Hand in Hand, Arm in Arm, Together We Stand Till A Cure Is Found

Late last year I posted a blog about my friend having cancer. Before her mastectomy we threw her a Bye Bye Boobie party (see 9/29/09 post). To say this last year has been a journey for her would be an understatement. She was lucky enough not to have to do radiation or chemo, but still had to take Tamoxifen which in itself caused a multitude of problems. That being said she has weathered the storm and can now see light at the end of the tunnel. Having her with us is such a blessing because this lady has been a light to everyone around her, before cancer, during

cancer and certainly after cancer. She has not let her breast
cancer define who she is, but has allowed it to reaffirm whose she is. How did she spend her time this last year through recovery????? She spent it by working tirelessly in missions, volunteering for the red cross, training for CERT and volunteering for the local election board. Cancer may have slowed her down a little but it did not hold her back. In fact it may have made her even more passionate about helping others and bringing the gospel of Christ to those who have not heard the good news. Tomorrow thousands of people will gather in downtown Oklahoma City at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure race. A team of

loved ones and family will be there walking for and with my friend, wearing tee-shirts dedicated to her. I am excited and proud to walk with her. I thank God that my friend is here and physically able to represent other

survivors on what will hopefully be the end of a challenging journey for some, and sadly the beginning of the journey for many others. We walk as a unit, hand in hand, arm in arm, until a cure for those who are hurting has been found. If you can't walk with us in person, walk with us in prayers. Together we make a difference.

Honey Colored Highlights

Last night I decided to bite the bullet and dabble with painting the den. Well, actually I thought I'd play around with the paint and see what combinations looked best. I used to paint a lot more than I do now. Discovering faux painting techniques got me started using bold colors.  Sometimes it works better than others. Our den is pretty small so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I had a new gadget that I had used on some walls a couple of friends. I decided to do the den in a honey and mustard type blend. I was just going to do a small patch while I watched survivor. My husband has always made fun of the way I paint. I get paint all over me, sometimes before the can is ever opened. I don't know how that happens, it just happens. He can paint the entire house and not get a spot of paint on anything including his hands. When I paint I get in my hair, face, clothes and you don't even want to know what the floors look like. Yes, of course I have rags and yes I cover things, but paint has a magical way of going where this woman never intended it to go. My husband was reading upstairs and my faithful shadow lay in the hall watching me. I carefully did 1/4 of a small wall before I stood back to see how it looked. Seemed fine to me. I begin to put my stuff up and decided I'd tackle it this weekend. I looked down on the floor and paint drops were everywhere. Sailor looked up at me and even she was covered with drops of honey/mustard paint. How did I manage to sling it all the way over there? It didn't seem to bother her, of course nothing usually does. I quickly cleaned everything up because I did not want my husband to see the mess.  I'll  wait until I have time to tape and cover everything before I tackle the whole room. I'll check into getting Sailor a Hazmat suit to wear so she doesn't get painted as well.  I'll have to admit, Sailor's new honey highlights look really pretty against her amber coat.

Time Warp

I love the way technology offers answers with a click of the mouse, but I hate it when the equipment becomes bogged down with whatever it gets bogged down with. I guess I must not have a lot of patience.... Or at least lately I haven't had much, because I could simply just pick the thing up and throw it through the window. I want the little hour glass to come and go in a twinkling of an eye, and heaven help me when it doesn't. This afternoon I got so fed up with it's little message saying "Do not turn off computer, it will automatically shut down when update is complete" That I totally ignored the warning and crawled under my desk and just jerked the plug from the back of the computer. I really wanted to smack it around a little but decided against it since I already have a bad rep causing destruction with everything within my path. Between the lack of speed on my computer and my shattered,bleeding cell phone screen, I'm a little out of sorts today. I'd like to re-boot my day, but I'd probably just get stuck in some time warp continuum and never make it back to reality.... Come to think of it, maybe that's where I've been the last few months.... You just never know.

