"I saw three ships come sailing in..."

"...on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day..."

This is one Christmas song that lends itself beautifully to being done in the Celtic style so naturally it was one of the songs performed by Mithril! *L* On Saturday evening we attended a performance of the Enid Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall:

A Celtic Christmas with Mithril

One of the World's most sought after
Celtic Music Ensembles

Now mind you, it wasn't as Celtic as Celtic Woman, but it was pretty darn good! The four performers who are Mithril are extremely talented and you can tell they have a deep love of Celtic music. Their songs were performed with energy and they were backed quite well by the ESO. They split the evening, some songs by the Orchestra, some by Mithril, etc. It was excellent!! I have several Christmas cds by Celtic performers and now I can't wait to start playing them!

If you want to know more about Mithril take a look at their website here. And if you would like to see or learn more about the ESO and Symphony Hall, then take a look here.

Enid is very lucky to have the Hall, the Symphony, and our Maestro. And the city does indeed support all of the above. I've seen larger towns that either don't have them or, if they do, don't support them at all. Enid is pretty good about it though.

"O'er the land of the free...

...and the home of the brave..."



May God Bless and keep our veterans, without whom we would not be able to enjoy the lives we live. We may not know all of their names, but we do know this...Somebody fought...Somebody believed....Somebody stood...and Somebody paid.

I wish you a peaceful and blessed Veterans Day.

"Green on the vine...

...like strawberry wine..."

Saturday evening we attended the 9th Annual Enid Wine and Food Festival sponsored by the Enid SPCA. It was a very fun evening and we got all dressed up, as the invitation directed. I was a little disappointed that not everyone followed the "Evening Dress recommended" suggestion. I saw several people there in jeans and the young man with the backwards baseball cap should have been smacked around a bit, but it was fun to see the different outfits and to sit back and people watch.

It wasn't a true wine tasting per se, there were enough people attending that the winery folks didn't have time to truly educate or work with any one person. But it was a good representation of the wine available in Enid. I've decided that I don't care for most of the regular grape wines (like Cabernet, Merlot, Reisling) - they are too sour and, at times, left an almost chemical aftertaste on my tongue. I completely fell in love with the berry wines from the Plain View Winery though. My favorites were the Raspberry and the Plum, Richard enjoyed the Sand Plum, and Laura liked the Strawberry wine. I did NOT enjoy the Elderberry and, of course, I did not even attempt the Peach, though Laura and Richard both said it was good. I think we may have to see about a real wine tasting at Plain View this Fall or Winter. I'd also like to do a tasting at Indian Creek Village Winery in Ringwood. I've always wanted to find a decent drinkable wine to fancy up dinner or to cook with. I could actually envision some of the berry wines being very good in sauces for chicken or pork. They might be too delicate for beef dishes but you never know. Hmm...methinks the Food Network hath created a monster! *LOL*

As for the food, nibble and bits of course. Plenty of cheese spreads and dips and finger-style foods good for walking around and tasting as you mingle. And remember, this IS Enid America we are talking about so I wasn't the least bit surprised that at one table I tried roasted pork loin in a Mission fig sauce (Costello's Continental Cuisine) and at the very next table was Godfather's Pizza and I had a cinnamon bread stick. *G* I also sampled the savory cheese spread and the pineapple cheese spread from Angel Delight Cafe and Catering, a cheese blintz from Panevino's Wine and Tapas Bar, chicken tenders from Golden Chicken, a coffee cake from Starbucks, and some tidbits from the "general buffet" in the center of the room (which included meatballs from Advance! *L*). It was all pretty good, especially the roasted pork. We were at Costello's the other night - Eric treated Richard and Laura to dinner for their 25th anniversary - and I had the pork loin with a Harverst Spice sauce - absolutely wonderful!! I generally get Chicken Kiev there but they removed it from their menu so I had to try something different and I was pleased with it. I've also had pork with a rosemary balsamic glaze at Romano's Macaroni Grill in OKC and that was great too - I managed to almost duplicate that sauce at home, yummy! *G*

Anyways - we had a fun time, tried some good food, some great wines, and had a wonderful time whispering about some of the more...uhmmmm..."creative" fashions of the younger set, the not-so-younger set, and the should-know-better set of Enid society. I'm hoping there will be pictures in the next issue of E-Town Magazine, not of us of course, but of the event in general. And I'm looking forward to "A Taste Of Enid", sponsored by the Enid Rotary Club, next April!

"I found a picture of you..."

...Oh oh oh oh..."

Finally got my scanned pictures into something a bit more organized. I posted the photos I have of Nanny and Poppy and any of the family are welcome to share in them. I have pictures of other family put together but didn't have time to upload them to the albums yet. I'll keep working on them though, I promise. In the meantime I hope you enjoy my short trip down "Nanny and Poppy Lane". *S*

No1sHome <--- click for link.

Should be the first album listed - Trisha's Family Photos - then enter the sub-album(s) for photos.

"You could read quite a story..."

"...in the callouses and lines,
Years of work and worry, had left their mark behind.

There are things that I've forgotten that I loved about the man,
But I'll always remember the love in Daddy's hands.


Daddy's hands, were soft and kind when I was cryin'
Daddy's hands, were hard as steel when I done wrong
Daddy's hands weren't always gentle
But I've come to understand
There was always love in Daddy's hands."

