Not far from my house
This one touched down in Yukon, where Baby Sis lives.
This one was 2 miles north of my daughter's house
in north OKC.
This used to be a Love's Country Store . . . totally gone!
16 years ago
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
THE WRATH OF MOTHER NATURE!
This one was 2 miles north of my daughter's house
in north OKC.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
It's Springtime in Oklahoma!
Hi, Everyone! I've missed you. I've been in the weirdest funk lately . . . not like my usual "just-don't-feel-like-blogging" funk, but really just a gigantic "oh-woe-is-me" funk. I mean, SERIOUSLY!! And, you know what? Today I really kicked myself in the butt for feeling this way. After riding out the storms here yesterday without a scratch or speck of damage and just some frayed nerves, I looked around at all the other unfortunate souls just a few miles from me who woke up this morning to complete devastation, and for some, the loss of their loved ones. And, once again, I am reminded of the many blessings I have, and I am ashamed that too often I take that for granted.
Yes, it was a wild and crazy afternoon, but we’re all present and accounted for. JC was working and unavailable, and Hunter and I were home. She was sick and home from school, so she had control of the remote and was watching something on Disney channel. Suddenly, we started hearing clunks of hail hitting the windows. We changed the TV to a local channel and discovered that all hell was breaking loose! At that point, even though it was sunny outside, the storms were all around us, so even if we’d wanted to take off in the car (which was Hunter’s suggestion), there really wasn’t anyplace to go.
Right then, the weatherman announced that a tornado touched down in Yukon, which is the little ‘burb just west of OKC, and it’s where my sister lives. I tried calling her a number of times, but the phone lines were all jammed. Then, the tornado sirens started blaring, and the Greyhounds went crazy. About that time, as the hail was pounding the living daylights out of us, it was announced that a tornado was on the ground, crossing I-44 and Hwy 37, which is exactly 2.5 miles west of us. So, Hunter grabbed her bike helmet, flashlight, pillows, candles, and radio, and I grabbed the dogs, and we headed to the bathroom for safety. It seemed like an hour, but it was only 10-15 minutes! J
Sometime while we were in the bathroom, JC happened to call and asked what we were doing. I told him we were hunkered down in the bathroom because of the storm, and he was totally shocked. This was coming from the guy who actually works for our local NBC affiliate TV station and was at work while all this was going on!!! He had no clue all this was happening in south OKC!!
Well, the tornado that touched down close to us had lifted back up and ferociously made its way on to the east, causing unbelievable destruction. As of now, there are at least 5 confirmed fatalities and still more people missing. During just a few hours, there was an outbreak of 30+ tornadoes. We've had a very mild spring, for Oklahoma standards, but Mother Nature made up for lost time in one day.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the many families who were affected by the storms
Thursday, April 15, 2010
CRABBY TO THE MAX!
I accidentally typed "CRAPPY", and thought about just leaving it because it really describes my mood! I've been back in my "Not-Wanting-To-Blog" mode, just because I've been in such a rotten mood. In fact, do you know how many days it's been since I've picked up my hook and yarn? I believe it was sometime last weekend, and that is VERY unusual for me, to go more than a day without crocheting something.
So, who popped my bubble this time? Let me see how I can explain this without boring you all to tears. Basically, this is what happened. You all know I was in the hospital a couple of days recently. When I turned in my hours for payroll, I added a BIG, BOLD notation indicating my request to take two PTO days to make up for the days I missed. Well, life was bopping along just fine until this last Monday. I got into Quicken to do my update and give our account a last-minute check before the house payment was deducted. To my horror, I discovered that my request for the PTO days had not been honored, and my paycheck was much lower than anticipated!! Unfortunately, there was not an over-abundance of money in that account, and even less with the smaller paycheck, so charges started coming through, and this led to overdraft charges. By the time I discovered the OD charges from Friday, there were four more that came through on Monday. This fiasco came to a grand total of $210!!!!! If you've ever experienced the joy of overdraft charges, you know how the problem seems to compound, kind of like falling dominoes!
My husband and I went to the bank on Tuesday, in an attempt to plead for mercy, since we have had this account for many years and have had very few screw-ups like this. The assistant branch manager told us she would only reimburse us for three of the OD charges, and I would have to go to my employer to get reimbursed for the rest. GGRRRRR!!! Yes, I realize it was my boss' mistake, and I even have her apology in an email to back it up. But, it really irks me that banks cannot be more customer-friendly. It's not like they manually mailed back checks for non-payment. With everything electronic these days, the OD charges were all generated by a computer. And, it's not like my husband and I, long-time customers that we are, routinely overdraw our account. So, I will talk to my boss about the possibility of getting reimbursed for these charges. I'm just mad about having to take that step.
