Images...

Frozen Butterfly

Guard Frog

Be Still and Know that I am God...

With the Winter Storm of January 2010 now in the books... I was asked to man the helm for the onslaught of Church cancellations and time changes this morning.

Yesterday the producer called me and said "HELP the phones are ringing off the hook!!!!" or something to that effect. So I hitched a ride up Mount Krumpit and spent a few hours assisting in the announcing of church changes. It became very fun when the sun went down and every car on an expressway in Tulsa suddenly crashed. You think I kid, well the scanners began going wild with calls about car crashes. Hwy 169 was literally a sheet of ice - or as one TPD officer stated - a "skating rink" for cars. The highlight, if you can call it that, was a car sliding off a road, hitting a house, then catching on fire.

That brings me to this morning. Up at 5am. Ate my blueberry laden oatmeal, dressed in 3 layers, texted my sister that I would be treking to work, and off I go.

The only coat I have is black (it goes with everything) so I did think to grab a flash light. The walk wasn't very bad. It is a little more difficult in the boots than with my tennis shoes. It was so very quiet. I couldn't help but think of those nights spent at Nannie and Poppie's house as a kid.

Taking a moment to take in the beauty and quiet of God's wonder was a little overwhelming. I wish pictures could capture the whole splendor of it and that I could do a decent job of describing the moment.

It really does help me to remember the face of my father.

Long days and pleasant nights to ye

Annunciation...Thanks Mrs Butler

I know I am the minority when it comes to my political views. I am a Blue person in a Blood Red state.

However, I would like to share my thoughts on last nights State of the Union address. It was very refreshing to have a person speak from the podium in complete sentences with correct annunciation of all the words.

When I was in the eighth grade we were required to take a speech class. This was not English expanded, it was a class on how to speak properly in public. How to give a presentation orally. In this class I remember Mrs. Butler reading a piece of prose to us the first week of school. It was written in Okie Slang. To this day I have not forgotten the embarrassment I felt that day. That was the day that I began listening intently to local and national news commentators. I am proud of the fact that when away from McAlester, people have a difficult time pinpointing my "accent."

We were taught to speak clearly with proper American English and full sentences. I was teased by family members because I took this to heart. It has served me well though.

So last night when the 80 minute speach concluded - I was in awe of the way it had been delivered. Like what he said or not, you have to admit it was a very refreshing change. For the first time in almost a decade, the late night comics had to look at people other than the President to poke fun at the State of the Union speech. Fortunately for the comedians he has a very comical VP and Speaker that give them plenty of talking points.

Without going too deeply into my opinion of the content... I agree, Mr. President!

Now off to the storm preps...

Long days and pleasant nights

Here we go again

2010 began with us recovering from a Blizzard.

This week we are expecting another Winter Storm. My survival bag is packed...

One blanket
Bag of beans
Pot to cook said beans
Peanut butter
Bread
Two puppies
One pupcatcoon
Captain Morgan

Long days and pleasant nights...

One Year

We visited again today. As we have throughout the year. Your boys are growing so fast. Hayden loves playing sports. When I saw him play baseball last summer he went up to the plate and before the first pitch he looked back at me and yelled "I'm gonna hit it out of the park Aunt Tammie!" He is so much like you. Skylar loves his Handy Manny toys. He actually spent an hour trying to fix his broken tricycle using his Handy Manny tools. Again, like you.

It has been one year since Skylar went to live with the angels.

Each of our lives have been affected profoundly and we are all handling it in very different ways. Our family is one that draws comfort from the cold stones with the names written on them. Somehow it feels right to sit and talk even though outsiders only see stones and grass.

We bring the vibrant flowers and the memories to this place of solitude. As I stood in the pouring rain, alone with the beautiful flowers recently purchased - I could hear Skylar clearly saying "I love you Aunt Tammie... I won't let you down." I no longer remember if that was the very last conversation we had. I do know that he ended every conversation or visit with a smile and an "I love you."

I love you too, Skylar

Bleak Day in Tulsa

The Recession is easing in the rest of the country - yet has just hit Tulsa with a HUGE BANG.

For the last 3 or so months the story of declining sales tax revenue has made every newscast. With the release of the very low Christmas sales - Tulsa was forced to come to terms with the fact that we have no money.

The Mayor came up with a master plan and gave it to the unions last week. The City Non-Sworn employees elected to have people laid-off rather than take a pay reduction. Those lay-offs happen today. Police and Fire didn't like either of the options the Mayor gave them and began the blame game.

Noon today was D-Day for the Firefighter & Police unions to give the Mayor their counter proposals to lay-offs. (in my deranged mind I saw the Mayor in a duster and cowboy hat walking down the street alone to face off with the Union leaders while the theme song to High Noon played in the background. the sun shining high in the sky and Mayor Dewey not flinching to the glare of the BOK Center)

We were geared up for an ever-changing landscape. Stories taking us places we could only imagine. The game plan was to be fluid and ready to roll wherever/whenever. Never once was it imagined that our Police Chief would be asked to resign after he releases 155 officers.