Together again, just as it should be. I hope you both enjoyed your latest good yell at each other. Please behave and don't give God too much of a headache. *S*

I won't say goodbye Poppy. I'll say that I love you, and that I miss you, and that I'll see you again...in the sun and the rain and the seasons and the "ever after". I still feel the love in your hands.

"They say the neon lights are bright..."

"...on Broadwaaaay..."

Been listening to music from Broadway musicals lately and decided that my assessment of my situation if I lived in NY is on the mark. If I lived in New York City I know for a fact that: 1. I would have one very nice dressy outfit, 2. I would have one very nice dressy coat or jacket, 3. I would have tickets to every, or almost every, 1st run show on Broadway, and lastly, 4. I would live in a cardboard box someplace! I figure box-living would be the only way I could afford the tickets to all the shows I would want to see. *L* Re-thinking about this "If I" life plan made me think back to the shows I wish I could have seen with their original casts:

1. "Phantom of the Opera" - oh to have seen Michael Crawford in that show and to have heard "Music of the Night" in that voice. *sigh* "...the power of the music of the night."









2. "Wicked" - Kristen Chenowith is from OK and has an amazing voice and, having seen Idina Menzel act, I can't imagine a travelling cast could completely do it justice. "Popular...you're gonna be pop-u-lar..."




3. "Rent" - saw the movie, and loved it (and listen to some of the songs almost every day and love them too). It's not exactly a pretty subject but since they got most of the original cast from the show to reprise their parts in the movie, it's as close as I can get to the original. Idina Menzel played Maureen in both - I'm sure she was as good in the play as she was in the film! "525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or a man?"




4. "The Lion King" - From all that I've read this was a wonderful adaptation of the movie. "In the circle....the circle of life...."











5. "Jersey Boys" - I loved "Eddie and the Cruisers" borrowing from Bruce Springsteen's start on the Jersey Shore - how could I not love seeing the story of Frankie and the Seasons?? *L* I've heard bits of the soundtrack and the guys do a VERY nice job on VERY recognizable songs! "Sherry, Sherry baby..."

6. "Mamma Mia!" - I missed the movie when it came through Enid (didn't stay very long) but I intend to see it when it comes out on DVD. I've always been a fan of ABBA's music and the story looks cute and funny enough. "Mamma Mia...here I go again..."









7. "Beauty and the Beast" - I can't imagine anyone making Lumierre as wonderful as Disney and Jerry Orbach did but I would have enjoyed seeing them try. *L* "Be our guest, be our guest, be our gueeeeest..."



8." Little Shop of Horrors" - Not sure if the play can do justice to the movie (which I LOVE) but again, I would have liked to see it very much!
"Down on Skid Rooooooow..."








9. "A Chorus Line" - One of the originals that interested me - and still kicking after all these years! True, some of the content may be a bit dated - but I bet it was one heck of a show when it opened! "ONE...singular sensation..."


10. And of course - the grandaddy of them all - there have been so many cast changes in this show, and some of them have been said to have been improvements, but I would have adored seeing the originals. "Let the memory...live again..."








Now mind you, I HAVE been to one Andrew Lloyd Webber musical - obviously not on Broadway, but in good ol' downtown Bawlmer. *L* "Starlight Express"! "Starlight Express...answer me yes..."

So good and so enjoyable that I went to see it twice while it was in town!


And I will always be honored that I got to see Yul Brynner in "The King and I" - one of the highlights of my life! How funny though - notice on the poster that Gertrude Lawrence is the "star" and just below the middle of the poster you can see "with Yul Brynner". I bet the revival posters were VERY different! *LOL* "There are times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely knooow...oh!"






And that has been my walk down my "Broadway Wish List". *L* Hope I didn't bore anyone. And if you get a chance - listen to some of the music from "Rent" and "Wicked", the songs are amazing!!!!!! I'll leave you now with a few lines from a "Wicked" song - "Defying Gravity"...

" So if you care to find me
Look to the Western sky
As someone told me lately
Everyone deserves the chance to
FLY!!!"

"You say it's your Birthday...."

And a very happy day it is!! Just think...a few short years ago you popped on out and the doctor-man slapped your nekkid butt! *LOL* And possibly Nanny slapped him since nobody slapped her kids (except her) and got away with it! *RBG* Sooooooooooo.... *ahem*

Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday Dear SueSuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue....
Happy Birthday to You!!

You may now take your fingers out of your ears. Love you big Sister!!!!!

Thank you, thank you very much.

Attention everyone, Toto has left the building.......... *G*

"Swim in the cove, have a snack in the grove..."

"...or you can rent a canoe..."

Or you can just hop on Michael and use his feet for paddles! *LOL* Richard says they must have put PAM in the water since it's not sticking to anybody. I must admit, there certainly are a lot of records being...no, more than broken....no, more than smashed...I reckon OBLITERATED would work!

And the boy has done it again. #6 under his Speedos and heading to the semi heats for his next one. Wow...what must that feel like? How must it feel to be the "Most Decorated Athlete in the history of the Olympic Games"? Toto-lly unimaginable actually! *G*

Saw a cute article "5 Fun Facts About Michael Phelps" - one of them was that, aside from the "Super Powers" of the US and China - Michael himself has more medals than any other COUNTRY at the Beijing Olympic Games. Imagine that!!

