  There are nothing but smiles on this precious little ones' face when she's here. (and on ours I might add)  We ADORE this little cutie.  Gabby is FIR here, she used to be FREE but since her birthday she's FIR!   She loves being a GOIL (vs. being a boy) and all that entails.  At BeBe and PaPa's house that means she gets to be "Queen of the World," a powerful position she doesn't have to  share when she comes alone!


Balloon animals from ihop!



Making cookies!






Learning to drive!



 If this is not sheer idolatry, I don't know the definition.  It goes both ways. When Papa is around I'm chopped liver. She's got him wrapped around that tiny black finger.



Riding the Binford 2000



 

When Gabby is here we BECOME four years old as well. The world as we know it stops turning and we experience a magical land of innocence and imagination.  It's a refreshing place to be! 

10 Puppets

Gabby is one of NINE Braner kids!  We are SO blessed by each wonderful unique personality.  Watching them grow is the finest use of our time.  They have no idea how much they are loved.

"Grandchildren are the reason to have children."  Me

"Grandchildren are the reason parents don't eat their young."  Bumper Sticker

OBNOXIOUS CHRISTIANS

WARNING:  I'm on a soapbox!

Book Review:  Speaking of Jesus, the art of not-evangelism by Carl Medearis

I just finished this book!  And it is eye-opening!  Mr. Medearis, in his gentle way, offers an explanation as to why Christians are SO offensive and he also suggests a solution.  I recommend this to all who ask the question, "Why are Christians ranked right up there with enemies of the state,  terrorists, and  hateful fear-mongering-filled-with-phobias unloving people?"  You've got to admit, Christians have received nothing but ridicule over the past years from the  very people we're called to help and encourage. Great comedians, politicians, artists,  and writers  have made us a laughing stock and the subject of late night jokes.

 Some folks declare that  this type of "persecution" comes with the territory and we should wear it proudly.  Carl (and I) think that maybe we deserve the harassment because of our bad behavior.  As the cigarette commercial used to say, "we've come a long way baby" since Jesus walked and talked on this planet.  It's taken a long time but it seems we  now have an "us" vs. "them" mentality.  We've forgotten that the Christians purpose in life is to love and serve THEM, whoever that might be.

As a people watcher that is involved in several Christian organizations I too see examples of  ungodly behavior from the ranks.  Because I love the church it's always painful.  Good intentions and loving hearts often do incredible damage to people that are already simply holding on by a thread.  I'm convinced that most wicked words and speech are a result of just not thinking things through, not taking the time to stop and consider NOT "what WOULD Jesus do," but "what DID Jesus do."    I'm afraid we've all too often left the path of "love" and now spend most of our time on the path of " selfishness and pride." 

Today we spend most of our time in the "holy huddle" we've carefully developed, refusing to socialize, empathize or sympathize with anyone outside our particular group. God forbid if we should cross paths with someone different than us!

A fresh example appeared this week.  I heard two stories of elderly ladies that died, two different moms from two different states..  In both cases their sons proudly proclaimed that they would not be attending their own mother's memorial service because the service would include elements that their particularly church denomination frowned upon.  WHAT?  They were NOT going to attend because a family member or two would be there that are not Christian, that some words might be said that are not in their Christianese vocabulary?

They are both staying away from their grieving family members in order to "take a stand" against an element in that service that they can not embrace.

Well, now that's just special, isn't it?  That'll leave a great impression of the love of God on THOSE family members. Way to go guys!

When did we stop thinking?

I'm ready for a revolution. WHAT IF, loving relationships replaced  religion?  What would that look like?  Jesus, maybe??
(Carl reminds us that Jesus came down the hardest on the religious people of His day!)

"You can't make impact if you don't make contact." Chuck Swindoll

I'm going to try really hard to make sure my CONTACT today is thoughtful and not religious!

RETURN TO JOPLIN

Three weeks ago this evening we  unknowingly and casually drove away from "hell" as we pulled out of the Hampton Inn parking lot in Joplin, MO.  We'd taken refuge there during a car trip home from Illinois.

Only as we headed west did we tune into the  radio news and learned of what had actually happened while we were hiding in that stairwell of the Inn. 

A monster tornado believed to consist of three vortexes whirled it's way through that lovely town.

Just a mile north of our hiding place it tore up the land, houses, cars, businesses, and landscape. As of today 146 have been counted as dead with thousands of injuries. Some are simply missing!

Today we drove back to Joplin,  100 miles  from our house.  We'd seen the pictures and videos, heard survivors stories and poured over the map of the swath of destruction.  But for the past few days our minds just wouldn't let our arms wrap around the truth of what had actually happened.

