COMPUTER CRASH

No picture today, because I have NO computer today.  I'm at the mercy of the gracious people at the Broken Arrow Library!  (Did you know that YOUR library has computers for you to use when your computer fries?  It's wonderful!) And free if you have a library card.  I LOVE my library!!!

I'm not sure when my new, state-of-the art, did I say new, top-of-the line, computer met it's maker but I think it happened sometime while I was traveling in Illinois to visit my elderly uncle.  When I got home, switched it on, logged in....IT FROZE!  Yep, no amount of praying, pleading or cajoling would convince the thing to do as I was asking it to do!

My heart stopped.  Years of FAMILY PICTURES, book writing projects, MY CHRISTMAS CARD ADDRESS LIST, letters to and from friends and businesses, devotionals sent to magazines, biographical sketches, etc. all there but out of my reach.

We headed to the GEEK store, left it with a promise to return for the diagnosis!  A few hours later my worst fear was confirmed.  My trusty computer was fried! Completely! Totally!  There was only a slight chance of retrieving any data at all.  We sadly took it home and Honeybuns took it to his computer whiz company the next day.  It is still in intensive care there!  A specialist has been flown in (not really, I made that up) to see if it will take a final gasp before life support is discontinued.

SO...you ask, what have I been doing with myself these past few days?  Well, the house is clean, I've knitted a couple of projects, read a few books, attended two book clubs, visited friends EVERY DAY and took a couple of road trips for speaking engagements.  And did I mention, I've been complaining ALOT, in person, on Facebook (I still have the iPad), and on my iphone?!  Yes, everyone is tired of hearing about my computers demise!

SO....I'm done complaining. This week really hasn't been all that bad!  In fact, I've learned that I can lead a very rewarding life without my HP.  Isn't that what how we used to live BEFORE the PC entered our living rooms and we spent HOURS surfing the web, etc?

I'm not quite experiencing Life on the Prairie, but almost!

We'll see, perhaps this cold turkey computer rehabilitation ordeal will soon become my NEW NORMAL! 

Now, where IS that pen and paper?   Do they still make carbon paper???

THE FASHION POLICE ARE COMING

I just heard it on the news.  Louisiana is  trying to pass a law that forbids anyone from wearing their Jammie's in public. Evidently it all started at a local Walmart store.  Someone was arrested for "indecent exposure" and had their jams on at the time. 

Well, who is surprised at that one?  If you've been to Walmart recently you've seen the latest craze.  It's those long flannel pajamas in a variety of delicious patterns and colors parading up and down the aisle.  (IF you need to know what really goes on at my favorite store all hours of the day and night, go to: thepeopleofWalmart online  It is hilarious!)

And before we label Walmart as the only place in town where this happens, let me tell you what I saw in Dallas recently.  I was shopping the after Christmas sales with my daughter-in-law at one of the higher end designer outdoor malls when we happen to drive by one of those wonderful swanky restaurants that defines that part of town.  Coming out  the door was a middle aged woman decked out in her full length GORGEOUS mink coat.  As she swirled into the parking lot with her coat unbuttoned the world got a view of this years favorite Christmas gift.  She was wearing her brand new pink and gray giraffe-printed flannel pajamas.  They had that "never been washed" look.  I'm sure they were extra warm and cozy.

 Just saying.......it happens everywhere!

As a people watcher, I am entertained by what people are willing to display in public on their bodies.  I always give those in their nightclothes the benefit of the doubt thinking that maybe they just woke up in the early morning hours and discovered they were out of milk, bread or eggs and needed to make a quick run to the store for breakfast, or  for brunch at a swanky restaurant as in the Dallas sighting.

 Then there are the teenagers that sport their sleeping attire at all hours of the day and night at the grocery.  But, then again, they sleep at odd times and who knows?? Who am I to say?

Evidently now the good folks of the south think it's time to do something about it!  Well, good luck! 

How can they outlaw pj's and ignore "below the hinney" jeans, human flesh hanging out of a way too small  cut off t-shirt, ladies in long denim skirts dragging the floor  or the infamous "plumbers problem?"  I'm wondering what kind of fine I will have to pay for my outdated baggy sweats and platform tennies that I wear to clean the house and then realize I need to make an errand run to the store?

I can see how this could turn into a constitutional crisis quickly, freedom of expression and all!

And now for your entertainment, I present this picture of my newest winter look.  These red, footed, monkey feet Jammie's were a Christmas gift to my sister and me.  Enjoy it quick.  You'll not be seeing these outside the walls of the house!

Maybe if the fashion police law is passed it should included pictures like this posted on the internet! Flattering, aren't they????   We will plead guilty of public indency and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court!

LOVE YOU TO THE MOON.......

I don't know when this "tradition" started, several years ago for sure.   It became a goodbye phrase, a closing when writing a note, or sometimes a simple goodnight accompanied by a kiss  from me to a grandchild.  When spoken at painful goodbyes it's followed by tears and a promise of  "I'll see you soon!"

I DO remember that at first it was a "secret" phrase, whispered so no one else could hear, especially parents.

Then it became a contest!  I would whisper the phrase and the responses grew competitive.