"...or would you rather be a fish?"

That boy, that boy!!!! *L* Smashing records right and left....collecting gold like it was the beginning of the gold rush and the nuggets were just laying on the ground!

Since our gymnasts aren't doing so great it would seem safe to say that while Americans apparently can't bounce, we certainly paddle quite well!! *G*

Okay, okay....fine....it can be said....Yes Virginia...I am a PHELPS PHREAK!!!!! *LOL* Go Fish-Boy GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!!!

"I'm forever blowing bubbllllllleeeessssss..."

Michael Phelps took his first gold medal of the games!!!!!!!!!!!! AND broke the world record...AGAIN....while doing it! Way to go Bawlmer Boy!!!

I don't care what the commercial says...he IS part dolphin...he DOES have gills...AND flippers...AND fins!! There's just no other explanation...he is the only living Merman! *LOL*

Me?? A Phelps Phan??? I don't know what you're talking about. *hmph*

"I'll stop the world and melt with you..."

Official temperature for Enid, OK from the Weather Channel: 108 degrees.

"I'm melting....meeeltiiing...."

Right now the wind is 10-20 mph...a breeze out here but wind in MD. And full of dirt and grit. If the temperature doesn't boil you and the grit doesn't flay you alive...you just might make it 'til the cool front comes through. Wednesday is supposed to drop down to 96. Wahooooooooooo!!

The heat is making me delirious.

"Is the heat on???"

I'm going to go and dissolve into a puddle now.

Cool thoughts......cool thoughts........ *G*

"You're beautiful, beautiful music..."

Ever notice how "they", in their infinite wisdom, can sometimes pick the prettiest songs for commercials?? Integris Baptist Health Center in OKC has been running two particular commercials lately that catch my ear every time!

The first one is a commercial about cancer survivors for the cancer center at the hospital. The song they use is "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan and it's beautiful. You don't hear all of it of course, and to be honest - the full song is awfully dark and quite depressing...but to see a montage of the survivors and to hear her voice singing "In the arms of the angel....may you find some comfort there..." is a very peaceful message.

The second commercial is for the heart donor/transplant program. You see a person who's life was saved by a heart transplant - then you see the mother of the donor (a young boy) holding a picture of the donor - then you see the mother and the recipient meeting and hugging. In the background is playing "I Know You By Heart" by Eva Cassidy. That commercial positively sends chills up and down my spine. I'll leave this with the lyrics - absolutely beautiful:

I Know You By Heart - Eva Cassidy

Midnights in Winter
The glowing fire
Lights up your face in orange and gold.
I see your sweet smile
Shine through the darkness
It's line is etched in my memory.

So I'd know you by heart.

Mornings in April
Sharing our secrets
We'd walk until the morning was gone.
We were like children
Laughing for hours
The joy you gave me lives on and on.

Cause I know you by heart.

I still hear your voice
On warm Summer nights
Whispering like the wind.

(Oh oh ohh)

You left in Autumn
The leaves were turning
I walked down roads of orange and gold.
I saw your sweet smile
I heard your laughter
You're still here beside me every day.

Cause I know you by heart,
Cause I know you by heart.

"Ring, ring, telephone ring..."

"Somebody said: Baby what ya doin'..."

At the moment I'm talking about my cell phone and it's associated ring tones. I think I have almost everybody done now....still having trouble with choosing a tone for the Popster. Those of you who chose your own tones will already know what they are (if you remember! *G*), and those who didn't choose...well...my phone, my choice...so nyah! *LOL* Anyways...here's the list:

Bobbi -- Tom and Jerry Theme (chosen) - any need to ask why??? *LOL*
Carolyn -- Midnight at the Oasis (chosen) - she likes it, hey Mikey! *G*
Mamie Lynn -- Iris (assigned) - I like this song...a lot!!!!!
Kati Doodles-- Drops of Jupiter (assigned) - I agree with her mother, it seems to fit the Puddy Girl so well!
Norie -- Come Dancing (assigned) - again, need to ask?? ("Come dancing...that's how they did it when I was just a kid...and when they said Come Dancing, my sister always did!") - love this song too!! *G*
Susan -- Looking Through The Eyes of Love (chosen) - absolutely beautiful song!

And so go my ring tones. Oh yeah, my "anyone" tone is "Wake Me Up" by Evanescence - love it, love it, love it!! And my text message tone is the Undertaker's theme from the WWE..."BONG! BONG! BONG!" and then eerie music. *L*

The only problem I have, as I mentioned, is for the Poppy. Any suggestions?? Anyone?? Good, bad, silly...I'll take any and all into account! Well???? I'm waaaaiiitinnnngggg....... *G*

"Some enchanted eveniiiiiiing...."

Last night we went to see "South Pacific", presented by the Gaslight Theater (Enid's community theater) and it was wonderful! We had a special guest, Jeffrey Ambrosini, playing the part of Emile DeBeque, the French planter that Nelly Forbush falls in love with. According to his bio, Mr. Ambrosini has performed in 2 national tours, sung leading operatic roles with the New World Symphony, performed with the New York Philharmonic, and had several international engagements in Italy and France. He was quite good - in Richard's opinion a better singer than actor. *L*

The lady who played Nellie, Kristi Kirkpatrick Browne, was also quite good. A little breathy on some of the long notes perhaps but a very solid Nellie.

