Keeper...

So far the holiday weekend has been very nice! We arose Saturday morning at 6:30, puttered around a bit, showered, then packed food, soda's, swim suits and beach towels, and headed out (at 9:00) to meet the kids and pick up Candy! We got to Kaw Lake around 11:00! The day had started out cloudy and cool, with intermittent sprinkles, but by noon it began to warm up nicely! We sat around a picnic table with lots of family and talked and laughed for a bit, then Marvin and I took a walk along the sandbar. The water was muddy, dirty, filled with bobbing debris, and moving rapidly enough to be scary! It has rained so much over the past two weeks or so that many ponds, rivers and lakes are not only swollen...but above flood stage! The rising waters had deposited lots of 'treasures' on the sandbar, and we took an hour and a half or so to explore a section about a half mile long! Among our finds were several left shoes (no right ones), a pacifier, an auto headlight, a basketball, a tennis ball, two softballs, several buoys, many fishing 'bobbers', a refrigerator, four chairs, a wide variety of bottles, a trot line, and lots and lots of driftwood! We eventually went back to the campsite for lunch and later in the day, Chas, Shane and Candy went with us to check out the beach again! The day passed quickly and before we knew it, we were back on the highway headed home! Our swimsuits were still dry as the waters were too choppy and nasty for swimming, and too full of debris for skiing or tubing!

Marvin and I missed church Sunday morning due to a nasty migraine that I awoke with. Thankfully, it subsided and the rest of the day wasn't ruined! We eventually headed out in search of lunch, groceries and a bit of recreation (not in that order). We had a bite of Bar B Q, then drove downtown to see if we could locate the 'troll in the hole' (a new piece of artwork recently installed below a grate along the river). The top picture above is of the 'Troll in the Hole"...Chas took it earlier in the week. We searched diligently, but failed to locate him! A phone call to Chas (later in the day) provided better directions, so we will try again! During the course of our 'troll hunt', we checked out the newly refurbished "Keeper of the Plains" statue (the middle picture above) outside of the Mid-America All Indian Center . I was not particularly impressed with the sculpture, but I really liked the bridge leading to it (the bottom picture)!

Since it had not begun to rain yet, we put the top down and headed in the general direction of the grocery store. Along the way, we spotted a new antique store/tea room called "The Cup-n-Saucer", so we stopped to investigate! It was delightful! I left with an antique pull toy in the shape of a horse, and a doll rocker that was so unique I couldn't leave it behind!

We concluded our trek with (of course) the grocery shopping. After putting things away, we both fell asleep on the couch for a bit! All in all...it has been a lovely weekend so far!

Tomorrow...a cookout at our house and a special lawn game called "Monkey Bar Golf" (which Shane has promised to teach us)! I am looking forward to another great day!

Be Well!

Friday eve...

Thankfully, it is almost Friday! This week has been excruciatingly long. The days have been fraught with depression, worry and illness, and the night’s mostly void of sleep. I am so looking forward to a three-day weekend!

For the past couple of weeks our plan has been to go to the lake for at least one day and enjoy water sports, day camping and family. The weather is attempting to put a serious ‘kibosh’ on things…but we shall remain undaunted. If indeed it does turn out to be cloudy, chilly and wet…we will find other ways to enjoy this time off!

I have been reading about ‘Contemporary Poverty Syndrome’…it explains a lot of things in our world today. The things that I have always thought of as ‘causes’ of poverty are in fact ‘factors’ of poverty. There is a huge difference. The sad thing is that it all seems to be a vicious cycle…with no foreseeable end. I have been able to clearly identify characteristics of those deeply afflicted by this syndrome…in members of both my extended family and Marvin’s. I am really beginning to question our welfare system. Instead of helping those in need…we have apparently become ‘enablers’. However, as in many other things, perhaps the problem isn't in the system itself, and definitely not in it's original intent...but in the abuse and eventual mutation of it. It would appear that in most cases…the attitude of poverty began many generations ago…and will be perpetuated for many to come. It’s so much more than money.

In any case…a little knowledge is a dangerous thing…so I will continue to study this issue…it is very interesting.

Be Well!

Another one bites the dust...

I can't believe the weekend is already over! It seems as though it's only just begun...when...BAM...it's gone!

Saturday - We rose early (Marvin at 7:00 and me at 7:30 a.m.). We watched about 45 minutes of T.V., then Marvin cleaned the garage and washed the cars while I did some laundry, cleaned the house and cooked breakfast. By 11:30 we were in the car, with the top down enjoying the sunshine! We headed for Riverfest and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying music, people watching, dodge ball (did you know this was an actual sport?), and strolling along the river bank. The weather was perfect and we had an excellent day!