How could we be so oblivious as to just casually drive away as all those people lay dead and dying?  Was it true that 1/3 of the town was obliterated from the face of the earth?  Our minds knew the reality but our hearts were still troubled.  I'm sure a physiologist could explain  the mixed and troubling emotions.

This past week we decided that we had to return, perhaps to convince ourselves of the horror.

Today we prepared with sun hats, gloves and Gatorade and drove over. We had no formal plan, we'd step in wherever we saw someone that needed help in anyway.

We exited off the highway just as we did 2 weeks ago, everything looked fine.  The Hampton Inn was open for business and the parking lot was full.  We drove north just 1 mile when the landscape changed.   The Home Depot was demolished, a twisted junkyard.  EVERYTHING in the area had been reduced to toothpicks.  The trees were topped and the bark was stripped.  Piles and piles of rubble were the only thing visible. Occasionally an open fire was blazing. The smell of wood burning filled the air.  People gathered around make-shift open air kitchens picking up free food, water, and essentials of life.  Roofs, walls, cars, windows, trees were all gone!  Just gone!

 American flags flew everywhere offering hope.

Walmart was leveled, paint was stripped off cars and malls. The high school was destroyed, the hospital looked like a skeleton, it's dark glassless windows reeking of death. Some folks had spray painted messages on partial walls left standing. One said, "gone to Florida."  Another person wrote, "God spared us."  Another sentiment was, "gone with the wind."  Huge trucks with claws to pick up debris dotted the landscape. 

Are there enough trucks in the whole world to even make a dent in the massive piles?   In one area the devestation is as far as the eye can see in all directions.

We found  Forest Park Baptist Church and the huge Samaritans Purse truck.  We drove into the parking lot and noticed that the front door had a paper taped to it that read, "Volunteers, Sign in Here."  We parked and headed for the entrance.  Samaritans Purse was the first organization to arrive 2 weeks ago.  They were set up and helping the confused and hurt find food and help just 24 hours after that monster wind had left town.

Several folks milled about the lobby and we signed in. We autographed the huge paper map of the US, almost every state of the union has been represented thus far.  We were given the task of helping out in the church kitchen and dining room for the afternoon.  Hundreds of cardboard boxes needed to be folded and carried to the dumpster.  (Who knew that all those donations came in cardboard boxes that had to be broken down and recycled??)  We emptied trash barrels, filled ice coolers and prepared the dining room for the next influx of victims coming in for a meal. 

A temporary women's dorm was on the third floor of the church. We carried bedding and ice up there for the women resting on cots.

We heard stories of people that had lost their homes, cars that were now being cared for and housed in the homes of their Joplin neighbors, those that still had homes!  Funerals were being held daily.

Joplin is going to need a lot of love and compassion for years to come. I'm sure our  Tulsa church will be sending teams over in the days ahead. Now is the time for the church to step up to the plate!

Many folks will be lending a hand.   Many more will be needed to offer a listening ear.

People tell us that "God answered our prayers and spared us."   That is true, but so many others were praying that day and they received a  very different answer.  Did  God NOT love them?  Did He NOT have a plan for them to live?  Could He have stopped that monster storm from lowering to the ground?  Did He make a mistake?   Why are we alive and so many gone?

It's a survivors dilemma.   There are no answers, but TRUTH must prevail. God loves all people!! 

We have to trust His heart when we do not see His hand! 

PEOPLE OR STUFF

The 2011 annual Forest Ridge Garage is history!  It was a memory maker!
The thermometer climbed up to 97 degrees and it was a scorcher.

Some dear friends and I spent hours dragging and tagging until our tails were wagging.  WHAT A JOB!   Every year I swear that I will never go through this ordeal again...ever!!  And then I do!

The idea of clean closets is the motivator for weeks before the date arrives.  I  sorted through all the closets and the nooks and crannies of the attic and garage to create a sizable stash, all the while thinking that this stuff needed to go to the landfill.

Friday night was "neighbors night" and folks that live nearby walked around and shopped.  Evidently being the first one allowed to survey junk is considered a perk of living here.  The crowds came, we  reconnected with old friends and made new ones.  All the laughter, teasing and jokes made the pain in the feet, head and neck go away.

We sold half our inventory! 

This morning we were all up bright and early and open for business at 7:30.  The crowds came in droves.  Parking jams, fender benders and near misses contributed to the confusion right in front of the house. Dogs barking and four wheelers zipping buy contributed to the chaos.