 One whispered back,  "I Love YOU to Maui and back."  (Children have NO sense of distance. )

 After a while the competition grew stiffer, and another would add even more miles, "I love you to the moon and back a thousand times" or "I love you to the moon and back and to Denmark and back"  or  "I love you to the moon and back a million times."

How else can the depth of love be measured?

Evidently this has become my signature closing.  (Rubber Ducky will be my all time signature song.  EVERY grandchild has learned that one in our bathtub and each one knows their special solo at the end, "poo, poop a-doop!")

A few weeks ago Jamie became a representative for  Uppercase Living and designed this special piece of art  for our grandchild bedroom wall. She chose the fonts and the colors and it's perfect!  Honeybuns and I worked with yardsticks, tape, a level, a step stool and a lot of patience to get it stuck on that wall today.

 Sleepy eyes will see this the first thing when they wake up!  Even the ones that can't read yet will know what it says!

I can't wait for all of them to see it.  Each one will smile and know it's meant just for them.

It's a visual, just a measurement!    A terrific memory, PRICELESS!

HUGS ANYONE?

There is NOTHING like a hug!  I love giving  AND receiving them.  Science has proven that  physical contact is critical to survival.

Did you know that orphaned monkeys will die from lack of HUGS????  Yes, even monkeys need to be hugged several times a day in order to thrive!  (Just for the record, I am NOT comparing the human species to apes, chimpanzees or spider monkeys!  Nope, I've got too much evidence supporting the creation theory. No apologies to the late Mr. Hitchens.)

The best human hugs come to me from Honeybuns, the grown  sons,  our daughters-in-law,  the grandchildren and good friends offering a sweet hello or perhaps comfort at just the right moment.  When a person withholds a hug, they are simply being downright stingy!  Afterall, how much trouble is it anyway??

THEN there is the SUPERNATURAL HUG!  That one tops them  all!  If you can't tolerate a human hug, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!

The "supernatural hug"  involves a deep sense of God's presence, approval and affirmation.  It conveys the unconditional love that everyone longs for but finds hard to even discuss. It wipes away my tears, strengthens me,  gives me hope in hopeless situations, and a sense of calm and a return to sanity when  I've  gone off the deep end with worry and fear!

And, all I have to do to receive that hug is read and believe  HIS book.

You  see, a  still small voice always accompanies the SUPERNATURAL HUG.  There is a whisper that is heard in my heart.  It sounds like this:

"Be still and know that I am God."  Ps. 16:10
"Fear not, All they can do is kill you."  Matt. 10:28
"It is finished."  John 19:30
"I am with you to the end of the age."  Matt 28:16
"In my father's house are many rooms.....I will come and take you to be with me."  John 14:2-3
"The Lord will provide."  Gen 22:14

I've heard these whispers and THOUSANDS of others over the past 40 years.  They are life-changing words and they are true.

This is what it looks like:

I plan to experience the SUPERNATURAL HUG  often this year! If you see me smiling, or perhaps humming a little tune you'll know I've had my nose in HIS book and heard HIS voice.

TEXTING BEE??

Sharon, Bettigail, me, Linda, Susan.

Diane is taking the picture!

What can 6 old ladies (minus Susan) do on New Years Day?  TEXT each other, that's what!  After the CO Christmas #1 and the TX Christmas #2, and the IL Christmas #3, we ended up with family and friends for a "relaxing" New Years Day in Arcadia, Illinois.

The afternoon will go down in history,  at least for the women that attended.  After a delightful time at church and lunch, the men headed to the living room to watch football and the ladies gathered around the kitchen table to chat.  Soon the phones came out and it was "game on!"

All the secrets on Facebook were revealed,   funny pictures  were checked out on the phones, tips and tricks of texting were discussed and FOUR hours later we all agreed it was the best time with the most laughs in a LONG time! There were several moments when EVERYONE was talking at once, AND EVERYONE was understanding the details of each conversation!  It was simply amazing! And truly a "woman thing."

We learned that ONE of us was a super FB detective, ONE a defriended family member, ONE a total novice with her new phone, ONE pretty techy, ONE low on "juice" and ONE  was being Internet- stalked by 3 mysterious men.  The longer the session lasted the wilder it became! 

There were complaints from the football viewing crowd that they couldn't hear a thing a couple of rooms away.  Those were the same men that kept sneaking into the kitchen to find out what was so funny.  We vowed to NEVER tell!

If laughter is the best medicine, the six of us will  be very healthy in 2012! 

Thank you Susan, Linda, Bettigail, Sharon and Diane!  Profound  respect and love for each of you has expanded my heart!

 Thank you Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckus (?),  AT & T,  Verizon and all others involved in creating and delivering  this new fangled technology.  Beats a quilting bee any day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

This has got to be my favorite Christmas tree EVER!   The picture doesn't do it justice!

At one of the "after Christmas" sales last year I happened upon these flat, golden, big, WORDS, Christ is Born, super cheap!!  I had no idea what I was going to do with them.  They were stored with all the other TONS of Christmas decor in the attic.  Well, they survived the 100+ blistering  OK summer up there and I re-found them again a few weeks ago.