And then we have the young man who played Lt. Cable, the young marine sent to talk Emile into helping provide the Allies with valuable reconnaissance about Japanese troop and fleet movements. He is the man who falls in love with Bloody Mary's daughter, Liat, but because of the overwhelming prejudice against Pacific Islanders at the time, gives up his love for the appearance of propriety. The young man in this role, Joe Redman, is a sophomore theater major at Ball State University and, in my opinion, should never EVER listen if anyone tells him to stop studying theater! Joe stepped onto the stage looking like a tall, thin, but handsome, geek of a boy dressed in his older brother's 'marine suit'....and then he opened his mouth. The audience was awestruck through every one of his scenes and at the end, as bows were taken, the thunderous applause made him blush clear to his shoes. It was absolutely deserved though. Everyone cheered for Nellie/Kristi and for Emile/Mr. Ambrosini, but they roared for Joe. He was, in this role, perfection.

The other true highlights of the show were Pamelyne Guillory and Chuck Lipps (yes, that's his real name). Pamelyne played Bloody Mary - her screeches of "STINGY BASTID" and her rendition of "Bali Ha'i" were wonderful! Chuck played Luther Billis - the sailor who is the all-around con man and, along with Mary, the comic relief of the show. I give him credit for: 1. allowing someone to draw a very bad picture of a ship on his chest and stomach, 2. wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra to perform "Honey Bun", and 3. rolling the little tummy pouch that he has so the drawn ship looked like it was floating. It was hilarious! Chuck has a very nice voice as well. In fact, when singing in ensembles, the sailor boys trounced the nurse girls completely! All in all it was a wonderful show and I'm very glad we got to see it.

'Bali Ha'i
May call you,
Any night,
Any day,
In your heart
You'll hear it call you:
"Come away,
Come away.

Bali Ha'i
Will whisper
On the wind
Of the sea:
"Here I am
Your special island!
Come to me,
Come to me!

Bali Ha'i,
Bali Ha'i,
Bali Ha'i!"

"Let Freedom ring...."

I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July! We did our usual trip to Meadowlake Park in Enid to listen to the Enid Symphony Orchestra and see the fireworks presentation and it was awesome! I've uploaded pictures of the celebration to the album site: http://no1shome.myphotoalbum.com. Choose the album titled July 4, 2008. I hope everyone enjoys them.

Enid decided to REALLY enforce the "No fireworks within the city limits" ordinance this year so we weren't able to set off our own. 'Our own' generally consists of a few small fountains, some Camellia flowers and some cool sparklers but I did miss them this year. The professional fireworks were awesome as usual though! And it's so nice to sit at the park by the lake with the cool breeze blowing and listen to the music, both before and during the pyrotechnics. According to the newspaper, in all of Oklahoma only Enid and OKC have fireworks displays with live music. We are very fortunate since we have a wonderful Symphony.

Thank you to all of the men and women who made yesterday possible. You are not forgotten and you are appreciated from the bottoms of our hearts!

"It's not easy...being....greeeeeeeeeen...."

And now some (in her opinion) "sick and twisted thoughts" from our sister....

Could Soylent Green Become Reality?

It is the year 2008. I have recently been watching TV commercials and the news very closely. Up until now, I’ve never heard about soy anything except in vegetarian burgers. Now, I see it all the time ... soy milk ... soy protein bars ... soy margarine ... soy, soy, soy. Oh, soy is so good for you, soy will help with hot flashes, soy will make you healthy. Where was all this talk when we were children? When even our parents were children? I’ve heard it mentioned as a natural food for cows and livestock ... but for people? Nope.

Fast forward to the year 2022 in the greatest film ever made starring Charlton Heston. You know the one. The world’s population is out of control ... people are sleeping in the hallways of tenements with the owner sitting at the top of the landing with a rifle to keep his paying tenants safe in their apartments. To even afford this slight luxury ... or to live in an apartment with “furniture” (live in fun girls) you had to make the big money with a capital M. To make this money you were either part of a corporation or a hired thug. The prestige of this big M gave you the wherewithal to purchase meat, fruit, vegetables and preserves. Mmmm ... yummy!

If you’re one of the little people, you’re living off red, yellow and green wafers supplied by an enigmatic, omnipotent corporation. The name of the wafers were Soylent Red, Yellow and Green. What were they? With the worldwide food shortages we can only assume the following:

Soylent Red might have been made with tomatoes? Sounds logical. You’re trying to feed a multitude of people for as little as possible and who doesn’t like a good tomato? Unless, like now, you’re tomatoes are on the list for salmonella.

Soylent Yellow ... this one is so easy folks. Corn, of course. It might not digest well, just like the real thing, but it has bulk and is filling. Easy to make ... maybe still that little corny aftertaste. Hmmm.

Then there’s Soylent Green. And remember Tuesday is Soylent Green day! What’s that you say? Where could they possibly get anything green? In the movie they give you an idea that Soylent Green is made from plankton from the Ocean and that there’s plenty to go around. Mayor Rick Meehan of Ocean City, MD is now running a commercial that the Ocean will dry up in about a billion years and to book your vacation soon before it happens. Is this a man of vision, or what?

