Monday, September 26, 2016

She Flooded My Life with Light

I'm assuming every family has one... The one who connects all of the others, the one whom the family revolves around. I remember summers at her house, Christmas around her tree and family dinners when there were more family than room. I called her "Red Ant" because like Mohommad Ali, she could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee except she was a little bitty thing. I used to hate the way she used to wake us up in the morning. She believed sleeping late was for lazy bones and even if it was summer break, that was no excuse just to lay around sleeping your life away. She would bound into our darkened room, clapping her hands and in a sing song voice say "Rise and Shine, Rise and Shine" while throwing open the curtains, allowing the blazing sun to accost our sleepy eyes. She took great delight in this little ritual simply because she knew we dreaded it. I'm pretty sure that by todays standards it would be considered just a few hand claps shy of child abuse. When we were finally awake, she would sweetly ask if we would care for some chocolate gravy and biscuits, which would immediately eradicate, or almost eradicate any ill feelings we harbored about her rude awakening. She called me "Little Jackie LouLou", and her house was like a second home to me even though we lived 2 hours away. Being at Red Aunt's house was just how things were supposed to be. The family would stay up late telling family tales. My cousin and I would sit quietly and listen even though the stories had been told a thousand times. She would wait until everyone was tucked soundly in bed, even if that meant it was 3 a.m., before she whipped out the vacuum and begin to clean... Leaving little triangles on the living room carpet to be found first thing in the morning. I loved to pester her, I loved to shock her with off colored remarks just to see her pale skin blush and watch her mouth fly open in shock. She would laugh and slap at me and say.... "Awe, now LouLou". The last couple of times I visited her, I would hesitantly stick my head in her room to see if she recognized me. She would throw her hands in the air and say..... "Oh, if it isn't Jackie LouLou." We laughed together and she teased that she was going to spank me... "You'll have to catch me first," I told her.  She lived on a country road that dead ended at the pasture that used to be filled with cows.  Her house was down the road from my Grandparents', their houses separated by a huge garden in between. She took care of Grandma and Grandpa until God called them home. After they died, she took care of other elderly family members during their last days. She was the epitome of a care giver. Her hair had turned gray, her steps had become slow and unsteady, but she still had the sparkle that won her the title Red Aunt.... It lay there just beneath the wrinkles that adorned her precious face. After my Mother's funeral, looking into that face was surreal..... Their faces had become even more alike and it felt like home to me.  She was the matriarch of our family and we are a much better family because of her. All of my memories spent at her house will be treasured forever, and she will forever remain a piece of me, and a piece of everyone she touched because she just had a way of coming into your life and throwing the curtains wide open.... Flooding your heart, your life with a little bit of orneriness and a whole lot of light. The world is a darker place without her in it, but heaven has become oh so bright.

Friday, September 23, 2016

In Memory Of

Doris Lee Scott
June 23, 1924 - September 22, 2016

In Memory of
Doris Lee Scott

Born:   June 23, 1924
Died:   September 22, 2016

Funeral Service
Criswell Funeral Chapel
Monday, September 26, 2016, 10:00 a.m.

Officiating
Reverend Ed Rutherford
And
Reverend Steve Hogue

Casket Bearers
Marty Jackson, Dusty Henderson, Brad Faust, Kendall McKibben, Bryan Smith, Steve Timmons

Honorary Bearers
James Abbott, Luther Green, Glen Walker

Concluding Service
Memorial Park Cemetery

A Life Well Lived

A single simple rose
A teardrop from my eye
A memory of your smile
Our final last goodbye
You gave to us your love
You paved a path of faith
Today we do not mourn
But joyfully celebrate
A life well lived

Psalm 30: 11-12
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God I will give thanks to You forever.


Sunday, September 18, 2016

That's a Wrap

"Parting is such sweet sorrow.", at least it was for the cast of "Someone Save My Baby Ruth". Our 4 night performance at the Marlow Opera House came to an end last night and the curtain came down. Close ties were formed by all and we agreed during the cast party that we hated to see it end. In a few short weeks, we went from being strangers, to friends. Isn't that what local theatre is all about? When rehearsals started a few of the cast members knew each other, but by the last performance we had "gelled" and from the feedback we got from the audience, it showed. Mike came to every performance even though I assured him it was not necessary. After curtain call last night, he told me that DLT should definitely get this cast back together to do something else because the chemistry came across onstage and flowed out to the audience. We immediately, in the post show glow, started plotting and scheming on ways we could make it happen. A murder mystery dinner theater was mentioned..... Writing our own play was batted around, because of course we are a successful group considering we had just done an Off-Broadway show.... No, seriously. The Marlow Opera House is half a block off Broadway.... In Marlow Oklahoma. Soooo, in reality I am not joking when I say we did an Off-Broadway Show.

