Some Things I Learned from a Snowman

It's okay if you are a little bottom heavy.
Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
Winter is the best of the four seasons.
It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
Wearing white is always appropriate.
It's fun to hang out in the yard with your friends.
It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet.
We're all made up mostly of water.
Avoid yellow snow at all times!
Too much sun is not good for you either.
The key to life is to be a jolly happy soul!

Ornament Magic

Some of my most magical memories are around the way my mom decorated for Christmas. The season would start by visiting the Christmas Tree lots where mom searched for the perfect tree for the perfect price. Sometimes it would take a few lots in frosty conditions, but she always picked out the most beautiful tree with the best scent. The tree would be trimmed, and set up in the house undecorated for at least 24 hours, so that it would open up fully. Mom and Grandma made most of the ornaments on her tree. Mom painted wood trains, dolls and nutcrackers and made quilted Christmas balls. Grandma and mom painted ceramic Christmas mice in moons, wreaths and candle sticks. Grandma’s string snowflakes rolled in glass snow added to the collection. Later, my sister made Christmas angels of ribbon and lace. An old pink star (had to of been bought in the 60s) donned the top of our tree each year…that was dad’s job as he was the tallest and could reach. Always colored lights and never blinking.

The mantle (on the wall, not over a fireplace) held Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, again hand made by mom, and the ceramic acrobatic snowmen dolled up in glass to sparkle like a fresh snow glitters in the sun. It was the only time she lit the silver candles. On Christmas Eve, our stockings would be hung from that mantle. All of our stockings were the same ones year after year. Mine didn’t have my name on it. It was red with the white collar and three angel stickers placed right on the white puff. Amazing that those stickers remained for eighteen years!

Mom would have me help wrap gifts that were for my sister or my dad. She would put pieces of tape along our table, she would make the cuts and folds and tell me where to place the tape.

Now, Christmas morning was the only time I was allowed to jump into bed with my sister and call out to our parents for permission to get up. Dad always had to “Check” on things before we were allowed to see.

Adding to our wonderment, the tree was always lit up revealing the treasures laid out for us. Santa only brought the big gift and filled our stockings. He didn’t wrap for added Santa effect.

One year, I went back to my room and there was a beautiful Christmas dress laid on my bed. It wasn’t there when I got up, but mom insisted that Santa must have still been in the house and left it there for me…and my sister had one on her bed too! Sneaky Santa!

Some of my favorite gifts from Santa were a family pinball machine, an Atari System, an electric child size organ, Alphie, Speak’n Spell, Moppet’s Doll House, A Cabbage Patch Kid named Ola and when I got older a rainbow comforter for my bed.

The old Christmas record played Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Sam Cook’s renditions of the timeless classics. They remain some of my favorites and take me back to the days when I wasn’t the Santa and didn’t have to do the shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking or making the traditions.

Magically, my mom made it to Christmas 1995. That year I decorated the tree because she was too sick to, but we listened to that old record together and had a fun conversation as I placed the sweet old handmade ornaments on the tree. That night was such a gift because the next day she wasn’t herself and didn’t even know it was Christmas.

My sister and I divided up the hand made ornaments and I have the old 1960s Pink Star. I haven’t used those ornaments in a couple of years, but I’m so glad that I have them. I used to proudly boast that every ornament on my tree was made by my grandma, mom and sister. I plan on passing them down to my daughter when she grows up and has a family of her own…and maybe add something to the collection that I make. That might take a little magic too!

Photo Tag

Here are the rules:

*Open your first photo folder.

*Scroll down to the 10th picture.

(if you dont have 10 in that one, then go to the next folder that does).

*Post that photo and the story behind that photo on your blog.
*Tag 5 friends to do the same.

This picture was on Easter 2007 when the Princess and her cousin were both just thirteen years old!

My Hero's family has a house in Ozark, AR that his grandmother's grandparents lived in. Through the years, the house has stayed in the family, most recently owned by his uncle Milton since around 1970.

This little truck has been driven by my Hero and his brothers when they were little kids! I have seen pictures of them sitting on couch cushions on top of the driver's seat! The boys were allowed to drive to the farm about 5 miles away from the house.

All the grandkids, the Princess included, has driven this little truck around the large one acre yard since they were young!

I'm so thankful for wonderful Parents!

