Exploring Oklahoma

Over the last week or so, we have made a number of car trips between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. When we are headed home, we have taken to driving Route 66 for variety in the scenery.  

Some day when we are not emotionally and physically drained, we plan to make the drive again and stop at a couple of places.  

• One stop will be the Round Barn in Arcadia. 

• The second stop will be the Rock Cafe in Stroud.
  

Friday Night at Driller's Stadium

The Husband asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner on Friday night. Of course, I said yes. We had hot dogs, peanuts and beers. Whoo hoo!

It was a beautiful night.
OH. MY. GAWD. Our seats were behind two guys we have known for years through work. Randy and Craig.  They are a bit crazy.
I miss seeing these guys every day.  

They used to be part of a "comedy trio", but unfortunately the third person, Doug, passed away earlier this year. As Craig said tonight, "I keep expecting him to pop up somewhere and say 'Surprise!'." Unfortunately, that will not happen.

The Husband and I were so pleased to see these guys (and their long-suffering women) tonight. While I absolutely LOVE being a home based employee, folks like this make me miss being in an office everyday.

I Just Don't Understand...

These women are nuts!

Great Nephews

Our sweet great nephews.  Charlie, Jesse, Nathan and John Adam.  They were totally mesmerized by a DVD. 

Cemetery Duty

The Husband and I decorated graves yesterday at the South Heights cemetery in Sapulpa. His grandparents, great-grandparents and aunt. We also confirmed the spot where his sister will rest beginning May 27th. 

You know how unsettling the time between the death of a loved one and the finality of the funeral services can be. On one hand, Wednesday can't be over soon enough. On the other hand, we wish we could roll back time and undo the events that have led us to this place.

It was comforting yesterday, however, to see the living tending the dead. The cemetery looked pretty with the brightly colored flowers, balloons, and other decorations. This activity, to me, is an affirmation that we do not forget our people.

I was happy my sister and her family visited our father yesterday. I don't know when I'll get there to see him, but he knows he's not forgotten. Neither are our grandparents in Arkansas. We depend on our cousins to tend to them and they do so faithfully.

I hope all of you find comfort in remembering and tending to those members of your families who are no longer with you.

In Memory of my Sister-In-Law

Patti Powell Brown

Funeral services for Patti Brown, 57, Oklahoma City, formerly of Enid, will be Tuesday, May 26, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. in St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Watchhorn Chapel, Oklahoma City, with Reverends Wendy Lambert and Linda Brink Worth officiating. Burial will be held in South Heights Cemetery, Sapulpa. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. Patti was born on November 13, 1951 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Jesse and Lucye Maxey Powell, and died Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Oklahoma City. Patti was raised in Sapulpa and graduated from Sapulpa High School. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. At the University of Oklahoma, Patti was a member of Chi Omega Sorority and Beta Gamma Sigma. She received her CPA. In 1974, Patti married Gary L. Brown in Sapulpa. Patti worked for the CPA firm Arthur Andersen in Tulsa for several years. She later moved to Enid, where she was in private practice until four years ago. Patti was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where she was on the Board of Deacons, PEO, Chapter Q, Junior Welfare League, and on the Board of Directors of the Enid Public School Foundation. Patti is survived by three daughters, Amy and husband Dillon Curran of Oklahoma City, Tracy and husband Tim Dowell of Oklahoma City and Mary Brown and fiance Joel Siria of Norman grandchildren: John Adam, Nathan, Jesse and Charlie two brothers, Steve Powell of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Bill Powell of Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Patti was preceded in death by her parents. Memorials may be made to St. Luke's United Methodist Church with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds. Condolences may be made to the family online at www.brown-cummings.com. 

A Custom Swimsuit

I forgot to mention in my previous post the option of a custom swimsuit. A few years ago, one of our neighbors planned to celebrate her 50th birthday with a trip to a Mexican beach. She was stressed about purchasing a swimsuit, because of her concern about her body (size 6-8, I estimate.) Yeah, right.

She opted to go to Massad's of Tulsa for a custom swimsuit. They do not have a website, so I've linked you to an old Tulsa World article. Yes, they do feature SEXY wear that appeals to a WIDE cross section of consumers (keep an open mind, people!), but they also create custom items for special circumstances.

Our neighbor was EXTREMELY happy with her suit and felt sexy and confident on the beach. What more could you ask for?

A Woman's Worst Nightmare!

Swimsuit shopping...

Does any woman ever truly believe she looks good in a swimsuit?

I shopped recently for suits for our big trip to Hawaii in September. I brought three suits home from Dillards. I was very proud. But, it was certainly a journey.