That got my week off to a rip-roaring start, and it's just gone downhill from there. But, lest you are already dozing off, I think I will leave you for now, and I promise to return in better spirits.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
MURPHY STRIKES AGAIN!
This message is coming to you today, straight from the keys of my brand new Dell Inspiron laptop. You might ask why that is such riveting news. Well, you know me, and you know that I have a way of building the entire clock when you just ask for the time. So, I am going to tell you just exactly what happened .
As you know, I had my heart cath last week. The incision site on my groin has been very sore, and it causes me a great deal of pain to sit at my desk for extended periods of time. Since I work from home and do 95% of my work on the computer, I've been fortunate to have a desktop computer, as well as a laptop, which allows me to be a little more portable. I have the coolest little lap table . . . one of those "As Seen On TV" jobbies . . . and it allows me to work from bed, the couch, or my favorite recliner. On Monday night, I was coding charts, while watching the men's basketball finals, and jumped up to let Hunter in, who was furiously pounding on the front door. I tried to move the lap desk, the laptop's cord got caught in the foot rest, and as I stood up, the laptop went crashing to the floor. No biggie, I thought. It has hit the floor before with no serious damage. Well, not this time. When I settled back in and turned the computer back on, the screen looked like it had been hit with a baseball! I rebooted a couple of times, but no luck. JC walked through the room, and I handed it to him and said, "Turn it on and see what it does." He did, and he just stood there shaking his head. "Wow, you must've dropped it, huh?"
I was so upset. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, and honestly, I wanted to throw the laptop across the room. But, alas, the violent impulse passed, and I went to bed instead. Yesterday, I called a good friend of mine, who is the biggest "geek freak" I know. I asked her if she, by chance, had an extra laptop lying around. She actually would have had one but she had recently loaned out her "extra". Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was accompanying my friend to Best Buy to look at computers.
Now, obviously, this friend is special. In addition to calling her one of my best friends, I have also had the pleasure of working for her since 2005. I have helped her manage her medical coding company, and she has given me her company AMEX card for business expenses. Last August for my birthday, Mary told me to go shopping and spend $300 for a gift. I felt guilty with her generosity and never took her up on her offer. This past Christmas? Yep, she told me the same thing, and once again, I never went shopping for myself. So, yesterday, at Best Buy, Mary told the sales person that she was buying this computer for me as a birthday/Christmas gift!! I just stood there, like a fool, with this goofy look on my face!
Mary, like I said, is very special. She has always said she's blessed and because of that, she wants to share her blessings with others. She did just that yesterday, and I am eternally grateful. Mary doesn't read my blog, and in fact, is the first to admit that she doesn't like messing with computers any more than necessary. But, I didn't want to let her generosity go unnoticed, and I wanted to tell you all about this person who does so much for others and expects so little in return. Thank you, Mary, for being you!
As you know, I had my heart cath last week. The incision site on my groin has been very sore, and it causes me a great deal of pain to sit at my desk for extended periods of time. Since I work from home and do 95% of my work on the computer, I've been fortunate to have a desktop computer, as well as a laptop, which allows me to be a little more portable. I have the coolest little lap table . . . one of those "As Seen On TV" jobbies . . . and it allows me to work from bed, the couch, or my favorite recliner. On Monday night, I was coding charts, while watching the men's basketball finals, and jumped up to let Hunter in, who was furiously pounding on the front door. I tried to move the lap desk, the laptop's cord got caught in the foot rest, and as I stood up, the laptop went crashing to the floor. No biggie, I thought. It has hit the floor before with no serious damage. Well, not this time. When I settled back in and turned the computer back on, the screen looked like it had been hit with a baseball! I rebooted a couple of times, but no luck. JC walked through the room, and I handed it to him and said, "Turn it on and see what it does." He did, and he just stood there shaking his head. "Wow, you must've dropped it, huh?"
I was so upset. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, and honestly, I wanted to throw the laptop across the room. But, alas, the violent impulse passed, and I went to bed instead. Yesterday, I called a good friend of mine, who is the biggest "geek freak" I know. I asked her if she, by chance, had an extra laptop lying around. She actually would have had one but she had recently loaned out her "extra". Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was accompanying my friend to Best Buy to look at computers.
Now, obviously, this friend is special. In addition to calling her one of my best friends, I have also had the pleasure of working for her since 2005. I have helped her manage her medical coding company, and she has given me her company AMEX card for business expenses. Last August for my birthday, Mary told me to go shopping and spend $300 for a gift. I felt guilty with her generosity and never took her up on her offer. This past Christmas? Yep, she told me the same thing, and once again, I never went shopping for myself. So, yesterday, at Best Buy, Mary told the sales person that she was buying this computer for me as a birthday/Christmas gift!! I just stood there, like a fool, with this goofy look on my face!