Honeybuns emptied the attic and garage shelves of Christmas stuff and I started sorting through the bells, balls and baubles of years gone by.  Since the kids and grand kids were not coming to Tulsa this year I decided to forgo the usual old time family flavor. (It was hard to bypass the faded, blue construction paper angel WITH Philip's third grade picture attached imitating Gabriel!)

SO....whal-la, the Christ is Born tree was....well...born!  There are angels, decorative twigs and several white ceramic ornaments declaring the names of God, "the bridegroom," "the resurrections and the life," "the Door", "the Shepherd." The pagan tree is shouting GLORY!

As much as I absolutely adore the old time Santas, snowmen, and  tiny sleighs, THIS  reminds me of the purpose of the celebration!

CHRIST TRULY IS BORN!  He left his magnificent heavenly home to become one of US, to display the very character and nature of Deity!  We celebrate the day that history was split in two,  before HIM and after HIM!  There is no greater event from eternity past through eternity future. GOD IN THE FLESH! His birth changed EVERYTHING!

He came, lived, died and RETURNED FROM THE DEAD to prove that He really was who He said He was!  He returned to heaven with a promise to return again.

CHRIST is  CHRISTmas!  (And as much as I love my Jewish, Muslim and atheist friends, HE will always be!)

The event thousands of years ago has changed me.....and millions just like me!  IMMANUEL, God with ME!

I'm thinking about leaving this tree up all year long!

CHRISTMAS #1 OF 2011

When your grown children live far away from the nest and have several young children, the ONLY practical thing to do for Christmas is for this BeBe and PaPA to go to them (while we're still able!)  This past weekend was designated the Colorado Christmas and it was wonderful!

We arrived in Durango Thursday and settled right in to Andy and Jamie's beautiful Colorado Mountain Home!  They moved this summer and did extensive redecorating so it was the first time we'd seen the finished product!  Jamie is  gifted with a great sense of style and color, their home is stunning.  They have THE perfect setting for a Colorado Christmas!



The good times began to roll the minute we  squeezed Gabby and waited for the big kids to come home from school.  The whole weekend was filled with joy for us.   Grandparents have the option of enjoying children without stress, having NO responsibilities to train, discipline or worry.  It's all about the present!  And each child and  grandchild is a PRESENT to us! 

Games, gifts, sledding, bowling, eating, church, reading stories, etc....all elements of the best time of the year! 

"God so loved the world, He GAVE"  Giving to and receiving joy from those we love is in reality  WORSHIP of HIM who gave the very best gift of all.    Immanuel, God with us!

Jamie tolerating Andy!





                                                                  



BeBe and the Twins

                                                                                                           

Gabby and her twin babies!



Lesly Forrest and Papa



Maggie learning to sew!















BeBe, get out of my way or I'll squish you like a bug.

 

BeBe's upside down!



Hays's spy plane gives a new definition to privacy!



We are so Blessed!

x



CHRISTMAS CARDS

The Christmas cards are rolling in!  I love it! They are beautiful! 

Every year near the first of December I get our yearly card designed and ordered.  It's an artistic challenge! Pictures of the kids and grand kids usually adorn the front.  A letter of the past years activities is drafted and edited and printed on Christmasy paper.  The address list on my computer is updated and labels are printed off.

Then I sit down and carefully fold, stamp and stick until all 250 or so are ready to go to the PO.   The process of preparing all those envelopes gives me time to think about each recipient and recall some very wonderful times. We have family members and eternal friends located across America. Quiet smiles and silent tears accompany me for most of an afternoon.

I do not take my Christmas list lightly!

 I utter a small prayer for each person, praying that they are well, that their children and grandchildren are near and that they are enjoying the sights and sounds of this most wonderful time of the year. I pray that each loved one will experience the depth of God's love sometime during December.  I consciously hope that each finds a way to celebrate the birth of Christ amidst all the secular trappings of the holiday.

The whole Christmas card task is a serious undertaking for me! And until this moment this whole ordeal has been a closely guarded secret!

Evidently other folks have a Christmas card routine as well, for about mid-December my mailbox begins to be full every day.  No more catalogs, just lovely cards, notes, pictures and letters.  What a joy it is to hear from a friend that I've not heard from since last Christmas.

I rejoice over new marriages, new babies, new jobs, and successful surgeries.  I cry with my friends over the painful news of the death of a family member, a divorce or the struggle of a wayward child.  Thanks to the US Post Office we are reaching and touching each other.

In a few years this whole business of sending cards in the mail will probably disappear.  E-cards will surely replace the snail mail kind. It's so much more efficient and light years quicker. The wishes no doubt will be just as genuine and heartfelt!

 The Post Office itself might be considered a dinosaur nearing extinction!

Christmas cards might be found only in dusty museums or at the bottom of my office closet!

I'm going to miss those long afternoons reflecting and remembering.

YOU CAN'T SPANK GRANDMA!

What do you do when GRANDMA misbehaves???

I'm writing it all down, just the way it happened!  Let's call it my "Statement," that's the word they use on the detective shows!

The date in question was last Friday night.  We'd returned home from a church Christmas party about 11 p.m. It was a fabulous time and Honeybuns and I were in a festive mood.  I checked my iPad to see if anything new had occurred while I was enjoying the celebration.