Even being thirteen hundred miles away from my dad and heaven and earth away from my mom, they are still there for me no matter what.
I have the best step mom anyone could ask for. I've learned so much from all of them. Each one has touch my life so deeply and taught me things that are unique to them.
Mom taught me to be a mother. Dad gave me advice passed down from his father: to help others and make their jobs easier. Kim taught me to have fun and work hard.
I'm just so blessed to have them!

My Hero. My Sweetheart. My Husband.

Words cannot express how thankful I am for my wonderful husband. He treks all over with and for me, from trips to Wal-Mart to trips across the country. He cooks, he cleans, he fixes, he makes calls when I’ve had too much. He rescues me.
He’s finishing up the small touches on the bathroom project, repaired a water main break, put a new motor in the washing machine that was way too new to be worn out, worked in flower beds with me, and held my hand when my I felt like my world had ended.
At Grandpa’s funeral luncheon, my Hero sat at the little girls table and played with them.
The Princess’ sweet sixteen birthday party would have been a total flop if it weren’t for him keeping everyone entertained as Vern (his alter ego).
He didn’t freak out when we learned that if we turned on our heater we would die from carbon monoxide poisoning and made arrangements to have the whole heat and air package unit replaced.
Even though our cars are as old as the hills and we started shopping for a newer one in July, he hasn’t just bought the first one that came along. He wants to make sure that it’s something that we both want to drive.
He encourages me to go for walks and to eat less fattening foods and makes coffee for me almost every morning!
He keeps me smiling with his fun sense of humor and sometimes gives up his Sunday NASCAR race to spend time doing things that I want to do.
He is a nurturer, giver, and my best friend.
My Hero!

November means Gratitude!

I’m learning all the new ways I can be “Thankful” this year. After reading a friend’s recent blog of all the things she is thankful for, I think that I too can commit to posting some of my own gratitude throughout this month.

First and foremost, I’m deeply grateful for unanswered and answered prayers. So far, this year has been a big leap of faith. I’ve had to trust God to show me the way, listen and be patient when the answer was no. It’s hard to be understanding when you know all the way down to the pit of your stomach that an answer to a prayer is no. When a yes got sent down I had wonderful elation! Each answer is a blessing. Somehow. I’ve learned a lot about faith and for that I’m so very thankful.

You're Having Chocolate Cake For Breakfast?

So, the pants are a little looser, but now I’m just in between sizes (grrr). I guess the chocolate cake breakfasts while my parents were visiting didn’t really pay off for the diet program. But oh how I absolutely LoVeD having them here and spending time together! We visited the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, ate lunch at the River Market, drove through the self guided Civil War Battle Site tour at Pea Ridge, went junking on Van Buren’s Historic Main Street and ate out every night! The trip wouldn’t have been as exciting without going to Toad Suck, AR and having our picture made with the sign just to prove that it really does exist! We went, we saw and we bought the t-shirt! All the fun couldn’t end without going to The Big Dam Bridge! The walk was a total of 1 & 2/3 mile round trip! At least I got the exercise in!
I enjoyed every minute that they were here and can’t wait until they visit again when we can explore other sites of the state! Hey, maybe next time we can go to Smackover!

The Presidential Library looks like a huge single wide, but it was cool to see.

Too pretty a scene to pass up at Pea Ridge

My Cute Folks!

Civil War Cannon at Pea Ridge.


Me and my Hero


Arkansas is amazing in the fall! It's a blast of color!

Toad Suck, AR really does exist! We found it!


Had to get the full experience!

Chapter One

…And so begins a new chapter in my life. It may not be as I would like it, but it’s what I have to do. I’ve been trying to figure out what in the world to do with myself since for the last sixteen years I’ve been on “mom duty”, running here and there, getting this and that, trying to keep up. Now? Nothing. I don’t HAVE to do anything except go to work and come home. The problem with not having to do something (anything) is driving me crazy.

I’ve thought about writing a romance novel, or taking a yoga class, or painting my bedroom…but what I have done is made flower beds in front of the house with my Hero. We bought some of those decorative concrete border blocks from Lowe’s. What a sport that was! Both of us are perfectionists and so we both took turns standing back looking to see if each row was nice and even and level…it took about eight hours! My poor bottom and knees hurt from being worked (and I might add here that I don’t work out. I sit on my toosh in an office all day and when I come home I sit it on the couch until it’s time for bed!). Even though the next day, my body complained with every move, it felt good to do something that had a pretty reward. I’ve been trying to decide which plants will best suit each side of the house and I’m happy that I have two good months to dedicate to it.