Mary, like I said, is very special. She has always said she's blessed and because of that, she wants to share her blessings with others. She did just that yesterday, and I am eternally grateful. Mary doesn't read my blog, and in fact, is the first to admit that she doesn't like messing with computers any more than necessary. But, I didn't want to let her generosity go unnoticed, and I wanted to tell you all about this person who does so much for others and expects so little in return. Thank you, Mary, for being you!
Monday, April 05, 2010
TYING UP SOME LOOSE ENDS!
Get it, tying up some loose ends? Greyhound running with the yarn unraveling? Okay, maybe it's my own private little giggle! :) Well, I just got the permission I needed to properly credit the designer of my new blog heading, so . . . (drum roll) . . . it was ingeniously created by Pammy Sue and her husband, Barnaby! What a fantastic job they did. I had always worried that people would think I didn't know how to spell the word "Great", so I wanted something to show my love for both of my passions, Greyhounds and crochet. I think the new logo pretty much says it all! Thanks so much to Pammy Sue and Barnaby for taking the time to do this for me. I'm conjuring up something really special for them to show my appreciation.
It's back to the grind here on this gray and HUMID Monday! No more recuperating for the weary. I enjoyed my weekend of rest and relaxation so much and really got spoiled to having JC and Hunter wait on me. I don't want any more trips to the hospital, and I don't want to lie around in recuperation mode, so I'm just going to have to figure out some other way to have more "Rest and Relaxation" weekends!
Happy Monday, everyone! Talk to you soon . . . . .
It's back to the grind here on this gray and HUMID Monday! No more recuperating for the weary. I enjoyed my weekend of rest and relaxation so much and really got spoiled to having JC and Hunter wait on me. I don't want any more trips to the hospital, and I don't want to lie around in recuperation mode, so I'm just going to have to figure out some other way to have more "Rest and Relaxation" weekends!
Happy Monday, everyone! Talk to you soon . . . . .
Sunday, April 04, 2010
HAPPY EASTER!
I'm excited about so many things right now! First, I am tickled to pieces with my new blog heading. I had been working on some business cards with this idea in mind. However, due to my severe lack of artistic talent, I could never make the idea materialize, and I ended up with a boring basket of yarn on my cards. I want to give the creator of my new heading all the credit that is due, but I want to get the proper permissions before doing so. I was so excited with the way it turned out, and I just couldn't wait any longer to show it off. I hope the designer doesn't mind me gushing with all this praise! :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Next, I am excited that the Oklahoma Sooner women are getting ready to play in the NCAA Final Four against Stanford. The men's tournament has been full of surprises this year, and it's been exciting to watch (even though my bracket was null and void after all the upsets in the first round)! Oklahoma is not really known for being a "basketball state", and our men's teams had nothing to offer the tournament. But, the women have a good chance of moving on to the finals. Let's go SOONERS!!
I'm extremely excited that I got a couple of days off last week, and my boss wanted to give me some recuperation time, so she gave me ZERO charts to code this weekend! That makes me VERY happy. I can't even recall the last time I had absolutely nothing to do over the weekend except R-E-S-T. Thank you to my very wonderful husband and daughter for taking such good care of me!
Due to all this R & R time, I got lots of crocheting done. I was hoping to have pictures to show you, but I haven't mustered up the energy to put the camera into action. I promise I will do that this week.
Finally, I'm more than excited to report that my heart cath was considered negative. I have some "irregularities" in my coronary artery and what the doctor said were spasms. But, he feels confident that we can get these things under control with medication and a healthier lifestyle. That means, bye-bye Mexican food, love of my life! Well, maybe not completely. I'm just going to have to limit myself to taco salads and give up the enchiladas! :)
I was going to share some of the more humorous highlights of my stay in the hospital, but I'm sure you've all probably "been there, done that" and have some great stories of your own. The nurses and aides that took care of me were all very professional and kind. They did their best to make my visit somewhat tolerable. Thanks to you, my sweet blogging friends, for your kind thoughts and get-well wishes.
It is my wish that all of you are having a wonderful Easter Sunday.
.jpg)
Next, I am excited that the Oklahoma Sooner women are getting ready to play in the NCAA Final Four against Stanford. The men's tournament has been full of surprises this year, and it's been exciting to watch (even though my bracket was null and void after all the upsets in the first round)! Oklahoma is not really known for being a "basketball state", and our men's teams had nothing to offer the tournament. But, the women have a good chance of moving on to the finals. Let's go SOONERS!!