But I digress ... never mind that you find out there are government sanctioned euthanasia stations all over the place. You can spend your final days on this earth taking a drink of something that strangely looks like red kool-aid (sounds familiar doesn’t it?). Then you can listen to music and watch movies of how the world used to look ... and peacefully croak. Now flash back to the part where there’s a riot in the streets and those big trash trucks with shovels come in and break it up. Where do you think those people went? Did you think they hauled them off to jail ... or dropped them off someplace else and let them live out their lives in peace and harmony?

Did no one else see where this was heading? Look at the name of the movie again if you didn’t. Charlton Heston put it best when he screamed, “Soylent Green is people!”

So, my friends, there you have it. SOY! From the prophetic mind of a writer who might just have had a little look see into the future. (Channeling Mr. Rogers) Can you say, “Moo?” I knew that you could.

Carolyn E. Armstrong 6/13/08 copyright

"Up ahead...there's Texaco..."

Not really about Texaco but I couldn't think of any songs about gas. *LOL* This pic ran in the News and Eagle...the owners haven't taken it down...they just change the price for the regular unleaded when it needs to be changed.

"Let's talk about sex, Baby......"

"Sex and the City" actually! *L* We went to see it last night and it was everything it was supposed to be. Which, in a word, is Fabulous. The settings, the fashion, the hair, the shoes, the purses - it was all either fabulous or fabulously awful...which is what "Sex and the City" has ALWAYS been about. *G* I've watched it off and on over the years but always enjoyed it for one reason or another. Now Laura and I are thinking we need to rent each season and watch it through - we enjoyed it that much. And we've also decided that we want to see "Mamma Mia!" when it makes it to Enid. A total "chick flick" and, at least from the previews we saw, looks like it will be a lot of fun. And I want to see "Wall-E" - looks like Pixar could have another "Cars" on their hands and I absolutely LOVED the pop culture references in "Cars". It's Route 66 and Toto-ly retro...what's not to love???? *LOL*

And now for my ironically funny movie story from last night. Okay, so we went to the movies courtesy of Tim Webb (used to be the Willow Plant Manager for Advance) - he gave me the movie tickets in return for some research that I did for him last year. Side note: he gave me 6 tickets and we don't actually GO to the movies very often, as you can tell. Anyways, so we're at the movies on free tickets. "Sex" is playing in the smallest theater at Oakwood Mall - not surprising, it's not a new release and this IS Enid, America - there were a total of 14 people in the room. When we get there the theater is a bit messy...not totally trashed, just some drink cups in the holders, pop corn tub on the floor, some pop corn scattered around...like I said, messy but not trashed. Apparently they had forgotten to come in after the last showing and clean things up - so the Asst. Manager comes in, apologizes for the mess, and gives everyone there a ticket for a free movie - any movie, any time. There were only 7 of us in there at that time and we thought that was pretty cool and thanked him for the consideration. So we watch the previews and then the movie starts. It immediately goes 'off-frame' - you can see a wide black strip, everyone's heads, and it cuts them off right below the neck. There are 14 of us in the theater by now - one other lady and I go to tell the management that the film is off. They stop the film...get it reframed...and we're off again. Suddenly the dialog becomes very garbled and the frame jumps again. The other lady stands up and tells me, "I've got this one" and goes outside again. She comes back in as the film stops and the movie trivia screens pop back up again and says to the assemblage, "This is my fault everyone, I went and told them about the sound. I can't understand it through the garble." Everyone thanks her and we sit and read movie trivia for a few minutes. Next the Manager comes in, apologizes for the inconvenience, says they are resetting the projector and it will just be a minute. In the meantime he comes around and hands everyone a ticket for a free movie - any movie, any time - to make up for our screening problems. We all thanked him for the consideration. After he leaves the older lady sitting in the row in front of us looks at us and the people a couple seats down on our row (the original 7 from the first ticket give-away) and says, "Gee, I wonder what we can do to the movie next...this is getting profitable!" Her husband said, "Well....they just made bringing you to this movie worth it!" The people who came in later looked puzzled but we 'originals' roared. And the movie started back up and ran much better, although they never completely got the sound corrected - no indecipherable garble but a bit of static once in a great while, and a good time was had by all. So there you have it.....went to the movies for free...and got 2 free movies out of the trip! As they say....only in America! *ROTFL*

"And Windy has stormy eyes..."

And we've gotten both lately. I know this is Oklahoma - where the wind comes sweeping down the Plains - but give it a rest! It feels like we have 2 or 3 days of WIND...not wind, mind you...but WIND and then 2 days of storms. The winds are generally around 20-30 miles an hour, sometimes stronger, and when it rains, it RAINS. The other day we got about 4-5 inches in a 12 hour period. And that was just the latest in a long line we've had so far. The trees are bent in the wind's direction and the grass is pretty battered down. The farmers are crying...I know, farmers always cry about something...but this time they have reason. At least the wheat farmers do. They might get one or two good days to harvest then they have to wait another one or two to let everything dry out again. You walk outside and don't dare open your mouth most times because all you'll end up with is a mouthful of grit and dirt. Everything is dusty both inside and out - the house, the office, the people. Even the OK natives are saying they've had enough for now.