Big kids, small kids and all sorts of kids came streaming by.  We had dogs on leases, babies in strollers and backpacks, and children clutching wads of money in their sweaty little hands.

Many folks knew the garage sale drill: look interested, ask the price, make an offer and walk away with that item free.  We had a great time  negotiating and giving things away, too.

It turned into a party! 

I'm thinking that folks really don't need all those leftovers from other peoples lives as much as they need other people!   We heard stories from most everyone that came.  There were stories of moves to the area, marriages, children and grandchildren.   Proud mommas were shopping for their children's dorm rooms and first apartments.  Grandmas  were  buying up toys and sharing pictures of their grands.

Men shared stories of fishing trips planned and hunters bragged.  One little girl received a model plane FREE after telling Honeybuns of her interest in flight.   Another small boy begged his mom for a telescope so he could "see Jesus."

We came to a new conclusion.  Garage Sales are SOCIAL EVENTS rather than RETAIL EVENTS.

We really do  need each other much more than we need STUFF!

I'm looking around now for things I can part with NEXT YEAR!  I'll trade just about anything for a good visit with a brand new friend.

KIDS STILL SAY...

...the darnest things! Art Linkletter was right! 

One of the most fabulous aspects of  aging is experiencing the joy of  LISTENING!  Our most favorite thing to do is engage our grands in conversation.  It's like starting an engine and then just letting it run.  It just takes a few questions to get it rollin'.  Once kids start telling tales, describing complicated issues, or teaching us about their latest find in the backyard, we just sit back and enjoy!

Sometimes they are self-starters!
 This week's examples:

Honeybuns (Papa to the kids) did a drive-by visit to the Dallas family this week.  He was in Big D for some business meetings and took the opportunity to deliver treats from the local Starbucs.  After a short time together he was off to meet with taller people and Mollie, age 4, looked up at her mommy and summed up the visit.  "Papa is our greatest treasure!"

Meanwhile out in Colorado, Dax, age 6, was overheard praying,  "Thank you God for us, for our planet, for our universe and all the other universes. Thank you for everyone on our planet and Jupiter."

Gabby, age FIR (she was FREE but now she's FIR) also prayed,  "Dear Jesus, Thank you for BeBe, (that's ME!) Gabby, Maggie and Justin Bieber."

Now what could be more fun than this!  Just call me Art!

CAR WRECK AT THE CEMETARY

We barely got out of the cemetery alive!

There is a huge, wonderfully patriotic experience in our town of Broken Arrow, OK this weekend.  The Floral Haven Cemetery COMES TO LIFE!  There are folks  that work for days  during this time every year to make Memorial Day Weekend memorable. Thousands of huge American flags are on display, each one with dog tags attached, identifying
a brave soldier that has died. It is a sight to behold.  The soldiers names are read, songs are sung, traditional ceremonies are repeated and very much alive military personnel are usually marching in formation.  It is a very impressive celebration giving honor to those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

It is a good thing to stop, remember and be thankful, at least ONCE a year!

Today we made our annual drive through that magnificent sight of flags gently unfurled by the Oklahoma breeze.  Hundreds of folks were scattered over those acres placing wreaths on family members graves, taking pictures, reading headstones, and remembering.  A changing of the guard ceremony was respectfully attended.  The pride in the air was almost visible. 

After many ooh's and ahh's we were beginning to make our way through those narrow roads to the exit.

That's when it happened, THE CAR WRECK INSIDE THE CEMETERY!

An elderly woman  was in her car also preparing to leave, so Honeybuns  courteously stopped our car there in the middle of the road to give her room to back out of her parking space.

Evidently  she mistakenly missed the brake to slowly reverse and hit the ACCELERATOR instead!  That car whipped around at lighting speed, did a complete 180, side swiped the car next to her and she came to a stop HARD against a tree!  We were inches from being involved in this unbelievable scene.  It happened right before our eyes!

We were speechless.   A couple of men, women and one policeman appeared from nowhere within seconds.  The white-haired grandmother sat in her car gripping the steering wheel in a complete state of shock, embarrassed beyond imagination! 

Honeybuns jumped out of the car and ran to her.  He and  the others asked if she were hurt, quickly glancing into the vehicle that she'd just demolished to see if there were any injured there to rescue. 

No wounds  were visible except to this grandmothers pride.  I felt so sorry for her as she slid across the car seat to exit her bent up vehicle to get out of that twisted metal. She'd just experienced her worst nightmare.  I'm sure she had no idea HOW all that had so quickly happened. How could she possible explain the encounter to her family members, insurance man and car repair technician?Thousands of dollars would be involved before she would drive again.