Together, my Hero and I have also decided to change the way we eat. We lost our appetites over the summer anyway, so we decided to continue to reduce our calorie and fat intake. So far my Hero has lost 10 lbs! Me? As a rule, I don’t weigh myself. If I’ve lost any weight at all, I will not know until my clothes don’t fit anymore. So far they still fit great (dang!). This evening after work, we went for a walk instead of sitting on my rump in front of the TV. I’m hoping that we can continue on this streak of doing things that are good for us and make us happy.

My Princess called me yesterday to tell me that she was asked to a homecoming dance at her new school. I’m excited that she gets to experience the Utah tradition of being asked out in a fun and unique way, but I’m also pretty sad that I didn’t get to be there to be a part of her excitement. At least she called me to share the experience with me. That meant the world to me. I’m also super sad that I won’t be there to scrapbook her Junior Year and all the fun dances and activities she will participate in, but I can’t dwell on that. I’m just trying to get through this the best I can.

Mourning

My summer was turned upside down when My Princess called me from her dad’s house in Utah to tell me that she plans on staying there to finish high school. I did not agree to her plan. I felt horrible. Summer was ruined, because my daughter is my whole life! She is my only focus, the reason why I do anything…

The day that she was supposed to fly home, she didn’t. Her dad didn’t even take her to the airport. He told me that he could not physically put her on the plane and he wouldn’t make her.

It turned into a legal battle.

The police department there would not enforce the law that protects custodial parents from the other parent keeping their kids, all because she is sixteen. I guess Utah law enforcement officers think that sixteen is the new eighteen!

In the end, my attorney and I put together an agreement for a year. The first day of school came and she wasn’t here… I’m still in shock. I’m just so hurt.

In a matter of two months my life has changed drastically and I know that it’s not going to be the way it was ever again.

I don't even know what to name this, so I didn't.

I miss you.

I hate how quiet the house is without you in it. It’s missing the music that pours from your soul. The laughter and joy are gone, in its place darkness and doubt, shock and hurt. It’s just too quiet.

There’s no song left in me. I can’t sing. I can’t eat. I can’t think.

I’ve lost my purpose. I’m lost completely. Plans have changed and I loathe change. I fear it.

I feel like such a failure.

Why is beyond anything that I can comprehend. Manipulation?

God is so Great! I’m truly is awe of His magnificence. I’m learning faith as I go through the sadness, knowing that all things are possible through Him. He is paving the way, whatever the outcome and teaching me as we go. His blessings have not gone unnoticed and I’m so very grateful.

Sometimes You Have to Fight

I’m just pooped out.

I’m exhausted from trying my hardest and never being able to attain the “good enough” status.

The expectation is set incredibly high.

I do…and buy…and sacrifice…and do more…only to be disappointed at the end of the day. It’s impossible to give everything I’m made of without losing all that I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into and sacrificed so much for.

I just tired of it.

Knowing the regret will be inevitable makes risking the resentment a small price to pay.

I signed up for this. This is what I chose.

I never thought about the trials or heartaches, I just jumped in. It was my responsibility and for responsibility sake I’m willing to meet up at the flag pole.

You are worth it to me.

Happy Father's Day!

Dad,
Thank you for showing me the lighter side of life,
for making my childhood full of magic,
Thank you for being there when I need to talk, or a recipe, or to move home,
for sharing your love of Mexican Food with me,
for the sarcasm,
Thank you for teaching me to be a better person,
to make somebody's job easier,
to say yes sometimes to the Princess,
to find adventure.
I Love You and I Miss You!
Love,
Kate

Confessions Of A Teenage Mother

Sixteen years and 9 months ago, I was seventeen years old and a brand new senior at Skyline High School. I was thin to the wind, blonde and a bit on the wild side. It was going on my third year working at Hardee’s and hanging out with the older crowd that worked there. I drove a little, black, soft top Suzuki Samurai that I had bought myself. Freedom from home and high school were just a school year away. I looked into going to college in Rhode Island, but didn’t take the necessary steps to make it a goal, it was just a dream.