I'm extremely excited that I got a couple of days off last week, and my boss wanted to give me some recuperation time, so she gave me ZERO charts to code this weekend! That makes me VERY happy. I can't even recall the last time I had absolutely nothing to do over the weekend except R-E-S-T. Thank you to my very wonderful husband and daughter for taking such good care of me!
Due to all this R & R time, I got lots of crocheting done. I was hoping to have pictures to show you, but I haven't mustered up the energy to put the camera into action. I promise I will do that this week.
Finally, I'm more than excited to report that my heart cath was considered negative. I have some "irregularities" in my coronary artery and what the doctor said were spasms. But, he feels confident that we can get these things under control with medication and a healthier lifestyle. That means, bye-bye Mexican food, love of my life! Well, maybe not completely. I'm just going to have to limit myself to taco salads and give up the enchiladas! :)
It is my wish that all of you are having a wonderful Easter Sunday.
.jpg)
Thursday, April 01, 2010
JUST A LITTLE NEWS!
Happy April Fools Day to you all! I wish I had a silly prank or a funny joke, but alas, I'm not feeling real humorous today. I'll tell you why a bit later, but first, I want to tell you about my daughter, Hunter, and her amazing day yesterday.
Some of you might remember that we bought her a Genesis bow for Christmas because she was showing a lot of interest in archery at her school. Well, she ended up making the team and up until yesterday, she had participated in two tournaments. In fact, in her last tournament about a month ago, she came in FIRST PLACE amongst the fifth grade girls. Unfortunately, the only picture I got of that event was taken with my husband's iPhone, and for some reason, the picture never made it home with us. :(
Well, after lots of practice and hard work, Hunter qualified to go to the state tournament with her school's team. This was held yesterday in downtown Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center. There were over 1700 participants and over 70 elementary schools, specifically. I'm happy to report that the Wayland Bonds Broncos came in 2nd place, and this qualified their team to go to the national tournament in Louisville, KY, in May. Hunter's dad, her Aunt Tammy, and I all took off work so we could be there for the big event. It was really spectacular, especially when the flag was lowered and 280 archers shot their first arrows at the same time. It kind of sounded like a machine gun or a bunch of Black Cat firecrackers exploding! :) So, I thought I'd share a few photos from Hunter's big day.
It looks like I'm going to have a long weekend to get some serious crochet done. I am going in to the hospital today to have a heart catheterization done. Remember all that heart nonsense that started back in November that ultimately led to the stress test and Holter monitor? Well, apparently, the next step is the heart cath, to see if I have any blockages that might be contributing to my symptoms. I have to be at the hospital at 11:00 for pre-op lab, chest x-ray and EKG, then the actual procedure is at 1:00. This means, friends, that I am writing this WITHOUT MY COFFEE!!!! Nothing by mouth after midnight, which is absolutely the WORST part!! :)
The doctor already told me that he wants to keep me overnight, but I'm going to beg and plead to get him to let me come home this evening, assuming everything turns out okay with the test. I hate hospitals and would rest much better in my big, soft, comfy bed! I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, so any warm fuzzy thoughts directed my way would be greatly appreciated.
I'm hoping by Sunday afternoon I'll have some more crochet to show you. Have a great weekend, and I'll be back soon.
In the meantime, GO SOONER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM who will be playing in the Final Four this weekend!!!
Some of you might remember that we bought her a Genesis bow for Christmas because she was showing a lot of interest in archery at her school. Well, she ended up making the team and up until yesterday, she had participated in two tournaments. In fact, in her last tournament about a month ago, she came in FIRST PLACE amongst the fifth grade girls. Unfortunately, the only picture I got of that event was taken with my husband's iPhone, and for some reason, the picture never made it home with us. :(
Well, after lots of practice and hard work, Hunter qualified to go to the state tournament with her school's team. This was held yesterday in downtown Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center. There were over 1700 participants and over 70 elementary schools, specifically. I'm happy to report that the Wayland Bonds Broncos came in 2nd place, and this qualified their team to go to the national tournament in Louisville, KY, in May. Hunter's dad, her Aunt Tammy, and I all took off work so we could be there for the big event. It was really spectacular, especially when the flag was lowered and 280 archers shot their first arrows at the same time. It kind of sounded like a machine gun or a bunch of Black Cat firecrackers exploding! :) So, I thought I'd share a few photos from Hunter's big day.
