Thursday, March 31, 2016

Name Me and Claim Me.

A couple of weeks ago we spent some time with our grandson. While I was there, I tried to get him to say "Lolli". He did say something and in my heart I thought it was "Lolla", but I kept the thought in my heart and tried not to get excited in case it was just toddler babble. Yesterday we went to see him and again I asked him if he could say "Lolli", and by gosh, there is no doubt about it, he said "Lolla". Close enough, Lolla it is!!! I have witnesses and I am and vowing that he named me and I'm claiming it!!!

Psalm 91:14
"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him: I will protect him, because he knows my name."

Also...... He loves to play in Lolla's purse. He knows exactly where the phone pocket is and when he gets my phone and sees the screen saver (him sitting in a bowl), he pats his chest and says "Bubba". It warms my heart, it does.  Let me tell you this.... Next time Lolla visits Levi, that phone pocket will be packed with special stuff for Levi, because that's what a Lolla's purse is supposed to be filled with. Right now my heart is filled with joy because there is something special about knowing he can say my name.... He knows me which makes my heart swell with pride... But not in a bad kind of pride.... A Lolla kind of pride.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Truth is in the Details


Tomorrow is Good Friday, a time for Christians to reflect upon the crucifixion of Christ. To genuinely celebrate Easter, or the resurrection of Christ, we must first reflect upon the preceding event which was his death. It's easier to skip over the gruesome details of his death, but the truth of Christ is in the intricate details. Woven together, the details directly fulfill prophecy. Without Good Friday, there is no resurrection. Without the cross, there is no salvation. This is a memorial of our salvation, and a time when we have to embrace the bad in order to obtain the good.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Rest in Peace Sweet One

I've had a weepy day. I'm a fixer and there are just so many things that I cannot fix. As I was wrapping up my workday, I took a look at the most recent posts on Facebook. A dear friend of mine posted that his grandson, who was a little over 2 months old, had passed in his sleep. My heart broke for the family. I cannot imagine getting a phone call telling me such news. I sent him my prayers and thoughts. In his reply, he asked me if I would draw a tribute. Something so tragic,  brings everyday situations into prospective. My prayers are with the family of Ivan Dean. May he rest forever in God's loving arms, and may his family find refuge under His wings.

Rest in Peace Sweet One
Psalm 91:4
"He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be you're shield and rampart.


Friday, March 18, 2016

A Rose by Any Other Name

Yesterday a friend I went to school with challenged me to tangle "A musical tribute to our beloved and infamous Mrs. Rose".  It was a challenge I happily took. Mrs. Rose was our Chorale Director, and the epitome of elegance. She had such grace and elegance that one could easily imagine her sipping a cup of tea in the library of Dowton Abby. She was a teacher you wanted to please. I loved being in the performance choir. We were putty in her hands and during a performance she was a master violinist and we were her bow. Every nuance of her upper body, controlled our every move. One of the things she would tell us was to sing with joy and let it show on our faces so the audience could tell we loved what we were doing. I have fond memories of this lovely lady. She was a Rose in every sense of the word and a beauty that can't be fully captured by one of my doodles.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Sweet as Home Spun Honey


I am married to the greatest sport ever! Last weekend I was supposed to go to Fort Worth Texas to see Billy Currington in concert. I love me some Billy Currington and to my credit, I loved his music before I knew what he looked like. After that.... I REALLY love me some Billy Currington. The friend that was supposed to go with me got side tracked by a family issue so my beloved husband took her place. Initially I felt like he might "cramp my style". I certainly wouldn't like seeing my husband swoon over a gorgeous female, so I knew I would have to tamp down my "excitement". Unlike most concerts, this one was at Billy Bob's which is the world's largest Honky Tonk. I'm not a "Honky Tonk" kind of gal, but one does what one must do to see Billy Currington up close and personal. The concert sold out which meant they removed the tables and chairs from the showroom (there were a few in the back). We waited in line to get into the showroom for an hour or so. The young people who entered with us rushed to the front of the stage. It was only 7:30 and the concert didn't start until 10:30. I looked at my husband, and he looked at me.
Like most couple who have been married for over 34 years, we needed no words, the look said it all.... "We're too freaking old to stand here for hours on end." We meandered to the back where there were a few tables and chairs, along with other old fogies with arthritis, artificial joints, and no desire to impress the youngens..... "I don't need to smell his breath, I just want to see him" I told my husband as we sat down. We waited, and waited, and waited. Mike got up to get food while I read a book on my phone... How pathetic is that!? The lights dimmed, the music began and Billy stepped on stage. The older woman sitting behind Mike, leaned over to her daughter and yelled.... "I sure would like to run my fingers through that curly hair!" I thought to myself... "Wouldn't we both. As he finished his first song, I turned to Mike and whispered in his ear.... "Dang!!!!!" He grinned at me, then said.... "Go ahead, that's what you're here for" So I elbowed my way toward the front. I didn't get close enough to smell his breath, but l got close enough to  say..... He looked as sweet as home spun honey. Truly, if Mike ever felt that way about another woman, the green eyed monster would rear its ugly head in me and we would have a good old fashioned, come to Jesus meeting. Yes, even after 34 years that would be my reaction. Mike's reaction???? On the way back to the hotel he said.... "When he finished the first song and you looked at me and said Dang!!!, I'll have to admit, that was pretty cute." My man really is sweet as home spun honey.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Emotional Alerts

Wouldn't it be nice if people who were quick to anger and slow to forgive were required to wear an emotional alert bracelet?   It would serve as a warning to others that they should proceed with caution before investing a great amount of energy into a relationship that was either going to require walking on eggshells or doomed to fail.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

All In

These two things I know for certain.... I suck at bowling, but cancer sucks above all. Last night we participated in "Bowling for a Cure". There is nothing like having fun with purpose. It would  have been a tad more pleasant if I didn't suck so severely at bowling, but at least I'm willing to own it and I sucked with a smile. My life and the lives of my friends have been touched by the dreaded unknown of Cancer. If spending a couple of hours being completely humiliated by my lack of bowling skills brings someone one step closer to a Cure, consider me all in.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Oklahoma Proof Umbrellas

There is no such thing as an Oklahoma Proof Umbrella..... Or maybe it's just Jackie proof umbrella,  If there is such a thing, I haven't found one. Being a big bump kind of gal, it's important that my bump be weather proofed because the only thing worse than no bump, is a soggy bump. I had a cheap umbrella that would fit in my purse, but the Oklahoma wind that so lovingly sweeps down the plains, also turned it inside out. I upgraded to a "Full Coverage" umbrella thinking I would have all my bumps and lumps protected from the elements.... Not so my friend. When I left the office for an appointment, I welded my full coverage umbrella in one hand, my Texas size purse on my shoulder, and my ever present bottle of water. It was a Lucille Ball with a conveyor belt of chocolate moment as I juggled  to keep everything in its place as well as both feet firmly planted on the ground. The wind swooped under my umbrella and I nearly had lift-off of Mary Poppins proportions, but not nearly as graceful or fantastical. It wasn't pretty people, it just wasn't. Where is good old-fashioned engineering when you need it?? Apparently not in Oklahoma.