Okay...I'll stop whining and complaining now. *L* But speaking of OK natives...there was a piece on the radio the other day about how a transplanted Oklahoman knows they've really become a true Oklahoman and I'm rather proud to say that I've made it. *LOL* I can't recall everything they listed but I've definitely been within a mile of a big tornado (had two F5s pass closer than a mile on both sides of me when I lived in OKC), I've taken shelter in a small windowless room during a storm (different tornado), I've been a good Samaritan (stayed with a lady I worked with while waiting for her son when her car died), and I know by habit which station to turn to as soon as I hear the weather radio go off. I also know not to panic every Wednesday at noon when they test the sirens. Oh, and I've chosen a in-state college football team to root for....GO POKES!! *L* I reckon that makes me an Okie good enough.

It doesn't mean that I don't miss the water though. We have plenty of lakes and such but there's nothing like the ocean...and there never will be. And of course, I don't mean that big thing out west that has no personality. I'm talking about the grand old lady Atlantic. Now THERE'S personality and character! The storms out here can be awesome but still don't beat a good hearty Nor'Easter blowing in. Out here the storms eat wooden houses....back East they chew concrete and spit it back out! *G* And I guess that's enough waxing nostalgic about my ocean. *sigh*

Sadly, we lost two fish within a day of each other recently. One of our fruited tetras and one of our Sunburst wags passed away. I hope there isn't something going on in the tank. We have very nice fish at the moment and I'd like to keep them that way. It still leaves us with 3 fruities, 2 Sunbursts, 2 chefs, Deamon the angelfish, a few guppies, all 6 of the Glowfish, and Al...who is huge and sassy as ever. Richard swears Al is a girl because every time we clean the tank, Al redecorates. Doesn't matter where we put the plants and rocks, Al moves them to where ever he wants them to be. And for a big old carpy looking thing he sure is cute when he tucks himself across the bubble curtain stone and gets his spa treatment. *L* He's quite spoiled and quite happy to stay that way.

Another not-so-happy thing - I think our rose bushes have aphids. Looks like a piranha went chewing on their leaves, the poor things. The yellow bush is leafless at the moment and the pink/white bush is fairly chewed up too. We put some stuff on them to take care of the bugs, any diseases, and to feed them. Just waiting to see if it works. Most of the other plants are doing well. Ruby seems to be dropping some of her leaves but I fertilized her the other day as well and I'll see how she does with it. We can't really plant anything else at the moment - anything small or young will get drowned before it can take hold right now. The tomatoes seem to be loving the storm-heat cycle though.

Well...I think my head is empty for the moment so I'll hush for now. Back again soon if I don't blow away or float away. *LOL*

"All gave some and some gave all..."

Words will never be enough......from the bottom of my heart....Thank You.

"All gave some and some gave all.
Some stood through for the red, white, and blue,
and some had to fall.
And if you ever think of me,
think of all your liberties, and recall,
Some gave all."



Arlington

"I never thought that this is where I'd settle down,
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown,
They gave me this plot of land, me and some other men, for a job well done,
There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road,
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home,
They folded up a flag and told my mom and dad, we're proud of your son

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,
I can rest in peace, I'm one of the chosen ones, I made it to Arlington

I remember daddy brought me here when I was eight,
We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay,
And when we finally found that cross,
He said, "son this is what it cost to keep us free"
Now here I am, a thousand stones away from him,
He recognized me on the first day I came in,
And it gave me a chill when he clicked his heels, and saluted me.

And every time I hear twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home to us

We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done,
We can rest in peace, 'cause we are the chosen ones,
We made it to Arlington,
Yea dust to dust, Don't cry for us,
We made it to Arlington."

"M is for the many things she gave me......"

Happy Mother's Day Nanny Buns!! Love you and miss you and sending HUGE hugs your way.... CATCH!!! *RBG*

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..."

In my opinion it is one of the absolute coolest things ever! I just came from the Pioneer High School Sports Banquet - at the beginning of the banquet one of the Coaches said a brief prayer of thanks for the athletes, the families, the food, etc. At the very end of the banquet, after the seniors had received their letter blankets, the senior athletes led everyone in the Lord's Prayer to end the evening. The HS Principal announced that it would happen, the District Superintendent simply nodded his head as if to say "Of course", and no one batted an eye much less stood up in protest, gave a disapproving look, or even muttered a derogatory comment. These are not church fanatics nor are they religious zealots. These are working people - farmers, ranchers, teachers, military (active or retired), business people, etc. I'm quite sure, because I've heard many of them do it, that they take the Lord's name in vain on occasion - honestly I've heard some of them swear like sailors on leave! They aren't always "good Christians" - I've seen some of them be total jerkwads. There's a high rate of broken families around this area, and probably a higher rate of dysfunctional ones. But a prayer is said at the beginning of every sporting event and the start and end of every banquet. And if you don't care to join in, you don't have to...but don't tell them THEY can't do it...reaction will run the gamut from your being politely ignored to being the recipient of a few very "un-Christian" words to feeling like you've been smacked with a wall of ice. Rural schools and NASCAR - the last bastions of "religious freedom"! *LOL* And the last groups of people you EVER want to tell that they can't pray in public.

