Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tradition

I woke up this morning feeling as if I was 7 again...excited about the day that I got to dress up and pretend for a whole day and the adult world encouraged it! I remember not knowing Halloween had evil roots. I just loved the day. Even as a girl, I loved to imagine and dream and pretend. I remember each Halloween my Mom would put on a huge pot of chili for all our friends to come over and in the early years, they would get Wild Horse Mountain BBQ which was a hometown favorite. My Nannie and Grumpies would come and my Grumpies would dress up as the Great Pumpkin and serve candy to the thousands of children who knocked on our door.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my family had precious friends. Still does. These whole families who meshed into ours and lived beside one another. We learned to ride bikes together, learned about Jesus, laughed and cried. We celebrated holidays together and took pictures on first days of school.
Halloween was no exception. We lived in a neighborhood that was perhaps the busiest in town on Halloween. I was not exaggerating when I said thousands of children would come to our door. So by 5:00, it would be impossible to get in and out of our neighborhood. My Dad would come home early, our friends would arrive and eat and then we would all set out together trick or treating in the dark. We would race from house to house laughing and screaming about the candy!
Now that I am on the other side, I know our parents loved it as much as we did. They got to spend time with each other and watch their children delight in pretending! I also now see the sacrifice my Nannie and Grumpies made by driving 2.5 hours, even on the days Halloween fell on a week night and spent making it special for us.
So tonight, I will watch my little bumblebee explore the world of her imagination and hold my Mom's hand, who came to be here and perhaps fire up a pot of chili. We will meet our friends and set out with our children. I just love tradition. Don't you?

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Finally Finished....



Here is the final product of my "new" entry way the the pew I mentioned a month or so ago. The only thing left is a cushion I am having made with red ticking stripe fabric. I ADORE the way this turned out!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Fears Recognized

So I had a weird day a couple of days ago. The meteorologists had been calling for severe weather all week and though not much can faze our state, when they begin saying things like "tornadoes likely," you would be a fool not to ready yourself. So the day comes and the skies are overcast. All day I keep waiting to the telltale signs rolling in....the green tint to the sky, the low black clouds, the still air. I only had AK at home and had put her down for her nap early so in case of our needing to take cover, I wouldn't have to wake a grouchy baby. So I am sitting at my computer which is on the west side of our house. The view out of my office's window is another house 25 feet away. I hear a loud boom and think to myself, "oh here they go...the storms are firing up." So I go into the living room where I have a south, unobstructed view and see the same overcast skies. But as I walk into my kitchen, I see a ton of smoke just over another house on 25 acres behind us. The trees are huge so I could not see what was causing the smoke. I went outside and not 3 seconds later, I hear another boom and realize I am hearing explosions. Suddenly, helicopters are circling, people are frantically running down the street behind my house, and the emergency vehicles begin. 8 firetrucks, 4 ambulances and I quit counting on the police. I am thinking in my head, "oh sweet Lord, someones house has exploded." I kept praying for those effected. I turned on the news, hoping to see what had happened. I finally kept refreshing my internet until I see the story appear. "Planes crashes. No survivors."
Death surrounds us every day. People die....it is part of life. However, this tragedy has effected me so strangely. It was someones entire family. Wife and children and the pilot. I cannot fathom what he is feeling. Going from a family of five to a family of one in one day. What do you do? My heart has broken for this man. I simply do not know what to pray for him. But I am anyway.
It has just reminded me that none of us are promised tomorrow. That when my husband leaves this morning, I am going to kiss him soundly and tell him how precious he is....how proud of him I am, how much I respect him. And when my baby wakes up and we sing "Good Morning George How are You?" and her sweet voice rings of innocence and purity, I will scoop her up and kiss every exposed inch of her. I will breathe in her baby scent and tell her how much I adore her. I will be thankful for the gift of waking up. I will be thankful that I have a God that cares and is always present....even when tragedy strikes and He could of stopped it.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Go Vote!


I am just reminding all my fellow Tulsans to go vote YES on the river tax today.
Just a tidbit of what the package would bring to Tulsa and our economy.

A $500 million private development will be built on the west bank of the Arkansas River, if the October 9 river vote passes. That word is according to the developers of the Branson Landing project in Branson, Missouri.

Those developers were in Tulsa Wednesday to show detailed plans of their proposed "Tulsa Landing". They say the drawings are very close to what the final project would look like.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

So Good

Oh Ya'll. I just love me some Paula Deen. I know Nancy, Erin and Autumn can attest to that. I make her recipes often and we tried this last night and it was DELICIOUS. Just thought I would pass it on. SO EASY! And yummy!

Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show: Paula's Home Cooking
Episode: Comfort Food

1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
Salt and pepper
Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool.

Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.

Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

*I did not put in the green pepper or onion. I actually used the butter and put some minced onion in it. B hates onions. It had SUCH great flavor. We decided we might try it with chicken some time or you can omit the shrimp and just use it at a side.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Change...

I am not sure when it started. The apathy. The lukewarmness. The spiritual laziness. The fear. The doubt. The insecurity.
It probably was always there...but it became more and more a part of me. Day after day, choice by choice.
Truth became hazy. The world became attractive. Wants became needs. People became saviors.
I danced. I danced for those I thought wanted me to dance. I did the polka and the waltz and the salsa and the two step.
I conformed. I wanted to please. I claimed it was part of my personalitity. I secretly thought it made me likeable and sweet.
I wanted to be everything to everyone. Needed. I wanted to be a passionate believer to the seasoned. I wanted to be an intellectual to those who could not believe. I wanted to be a modest beauty. I wanted to be called hot. I wanted to give all I have to the poor, orphaned and widowed. I wanted a spa in my home and a unlimited gift card to Banana. I wanted a doting husband. I wanted to be the boss. I wanted to do full time ministry. I wanted to be a movie star. I wanted to read everything I could get my hands on about Jesus. I wanted to read every line in US Weekly. I wanted to have more time. I wanted to watch my DVRed shows 9 hours a week. I wanted to make everyone in my life feel special. I wanted everyone to ask about me.
How does this work? This paradox. This life of faith?
After reviving my quiet times with the Lord in the mornings, I have been reminded.
I prayed. He heard.
Life is different. My heart tender. News that would have provided gossip fodder has broken me. My heart is vulnerable. The things I have held with clenched hands have begun to fall.
The Me I have constructed is not who I was created to be. I am so glad.
He is so trustworthy. This life is messy. It is hard. It is fleeting.
I am so thankful He is worthy. Because I am not. I am so thankful there is more to life than me.