Just proves that old adage, "you're safe nowhere."  Who knew that a leisurely drive through the place of the dead would almost put us IN that place of the dead.  We nearly ended up on the wrong side of the dirt.

It's a good day when you get out of the cemetery ALIVE!

TORNADO! YIKES!

What an experience!  We can no longer say we've never been in a tornado!
Yesterday afternoon we were driving west on I44 coming home from a  friends beautiful wedding weekend in Illinois.  It had already been a  jammed packed whirlwind of a good time visiting with family and friends, breaking bread several times, and dancing late into the evening.  The ride home was supposed to be uneventful and a little lazy.  And it WAS, most of the way. 

Honeybuns does all the driving, I do all the reading, texting,  knitting and napping as we speed along.

We were about six hours into this eight hour drive when the excitement started. As we approached Joplin, MO the sky started turning dark so we tuned  in the  local radio station to hear what was happening up ahead.  Sure enough, our suspicions were confirmed.  A huge storm was brewing and the announcer was tracking tornadoes that had formed along the OK-MO counties. 

I held the road map on my lap and tried tracking the names of the towns that were coming from that static filled news alert.

We heard the words,  "a tornado is crossing  I44  between mile marker 13 -18."  WHAT?"  We'd just quickly passed marker 18!  It was directly in front of our car. 

Other vehicles were whizzing down the road beside us.  We were amazingly calm!!!  Denial?  Shock?  Peace?

The sky turned black and the rain began.  Everyone started slowing down as visibility was reduced to ZERO.  I was texting friends and our youngest son.  I felt like someone would need to know what happened to us if we didn't survive.  Again, we were  both amazingly calm. 

A huge clunk of something hit the top of our car, I was sure it was ice.   Honeybums somehow found an exit (8) and we crept along in the dark pouring rain.  We turned off the road and saw a few hotels off to the right, cars lined up under the concrete porticoes.

He pulled up as close as possible to the cars huddled together at the Hampton Inn.  A woman from the hotel came screaming out, yelling TORNADO, her face plastered against my window. She opened my car door and pulled me out into that blinding rain.   I ran for the door and she shoved me into a darkened stairwell....twenty-five strangers were squeezed together there.  Honeybuns was pushed in a few seconds later.  That scene was surreal.  I couldn't believe what had just happened.  Again, all were amazingly calm.

SILENCE.  We waited, people began talking and a baby cried.   I met a man from Florida, off on a 40 day road trip with his wife, they'd just retired.  A young girl from AZ was trying to connect to AT&T,  she shared with me that they don't have storms like THIS where she lives! There were families, children, an elderly couple that seemed very confused.

About 20 minutes later, someone opened the stairwell door to take a peek.  The rain was still coming down in sheets, the wind was blowing a gale.  Folks trickled out into the dark lobby and watched. The hotel staff began passing out flashlights, directing guests to NOT return to their rooms.  The electric doors were sealed.  One guy had an ipad and could get the weather map.  The dark red circle of wind on his screen was moving away from us.  It had passed right over that Hampton Inn without touching down.  Little did we know that at that very moment lives were being taken and property destroyed just a mile up the road.

The wind and rain finally let up a little and Honeybuns said, "let's go!"  We were the first to leave.  (No surprise there!)  I wished my new friends good luck and they shouted back the same.  Calmness prevailed once again!

We found our way back to I44 and headed west, leaving that darkened roadway and city behind us.  We were the only cars on the road, but the sky was brighter and the rain had stopped. Dark clouds were forming again to the south and we watched them carefully.

After a few miles we realized why the highway was empty.  Police were diverting all traffic onto the side roads,  NO ONE was going to be allowed into the city of Joplin.  Only ambulances and rescue vehicles with sirens blaring raced toward that city. The radio told us why! Walmart was gone, a hospital destroyed,  houses were leveled, semis were overturned and cars had been lifted off the road and flung into ditches. We heard the words "devastation, " "war zone,"  and "it looks like a bomb has been dropped on Joplin."  The "death count would be high."

UNBELIEVABLE!   

We're safe, dry, and moving on with our lives today.  That is not the case for our Missouri neighbors.  At the moment the death toll is 89 and expected to rise!

I'm so sad for those people today.  And so grateful for life.

ISRAEL'S MAP

I LOVE ISRAEL! 

I love the land, the history, the food, the people, the landmarks, and the absolute CRITICAL CONCEPT that Israel as a nation must exist!