Last week was the Tri-State Music Festival in Enid and Saturday was the parade. The first thing you see in this parade is the color guard from Vance Air Force Base carrying the American Flag, the Oklahoma State Flag, and the Air Force Flag. Everyone...and I do mean EVERYONE stands until the flags have completely passed by. The gentlemen remove their hats and most everyone puts their hand over their heart. Our veterans proudly wear their caps and ribbons and salute. And parents bend over and make sure their children are standing too. A granddad not far from us stood a little one up, pointed at the American Flag, and said (quite kindly), "That's our flag.. you ALWAYS stand up for our flag." And then proceeded to teach his grandchild to applaud as she passed by.

These are just a few of the many reasons I love rural life...even though I'm not REALLY all that rural. Sometimes I miss being in a bigger city...and then I visit OKC and remember why I like Enid. Being back in Baltimore was exciting...at the risk of sounding like an advertisement or an old song, there's a pulse in a big city that just makes your whole body/soul/mind vibrate...and it's a great feeling. But there's also a comfort in knowing a good portion of the people in your city, by name if not any other way, and feeling safe and secure when you go out or go to sleep at night. Don't get me wrong...Enid has it's share of crime...and I still lock the doors and watch over my shoulder and hold my purse close. As they say, "You can take the girl out of the city but....etc." It's still a very peaceful feeling that I've come to enjoy.

And now I will step off my observational and opinion soapbox and go and listen to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"! *ROTFLOL* Just kidding of course...my favorite song at the moment is Brad Paisley's "I'm Still A Guy"...that song is hilarious!!!!!!! Anyways...good night...God Bless (if you choose to let Him)...and a have a good tomorrow regardless.

"Parsely, sage, rosemary, and thyme...."

What is it about Lowe's lately that I can't seem to walk in there without walking out having bought some new living thing???? *L* Yesterday we went in for sandpaper and a water filter and left with two rose bushes, a pot of tarragon, and a pot of rosemary - but forgot the sandpaper! *LOL* I did get pics of the new roses and the new herbs and they've been added to the photo album site in the House Flowers album.

We took a good long look at Lucy (the bush I was growing from a cutting) and found that she wasn't rooting at all....absolutely nothing. In fact, she was drying up before our eyes. Luckily we saw her at Lowe's yesterday so...yep...back to Lowe's this morning. *G* Remembered the sandpaper this time and, of course, came away with a new Lucy. We found out that she is actually a Golden Euonymus and in the winter the golden edges of her leaves will turn red! She's a beauty and she had a nice dense root ball when I transplanted her so I'm hoping she'll grow like crazy. I'll have to keep her well pruned since I have her in a container - I'm going to try keeping her sort of round. We've discussed having Richard build another planter and maybe putting an azalea bush in it. I've loved azaleas ever since the house on Bedford Road.

I wasn't able to find any thyme but I'm still looking. I'd also like to grow some sage. That would give us a very nice basic selection of herbs to cook with. I've really gotten into fresh herbs thanks to the Food Network...especially Rachel Ray. She's annoying most of the time but she has some decent ideas and she almost always works with fresh herbs. I've become quite addicted to the taste in my foods anymore. *LOL*

And Aunt Cawnin...the sunflowers wouldn't do well in a container so we're deciding where we might like them in the yard. Once we pick a spot we'll have to check the drainage and such but our goal is to get them planted when we can!

I reckon that's about all for now. Just wanted to update everyone on the new plant babies. *L* Oh...and the yellow roses look like they're about to burst into bloom....once they do I'll get some photos.

"Where have all the flowers gone..."

Okay...finally got it done. I was going to put the pictures of the house flowers here on the blog but in my opinion there are a few too many for here. Anyways...I've put them into an album on our photo site:

http://no1shome.myphotoalbum.com

Just look in the album titled House Flowers and you can see pictures of all the gals and guys that are growing around here! Or at least....the leafy ones. *LOL*

Let me know what you think! Here's a little sneak peek! *G*

"Feelin' hot, hot, hot..."

Whew...yesterday was a scorcher...hot and humid and totally ICK. The kind that makes you feel queasy whenever you step out into it. Today we've got the "Oklahoma breeze" going though and the temps aren't quite as high. A MUCH more pleasant day! *L*

The flowers and plants are undecided about the weather right now. I got a cutting from a woman I work with, Starla, of a bush that she has in her yard. It has pretty little leaves that are yellowish-green with a thin dark green border and I named her Lucy....not sure why but the name seems to be perfect. Richard built a wooden planter for her and though she's kind of small right now, she seems to be quite happy in her new home. She's on the back patio just outside the sliding doors and I think when she grows her color will be beautiful against the brick of the house. Laura put her tomato plants out and I think we'll be 50/50 on those. The smaller plants seem to be getting a bit wilted but the larger ones are enjoying the sun. We also put several different kinds of flowers and leaves in two pots in the rock garden out front (where the lighthouses are). Those plants look like they're doing well so far - they get a break from the sun in the afternoon when it drops behind the house. And the pansies on the other side of the garage door are doing fantastic. They seem to just eat this warmth up and bloom like crazy. I'll see about getting some pictures and post them up for everyone to see. Now all I'll need is for my little gardener man on Lookout to plant his sunflowers again and I'll be a happy girl! *L* Still pretty envious of Pete and Linda's tulips though - I just can't seem to get tulips to grow for me. Linda's are gorgeous - she has them planted all along the fence on the side of her house and she has colors ranging from a deep butter yellow to a black-red. Pete also got some pretty lavender and pink ones to bloom this year. Some teenaged girls walking through the neighborhood picked a few of them and Linda wasn't too pleased with that but she's still got plenty of blooms.