MIKAELA AND HUNTER
COACH GATLIN AND THE TEAM
HUNTER CONCENTRATING (OR DOZING)
MODELING HER MEDALS
So, throughout the day, there was lots of "down" time. Of course, I had my crochet bag with me, and I started two more squares for Bev. The ones below are the ones I had already finished. The pink one was my first, and I think it's a bit on the ugly side. It was not turning out to be 12 inches, so I just kept going with my DC border. I don't care for all the pale pink. But, I really, REALLY like the blue square. You can see that it's not as big as the pink one, but rather than ruining it with an extra border, I stopped and decided to let Guru Bev deal with the size difference. :)
It looks like I'm going to have a long weekend to get some serious crochet done. I am going in to the hospital today to have a heart catheterization done. Remember all that heart nonsense that started back in November that ultimately led to the stress test and Holter monitor? Well, apparently, the next step is the heart cath, to see if I have any blockages that might be contributing to my symptoms. I have to be at the hospital at 11:00 for pre-op lab, chest x-ray and EKG, then the actual procedure is at 1:00. This means, friends, that I am writing this WITHOUT MY COFFEE!!!! Nothing by mouth after midnight, which is absolutely the WORST part!! :)
The doctor already told me that he wants to keep me overnight, but I'm going to beg and plead to get him to let me come home this evening, assuming everything turns out okay with the test. I hate hospitals and would rest much better in my big, soft, comfy bed! I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, so any warm fuzzy thoughts directed my way would be greatly appreciated.
I'm hoping by Sunday afternoon I'll have some more crochet to show you. Have a great weekend, and I'll be back soon.
In the meantime, GO SOONER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM who will be playing in the Final Four this weekend!!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
OKAY, TIME FOR A FEW PICS
How many times have I said I was going to post some crochet pictures? I know, more procrastination! Actually, one thing that was holding me up was the fact that I lost my memory card reader that magically moves pics from my camera to my computer. Tragic, huh? It recently occurred to me that I could just use the USB connector that came with the camera to upload pictures. What a novel idea! So, here are a few things I've worked on lately.
That's all the time I have for picture-posting today. I've got to get some charts coded. I've got a bunch of squares made for Mrs. Twins' project, and I'm starting to work on some 12" squares for Beverooni. I'll take pics before I mail them.
HUNTER'S TOES
She loves these furry flip-flops!
ANOTHER CELL PHONE CASE
I've made tons of these . . . easy and fun!
HEART FILET
Had thoughts of doing something with this for Valentine's Day.
Remember the Wal-Mart granny square?
BABY GRANNY
This is the one I made for the lady who didn't claim it until
4 months AFTER the fact! :)
4 months AFTER the fact! :)
LUCY-INSPIRED GRANNY
I didn't measure, but it almost covers a king-size bed.
I gave this to my in-laws as a house-warming gift. I don't have
Lucy's eye for color, but I'm still pleased with how it turned out!
That's all the time I have for picture-posting today. I've got to get some charts coded. I've got a bunch of squares made for Mrs. Twins' project, and I'm starting to work on some 12" squares for Beverooni. I'll take pics before I mail them.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!
What does Pete's love have to do with anything? Expressions are so funny sometimes. I had a boyfriend once who used to say, "Keri, just go scratch your tail and get glad!", whenever he thought I was acting poopie. I would get so spittin' mad whenever he said that, but now that he's a fossil in my collection of past relationships, I think it's hilarious. I find myself using it when I'm trying to get somebody out of a bad mood. :)
Okay, so, back to Pete. The reason I actually said that out loud is because I glanced up from the keyboard and peered outside, and when what to my wandering eyes should appear? SNOW!!!!!!!!!! Yep, that is the gosh-darned truth! Thursday and Friday, here in Oklahoma City, the temperature was in the mid-70's. Today, we are having the wildest, windiest, chilliest Spring snowstorm you can imagine. There's a thin layer of ice on the roads, thanks to the rain that fell in the middle of the night, and now the snow is blowing around and creating drifts all over the place.
Oklahoma City is hosting the first-round regional NCAA "March Madness" basketball tournament. On the news last night, they were interviewing out-of-state fans. One guy from Utah, following BYU, was just amazed at our weather. He arrived here on Wednesday and said he had to buy some shorts and t-shirts for his family because of the warm temperatures. As of yesterday, they had gone back to the store to stock up on sweatshirts, just to get them through today's freak snowstorm! So much for making a good impression on our friends from other states! "Hey, Ya'll, come to Oklahoma for Spring Break. You might get to swim or you might get to ski . . . snow-ski, that is! :)
Just wanted to jump on here for a minute and confess my love for Pete. Please don't let JC in on my secret. I've got some charts to code, and I'm going to go perch myself in front of the TV to watch some basketball. I'll be back later 'cause I've got some "Ta-Da" pics to share with you.