The woman in the dressing room next to me carried on a vocal conversation with herself after she tried on each of her suits. Comments ranged from "Oh my gawd!" to "This is unbelievable." to "This can't be right!"

Then there were the three teenage girls that were laughing at the suit bottoms in the "Woman's" section of the store. All I could think was "Just wait...one day your little heinies will have spread just like the rest of ours."

There was a time when I looked decent in a swimsuit. I didn't think so then, but looking back at the pictures today I know it to be true. I'm sure I will never look like that again, but I'm going to try very hard not to obsess about how I look today. I'm just going to enjoy the opportunity to wear them.

To quote Agnes DeMille, "Dance in the body you have."

I Made It...

to the Designer's Showcase Sunday, the last day.

I think I will plan to always go on the last day. There was hardly anyone there and I really got to look closely at all the rooms and spend as much time as I wanted to in each.

I enjoyed moving at my own pace and by myself through the house.

Play Ball !!!

Last night we attended the Tulsa Drillers game.  The Husband loves baseball.  Or is it the hot dogs, peanuts and cold beer?

I'm a people watcher, in addition to being a peanut eater and beer drinker.
What a cute couple!

Mayfest

I love Mayfest.  We went Thursday night and had a great time.

• I bought a lovely red purse from Willow Brook Leather.
  
• I purchased a few pretty little beaded things from F. Highlander Designs.
  
• I coveted a big, beautiful Celtic brooch by Linton Ltd.
  
• I admired the jewelry by Charles Rice.*  (I've purchased a couple of pieces from him in past years.)
• I adored the art by Donna Doersam.*

* I'd love to link you to their websites, but it appears as if neither of them have one.  Which is unfortunate. 

A Continuing Theme...

for this week..forgetfulness!

I left the office today and drove to the airport. Upon arrival, I realized I left my CELL PHONE at the office. Do you know how hard it is to find a pay phone nowadays? I kept thinking "I'll call 'so and so' and ask them to look for my phone." How could I? 

I HAD NO CELL PHONE!

Oh...Pancake!

The project I'm assigned to gives me the opportunity to work with people of many ethnic heritages and people who have been privileged to work in many different cultures from around the world.

One of the folks is married to a native of Azerbaijan and was able to work there for a number of years. There are many languages spoken in the country, Azeri is the most widely spoken, but Russian is also spoken.

This person told me the word "blin" in Russian has two definitions. One is "pancake" and one is "damn." He worked with a woman who said "blin" a lot.

Our little team has adopted "PANCAKE" as a polite way to express frustration without offending any of our other co-workers.

We have to have fun where we can!

I Brought The Camera...

...to Houston. But I forgot the docking station and cord that would allow me to upload photos and post them to my blog. Oh well...

It was 87 degrees and mostly sunny today. But I wish I was in Tulsa where it was rainy and cool.

Work has been interesting this week. The clock is ticking on the global website that I have managed for a number of years. We "turn off the lights" on June 30th. If I'm lucky enough to keep a job after June 30th, I will transition from someone who is an "expert" in her area of responsibility to a "newbie."

I'm not good at being a newbie.

I Made It To Houston Today

On the positive side:

• I was not frisked at security
• I was not told my luggage was too big to carry on

On the negative side:

• I forgot my hands free set for my phone
• I forgot my clip on sunglasses for my prescription glasses
• My office was assigned to someone else last week, while I was home sick
• My usual type room at the hotel was unavailable, so I'm in a room that doesn't really work for me, but I have no options to change it this week

I need to get my travel "groove" back!

Friday Night on the Porch

We purchased our current house because of two things: 1) the large dining room and 2) the large front porch.

Last night was a perfect porch night. We were there from 4:00pm until 8:00pm. In that time, a neighbor came to update us on her family's week, plus the latest "going ons" in the neighborhood.

Additionally, there were lots of neighbors out walking with dogs and without dogs (our neighborhood has sidewalks, thank you!) and sitting on their porches--visiting, laughing and passing the time.

There were numerous large City of Tulsa trucks and heavy equipment just down the block at the location where a house was recently demolished. This was interesting!

Our neighbors directly across the street went to a party tonight. They left their 13 year old son home alone. He could shoot baskets on the driveway as long as we (The Husband and I) were on the porch. He did not even cringe at the restriction of "the neighbors" watching him. He shot hoops for a while and then told us "I'm going inside." Bless his heart! He is a good boy and we hope he stays that way.

We are so appreciative of the neighborhood in which we live. We were entertained tonight without ever turning on the TV. How many areas can you say that about?

Surprise

The original title of this post was supposed to be "Promise." I was planning this morning to take a photo of the clematis vine with all the buds and extol the "Promise" of the buds.

I went outside at noon and, lo and behold, there were two flowers. Hence the name "Surprise" for this blog entry!