I learned that while we were partying the Colorado kids had been trying to FACETIME me on my iPad.  I was SO disappointed that I'd missed seeing their smiling, laughing faces and talking to them.

SO, I immediately hit the magic button that instantaneously connects us.  After a few short rings I expected to see a grandchild's face appear on my screen.   The message read, "connecting.!"  I was SO excited.  When the screen remained dark I spoke into it.

"Hays! (age 13)  Is that you, I can't see your face,  the screen is totally black."

"Yes BeBe, but I'm in my room in the dark, whispering,  I'm supposed to be in bed sleeping!"

"O.K.  let's factime tomorrow, luv you, good night!"

"I love you, BeBe, we'll talk tomorrow!"

THEN I noticed the time.  It was 11:30 in Oklahoma, which meant it was 10:30 in Colorado. What WAS that boy  (age 13) doing with his iPad in the bed with him at that hour!   Honeybuns replied, "talking to YOU,   you should not have called this late."  Yep, no doubt about that.

I was made aware of what happened on the other end of that connection the next morning!  Because Hays is forbidden to be on his ipad at bedtime, because it makes a little noise when he and I connect, and because MOMMY was coming in the room just as he turned it off, WE WERE BUSTED!  The iPad was confiscated and WE were GROUNDED! 

I believe Mommy's exact words to me were, "What am I going to do with the two of you?"

That's the truth, the whole truth and nuttin' but the truth!   

I've since repented, apologized to Hays and his Mommy for getting him into trouble!

Now, if this goes any farther, I'm going to demand a jury of my peers!  12 Granny's will show me mercy, I have no doubt!

However the verdict comes down,  I'm comforted because, YOU CAN'T SPANK GRANDMA!

YOUNG HENRY AND THE PIPE ORGAN

A few weeks ago we attended "Grandparents Day" of Providence Christian School of Texas. That very special program was held at the  beautiful and stately Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.  The setting was perfect for the bright smiling faces of the students of grades 1-8.  Each class performed flawlessly, impressing the full-house crowd by reciting such classics  as "Paul Revere's Ride" by Longfellow, "Light Shining out of Darkness" by Cowper, The Declaration of Independence, and Psalm 23 in Latin! AND MORE!

There was much singing and smiling!  Following the formal presentations everyone was invited to an adjoining hall to view the projects each student had completed before the year started. All proud grandparents were in awe of the students abilities to say the least!

BUT...one particular performance nearly brought down the house and received a very lengthy standing ovation. A young man in grade 8,  Henry Webb, gave a stunning mini-concert on the churches four- story pipe organ.  The  schools headmaster related his story.

Henry first noticed that grand musical instrument just two years ago while attending a "Grandparents Day" when he was in grade 6.  He was enthralled and asked the organist to teach him to play it.  She quietly informed him that piano lessons had to come first and was confidant he'd be busy for years practicing  sight reading and tedious scales.  He immediately started classical piano and took lessons for 3 months.  He returned to ask once again if she would teach him to play that organ. She agreed! Soon it was very apparent that Henry and the Pipe Organ were made for each other.  He spent this past summer touring Europe and playing organs in the ancient cathedrals there.  One year after his formal organ training began, Henry played the Prelude and Postlude for this years Grandparents Day program  and we were among those benefiting from his dedication and unbelievable talent.

That very young man stunned the crowd with Bach's Fugue in D Major and Salomes Grand Choeur.  The Postlude was Toccata by Alphonse Mailly.  His fingers AND feet were flying over the keys.  Everyone jumped from their seats and gave him their roaring applause.  He quickly took a bow and disappeared behind the organ.  He had to be coaxed out to receive the extended ovation.  He was bashfully embarrassed and pleased at the same time!

I saw it with my own eyes, his performance was glorious!!   Henry Webb was BORN to play the pipe organ.  It is amazing that he discovered his purpose for existing while only in the sixth grade!

 Not just anyone can tackle the pipe organ! The extremely gifted  and faithful organist of Park Cities Baptist church has served there for the past 35 years.  Thankfully she saw something in Henry that convinced her to take the time to teach him. Thankfully he sought her out to be his teacher and mentor.

It certainly is a match made in heaven. Only God could do such a thing!  Henry will spend his life making incredible music! Hopefully we'll get to hear more of it!

FOUND

Last week as we shared thoughts of thankfulness over turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, I noticed our daughter-in-laws beautiful diamond  ring.  I commented on how very striking it was, that I'd not seen it before, and she told the story.

A couple of years ago Nancy's grandmother died and she became the  owner of a beautiful diamond ring.  It was a sentimental Christmas gift from grandmothers estate and a cherished memento.  She wore it and loved it. The following June it simply disappeared!!  After questioning the children and hearing their denials about any information regarding the ring, after a very thorough search of the entire house, it was decided that it must have been stolen.

 During that same period of time a new maid had been hired and she became the prime suspect. Who else had access to the house?   No one wanted to even think that lovely woman was capable of such an act or even imagine confronting her with such an awful accusation.  Nancy sadly gave it up as gone for good, never expecting to see it ever again.