There are huge movements on this planet right now whose goal it is to bring that country to nothing!  In the past I have dismissed this concept as just a few very loud and radical voices spouting their venom. Surely, NO ONE would take seriously the threats of a lunatic neighbor.  He has publically declared MANY times his goal is to remove Israel from the face of the earth.  Israel could end his ranting and raving at any given moment with just a nod to go ahead and push the nuclear button. Missiles are cocked and ready, pointing in all directions.

It seems like the button may just be pushed any day now.

Just a few short years ago we visited that Biblical land and talked  at length with a retired military man.  He shared stories of Israel being at war with Egypt and how Egypt was expected to win battle after battle yet miraculously when forces met the Egyptians unexpectedly just turned and ran away.  No explanation!  He guided us to the hills of the Golan Heights and explained the battles that occurred there.    He explained the 1967 war. We purchased a video to review these facts again and again once we got home.

When we asked this very articulate and brave man what he believed to be the solution  to the conflict over the land  he replied, "It's the map! Whenever the boundaries are reached there will be peace."  He then pulled a rough drawing from his pocket.

His map of the future land called Israel would encompass all land from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers to the sea!  It was the Biblical description of the territory given to the Jewish people during the time of Abraham.  This description was repeated again and again to Abraham's descendants. We checked his claims.  He's got facts to stand on.

This morning I was driving home from a little volunteering position and the announcer came on the radio with the excited news, "BREAKING NEWS!"  President Obama had just finished a speech in which he declared that the United States wants the borders of Israel to return to the 1967 line.

WHAT???   With all due respect,  he wasn't speaking for ME, or others like me.  I think we're called Christian Zionists, those who believe the book, those who believe that the existence of the nation of Israel is an idea straight from the heavenlies.

The  radio announcer called the Presidents statement a "bombshell."  Very poor choice of words!  Because it may just come to that!

Oh, my,  I never thought I'd live to see the day that the US would denounce the only country in that part of the world that treats it's citizens with dignity, that is flourishing in a million ways, that contributes to the welfare of the whole world, that governs by the rule of law, that holds women in high esteem and is light years ahead of all their neighbors scientifically.

Will Jerusalem be divided?  Will the holy sights that we now are free to visit be open to all, or will they be shut up tight as is the Dome of the Rock. (That particular sight was built on tourists dollars and is now a mosque that only Muslims can enter.) Will the garden tomb be destroyed like the desert Buddhas? Will women be required to wear those god-awful burkas?  Will women be refused the right to drive a car, own a business or go to school?  What happens to the rest of us when Jews are targeted for death?  Didn't we already experience that and swore to ourselves, "never again?"

Honeybuns just gave his input.  "Forget 1967. Why don't we honor the border that was drawn over there  about 2000 BC."
(HHHHmmmmnnnn, more thoughts of Abraham.)

This news has far reaching effects.  We can only imagine where we're going from here.

LOOK OUT TEXAS!  You might be next!

ADDICTED? ME?

Sometimes it takes a "straw to break a camel's back."  Or, "you have to admit you have a problem before you can solve it."

Well, MAYBE I've come to that point!  I'm thinking about it, not admitting anything just yet!!

 I AM ready to admit that I LOVE today's technology.  I'm never far from my iphone, computer, or other such gadget.  I embrace Facebook and I know how to Twitter! Checking e-mail several times a day is a given. I was one of the first in my neighborhood to have one of those tiny telephones hanging off my ear so I could TALK and do housework, drive, eat, etc. at the same time.  (My youngest son now forbids me to wear that!)  Needless to say,  I'm  proudly CONNECTED!

For a while now, I've tried to put this connectedness into  context.  You see,  I am from the generation that ALWAYS answers the phone when it rings, goes to my mailbox EVERY day for the mail and then reads it, ANSWERS the doorbell when it rings, SPEAKS to the neighbors when they walk by, TELEPHONES my sister and sister-in-law regularly because we simply enjoy each other and engages EVERYONE in a conversation everywhere I go.  Yep, I'm connected to PEOPLE!  This new technology just aids my ability to converse!

I'd rather talk than eat.  "Come sit by me and let's visit a while" is my mantra!  And I'm totally baffled when people refuse the offer.  They think they have something more important to do, whatever could THAT be?

SO, all that love of community FITS with today's gadgets. That's my story!

Until last night!  After cuddling up in our big king size bed, watching the ten o'clock news, kissing goodnight and turning off the light, I remembered that I had not checked my iphone to see if I'd received that last text message of the night from our daughter-in-law in Dallas.(She has a  new baby girl and  I wondered how she'd made it through the evening alone with the four little ones.)  I reached for it, clicked it on and it glowed!   I started pecking away at the little alphabet.

