Enjoying Texas……….

Tomorrow my niece Kaitlyn has a cheer competition in Ft Worth.  So today, my sister Tammy, Kaitlyn and I drove to Ft Worth.  On the drive down Kaitlyn entertained herself playing The Sims 3 on my computer while my sister and I enjoyed some great music from the past, like Chicago, Dan Fogelberg, etc. Our singing along with the music amused Katie so much she had to turn on her ipod to escape it!



 

My Dad informed us that it was going to rain all the way down to Ft Worth and even though it was cloudy we did have several stretches with no rain.  Sorry Dad, I love you but you were just WRONG!!!

After checking into our hotel, we had the evening free so we went over to Grapevine Mills Mall. One of my favorite spots in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.







We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe.  This is something that everyone should have the pleasure of experiencing at least once in their life.  Every few minutes there is thunder and lightening and all the animals make their animal noises.  The elephants lift their trunks, the monkeys swing from the ceiling.  It’s all very entertaining and the food is pretty good too.   In addition to all the animals around the restaurant that put on a show it seems that we had a baboon at our table that gave us a pretty good show.


At this moment I am quite thankful that my sweet Kaitlyn does not read my blog…..because I am certain I would get a very loud “AUNT NAY!!!!” from her. So I will fail to tell her about this. And if you do, I will hunt you down and …… I don’t know what…I’ll have to figure that out.  But as you can clearly see we never lack for entertainment when Katie is around.  We don’t need to watch comedies or go to the movies.  We just need to wind Katie up and let her go.  Laughter will surely follow!!!!






My own personal princess! Katie feels she is quite deserving of a real tiara. We don't have the heart to tell her that she isn't a real princess and will never have the opportunity to rule a country or marry a prince.  But she looks cute in the tiara.


For a little girl with a big personality, I find it rather amusing that she is frightened of oversized stuffed animals.  Katie is loud, boisterous, funny, amazing, crazy and quirky. But she is completely creeped out by people wearing animal (anime or real) costumes. She only stood by Sonic for a few seconds in order for us to snap this picture. Then she ran.





Katie, I am blessed to be your aunt and I am blessed to be able to spend such precious time with you!

Quaking and Quilting…….

So this morning a 4.0 earthquake gives my bed a really good shake and wakes me up.  We don’t usually get earthquakes here, we get more tornadoes.  So it was definitely an interesting way to start the day.

Then Mom and I went to the Oklahoma City Quilt show.  There was a very strong America theme this year.  It was great to see all of the quilts in support of our country.

I am always amazed at the level of talent shown in the quilts at the show.  We saw some amazingly beautiful quilts.

This is an amazing sampler quilt which was hand quilted. I cannot even begin to imagine the time it took.

Another amazing hand quilted floral quilts.  It' is so much more amazing in person.

This is a trip around the world quilt and this picture does not do the colors justice.  It was also hand quilted as well. So incredible!!   

Being a Kid Again………

As I write this I sit in my childhood bedroom; however, it’s no longer pink and it’s no longer mine.  This room is now white, red curtains hang over the windows and it is now the room my son calls home.  He has a wealth of electronics, including a color, flat screen television with DVR and I felt extremely lucky to have a thirteen inch black and white television with attached rabbit ears.  This has been the only house I have ever known my parents to own.  Even though I have had more addresses than I care to count, this house has always been home for me.  There are so many memories here and I am blessed to have this place hold such stability for me. 

The  past couple of days I have been fluctuating between relaxing in my old bedroom and spending time with Brendon and his friends. I was going to say that he is truly blessed to have such great friends.  But the truth is that I am truly blessed that he has such great friends. They have all done such a great job of checking on me to make sure that I have what I need.  They have also been brilliant at keeping me busy and entertained. 

A couple of days ago we went to an Irish Pub, Dan McGuiness, for lunch.  Erik, Mary, Brendon and myself had a really great lunch.  It full of charm and character.  Many of the items inside came directly from Ireland and it just has this really great ambiance that makes one instantly comfortable.  Of course, my lunch dates also did a great job of keeping me laughing.  They are all graced with a wonderful sense of humor and laughter is a common companion when they are gathered together.  They are also not afraid to create a little humor at their own expense as anyone can see by this picture of Erik wearing Mary’s heart shaped sunglasses.  There is something truly endearing about a guy who’ll do silly things to make a girl laugh.  Not stupid crazy things, but just silly enough to make milk come out of your nose due to an unexpected guffaw. 

Today we met at Buffalo Wild Wings (oh, how I’ve missed those boneless wings!) for lunch and ended up staying for a couple of hours just chatting easily.  We then worked our way over to GameStop for a little shopping and game testing.  Mary entertained us belting out songs on Rock Band, while the boys were busy perfecting their guitar skills over on Guitar Hero.   I made a very feeble attempt at playing drums on Rock Band. But I truly sucked so I quickly threw in the towel.   It’s amazing how truly skilled these guys (and girl) are and how awful I truly am at these things.  I do believe I will stick with Tetris and the Sims!!

Tonight we went to the movies together to see AVATAR!!!! Completely amazing movie.  The colors and the imagery are totally captivating.  I would easily go see this movie again and again.  It was great to have such great company to entertain me for the day.  None of them even became embarrassed when I went into sensory overload after the movie and managed to walk with this incredible wobble.  They all just did their best to do what they could to help me. Thanks for being such good friends to me!  You definitely do a great job of keeping life interesting since my hubby is gone. Thanks for being great dates! Love you all bunches!