Hmmm.....maybe I should have titled this post something with flowers....."I'll give you a daisy a day Dear, I'll give you a daisy a day...." *LOL* I'm out for now! SNOOTCHIES!!!!

"...That ol' wind had once again found it's way home."

Aunt Cawnin wrote, "Wish they would get these windmill things up and running so everyone can just pay a price yearly for the maintenance of them. Did anyone think of that?"

The Daily Oklahoman had a headline today: " T. Boone Pickens to import water, wind power to North Texas"

Boone is known around here as "Mr. OSU" - an alumni and staunch supporter of Oklahoma State University - their football stadium is named for him and he's invested more money in this state than God could count. He made several fortunes in the oil and gas industries and while this project, a 1.5 billion dollar investment of his money, is slated for Dallas and the surrounding areas, he has a history of trying things in Texas (lives in Dallas at the moment) then bringing them up to OK.

So Aunt Cawnin, your foresight is working overtime! *L* Boone agrees with you and is working to make those thoughts reality.

Another little tidbit I thought ya'll might find interesting!

"You can come back baby, rock 'n roll never forgets..."

Wow...it's been awhile since I posted anything...sorry folks! I'm going to try and get back into the swing of this blog, but I make no guarantees.

As for the title...well...rock 'n roll might never forget but apparently the economy does. I, however, REMEMBER when gas was affordable. *frown* Not sure about your neck of the woods but at this moment the Short Stop (it sells Conoco) is charging $3.39 a gallon for REGULAR UNLEADED!!! Can you believe it?? I'm sitting in a state that's sitting on top of a freakin' oil field and that's what we're paying. *shaking my head* I saw an editorial cartoon with an older couple reading the news about the "Economic Stimulus Rebate" that's coming and the gentleman asked..."So, what should we do with our rebate? Get the power turned back on, pay for our prescriptions, or get a tank of gas?" I swear it's that bad anymore. In my humble opinion, you can say what you want about Wal-Mart but as long as they keep offering $4.00 prescriptions for common generics they'll get my business!

And speaking of remembering...does anyone remember the weather being this screwy?? Since Spring has begun we've run the gamut out here. You need a coat one day, roast the next, get blown half way to Tulsa the next, and have to think about building an Ark the next. I know Spring is a changeable season but good golly! The other day the thermometer actually jumped almost 40 degrees in about 9 hours. It was 38 degrees when I left for work at 6:30 a.m. and it was 76 degrees when I walked out of the plant at 3:30 p.m. I'm channeling the parents but it's true...you don't know how to dress anymore. I've taken to wearing layers that I can peel away during the day like you have to do in Winter. By now we should be having cool but not COLD.

In the political arena I haven't backed a candidate yet but it's definitely NOT Hilary! And after today I'm quite glad about that. Such a large part of her platform is "Socialized Medicine" - free health care for everyone. It sounds extremely nice in theory but I got a lesson today in practice and ...well...maybe not. One of the guys at the plant, Clint Beagley, just got back from a business trip to Canada, he went to Toronto. Canada has free health care for everyone - government funded 100%. Again, the idea sounds good but in practice not so much. The people he was with got into a few conversations about the topic and he was surprised to find out some of the stuff Hilary and her compatriots never mention. There are a few private practitioners in Canada but they are so booked you can't even HOPE to get in to see them. Most of the health care is done in clinics and minor emergency centers. These are also so booked that you can't get an appointment for weeks. Anything even remotely considered "elective" has to be scheduled almost a year in advance. And the "free" in "free health care", of course, isn't. The cost of living is extremely high in Canada - to the point that it is the norm to have large numbers of people in one house. The guys he was speaking to (plant managers, superintendents, etc.) said that to have 20 people living together in a house is nothing to them. Now these people are most often families...usually several generations of the same families...but still!! Geez...when we were growing up there were 9 of us, 11 with Bobby and Louie, and we barely all fit! Anyways, where I was going with the cost of living thing is that the income tax in Canada is outrageous...but the salaries aren't much different from here in the States. And it's the income tax that pays for the health care. So not only are you still paying for YOUR health care every time you go to work, but you're also paying for those who don't work. And if they need more money for health care...yep...taxes go up. Clint also mentioned that there is a very large population of homeless people in Toronto. Sorry if I bored you with all of that...I found it very interesting talking to him today!

Oh, but they did have one thing that was kind of cool...this should make you smile Suzie-Q! *L* While they don't allow hanging there (I don't think) - if someone commits a crime and then skies out into the woods - they just post a bounty on the person and somebody brings him or her in lickety split. *LOL* Clint enjoyed that little fact. Apparently some guy murdered a woman up there and headed into the wilderness to not get caught. Nope. Some other guy got his hunting dogs out and tracked the culprit down in, like, 3 days. Clint was so amazed it made me crack up.

So....back to the song....Sweet 16 has actually turned 44 but I haven't forgotten everything...yet! *LOL* Bye for now!