Let's face it, anything that is successful has to have one important thing.... Great leadership! I cannot say enough about our amazing director. Not only was she patient and kind, she was also very helpful. She didn't hesitate to give us direction... In a good way. She also did something that I think helped us gel as a group. She began each rehearsal with an ice breaker which helped loosen us up, gave us a laugh and ultimately broke down the walls that often surround people when they are in a group of people who don't know each other.

One of the most amazing things about this play, were the kids (technically some were teenagers, but when you're my age they're kids). We had 4 young teenagers in the cast and one girl who was a little younger. These kids were no amateurs, it was clear from the first rehearsal that this was not their first rodeo. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was amazed not only at their talent, but how professional they were. I've been around youth before and I know sometimes it can be like herding kittens. Not with this group. They showed up for every rehearsal, prepared to give a full blown performance each and every time, and they did. Come to find out, they probably had more experience than the rest of us. All of them had previous experience and it showed. When the adults are long gone, DLT has a bright future with talent like this.

The cast hesitantly cleaned up and prepared to move out after the cast party. Saying goodbye wasn't easy, but was made tolerable with promises of..... "We'll get together for lunch", and "Let's write a play together". Yes, "Parting is such sweet sorrow", but only for now..... "That's a wrap:





Opening night backstage selfie with Mr. Earnest Noble








Taffy and Toffee sooth Mrs. Candy's Nerves


Baby Ruth is such a doll....
She never cries





Ada Sourball may have been
more than Sidney Swindle could
handle

We came together as strangers
but left as friends
Those clumsy candy cooks

Alas, they finally found poo
Reese's Pieces, but just a tad
too late








Ada proved to be very bendy

Ready to roll
Will Penny Candy lay Baby Ruth down long enough
to take Earnest Noble's hand in marriage?
Sequel anyone?

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Getting Serious About Water Conservation

Anyone who knows me, knows how conservative I am. I like things easy, simple, no fuss, no muss. Ha! In the word of Harry on "When Harry Met Sally", I'm the worst kind of woman....

Harry: "There are two kind of women: High maintenance and low maintenance."

Sally: "Which kind am I?"

Harry: "You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance."

That's an accurate description.... But maybe I'm changing. Today I proved that I'm a multi-tasking, water conserving genius (of sorts). This morning after vacuuming the house (all hardwood floors except for bathroom), I decided to give my two Bulldogs, O'Reilly (pronounced OH Reilly! with an exasperated sigh, but we just call her Riley), and Mr. Walter White (pronounced just normal and we just call him Walter) a bath. I usually do them one at a time, but this morning Walter couldn't wait his turn and jumped in with Riley.  Oh well, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, or rather bathe two dogs with one tub of water, which in itself is conservation, but the dogs and I took it a step further. I had just gotten Riley rinsed when she decided the tub was too close for comfort and jumped out taking a good portion of the water with her. The bathroom floor was already standing in water before Walter bailed as well. The two of them shot through the hallway, down the stairs, and though the rest of the house leaving a river of water in their wake. No worrries, the floors needed to be mopped anyway and with their help half the work was already done.  I fetched my Spin Mop (have I mentioned lately how much I love that "as seen on TV" gadget?) I do, I love it..... With the entire house standing in water, my little helpers and myself got the entire house mopped in a New York second. I should enlist the help of my double trouble Bulldogs more often. This multi-tasking act of  water conservation makes me want to go out and hug a tree..... But on second thought, I might get all sweaty so I'll just stay put. 

Sunday, September 11, 2016

One Nation

Like everyone else, I remember in vivid detail what I was doing when the events of 9/11 occurred. Just moments before, I had walked my youngest to school, gently holding his hand. Had I know then what I know now, I'm not certain I would have been able to let go of that tiny hand. In 2001 I was working in a busy doctor's office. Each day was like strapping into an 8 hour rollercoaster ride with phones ringing, people coming and going, but not on 9/11/01. That Tuesday was eerily quiet with few patients showing up for their appointments. I had a sickening knot in my stomach, and like a mother hen, I just wanted to gather my chicks into the nest under my protective wings. That evening my husband told said..... "Our lives as we know it will never be the same." As I watch documentaries on the stories of that day the one thing that strikes me is this. On 9/11/01 we were one nation. There were no protest of "Black Lives Matter". We were not Republicans or Democrats, white or black, rich or poor. Prayer wasn't taboo, compassion wasn't sparse, and politically correct wasn't a catch phrase. We were one nation, one people united in our determination not to let evil prevail. What will it take for us to become one nation again?