A Messy Good Time!!

Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been gone so long. It’s not that I don’t want to keep up with my blog. I do. I really do. But I’ve been so busy. Busy with what? Kids, work, life.

But most recently, planning a weekend long birthday party for my daughter. She just turned 16. It was crazy!! We had a 3 tiered cake that about did me in, paint wars, a colored powder fight, and so much more. But instead of just telling you, why don’t I just show you? 😊

Lake Wedington, AR. The scene of our epic bday party.

We rented a cabin for the entire weekend.

It was small but cozy, air conditioned (although it didn’t work very well) and clean, and the beds were surprisingly comfortable. No tv-the kids didn’t like that. We brought board games, a karaoke machine, and marshmallows to roast.

First up: unpacking. We packed way too much stuff but I’d rather have too much than not enough. Clothes, party stuff, prizes, games, etc.

THE FIRST NIGHT:

Karaoke Time!!

My daughter and her best friend belted out tunes to an energetic audience of 3.

Not long after, the ‘crowd dispersed and hit the hay.

GOOD MORNING!!

The hubby woke everyone up by banging on pots and pans (This echoes inside a small cabin).

Delicious breakfast for a busy, busy day.

Next up, decorating the cabin for the party.

We all took to this with a smile on our face and a song or two blasting through the cabin.

Finally, We’re heading down to the lake for swimming and food! And a little music too.

CAKE AND ICE CREAM.

We had to keep the cake and ice cream at the cabin because they would have melted in a heartbeat. And I worked really hard on this cake. While it didn’t turn out as planned (I cried for a bit about that), my daughter was still pretty happy with it.

FUN AND GAMES!!

Game #1: Shake your booty. This game had everyone laughing so hard!!!

We actually had a couple more games to play but it was beginning to get late and the park gates closed at 8 pm so we moved on to the best part of the evening, the part all of the kids had been looking forward to.

PAINT SLIP N SLIDE:

How about a colored powder fight next? Shasta was the champion by the way. 😁

And perhaps the messiest and most fun, the paint war!!

Talk about a mess. But so much fun!! Afterward, everyone got sprayed down with the garden hose and showered. (Paint was still coming out of everyone’s hair even a day later.)

Then there was just us. The hubby had a headache so we had my daughter’s friend grill up some chicken for us.

A really good cook by the way.

Roasting marshmallows, ghost stories, and a light show ended the night. (At least for me. I crashed out at 1, the kids were up until the sun came up.)

All in all, I think my daughter had a great time and hopeful it will be one she will remember and cherish for many years.

You can’t go home again….

To most, Greenfield, Oklahoma is a nothing town. It always has been, it always will be. But to some Greenfield was, and is, home. And up until I was was 15, it was my home as well. 

What was once a vital, prospering town when it was founded in 1892 has now become a virtual ghost town with the latest census siting less than 90 people living in the .1 square mile area. (Yes, it’s really that small.)  But it wasn’t always so desolate.

Established at noon on April 19, 1892, Greenfield, Oklahoma was founded when the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation was opened for non-Indian occupation. 
Named in honor of the first postmaster, William Henry Greenfield, the town’s first post office was established on January 30, 1900. 

The Enid and Anadarko Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) built the first railroad line in 1901. Two freight and four passenger trains served the community on a daily basis.

Greenfield provided a trade center for the surrounding agricultural area. The town had two hardware stores, four general merchandise stores, garages, filling stations, cafés, a cotton gin, an elevator, and a bank.

The first bank, established in 1908, failed and closed in 1923. Another bank, founded in 1924, was later sold to Watonga State Bank. 

Early-day newspapers included the Greenfield Hustler and the Greenfield Booster. 

In 1908 in anticipation of an oil boom, several other businesses opened, including a hotel, a general store, a pool hall, and a butcher shop. Settlers organized Baptist, Nazarene, and Presbyterian congregations.
Twelve students attended classes during the winter months in the first schoolhouse. The teacher’s salary, usually fifty dollars, was paid on a voluntary basis. Eventually, a four-room building was constructed and enlarged as additional space was needed. 

A high school was erected in 1921 and a grade school in 1930. At that time there were twelve teachers. The Greenfield schools held their last commencement in May 1991.

No census was made until 1940,when the residents numbered 303. In 1960 Greenfield had 128 residents. With a population of 123 at the turn of the twenty-first century, Greenfield served as a “bedroom” community.

As you can see, the population declined sharply. And when the school system shut down in 1991, the numbers fell even more drastically. 

Going back to my hometown and seeing it as it is now was both shocking and heartbreaking because I remember what it used to be. 

I was shy, quiet and my nose was always in a book. (Not much has changed there huh?)

But I remember riding my bike to school and all around town. I remember my friends. (My best friend was named Jessica a.k.a. Punky). I remember the basketball games, the track meets, the school plays, and softball games. 