Time past, life rolled on.  The family made several trips to Little Rock, to Tulsa and of course crawled all over Dallas during the course of their every day lives.  The girls attended their events, school, parties, etc.  The ring was not mentioned but she thought about it often.

The following February the family took a vacation to Hawaii. After several days in that Paradise their airplane landed back in Dallas at 3 a.m.  They were standing in the aisle of the plane  alongside hundreds of other weary travelers waiting to deboard when Philip heard a "ping" and glanced down at the very crowded floor.   He picked up the tiny shiny bauble and turned to Nancy, "does this belong to you?"  IT WAS HER LONG LOST RING!  How did it get on the floor of an airplane in the middle of the night??

Evidently one of the girls had been admiring it  8 MONTHS before and put it in her CHILD-SIZE BACKPACK for safe keeping. It was promptly forgotten.

That ring had traveled hundreds of miles in that backpack, in and out of cars, school playgrounds, friends homes, gymnasiums, beaches of Hawaii and several airplanes. It worked it's way out of a tiny creased pocket on that airplane.

Amazing!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRK OF THE HILLS

Today is the 50th Birthday of our church, Kirk of the Hills of Tulsa OK.  Now we've not been around that long, only about 3 years, but we join  the celebration of a wonderful legacy and an exciting future.

To mark this milestone event there was the traditional party last night, a timeline of important events on display today, cake to eat and stories to tell. The choir was OUTSTANDING, complete with orchestra and a bagpiper.  The music was off the charts wonderful!! All praise for past victories and guidance during challenging times was given to God alone.

But the most important element of the occasion culminated last Sunday.  For several weeks the congregation has been bringing boxes and boxes of canned food, paper goods and non-perishables to GIVE AWAY.  We made a few trips to Sams' and  filled some boxes and toted them into the foyer outside the sanctuary.  When all the donations were sorted and tagged there were 26 pallets stacked and shrink-wrapped and on display for people to view.  Those pallets FILLED a  semi-truck and everything was distributed to 10 ministries that the church supports throughout the Tulsa community. Hundreds and hundreds of people and families will benefit.  Canned goods of all kinds, diapers, rice, paper goods, beans, etc,  flowed all over the city this past Saturday. In addition to material goods, over $13,000.00 was given to buy even more food.  6 MORE pallets of food will be taken to area schools this week to be distributed by principals who have targeted students and families through their school that need some help this Thanksgiving.

What a great idea.  The "let's fill a semi and give it away" project loudly proclaimed once again that the church exists for those that are not IN the church, that the purpose of Christians is to serve those that are NOT!   I love it!! 

"Love the neighbor" walked right out of that beautiful white steepled building and into the stresses and frustrations of folks that need a little lift.

Today began the Kirk's YEAR OF JUBILEE, the 50th Anniversary YEAR.  There are more plans in the works. Today Pastor Tom Gray gave us all a sample of more exciting things to come as we celebrate ALL YEAR LONG! 

We are so thankful to be a small part of something good!

DECK THE HALLS

Well, we're not actually decking any halls but the eaves around the outside of the house anyway.  Honeybuns has the ladder out and miles and miles of lights to untangle.   Every November about this time he lights up our roof.  The bulbs are clear and big, and once the switch is flipped I'm sure we are noticed by planes overhead. (We've discussed the possibility of various colored lights, but I overuled!)  After today, every evening now through early January, about 5:30,  the timer will do it's job and there will be a white glow coming from the gutters lining the house illuminating our entire yard.   It's  a min-version of Clark Grizwalds lightbulb plan!

Our neighborhood is great at dispelling the darkness during these last couple of months each year.  Most hire the work done and the displays are elaborate if not breathtaking. I'm sure the plans for some of these works of art were drawn up by professional agencies.  Men all suited up in coveralls and stocking hats will be climbing all over the rooftops in the area over the next few weeks.  Watching the very orchestrated preparation is often more fun than seeing the finished product. 

IF a household embraces the do-it-yourself philosophy of life, as we do, the work is done by the Dad.  Moms usually participate in the whole task about 15-20 minutes, giving instructions, pointing and  issuing warnings.  Then she loads up the car for the  drive to the  nearest mall to do the necessary Christmas Shopping.  Dad's are then left with the task of untangling, replacing bulbs, rattling around in the attic for extension cords and hauling out ladders that seem to reach to the moon.

I've decided to stick close today.  The wind is blowing a gale and we don't need Honeybuns laid up with broken bones because he was blown off a ladder and no one was around to come to his aid.  I'll go out and steady the ladder when he gets to the nosebleed section of roof.

AND I vividly recall the year I returned from shopping to see what seemed like hundreds of BRIGHT ORANGE INDUSTRIAL SIZED extension cords laced all over the yard.  ORANGE!

We made a quick trip to Walmart  that day and those awful ugly things were replaced  with green, discreet, easy to hide cords in about an hour! Honeybuns still wonders about that crisis and he and the neighborhood do-it -yourself- Dads just shake their heads in confusion as he repeats the story.

ORANGE!! 

He can't figure out why his choice of cords was so repulsive while the TACKY BLOW-UP Santa riding in TACKY BLOW-UP airplane is not only acceptable but revered.