Things I have learned from Lady Gaga…

Most people find Lady Gaga eccentric.  I will agree that she is not as Vanilla as most of us are but I bet that most of you have no idea how inspiring she truly is. Sure, she could just walk out on stage and sing. However, she is a performance artist and believes in providing her fans with a magnificently entertaining show.  Part of this includes presenting herself in an interesting manner.  So I wanted to take a few minutes to have my readers broaden their view of who Lady Gaga is.

The simple pleasures in life can be the most comforting.  Walking around with a cup or bottle in hand is something we all do, at least from time to time.  She has just chosen to do so with a cup that reminds her of home and having tea with her Mother. We should all be so lucky to have such great memories and to have some keepsake of those incredible memories in our lives.

No matter how much you earn, scrutiny of finances is always an issue.   It has recently been reported that Lady Gaga is spending more on her tour than she is earning.  If she is content spending all her money on her show for her fans; why should we care?  I am not saying we should spend recklessly but we should always remember to indulge in our passions.

“They can’t scare me, if I scare them first.”  We should all be as ferocious as she is when we are facing our fears.   There is nothing that exists in life that someone else hasn’t faced before.  With a little faith and a lot of determination; we can get through anything.

Never be afraid to be yourself or to stand out in a crowd.  Looking into our own mirror and embracing who we truly are can be a daunting process.  But it is the only way we can ever find our way to true happiness.  Don’t listen if they tell you you’re weird. After all who really is “normal?” Her own  Father thought she was mentally unstable when he first saw her play. 

Don’t worry about those that doubt you.  She was asked on the Paul O’Grady show if she gets upset that people call her an overnight success.  Her response was that those are just journalists that don’t do their research.  As you can see by this photo she is not, at all, upset because someone else has chosen to be ignorant. She knows exactly who she is and what talents God has given her.

Of course, Lady Gaga reminds us to ‘Just Dance.’  Life is meant to be celebrated, to be lived, and to be embraced.  The ups and downs we experience are merely the crescendos and decrescendos of the music that is life.  While we may never be experiencing the same rhythm at the same time; we are all dancers in this amazing composition named “Living.”

Lady Gaga reminds us to feel pretty, to put on the high heeled shoes and to strut our stuff even if our body may not be an ideal body (whatever that is!) We all have a right to feel beautiful.  After all, we are all beautiful. 

Last, but certainly not least. Gaga reminds us that we are all Heavenly bodies. We all have a right to shine like stars and to pursue our goals as intensely as the sun shines.  We all have our own light to offer to this world, don’t let anyone ever snuff yours out.

Driving and Gagaing.........

As I found myself driving through the Texas panhandle, with old windmills on my left and a beautiful sunset on my right, I reflect on how things are going in my life. While my husband will certainly be missed I am blessed to be able to travel and grateful to have so many people willing to help me.  Even though my health is complicated, my heart is well protected in the hands of God and all my loved ones.

I have been especially impressed with Brendon and his friends.  They have truly taken an interest in helping me meet my needs, whether this be entertaining me, going to dinner with me.  Erik called me while I was driving from Colorado Springs to Oklahoma, we talked for over an hour and he was glad to just listen to me. He met me at Brendon’s work just to give me a hug and make sure I was doing alright. And I am currently in St Louis with Mary and will be heading to the Lady Gaga concert in less than three hours.  On the car ride, she has listened to stories about my husband and our love for each other, even though she has already heard many of them.  She empathizes with my sentimental mood, makes me laugh at just the right moment, and doesn’t mind when I sing Lady Gaga off key. For a bunch of 20 year old kids they are doing a great job of taking care of their Momma.  Thank you all so much……. I love you and truly appreciate it.

Tonight, I attended the Lady Gaga concert.  With a quick glance one would expect that she is just another pop artist produced by the never-ending machine that churns out star after star.  But the truth is that she is so much more than that.  To begin with she writes her own songs and her concert is her own concept. She’s not just a pretty face with a voice.  She has a message and it’s one of love. Love for your fellow man, love of creativity, and most of all love for yourself.  In life we are given a lot of choices.  Sometimes we won’t make the right ones, sometimes we will.  Life is merely a journey of lessons that shape us into the people we are to become.  It’s what we do with those lessons that make the difference in our lives and the lives of those we touch.

You know we are all given challenges and blessings in life.  Our response to these things determines our strength of character.  How often do we speak the truth to each other or even to ourselves for that matter?  How often do we help each other out without wondering what’s in it for us?

When you love do you truly give your heart freely and openly or do you expect something in return?  Do we sit around waiting for what life is going to bring to us? Are you busy making your own satisfaction?

The hand of a child
The tears of a friend
The heart of a stranger
The soul of a human
What touches our being
What becomes our purpose
What consumes our thoughts
What pushes our goals
The eyes of our spirit
The passion of our youth
The adoration of our culture
The truth of our existence
What makes us healthy
What gives us pleasure
What drives us forward
What makes us whole
The enchantment of desire
The challenge of growth
The charisma of fame
The power of adoration
What amazes our dreams
What possesses our vision
What wakens our longing
What stirs our creativity
The completion by choice
The blessing by deed
The guidance of inspiration
The stillness of contentment
What soothes our ire
What inspires our gifts
What confesses our sins
What embraces our soul