Sunday - We decided on the early service, so we got out of bed at 6:15. For the first time ever...we beat the kids to church!! After what seemed like a very loooooong sermon...Shane and Candy headed to Candy's grandparents house for lunch, and Marvin, Chas and I tried to have breakfast at The Good Egg. We drove into the parking lot and saw that the waiting line was all the way out the door, so we backtracked a bit and had lunch at Chili's instead! After lunch we drove back to Park City to retrieve a Penney's gift card, picked Chas up at her house and hit the mall in search of swim suits! Chas tried on two, and although both looked fabulous on her, she decided to stick with her old one. I tried on twelve (seriously), and finally bought one. It didn't 'knock my socks off', but it wasn't terrible. I'm not sure that I will ever find a swim suit that I am 'happy' with, so all in all it was a successful trip! We are going to the lake next weekend, so I was pretty much down to the wire! After shopping, we met Shane, Candy, Harold and Diane at the Warren and saw Shrek the Third! It was hilarious! My Shrek favorites are definitely Donkey and Puss In Boots!! The evening ended with dinner at Il Vicino and a walk when we got home!

The coming week is already shaping up to be the week from 'you know where'. I will be filling in for the receptionist (she is on vacation), and it is supposed to be one of the busiest weeks of the entire year. Hopefully, it will pass quickly!

Have a great week...take time to laugh!

Be Well!

Under the bed...

I was reading CJ's blog tonight...she mentioned a childhood fear of intruders under the bed. It made me think of someone that I hadn't thought of for a long time...


Fred...

The lights were all off
The day over and done,
My mind was all filled
With laughter
and
fun!

The darkness and shadows
Intruding and scary,
I started to think...
Of monsters...
all spiny and hairy.


The clock said "tick
tock"
The shutters they creaked,
I pulled the blanket up tight
The wind started to shriek.

I waited in terror
For demons unknown,
From hunchbacks to boogie men
My
Worried
Mind
roamed.

From somewhere quite near
I heard a new sound,
Gripping the bed clothes...
My heart started to pound.

I strained...
And I listened...
I wanted to hear,
The source of the sound...
Became suddenly clear.

It was not in the closet...
But under the bed,
Not at the foot...
But up by my head!

I sat bolt upright!
Trembling and cold,
Frightened and scared,
And not very bold...

A bit louder it came then...
A sob and a whimper,
"I'm frightened, and chilly,
and I've got a big blister!"

My mind all confused
I hadn't a clue,
As I thought and I pondered
What now to do...

Up on my knees
I crawled to the edge,
Resigned to do battle
U
N
D
E
R
the bed.

I slid to the floor
And took a deep breath,
Consumed by the fear
Of a horrible death!

I yanked up the bedspread,
Then, fell back on my hiney...
There, rolled in a ball
Was a monster...
All shivery and whiney.

My eyes took him in
From the tips of his paws,
To his small,
purple
chin.

His eyes were as big
As two saucers could be,
His arms were quite l o n g…
Well past his knees!

I looked on in wonder
And, frankly...in envy...
As his big, floppy, striped ears
Perked
up
to
hear me.

He shook and he shivered
His long arms hugged himself,
"Are you cold?" I inquired...
Afraid for his health.

"Oh yes," he replied,
"Really quite so! And I'm frightened,
and lonely...from my head to my toes!"

"Is it possible..." I asked,
“do you think it could be...
that we could be friends?
best friends...you and me?"

He cocked his bright orange
Fur covered head,
At a
comical
angle
u
n
d
e
r
the bed.

He closed one green eye
In a humorous wink...
Then he smiled,
and I saw that his teeth
Were bright pink!

I reached
out
my
hand,
And losing my dread,
I asked him his name
And he answered me...
"Fred!"

I took his green paw
And gave it a tug,
He scurried on out
And we stood on the rug.

"It's time for bed, Fred"
I told him quite sternly,
"We must get to sleep now
for morning comes early!"

We climbed in...
underneath the big quilt,
And we talked and told stories...
And we laughed and we squealed.

I'm not afraid now,
For the truth is...you see...
My monster, my best friend,
My protector
is
he!

Copyright©2007 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.

Be Well!

A bit behind...

Once again I’ve managed to fall behind in my blogging. I keep promising myself that I will do better…but I’m afraid that I’m hopeless. Now that summer is here, it will probably only get worse! This is my favorite season! Sunshine, warm breezes, butterflies, flowers, the sound of birds singing in the morning and locusts serenading the evening, children playing outdoors until the last rays of light fade away, open windows, fluttering curtains, shorts, tank tops, bare feet, cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, lush green trees, tall pampas grass…amber waves of grain...the list goes on and on!