I can't explain it to him.   I suppose some of us are just born with a sense of STYLE!

Don't you just love the holidays?  It's a perfect time for compromise, forgiveness and reconciliation!

 And a reminder to not take ourselves or our lighting display TOO seriously!

TIS THE SEASON

........for magazines and catalogs!  It begins in October and ends in January.   Suddenly the trip to the mailbox is more interesting! Advertisements from all over the world arrive in my little brick mailbox.  It's a daily onslaught of paper, color and temptation.  Instead of a bill or two I return to the house with an armful of slick pictures and pages touting everything from soup to nuts, from perfume to support hose, from underwear modeled by women wearing feathers to ear wax that is supposed to cure tinnitus! 

I'll never figure out why my name is on every mailing list on this planet.  I don't even do catalog shopping, so somebody is accessing my name and address off the Internet.  No big surprise there!

From the comfort of my living room sofa I can peruse the Smithsonian institute gift shop, imagine how fleece feels from Lands End, anticipate fun from Toy's R Us, Pottery Barn for Kids and a new place called Bit's and Pieces!  I can even purchase a goat to be sent to the darkest corner of Africa through Samaritans Purse.  (Honeybuns actually received that one year!  It was a hit!)

There are hundreds more!

Hams, cookies, popcorn, sausage, spices, and candy can almost be tasted if I look at the pictures long enough. I could buy a car with a touch of a button on my phone.

I try really hard to stay OUT of the stories during this holiday buying frenzy season.  It helps the budget stay intact and who needs to dust anymore knick-knacks and what-nots!  (Don't you love the sounds of those words and wonder their origin?)

Evidently I need to stay away from the mailbox, too!

US VIRGIN ISLANDS

 We've been home 48 hours and I'm still processing this past weeks 40th wedding anniversary trip to the US Virgin Islands.  I've uploaded the pictures and stared at the beauty staring back at me.  Those islands are truly a taste of Paradise. 

After the long and EVENTFUL flight we finally landed on Jurassic Park/Fantasy Island! I fully expected to see raptors and a tyrannosaurus Rex  or two to come charging through the foliage.  St. Thomas is the upscale/cruise boat harbour environment, St. Croix the industrial/hard working place and St. John is the isolated/laid back/vacation destination! 

 We made some terrific memories on each one, but spent the majority of our time at the Westin on St. John.  (Highly recommend THAT place!!) St. John is accessible only by boat, the  high school kids take the 20 minute ferry ride to and from school to St. Thomas every day.

We traveled by airliner, small prop plane, seaplane, red and white striped taxis, ferry boat, and jeep.  We ate island food, walked isolated beaches, visited with many US mainland transplants, petted wild donkeys, ran from iguanas, cruised on a catamaran, learned about present day rum making, walked among sugar plantation ruins, shopped for locally designed jewelry, and snorkeled among pelicans dive-bombing for food. We took pictures at the Skinny Leg Bar just to prove that we found the place!

We quickly made friends with other vacationing land-lubbers from Michigan, Indiana, New York and Maine. The locals are recognized by their dark skin, all others left their homes in the US to relocate.  Everyone was extraordinarily friendly.

We looked at a house for sale.  It was hanging off a cliff like most all the homes there.  The view was breathtaking as the front windows faced the turquoise water  bay filled with sail boats and glorious daily sunrises.

It was tempting to dream a little, to wonder what life would be like to live in Paradise permanently.  The citizens assured me that they never tire of viewing the crystal clear water and the life forms that live there.

BUT, vacation destinations are just that for us.  We're too traditional,  too old, and have put down too many strong roots to pick up stakes now to go live on a beach. 

The memories and pictures are enough. I'm very thankful for the experience. 

 The Islands are a good place to visit, but reality is a good place to live!

ANNIVERSARY ROSES

FORTY!  4- 0 ! Fortieth!  Four decades!  How can it be?  Mentally I'm still just THIRTY,  physically we won't discuss, and yet the facts don't lie.  We've been married 40 years today!

 And this is the surprise that waited for me when I reached the kitchen this morning.  40 red roses. Gorgeous!

AND later we declared each other STILL gorgeous, after we took off our glasses! 

Those 40 years flew by as a blink of the eye, faster than a speeding bullet, as crazy as a maple leaf in the whirlwind!

Yet, when we take a look in the rear view mirror they have been absolutely FILLED with adventure.

We've done enough, seen enough, & experienced enough to fill volumes! My photo closet is overflowing with memories of  two baby boys, vacations, ball games, family celebrations and holidays, Boy Scout camp outs,  graduations, friends all over America, ministries, weddings, funerals, piano recitals, college homecomings and extravaganzas, nine grandchildren, 13 different houses in 11 different states (twice we owned two at once) car wrecks and  car repairs, trips to the ER and surgeries, one tornado, two dogs and several cats, three hurricanes, laundry at the Vatican,  church building campaigns and church fights, job changes, hairstyles, on and on!!  We've walked through Jerusalem and Petra, Ketchikan  and Sitka, Paris and Rome together.  We've sipped tea in Japan and got caught in a Buddhists ritual.  We've been fishing in the Caymans,  watched whales in Mexico, and rode bikes in Belgium and Kaui.  White water rafting and learning to snow ski could be a cartoon!

