Air Guitar Wonder of the World

Day one of the cruise was laid back, getting settled in, and of course getting acquainted with the essential amenities of the ship..... AKA where all the food happens. Mike's number one mission was to scope out the hot spots for musical enjoyment. First thing we did was gather for a serious game of Putt-Putt. When Mike and I were first dating, we frequently paired up with my cousin and her husband for a competitive game of Putt-Putt. I would put on my 4 inch golfing stilettos and if memory serves me right, we kicked butt on the Putt-Putt course. Jerry and Doretta may have a different version of events, but neither of them have a blog so my version trumps theirs.  This practice match was pretty evenly divided, but I'm certain with my creative score keeping, and the fact that it's my blog, we may have ended on top again. After dinner we found a nice pub that offered live music so we picked a table and took up some space on the dance floor.... Well, Mike and I did. According to Jerry..... Jerry don't dance, which is too bad because that would have been double entertainment. Later in the evening, the cruise director came into the pub and announced the beginnings of a "Air Guitar" contest. People didn't volunteer as much as they were dragged kicking and screaming onto the dance floor with instructions to play like there was not tomorrow when it was your turn to "Air Guitar". Mike was the first reluctant contestant, followed by three women each differing in age. Sadly, Mike was first up. The Cruise Director told him to play "Air Guitar" like his life depended on it, to which he replied.... "I don't play guitar, I play bass." She responded... "Not tonight you don't." Being slightly less dramatic than myself, he put decent effort into his Air Guitar performance. He definitely took a step outside his comfort zone and embraced the adventure of memory making and for being an all around good sport. The next lady did a fair job, but I wasn't impressed. Then a tall, leggy blond stepped up and with the first strum of the guitar she dropped to her knees, laid flat on her back and began to twirl around on the floor while rocking her air guitar. That was the moment I knew the coveted bottle of champagne, and ship on a stick would not be going back with us to our cabin.... And rightly so. Had Mike dropped to his knees like that, I'm certain of two things.... A) He would never be able to get up and B) He would never walk again. The leggy blond was very bendy, an asset coveted by less bendy people like myself. Mike had nothing to hang his head in shame over. He stepped up to the plate when asked and gave it his all. That's what vacations are all about. Stepping out of your comfort zone, doing things you've never done before and leaving with precious, and sometimes hilarious memories to have and to hold (unlike the ship on a stick and bottle of champagne I didn't get to hold) . It doesn't take an Air Guitar wonder to make a wonderful vacation, but it sure does help and one of the reasons having him around makes every vacation special.

Shipless in Seattle

Our Alaskan Vacation started in Seattle. I was excited about visiting Seattle because I am a huge Sleepless in Seattle and Grey's Anatomy Fan (insert scene where Annie goes to Sam's house)..... Awe, that's something I'll have to put on my Seattle bucket list for next time.... Rabbit Trail!  We stayed at the famous Edgewater Hotel located on the waterfront. The Beatles, along with other music icons, have stayed there. The most famous picture of the hotel is one showing the Beatles fishing from the balcony of their room. Our room was nice with a cozy fireplace, a very expensive stuffed bear footstool, and a balcony we could have fished from had we the urge to do so. Strangely, the urge did not hit me, but the urge to purchase the adorable footstool did..... For a nanosecond, maybe longer as I tried in vain to justify the $450.00 price tag. Seriously, how often do I find the need to prop my feet up for a while. Plenty! But even I, the impulsively ridiculous shopper that I am, could not find sufficient reason for such a purchase regardless of the cuteness factor (trust me I tried really hard). After checking into the hotel, we walked down the waterfront. We ate lunch beside the Seattle Great Wheel, and strolled through Pike Market. Pike Market is fascinating. It is an open market of fish, flowers, and every other imaginable thing. Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped by the original Starbucks. By the end of the evening we were exhausted and shipless in Seattle. What better way to start a great vacation?

And Then It Was June

May 1981 was a big month for me. I graduated High School and attended several weddings, one of which was that of my cousin. After the wedding she moved to Duncan Oklahoma where her husband was located. She invited me to come stay for a week as soon as I graduated, so June 1st I went to stay with them. Oddly enough I had a premonition that it would be a life changing visit, but I wasn't quite sure what kind of change. One evening I was in her tiny kitchen helping clean up after dinner when I heard her husband answer a knock at the door. I continued with the dishes and when I finish them, I walked into the living room where her husband sat visiting with a co-worker. The four of us sat around and chatted for a while. My first impression was.... Gosh, this guy is color coordinated from his head down to his toes. Having just graduated, I was used to the basic jeans and t-shirts guys wore at school. The two of us had a couple of dates that week. Long story short, when it came time for me to head back to Tulsa, I didn't want to go. I had no idea that in 6 1/2 months we would become man and wife. We met 35 years ago on June 3rd. This week we are taking an Alaskan Cruise with my cousin and her husband in celebration of what has been a union of hearts and a lifetime journey.