Happy Saturday Spring Snowstorm!!!!
Okay, so, back to Pete. The reason I actually said that out loud is because I glanced up from the keyboard and peered outside, and when what to my wandering eyes should appear? SNOW!!!!!!!!!! Yep, that is the gosh-darned truth! Thursday and Friday, here in Oklahoma City, the temperature was in the mid-70's. Today, we are having the wildest, windiest, chilliest Spring snowstorm you can imagine. There's a thin layer of ice on the roads, thanks to the rain that fell in the middle of the night, and now the snow is blowing around and creating drifts all over the place.
Oklahoma City is hosting the first-round regional NCAA "March Madness" basketball tournament. On the news last night, they were interviewing out-of-state fans. One guy from Utah, following BYU, was just amazed at our weather. He arrived here on Wednesday and said he had to buy some shorts and t-shirts for his family because of the warm temperatures. As of yesterday, they had gone back to the store to stock up on sweatshirts, just to get them through today's freak snowstorm! So much for making a good impression on our friends from other states! "Hey, Ya'll, come to Oklahoma for Spring Break. You might get to swim or you might get to ski . . . snow-ski, that is! :)
Just wanted to jump on here for a minute and confess my love for Pete. Please don't let JC in on my secret. I've got some charts to code, and I'm going to go perch myself in front of the TV to watch some basketball. I'll be back later 'cause I've got some "Ta-Da" pics to share with you.
Happy Saturday Spring Snowstorm!!!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
LAST WEEK OF WINTER, BOO-HOO!
You guys are too sweet to me! Seriously, I couldn't get lost if I wanted to. Not that I ever really WANT to get lost, I just seem to fade away for awhile. Not sure why I do that really. It just seems that I get so overwhelmed with LIFE sometimes that being on the computer any more than I absolutely have to becomes more of a task than a pleasure. That's certainly not directed at any of you. You all are so kind and caring, and I appreciate, more than you'll ever know, your emails and well wishes.
So . . . a lot has happened in my life since I visited with you last. Most of the time, while I've been MIA, I was lurking in the shadows and following your blogs. Occasionally, I stayed away from the computer for a few days and had to play catch-up on my reading. Your beautiful projects, funny stories, and yummy recipes always kept me coming back for more! Every time I would think about signing on and writing a little post, I would talk myself out of it, knowing that my "little" post wouldn't be so "little"!
Well, winter here in Oklahoma seems to be dwindling away much sooner than I'd like. It's not that I'm a hater of spring, although tornado season here can be really exciting, not always in a good way. It's just that when spring arrives, I know it's only a matter of weeks before the scorching heat and humidity are upon us, and that is SO DEPRESSING! Eww, that makes me nauseous just thinking about it.
My daughter, Hunter "The Bean", has been practicing very hard with her school's Archery team. A couple of weeks ago, she was notified that not only had she secured a place on the team, but she also qualified to go with the team to the State competition. Her dad and I are thinking that the bow set she got for Christmas was a pretty good investment. We're very proud of her for all the hard work she's putting into this. KEEP IT UP, HUNTER BEAN!!
Another highlight in my life recently involves my favorite (and only) sister, Tammy. She is a 20+ year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Back in the fall, she came to the conclusion that although she was actually eligible to retire at 20 years, she didn't feel like she had done enough in her career for her satisfaction. So, she decided she would prepare herself to take the Lieutenant's exam and try to move her career forward into a management role. There were 62 candidates who took the written test over a month ago. Tammy ranked 7th after the scores were tallied. The top 30 from that group moved on to the very demanding part of the test, which consisted of three days of face-to-face interviews and critiques from a panel of law enforcement experts. The top 20 candidates were then selected from this phase. These officers are eligible for promotion to Lieutenant as positions become available over the next two years. I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS to my sister for passing all phases of the test and becoming Lieutenant-eligible!
My next bit of news involves my health. Some of you probably remember the little scare I had back in November with some chest pains and a resulting overnight stay at the hospital. Well, the cardiologist ordered some cardiac-specific lab tests, an adenosine stress test, and 24-hour Holter monitoring. This was all done the week of Christmas. Due to rescheduling issues on my part and the doctor's, I finally got in for my follow-up visit this past week. I was not happy with the news I received. The stress test showed that my heart muscle is extremely weak and that my left ventricle is enlarged. The Holter monitor tracked 1607 "extra" beats in a 24-hour period. These are called premature ventricular contractions or PVC's. This condition can be very dangerous, especially if there are a string of seven or more PVC's together. Surprisingly, the doctor said that my weight issues were not actually the culprit, although losing weight would certainly be helpful. He attributes most of this to heredity, knowing that my mother and two grandfathers passed away at relatively young ages from heart disease.