Unfortunately, tonight is not a great night. I haven’t felt well today…I can’t put my finger on the problem…I just don’t feel well. I’m so exhausted that I can barely put one foot in front of the other, my eye is scratchy and irritated, and…although I don’t have a headache…my scalp and my hair hurt (I know, that’s weird)! I may just be tired. Sleep has been elusive for a while now…it happens. As icky as I feel…Shane is feeling sooooo much worse! Please continue to keep him in your prayers! Yesterday’s x-ray’s show some improvement, but he is still in a LOT of pain!

I had the best Mother’s Day in history, and I am continually grateful for the family that God has blessed me with! I love all three of them more than words could ever express!

I know this is short, and doesn’t really do anything but ramble…but I’m gonna call it a day and curl up on the couch.

Be Well!

A great weekend!

I know it's probably a bit late...but we had a really nice weekend! So...here it is!

Saturday - We hit the highway Saturday morning around 10:00 a.m., headed for Oklahoma City! The drive down was cloudy and cool, but nice! We arrived in the City about 12:30, and drove through Bricktown! It was already bustling with activity! Since Marvin had never seen the memorial to those lost in the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building , we decided to stop there! I had been there once before, but this time we were fortunate enough to arrive just in time to hear a ranger give a short presentation on the history and design of the memorial! It was fascinating! The memorial is beautiful, and definitely evokes a myriad of emotions. Realizing that this horrific event not only affected those within the walls of the building during the explosion and their loved ones...but also represented the first terrorist attack on our own soil...changing forever the way our society functions...was overwhelming!

We left the memorial in search of lunch! A short distance away, we found a place called Jimmy's Egg. Always up for new culinary experiences, we wandered in! Jimmy's turned out to be an excellent choice, although I blew my diet with a ginormous yeast biscuit and wonderful thick, white gravy! As we waited for our food, I noticed a signed picture of a man who I recognised as 'famous'...but I wasn't sure who he was, so I pointed it out to Marvin. As it turned out...the picture was of Garth Brooks...who apparently is a 'Jimmy's Egg' fan! Apologies to all you 'Country Western' folks...I'm just an old rocker...country just isn't my thing!

Our next stop was Quail Springs Mall. We spent the next three hours shopping and people watching! It was a great afternoon! I tried on 6 different sundresses, but failed to find one that 'knocked my socks off'. Although, I did find a pair of shorts at Express (thank you Shane), and Marvin got a new cover for his cell phone. Around 5:00 we left the mall and checked into our hotel, where we rested for an hour or so, then freshened up. Dinner was at a steak house, which I don't remember the name of...but whose wonderful, moist, sweet, bread pudding...I shall never forget! Finally, on to the UCO Jazz Lab, for an evening with Garrett “Big G” Jacobson! He was phenomenal!

Sunday - We rose Sunday morning to grey skies and rain, but our spirits were undaunted by the weather! After a quick breakfast (back on my diet with oatmeal and yogurt) at the hotel, we put the top down and pointed the car in the direction of Stillwater and Eskimo Joe's, Stillwater's Jumpin' Little Juke Joint! We arrived just in time for lunch, then took a quick turn through the gift shop, where we purchased 6 Eskimo Joe cups (two that change color when wet, and four that glow in the dark).

As we drove on toward Kansas, the weather changed almost minute-by-minute! We had spoken with the kids, and were aware of dangerous storms ahead, so we were particularly cognizant of the clouds! A brief visit with each of our mother's signaled the end of our trek, and we headed toward Wichita...tired...but in a good way!

It was a wonderful weekend! (Thank you Marvin!)

Be Well!

Procrastination...

Well, I hit the mall after work this afternoon. I have had my eye on a GORGEOUS dress all winter! It was black and white, sleeveless, ankle length, arm holes tapered back a bit, tapered waistline and it buttoned up the front, with a standing collar and a 'sort of deep' neckline. I could just imagine it on someone a little less 'fluffy' than I was. I pictured the way it should fall...and flow when the wearer walked. I promised myself that 'if and when' I lost weight...I would buy that dress! I even visited it once. It is gone. My own darn fault...I know that....but dang it! In it's stead...I tried on a number of sundresses. I have wanted to wear a nice, pretty, strappy sun dress...with a semi-flippy skirt...for about 3 years now. Every time I tried one on though...I was reminded by Admiral Mirror...how unattractive 'back cleavage' and 'wings' are! Those things seem to be gone...but now I can't find a dress that I like! I am determined to find one...so...the hunt is on!!

Unfortunately, it is also swimsuit time. Fortunately, the suit that I had last year is very large now! Unfortunately, this means that I will need to steel myself against Major Mirror...and find a new one! Swim suits forgive nothing...so I walked a bit extra today...this is going to be ugly!

Be Well!