The Long Way Home

At 20 months old, with pigtails and bright blue eyes, if you asked Aja how old she was.... With an infectious smile, she would hold up two little fingers and announce with confidence and pride..... "I be two in June." Years later when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would tell you a Veterinarian. She attended two years at OSU and was accepted into the Design School when she decided to take a break. She moved back to Duncan and went to work as a teller in a bank. One evening she dropped by the house, that's when she dropped the bomb that she was considering joining the Navy. Nothing, simply nothing, could prepare me for the journey ahead. Many miles, countries and adventures later, her military career brought her back to Oklahoma as a Recruiter. When her time was up she decided to end her military service and work on getting a degree. This weekend we proudly sat in the bleachers as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma. Later at our celebration lunch, she mentioned it had only taken her 14 years to finish college. There have been times she has felt left behind as other friends finished college in the typical 4 years, and then directly began families. Her dad and I have always told her that her life story would be more interesting than typical due to the path she had taken. The commitment, dedication, and courage it took to go a different path, to do things her own way, gives you just a glimpse of how strong willed she is. I can only imagine having that kind of courage. One should never feel shamed when they take the scenic route through life. It's an opportunity that seldom comes along twice. You can always move toward the ultimate goal, but once you are settled into family life, you can never go back to the freedom of making choices without considering how each and every decision effects the entire family. The world remains her oyster and I can't wait for her to take a peek and see what the future holds. I'm betting life has a few surprises left for her.

The Ache of Empty Arms

As I was wrapping up the work week, I took a look at my day book for next week about the time the flower deliveries came for the Mom's in our office. I received a beautiful arrangement from my kiddos. Everyone knows that Thanksgiving and Christmas are a difficult time for a lot of people. Most do not realize that Mother's Day and Father's Day are equally, if not more difficult to some for a plethora of reasons. I have a difficult time not wanting to run to a hidey hole until the flowers have faded and the cards have been emptied from the store shelves. Why? I have a lot of could have, should have, and would have's about a lot of things concerning Mother's Day. I also know several people who struggle with the holiday due to having a special someone, be it a Mother, a child, or a step child who is no longer here to physically wrap your arms around to tell them how much you love them, how much joy they added to your life, and how much you miss them still. My heart breaks for women who suffer a pregnancy that ended too soon without the joy of cuddles and kisses. Life is difficult and whether it's wishing you had more patience when your kids were small, or wishing you had done things differently in another area of your life, we do the best we can in the moment. We all make mistakes that can't be undone. Loss is inevitable and seems so unfair.  If you are one of the lucky ones who  isn't missing a special someone this holiday, count your blessings. Take the opportunity to give your kids or Moms a hug while you are still able to do so. To those with empty arms, remember the good times and  smiles. Although your arms may ache a little deeper, and the sting of your broken heart may be little sharper this weekend because your special someone is not here, remember they are always near. My prayers go to those who celebrate Mother's Day with one less setting at the table, and who know too well the ache of empty arms.

Remember.... A Difficult Task

I'm cleaning out a spare bedroom today that has been the "Open the door and toss whatever you're not using and quickly shut the door room". When I went to open the door I could barely squeeze through. The first thing I came across were clothes so small that the only way I will ever fit into them is if I develope some type of deadly disease that causes me to shrink into a small child.... Depressing. But I'm happy I can pass them on to some person, or child. Then came the remnants  of my oldest son's eclectic decor including a large wooden fork that hung on his wall and an orange construction cone that I could probably be arrested for having. Anyone in need of a large wooden fork for their kitchen?  Actually I kind of hate to get rid of it because it reminds me of those fun days when I never knew what shennanigans he and his friends would be up to next.... All harmless in the great scheme of things, but boy it sure made things interesting. Then I came across the sad box. Pictures of places, times, and people who used to be an intricate part of our lives and for one reason or another are no longer present. Precious memories made, but relationships lost. Time you can never get back leave the biggest void. Finally, I came across the boxes I used when I changed jobs. My office walls were decorated with a lot of memories, things that have no meaning to anyone but myself and my co-workers.... Seven memory making years. Suddenly, my cheery, get up and get something done attitude has turned into a darkened heart with a giant void that is sorely missing the good ole days..... "When the winters were warmer, the grass was greener, the skies were bluer, and the smiles.... Were bright" Well, perhaps nothing says it better, or more beautifully than this lady. She wraps my morning in exactly the right words........

Against the Rules

When we were preparing for my mom's funeral, the pastor asked each of the kids about their favorite Nana story. I was at a wedding the other day when a friend told she has re-told one particularly funny stories from my daughter. She said she laughs every time she tells it. The story perfectly describes how my mom detested rules.  The best way to get her to do something was to tell her NOT to do it.

When my daughter was a preschooler, she went with my mom to visit her sisters in Ada. Aja and mom were driving from Ada to Allen when my mom got stopped by a highway patrol. Mom had a very heavy foot. She saw no reason to poke around when you could go warp speed instead. As she pulled over she told Aja to get in the back seat. She said.... "Get back there and pray, and pretend you are really, really sick." When the officer asked for her drivers license, he that mom had taped her "glamour" photo over her official state issued drivers license photo. He peeled the glamour shot off and told mom.... "Ma'am, you can't do this. You can't tape a different picture over the photo they took at the driver's license office." Mom explained to him that she didn't like the picture from the license office and she thought the glamour shot was more flattering. He handed the license back (I can't actually remember if he issued a ticket or not), and sent her on her way with instructions not to put the photo back on the license. When mom got home, she had her glamour shot permanently laminated to her license. Like I said, you simply didn't tell her not to do something, because she would go against "The Rules" every time.

A couple of months ago, I visited her grave to see the headstone that had been placed. When I was there, I saw the temporary marker the funeral home had placed at her grave. I brought it home with me. There is a beautiful rose bush I gave mom for mother's day several years ago. Dad planted it by the front door. I put her temporary marker beneath the rose bush. Dad was cleaning out drawers the other day and came across her photo shopped drivers license. He works for the funeral home and they told him to bring the marker to work and they would put her picture on it and re-do the information that had faded. The other morning when I went by for morning coffee, he showed me her renewed marker beneath the rose bush..... Mom would be so proud.