We've cried together at the birth (or arrival from Africa) of each grandchild and have been overcome with joy at watching them grow. Our children and grandchildren have been the delight of our hearts.

There's been a thrill or two every year or every few months in some cases

We'll probably go out to dinner tonight, sit and reflect, reminisce and tell stories.  And laugh a lot!

This morning I heard Billy Graham's recent quote,  "I know how to live and I know how to die, but no one told me how to grow old."

We don't know how to grow old either, but by God's grace, we'll do it together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THOMPSON

Today this little boy is TWO!   And I will forever marvel at the creativity and brilliance of God.  We have NINE grandchildren and each one of them is so very unique. How is it that the Creator God has designed so many different personalities?  WHY  He does it must be for our enjoyment!

Thompson is his own person.  He lives with three sisters and daily lets them know that boys are very different creatures than girls.  He's tougher, rougher and ready to roll at mach speed at any given moment.  He's the funniest little toddler alive and makes sure everyone around him is smiling.

If he needs a little fun and the adults around aren't having a riotous good time , he raises his shirt, tickles his own tummy and declares, "digga, digga, digga!"

He's carefree and confidant and a laugh a minute!

His favorite thing to do is sweep the floor, his favorite toy is a broom, second  is the vacuum.  A squirt bottle of water and a roll of paper towels is a good time!  We have videos designated to show at his rehearsal dinner.  His bride will be thrilled to get this one.  Unless something drastically changes during his college years, this boy is going to be neat!

He gives sincere hugs to this BeBe and we have great fun together!  I savor every moment.

He can't read this just yet, but one day he will ...........and he will smile when he remembers how much we love him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THOMPSON!

MEET NELSON

This is Nelson!  He's a dog, I think!  I met him Monday as he "greeted" me at the door of an Interior Design Store in Arkansas.  Yep, he and his owner run the shop.  (I doubt she has any need for electronic security!)

Nelson is just seven months old and he's more dog than I've ever seen.   I'm sure a horse saddle would fit him just fine.  We nearly met eyeball to eyeball as he sized me up as friend or foe. If he'd chosen to put his paws on my shoulders he would have been two heads taller than me.  His petite master assured me that he was just a puppy and harmless.

I love dogs!  I just don't understand  HUGE dogs.  This creature is beautiful and he is beautifully big.   He doesn't realize that he's larger than a Volkswagen bug as he moves gracefully among fine china, crystal art work, and various pricey objects 'd art!  His swinging tail alone could  innocently wipe out entire sets of Staffordshire collections. His chew "toy" PVC pipe could level a coffee table or bust through the glass door of the entrance to the place. He OWNS any space he chooses to occupy.  This boy is carefree and confidant.

I can't imagine feeding a pet this big, let alone walking him, cleaning up after him, or just getting him in the car to go ANYWHERE!
Does he sit in the passenger seat?  Does he poke his head out the sun roof so his ears can blow in the wind?  How does he feel about lying in the MIDDLE of the bed at night?  How much water does it take to keep him hydrated?  Is he  so well adjusted  because he knows he puts the fear of God in every other living being?   Did his owner have go have some kind of special training before she brought him home.  Living with Nelson must be a full time job!

Our meeting left a vision in my brain and I can't get him out of it!  He is a walking example of power under restraint and he's just a baby! What is he going to be when he's fully grown? Hopefully, he'll be kind and sweet, lovable and respectful. 

I'm pretty sure he'll  be and do anything he wants, who's going to argue with Nelson?

S.W.A.T. TEAM SWOOPS IN

I could hear them coming....they don't move silently in this neighborhood.  They usually arrive at the crack of dawn, making the most of the element of surprise!  Their motors are roaring as they swoop through the "common area" between our house and the creek nearby.  This morning there were FIVE assassins outside my bedroom window. They're hired and sent here by the owners/developers of our community.  They come weekly, evidently there's a schedule for "murder."

Two were on their honkin' (humongous) riding lawn mowers, decked out in their uniforms of  black stocking hats, bullet proof jackets and matching pants, ski gloves and FBI dark sunglasses.  I'm sure the boots are steel-toed. They are an intimidating sight!  It's enough to cause frightened young mothers to hide their children behind locked doors!  The other three held their hand weapons with both fists as they slashed indiscriminately every blade of grass that waved over two inches in height.  Uniform and neat is their slogan and marching song. Their goal is to see how much destruction they can cause in "record time."

This morning I watched the attack and if looks could harm, all of them would be wounded!

They were here last week too and my two year old, only had 1 baby, 10 leafed fig tree that I've been coddling through the long hot summer met it's end.  I'm sure it didn't know what hit it as that monstrous machine sliced it right off at ground level.

Was it an accident or a planned attack?  I'll never know.  I'm sure no one will admit the dastardly deed and the only evidence I have is a tiny little stump sticking up out of the ground.  Forensic evidence could only produce the angle of the cut of the blade.  No motive would ever surface, I'm sure.  I'm not up to a "David vs Goliath" confrontation!

It's only a small fig tree anyway, right?