In October my mother begged me to go to the doctor… I couldn’t, for the life of me, think of why she wanted me to go. She made an appointment, telling me that she thought that I was pregnant. I denied it. Matter of fact, I felt great! I didn’t even consider the idea.

Well, the doctor confirmed it. I was pregnant.

Graduation became a priority.

As the semester wore on, my body started changing. Thank goodness that big shirts and stretch pants were in style, because hiding it those first few months would have been interesting. I was exhausted and getting up and ready for school was challenging, even more difficult after I was married in December.

Because of being pregnant, married and commuting from West Jordan to Skyline each morning, I asked my counselor if the school would allow me graduate with my class if I received the second semester’s credits from Bingham High School’s Program for Young Mothers. It was approved by the school board and I was relieved.

At Bingham’s Young Mothers Program, I met other girls who were expecting and some who already had their babies. I met girls who were married, and some that were not. Some girls were keeping their babies and some were facing adoption.

I learned from them and their experiences, listened to what they went through during delivery and how hard their pregnancies had been for them. I am grateful to them.

I marched with my class in June, nine months pregnant. Two weeks later, I delivered the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.

I’m not able to have any more children, so she is my miracle. It just happened at a weird time in my life! I was lucky to have an easy pregnancy, and an even easier labor and delivery, but I’m so blessed to have this wonderful daughter!

Happy Sweet Sixteen, my Princess!

It's alright not to share with your teenager list:

My friend Darci posted on her blog her top ten list of stuff that is alright not to share with her kids. I’m inspired to do my version of it because her kids are still little and mine is a teenager.

So, here is my list of things that are just fine not to share with your teenager:

1. Your grades when you were in school
2. The rental car
3. Your hairspray, hairbrush, or deodorant
4. Your income and debt
5. Your credit card
6. Your social status in high school
7. The name of your first (or any) crush
8. Your Creamy Chicken Alfredo
9. If you like or dislike her friends
10. Your Shoes!!
11. That we love it when she gets invited to a sleepover
12. Things we do on date night
13. That I really don’t want to hear what so and so said or did
14. Your Frosty and Fries
15. Your curfew when you were her age

My Stint in Radio

…and the time of most of my embarrassing moments, life changing events and serious learning experiences!

My “dream job” interview was located in downtown Salt Lake City on South Temple in the afternoon on a beautiful, warm weekday. I was a bundle of nerves, parking was interesting and it seemed like I was going to be late if I waited any longer for the elevator. The seventh floor didn’t seem like that long of a trek up the stairs, but I soon realized that there were two flights of thirteen for each floor.

I was out of breath, gasping for air as I pounded on the locked seventh floor door at the back of some office filled with cubicles. A nice lady opened the door, and I croaked out, “I. (exaggerated inhale) Have. (inhale) An. (inhale) Interview. (exaggerated inhale).”

She showed me the way to the lobby, where I sat trying to catch my breath and gazed as the elevator opened up to fresh smiling faces sizing up my near faint, exhausted display. I just knew that this was the worst interview impression ever in recorded history!

A few days later, knowing that I embarrassingly bombed the interview, I sent a Thank You Letter and swallowed my lump of hopefulness.

To my amazement, I got the job!

Later my boss told me that it was the Thank You Letter that won her over. Wow. Who would have known?

From the day of my very awkward interview to the last day that I spent with Simmons Radio Group, strange, but unique to say the least, events took place.

On a sunny Thursday in April 1999, a gunman walked into the Family History Library kiddie-corner from our office building and started shooting people. The buildings within two city blocks were in lock-down mode. So, we all plastered ourselves in the windows of our high rise office building and watched as the armed SWAT Team crept along the rooftops in black ant formation. We heard of a suspicious truck parked down the street that was being investigated for a having bomb inside. We watched as the wounded were loaded into awaiting ambulances and later as a field trip of elementary school aged children (my niece being among them) were escorted out of the building to an awaiting school bus. Not much work was accomplished that day.

Four days later (which happened to be my boss’s birthday), we listened to CNN’s account of the horrible Columbine High School Shootings. Our emotions were still raw from our own too close for comfort shootings across the street. Again, it wasn’t a real productive workday.