Just A State of Mind

I was sitting in the den this evening watching football with my husband. We have been working on the den (or I should say my husband has been working on the den.. I supervise) and all of the furniture is moved around and the place is just a big mess with step stools, tarps and plaster and stuff. My husband was laying on one the the love seats and I sat across from him in the other love seat. My dog lumbers in the room and notices that I happen to be in her spot. She could have easily been offended, but no.... She climbs up on the love seat and cuddles up in my lap..... Well, as much as possible. She is an English Mastiff that weighs somewhere between 175 and 200 pounds. I actually don't know how much she weighs because I don't have a vehicle large enough to transport her to the the vet. She still thinks she is a puppy and should be able to sit in my lap while I drive.... It just doesn't work for me anymore. But hey, how you gonna tell a 200 pound dog that? Have you ever looked at something and seen it totally different than everyone else around you? Occasionally, I'll look at a situation and listen to those around me discuss it and I'll think to myself..... "Are we talking about the same thing?" I'm happy to admit that I don't always look at things head on, sometimes I like to take a step back and look at things from a different angle, but I'm not sure others really see the necessity in a wide angle view. The other day when I was in the swamp or marsh (whatever you call it) I saw beauty, but if I had looked close up, I would have seen a lot of muck and bugs and I did but I chose to ignor that view. When I see vivid contrasting colors, others may just be seeing a black and white photo.... or different shades of gray. I love to play devils advocate when watching crime shows. I love looking at things and imagining how I would defend or make an argument.  I should have been a lawyer cause my husband says he's hasn't won an argument with me in 28+ years. Of course there are plenty of things I see as one sided, but in large I try very hard to be somewhat balanced (shoe fetish excluded). Not everything is as cut and dried as we'd like it to be. Not everything is as simple as it should be nor as complicated as others make it to be. Oddly enough everything has a way of turning into what you imagine it to be.... Even if it's only in your own mind. Sailor's size certainly doesn't indicate she's a lap dog, but in her mind she is just the perfect size. I guess I could enlighten her and save myself some bruises, but I actually like to cuddle.... Even if it is a little painful and with a giant dog the size of a horse. It's all just a state of mind......

Don't Mess With My Thunder!!!

Friday afternoon my boss comes into my office to warn me, (with a somewhat smug grin) that "He stole my thunder." Alrighty then....  I had no clue as to what he was talking about. But I do know one thing,.... Nobody touches my thunder!  It didn't matter what he was talking about he had just dug himself a tiny pit and was fixin to go down with one nudge of my dainty little hand. He laughed and said the last time he had taken a co-worker to Louisiana he had neglected to buy her anything to eat while they were there. Those day trips tend to be long and grueling. She silently suffered through trying to be a good traveling partner but came back and let it be known (like only a woman can) that she had starved to death all day. The guys had given him a very hard time about it. So I guess he thought he'd jump the gun this time and beat me to the punch by outing himself before I got the pleasure.... Oohh really? He should have known better than that! In his defense, I did get one meal on our trip and it was to die for wonderful. After lunch we flew to New Orleans, rented a car, trudged around in the swamp,me in high heels and sweating in the most feminine way.  He did stop for a bottle of water on the way to the airport,  but that was mainly because we had to try to find a way to get the oilfield clay off of my shoes. Midway home and several hours later I was pretty sure my stomach was consuming itself. I hadn't thought to pack a protein bar or anything. I looked over and he had a sucker sticking out his mouth.  "Where'd you get that sucker?" I asked looking as pathetic as I knew how to look. He said he had swiped it from the counter in the airport because all of the breast cancer awareness cookies that had been there when we checked out the rental car were all gone.... So it looked like I wasn't the only one starting to feel the pain.  Earlier in the morning he had offered me a mint so I asked if he had any mints left. No, they were in the back with his laptop...  Trust me, I'm in no danger of being malnourished but by the time we landed I  felt like I had been on survivor without the benefit of winning a million dollars. All I can say is it's a good thing I don't get cranky and really desperate when I'm hungry or I would have been sizing him and the pilot up.... (a plane can't be that hard to fly right?). When I got home I went straight to the freezer and grabbed a fist full of banana popsicles before going upstairs. I was  telling my husband about the trip while eating popsicles as fast as I was talking  (I assure you I can talk  pretty dang fast when I get wound up) when he asked... "Didn't he take you out to eat?"... Even he was in shock and awe that we had eaten lunch but didn't grab something that night before flying out... You know considering it was such a long day. The next morning I was exhausted and ran a little late getting out of the house. My husband peaked out from under the pillow to tell me good bye. He mentioned my lateness and I told him I didn't care how late I was, I was running by and getting a biscuit. Once I got my tummy full I was a happy little camper and my memories of starving were way behind me.... I actually hadn't even considered telling anyone about the lack of consideration until he strutted into my office with his little grin and the "Stolen your thunder statement" like he had just beat me in a marathon or something. I just couldn't let it slide, especially when my co-worker insisted that I let everyone know he had not only done it once.... He now had done it twice. Here's to stealing my thunder Buddy.... Your reputation for starving your employees on business trips are now well known throughout the office and abroad and I wasn't even the one who let the cat out of the bag. Remember to keep a woman happy you must keep her well fed.... Well that's just one of the ways... Shoes are your other option and for the record I wear an 8.5.