Bleah

I've had a stomach bug since Sunday. How much chicken noodle soup, juice and popsicles can a person consume? I cancelled my trip to Houston this week and stayed abed Monday and Tuesday. I worked today, but finally cratered after about 8 hours. I'm operating at about 70% efficiency.

I feel guilty about not working Monday and Tuesday. That's what happens when you are a virtual employee and have a fully functioning home office mere steps away. Technology is wonderful, but it can prevent you from getting the rest you need when you are ill. Plus, even though everyone says, "Take care of yourself.  Rest." What they really mean is,"Take care of yourself. Rest. But do your work and deliver on time." I just couldn't do it this time. So, I'll be playing catch-up the rest of the week and into the weekend.  :-)

So, how's your week been so far?

Inheritance

My mother has recently been going through a lifetime's accumulation of stuff, one drawer at a time. Some of these things were given into her custody upon the death of her mother-in-law, my Granny. We are unsure whether these pieces of embroidery were done by Granny, or her mother, my Great-Granny. The top piece still has the pins in it where she planned to hem it.

This apron was made by Granny.  She made most of her clothes and a lot of her granddaughters clothes.  We still have several dresses that she made for me and my sister. One of the great things about Granny's sewing was you could turn a garment inside out and it was still a thing of beauty.  Her finished seams were a sight to behold. I think that's why my Mom never took up sewing!
This piece of fabric has been folded away about 40 years, waiting to be made into something useful (Granny died in 1976 and gave up sewing in '70 or '71). Once I figure out what that is, I'll let you know.
A family picture of Great Granny and us.  My older brother "R", my little sister "A" and me holding a toy sewing machine, a birthday present.  
My Granny.  I need to find a better picture of her, but this will do for now.
I'm glad my Mom is clearing out drawers, closets, etc. Especially after recently watching the HBO movie Grey Gardens. Not that my Mom is anything like the Beales, but after watching that movie you just want to CLEAN your house and get rid of stuff!

Tired

I kept the 6 and 3 year old nieces for 27 hours this weekend.  I'm tired...

TSA Stories from the Previous Week

At the Tulsa airport last Monday, I was frisked (whoo hoo) because I did not take off my long sleeve shirt, layered over a tank top. Now mind you, I took off my shoes, I packaged my liquids in 3oz or smaller containers and put them in a zip lock bag and I took my pc out of my brief case, but that was not enough. Okay. I can accept that.

At the Houston airport last Thursday, I was allowed to get all the way to the TSA checking my id against my boarding pass. One of the TSA's who had just allowed me to pass through the line came up to me and following is the conversation:

Her: "Your bag is too big. You must check it."

Me: "I take this bag through security every week and gate check it."

Her: "Your bag is too big. You must check it."

Me: "See the Continental gate check tag? I gate check this bag every week!"

Her: "Your bag is too big. You must check it. Take it to the counter. If they say it is okay, you can bring it."

She's a TSA. I do not want to argue at an airport. I want to get home...I do not want to be locked up in a small windowless room in an airport! So, I go to the Continental counter. There are a number of customers using the kiosks. The Continental employee helped all of them and finally asked me if I needed something. I repeated my conversation with the TSA:

Continental Employee: "It's fine. What is her problem?"

Me: "I don't know. I pointed out the existing gate check tag."

Her: "It's fine. Go back to the line."

Me: "Thanks so much. What is your name, in case she asks?"

Her: "Connie"

Me: "Thanks, Connie."All the while thinking "I could NOT make up: Connie from Continental!"

I went back to the security line and told the TSA that "Connie from Continental" told me the bag was okay to gate check. The new TSA said "Okay, if she say so."

Travel is getting harder and harder. Is it really necessary that it be so hard?

I Won An Award!

I'm so very excited! 

My new friend Donna, of Gather, gave me this lovely award. How sweet is that? I won my first blog contest on Gather and now this!

This award means a lot to me. When I started my blog I wasn't sure than anyone, other than my immediate family and a few close friends, would be interested in my thoughts on different topics. A bonus from my blog is I am making contact with smart, creative, funny people in the blog universe and I love it.

The rules of the award are: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 5 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. 

Here are 5 of my favorites that you should visit.

Cari:  http://cari-okie.blogspot.com/

Not Quite June Cleaver:  http://notquitejunecleaver.com/

Tori:  http://babybloomr.com/

Sunny Rising Leather:  http://sunnyrisingleather.blogspot.com/

Married2Mr.Wright:  http://cali2okie.blogspot.com/

I have been a "lurker" on 2 of these blogs, so this award from me will be a surprise to the blog writer.

I enjoy all of these blogs and I know you will also!