So, what do I do now? Well, I immediately asked the doctor if I could strengthen my heart with some low-impact, aerobic exercising? He instructed me NOT to undertake anything more than a gentle walk around the block until we get the PVC's under control. He started me on two new medications and wants to see me back in a week to do another EKG. In the meantime, I'm trying to keep my heavy-duty crocheting in check so as not to get too winded. I am keeping a close eye on my diet and focusing on putting healthy things in my mouth. I'm getting lots of sleep, trust me, and I'm doing my best to get a short walk in every day. And, I guess I'm just waiting for my next doctor's appointment. I'll keep you all posted.
Okay, so I mentioned heavy-duty crocheting. You guys won't believe what happened to me this weekend. Do any of you remember the blue and white baby granny afghan I started making last year while I was sitting at Wal-Mart, waiting for my oil to be changed? Well, I was watching my sister bowl one afternoon and working on the afghan. One of her teammates saw it, loved it, and said she would buy it from me. She also wanted me to make a second afghan because she had two brand new babies in her family who needed blankets. So, I finished one, started the second, finished it, and was going to take them to the bowling alley for delivery. My sister then informed me that the lady was no longer bowling with them, and she was not sure how to contact her. So, I have had both of the blankets, sealed in plastic bags, for over three months, waiting for the right moment to give them away. Well, this past Saturday, I attended a friend's baby shower and was so happy and excited to finally be able to give my blankets away. On Sunday, my sister was bowling in the women's state tournament, and I decided to go watch. Lo and behold, guess who was there! Yep, her former teammate who had wanted the baby blankets!!! I was so shocked when I saw her, and the first words out of her mouth were "Oh, did you by chance bring my baby blankets?" I think my mouth dropped open, and in my peripheral vision I could see my sister smirking!
Well, at that moment, why I didn't just 'fess up and tell her the truth, I don't know. I mean, SHE was the one who quit bowling and didn't leave any contact information. SHE was the one who requested blankets, then never got back with me to claim them. But, at that very moment, she caught me totally off guard, and I found myself blubbering out some excuse like, "Oh, geez, I sure didn't expect to see YOU here!", and "Gosh, I wish Tammy would have told me you were going to be here, and I would have brought your blankets." Little did she know that I had just given "her" blankets away the day before to a very deserving mother-to-be.
Seriously, can you believe the luck??? I know there are some of you out there who are mentally chastising me right now for not telling her the truth. But, I just didn't know how to tell her that I didn't have her blankets. Throughout the time I was sitting there, watching the ladies bowl and stewing over how I was going to have to be crocheting 24/7 for the next week, my sister kept whispering in my ear, "Are you sure you don't need to leave so you can get busy crocheting?" Oh, the nerve!!
Well, my first thought was to put out a plea for help from you guys. I thought surely some of you probably have a baby blanket or two lying around, just waiting to sell to a desperate friend. Then, after much angst and despair, I came to the conclusion that I just need to get in touch with this lady and tell her the truth. I can explain to her that I had kept "her" blankets for almost 4 months before deciding to give them away. And, I will offer to make her two new blankets. VOILA! The truth! I know it's the right thing, but it's going to be so hard to go to this lady and eat humble pie! :)
I hope you all have a terrific week! It's the last week of winter (UGH!) so enjoy it before the heat sets in! Believe it or not, I have been crocheting during my time away. I'm finding that I really enjoy making little projects that bring instant gratification and don't take too long, like dishcloths, tawashis, cell phone covers, and seasonal things like hearts, shamrocks, Easter bunnies, etc. Looks like I'd better get my hook flying on some baby blankets, huh? :)
So . . . a lot has happened in my life since I visited with you last. Most of the time, while I've been MIA, I was lurking in the shadows and following your blogs. Occasionally, I stayed away from the computer for a few days and had to play catch-up on my reading. Your beautiful projects, funny stories, and yummy recipes always kept me coming back for more! Every time I would think about signing on and writing a little post, I would talk myself out of it, knowing that my "little" post wouldn't be so "little"!
Well, winter here in Oklahoma seems to be dwindling away much sooner than I'd like. It's not that I'm a hater of spring, although tornado season here can be really exciting, not always in a good way. It's just that when spring arrives, I know it's only a matter of weeks before the scorching heat and humidity are upon us, and that is SO DEPRESSING! Eww, that makes me nauseous just thinking about it.