For several years there was construction along South Temple for TRAX, a new commuter train to prepare for the extra visitors coming for the 2002 Winter Olympics. In 1999, construction was complete and TRAX was up and running. Since I had to park at a hotel down the block, I had to across the street at the corner of West Temple and South Temple. On a summer afternoon, my ankle twisted out from under me and I went down…face first…right in the middle of that intersection! In pain and embarrassed as the cars stopped at the red light had front row seats to my graceful performance. An elderly lady helped me up and cursed the construction as I hobbled to the sidewalk. When I looked around it donned on me that the construction was over! There wasn’t any in sight! It was like cursing the ice in the summer time!

We dubbed Monday as “Bride Day”. Temple Square was right across the street from our office building and as we walked along the street, we ogled in awe of all the beautiful brides on Monday mornings about to take the plunge into eternity.

Working with Nevah, my boss, was an experience that I can only explain by saying that I was spoiled rotten! She made work fun and I learned more about myself than I ever had before. Of course, the radio environment was exciting and I’m sure deep in my heart that I was meant to work there. Learning the radio lingo was a delight and each day was a new challenge, so it was never boring! I met some interesting people and some semi-famous people too. It was a job that will forever be marked in my memory as the one that I wish I had forever!

One rule that Nevah had was never to talk to her while she was on the phone. I usually respected this rule, except for one day in August 1999! A management meeting was going on in the northwest corner office on our floor and I was filling in for the receptionist as she took her lunch break. All of a sudden, a man burst out of the meeting, running up and down the hall, screaming for everyone to get away from the windows!

“Tornado, everyone get away from the windows!”

I left the receptionist desk to warn my boss who was on the phone. “Nevah, we need to get out of here, there’s a tornado coming!” I whispered to her. She only glanced at me so I said it again.

She replied in a hushed voice, “Kate, I’m on the phone!!”

I could already see the debris circling around in the sky and I was so scared that I just said, “I’ll be in the stairwell if you need me.”

Once there, I started thinking about how I needed to get to the bottom floor. I started running down the stairs, pulling each door shut that was open. When I arrived on the main floor, I heard the storm approaching and I stayed where I was until I heard it pass. Then I watched as it seemed to bounce over the Temple.

In disbelief and a mess of nerves, I rode the elevator back to my office. Nevah was sitting at her desk quietly working and I was afraid to ask her if she stayed there during the storm. So, I just sat down and tried to concentrate on some paperwork. Soon she looked over at me and said, “I can’t believe that I didn’t take that tornado more seriously!”

I was speechless.

A couple of years later our offices moved to Trolley Corners. The commute was just a little different with the freeway construction over and the 2002 Winter Olympics coming up within a year. We missed the Monday Brides, but welcomed better eating establishments at Trolley Square and the much needed parking in the back of the building! All the entertainment of the down town shady characters were replaced with the busy 700 East and BMWs. Nevah was in her element! She was so chic and comfortable in new posh surroundings.

Most everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001. The two hour time difference promised that we were all at home when we first learned that something had happened. Nevah is from the DC area so that was her “home” and she took the news hard!

At work, we sat in the downstairs lobby most of the day, glued to the television set and learned together that this had been on purpose. In the following days, Simmons Radio Group held a radio-a-thon and listened to others pour their hearts out on air. It seemed like everyone in the country needed a grief counselor. My most profound memory of that week was that the cast and crew of 'Touched by an Angel' brought in their payroll checks and handed them right over to support our country!

I was in awe of the down right 'good' in people those few days and weeks after 9/11. It made me so grateful to be there to witness it.

I never would have thought that the event would have an intense impact on me personally, but I was laid off due to the budge cuts and economic pressures that it placed on our business. Nevah was expecting her third child and she was quitting anyway. I was so sad to say goodbye! I’ve always felt I happened onto that job too early in my life. How was I supposed to get a different one after already having had my dream job?

No one in the Salt Lake Valley was hiring after September 11^th! I tried and tried to find a job. Just months before being laid off, I had gotten divorced and moved back in with my parents. I thought that I could save some money to get my own place to live, but those plans changed.

I ended up working at a bakery in Reams Grocery Store. I went from a wearing a suit and pumps to work everyday to jeans, ratty old t-shirts and black comfort fit shoes….but that’s an other story for another post!

Ready?