Honeybuns raised up in bed and said, and I quote,  "We've come a long way, baby!  It used to be flannel pajamas but now you've brought your iphone to bed with you!"

Do I need an intervention?

No time today, I'm headed out to check out the newest ipad!  Surely I NEED  one of those, too!

NEW ARRIVAL #9

THERE SHE IS!  She's as cute as a bug in a rug!  Elizabeth "Betsy" Leigh is about a week old in this picture.

She's tiny and she's perfect in every way.  (EVERY baby is perfect, because they are so fresh from God!)

I cannot wait to get my hands on her and look into those black snappy eyes and introduce myself.  She's eating, sleeping and growing into life with her two older sisters and one big brother.

She's number NINE for us and she couldn't be more loved.  God designed our hearts to love each child individually and unconditionally!  The more children in this family the merrier, our hearts just expand to meet the numbers. Who knew that was possible?

NINE different personalites, interest, talents and quirks.  I love it!   Grandchildren are God's best idea!!  It's all fun with little responsibility!

Betsy's world will be large.  It will be filled with adventures, laughter, and sites that will thrill those huge and very alert eyes. We're going to have some terrific times together!

Welcome to the  world sweet baby girl.  You're going to love it!!

HAUNTED BY THE GIRL WITH THE TATTOO

This is a familiar sight.  It's a bar within a neighborhood grill, no big deal.  But this is the place that now haunts me!

A few months ago while it was still cold here in OK, a best friend and I went to lunch at one of these neighborhood bar/grills.  The food is good and relatively inexpensive and we settled in the booth near the bar for lunch and a very long chat.

In the middle of our lunch date we both noticed a girl sitting at the bar very much alone.  She had on a sundress, very unusual for that chilly day, and a huge tattoo was the only thing covering her shoulders.  Her hair needed to be washed and combed.  She was petite, thin and seemed very young.  We kept an eye on her but no friend came to meet her. It was impossible to see her face, her back faced our table.  She sat very still, drinking something, but no food arrived that we could tell.

We wondered and we worried!  But did NOTHING!

Because we both had recently been "trained" in the awful subject of  HUMAN TRAFFICKING we worried some more.  What was she doing there?  Why was she alone?  Who was coming to meet her?  Was she in distress? Were there bruises?

We sat there!   And did NOTHING!

We convinced ourselves that we were over reacting and continued with our conversation.  The young girl sat on the bar stool with head bowed down.  As we left I glanced back and she was still there.

Well, I can't get her out of my mind.  Every time we go out to eat now I scan the room looking for her or others like her.  My mind races, wondering what became of the girl with the tattoo on her shoulder.

I will  never see her again.  I want to believe that she's o.k.,  that a family member or a best friend met her that day and they had a wonderful time.

BUT....if I see another young girl in that situation I now have a plan.

I WILL quietly and gently slip onto the bar stool next to her.  I WILL say hello softly.   I WILL look at her face  and into her eyes.
And then I will ask her if she's having a good day.  (I'll be praying that she says YES!)

 I will ever so patiently wait and try to engage in a conversation. 

If she has bruises, tears, no money, or fear, I will ask more questions and get more details.   And I will offer her any help that she might need. I WILL call the authorities and the professionals to intervene.

Precious little girls don't dream of growing up to become castaways, throwaways, or runaways.  Big girls don't thrive while being employed in the worlds oldest profession, 98% say they want out and want out immediately. 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING is real and it's all around us.  Maybe it's at the neighborhood bar and grill.

ART APPRECIATION

Sedona, AZ is FILLED with art!  This fellow here is just one of many that stand guard over nearly every sidewalk and street.   Touring that beautiful city is an education on many levels. Why all those artsy folks gathered to live and work in this place is understandable!  The whole town is surrounded by the most magnificent natural "art" found anywhere in the world.   Soaring red mountains all around give you the sense of breathing within a cathedral. The scenery changes color with the position of the sun and the clouds overhead.

You can pick out one of those artists at a glance.  They "dance to a different drummer" and the result is visible.  We watched them move about the town with  freedom to dress  quirky, live on the time table directed by the sun and it's shadows,  and care less what people think about their work.

This guy  represents a shaman.  A  shaman (shay'man) is a hocus pocus kind of fellow that supposedly talks to dead ancestors.  It is believed that only he can heal folks, receive direction, curses, etc. from the spiritual world. Magic is his game and deceit is  his name! Looking into those dark holes for eyes gives me the willies!  Perhaps his magical talent is the ability to scare the germs right out of  sick folks! I'd certainly abandon ship if I were a virus and saw this coming at me!