No, it's an ongoing battle I seem to lose with man and his mowing machine!   It's the principle of the thing!!!

It was actually Honeybuns that discovered the death of my fig tree, and he knew the fury, sadness and grief that he would encounter when he told me the news. He's  witnessed that scene numerous over the years as he has slayed many a precious plant.

 I'm pleased to say that he's since learned to slow it down a little when he boards our "Binford 2000."  He is still practicing restraint with the weed eater and has yet to master that weapon of destruction.  I have hopes there!

Since a law suit, arrest, protest or an old fashioned screaming hissy fit seem useless and inappropriate for this grown woman, I'm instead headed to the local nursery to seek out a replacement.   (How many times must I repeat this scenario?)  

I will never understand the need to "cut down" at random my prized horticultural experiments.

The aggression in the male species is hard to define!  The fury welling up within ME is justifiable, don't you think?

 

RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

This week we flew to Las Vegas for the annual big airplane convention! 

I didn't go to the convention itself but spent my time wandering around "sin city" and yes, it does live up to it's name.  There are things that happen there that should definitely STAY there.  My first clue that we were no long in Oklahoma occurred when we checked into the hotel. The woman at the desk asked me if my last name was the same as the gentlemen  (Honeybuns) who was standing there beside me.  Now, that's a first!  I've never been asked that before....but as she explained, "you're in Vegas now, honey, anything goes."  

Evidently the Las Vegas we knew 10 years ago no longer exists.  It was touted as "kid friendly" back then and the city was proud of the distinction.  Families took vacations there and had a good g-rated time.  Since then the town has undergone a transformation and now it's the equivalent of an Adult Disney World. Peep shows are advertised, x-rated pictures are plastered up on public buildings and 5-inch stilettos are the preferred foot wear! Mobster looking men line the sidewalks selling tickets to the latest lewd performance.

After discovering and enjoying the monorail, I spent my first day wandering up and down the "Strip" taking in all the sights I wanted to see and several I didn't!    Tourists are thick as fleas on a dogs back and just navigating the side walks reminded me of Manhattan.  People were everywhere!  I wandered in and out of Paris, Bally's, Bellagios, New York - New York, Harrahs and the Venetian, all mega-moneyed temples of sensual pleasures.

Exploring Caesar's Palace was enlightening and exhausting.  The thing is almost as big as the real ROME!  The high-end shops were entertaining, the moving statues fascinating, the people passing by were of all shapes, sizes, and nationalities.  As I rested on a bench in the middle of the day a man came by and  quickly and "discreetly" took my picture. (What was that about? )  I decided to get out of there and be aware of anyone following me. Why would ANYONE need a picture of this Granny?

I stopped by the casino at Caesars and made a memory there!  Having gambled a total of one other time in my life I knew absolutely nothing about gaming!   I sat down beside a slot machine and decided to give it a whirl.  Those bandits are VERY complicated.  Finally I figured out where to insert my money and slipped my designated "gambling" $20.00 in the lighted hole.  It sucked it in quickly!  After 10 minutes of staring at the thing I decided I was supposed to push some lighted buttons.  That did the trick.  The screen lit up like a Christmas tree and I was on my way to financial independence!  I kept hitting buttons until a siren started wailing and the thing announced that I had WON some "extra spins."  The machine started spinning FOR ME!  My financial future was out of my hands as I watched the pictures go round and round. Finally it quit and announced that I had WON the JACKPOT!   All $14.00 of it!  (At first I thought it read $1400.00 and  I nearly had a heart attack!)  Next step was to try to get my winnings out of the thing.  Finally I got a receipt printed and I RAN to another machine to CASH OUT!   Yep, I took my original $20.00 and my newly acquired "$14.00 and beat it to the door! I'd been warned that if I had any winnings at all to pocket it deep and leave the building!  I knew to quit while ahead!

The next day I decided to skip the strip and go shopping at the local outlet mall to spend my $14.00.  After negotiating a cab ride I arrived at shop heaven. Miles of walking were ahead of me.  I explored all the shops, tried on and purchased clothes, ate lunch, tried on shoes, socks and unmentionables.  It was a fun productive day.

At the last store  I visited, late in the day, I asked the clerk  for the directions to the taxi stands.  An older woman standing nearby interrupted and quickly invited me to come with her. She was staying at a hotel near mine and would gladly give me a lift, no sense in paying a taxi driver.  I gave her the once over and quickly said, "sure, why not?"  We headed off to find her car.  After a few minutes of wandering she remembered where it was.  (I'd found a kindred spirit.)

We proceeded back into the city and headed for the Srip. She was depending upon my knowing where my hotel was located and I was depending upon quickly finding "something familiar" so I could steer her in the right direction.  We took a couple of wrong turns, u-turns and good turns.

 We had a lovely conversation, talking about husbands in town for conventions, children, grandchildren, Las Vegas, shopping, hometowns and great places to eat. 

Finally she pulled up to my hotel and I proceeded to thank my new friend.  We said goodbye with promises to look each other up if we were ever passing through!

What an odd day!  Right there in the middle of sin personified I'd  experienced a  "random act of kindness."

Surprising things happen in Vegas!