So much has changed over the last 20 years, the town is almost unrecongizable. 

Here are a few pics of my hometown now:

My old house

The church

The post office

The town park (this is a new addition by the way)

The only remaining store in the town. (Can you believe my friends and I used to climb to the very top of these towers?)

The railroad

My grade school

My high school

It’s in a sad state now. Nothing like it used to be of course. 

Absolutely heartbreaking….

I hate to see how much my hometown has fallen. How lonely and forgotten it is. But I will always have the memories of how it used to be. I will always remember the good times. And I will never forget where I came from.

I HATE

Good afternoon everybody. I jotted this down and I wanted to share it with you. It’s about how much a person hates to love the person in their lives that hurts them and lets them down. Its one of frustration and sorrow and the realization of their own weaknesses toward their beloved.

I HATE

I hate the way you hurt me
I hate the way you lie
I hate the way you push me away
I hate the way you make me cry.

I hate when you destroy my trust
I hate when you disappear
I hate when you won’t answer me
I hate when you leave me in fear.

I hate how your always on my mind
I hate how you break my heart
I hate how you mess me up
I hate how you can rip me apart.

I hate that I need you so much
I hate that I forgive everything you do
I hate that I can’t stay mad
I hate that I don’t want to be without you.

I hate that my love is blind
I hate that you know it too
I hate that no matter what you do to me
I hate that I don’t hate you.

Lessons from a Hobbler

Good morning friends. Today I wanted to share with you a few things I’ve learned about being a hobbler. A limper. A shuffler. Whatever word you would like to use, it all comes down to the same thing: A person forced to move in an unnatural, awkward way due to a injury in the lower half of your body.

It could be your hip. Could be your knee.  Maybe even your foot. Mine is an ankle injury. (From over pedaling a bike of all things…) It’s nothing too serious I suppose. Not like a broken bone or anything. But let me tell you, an inflamed Achilles tendon is nothing to laugh about. Especially when you are awakened from a deep and restful sleep in the early morning hours by a sharp, biting pain exploding through the backside of your ankle. OUCH!!

Since that rude awakening 4 days ago, I have been following Dr’s orders. Well mostly….I mean, I can’t just lay around all of the time. I have a family to take care of, responsibilities that have to be managed, and I have a job. 

Anyway, like the title of my post suggests, I have very quickly learned 5 things from becoming a hobbler. Ready? Then let’s jump right in! (Not literally of course. I’m already injured. No need to make it worse right? 🙂 )

#1. THERE WILL BE PAIN                       

Okay, so you’ve got an injury. Maybe serious, maybe not. Either way, there is residual and lingering pain that prevents you from walking properly. If there wasn’t, you would not be a hobbler would you?

#2. YOU WILL DRAW ATTENTION         

I don’t know about you but I really dislike drawing attention to myself. Especially with an injury. If you don’t understand why, picture this: Your trying valiantly to walk down the hallway without getting in anyone’s way or slowing anyone down but you are moving at a racing snail’s pace at best. And then you feel them. The eyes of passerbys. Each set focused on you and each slow, awkward step you take. 
#3. PEOPLE WILL ASK QUESTIONS 

People are curious by nature and so when they see you limping along, don’t be surprised if you get asked a hundred times: “What happened?” or “How did you get hurt?” Sometimes a simple answer will do but then depending who you are talking to, a more detailed, play by play explanation will be required. Try not to get annoyed. No matter how many times you have to repeat the story.  🙂

#4. MOVING FASTER ONLY MAKES         IT WORSE                                       

So you want to move at a more normal pace to avoid all of the above. THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! First of all, you could trip or fall which would be majorly embarrassing. You think people stare now? Just wait until your flying through the air like a broken kite before hitting the ground. And secondly, moving faster than your healing body us ready for may inflict more injury, causing a relapse to your recovery time. 

#5. THE TEASING WILL HAPPEN     

As much as your family and close friends love you and worry about you and pray you get better soon, they will inevitably tease you. Call you gimpy or slow poke. Or in my case, they say things like, “Run Forrest run!” It’s not that they love you any less or are making light of your injury. It’s just a way of cheering you up and getting you to laugh about the unfortunate circumstances bc honestly, you don’t want to be depressed and upset all of the time right?

I hope you liked reading this and I hope should you have an injury or get one in the future, that you heal up quickly. And if this post entertained you or made you smile or even nod your head in agreement, then I’ve accomplished something. Have a great day and enjoy!

Well the weather outside is frightful….

Hello everyone. I haven’t posted much lately. I’ve been working like crazy and getting ready for Christmas. And this weather is nuts! One day it’s sunny and the next, it’s below freezing.

We just got our first snow last night here in Arkansas. Some worse than others. But besides the ton of snow (ha ha ha-we just got a dusting), the temperatures are sooooo cold. Brrrrr.