Truly, ART is in the eye of the BEHOLDER!  Although I doubt I will ever buy anything like this, I really DO appreciate the talent it took to fashion this fella out of scrap metal.  Now just who would think of such a thing and then actually DO it?

TALENT ON STEROIDS!  That's our explanation! 

DRY CLEANING CONVERSATION - TRUE STORY!

I did not expect my trip to the  drive-by dry cleaners to be so enlightening!  

I pulled up to the window and watched the employee saunter my way.  He was a young man, probably in his mid 20's.  He looked liked he was pretty tired, maybe he'd been up all night the previous 24.  He had a three day stubble growing on his face, bloodshot eyes, tattoos and piercings in odd places.

He dutifully placed my husbands shirts on the hook  in the back seat and I handed him a check, $9.75.   As we made the little transaction there at my drivers side window I noticed that a week ago I'd also written at check to that establishment but had forgotten to record the amount in my checkbook.  (THAT is a cardinal sin at our house!)  So I asked him if he would check his computer on that particular day and tell me the amount!

He looked up lazily."Just put $9.00, I'm sure it was for $9.00, no big deal!  Just enter $9.00."

Me,  "$9.00??  How do you know that?"

Him,  "Just write down $9.00, it'll be o.k.  It doesn't matter, just enter $9.00"

Me,  "Well, how do you know how much laundry/dry cleaning I picked up that day?"

After a few seconds he turned around, took two steps back into the building and tapped on his computer.

He looked back,  "$15.75!  Your check that day was for $15.75."

I wrote down the amount, thanked him and drove off laughing!

I pondered that exchange.  Just put down...X. ???  It doesn't matter??  Just enter any amount???  Who cares anyway???

I'm thinking I just witnessed the HUGE gap between generations that we're always hearing about.  I'm sure he thought he'd just spoken to a  female dinosaur.

I hope that young man is never in charge of bridge building, open heart surgery, or becomes the president of my bank.

On second thought, I doubt I need  to worry about such things, you think?

ONE EXTRAORDINARY MOM

THIS is a picture of an amazing MOM!  At first glance you may think this is just another typical SUV with SIX bicycles hanging off the back, but you would be wrong.

This vehicle depicts the heart of the woman that drives it. She also has FIVE children ages twelve to four riding along with her!

She is fearless and strong but most importantly she is  FUN! 

This past weekend our daughter-in-law Jamie packed up the children, the video games, the books, lots of snacks and drinks AND SIX bicycles.  Yep, this is her mode of transpo. She then drove 6 hours (one way) through CO and AZ so her brood could have some biking time with UNBELIEVABLE SCENERY.

They spent hours riding the bike paths around the south rim of the Grand Canyon before we got there.   When we finally located them  they were red faced, a little sore in the legs and pretty tired. 

We scooped them up, checked into a hotel, took them to the IMAX to cool off and rest a little.   Next came pizza and bedtime for the little ones and mommy while we took the big kids to see Jack Hanna and his animals at the Canyon.  Talk about a jam-packed day!

It's SO FUN watching this active brood having SO MUCH FUN!  It'll be years before these children realize that they have experienced more in their childhood than all other kids combined.  I'm positive that as adults they will compare their childhood experiences with their friends and feel sympathy for their grown buddies.  (Hopefully they will also be very thankful  for the architect of all those escapades!)

They have travelled the world from Hong Kong to Rwanda.  They have kayaked in the Philippines and splashed around with dolphins in Cabo.  They just returned from a Disney Cruise because they needed to see Princess Aurora and Chip n' Dale!  The list of adventures is long! (Getting them all through the security line at the airport is a feat in inself!)

Just thinking about their life makes me tired, but also makes me SMILE!  I am so thankful that Jamie has the drive and health and energy and focus to enjoy her kiddos and make sure  they enjoy life.  They live life to the MAX!

What a treat  it was to spend Mothers Day with them this year!  If I'd had an award I'd have given it to HER!

I can picture the golden statue of an SUV with SIX bikes attached.  The words across the bottom would read "The World's Most- Passionate- for -Life  Mom."

She has,  "Energy that boils over and runs down the side of the pot."  We love it and we love HER!

STINKY!

It started out in my closet!  It was terrible!  An overwhelming, take your breath away odor was coming from SOMEWHERE!