I’m just not yet ready for my princess to be “Sweet Sixteen”.

I’m not ready for the state issued curfew of 12:30 am which she fully expects will be bestowed upon her. I’m not ready for those nights when I tell her to be home at 11:00.

I’m not ready to allow “driving around” just so she can feel the breeze in her hair or to listen to music as loud as possible. I am surely not ready for a car load of teenagers listening a thumping bass rap mix and texting while screeching down the street!

I’m not ready for boys to pick her up for dates or the inevitable conversations about why he should come to the door, introduce himself to me and my Hero or why I would prefer him to walk her to the door after the date is over. Heaven help me when she gets a steady boyfriend!! I’m so not ready for that yet!!

I’m just not ready for her to get a job where she will be under some boss’s rules about what time the shift will end or trying to explain the privileges and responsibilities of having her own money. I’m not ready to see what purchases will be made with her own money.

She’s growing up so fast. I only have two precious years to instill all the things I want for her before she’s an adult. Before she leaves this nest for college or wherever life takes her.

Spell Check

Spell Check usually saves us from looking stupid when sending emails to important business associates….and then there are the times when Spell Check is the reason why we look like morons.

Case in point, my business email signature BEFORE Spell Check :

Kate Mc2
A/R * Credit * Collections
KHBS-KHOG TV & The Arkansas CW+
Fort Smith – Rogers
Arkansas

And my business email signature AFTER Spell Check:

Kate Mc2
A/R * Credit * Collections
CHUBS – HOG TV & The Arkansas COW+
Fort Smith – Rogers
Arkansas


I know ya'll in LA are wonder'n about us down home country fried folks fix'n to go to Wal-mart!
And I fit right in! Ha Ha Ha!

River Festival

First of all, I have to say that I am in love with Little Rock! It is such a charming city! And it’s been too long since my Hero, the Princess and I have gotten to really enjoy time away from the house, work and school. Memorial Day weekend is the kick off to summer vacation for most school going Arkansans and what a better way to celebrate than a festival along the river front!

I had plans to allow the Princess to go with her BFF and another gal on Friday to her BFF’s mother’s house in Little Rock and join up with her on Saturday. Plans changed on Friday at work while I was chatting with a friend about the fact that I was going to miss Willie Nelson because my reservations were on Saturday. My friend asked why I had made those plans instead of the ones that I really wanted. I explained that Friday night I wanted to clean the house and do some grocery shopping etc…. “Ok. Let me say this out loud for you: You are missing Willie Nelson to clean your house!” she said.

I changed the reservations, called my Hero who said that he would run home and throw in some laundry (sigh, he’s so cute) and called my Princess’ BFF’s mom who we were hanging out with to tell her that I get to see Willie Nelson!!! Yay!

When we were on our way, I mentioned to my Hero that I would love to stop in Ozark at my favorite restaurant for a pulled pork sandwich. He informed me that we were pressed for time if we were going get there in time see Willie take the stage at 9:00. So, we called in and ordered out (ahhhhh yummm).

Along the river front there were three different stages filled with big named acts. I passed up the B52s to see Willie Nelson, a speck up on the stage, in between us a sea of people. The Princess trio went to see Gavin Rossdale (who?). I enjoyed Willie alright, even with the sea of ten gallon hats on the tallest men I’ve tried to see over or through.

Saturday was so laid back with the Princess trio at the pool, my Hero at his laptop and me and Ellie cracking up on the deck. The girls later designed their own River Fest 2009 shirts…that they decided to omit the letters so they can wear them again another time.

That night the concerts were Heart, Hinder and Jason Aldean. All of us went our different ways. My Hero understands and shares my love for Heart. As I started rocking out with them the heavens opened up raining on a slant just so that it was hitting the band right in the face! I felt bad for them. A few songs in Ann Wilson said that they were still gonna rock it! The crowd went nuts! They are so incredibly talented and I’m so glad that I got to see them!

Since I was still on cloud nine and not ready to go back to the hotel and to sleep, my Hero and I went out for some late night IHOP. The place was packed even though the streets were virtually empty! Most of the crowd was high school kids that graduated from area high schools that night. Three sitting across from us as we all waited to be seated were telling another friend the colleges each were accepted to. One sang out Tulane, another said University of Kentucky and the third and only boy said in a quiet voice Princeton. The girls rolled their eyes and said we can’t take you anywhere, just Princeton, I hate you! I wanted so bad to tell him congratulations, but I thought it might freak them out since it was so late in a crowded IHOP not to mention that I was eavesdropping.