.

Everyone stay warm and have a Merry Christmas from my family to yours!!

Having Trouble Writing? Me Too

Good morning everyone. As you read this, I am just getting off of work and headed home to get kids up for school and then try to get some sleep.
Now that I’m working nights, the parts of the day are totally switched up. More than that, I’m totally falling behind on things that need done. Mainly my writing and my blogging. I’m still trying to figure out how to multi-task. But that’s one part of a life of an author.

First, I love being an author. I have always wanted to write. Ever since I was a child, that has been my dream. And now I am finally published. The problem? Trying to finish book two. It has taken waaaay too long and I am beginning to seriously doubt that I have the right stuff to, well write.

The reasons I’m behind? To name a few:

1. Family Time

I can not express the importance of family. Kids grow up so fast and time flies by like it is going out of style. So time with your loved ones is not to be overlooked. But sometimes, just sometimes, it would be nice to just be alone long enough to get a few

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3. Sleep

Now we all know sleep is essential to our overall health. We have to have it. For most, it’s that time of night when you crawl into bed and drift off. But for me , it’s sleeping throughout the day like a vampire. Which sucks because I’m wasting valuable writin

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4. Self Doubt

Because I’m so behind and my characters aren’t talking to my sleep infused brain, I am having some serious doubts. Doubts which involve if I am really meant to be a writer. I mean, I LOVE to write but if it is taking me this long (almost 2 years :() to finish book two, then do I really have to right stuff to write? Am I really good

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5.Motivation

Sometimes I just lack the motivation to get going. I mean, I have the imagination and the want to but between finding the time to write  and sleep and life, I just can’t get myself moving. I think need a swift kic

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t me writing…

6. Excuses

Everything above is an excuse. Logical and actual things but excuses all the same. In short, if I want to be an author, then I am going to have to do it.  For in my writing when and however I can. Stop doubting myself and realize that I can be whatever I want. Even if takes longer than I hope or want.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!

Weight Loss and Me

Hi everyone. A couple of days ago, I looked in the mirror and it hit me. I mean REALLY hit me. I can’t stand the way I look. I mean, I’ve always has issues with my looks but I’m talking weight wise. I’m 5’5, 38 years old, and weigh 165. Ick! I’m overweight. I even checked my BMI. Its 27.5 which falls into the overweight catetgory. If you would like to check yours, here is the link:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

Now most of us don’t look like a Victoria Secret model. You know with the sleek arms, flat tummy, tight butt, and slim thigh gap.

Actually about 90% of us don’t. And some of that percentage don’t want to. But I do.

I know there they are born with great genetics and of course, they can afford to have personal trainers and a good consultant/dietician. Plus free time to exercise. And we can’t forget that there is probably plenty of photoshopping and brushing going on. And possibly even some plastic surgery here and there. All of these things, we are either not born with or is something most of us can not afford. But still, those girls are FIT!

Most of those things we can’t do anything about unless we have money. But exercise and eating, those are things we can try and control. I say TRY.

With our busy lives, I know how hard it can be to fit in time for exercises. Take me for example, I work 4 days at the hospital and have 3 days off. And sometimes I sub at the local school. Sounds like I have plenty of free time right? HA!

Between trying to write my next book, paying bills, taking care of 3 kids, a husband (he works 7 days a week and one of those days is a double), do housework, help with homework, cook dinner, ensure showers are taken and teeth are brushed, dogs taken out, and any extra domestic duties that need doing, I don’t have a lot of extra time to work out.

And what exercises do you do? There are only about a million different kinds targeting certain things and some people say to do them, some people say don’t do them. How do you know?

And as far as eating right…Have you ever tried to go grocery shopping for strictly healthy stuff? Its expensive. Like 2-3 times more expensive than the junk (and delicious 😋) foods that most of us normally buy. For me feeding 5 people and buying all healthy on a budget is damn near impossible.

Everyone complains about America being overweight and how we need to eat healthier.  But how can we afford to when the healthy stuff skyrockets our grocery bill by at least $100-200 dollars a week. And forget joining weight watchers, nutrisystem, or Jenny Craig. That is extremely expensive too. Or at least it is for me. There is Slimfast and Atkind which are cheaper but can get pricey over time. So what can a person do?

I really don’t know. But I know that I am tired of looking in the mirror and being disgusted by what I see. So, I am going to do my best to start a diet. This is what inam going to try first as far as eating healthier:

And as far as exercise, I’m going to do what I can that will target my trouble areas. Arms, lower tummy, butt, and inner and outer thighs. I’ve got a few exercises picked out but if anyone has any suggestions, Please leave me a comment below. I can use all the help I can get. Thanks.

Ode to a Computer…

Hi everyone. Today is a sad and terrible day for me. I just list a very old, very good friend. My laptop.