Fall Changes Things

I look outside and the weather is wonderful. Slowly but surely the cool winds of fall are chasing the stifling heat of summer away. Soon the leaves will change to brilliant colors before they fade and drop to the earth to be recycled by nature. I feel a hope deep inside that I usually feel during the spring. This year has been difficult in many ways. I've watched a friend walk through the recovery of breast cancer. My husband has struggled with the release of a ministry he had spent years pouring his heart into, and I've fought to keep my head above water as I've recovered from my head injury. I thought about all of these things as I sat in the car and felt the sun warm against my skin and the cool breeze blowing my hair. Things change.... It's just a fact of life. You don't have to like it and you don't have to see it coming... But come it will. Sometimes change comes slowly like the fading of the leaves. Sometimes it comes like a tidal wave on the beach, knocking you flat; but change will always come. Some changes are easy to wrap your mind around, others shake you to the core of your soul. Some changes come for the better, while other changes seem bitter and cruel.... Some, a mixture of both. I know that the changing of the color on the trees, leads to a time when they will  soon look barren and drab. It's necessary for them to shed their leaves so they can spring to life with new growth.... New hope. Perhaps that's why I've felt a little melancholy about fall. In some ways I feel like my leaves have faded and are beginning to shed. I'm preparing myself for the bleak days of winter, but I know that new life, new hope and a new season is just ahead. What's the saying.... "Out with the old, in with the new." I know something exciting is just around the corner and I've gone through these changes in order to prepare myself to be blown away in a wonderful way by life! Yes, fall changes things.

Dress Heels + Swamp=Very Bad Wardrobe Choice

Yesterday was a long....honkin....day! It started unnecessarily at 2:00 a.m. and went on for what seemed like forever. That being said, it was an interesting day and a great experience. I flew to Lafayette on business with my boss attended a meeting, had lunch then flew to New Orleans to check out a location for our Company. Although I was a little nervous about flying on a small plane, everything went well. When we took off I was checking out the plane. There was an ashtray looking thingy on the wall beside me, I gave it a gentle tug to see if it really was an ashtray but it didn't budge. There were two inset pull handles next to the "not an ashtray, ashtray", one handle was red and looked like it had seen better days,the other handle was just silver. I reached up and started to give the red handle a little tug, just to see what it would do. Luckily my brain engaged just a second before the tug and I thought to myself..... "Red usually is a warning of some kind" and "Do you really want to pull a handle that you have no clue what it does, while you are in the air?" Then I noticed the small print just at the bottom of the pilot's window. "For Emergency Exit, Pull Handle and Push Window." I just tucked my hands into my lap, leaned back in my chair and gave a little chuckle. My boss was just getting settled in to read and asked me what was so funny. I told him I had considered pulling on the handle thingy just to see what it would do but thought better of it. I explained to him that that's when I usually get myself in trouble. He said..... "Oh like when you broke that one F16 when you were in San Diego?"..... "Exactly!!! That is exactly what it's like!" While touring USS Midway in San Diego a couple of years ago I wondered off from my family out of sheer boredom. My husband was explaining every little aspect of the planes to the kids (probably down to the nuts and bolts) which bores me to absolute tears. So I was just wondering around (unsupervised) and was looking at this F16. I noticed it had a little door, just like the door to the gas cap on any car. So I thought I'd just open the little door to confirm that yes it was the door to a very ordinary gas cap. No big deal right? Wrong!!! The second I touched that little door it just completely fell off in my hand. I was stunned. I totally expected those military planes to be more durable (it's true you just don't get much for your tax dollar these days). I nervously tried to put the little door back on and glanced over my shoulder to see if anyone had been watching. Sure enough there stood my entire family, legs spread apart like the principal of a school, arms crossed over their chest and my daughter (who is in the Navy) with a horrified look on her face..... "Mom!!! What are you doing? You're going to get us in trouble!" No amount of stammering or explaining could convince them that I did not intentionally destroy that plane..... I was just curious and it broke... Things happen. But yesterday, gratefully they did not happen. Get this mental picture....... Large mahogany conference table. Tall leather conference chairs. Newly painted walls with pretty pictures adding just the right accent. Sitting around the table were 10 big burly oilfield men, 3 or so engineers (think pocket protectors), all talking about mud, BOP, BHA, logs and fluid loss. You got it!!! I got to sit in on a STUD meeting... OOPS!!! Typo there.... That's a SPUD meeting (I don't care who you are... that there is funny). After the meeting we flew to New Orleans to check out a location. This location was so cool. First of all I've never been to Louisiana much less the swamps of New Orleans. The location is surrounded on all sides by swampy area. The spanish moss hanging from the trees made it look a little like the swamp that Yoda lived in on Star Wars. It was really beautiful. The lease had already been leveled and tons of river sand had been put into place. I was wearing heels and my boss told me I could just sit in the car while he looked around, but I was like... "No way!" I pulled up my dress pant legs, and clomped around in the sand straight over to the edge looking for something with two beady eyes. Nothing, notta, dangit!!! It looked like the perfect environment for a croc and they had talked about them in the meeting and three had already been caught, but of course the day I was there NOTHING!!! When I started to get back car I looked down and found my shoes where completely covered in gunky, brownish/gray sticky stuff clay. I'll admit it. I'm an Oklahoma girl born and raised with red dirt and red clay... I was a little intrigued with brownish/gray clay. It just doesn't take must to amuse someone like me. If I learned one thing yesterday it would be.... Dress heels + Swamp = Very bad wardrobe choice

See, you're never too old to learn something :-)