Sunday we hung out for a little while as the sky poured and poured. The Princess trio decided to get dolled up and go out to eat. Their later concert events were canceled and my Hero and I said our good byes and drove home.

Monday I woke up sick most likely from standing in the rain and screaming my head off for Heart. I never think of the consequences! Ha Ha Ha!

It was worth it though! One of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time!

Momma's Day

Mother’s Day hasn’t always been my favorite holiday. While the Princess was little it was fun and cute. She would insist on breakfast in bed and flowers. Sometimes, a home drawn, darling card would be included. She would lay in my bed as I ate the breakfast that my Hero helped her cook and beg for some too…I never understood why they just didn’t make it family breakfast in our bed…oh well.

I lost my mom when I was twenty one, when I was still in the selfish, independent, not wanting to believe that 'momma knows best' stage. I lost her before I could really honor her at Mother’s Day. Not the breakfast in bed with flowers way, but the “thank you for all that you have done for me, & put up with from me, & sacrificed for me” way… I have always felt guilty for that, thus one of the reasons for my dislike of the holiday.

This year, my Hero asked me what was on the agenda for Saturday. I told him that I was having my hair done at noon with Whitney (my hair chick). I saw a fleeting deer in the head light look, but it was so quick that I thought I must have been mistaken. That night while at dinner, he said that he had to tell me something and he was happy that we were in public so that I wouldn’t yell at him (I had no idea that I have a habit of yelling at him, but that’s his story). He slowly said, “I made you a hair appointment with Whitney at one. It’s our Mother’s Day present for you.” I laughed! Oh, he’s so sweet to me! And soooo the reason why he is my Hero!

Teacher Appreciation

Let’s just face it, I’m a rebel.

I have rebelled against the whole schooling institution from preschool to graduation. The Princess however, is a really big butt kisser! When everyone else in the class prays for the teacher to get distracted, the Princess is annoyed by it. I know…FREAK!

I keep to myself that I’m not as respectful toward teachers as I should be because I would hate for her to be disappointed.

When she was in the fifth grade, I was asked to join the PTA Board. Me?!? To me, it was like joining the military! Signing over my life! The other board ladies didn’t grow up with me and my lack of educational interest. They can’t be blamed for the poor decision to beg for my involvement. The stint only lasted a few weeks, maybe a month at most. With all my flakiness, I walked in, told the ladies to give my VP Pin to the President because I wasn’t going to do this anymore. As I left, I heard one say to another, “I think she just quit!”

Well, no kidding?! Do ya think?

After that experience, I’ve avoided all PTA crap on purpose! Sure, I’ll send in my three bucks because after that they usually just go away. Until two weeks ago when KARMA sent the following email:

“The PTA Board quit in the middle of the year and is out of money. Can you please bring a gallon of orange juice and a 5lb bag of oranges for The Teacher Appreciation Breakfast?”

Teacher Appreciation!

Maybe someone is trying to tell me something….?

My Princess is everything in school that I wasn’t. She’s involved. She’s driven. She “appreciates”. And because I’m the adult with the job and consequently the money to buy the orange overload, I’m forced to appreciate too! For her sake. Because she makes me a better person. She helps me have appreciation.

Breathtaking

On the one year anniversary of the hail storm that left the pock marked complexion of my Hero’s poor car, another severe storm system rolled through our area and left destruction in its path. Some of the suburbs in Oklahoma City were destroyed by fires, and four tornadoes touched down in our area. One mile wide twister leveled a town called Mena, which is about an hour south of where we live.

In our area the sirens were blaring and we (of course like idiots) were on the front porch with our noses to the sky in awe of wind and buckets of rain. Within minutes the storm had passed and the sky turned a brilliant orange! Then my Hero sighed and said “Oh, it’s the sunset!” I ran for the camera.

Knowing that somewhere there was sadness, this is the joy. It was breathtaking. And seconds after that we learned of the loss of an entire town…

Below is a slide show from the town of Mena:
http://www.4029tv.com/slideshow/15841393/detail.html