‘Ol Red and I have been through a lot together.

From the first day I held it in my arms 9 years ago, I felt something special. And I had such high hopes for it. I just knew it would do wonders. When it needed energy, I plugged it in. When it was sick, I took it to the doctor. I took care of ‘Ol Red.

And it did! It connected me to my family that lived far away, it played games and music and it entertained my kids and I for many years. It kept my secrets, my pictures and videos, my memories safe. It showed us the world.  But that’s not all.

‘Ol Red helped me achieve my dream to become a published author. Yes, with Red by my side, we wrote not one but two wonderful stories together.

‘Ol Red was there for me and I was there for it. When it needed energy, I plugged it in. When it was sick, I took it to the doctor. We made a great team.

But lately ‘Ol Red’s health has been steadily going down hill. First, it began to lose energy quickly and had to be plugged in more often. Then eventually, it was able to wake up on it’s own without a shot of electricity. We went on that way for a long time until today when it’s life force, the cord giving it energy, gave up the fight.

So sadly, today, January 7, 2016, I have to say goodbye to ‘ Ol Red. We’ve been through a lot together and I will never forget you. You were my first laptop and you will live in my memory forever.

Goodbye old friend….

Christmas, Christmas Time Is Here!

Hi everybody. It’s only 4 days til Christmas. My how the time has flown. It’s a little unbelievable.

But in spite of that, have you got your tree up?

How about the decorations?

Stockings strung up with care?

Christmas wreath on the door?

And don’t forget the mistletoe!

And of course a question everyone always asks: “Have you got your shopping done yet?”

For some, Christmas is all about religion:

For others, it’s the  magic of a child opening a present:

And singing Christmas songs to spead the joy of the holidays:

Regardless of how you will be celebrating this season,  in the end, one thing we can all agree on, it’s all about spending time with those you love:

So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my family to yours! Enjoy!

THE GOLDEN RULE

Good morning everybody. Have you been watching t.v. lately? 💻 There are so many horrible things that have happened recent and not so recently.

For example, I was watching a Barbara Walters special the other night-American Scandal. It was about Jonbenet Ramsey. Remember her? The little 6 year old girl that was found brutally murdered and sexual assulted in her own home December 26, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado? Absolutely tragic. 😥 Even worse, they still have not found her killer nearly 19 years later. 😦 I personally think that it was the man dressed as  Santa Claus 🎅 on the night of the Ramsey’s Christmas party that year. He told Jonbenet he would make a special visit to her AFTER Christmas but that she had to keep it a secret.

And then you have all of the bombings and shootings at schools and sportings events and in people’s homes and places of business. It’s all so sad and pointless and I just don’t understand how people can do the horrendous things to each other and live with themselves.
I mean, people are being killed, lives being lost, children being abused.  It’s so so, so, so sick and disheartening. I just want to ask: “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?   DO YOU NOT SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING??!!!”

But I degress….

My point is that almost everything you hear anymore is how people harass, hurt, injure, and kill others. It is horrible. And so depressing. Why can’t everyone just stop? Stop tormenting others, stop trying to take what they have not earned, stop destroying lives.

If everyone would live by the golden rule, then all of this tragedy would stop. You know what The GOLDEN RULE is right?

Just think about this for a minute.

A LOT OF HORRIBLE THINGS WOULD STOP…

* Divorce

* Fighting

* Bullying

* Robberies

* Beatings

* Drunk Driving

* Abuse

* Workplace Frustration

* Rape

* Murder

* Terrorism

* War

Wow, can you imagine how wonderful our lives, our country, our WORLD 🌎 would be?

It’s not really that hard of a concept is it?

I mean, everyone is different. We all know that. From their looks to their religions to their cultures. That is something that will never change no matter how much we might want it too. So if it can’t be changed, why not make the best of it?

Everyone should take a second and put themselves in someone else’s shoes before they said or did something and ask themselves there’s, simple, BASIC questions:

1. Would I want to be hated, abused, raped, or killed?

2. How would I feel if they did this to me or to one of my family members?

The answer is easy.

You would feel horrible. You wouldn’t want that to happen to your family or friends. So why do it to someone else or their family or friends?

Respect everyone’s differences and beliefs as long as those differences and beliefs don’t involve hurting or killing others.

Life is too short to be miserable and hard enough without causing disrespect, violence, and death to those around us.

This should be easy for those of us with any kind of a heart and soul. Or with any conscience or shred of human decency.

I know this is an ideallyic wish. But unfortunately not a realistic one. There are so many people in this world that are evil. Warped by those sick people around them or possibly born with defects that cause them to not just care. And those indivuals corrupt others. It’s a never ending circle of tragedy.

But those of us that actually care should never give up trying to treat each other with respect and love.

So my challenge to you is to make next year the