My daughter, Hunter "The Bean", has been practicing very hard with her school's Archery team. A couple of weeks ago, she was notified that not only had she secured a place on the team, but she also qualified to go with the team to the State competition. Her dad and I are thinking that the bow set she got for Christmas was a pretty good investment. We're very proud of her for all the hard work she's putting into this. KEEP IT UP, HUNTER BEAN!!
Another highlight in my life recently involves my favorite (and only) sister, Tammy. She is a 20+ year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Back in the fall, she came to the conclusion that although she was actually eligible to retire at 20 years, she didn't feel like she had done enough in her career for her satisfaction. So, she decided she would prepare herself to take the Lieutenant's exam and try to move her career forward into a management role. There were 62 candidates who took the written test over a month ago. Tammy ranked 7th after the scores were tallied. The top 30 from that group moved on to the very demanding part of the test, which consisted of three days of face-to-face interviews and critiques from a panel of law enforcement experts. The top 20 candidates were then selected from this phase. These officers are eligible for promotion to Lieutenant as positions become available over the next two years. I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS to my sister for passing all phases of the test and becoming Lieutenant-eligible!
So, what do I do now? Well, I immediately asked the doctor if I could strengthen my heart with some low-impact, aerobic exercising? He instructed me NOT to undertake anything more than a gentle walk around the block until we get the PVC's under control. He started me on two new medications and wants to see me back in a week to do another EKG. In the meantime, I'm trying to keep my heavy-duty crocheting in check so as not to get too winded. I am keeping a close eye on my diet and focusing on putting healthy things in my mouth. I'm getting lots of sleep, trust me, and I'm doing my best to get a short walk in every day. And, I guess I'm just waiting for my next doctor's appointment. I'll keep you all posted.
Okay, so I mentioned heavy-duty crocheting. You guys won't believe what happened to me this weekend. Do any of you remember the blue and white baby granny afghan I started making last year while I was sitting at Wal-Mart, waiting for my oil to be changed? Well, I was watching my sister bowl one afternoon and working on the afghan. One of her teammates saw it, loved it, and said she would buy it from me. She also wanted me to make a second afghan because she had two brand new babies in her family who needed blankets. So, I finished one, started the second, finished it, and was going to take them to the bowling alley for delivery. My sister then informed me that the lady was no longer bowling with them, and she was not sure how to contact her. So, I have had both of the blankets, sealed in plastic bags, for over three months, waiting for the right moment to give them away. Well, this past Saturday, I attended a friend's baby shower and was so happy and excited to finally be able to give my blankets away. On Sunday, my sister was bowling in the women's state tournament, and I decided to go watch. Lo and behold, guess who was there! Yep, her former teammate who had wanted the baby blankets!!! I was so shocked when I saw her, and the first words out of her mouth were "Oh, did you by chance bring my baby blankets?" I think my mouth dropped open, and in my peripheral vision I could see my sister smirking!
Well, at that moment, why I didn't just 'fess up and tell her the truth, I don't know. I mean, SHE was the one who quit bowling and didn't leave any contact information. SHE was the one who requested blankets, then never got back with me to claim them. But, at that very moment, she caught me totally off guard, and I found myself blubbering out some excuse like, "Oh, geez, I sure didn't expect to see YOU here!", and "Gosh, I wish Tammy would have told me you were going to be here, and I would have brought your blankets." Little did she know that I had just given "her" blankets away the day before to a very deserving mother-to-be.
Seriously, can you believe the luck??? I know there are some of you out there who are mentally chastising me right now for not telling her the truth. But, I just didn't know how to tell her that I didn't have her blankets. Throughout the time I was sitting there, watching the ladies bowl and stewing over how I was going to have to be crocheting 24/7 for the next week, my sister kept whispering in my ear, "Are you sure you don't need to leave so you can get busy crocheting?" Oh, the nerve!!
Well, my first thought was to put out a plea for help from you guys. I thought surely some of you probably have a baby blanket or two lying around, just waiting to sell to a desperate friend. Then, after much angst and despair, I came to the conclusion that I just need to get in touch with this lady and tell her the truth. I can explain to her that I had kept "her" blankets for almost 4 months before deciding to give them away. And, I will offer to make her two new blankets. VOILA! The truth! I know it's the right thing, but it's going to be so hard to go to this lady and eat humble pie! :)
I hope you all have a terrific week! It's the last week of winter (UGH!) so enjoy it before the heat sets in! Believe it or not, I have been crocheting during my time away. I'm finding that I really enjoy making little projects that bring instant gratification and don't take too long, like dishcloths, tawashis, cell phone covers, and seasonal things like hearts, shamrocks, Easter bunnies, etc. Looks like I'd better get my hook flying on some baby blankets, huh? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