Today is a day of press conferences scheduled all over town to point fingers. All fingers are being pointed at the Mayor. I guess if you have to blame someone - the Mayor is a good place to begin. The Unions are saying that the Mayor keeps changing the rules of the game. Honestly, the rules are fluid because everyday they take to whine - we are another day into the money that we do not have.

The fact is - we, the citizens of Tulsa, didn't buy enough things the past year to keep our current level of police/fire and city personnel. This is not really our fault either. Companies are closing, people are being down-sized, employees are being asked to take on more responsibilities while taking paycuts. We can no longer afford to take the family out to eat 5 nights a week.

We can also lay some blame off on our elected officials. Oklahoma has one of richest deposits of natural gas in the world. Why are they not pushing nationally for more natural gas powered automobiles and use of natural gas for heating and cooling homes and offices?

What we need to remember as we hear the reports on the news and read it in the newspapers is that we are still here. We still have buildings that are standing and police officers to protect us and firefighters to rescue our puppies. The City will survive this latest crisis and with a little luck will come out on the other side a little smarter and a lot healthier.

It was a very long year ago that I faced the same thing going on with the City. We had lay-offs and pay reductions. What I have learned from each of my job experiences is that you must go on. Things will be different - circumstances may not be the way you like them - but, you must go on to the next road in the crossing. Make the best you can of each day.

Long days and pleasant nights to ye...

Where's my Blankie...

Have you ever had one of those days that you wish you could just crawl back under the blankie and wait 24 hours to come out again?

Well, that was my day today. Nothing happened that is Earth shattering, but still the day was pretty uhm, well it sucked.

Started with an email from a well-intentioned friend. Seems I have a weight problem.

Next comes a statement that I don't really know how to dress.

Then to top the day off - we find out my nephew is no longer legally Skylar's son.

Thankfully - the sun will come out tomorrow and life will go on.

La Russa or Ghandi?

La Russa's view of how to play the game:

Come to the park on time, play hard, concentrate on playing the game right, compete your butt off, tip your cap if you get beat and enjoy the wins."

This is a great philosophy for a good life...

Happy 67th!

A little late but better late than never!

Wednesday Jan. 13 was Daddy's birthday. We asked him where he wanted to have dinner. We really didn't need to ask - he LOVES Golden Corral.

Patty and I are new at the eating for diabetes so it was fun to see what we could mix and match and still eat within the guidelines. We did cheat a bit. I couldn't resist the catfish and we both hit the dessert bar.

Happy belated birthday to the best Daddy in the world!

Long days and pleasant nights...

Things You Can't Ignore

Mark McGwire brought a LOT of attention to baseball when it was losing it's spot as America's favorite sport. No one can forget the race Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had going to the homerun champs. Baseball seemed to get it's glory days back. Everyone tuned in to watch the Cubs and Cardinals it didn't matter who they were playing.

Then McGwire won the race and retired. Sosa was caught using a corked bat - during regular play. Allegations of steroid use started swirling even before McGwire left the stage.

During the 1990's the use of PED's were not regulated in major league baseball. That being said, a player could use them and not be concerned about having to pee into a cup. However, they are a form a cheating. Anytime you use a manufactured drug to enhance your performance - you are cheating.

Congress became involved at the dawn of the 21st Century. McGwire was called to testify before a congressional hearing. He was arrogant and refused to answer direct questions with direct answers. I'm assuming that he thought if he just stayed away from the spot light it would all go away. Well it didn't.

Every time his name has appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot - he gets maybe a dozen votes. Not good for a man that had a career of a lifetime.

Now he is the batting coach in St. Louis. I have said it before and will again - I'm waiting to see how it all plays out. In my opinion this is a mistake. But, I'm not an insider and will have to wait and see. He did come clean and admit to using the drugs.

The next step, in my opion should be - strip him of the homeruns that he hit in the seasons he admits to using PED's. We will never know if he really could've been the "Big Mac" that we knew as the homerun king. And in Pete Rose fashion, he should be banned from the Hall of Fame as a player.

Long days and pleasant nights

120 Million Dollar Man

The Cardinals organization has never paid that price tag for a player in the history of the ball club. However, Matt Holliday proved he was worth the price last season.

The Cardinals were better than mediocre before the All-Star break. They were leading the division by a game or two. Then after the break Matt Holliday walks in as Left Fielder and Albert Pujols defense. Oh My Golly what happened next will go down in Cardinals history books.

We stormed thru the rest of the season. The one/two punch of Pujols and Holliday in addition to a healthy and lethal pitching staff made the Redbirds invincible.

In true fan fashion I have chosen to forget what happened when the play-0ffs started. I choose to believe that they did not go to the World Series as a favor to me. It was very difficult to watch the games and deal with the stuff going on with Mom.

A trip to St. Louis this summer has already been placed in the planning stage.

Long days and pleasant nights

Healthier 2010

After the rough 2009 - I bought myself a treadmill for Christmas/Birthday.

It arrived Dec. 23. I have been using it - honestly. However, a couple days ago I came down with a nasty stomach virus. Today is the first day in a couple that I have actually felt like getting off the bed.

I just found out why Oprah Mae has been so tired lately. Seems the treadmill is being used by her as well...

Long days and pleasant nights.