I sprayed, lit a candle, hung an envelope of potpourri and still it persisted.  I was sure an animal was dead and decaying right there alongside my hanging jeans and collection of Crocs!

Finally, after checking the higher-than-me shelves, the clothing hung in the back corners that I never wear, the shelves of purses, sweatshirts and sweaters I made my way down to the floor.  The get-down-on-all-fours snift test did the trick!  The mystery was solved!

That foul odor was coming from a brand new never-been-worn before shoes!  The manufacturer is Me Too, they are pewter and cute as can be. (Flats, silver, comfy, a perky little bow on top!)

The silver composite material on the outside of the shoe had evidently come from a SKUNK!  I took them outside to air!

Thinking that I must surely be out of my mind, I went online to investigate.  Sure enough, right there on the MeToo website was a list of reviews for this very product.  Alongside the  thirty or so very positive comments were six entries describing this awful smell that came with the very cute pewter colored flats. Skunk odor was mentioned, strong onions, horse dung, dead camel, and other such adjectives were used.  Yippee, I was NOT crazy or imagining this ordeal.

After a couple of days of airing them outside and about a week of de-toxing in the garage I was sure the problem was solved.

(Honeybuns INSISTS that they are stored in the garage.  I'm  a little fearful that the smell will ignite the gasoline can used for the lawn mower and sooner or later we'll all go KA-BLUEY, as Barney Fife would say!)

Last weekend I was sitting in the SMU auditorium in Dallas, waiting for the grandgirls ballet recital to start when their father sitting next to me finally got up the nerve to lean over and say, "Mom, what is that awful smell coming from your direction?"  I stuck my right foot up into the air right under his nose.  "Is this it?"   "YES, what is going on with those shoes?"

I explained the situation. 

He couldn't believe it.  "Why are you wearing those?!?!" He quietly moved over two seats.

Only one rational answer that women understand,  "Because they're SO cute!"

Now you cannot not only SEE me coming but SMELL me as well!  Don't forget to look down, my feet DO LOOK CUTE!

TAKE A WALK THROUGH MY GARDEN

 Come take a walk through my garden with me!  This is just a sample of what is going on out there!

 These little beauties are braving the cold weather and doing just fine.  Hybird Iris from Oregon do very well in OK! They're standing at attention in every corner and bed available.

These are nothing like the old fashioned Iris that I knew as a child.  I loved them too.  These are the super duper Iris on steroids brand.  Of all the flora and fauna, THESE are the lovliest!

 They come in all different colors and shades and prove each spring that there really is a GOD!    How else could something so beautiful spring up from a dry old looking root? There is no other explanation!!

My backyard is shouting GLORY!!

AN HISTORICAL DAY

The news is overwhelming!  Osama bin Laden is dead!  The details are something right out of a political thriller and yet this time it's no  work of fiction.  He was hunted down, finally found and shot in the left eye!  The Mastermind of thousands of atrocities across the globe has met his end. 

Thousands of lives have been lost because of this one evil man.  Religion or nationality made no difference to this guy.  Muslims, Jews, Americans, Christians, Buddhists, all suffered worldwide.  The number of terrorists attacks he inspired will be revealed only as history is investigated and written in days ahead.  There will surely be a movie version as well.

It's a day of mixed emotions.  The joy in the streets of America contrasts with the silence in the streets of Pakistan. 

There are emotions doing battle in the hearts of Christian, as well, myself included.  Justice was served, no doubt.  Evil took a hit!  Perhaps millions of lives have been spared because future attacks have been thwarted.  God DOES use people, nations and even governments for His purposes as He so chooses.  The Bible proves that over and over again.  Yet,  HE is always on the side of peace, life and dignity.

Did/does God love OSB?  Yes.  Did Jesus die for the sins of this man?  Yes. Did Jesus command us to love our enemies and pray for them?  Yes.

Yet, OSB was determined to spend his life killing innocents, all in the name of his twisted version of religion. It seems his face personified evil.  Still, there was hope for him until he took his last breath.  But he breathes no more.  Yesterday he met his maker and we can only speculate as to how that went!

A wasted life.  He will forever be known as the enemy of mankind.

I'm convinced that if he'd been allowed to live another 20-30 years there would have been no change in his vision or purposes.

It is a complex world and a complex situation.  Wrath and love,  predestination and free will,  life and death,  joy and sorrow,  man's decision and God's sovereignty, all co-existing.  There are no simple explanations.
We all have a secret place in the center of our being that demands justice.  And it seems that justice has rained down, but justice is always accompanied by a hollow sadness.  Justice does not bring back the dead, but it is necessary.  That's Biblical!